bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Defect Centers in Gamma‐Irradiated Single‐Crystal Al2O3
Authors: YEN C. F. , COBLE R. L.
Published: October 2006

The γ‐irradiation‐induced optical absorption spectra of annealed Al2O3 single crystals were analyzed. The samples were beat‐treated in O2 or vacuum from 1600° to 1800°C. Four absorption bands are reported with average peak positions at 3.4,4.8,5.5, and 6.6 eV for samples annealed in O2 at ≥ 1750°C. Vacuum anneals up to 1800°C and O2 anneals at < 1700°C failed to generate observable bands in the energy range studied. There is also evidence that one or more bands exist at >6.6 eV. The radiation‐induced change in the absorption spectra is reported and the defect centers responsible for the measured optical absorption bands are discussed with respect to the aliovalent impurities in the host lattice. Special attention is given to the role of the Fe3+ impurity ion.
Some Effects of Cavities on the Fracture of Ceramics: II, Spherical Cavities
Authors: EVANS A. G. , BISWAS D. R. , FULRATH R. M.
Published: October 2006

Fracture probabilities associated with spherical cavities were analyzed by combining principles of fracture mechanics and fracture statistics. The analysis is based on the theory that fracture occurs from a distribution of cracks located at the cavity surfaces. It predicts effects on strength of cavity size and cavity volume content (porosity) that depend sensitively on the flaw population in relation to the cavity size distribution. The theory has limit solutions that coincide with several models of fracture derived for porous ceramics. The predicted effects of pore size on strength are compared with some available data.
Analytical Expressions for the Heat Capacities of Alkali Silicate Liquids
Authors: ELIEZER ISAAC , HOWALD REED A. , VISWANADHAM PULIGANDLA
Published: October 2006

The available thermochemical data for silicate liquids and glasses indicate that the customary assumption of heat‐capacity additivity is not valid, particularly for liquid silicates near 1000 K. Estimates are obtained for the heat capacities of KO0.3‐SiO2, NaO0.3‐SiO2, and CaO‐SiO2 liquids. The excess heat capacity of mixing of alkali silicates at 1000 K is:

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in units of cal mol−1 K−1. Analytical expressions are given for Cep for KO0.5‐NaO0.5‐SiO2 and NaO0.3‐CaO‐SiO2 liquids at 900 to 1800 K.
Phase Equilibria in the System Li2O‐Cr2O3‐SiO2
Authors: IZQUIERDO GEORGINA , WEST A.R.
Published: October 2006

The system Li2O‐Cr2O3–SiO2 contains one previously reported ternary compound, LiCrSi2O6. Six subsolidus compatibility triangles and six ternary invariant points were located. The highest solidus, temperature is 1283°C, but liquidus temperatures are much higher for many compositions.
Experimental Analysis of Sintering of MgO Compacts
Authors: WONG BOON , PASK JOSEPH A.
Published: October 2006

Experimental sintering studies On undoped and cao‐doped Mgo powder compacts in Static air and flowing Water Vapor atmospheres were conducted at 1230° to 1600°C. Corresponding microstructural changes of specimens during sintering were examined by scanning electron microscopy. Kinetic and microstructural data were analyzed to determine sintering mechanisms during the initial and intermediate stages of sintering.
Mechanical Properties of Hot‐Pressed B‐B4C Materials
Authors: CHAMPAGNE BLAISE , ANGERS ROCH
Published: October 2006

Elastic modulus and flexural strength were measured at room temperature for solid pieces hot‐pressed at 1900 to 2600 K from mixtures of B4C powder and ≤15 wt% B powder. Regression analysis showed that elastic modulus and flexural strength are not significantly affected by these boron additions. Elastic modulus is related to porosity and flexural strength to porosity and grain size. The fracture surface energy of boron carbide was evaluated. X‐ray diffraction and chemical analyses showed that the specimens were composed entirely of boron carbide after hot‐pressing. Lattice constants increased with the initial boron content.
Dielectric Relaxation in High‐Silica Borosilicate Glasses
Authors: SIMMONS JOSEPH H. , ELTERMAN PAUL B. , SIMMONS CATHERINE J. , MOHR ROBERT K.
Published: October 2006

Borosilicate glasses with high silica and varying water content were made by a process similar to that of Vycor. Dielectric relaxation measurements show a de‐conduction activation energy equal to that of fused silica, no apparent dependence of the dc conductivity on water content, and an unexpectedly narrow relaxation‐time distribution equivalent to a simple RC circuit element. A single relaxation process is observed in all samples regardless of water content and neither the conductivity nor the activation energy are significantly altered by a 50‐fold change in water content.
Densities of SiO2‐Al2O3 Melts
Authors: AKSAY ILHAN A. , PASK JOSEPH A. , DAVIS ROBERT F.
Published: October 2006

The densities of binary aluminosilicate melts were measured X‐radiographically as a function of Al2O3, concentration between 1800° and 2000°C. Within this temperature range, the density curves vary linearly and are parallel from fused SiO2 to ≊30 to 45 mol% Al2O3, depending on the temperature. At higher Al2O3 contents, negative deviation from linearity increases with increasing temperature. Recent supplementary research efforts on various aspects of the system SiO2‐Al2O3 indicate that the changing coordination and structural role of the aluminum ion may be a primary factor in determining the shapes of the density curves.
Delayed Failure in Chemically Vapor Deposited ZnSe
Authors: McKINNEY K. R. , MECHOLSKY J. J. , FREIMAN S. W.
Published: October 2006

Room‐temperature delayed failure of C VD ZnSe was tested in 4‐point flexure. Fracture surfaces of specimens exhibiting delayed failure, i.e. failing after some time under a fixed load, showed an intergranular region of fracture, surrounding a mechanically induced flaw. This intergranular region was attributed to slow crack growth and the remaining transgranular fracture to high‐velocity crack propagation. This behavior contrasts with that of specimens failing during loading, i.e. with little or no slow crack growth, which typically exhibited only transgranular failure, as was also observed in bend tests of specimens loaded to failure. Actual times to failure fell between failure‐time predictions based on single‐crystal and polycrystal‐line slow crack growth data, but were much closer to that for the single crystal.
Hardness, Toughness, and Brittleness: An Indentation Analysis
Authors: LAWN B. R. , MARSHALL D. B.
Published: October 2006

The ratio H/Kc, wjere His hardness (resistance to deformation) and Kc. is toughness (resistance to fracture), is proposed as an index of brittleness. Indentation mechanics provides the scientific basis for this proposal. The analysis, developed in terms of a model contact system, indicates that all materials are more susceptible to deformation in small‐scale loading events and to fracture in large‐scale events. By normalizing the characteristic dimensions of the two competing processes and the contact load in terms of appropriate functions of H and Kc a universal deformation/fracture diagram can be constructed. From this diagram the mechanical response of any material of known hardness and toughness may be predicted for any prospective in‐service contact loading conditions. The concept offers a simple approach to materials classification for design purposes.
Analysis of Electrolyte Polarization in Polycrystalline Sodium β‐Alumina by a Complex Admittance Method
Authors: JAKUBOWSKI W. , WHITMORE D. H.
Published: October 2006

The polarization behavior of lithia‐stabilized sodium β‐alumina in the form of polycrystalline pressed and sintered specimens was studied at 100° to 400°C by observing the isothermal values of the complex admittance from ≊5 Hz to 500 kHz. Analyzing these data in the complex admittance plane in terms of an equivalent circuit for the system made it possible, when ion‐blocking electrodes were used, to distinguish the separate contributions of the grain boundaries and the bulk crystals to the total electrolyte resistance. These results gave activation energies of 0.32 to 0.41 eV for the grain‐boundary resistance and 0.11 to 0.14 eV for the bulk resistance. The prefactors in the Arrhenius expressions for these resistances appeared to be more sensitive to factors such as specimen composition, microstructure, and specimen preparation conditions than are the activation energies.
Reaction of Dehydrated Surface of Partially Leached Glass with Water
Authors: DAS C. R.
Published: October 2006

Glasses containing sodium and potassium were leached with water and the alkali was extracted by a linear relation with square root of time. The leached surfaces were then dried by different techniques, heat‐treated at various temperatures, and again attacked by water. For glasses containing Na2O, the heat‐treated preleached grains showed neither extraction behavior having a linear relation with time nor extraction by a square root‐time relation. For glasses containing K2O, the heat‐treated preleached glass grains showed a linear relation of extraction. The results were explained by a structural transformation for the sodium glasses, in which an S‐shaped sodium ion distribution at the surface layer was greatly affected by the heat treatment. For the potassium glasses no such transformation could occur since the alkali ion distribution was exponential and unaffected by temperature.
High‐Temperature Stress‐Strain Behavior of MgO in Compression
Authors: DOKKO P. C. , PASK JOSEPH A.
Published: October 2006

Compressive stress‐strain curves for several types of polycrystalline MgO specimens were correlated with those for single crystals and analyzed as a function of grain size and grain‐boundary character at 1200° and 1400°C for several strain rates. The results for fully dense specimens were explained in terms of grain‐boundary sliding and intergranular separation in addition to slip. The modification of grain‐boundary nature concurrent with heat treatment for grain growth, caused by residual LUF, was associated with enhanced grain‐boundary sliding and intergranular separation. For grain sizes <30 μm, it was concluded that the von Miss criteria for ductility could be relaxed by the Occurrence of dislocation climb and, to a limited extent, by intergranular separation. Yield drop corresponding to dislocation multiplication occurred when grain‐boundary sliding was initially promoted. Specimens with a liquid phase of adequate viscosity also indicated plasticity accompanied by high strength. Specimens with clean grain boundaries exhibited ductility and normal strain hardening with no intergranular separation.
Hydration of Cement‐Lignosulfonate‐Alkali Carbonate System
Authors: JAWED INAM , KLEMM WALDEMAR A. , SKALNY JAN
Published: October 2006

The effects of water‐cement ratio, mixing procedure, and the presence of alkali carbonate and lignosulfonate on the early hydration reactions of portland cement are shown. Based on analyses of the liquid phase, adsorption measurements, and DTA and XRD studies a tentative mechanism of hydration is proposed which explains the unusual heat‐evolution phenomena observed for this system.
Characterization of Anion Disorder in Zirconate A2B2O7 Compounds by Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: SCHEETZ BARRY E. , WHITE WILLIAM B.
Published: October 2006

Raman spectra were measured at room temperature and at liquid nitrogen temperature on six rare‐earth zirconates, RE2Zr2O7 (RE=Nd, Sm, Gd, Dy, Er, and Yb). The spectra of the three compounds with large rare‐earth ions exhibited most of the expected Raman bands of the pyrochlore structure but with large, temperature‐independent half‐widths that could be related to the loss of translational symmetry imposed by incipient randomization of oxygen vacancies over two available anion sites. Compounds with the smaller rare‐earth ions have the fluorite structure, in which the disorder arises from the complete random distribution of seven oxygen ions over eight crystallographically equivalent sites. This degree of disorder reduces the Raman spectrum to a broad featureless density‐of‐states continuum.
Phase Relations and Reaction Sintering of Transparent Cubic Aluminum Oxynitride Spinel (ALON)
Authors: McCAULEY JAMES W. , CORBIN N. D.
Published: October 2006

A new isobaric, condensed phase diagram in the region of stability of cubic aluminum oxynitride spinel (ALON) along the pseudobinary AI2O3‐AIN composition join is presented, deduced primarily from various analytical measurements and microstructural observations. It is shown that cubic aluminum oxynitride spinel melts incongruently at ≊2050°C and is compositionally centered at ≊35.7 mol% AIN, which is equivalent to the following stoichiometric composition: AI23O27N5 or 5AIN·9AI2O3. Single‐phase ALON material sintered to nearly full density exhibits transparency in visible light.
Retracted: Characteristic of natural regeneration of Aucoumea klaineana (Pierre) in Mayombe rain forest, southern Congo
Authors: Pangou Serge Valentin , Lechon Gema , Bouki Théophile , Mountanda Antoine
Published: October 2006

The following article from African Journal of Ecology, ‘Characteristic of natural regeneration of Aucoumea klaineana (Pierre) in Mayombe rain forest, southern Congo’ by Serge Valentin Pangou, Gema Lechon, Théophile Bouki and Antoine Mountanda, first published online in Wiley Online Library (http://www.wileyonlinelibrary.com) on 3rd October 2006, and in volume 45, issue 2, pp. 156‐164, has been retracted with the agreement of the journal Editor in Chief, Frederick Kayanja, and Blackwell Publishing Ltd. The retraction has been agreed due to unacknowledged overlap with ‘Density and population structure of the natural regeneration of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in the High Ebro Basin (Northern Spain)’ by Santiago C. González‐Martínez, and Felipe Bravo, Annals of Forest Science (2001), Vol 58, issue 2, pp. 277–288.
Critical thinking dispositions in baccalaureate nursing students
Authors: Shin Kyung Rim , Lee Ja Hyung , Ha Ju Young , Kim Kon Hee
Published: October 2006

Aim.  This paper reports an investigation into the critical thinking disposition of students enrolled in a baccalaureate nursing programme at a university in Korea.

Background.  Critical thinking may be summarized as a skilled process that conceptualizes and applies information from observation, experience, reflection, inference and communication in a technical manner. It is more of a rational act used as an instrument rather than as a result. Critical thinking is a core competency in nursing and has been widely discussed in nursing education. However, the results of previous research on the effectiveness of nursing education in improving students’ critical thinking have been inconsistent.

Methods.  A longitudinal design was used with a convenience sample of 60 nursing students; 32 students participated four times in completing a questionnaire each March from 1999 to 2002. The California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory was administered to measure disposition to critical thinking.

Results.  There was a statistically significant improvement in critical thinking disposition score by academic year (F = 7·54, P = 0·0001). Among the subscales, open‐mindedness, self‐confidence, and maturity also showed a statistically significant difference by academic year (P = 0·0194, 0·0041, 0·0044).

Conclusion.  Teaching strategies to enhance critical thinking should be developed, in addition to further research on the effect of the nursing curriculum on students’ critical thinking. Moreover, survey instruments could be adjusted to incorporate characteristics of the Korean culture.
The 1999 Irish nurses’ strike: nursing versions of the strike and self‐identity in a general hospital
Authors: Brown Gary D. , Greaney Anna‐Marie , Kelly‐Fitzgibbon Mary E. , McCarthy Jane
Published: October 2006

Aim.  The aim of this paper is to report findings from a study investigating nurses’ experiences of strike in one public general hospital in the Republic of Ireland.

Background.  October 1999 heralded the first nationwide nurses strike in the Republic of Ireland. The strike reflected an international shift towards industrial action in a profession which had previously viewed such action as the antithesis of professional behaviour.

Methods.  A focused ethnographic approach studied a group of striking Registered Nurses, not as a culture per se, but as a collection of individuals sharing a common human experience. A purposive sampling approach identified eight information‐rich cases from a modified quota structure. Semi‐structured interviews were carried out immediately prior to, during and at the end of the 1999 strike. The participants also maintained journals which were explored during the interviews. Data were analysed using a constant comparative approach, seeking to achieve category saturation.

Findings.  Four strike versions were identified. The anticipatory version is constructed as an inevitable protest, the orientation version as history‐making solidarity and the performing version as a job of work. The withdrawal version is constructed as a conspiracy from which nurses are excluded. These versions portray ongoing tension that is experienced between conflicting self‐identities of Registered Nurses as nurses and as strikers. The analysis revealed strategies adopted to resolve tensions between these identities within the dimensions of carer, patient advocate, multidisciplinary team member and professional.

Conclusions.  Debate on such potentially contentious issues by individual nurses, hospital managers and union leaders may facilitate awareness and preparation in advance of any future industrial action. Strategies that may be helpful in the event of a strike include a prestrike orientation programme for the entire organization, a support system for staff during the strike and informal de‐briefing among all staff in the context of a social gathering when the strike is over.
Immunosuppression in pediatric solid organ transplantation: Opportunities, risks, and management
Authors: Tredger J. Michael , Brown Nigel W. , Dhawan Anil
Published: October 2006

Abstract: The pediatric transplant community stands at a time of unprecedented choice of immunosuppressive agents – and with a legacy of morbidity from those agents used in the previous two decades. This review considers the clinical utility and side‐effect profiles of immunosuppressants used widely in current practice (e.g., glucocorticoids, azathioprine, ciclosporin, tacrolimus, mycophenolate, and sirolimus) and those agents which are in increasing use or in evaluation (e.g., IL‐2 receptor antibodies, everolimus, FTY720, LEA29Y, and deoxyspergualin). Further consideration is given to the wider drug interactions likely during the use of new immunosuppressant regimens and to our growing awareness of the influences of genetic heterogeneity on drug efficacy and handling. Finally, we consider the new demands being placed on the use of drug monitoring to regulate dosage of this new repertoire of immunosuppressants.
Bosentan and sildenafil: Should the combination therapy be a valid alternative in childhood to prostacyclin infusion?
Authors: Brancaccio Gianluca , Toscano Alessandra , Bevilacqua Maurizio , Di Chiara Luca , Parisi Francesco
Published: October 2006

Abstract:  We report a case of a seven‐yr‐old girl with a PAH treated with continuation therapy of bosentan and sildenafil. The combination therapy revealed safety and efficacy in long‐term follow up.
Oral nystatin prophylaxis to prevent invasive candidiasis in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Ozturk Mehmet Adnan , Gunes Tamer , Koklu Esad , Cetin Neside , Koc Nedret
Published: October 2006

The use of oral nystatin to prevent fungal colonisation and infection in neonates in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is still an open question and not yet recommended as a standard of care. To determine whether prophylactic oral nystatin results in a decreased incidence of invasive candidiasis in the newborn infants, a total of 3991 infants were divided randomly into two groups. Group A infants (n = 1995), only those neonates who were identified as yeast carriers (oral moniliasis) were treated with oral nystatin. Group B infants, all neonates who were admitted to the unit received oral nystatin, was routinely administered three times a day. Group A was divided into groups A1 and A2 (who were treated only if identified as yeast carriers). Urine and rectal cultures were taken on admission and then weekly thereafter. There were 215 (14.2%), 27 (5.6%) and 36 (1.8%) patients positive for invasive candidiasis in groups A1, A2 and B respectively. Oral nystatin prophylaxis significantly reduced the invasive candidiasis (P = 0.004) in extremely low‐birth weight (ELBW) and very low‐birth weight (VLBW) infants. Prophylactic administration of oral nystatine to the ELBW and VLBW infants results in a decreased risk of invasive candidiasis.
Torsade de pointes induced by systemic antifungal agents: lessons from a retrospective analysis of published case reports
Authors: Justo Dan , Zeltser David
Published: October 2006

Torsade de pointes (TdP) is a potentially fatal arrhythmia that might be associated with systemic antifungal agent (SAFAs) administration. The objective of this study was to investigate all published reports on TdP induced by SAFAs in order to characterise this association. Each original report was analysed for the presence of risk factors for TdP: female gender, structural heart disease, electrolyte imbalance, concomitant use of a QT interval prolonging agent which SAFA inhibits its liver metabolism, liver cirrhosis, renal failure and more. Naranjo probability scale for adverse drug reactions was applied for every full report. Twenty‐one reports on 28 patients were analysed. All patients survived. Most patients (25/28; 89.2%) used one or more agents that might have prolonged the QT interval and their liver metabolism might have been inhibited by SAFA. Female gender was the second most common risk factor for TdP (20/28; 71.4%). All patients, including female patients, had one or more risk factors for TdP prior to SAFA administration. According to Narajno probability scale, there was no definite association between TdP and SAFA in any report. SAFA alone might seldom trigger TdP. We wish to raise the level of awareness of risk factors for TdP prior to SAFA administration and for concomitant use of other dysrhythmogenic agents in particular.
The Na+/H+ exchanger is a major pH regulator in GABAergic presynaptic nerve terminals synapsing onto rat CA3 pyramidal neurons
Authors: Jang Il‐Sung , Brodwick Malcolm S. , Wang Zhi‐Ming , Jeong Hyo‐Jin , Choi Byung‐Ju , Akaike Norio
Published: October 2006

The effects of pHi on GABAergic miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs) were studied in mechanically dissociated CA3 pyramidal neurons, by use of ammonium prepulse and whole‐cell patch‐clamp techniques, under the voltage‐clamp condition. NH4Cl itself, which is expected to alkalinize pHi, increased GABAergic mIPSC frequency in a concentration‐dependent manner. In contrast, NH4Cl decreased mIPSC frequency, either in the presence of 200 µm Cd2+ or in Ca2+‐free external solution, suggesting that intraterminal alkalosis decreased GABAergic mIPSC frequency while [NH4+] itself may activate Ca2+ channels by depolarizing the terminal. On the other hand, GABAergic mIPSC frequency was greatly increased immediately after NH4Cl removal, a condition expected to acidify pHi, and recovered to the control level within 2 min after NH4Cl removal. This explosive increase in mIPSC frequency observed after NH4Cl removal was completely eliminated after depletion of Ca2+ stores with 1 µm thapsigargin in the Ca2+‐free external solution, suggesting that acidification increases in intraterminal Ca2+ concentration via both extracellular Ca2+ influx and Ca2+ release from the stores. However, the acidification‐induced increase in mIPSC frequency had not recovered by 10 min after NH4Cl removal either in the Na+‐free external solution or in the presence of 10 µm 5‐(N‐ethyl‐N‐isopropyl)‐amiloride (EIPA), a specific Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE) blocker. The present results suggest that NHEs are major intraterminal pH regulators on GABAergic presynaptic nerve terminals, and that the NHE‐mediated regulation of pHi under normal physiological or pathological conditions might play an important role in the neuronal excitability by increasing inhibitory tones.
Carbonate apatite crystals in primary normophosphatemic tumoral calcinosis
Authors: TORRALBA Karina D. , JOHNSON Dorothy , QUISMORIO Francisco P.
Published: October 2006

A 66‐year‐old woman developed firm, painless, slowly growing nodular masses over her elbows, fingers, toes, and left hip over four years. Aspiration of the elbow mass revealed a white chalky material that was shown to be carbonate apatite on infrared spectroscopy and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. We discuss the classification of tumoral calcinosis and the nature of the calcium deposits. Tumoral calcinosis should be differentiated from tophaceous gout and calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition disease. Polarizing light microscopy and crystal analysis by X‐ray and infrared spectroscopy, electron or X‐ray diffraction will confirm the diagnosis. Secondary causes of tumoral calcinosis should also be excluded.
Hyperprolactinemia in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: correlation with disease activity
Authors: HAGHIGHI Anousheh , LAHMI Farhad
Published: October 2006

Aim:  Recent accumulated evidence suggests that prolactin is an important immunomodulator and may have a role in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Our aim was to assess the frequency of hyperprolactinemia in women with SLE and to evaluate its correlation with disease activity.

Method:  Plasma prolactin levels were measured in 35 women with SLE and 60 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls. Disease activity was assessed using the SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI). Patients with a score > 10 were considered active. In patients and controls prolactin levels were determined by immunoradiometric assay (IRMA).

Results:  The prolactin level was higher in SLE than in the control group: 28.5% of SLE patients versus 3.3% of controls had high prolactin levels. Patients with active disease had a trend to higher mean prolactin levels than inactive patients. SLE was active in 90% of hyperprolactinemic patients. In normoprolactinemic patients active disease was found only in 36% of patients. A statistically significant correlation was found between prolactin levels and SLE disease activity index.

Conclusion:  This study shows that moderate hyperprolactinemia is present in a subset of patients with SLE and that it is related to increased disease activity and major organ involvement.
Disability, depression and somatization in a low back pain population
Authors: BENER Abdulbari , EL‐RUFAIE Omer F. , KAMRAN Saadat , GEORGIEVSKI Ana B. , FAROOQ Abdulaziz , RYSAVY Martin
Published: October 2006

Objective:  The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) in a primary care setting population and examine its association with the symptoms of depression and somatization.

Methods:  This is a cross‐sectional study, utilising a survey carried out in primary health care clinics (PHCs) in Al‐Ain, United Arab Emirates (UAE). A multistage stratified sampling design was used and a representative sample of 1304 UAE nationals aged 18–65 years who attended PHC clinics for any reason were included and 1103 (84.5%) subjects agreed to participate and responded to the questionnaire during a period from June 2001 to January 2002. A specially designed questionnaire with three parts was used for the data collection: socio‐demographic information of the studied subjects, modified version of the Roland‐Morris scale for evaluating back‐related functional disability and SCL‐90 R for depression and somatization subscales was used to assess depressive and somatic symptoms.

Results:  Of the total number of subjects surveyed (1103), 586 (53.1%) were men and 517 (46.9%) women. The mean age was 34.9 ± 13.4 years for men and 33.5 ± 11.8 years for women. The prevalence of LBP in the studied subjects was 64.7% (95% CI, 60.7–68.5] with 46.7% among men and 53.3% among women. There were a significant differences between the subjects with LBP and without LBP with respect to gender (P < 0.001), body mass index (BMI) (P < 0.001), occupational status (P < 0.001) and living environment (P = 0.016). Functional disability was higher in patients with LBP. Young patients in aged 15–34 years, patients with preparatory/secondary educational level and students showed higher depressive symptoms. A similar pattern was found in patients with somatic symptoms. Factor analysis revealed a strong association between depression and somatization in LBP patients.

Conclusions:  Functional disability was higher in with LBP. Furthermore, symptoms of depression and somatization are prevalent among LBP patients.
Bilateral ankle arthritis with mediastinal lymphadenopathy: a clinician's perspective
Authors: DUGGAL Lalit , KHOSLA Pooja
Published: October 2006

Aim:  This study is a clinician's perspective of the association of bilateral ankle arthritis with mediastinal lymphadenopathy.

Method:  Forty‐three patients with bilateral ankle arthritis with mediastinal lymphadenopathy were included in a 14‐month prospective follow‐up study in our hospital. Complete history, examination and investigations were carried out.

Result:  There were 27 female and 16 male patients. Ankle arthritis with tuberculous mediastinal lymphadenopathy was associated in 58.13%, sarcoidosis in 32.5% and 9.3% were non‐specific. The patients were clustered in the spring‐summer months. Erythema nodosum was found in 14.3%, polyarticular presentation in 25%. Thirteen out of 43 patients (28.2%) had biopsy/fine needle aspiration (FNA), of which 69.23% had histopathological evidence of tuberculosis.

Conclusion:  The aetiology of bilateral ankle arthritis associated with mediastinal lymphadenopathy may be tuberculosis as opposed to sarcoidosis. There is a seasonal clustering of these cases. FNA of mediastinal lymphadenopathy is a fairly safe procedure and should be carried out when feasible, for confirmation of diagnosis.
Bilateral coronary and renal artery stenosis in a case with limited scleroderma
Authors: EMAD Yasser , GOHARY Tarek El
Published: October 2006

A 65‐year‐old woman with long‐standing limited scleroderma over 15 years presented in January 2004 with scleroderma renal crisis with rising blood pressure, worsening of renal function and non‐ST segment acute coronary syndrome. The patient's renal function deteriorated upon receiving angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, prompting coronary and renal angiography, which revealed bilateral coronary and renal artery stenosis. In scleroderma patients with renal crisis and showing deterioration of renal function, the possibility of renal artery stenosis should be excluded because ACE inhibitors in this situation carry risks for deterioration of kidney function.
Ollier's disease with symmetric bony deformities
Authors: MOBINI Maryam , NOROOZY Mohsen , FORGHANIZADEH Jafar
Published: October 2006

This report describes a 33‐year‐old man who presented with short stature, multiple bony swellings in hands and deformities in extremities. He was evaluated with radiography to determine pattern of bone and joint involvement. X‐rays showed multiple enchondromas in hands, forearms, arms, thighs, legs and feet. The vertebral column was not affected.
Successful treatment of extensive muscle calcification in a patient with primary idiopathic polymyositis with diltiazem
Authors: EMAD Yasser , RAGAB Yasser , GHEITA Tamer
Published: October 2006

A 25‐year‐old female patient with documented diagnosis of polymyositis developed extensive muscle calcification in the left thigh muscles with overlying skin induration one year after her disease onset, despite well controlled myositis. Plain X‐ray of the left femur and hip revealed extensive calcification involving the periarticular soft tissue shadows around the left hip and left upper thigh. The patient received diltiazem 90 mg/day in divided doses and follow‐up plain X‐ray study after 6 months of treatment revealed almost complete resolution of the muscle calcifications.
Reproductive Success of Captive‐Bred Steelhead Trout in the Wild: Evaluation of Three Hatchery Programs in the Hood River
Authors: ARAKI HITOSHI , ARDREN WILLIAM R. , OLSEN ERIK , COOPER BECKY , BLOUIN MICHAEL S.
Published: October 2006

Abstract:  Population supplementation programs that release captive‐bred offspring into the wild to boost the size of endangered populations are now in place for many species. The use of hatcheries for supplementing salmonid populations has become particularly popular. Nevertheless, whether such programs actually increase the size of wild populations remains unclear, and predictions that supplementation fish drag down the fitness of wild fish remain untested. To address these issues, we performed DNA‐based parentage analyses on almost complete samples of anadromous steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the Hood River in Oregon (U.S.A.). Steelhead from a supplementation hatchery (reared in a supplementation hatchery and then allowed to spawn naturally in the wild) had reproductive success indistinguishable from that of wild fish. In contrast, fish from a traditional hatchery (nonlocal origin, multiple generations in hatcheries) breeding in the same river showed significantly lower fitness than wild fish. In addition, crosses between wild fish and supplementation fish were as reproductively successful as those between wild parents. Thus, there was no sign that supplementation fish drag down the fitness of wild fish by breeding with them for a single generation. On the other hand, crosses between hatchery fish of either type (traditional or supplementation) were less fit than expected, suggesting a possible interaction effect. These are the first data to show that a supplementation program with native brood stock can provide a single‐generation boost to the size of a natural steelhead population without obvious short‐term fitness costs. The long‐term effects of population supplementation remain untested.
Reflections of Medical Students on Visiting Chronically Ill Older Patients in the Home
Authors: Yuen Jacqueline K. , Breckman Risa , Adelman Ronald D. , Capello Carol F. , LoFaso Veronica , Carrington Reid M.
Published: October 2006

The expanding number of Americans living with chronic illness necessitates educating future physicians about chronic illness care. Weill Cornell Medical College's Chronic Illness Care in the Home Setting Program (CIC‐HSP), a mandatory part of the primary care clerkship, exposes medical students to persons with chronic illness via a half day of house calls with a geriatrics team. The investigators sought to qualitatively assess the effect of the CIC‐HSP on medical students and recent medical graduates. Fifty‐two prospective participants were approached, and 50 (96%) with varying training levels and time since completing the program were interviewed.

Most respondents (63%) found that the home visits taught them important approaches to caring for the chronically ill, such as individualizing care to meet patients' individual needs and improving quality of life as a goal of care. Students remarked that the experience enhanced their empathy (18%) and sensitivity (20%) toward chronically ill patients and increased their appreciation for chronic illness care (35%). Many participants reported that patients were more empowered in the home (55%) and perceived greater rapport and warmth between the doctor and patient (57%) in the home (vs office) setting. The vast majority of recent medical graduates (84%) related that this educational exposure continued to positively influence their approach to patient care.

A home visit experience with a geriatrics team can help foster medical students' understanding of the psychosocial and medical aspects of chronic illness, teach relevant approaches to patient care, and improve students' attitudes toward caring for the chronically ill.
Metastatic pulmonary calcification in a dialysis patient: Case report and a review
Authors: EGGERT Christoph H. , ALBRIGHT Robert C.
Published: October 2006

A 19‐year‐old male presented with chest pain and dyspnea. He was anephric following nephrectomy for focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, had a subsequent failed transplant, and had been dialysis dependent for 3 years. Workup revealed hyperparathyroidism and an abnormal chest X‐ray and computed tomography scan, significant for massive extra‐skeletal pulmonary calcification. A markedly abnormal Technitium99 methylene diphosphonate (Tc99m‐MDP) bone scan confirmed the clinical suspicion of metastatic pulmonary calcification. Metastatic pulmonary calcification (MPC) is common, occurring in 60% to 80% of dialysis patients on autopsy and bone scan series. It may lead to impaired oxygenation and restrictive lung disease. Typically, the calcium crystal is whitlockite rather than hydroxyapatite, which occurs in vascular calcification. Four major predisposing factors may contribute to MPC in dialysis patients. First, chronic acidosis leaches calcium from bone. Second, intermittent alkalosis favors deposition of calcium salts. Third, hyperparathyroidism tends to cause bone resorption and intracellular hypercalcemia. Finally, low glomerular filtration rate can cause hyperphosphatemia and an elevated calcium‐phosphorus product. There may be other factors. Some authors suggest that the incidence of MPC in recent years may be lower due to improved dialysis techniques. The diagnosis is confirmed by biopsy, but can be suspected by typical findings on a Tc99m‐MDP bone scan. Therapy is limited to ensuring adequate dialysis, correcting calcium‐phosphorus product, and hyperparathyroidism; discontinuing vitamin D analogues may help. Conflicting reports show that transplantation may either improve or worsen the situation. MPC should be considered in dialysis patients who have characteristic abnormal chest radiography and/or pulmonary symptoms.
What, me grieve? Grieving and bereavement in daily dialysis practice
Authors: BARTLOW Bruce
Published: October 2006

We seldom consider the terms “grieving” or “bereavement” until faced with an empty dialysis chair. But loss (bereavement) and the process we go through to heal from that loss (grieving) begin with a patient's first puff of edema or abnormal creatinine, and continue throughout the course of an illness. By recognizing the symptoms and developing the tools to deal with loss, we will enrich the value of our practice for ourselves and those with whom we work.
Comparisons of Kt/V evaluated using an online method and calculated from urea measurements in patients on intermittent hemodialysis
Authors: GRZEGORZEWSKA Alicja E. , BANACHOWICZ Wojciech
Published: October 2006

Kt/Vurea (Kt/V) depends on the method applied for its evaluation. Our aim was to compare Kt/V obtained using the conductivity online method and that calculated from urea measurements. Studies were carried out in 40 patients. A stable dialysis schedule was maintained during the study. Online Kt/V was measured every week or 4 consecutive months. Single pool Kt/V (spKt/V) was calculated from urea estimations in the fourth week of the first month and in the last week of the fourth month of studies, using the formulas:
image

where Ct is the postdialysis urea concentration obtained at the end of dialysis, Co the predialysis urea concentration obtained before the start of the blood pump;
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where R is the Ct/Co, t the duration of HD session, f=1.0, UF is the ultrafiltration volume (l), W is the body weight after the HD session; and
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The equilibrated Kt/V (eKt/V) was calculated as Correlation analysis was performed between all obtained Kt/V. Weekly online Kt/V was stable during 4 months of studies. In the first month, the respective values of online Kt/V, (1)spKt/V, (2)spKt/V, (3)spKt/V, and eKt/V were 1.15±0.14, 1.16±0.14, 1.38±0.17, 1.36±0.20, and 1.22±0.13. In the fourth month, these values were 1.17±0.14, 1.16±0.17, 1.38±0.22, 1.35±0.20, and 1.22±0.18. The respective values of Kt/V, estimated in the first and fourth month, were not different and showed a positive correlation: the highest one occurred between online Kt/V estimated at the indicated study periods (r=0.713, p=0.0000). Online Kt/V was significantly lower than (2)spKt/V, (3)spKt/V, and eKt/V. Correlation coefficients between online Kt/V, spKt/V, and urea reduction ratio did not exceed 0.490. Our studies show that Kt/V obtained using online monitoring indicates a lower intermittent hemodialysis adequacy that those calculated from urea measurements. This difference has to be remembered in application of results to clinical practice.
The kidney disease wasting: Inflammation, oxidative stress, and diet‐gene interaction
Authors: KALANTAR‐ZADEH Kamyar , BALAKRISHNAN Vaidyanathapuram S.
Published: October 2006

The 350,000 maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients in the United States have an unacceptably high mortality rate of >20%/year. Almost half of all deaths are assumed to be cardiovascular. Markers of kidney disease wasting (KDW) such as hypoalbuminemia, anorexia, body weight and fat loss, rather than traditional cardiovascular risk factors, appear to be the strongest predictors of early death in these patients. The KDW is closely related to oxidative stress (SOX). Such SOX markers as serum myeloperoxidase are associated with pro‐inflammatory cytokines and poor survival in MHD patients. Identifying the conditions that modulate the KDW/SOX‐axis may be the key to improving outcomes in MHD patients. Dysfunctional lipoproteins such as a higher ratio of the high‐density lipoprotein inflammatory index (HII) may engender or aggravate the KDW, whereas functionally intact or larger lipoprotein pools, as in hypercholesterolemia and obesity, may mitigate the KDW in MHD patients. Hence, a reverse epidemiology or “bad‐gone‐good” phenomenon may be observed. Diet and gene and their complex interaction may lead to higher proportions of pro‐inflammatory or oxidative lipoproteins such as HII, resulting in the aggravation of the SOX and inflammatory processes, endothelial dysfunction, and subsequent atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and death in MHD patients. Understanding the factors that modulate the KDW/SOX complex and their associations with genetic polymorphism, nutrition, and outcomes in MHD patients may lead to developing more effective strategies to improve outcomes in this and the 20 to 30 million Americans with chronic disease states such as individuals with chronic heart failure, advanced age, malignancies, AIDS, or cachexia.
The common phospholipid‐binding activity of the N‐terminal domains of PEX1 and VCP/p97
Authors: Shiozawa Kumiko , Goda Natsuko , Shimizu Toshiyuki , Mizuguchi Kenji , Kondo Naomi , Shimozawa Nobuyuki , Shirakawa Masahiro , Hiroaki Hidekazu
Published: October 2006

PEX1 is a type II AAA‐ATPase that is indispensable for biogenesis and maintenance of the peroxisome, an organelle responsible for the primary metabolism of lipids, such as β‐oxidation and lipid biosynthesis. Recently, we demonstrated a striking structural similarity between its N‐terminal domain and those of other membrane‐related AAA‐ATPases, such as valosin‐containing protein (p97). The N‐terminal domain of valosine‐containing protein serves as an interface to its adaptor proteins p47 and Ufd1, whereas the physiologic interaction partner of the N‐terminal domain of PEX1 remains unknown. Here we found that N‐terminal domains isolated from valosine‐containing protein, as well as from PEX1, bind phosphoinositides. The N‐terminal domain of PEX1 appears to preferentially bind phosphatidylinositol 3‐monophosphate and phosphatidylinositol 4‐monophosphate, whereas the N‐terminal domain of valosine‐containing protein displays broad and nonspecific lipid binding. Although N‐ethylmaleimide‐sensitive fusion protein, CDC48 and Ufd1 have structures similar to that of valosine‐containing protein, they displayed lipid specificity similar to that of the N‐terminal domain of PEX1 in the assays. By mutational analysis, we demonstrate that a conserved arginine surrounded by hydrophobic residues is essential for lipid binding, despite very low sequence similarity between PEX1 and valosine‐containing protein.
α‐AMYLASE SYNTHESIS BY MUTANT OF BACILLUS SUBTILIS IMMOBILIZED ONTO CHANNEL ALUMINA BEADS
Authors: WHITNEY DEANE F. , TOLEDO ROMEO T. , HAMDY MOSTAFA K.
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACTS

A W20mutant strain derived from Bacillus subtilis H1using UV radiation and exposure to a mutagenic agent was used for α‐amylase synthesis. Both cultures were characterized for growth and continuous α‐amylase syntheses, and the isolated enzymes had the same molecular mass of ∼55 kDa. W20cells, harvested from specific growth phase, were immobilized within alumina beads and placed in a bioreactor column; specific feedstock (FS) was used for α‐amylase syntheses and was affected by its composition, and its flow rate as well as temperature. Maximal α‐amylase productivity (427‐µM reducing sugar[s]/mL effluent/h) was achieved using stationary‐phase cells and FS containing 3% starch kept at 45C and 100‐mL/h flow rate. When FS, with 2% starch, was fed to the column at the same temperature but at a higher flow rate, productivities were reduced to 326 µM. α‐amylase synthesis by W20cells was affected by growth phase of cells used, column temperature and FS flow rate. Some immobilized cells were washed out from the column because of shear forces on bead surfaces by FS flow rate and by temperature. Scanning electron micrographs revealed large numbers of cells attached to external and internal bead channels. This article is a novel approach for α‐amylase synthesis and can be used for its industrial production.
A SIMPLE METHOD FOR RAPID SCREENING OF BACTERIA WITH GLUTAMATE DECARBOXYLASE ACTIVITIES
Authors: YANG SHENG‐YUAN , LU ZHAO‐XIN , LÜ FENG‐XIA , BIE XIAO‐MEI , SUN LI‐JUN , ZENG XIAO‐XIONG
Published: October 2006

A pH indicator method (PIM) for rapid screening of bacteria with glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) activities was established. In this article, 48 different bacterial strains were used for the detection of GAD activities by the PIM, as well as by paper chromatography and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Similar results were obtained by the three methods; however, the PIM is a more simple, rapid and repeatable one.
Review of Pesticide Education Materials for Health Care Providers Providing Care to Agricultural Workers
Authors: Hiott Ann E. , Quandt Sara A. , Early Julie , Jackson David S. , Arcury Thomas A.
Published: October 2006

ABSTRACT: 
Context: Pesticide exposure is an important environmental and occupational health risk for agricultural workers and their families, but health care providers receive little training in it. Objective: To evaluate the medical resources available to providers caring for patients, particularly farmworkers, exposed to pesticides and to recommend a selective bibliography for use in educating clinicians about pesticides and health care. These resources are divided into 3 domains: (1) the working knowledge, (2) the skill set, and (3) the references needed to care for these patients. Methods: We searched library databases dating back to 1995, as well as conference materials and Internet resources. Materials were included only if they were readily available through customary sources. Materials were randomly divided into 2 groups. Two authors wrote detailed reviews for each group. The remaining authors read each document and review, making changes that were agreed upon by the team. Review procedures were standardized to examine the contemporary relevance, quality, and overall strengths and weaknesses of the material relative to guidelines developed for each domain. These guidelines were developed from the authors’ experience, national focus groups, and literature review. Results: While no 1 resource adequately addresses all needs, a number of resources were identified addressing the categories of working knowledge, skill set, and reference materials. Few of the reviewed materials address the cultural competence of providers treating farmworkers. Additional education resources are needed.