bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of control selection in nested case‐control studies: the example of exposure to antiretroviral treatment (ART) and the risk of myocardial infarction (MI) in the French Hospital Database on HIV (FHDH‐ANRS CO4)
Authors: Guiguet M. , Mary‐Krause M. , Ename B. , Costagliola D. , Grabar S.
Published: March 2008

Purpose

Soon after availability of protease inhibitors (PIs), a duration‐related effect relationship between PI and myocardial infarction (MI) was shown. New antiretroviral treatments (ARTs) have allowed more individualized regimens. To study their influence established risk factors of MI and additional therapeutic options such as lipid‐lowering drugs will have to be taken into account. A nested case‐control is an interesting alternative raising the choice of controls. With the previous full cohort analysis as reference, we investigated the influence of control selection in nested case‐control studies sampled in this cohort by testing nine sampling scenarios.

Methods

During the period 1996–1999, 49 MI occurred among male patients exposed to PI and followed‐up in the French Hospital Database on HIV (FHDH‐ANRS CO4). For each case, controls were selected using incidence‐density sampling. The influence of additional matching criteria was tested. Random sampling and analysis was repeated 100 times with varying control‐case ratios.

Results

When controls were randomly selected among patients of the same age who were free of MI at the date MI was diagnosed in the case, we observed a duration‐related effect relationship between PI and MI in agreement with the results of the full cohort analysis. The use of four controls per case was sufficient. Estimates obtained with simple sampling were more precise than those obtained when controls were also matched for year of enrolment, initial CD4 cell count and HIV transmission group.

Conclusion

To study ARTs as MI risk factors, nested case‐control using incidence‐density sampling without additional matching is one appropriate option. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Discovery and validation of urinary biomarkers for prostate cancer
Authors: Theodorescu Dan , Schiffer Eric , Bauer Hartwig W. , Douwes Friedrich , Eichhorn Frank , Polley Reinhard , Schmidt Thomas , Schöfer Wolfgang , Zürbig Petra , Good David M. , Coon Joshua J. , Mischak Harald
Published: March 2008

Only 30% of patients with elevated serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels who undergo prostate biopsy are diagnosed with prostate cancer (PCa). Novel methods are needed to reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies. We report on the identification and validation of a panel of 12 novel biomarkers for prostate cancer (PCaP), using CE coupled MS. The biomarkers could be defined by comparing first void urine of 51 men with PCa and 35 with negative prostate biopsy. In contrast, midstream urine samples did not allow the identification of discriminatory molecules, suggesting that prostatic fluids may be the source of the defined biomarkers. Consequently, first void urine samples were tested for sufficient amounts of prostatic fluid, using a prostatic fluid indicative panel (“informative” polypeptide panel; IPP). A combination of IPP and PCaP to predict positive prostate biopsy was evaluated in a blinded prospective study. Two hundred thirteen of 264 samples matched the IPP criterion. PCa was detected with 89% sensitivity, 51% specificity. Including age and percent free PSA to the proteomic signatures resulted in 91% sensitivity, 69% specificity.
RANKL inhibition is an effective adjuvant for docetaxel in a prostate cancer bone metastases model
Authors: Ignatoski K. M. Woods , Escara‐Wilke J. F. , Dai J.‐L. , Lui A. , Dougall W. , Daignault S. , Yao Z. , Zhang J. , Day M. L. , Sargent E. E. , Keller E. T.
Published: March 2008

BACKGROUND

Docetaxel induces an anti‐tumor response in men with advanced prostate cancer (PCa); however, the side effects associated with docetaxel treatment can be severe, resulting in discontinuation of therapy. Thus, identification of an effective adjuvant therapy to allow lower doses of docetaxel is needed. Advanced PCa is typically accompanied by skeletal metastasis. Receptor activator of NFkB ligand (RANKL) is a key pro‐osteoclastic factor. Targeting RANKL decreases establishment and progression of PCa growth in bone in murine models.

METHODS

The efficacy of inhibiting RANKL, using a recombinant soluble RANK extracellular domain fused with the immunoglobulin Fc domain (RANK‐Fc), was tested as an adjuvant therapy with docetaxel for PCa bone metastasis in a murine intra‐tibial model.

RESULT

The combination of RANK‐Fc and docetaxel reduced tumor burden in bone greater than either treatment alone.

CONCLUSION

The combination of docetaxel with a RANKL‐inhibiting agent merits further investigation for treatment of advance PCa. Prostate 68:820–829, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Metabolic interactions of agrochemicals in humans
Authors: Hodgson Ernest , Rose Randy L
Published: March 2008

Agrochemicals and other xenobiotics are metabolized by xenobiotic‐metabolizing enzymes (XMEs) to products that may be more or less toxic than the parent chemical. In this regard, phase‐I XMEs such as cytochrome P450s (CYPs) are of primary importance. Interactions at the level of metabolism may take place via either inhibition or induction of XMEs. Such interactions have often been investigated,in vitro, in experimental animals, using subcellular fractions such as liver microsomes, but seldom in humans or at the level of individual XME isoforms. The authors have been investigating the metabolism of a number of agrochemicals by human liver microsomes and recombinant CYP isoforms and have recently embarked on studies of the induction of XMEs in human hepatocytes. The insecticides chlorpyrifos, carbaryl, carbofuran and fipronil, as well as the repellant DEET, are all extensively metabolized by human liver microsomes and, although a number of CYP isoforms may be involved, CYP2B6 and CYP3A4 are usually the most important. Permethrin is hydrolyzed by esterase(s) present in both human liver microsomes and cytosol. A number of metabolic interactions have been observed. Chlorpyrifos and other phosphorothioates are potent inhibitors of the CYP‐dependent metabolism of both endogenous substrates, such as testosterone and estradiol, and exogenous substrates, such as carbaryl, presumably as a result of the interaction of highly reactive sulfur, released during the oxidative desulfuration reaction, with the heme iron of CYP. The hydrolysis of permethrin in human liver can be inhibited by chlorpyrifos oxon and by carbaryl. Fipronil can inhibit testosterone metabolism by CYP3A4 and is an effective inducer of CYP isoforms in human hepatocytes. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry
Spectroscopic ellipsometry of SiO2/TiO2 multilayer periodic structure suitable for Ψ standard
Authors: Tsutsumanova G. G. , Russev S. C.
Published: March 2008

As a highly sensitive method ellipsometry needs standards to access the accuracy in a broad spectral range at different incidence angles. The possibility of using a one dimensional multilayer periodic structure with omnidirectional reflection as an ellipsometric Ψ standard is examined both theoretically and experimentally. The omnidirectional reflection for both fundamental polarizations will give constant Ψ value at any angle of incidence for certain spectral range. The transfer matrix approach is used for the system parameters selection and analysis of the influence of the finite number of periods. Electron beam evaporation technique is used for the fabrication of a system consisting of alternating SiO2/TiO2 layers on a glass substrate. The ellipsometric angles of the multilayer structure are measured using spectroscopic photometric ellipsometer in a spectral range from 410 to 700 nm at different angles of incidence and the experimental results are compared with theoretical predictions. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Ultra‐thin silicon solar cell: Modelling and characterisation
Authors: Danos L. , Jones G. , Greef R. , Markvart T.
Published: March 2008

An ultra‐thin crystalline silicon solar cell with an active silicon layer of 200 nm has been fabricated and fully characterised electrically (I‐V characteristic, spectral response) and optically (Variable Angle Spectroscopic Ellipsometry). Interference effects were observed in the spectral response of the cell due to multiple reflections from the layers within the cell. A mathematical model was developed to account for the different reflections and transmission within the cell which reproduced excellently the essential features of the experimental spectral response. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Three‐dimensional radiative transfer in midlatitude cirrus clouds
Authors: Zhong Wenyi , Hogan Robin J. , Haigh Joanna D.
Published: March 2008

Three different types of cirrus cloud field, reconstructed in three dimensions directly from midlatitude observations by a cirrus stochastic model, are used to study the effects of three‐dimensional radiative transfer in both the long‐wave and short‐wave spectral regions. Calculations of three‐dimensional radiative transfer (3D), the independent column approximation (ICA) and the plane‐parallel approximation are compared to quantify the effects on heating rates, radiative fluxes and related properties. Locally the heating rate difference between 3D and ICA reaches more than 10 K day−1 in both the long‐wave and short‐wave, depending upon the distributions of ice water content, which indicates that horizontal radiation transport plays an important role in structures of heating rate. The domain‐averaged heating profiles of 3D agree within a few tenths of a K day−1 with ICA but show a systematic low bias. The domain‐averaged heating rates in cloud layers are increased in 3D by up to 7% in the long‐wave and more than 20% in the short‐wave. The root‐mean‐square differences at individual points are up to ten times larger than the corresponding domain‐averaged differences, representing the cancellation of opposing 3D effects. The ICA biases in long‐wave net flux and emissivity have their maximum values (∼2–3%) near cloud top for the thinnest cloud with lowest fractional coverage. In general, ICA tends to reduce the reflected upwelling short‐wave flux at the top of clouds; the layer‐averaged albedo at cloud top agrees with 3D within 1%, although the corresponding RMS difference may differ by up to 30% from 3D at high solar zenith angles. Similar results are found for whole‐sky (cloudy plus clear) short‐wave reflectances and transmittances for which ICA agrees with 3D within 5%. For domain‐averaged short‐wave absorptance, however, ICA errors can reach 20%. The corresponding RMS differences may differ by up to 50% in reflectance and transmittance but exceed 200% in absorptance. The effects of solar zenith angle are also discussed. Copyright © 2007 Royal Meteorological Society
Solvent effect on the reactivity of CIS‐platinum (II) complexes: A density functional approach
Authors: Sarmah Pubalee , Deka Ramesh C.
Published: March 2008

The structure and chemical reactivity of some selected cis‐platinum(II) complexes, including clinically used drug molecules, cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin are investigated using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Calculated geometries of the complexes are in agreement with their available X‐ray data. The global and local reactivity descriptors, such as hardness, chemical potential, electrophilicity index, Fukui function, and local philicity are calculated to investigate the usefulness of these descriptors for understanding the reactive nature and reactive sites of the complexes. Inclusion of solvent effect shows that both global and local descriptors change the trend of reactivity with respect to their trend in the gas phase. The stability of the complexes increases with the inclusion of water molecules. Simple regression analysis is applied to build up a quantitative structure‐activity relationship (QSAR) model based on DFT derived electrophilicity index for the Pt(II) complexes against A2780 human ovarian adenocarcinoma cell line to establish the importance of the descriptor in predicting cytotoxicity. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2008
Insertion and carbonylation reactions of styrene promoted by [HRh(CO)x‐ (PMe3)3−x] (x = 1, 2) compounds: A theoretical investigation
Authors: Dias Roberta P. , Rocha Willian R.
Published: March 2008

In this work we have applied Quantum Mechanical calculations to investigate the first two elementary steps (olefin insertion and carbonylation) in the hydroformylation of styrene, using the model catalysts of the type [HRh(CO)x(PMe3)3−x] (x = 1, 2), which are supposed to be the catalytic species that will be present depending on the CO pressure. The migratory styrene insertion reaction and CO insertion reaction into the metal‐alkyl bond were investigated at the MP4(SDQ) level using the BP86 optimized geometries. Additionally the Spin Component Scale procedure on the MP2 and MP3 energies (SCS‐MP2 and SCS‐MP3) was also applied. It is shown that, at normal hydroformylation conditions and normal CO and H2 pressure, the active catalytic species is preferentially formed in trans arrangement, trans‐[HRh(CO)(PMe3)2], 2b. Because of the greater steric hindrance around the rhodium atom, the electronic effects of the phosphine do not contribute significantly to the stability of the catalyst. The MPn calculations overestimate the stability of the π‐complexes, in comparison with the BP86 value, as much as 25 kcal/mol, with large fluctuations along the perturbation series. The activation energies predicted by the BP86 method, in comparison with the MPn results, are underestimated about 5 kcal/mol. The reaction and the coordination energies are very sensitive to the theoretical level employed. Our results indicate that the competitive trapping of the styrene by different catalytic species, one leading to the branched and the other leading to the linear species, as was experimentally proposed to explain the selectivity, only seems to hold if we consider the subsequent CO insertion step. This assumption based only on the olefin insertion reaction, as the selectivity determining step, does not apply since the branched product will always preferentially be formed. All methods employed here predict the selectivity in good agreement with the experimental selectivity of 70–95% in favor of the branched product. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2008
Density functional theory calculation of 2p spectra of SiH4, PH3, H2S, HCl, and Ar
Authors: Chong Delano P. , Segala Maximiliano , Takahata Yuji , Baerends E. J.
Published: March 2008

The method developed recently for prediction of 1s electron spectra is now extended to the 2p spectra of SiH4, PH3, H2S, HCl, and Ar. The method for X‐ray absorption spectra involves the use of ΔEfor the excitation and ionization energies, and application of time‐dependent density functional theory using the exchange‐correlation potential known as statistical average of orbital potentials for the intensities. Additional assumptions and approximations are also made. The best exchange‐correlation functionalExcfor the earlier calculation of ΔEin 1s spectra of C to Ne (namely Perdew–Wang 1986 exchange, combined with Perdew–Wang 1991 correlation) is no longer used in this work on 2p spectra of Si to Ar. Instead, recently testedExcgood for 2p core‐electron binding energies (known as OPTX) for exchange and LYP for correlation, plus scalar zeroth‐order regular approximation is adopted here for the ΔEcalculations. Our calculated X‐ray absorption spectra are generally in good agreement with experiment. Although the predictions for the higher excitations suffer from basis set difficulties, our procedure should be helpful in the interpretation of absorption spectra of 2p electrons of Si to Ar. In addition, we report calculated results for other kinds of electron spectra for SiH4, PH3, H2S, HCl, and Ar, including valence electron ionizations and excitations as well as X‐ray emission. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2008
Structural analysis of HgCdTe and PbSnTe native oxide films
Authors: Berchenko N. N. , Fruginskii M. S. , Kurilo I. V. , Rudyj I. O. , Virt I. S.
Published: March 2008

The aim of this work is to determine the structure of native oxides of HgCdTe and PbSnTe grown by different methods. The starting materials were epitaxial layers HgCdTe and PbSnTe. Anodic oxides were fabricated under standard conditions, and chemical oxides were grown in H2O2KOH solution. The oxide films have been studied by reflection high‐energy electron diffraction (RHEED). Only oxides obtained through natural oxidation in ambient air at room temperature were found to be completely amorphous. All other oxides must be rated as polycrystalline, and their average size of crystallites was determined using Scherrer's formula. To determine the main oxide components, interplane distances were measured on electron diffraction patterns. CdTeO3 and PbTeO3 may be considered such components in HgCdTe and PbTe anodic oxides correspondingly that is well agreed with predictions based on the phase equilibria in Hg(Pb)Cd(Sn)TeO systems as well as XPS and AES results previously obtained. For PbTe chemical oxide, the presence of TeO2 was detected and it is supposed that the chemical oxidation involves the bimodal oxidation, whereby Pb and Te components in PbTe oxidize separately. By using the microindentation technique the microhardness in the semiconductor layer underlying oxides was investigated. It was determined that for HgCdTe anodic oxide, the microhardness is always increased while for PbTe, both anodic and chemical oxidation decreases the microhardness. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Scanning capacitance microscopy study of carrier depletion within grains of n‐type polycrystalline silicon
Authors: Naitou Y. , Ogiso H. , Kamohara S. , Yano F. , Nishida A.
Published: March 2008

The local electrical properties and corresponding surface topography for phosphorus‐doped n‐type polycrystalline (n‐poly) silicon layers were investigated using scanning capacitance microscopy (SCM) of chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) and backside‐etched samples. Applying negative bias stress between a sample and a scanning SCM probe tip was found to induce a depleted region within the CMP n‐ poly‐Si sample. In contrast, bias stressing does not intrinsically change the backside‐etched n‐poly‐Si sample. By combining our results with the results of energy dispersive x‐ray spectroscopy measurement, we can conclude that the active dopant concentration within n‐poly‐Si grains is inhomogeneous. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pt monolayer on Fe(001) as an alternative cathode catalyst: a first principles study
Authors: Escaño Mary Clare Sison , Nakanishi Hiroshi , Kasai Hideaki
Published: March 2008

Spin‐polarized density functional theory (DFT)‐based total energy calculations were performed to investigate the electronic structure of Pt monolayer on Fe(001) {PtML/Fe(001)} and its effect on O2 dissociative adsorption. Local density of states (LDOS) at Pt surface shows induced spin polarization on Pt monolayer increasing unoccupied dzz orbital on Pt surface. The potential energy curves (PEC) for the reaction of Pt with O2 show that the system produces a combination of lower activation barrier for O2 dissociation and a weaker O binding than that of clean Pt(001). The modification of Pt surface electronic structure led to a favorable OPt d interaction with promotion of O unpaired electron antiparallel spin alignment with Pt spin as verified by the decrease in O and Pt magnetic moments upon O adsorption. Such results render stabilization and a lowering of energy cost for O2 activation. The weaker O binding, however, may be attributed to the stronger metal–metal interlayer binding in PtML/Fe(001) than in Pt(001), which indicates an increased stability of Pt monolayer on Fe(001) than on its corresponding pure metal slab. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multielement µ‐ED‐XRF analysis of vertebrate fossil bones
Authors: Olivares M. , Etxebarria N. , Arana G. , Castro K. , Murelaga X. , Berreteaga A.
Published: March 2008

A non‐destructive quantitative analysis method was developed using energy‐dispersive x‐ray fluorescence (µ‐EDXRF) in combination with partial least‐squares regression (PLSR) to determine major, minor and some trace elements in vertebrate fossil bones and sediments. This method was compared with the obtained results by traditional destructive analytical methods such as inductively coupled plasma/optical emission spectroscopy (ICP/OES) and inductively coupled plasma/mass spectrometry (ICP/MS) in a large range of concentrations (from 10 µg/g to 100 mg/g). A mixture design was conducted in order to build a calibration model by mixing up four different geological reference material with similar matrix components. The collected spectra was pre‐processed following different treatments (log and squared root transformations, derivatization, and sample‐wise normalization) and the best regression models were obtained with the first derivative and with the squared root transformation. The full cross‐validated models were satisfactorily validated with samples prepared in the same way as the calibration set samples, and they were applied to study the composition of several fossil bones. In spite of the goodness of the obtained results working with reference materials and homogeneous samples, in the case of fossils, which were not pretreated, the results show significantly higher uncertainties. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A portable instrument for in situ determination of the chemical and phase compositions of cultural heritage objects
Authors: Gianoncelli A. , Castaing J. , Ortega L. , Dooryhée E. , Salomon J. , Walter P. , Hodeau J.‐L. , Bordet P.
Published: March 2008

A portable system has been recently developed; it combines x‐ray fluorescence (XRF) and x‐ray diffraction (XRD) techniques, allowing simultaneous elemental analysis and phase identification of inorganic materials. A low power (30 W) air‐cooled Cu anode x‐ray source is used, equipped with a polycapillary semi‐lens to provide a parallel x‐ray beam. The system has been designed without mechanical movements and its configuration allows the analysis of objects with arbitrary shapes; the instrument is particularly suitable for material identification in cultural heritage applications where artefacts are non‐moveable, and/or exhibit irregular surfaces and shapes.

In this article, we present the design of the instrument and the first test measurements. In particular, our results show that it is possible to identify the main crystalline phases present in the samples and to perform the analysis in relatively short times, from 30 min to 1 or 2 h. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Incidence and Risk Factors for Hospital‐acquired Pneumonia After Surgery for Gastric Cancer: Results of Prospective Surveillance
Authors: Mohri Yasuhiko , Tonouchi Hitoshi , Miki Chikao , Kobayashi Minako , Kusunoki Masato ,   Mie Surgical Infection Research Group
Published: March 2008

Background

Postoperative hospital‐acquired pneumonia (HAP) is recognized as a major risk associated with surgery. Although upper abdominal surgery is known to have the highest incidence of postoperative HAP, little is known about the risk factors that contribute to HAP after gastric cancer surgery. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and risk factors for HAP after elective surgery for gastric cancer.

Methods

We conducted prospective surveillance of all elective gastric resections by surgeons in ten affiliated hospitals, including ours, from May 2001 to May 2005. The outcome of interest was postoperative HAP. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the predictive significance of variables in gastric cancer surgery.

Results

A total of 529 patients undergoing elective operations for gastric cancer were admitted to the program. Postoperative HAP was identified in 20 patients (3.6%). Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that male gender and intra‐ and/or postoperative blood transfusion were independently predictive of postoperative HAP.

Conclusions

Male gender and intra‐ and/or postoperative blood transfusion were independent risk factors for the development of HAP after elective resection of gastric cancer. Surgeons should keep these risk factors in mind when managing postoperative patients.
Nursing Resource Considerations for Implementing an Electronic Documentation System
Authors: Saletnik Laurie Ann , Niedlinger Margaret K. , Wilson Marisa
Published: March 2008

IMPLEMENTATION OF AN OR MANAGEMENT information system (ORMIS) requires a significant commitment of human resources.

THE EXPERIENCES OF THE PERSONNEL at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, as they transitioned to using a single, unified, computerized ORMIS are detailed in this article.

INCLUDED ARE DISCUSSIONS of the nursing resources involved in the process, the lessons learned, and the work that remains to be completed for the hospital to fully utilize the system.
Application of the Updated CDC Isolation Guidelines for Health Care Facilities
Authors: Tarrac Shauna Ely
Published: March 2008

THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL and Prevention has published updated guidelines for isolation precautions that outline how health care workers can prevent the transmission of infectious agents to their patients and to themselves.

THE GUIDELINES RE‐EMPHASIZE standard precautions, which guide clinicians in the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), depending on the expected type of exposure. Respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette is incorporated into infection control practices as a new component of standard precautions.

THE ARTICLE PROVIDES information on the new guidelines as well as information on newly emerging patho gens and methods to prevent disease transmission in health care settings.
Nuclear pore complex assembly through the cell cycle: Regulation and membrane organization
Authors: Antonin Wolfram , Ellenberg Jan , Dultz Elisa
Published: March 2008

In eukaryotes, all macromolecules traffic between the nucleus and the cytoplasm through nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), which are among the largest supramolecular assemblies in cells. Although their composition in yeast and metazoa is well characterized, understanding how NPCs are assembled and form the pore through the double membrane of the nuclear envelope and how both processes are controlled still remains a challenge. Here, we summarize what is known about the biogenesis of NPCs throughout the cell cycle with special focus on the membrane reorganization and the regulation that go along with NPC assembly.
Endometrial leukemia inhibitory factor as a predictor of pregnancy after in vitro fertilization
Authors: Serafini Paulo , Rocha André M. , Osório Cyntia T. , da Silva Ismael , Motta Eduardo L. , Baracat Edmund C.
Published: March 2008

Objective

To determine whether there is an association between endometrial expression of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle preceding in vitro fertilization (IVF) and treatment outcome.

Methods

Biopsy specimens from the endometria of 52 women in the luteal phase were immunostained against LIF. Embryo culture and transfer were done according to standard procedures.

Results

Clinical pregnancy occurred in 39% of the women following IVF, and strong endometrial immunohistochemical staining for LIF was associated with pregnancy (P = 0.01). The women with a strong LIF expression had a 6.4‐fold higher chance of becoming pregnant than those with weaker intensities (P = 0.005).

Conclusion

Endometrial expression of LIF during the luteal phase can be used as a predictor of IVF success.
Severe liver disease in pregnancy
Authors: Chen Hui , Yuan Li , Tan Jianping , Liu Yukun , Zhang Jianping
Published: March 2008

Objective: To determine the clinical characteristics of patients with fulminant hepatitis of pregnancy (FHP) and acute fatty liver of pregnancy (AFLP) and analyze their correlation with pregnancy outcome. Methods: Of 55 pregnant women with severe liver disease, 41 had FHP and 14 had AFLP. Results: Jaundice was the primary manifestation for both FHP and AFLP and hepatic encephalopathy was the most significant complication for both. Disseminated intravascular coagulation, albuminuria, and prothrombin activity were found to be independent risk factors of maternal mortality for both. However, the rates of preterm labor, fetal demise, and neonatal asphyxia were lower in the FHP group. Conclusion: Women with FHP or AFLP are at risk for severe complications and adverse pregnancy outcome. Since the 2 conditions are managed differently, early diagnosis is essential.
Legal developments in assisted reproduction
Authors: Dickens Bernard M.
Published: March 2008

Courts have been quite consistent in allowing ex‐partners in marriages or similar relationships, usually men, to veto the other partner's reproductive use of jointly‐created IVF embryos. This supports the principle of voluntary parenthood. In contrast, child custody disputes following surrogate motherhood may favor the commissioning couple or the surrogate. Decisive are the best interests of the child, which a court may find favorable to the former or the latter, or custody shared between them. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) may be restricted by governmental licensing regulations, and raises concerns about diagnosis showing noninheritance of a feared disorder, but not other conditions harming a subsequently born child. Travel abroad raises concerns of legality. Some countries explicitly allow nationals to go to other countries for services legally barred in their own, but others would bind nationals by their prohibitive laws if they were to receive, or counsel, services abroad that are lawful where delivered.
Naproxen suppository for perineal pain after vaginal delivery
Authors: Wilasrusmee Skuntala , Chittachareon Apichart , Jirasiritum Siriwan , Srisangchai Prasong
Published: March 2008

Objective

To assess the effectiveness of rectal naproxen for reducing perineal pain after vaginal delivery.

Methods

A double‐blind randomized controlled trial of 142 post partum women randomly allocated to receive either naproxen (71 patients) or placebo (71 patients) suppositories. The first dose was given immediately after complete perineal suturing, while the second dose was given 6 hours post partum. The validated Thai short‐form McGill pain questionnaire was used to evaluate perineal pain at 0, 6, and 24 hours post partum. Pain scores were analyzed using the unpaired t test.

Results

Pain scores at 6 and 24 hours for women in the naproxen group were significantly lower compared with women in the placebo group (6.4 and 2.3 vs 18.4 and 5.5; P < 0.001). No side effects with naproxen were found.

Conclusions

Rectal naproxen is effective and safe for reducing perineal pain after vaginal delivery.
Prevalence of symptoms associated with polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Lindholm Åsa , Andersson Liselott , Eliasson Mats , Bixo Marie , Sundström‐Poromaa Inger
Published: March 2008

Objective

To establish the prevalence of symptoms associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in a population‐based sample of women from Northern Sweden, and to relate symptoms of PCOS to features of metabolic syndrome.

Methods

A population‐based survey of 147 women under 40 years of age sampled from 267 eligible women from the Northern Sweden component of the World Health Organization's MONICA study. The study involved questionnaires, physical examination, and assays of testosterone and sex hormone‐binding globulin.

Results

The estimated prevalence of symptoms associated with PCOS was 4.8% in the study population. Features of metabolic syndrome were more common in women with signs of hyperandrogenism than in healthy controls.

Conclusion

The estimated prevalence of PCOS in Northern Sweden corresponds with other prevalence studies. A simple questionnaire and analysis of the free androgen index are sufficient to detect the subgroup with the highest risk for metabolic syndrome.
Trends in the prevalence and mortality of cognitive impairment in the United States: Is there evidence of a compression of cognitive morbidity?
Authors: Langa Kenneth M. , Larson Eric B. , Karlawish Jason H. , Cutler David M. , Kabeto Mohammed U. , Kim Scott Y. , Rosen Allison B.
Published: March 2008

Background

Recent medical, demographic, and social trends might have had an important impact on the cognitive health of older adults. To assess the impact of these multiple trends, we compared the prevalence and 2‐year mortality of cognitive impairment (CI) consistent with dementia in the United States in 1993 to 1995 and 2002 to 2004.

Methods

We used data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative population‐based longitudinal survey of U.S. adults. Individuals aged 70 years or older from the 1993 (N = 7,406) and 2002 (N = 7,104) waves of the HRS were included. CI was determined by using a 35‐point cognitive scale for self‐respondents and assessments of memory and judgment for respondents represented by a proxy. Mortality was ascertained with HRS data verified by the National Death Index.

Results

In 1993, 12.2% of those aged 70 or older had CI compared with 8.7% in 2002 (P < .001). CI was associated with a significantly higher risk of 2‐year mortality in both years. The risk of death for those with moderate/severe CI was greater in 2002 compared with 1993 (unadjusted hazard ratio, 4.12 in 2002 vs 3.36 in 1993; P = .08; age‐ and sex‐adjusted hazard ratio, 3.11 in 2002 vs 2.53 in 1993; P = .09). Education was protective against CI, but among those with CI, more education was associated with higher 2‐year mortality.

Conclusions

These findings support the hypothesis of a compression of cognitive morbidity between 1993 and 2004, with fewer older Americans reaching a threshold of significant CI and a more rapid decline to death among those who did. Societal investment in building and maintaining cognitive reserve through formal education in childhood and continued cognitive stimulation during work and leisure in adulthood might help limit the burden of dementia among the growing number of older adults worldwide.
A witness account of solar microscope projections: collective acts integrating across personal and historical memory
Authors: CAVICCHI ELIZABETH
Published: March 2008

The paper describes the author's witnessing of images projected from an eighteenth-century solar microscope made by John Dollond, now at the Deutsches Museum in Munich. Peter Heering facilitated this session as part of his research on the solar microscope. A rectangular mirror, the length of a hand, mounted outside a museum window caught the sunlight and directed it indoors into the microscope's optical tube with its specimen. Astonishing detail was displayed in the resulting image projected onto a screen at human height. Crisply delineated scales patterned the image cast by a historical specimen of a butterfly wing. Observers interacted fluidly with these images in the very dark room. In sharing what we noticed, questioned and conjectured, we contributed to a temporary community. These participant interactions relate to Steven Shapin and Simon Schaffer's notion that, in the seventeenth century, Robert Boyle used witnessing as a ‘collective act’. Here, the ‘collective act’ spanned participation across history. For example, Robert Hooke's 1665 Micrographia inspired Philip and Phylis Morrison's workshop during my college years and their collaboration with the Eames Office on a film depicting travel through ‘powers of ten’, based on Kees Boeke's 1957 picture book. Personal memories were extended and informed by historical experiences, both for Robert Hooke's subsequent interpreters and for Peter Heering's participants.
Sham Trusts
Authors: Conaglen Matthew
Published: March 2008

Documents or arrangements which have been falsely created will not be permitted to “prevent [a court] from getting at the real truth of the matter”: “if it [is] a mere cloak or screen for another transaction one [can] see through it”. Such documents or transactions are generally referred to as “shams”. The courts' ability to “see through” the false façade of a sham has been widely discussed in the context of documents or arrangements which purport to create licences, rather than leases, in an attempt to avoid statutory protections granted to residential lease-holders, and of transactions or arrangements which purport to avoid the payment of tax. However, there has been much less discussion of the way in which the concept of sham intersects with the law of trusts. The leading practitioner texts on trusts contain only short discussions, and the point has been discussed briefly in the practitioner literature. This article seeks to offer a broader, conceptual understanding of the way in which the sham doctrine applies to trusts.
KELSEN'S ENDGAME
Authors: Duxbury Neil
Published: March 2008

Having supposed a super-norm we may indeed suppose another still superior norm, and so on ad infinitum, like the elephants and tortoise which have been supposed to support the earth. Clearly there is no help in that.
REGULATION IN A CHANGING WORLD: REVIEW AND REVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITS
Authors: Reid Colin T.
Published: March 2008

Environmental permits come in many forms and control many activities. On occasion they can authorise one-off events, but more usually they provide authorisation for operations that will continue for some time. Even planning permission granted to construct a building has an enduring effect since it not only controls the building operation that may be completed within a short period but also determines what use of the land is authorised unless and until a new permission is sought. The precise life-span of many operations may be uncertain, but especially in view of the major capital cost of establishing chemical works, landfill sites, waste water treatment plants, etc., the operators' intention is to continue for a considerable time. Over that time circumstances may change so that the terms of the permit, or its very existence, are no longer considered appropriate. The aim of this paper is to explore the range of legal techniques that have been adopted for the variation of permits and the consequences of these in terms of enabling regulatory action and of protecting the various interests that will be affected by such exercises of power. The impact of such variation is most obviously felt by the operators, potentially threatening the viability, if not the fundamental legality, of their activities, but there is also an effect on third parties and the environment.
Democracy in Europe: The EU and National Polities
Authors: Moss Bernard H.
Published: March 2008

Democracy in Europe: The EU and National Polities, Vivien A. Schmidt, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006, pp. 326.

Vivien Schmidt is a specialist on the European Union (EU) who, like most, believes that it has taken over most of the functions of the member-states, that it is a pluralist democracy superior to theirs, that it is necessary and beneficial and the wave of the future. The only problem remaining to complete the subordination of the member-states posed in her book is that their politicians have not yet found the language or discourse to convince the public of these self-evident and unavoidable truths.
Homeless and at Home in America: Evidence for the Dignity of the Human Soul in Our Time and Place
Authors: McClure Chris
Published: March 2008

Homeless and at Home in America: Evidence for the Dignity of the Human Soul in Our Time and Place, Peter Augustine Lawler, South Bend IN: St. Augustine's Press, 2007, pp. 229, index.

“We Americans are the most homeless and the most at home people of the West today” (1). This is the central paradox of Peter Augustine Lawler's latest book, Homeless and at Home in America. It is a collection of essays (some previously published elsewhere) on a wide variety of topics, from Rod Dreher's Crunchy Cons and bioethics to Casablanca and Tocqueville. The chapters, though, fit well together and are linked by a set of related themes. The book, written in Lawler's usual engaging and often humorous style, presents a fascinating argument from one of the chief proponents of what he calls the “‘crowd’ of American faith-based, non-libertarian, Strauss influenced thinkers” (Stuck with Virtue, Wilmington: ISI Books, 2005, viii). This group is part of a growing school of thought Lawler refers to as “conservative postmodernism—postmodernism rightly understood” (134), which “is associated with Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and American literary Thomists such as Marion Montgomery, Walker Percy, and Flannery O'Connor” (135). Tocqueville is one of their favorite authors. This line of thought is a reaction against modernity for its failure to comprehend what it means to be truly human, that is, as creatures that occupy the “middle class” between beasts and God.
French Kiss : le rendez-vous de Stephen Harper avec le Québec
Authors: Laberge Yves
Published: March 2008

French Kiss : le rendez-vous de Stephen Harper avec le Québec, Chantal Hébert, Montréal, Éditions de l'Homme, 2007, 326 pages.

Ce premier livre de la journaliste Chantal Hébert est la traduction de French Kiss: Stephen Harper's Blind Date With Quebec, qui est paru presque simultanément. Depuis quinze ans, Chantal Hébert rédige d'excellentes chroniques politiques pour des quotidiens comme le Toronto Star et Le Devoir; en outre, elle apparaît souvent à la télévision en tant que spécialiste de la politique fédérale. Il ne faudrait pas la confondre avec une autre Chantal Hébert, qui est spécialiste de l'histoire du théâtre burlesque québécois, à l'Université Laval, et qui a publié deux livres importants dans son domaine.
3D gravity modelling of the Aguablanca Stock, tectonic control and emplacement of a Variscan gabbronorite bearing a Ni–Cu–PGE ore, SW Iberia
Authors: ROMEO I. , TEJERO R. , CAPOTE R. , LUNAR R.
Published: March 2008

The Aguablanca stock is a Variscan mafic pluton located in the Ossa-Morena zone, southern Iberian Massif, hosting an unusual Ni–Cu–PGE mineralization associated with magmatic breccia pipes which intruded its northern part. The emplacement of the Aguablanca stock and the mineralized breccia pipes are related to the activity of the Cherneca ductile shear zone, a Variscan sinistral shear zone that favoured magma ascent through the upper crust. A detailed gravity study has been carried out in order to investigate the 3D geometry of the Aguablanca intrusion and to get insights about the emplacement mechanism and tectonic controls of the mineralization. The three-dimensional gravity modelling shows that the stock has an inverted drop geometry with a feeder zone in contact with the Cherneca ductile shear zone. The inferred orientation of the feeder zone suggests that the emplacement probably took place along an open tensional crack formed within the strain field of the adjacent Cherneca ductile shear zone. The modelling of the breccia pipes hosting the Ni–Cu–PGE ore shows that they are included inside the feeder zone, thus their emplacement is probably controlled by successive opening events of this tensional crack.
Two-dimensional instabilities of time-dependent zonal flows: linear shear
Authors: NATAROV ANDREI , RICHARDS KELVIN J. , McCREARY JULIAN P.
Published: March 2008

In this study, we investigate the stability of time-dependent zonal flows to two-dimensional (zonally symmetric) disturbances. While steady currents can only experience inertial instability (II) in this setting, unsteady ones may be destabilized in other ways. For example, time-periodic flows can be subject to parametric subharmonic instability (PSI). Motivated by observations of salinity interleaving patterns in the upper equatorial Pacific Ocean, our objective is to determine the basic properties of dominant instabilities (their generation mechanism, spatial and temporal characteristics, and finite-amplitude development) for background flows that are representative of those in the upper-equatorial ocean, yet still amenable to a computational sweep of parameter space. Our approach is to explore the stability of solutions to linear and nonlinear versions of a two-dimensional model for an idealized background flow with oscillating linear shear. To illustrate basic properties of the instabilities, the f-plane and equatorial β-plane scenarios are studied using a linear model. Stability regime diagrams show that on the f-plane there is a clear separation in dominant vertical scales between PSI- and II-dominated regimes, whereas on the equatorial β-plane the parameter space contains a region where dominant instability is a mixture of the two types. In general, PSI favours lower vertical modes than II. The finite-amplitude development of instabilities on the equatorial β-plane is explored using a nonlinear model, including cases illustrating the equilibration of pure II and the development of pure PSI and mixed instabilities. We find that unless the instabilities are weak enough to be equilibrated by viscosity at low amplitude, disturbances continue to grow until the vertical shear of their meridional velocity field becomes large enough to allow for Richardson numbers less than 1/4; as a consequence, PSI-favoured vertical modes are able to reach higher amplitudes than II-favoured modes before becoming susceptible to Kelvin–Helmholtz instability, and induce tracer intrusions of a considerably larger meridional extent.
Intermittent turbulence in a pulsating pipe flow
Authors: TUZI RAFFAELLA , BLONDEAUX PAOLO
Published: March 2008

Numerical simulations of the pulsating flow in a pipe of circular cross-section characterized by small imperfections are carried out to determine the conditions leading to the appearance of turbulence. The results show that in the oscillatory case (no steady velocity component of the basic flow), the critical value of the Reynolds number Rδ depends on the Womersley parameter α and, in particular, Rδ increases as α decreases. The critical value of Rδ of the plane wall case is recovered when α is larger than about 10. For moderate values of the Reynolds numbers but larger than the critical one, turbulence appears around flow reversal and breaks the symmetry of the flow, originating a steady velocity component. Moreover, turbulence is not present throughout the whole cycle and there are phases during which the flow relaminarizes. The presence of a steady pressure gradient tends to destabilize the flow and this destabilizing effect becomes larger as the steady velocity component is increased. When turbulence is present, its dynamics is similar to that of the steady case and a log-law layer can be identified both in the oscillatory and the pulsating case.
Steady-state solidification of aqueous ammonium chloride
Authors: PEPPIN S. S. L. , HUPPERT HERBERT E. , WORSTER M. GRAE
Published: March 2008

We report on a series of experiments in which a Hele-Shaw cell containing aqueous solutions of NH4Cl was translated at prescribed rates through a steady temperature gradient. The salt formed the primary solid phase of a mushy layer as the solution solidified, with the salt-depleted residual fluid driving buoyancy-driven convection and the development of chimneys in the mushy layer. Depending on the operating conditions, several morphological transitions occurred. A regime diagram is presented quantifying these transitions as a function of freezing rate and the initial concentration of the solution. In general, for a given concentration, increasing the freezing rate caused the steady-state system to change from a convecting mushy layer with chimneys to a non-convecting mushy layer below a relatively quiescent liquid, and then to a much thinner mushy layer separated from the liquid by a region of active secondary nucleation. At higher initial concentrations the second of these states did not occur. At lower concentrations, but still above the eutectic, the mushy layer disappeared. A simple mathematical model of the system is developed which compares well with the experimental measurements of the intermediate, non-convecting state and serves as a benchmark against which to understand some of the effects of convection. Movies are available with the online version of the paper.