bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Arranged Marriage of Ana Maria Cioaba, Intra-Community Oppression and Romani Feminist Ideals
Authors: Oprea Alexandra
Published: April 2005

This article discusses the politics behind the recently publicized arranged marriage of a 12-year-old Romani girl, Ana Maria Cioaba. It speaks to the anti-Romani racism in Romania and abroad inherent in the media portrayal of the marriage and criticizes the racist politics behind the involvement of the different political figures in an effort to ‘save’ Ms Cioaba. It also discusses the implications of the media’s obsession with the ‘exotic’ oppression of Third World women in the context of Ms Cioaba’s arranged marriage. Ultimately the article also attempts to illuminate the precarious position of Romani feminism in racist countries.
Reclaiming the Body of the ‘Hottentot’
Authors: Netto Priscilla
Published: April 2005

The primary focus of this article is a reading of Venus Hottentot 2000, a performance-text that reperforms the hyperbolization of Black female sexuality. In using the corporeality of the Black body as a strategic site of postcolonial resignification, this performance is moreover an interrogation of the colonial gaze that has fetishized the Black body. In foregrounding Venus Hottentot 2000 as a point of departure for exploration, the article proceeds by delving broadly into the representational history of the ‘Hottentot’ female. Furthermore, to facilitate an understanding of the constitutive power of the colonial gaze and the possibilities of subverting and displacing that gaze from that of a postcolonial diasporic aesthetic practice, the article frames the postcolonial feminist reading of Venus Hottentot 2000 via an investigation of the processes by which the ‘Hottentot’ female has been festishized and scopically objectified within colonial discourse - processes whereby the ‘Hottentot’ female became a signifier of Black female sexuality. The article concludes by reading this performance as an example of a postcolonial ‘cultural war of positioning’, which offers moreover a contemporary rescripting of Black subjectivity.
Gender Mainstreaming vs Positive Action
Authors: Stratigaki Maria
Published: April 2005

This article examines the development of a gender mainstreaming strategy in the EU by illustrating how this strategy was shaped by other than gender equality policy goals. Gender mainstreaming was originally launched in 1996 to promote gender equality in all EU policies, in the context of international and European mobilization on women’s issues. It was aimed to transform mainstream policies by introducing a gender equality perspective. However, it has been largely used as an alibi for neutralizing positive action. The successful implementation of positive action in political decision-making had challenged the gender distribution of political power over policy institutions and technical, human and financial resources. This led to policy softening and institutional weakening due to counteracting by the EU political and administrative hierarchies. The argument is based on text analyses of relevant Community acts and on direct observations of the policy process, based on personal working experiences in the European Commission.
Turning Women from Criminals into Victims
Authors: Salminen-Karlsson Minna
Published: April 2005

This article examines how one of the most striking differences between the central doctrines of the Catholic Church and the secular context of Swedish society, attitudes to abortion, is managed by the Swedish church hierarchy and commentators in the official newsletter of the Catholic Church of Sweden. Using Foucauldian concepts of power, the article concludes that in its marginal position, the Catholic Church in Sweden mixes the traditional pastoral and sovereign power of the church with the way pastoral power is exerted in modern society, in its efforts to continue asserting its influence over the possible courses of action for pregnant women. While traditionally abortion has been a woman’s crime, in the Swedish Catholic context it becomes rather the crime of the secular society. This means also that the image of woman as being responsible for her decisions and in need of forgiveness gives way to an image of woman as a victim in need of understanding.
Girls, Adolescence and the Impact of Bodily Changes
Authors: Flaake Karin
Published: April 2005

This article presents the results of a study concerning the impact of physical changes accompanying female puberty. It examines the meanings these changes have for the girls themselves, as well as for their mothers and fathers. The hypothesis, essentially rooted in psychoanalytical theory, is that the reactions of mothers and fathers to the bodily changes of their daughter communicate messages about these changes that, in turn, impact on the girl’s perception and experience of her body. These messages are influenced by the often unconscious desires, fantasies and fears of the adults as well as by societal gender images. Depending on how adult care providers confront the psychic issues raised by their daughter’s adolescence and, in turn, how they interact with their daughter during her transition to adulthood, these psychic events may either serve to perpetuate societal gender images or offer a means of revising them.
Daughters of Tradition
Authors: Ramos-González Alicia
Published: April 2005

This article focuses on the cultural world of Jewish women in Eastern Europe between the 16th century and the beginning of the 19th century. It reveals the extent to which Yiddish language and literature were a means of gaining knowledge for such women. This is because Yiddish - a Jewish language that developed around 1000 years ago among the Jews living in Ashkenaz - was the language of the people, of ordinary life, of business and social relations, and also of the home and the kitchen. It was the language of female spaces, stigmatized by its ‘humble’ associations with women and uncultivated persons. In turn, Yiddish literature was closely associated with women and a female readership.
Object Lessons
Authors: Law John , Singleton Vicky
Published: April 2005

During research on the management of alcoholic liver disease the authors found that it was difficult to keep the condition in focus through the course of the study. Perhaps this was a sign of methodological failure, but this paper explores an alternative possibility: that social science methods are ill adapted for the study of complex and messy objects. The paper reviews arguments about the character of complex objects as these have been recently elaborated within science, technology and society (STS), and applies these to alcoholic liver disease. Three versions of the object (as region, network and fluid) are found to be relevant. But so, too, is a fourth, fire version, which treats objects as patterns of discontinuity between absence and presence. It is argued that the messiness of alcoholic liver disease in part becomes comprehensible if we imagine it as a fire object.
Affiliative Objects
Authors: Suchman Lucy
Published: April 2005

Through the case of a particular organization devoted to technological research and development, this paper investigates how values of the ‘new’ operate in what Appadurai (1986) has characterized as the social life of objects. Drawing on previous scholarship in anthropology and science and technology studies, I adopt the trope of the ‘affiliative object’ to describe the relational dynamics of association (and disassociation) that characterize the identification of objects and persons. This perspective emphasizes the multiplicity of objects within the unfolding and uncertain trajectories of organizational life, as both problem and resource for organization members. The paper examines how ‘object-centered sociality’ (Knorr-Cetina, 1997) is enacted as a strategic, but also contingent, resource in the alignment of professional identities and organizational positionings.
The myth of punitiveness
Authors: Matthews Roger
Published: April 2005

There is a widespread claim in the criminological literature that the current period is characterized by a surge in punitiveness and that this ‘punitive turn’ is fuelled by a new populism. However, the key notions of ‘punitiveness’ and ‘populism’ remain largely undefined, with the result that much of the associated analysis is vague, while developments are often asserted rather than explained. Consequently, there is a tendency towards empiricism, on the one hand, and speculative idealism, on the other. It is not that one cannot find examples of punitiveness but since the deployment of punitive sanctions has historically been an endemic feature of the criminal justice system we are faced with question of ‘what is new?’ In this article it is argued that there has been a one-sided, exaggerated focus on punitiveness in recent times, which has detracted from the development of a progressive realist account of contemporary crime control.
It’s a question of trust: balancing the relationship between students and teachers in ethnographic fieldwork
Authors: Russell Lisa
Published: April 2005

The experiences encountered as a young, novice, female, white, northern English ethnographer investigating the sensitive topic of student resistance are examined. Research was conducted in two comprehensive secondary schools in Birmingham (England) and a state governed school situated in Sydney (Australia). The implications of investigating student resistance and the importance of how the researchers’ personal dispositions influence the research process are discussed. The significance of the role the researcher adopts in the school and how this impacts upon how the researcher experiences leaving the field are examined. The predicaments an ethnographer can find themselves in when trying to balance the trust relationship between students and teachers are discussed.
‘Thanks for the memory’: memory books as a methodological resource in biographical research
Authors: Thomson Rachel , Holland Janet
Published: April 2005

The article describes the evolution of the ‘memory book’, an innovative method for biographical research. In the first part of the article, we explain the origins of the method, tracing our own journey from conducting memory work as a research group to the creation of memory books as a method to be used alongside interviews in a longitudinal qualitative study of young people’s transitions to adulthood. In the second part of the article, we map the form and content of memory books generated in the study, commenting on issues of audience and privacy. In the final part of the article, we discuss how we used the memory book data, distinguishing between their function as sources of documentation, resources for elaboration and critical tools for the understanding of identity. The article draws attention to the potential for the method to bring embodiment and the visual dimensions into a method dominated by text and discourse, as well as facilitating the expression of a range of ‘voices’ and time frames which complicate cohesive narrative presentations of self.
An evaluation of voice recognition software for use in interview-based research: a research note
Authors: Park Julie , Zeanah A. Echo
Published: April 2005

This small research project investigated whether it was feasible and beneficial to use voice recognition software to transcribe tape recordings of multiple voices. Two methods of use were trialed and it rapidly became clear that the ‘listen and repeat’ method was the leading contender. Through an iterative process, we developed guidelines to increase the usefulness of the software for research purposes, the main points of which are incorporated in this report. Our results suggest that voice recognition software has many advantages, and few disadvantages. It is of particular use for researchers for whom prolonged keyboard work is difficult or unsafe and for researchers with slow typing speeds, but any researcher may find it advantageous.
Knowledge creation and the location of university research scientists’ interpersonal exchange relations: within and beyond the university
Authors: McFadyen M. Ann , Cannella Albert A.
Published: April 2005

Our study examines how the location (geographic and organizational distance) of the direct interpersonal exchange relationships a university researcher establishes and main tains affects his or her knowledge creation. In order to create new knowledge, researchers seek to combine and exchange information and know-how with others and must often go outside the boundaries of their universities to obtain the needed resources. We explore the impact of working with others, both within and outside the organization, on new knowledge creation. We argue for a curvilinear effect between distance and knowledge creation, in that spatially close and distant exchange partner locations will have a greater effect on knowledge creation than intermediate distances. Hypotheses, tested on a large sample of university biomedical research scientists, are largely supported.
Strategic practices as enablers and disablers of championing activity
Authors: Mantere Saku
Published: April 2005

Research into the practice of organizational strategy is centered on the work of individual strategists. Strategic champions, individuals going beyond their operative responsibilities in strategic issues, are key stakeholders in research into strategy-as-practice. In this article, interview accounts of 158 champions from 12 organizations are analyzed for how strate gic practices enable and disable strategic champions in their work. A tension is discovered between recursive practices contributing to ontological security, achieved through pre dictability, and adaptive practices contributing to individual ownership of strategy, achieved through personal interpretation.
Disclosure of Medical Errors: Ethical Considerations for the Development of a Facility Policy and Organizational Culture Change
Authors: Henry Linda L.
Published: April 2005

The Institute of Medicine report, To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System, has spurred public concern over hospitals’ ability to deliver safe care. The health care industry continues to struggle to address these concerns. These efforts have driven the growing expectation that health care practitioners or systems disclose unanticipated outcomes to patients and family members. Although the tort system has been cited as an impediment to medical error disclosure, some organizations and systems have successfully implemented policies calling for full disclosure of errors and unanticipated outcomes. However, most organizations have yet to develop policies concerning error disclosure. This article provides an overview of error disclosure and a model framework for an error disclosure policy. The ethical principle of respect for patient autonomy is emphasized as the driving force in developing an institutional disclosure policy and changing the organizational culture to one that supports development and implementation of such a policy.
State Policies Regarding Nursing Delegation and Medication Administration in Child Care Settings: A Case Study
Authors: Heschel Rhonda T. , Crowley Angela A. , Cohen Sally S.
Published: April 2005

Medication administration is an essential component of quality child care, and nurses play a central role in assuring high-quality training of child care providers. Through key informant interviews and review of public documents, this case study explored the development of state statutes and regulations for medication administration training of child care providers in the state of Connecticut, nursing liability issues related to the definition of this activity, and the role of the Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Nursing. This article also examines the interpretation of the nursing role within this context as delegation versus professional activity and the impact of such designation on nursing practice, child care providers’ access to medication administration training by nurses, and children’s health status in child care settings. As a result of this case study, the Connecticut State Board of Examiners for Nursing revised its policies, demonstrating an exemplar linkage among research, practice, and policy.
Policy Perspectives of Major Nursing Organizations
Authors: Keepnews David M.
Published: April 2005

Understanding the roles of interest groups is an important element of examining policy change. There are a number of interest groups that affect the policy environment for nursing and that shape the profession’s impact on health policy. This article is the first of a series featuring interviews with executive directors/chief executive officers of three major nursing organizations, focusing on their policy priorities and how these priorities are determined. The three organizations featured in this article are the American Nurses Association (ANA), the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN).
Freedom, Community, and Raymond Williams’s Project of a Common Culture
Authors: Pina Álvaro
Published: April 2005

This article is part of a project that proposes and explores an articulation of community, culture, and freedom as the foundation of a cultural studies practice built on the principled intellectual analyses of Raymond Williams and Edward P. Thompson and capable of renewing and developing their democratic project. By focusing on community, culture, and freedom as concepts and practices, this article explores their theoretical status and their political potential today. By constructing a position founded on their articulation, a contemporary mode of intellectual analysis is proposed that can offer alternative views of the world we live in and open independent configurations of the human, the social, and the cultural. In the light of this articulation, the article takes account of recent challenges to cultural studies, reexamines Williams’s common culture project, and reassesses it as a basis for a democratic view and project of common humanity in the light of Zygmunt Bauman’s recent work.
Ambiguous Legacy: Instituting Student Diversity at a Spanish Secondary School
Authors: Teasley Cathryn
Published: April 2005

Critical ethnographic inquiry guides this examination of the ways in which a group of experienced teachers at an urban secondary school in Spain have responded to a series of new regulations of their practice in the context of markedly increased student diversity at the school. The analysis centers on the ideological stances represented and produced through the educators’ discourse and actions and on the implications for the education of the school’s Roma/Gypsy students as members of possibly the most disenfranchised ethnic group of Spain. The article concludes with the exploration of some alternative means, especially through action research, for producing professional commitments that are more conducive to socially just and culturally responsive educational processes.
Measuring Impulsivity and Modeling Its Association With Cigarette Smoking
Authors: Mitchell Suzanne H.
Published: April 2005

Two types of behavioral measure are primarily used to examine impulsivity in humans and animals: Go/No-go tasks to assess inhibition and relative preference tasks to assess delay aversion. Several examples of each type of task are described so that common cognitive processes and variables affecting performance can be identified. Data suggest that smokers are more impulsive on each of these impulsivity measures than nonsmokers. Several models can be proposed to account for this group difference: (a) the differences predate and, possibly, are causally related to the initiation of cigarette smoking; (b) higher levels of impulsivity are associated with continued smoking, either through an association with heightened positive subjective effects of nicotine or heightened negative effects of nicotine abstinence (withdrawal); (c) nicotine causes neuroadaptations that result in elevated impulsivity in smokers. Studies relating to each of these models are reviewed, and it is concluded that all three models may contribute to the observed higher levels of impulsivity in smokers. However, pertinent studies are limited and additional systematic research is needed.
The Role of Nutrition in the Management of Lower Extremity Wounds
Authors: Patel Girish K.
Published: April 2005

From 3000 BC, healers have understood the importance of nutrition in wound care and used nutritional supplements to aid healing. Many of the teachings from Hippocrates, the father of modern-day medicine, clearly state his firm belief that good health can be achieved through nutrition. In the early 1900s when advances in biochemistry were frequent, many of the essential constituents of nutrition were characterized, which formed the basis for many animal and human wound-healing experiments. This led to the discovery of vitamin C, zinc, and many other components essential for the orderly progression of healing. Modern-day research has concentrated on finding nutritional components that can enhance healing through supra-physiological doses, such as in the use of the amino acids arginine and carnitine. However, clinicians need to be aware that approximately 50% of patients admitted to the hospital are malnourished, requiring dietary supplementation; appropriate nutritional assessment and advice therefore should be an integral part of all wound management. This review provides an up-to-date commentary on the role of nutrition in wound care, with specific emphasis on lower limb wounds, from a historical perspective, and within it both the biomedical approach and current herbalist practices are considered.
The Role of Distal Arterial Reconstruction in Patients With Diabetic Foot Ischemia
Authors: Lioupis Christos
Published: April 2005

The diabetic foot, a common complication that affects patients with diabetes mellitus, is a therapeutic challenge. It places an increasing burden on society; the patient and caregivers as well as health care systems and clinicians are touched by this problem. The management of the diabetic foot with ischemia consequent to peripheral arterial disease is vexing, often leading to successive amputations. Surgical reconstruction of the peripheral arteries has always been a consideration, although the concept of coexistent small vessel disease has prejudiced the notion of offering reconstructive surgery to these patients. This article examines some of the literature relating to bypass surgery with a view to addressing the aforementioned notion. An appraisal of the literature suggests that vascular reconstructive surgery offers benefits to the diabetic patient, albeit these papers have weaknesses related to study design and methodology. Improved studies are indicated to address the role of bypass surgery to help the diabetic patient with foot complications; it is reasonable to hope that our understanding of the fundamental concepts of the pathogenesis of diabetic foot disease will also improve.
Medical Applications of Odor-Sensing Devices
Authors: Persaud Krishna C.
Published: April 2005

Many diseases and intoxications are accompanied by characteristic odors, and their recognition can provide diagnostic clues, which in turn may aid in planning a therapy. Arrays of gas and odor sensors, made from different technologies, are finding their way into a variety of specialized applications. This article reviews some clinical applications where this technology can be applied to noninvasive monitoring of patients.
Electrical Stimulation for Wound Healing: A Review of Evidence From In Vitro Studies, Animal Experiments, and Clinical Trials
Authors: Kloth Luther C.
Published: April 2005

This article reviews theories linked to endogenous bioelectric currents and the role they may play in wound repair with further appraisal of in vitro and in vivo research related to the effects of clinically applicable electrical currents on protein synthesis, cell migration, and antibacterial outcomes. In addition, studies on the effects of electrical stimulation (ES) on skin grafts, donor sites, and musculocutaneous flaps in animals are evaluated, as well as assessments of numerous clinical reports that examined the effects of ES on angiogenesis, perfusion, PtcO2, and epithelialization. Finally, a plethora of clinical trials related to the responses of chronic lower extremity wounds to ES therapy are reviewed, with emphasis on wounds caused by venous insufficiency, diabetic neuropathy, and ischemia in patients with and without diabetes mellitus. A glossary that addresses ES terminology is also included.
Vav proteins are required for B-lymphocyte responses to LPS
Authors: Hebeis Barbara , Vigorito Elena , Kovesdi Dorottya , Turner Martin
Published: April 2005

B lymphocytes respond to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) through Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and CD180 (previously called RP105). We show here that the responses of B lymphocytes to LPS require the function of the Vav family of guanine nucleotide exchange factors. Vav1-mutant mice generate defective humoral immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses following administration of low doses of LPS but respond normally to higher doses, while mice lacking both Vav1 and Vav2 manifest defective responses even after a high dose of LPS. Vav1/2-mutant B cells fail to divide extensively in vitro in response to LPS or CD180, while deficiency of Vav1 alone impairs CD180-but not LPS-driven proliferation. Likewise, activation of Akt (a PI3K [phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase] target) and phosphorylation of IκBα in response to CD180 or LPS required Vav1 and Vav2, while Vav1 deficiency led to defective responses to CD180. In addition, activation of ERK (extracellular signal regulated kinase) required Vav1 and Vav2 in response to CD180 but was Vav1 and vav2 independent in response to LPS. Induction of CD86 and CD25 by anti-CD180 also required Vav function, as did the induction of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-xL (B-cell leukemia XL). These data provide evidence for the function for the Vav proteins in regulating the responses of B cells to LPS. (Blood. 2005;106:635-640)
A phase-1 trial of bexarotene and denileukin diftitox in patients with relapsed or refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
Authors: Foss Francine , Demierre Marie France , DiVenuti Gina
Published: April 2005

Denileukin diftitox, a genetically engineered fusion protein combining the enzymatically active domains of diphtheria toxin and the full-length sequence for interleukin-2 (IL-2), efficiently targets lymphoma cells expressing the high-affinity IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) consisting of the α/p55/CD25, β/p75/CD122, and γ/p64/CD132 chains. In vitro studies demonstrated that the retinoid X receptor (RXR) retinoid, bexarotene, at biologically relevant concentrations of 10–6M to 10–8 M, upregulated both the p55 and p75 subunits of the IL-2R and enhanced 5- to 10-fold the susceptibility of T-cell leukemia cells to denileukin diftitox. To determine whether this biomodulatory effect could be recapitulated in vivo, we treated 14 patients with relapsed or refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with escalating doses of bexarotene (75 mg/day-300 mg/day) and denileukin diftitox (18 mcg/kg per day × 3 days every 21 days) in a phase 1 trial. Overall response was 67% (4 complete responses, 4 partial responses). Modulation of IL-2R expression was observed at or above a bexarotene dose of 150 mg/day. Four patients experienced grade 2 or 3 leukopenia, and 2 had grade 4 lymphopenia. Our results demonstrate that the combination of denileukin diftitox and bexarotene is well tolerated and that even low doses (150 mg/day) of bexarotene are capable of in vivo upregulation of CD25 expression on circulating leukemia cells.
The tumor suppressor TSLC1/NECL-2 triggers NK-cell and CD8+ T-cell responses through the cell-surface receptor CRTAM
Authors: Boles Kent S. , Barchet Winfried , Diacovo Tom , Cella Marina , Colonna Marco
Published: April 2005

The tumor suppressor in lung cancer-1 (TSLC1) gene is frequently silenced in human lung carcinomas, and its expression suppresses tumorigenesis in nude mice. TSLC1 encodes a cell-surface protein called Necl-2 that belongs to the Nectin and Nectin-like (Necl) family of molecules. Necl-2 mediates epithelial cell junctions by homotypic contacts and/or heterotypic interactions with other Nectins and Necls. Thus, it inhibits tumorigenesis by ensuring that epithelial cells grow in organized layers. Here, we demonstrate that natural killer (NK) cells and CD8+ T cells recognize Necl-2 through a receptor known as class I-restricted T-cell–associated molecule (CRTAM), which is expressed only on activated cells. CRTAM–Necl-2 interactions promote cytotoxicity of NK cells and interferon γ (IFN-γ) secretion of CD8+ T cells in vitro as well as NK cell–mediated rejection of tumors expressing Necl-2 in vivo. These results provide evidence for an additional mechanism of tumor suppression mediated by TSLC1 that involves cytotoxic lymphocytes. Furthermore, they reveal Necl-2 as one of the molecular targets that allows the immunosurveillance network to distinguish tumor cells from normal cells.
CGHPRO – A comprehensive data analysis tool for array CGH
Authors: Chen Wei , Erdogan Fikret , Ropers H-Hilger , Lenzner Steffen , Ullmann Reinhard
Published: April 2005

Background

Array CGH (Comparative Genomic Hybridisation) is a molecular cytogenetic technique for the genome wide detection of chromosomal imbalances. It is based on the co-hybridisation of differentially labelled test and reference DNA onto arrays of genomic BAC clones, cDNAs or oligonucleotides, and after correction for various intervening variables, loss or gain in the test DNA can be indicated from spots showing aberrant signal intensity ratios.

Now that this technique is no longer confined to highly specialized laboratories and is entering the realm of clinical application, there is a need for a user-friendly software package that facilitates estimates of DNA dosage from raw signal intensities obtained by array CGH experiments, and which does not depend on a sophisticated computational environment.

Results

We have developed a user-friendly and versatile tool for the normalization, visualization, breakpoint detection and comparative analysis of array-CGH data. CGHPRO is a stand-alone JAVA application that guides the user through the whole process of data analysis. The import option for image analysis data covers several data formats, but users can also customize their own data formats. Several graphical representation tools assist in the selection of the appropriate normalization method. Intensity ratios of each clone can be plotted in a size-dependent manner along the chromosome ideograms. The interactive graphical interface offers the chance to explore the characteristics of each clone, such as the involvement of the clones sequence in segmental duplications. Circular Binary Segmentation and unsupervised Hidden Markov Model algorithms facilitate objective detection of chromosomal breakpoints. The storage of all essential data in a back-end database allows the simultaneously comparative analysis of different cases. The various display options facilitate also the definition of shortest regions of overlap and simplify the identification of odd clones.

Conclusion

CGHPRO is a comprehensive and easy-to-use data analysis tool for array CGH. Since all of its features are available offline, CGHPRO may be especially suitable in situations where protection of sensitive patient data is an issue. It is distributed under GNU GPL licence and runs on Linux and Windows.
Conversion of cDNA differential display results (DDRT-PCR) into quantitative transcription profiles
Authors: Venkatesh Balakrishnan , Hettwer Ursula , Koopmann Birger , Karlovsky Petr
Published: April 2005

Background

Gene expression studies on non-model organisms require open-end strategies for transcription profiling. Gel-based analysis of cDNA fragments allows to detect alterations in gene expression for genes which have neither been sequenced yet nor are available in cDNA libraries. Commonly used protocols for gel-based transcript profiling are cDNA differential display (DDRT-PCR) and cDNA-AFLP. Both methods have been used merely as qualitative gene discovery tools so far.

Results

We developed procedures for the conversion of cDNA Differential Display data into quantitative transcription profiles. Amplified cDNA fragments are separated on a DNA sequencer and detector signals are converted into virtual gel images suitable for semi-automatic analysis. Data processing consists of four steps: (i) cDNA bands in lanes corresponding to samples treated with the same primer combination are matched in order to identify fragments originating from the same transcript, (ii) intensity of bands is determined by densitometry, (iii) densitometric values are normalized, and (iv) intensity ratio is calculated for each pair of corresponding bands. Transcription profiles are represented by sets of intensity ratios (control vs. treatment) for cDNA fragments defined by primer combination and DNA mobility. We demonstrated the procedure by analyzing DDRT-PCR data on the effect of secondary metabolites of oilseed rape Brassica napus on the transcriptome of the pathogenic fungus Leptosphaeria maculans.

Conclusion

We developed a data processing procedure for the quantitative analysis of amplified cDNA fragments separated by electrophoresis. The system utilizes common software and provides an open-end alternative to DNA microarray analysis of the transcriptome. It is expected to work equally well with DDRT-PCR and cDNA-AFLP data and be useful particularly in reseach on organisms for which microarray analysis is not available or economical.
Breast conserving surgery versus mastectomy: cancer practice by general surgeons in Iran
Authors: Najafi Massoome , Ebrahimi Mandana , Kaviani Ahmad , Hashemi Esmat , Montazeri Ali
Published: April 2005

Background

There appear to be geographical differences in decisions to perform mastectomy or breast conserving surgery for early-stage breast cancer. This study was carried out to evaluate general surgeons' preferences in breast cancer surgery and to assess the factors predicting cancer practice in Iran.

Methods

A structured questionnaire was mailed to 235 general surgeons chosen from the address list of the Iranian Medical Council. The questionnaire elicited information about the general surgeons' characteristics and about their work experience, posts they have held, number of breast cancer operations performed per year, preferences for mastectomy or breast conserving surgery, and the reasons for these preferences.

Results

In all, 83 surgeons returned the completed questionnaire. The results indicated that only 19% of the surgeons routinely performed breast conserving surgery (BCS) and this was significantly associated with their breast cancer case load (P < 0.01). There were no associations between BCS practice and the other variables studied. The most frequent reasons for not performing BCS were uncertainty about conservative therapy results (46%), uncertainty about the quality of available radiotherapy services (32%), and the probability of patients' non-compliance in radiotherapy (32%).

Conclusion

The findings indicate that Iranian surgeons do not routinely perform BCS as the first and the best treatment modality. Further research is recommended to evaluate patients' outcomes after BCS treatment in Iran, with regard to available radiotherapy facilities and cultural factors (patients' compliance).
Is post-trabeculectomy hypotony a risk factor for subsequent failure? A case control study
Authors: Benson Sarah E , Mandal Kaveri , Bunce Catey V , Fraser Scott G
Published: April 2005

Background

Ocular hypotony results in an increased break down of the blood-aqueous barrier and an increase in inflammatory mediator release. We postulate that this release may lead to an increased risk of trabeculectomy failure through increased bleb scarring. This study was designed to try to address the question if hypotony within one month of trabeculectomy for Primary Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG), is a risk factor for future failure of the filter.

Methods

We performed a retrospective, case notes review, of patients who underwent trabeculectomy for POAG between Jan 1995 and Jan 1996 at our hospital. We identified those with postoperative hypotony within 1 month of surgery. Hypotony was defined as an intraocular pressure (IOP) < 8 mmHg or an IOP of less than 10 mmHg with choroidal detachment or a shallow anterior chamber. We compared the survival times of the surgery in this group with a control group (who did not suffer hypotony as described above), over a 5 year period. Failure of trabeculectomy was defined as IOP > 21 mmHg, or commencement of topical antihypertensives or repeat surgery.

Results

97 cases matched our inclusion criteria, of these 38 (39%) experienced hypotony within 1 month of surgery. We compared the survival times in those patients who developed hypotony with those who did not using the log-rank test. This data provided evidence of a difference (P = 0.0492) with patients in the hypotony group failing more rapidly than the control group.

Conclusion

Early post-trabeculectomy hypotony (within 1 month) is associated with reduced survival time of blebs.
A 2-year prospective study of patient-relevant outcomes in patients operated on for knee osteoarthritis with tibial osteotomy
Authors: W-Dahl Annette , Toksvig-Larsen Sören , Roos Ewa M
Published: April 2005

Background

Tibial osteotomy is a treatment for younger and/or physically active patients suffering from uni-compartmental knee osteoarthritis. The open wedge osteotomy by the hemicallotasis technique includes the use of external fixation. The use of external fixation has several advantages, as early mobilization and the opportunity for optimal correction. However, the hemicallotasis technique has also been described as a cumbersome procedure for the patient. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate patient-relevant outcomes during the first 2 post-operative years. Especially the treatment period, during which external fixation was used, was closely monitored.

Methods

In an uncontrolled study, fifty-eight consecutive patients, 30 men and 28 women (mean age 54 years) were operated on by the hemicallotasis technique were evaluated with the patient-relevant outcome measure Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) preoperatively, during the treatment with external fixation, one week after removal of the external fixation, at 6 months, and at one and two years postoperatively.

Results

At the 2-year postoperative follow-up, all subscales of the KOOS were improved (p < 0.001), mostly in pain (41–80 on a 0–100 worst to best scale) and knee-related quality of life (21–61 on a 0–100 worst to best scale), compared to the preoperative status. Significant improvements in pain and other symptoms, function of daily life and quality of life were seen already during the treatment period (mean 98 ± 18 days) with the external fixation. More demanding functions such as kneeling, squatting, jumping and running, were improved first after extraction of the external fixation device and the pins.

Conclusion

Tibial osteotomy by the hemicallotasis technique yields large improvement in self-rated pain, function and quality of life, which persists over two years. Surprisingly, large improvements occurred already during the immediate post-operative period when the external fixation was still used.
Anti-obesity effects of chikusetsusaponins isolated from Panax japonicus rhizomes
Authors: Han Li-Kun , Zheng Yi-Nan , Yoshikawa Masayuki , Okuda Hiromichi , Kimura Yoshiyuki
Published: April 2005

Background

The rhizomes of Panax japonicus are used as a folk medicine for treatment of life-style related diseases such as arteriosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus as a substitute for ginseng roots in China and Japan. Obesity is closely associated with life-style-related diseases. This study was performed to clarify whether chikusetsusaponins prevent obesity induced in mice by a high-fat diet for 9 weeks.

Methods

We performed two in vivo experiments. In one, female ICR mice were fed a high-fat diet with or without 1 or 3% chikusetsusaponins isolated from P. japonicus rhizomes for 9 weeks. In the other, lipid emulsion with or without chikusetsusaponins was administered orally to male Wistar rats, and then the plasma triacylglycerol level was measured 0.5 to 5 h after the orally administered lipid emulsion. For in vitro experiments, the inhibitory effects of total chikusetsusaponins and various purified chikusetsusaponins on pancreatic lipase activity were determined by measuring the rate of release of oleic acid from triolein in an assay system using triolein emulsified with lecithin.

Results

Total chikusetsusaponins prevented the increases in body weight and parametrial adipose tissue weight induced by a high-fat diet. Furthermore, consumption of a high-fat diet containing 1 or 3% total chikusetsusaponins significantly increased the fecal content and triacylglycerol level at day 3 compared with the high-fat diet groups. Total chikusetsusaponins inhibited the elevation of the plasma triacylglycerol level 2 h after the oral administration of the lipid emulsion. Total chikusetsusaponins, chikusetsusaponin III, 28-deglucosyl-chikusetsusaponin IV and 28-deglucosyl-chikusetsusaponin V inhibited the pancreatic lipase activity.

Conclusion

The anti-obesity effects of chikusetsusaponins isolated from P. japonicus rhizomes in mice fed a high-fat diet may be partly mediated through delaying the intestinal absorption of dietary fat by inhibiting pancreatic lipase activity. The present study clearly indicated that the saponin fractions of P. japonicus rhizomes had a significant anti-obesity action and supports the traditional usage as a substitute drug for ginseng roots.
Australian public health policy in 2003 – 2004
Authors: Lin Vivian , Robinson Priscilla
Published: April 2005

In Australia, compared with other developed countries the many and varied programs which comprise public health have continued to be funded poorly and unsystematically, particularly given the amount of publicly voiced political support.

In 2003, the major public health policy developments in communicable disease control were in the fields of SARS, and vaccine funding, whilst the TGA was focused on the Pan Pharmaceutical crisis. Programs directed to health maintenance and healthy ageing were approved. The tertiary education sector was involved in the development of programs for training the public health workforce and new professional qualifications and competencies. The Abelson Report received support from overseas experts, providing a potential platform for calls to improve national funding for future Australian preventive programs; however, inconsistencies continued across all jurisdictions in their approaches to tackling national health priorities. Despite 2004 being an election year, public health policy was not visible, with the bulk of the public health funding available in the 2004/05 federal budget allocated to managing such emerging risks as avian flu. We conclude by suggesting several implications for the future.
Cellular mechanisms underlying the effects of an early experience on cognitive abilities and affective states
Authors: Garoflos Efstathios , Panagiotaropoulos Theofanis , Pondiki Stavroula , Stamatakis Antonios , Philippidis Eleni , Stylianopoulou Fotini
Published: April 2005

In the present study we investigated the effects of neonatal handling, an animal model of early experience, on spatial learning and memory, on hippocampal glucocorticoid (GR), mineralocorticoid (MR) and type 1A serotonin (5-HT1A) receptors, as well as brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and on circulating leptin levels, of male rats.

Method

Spatial learning and memory following an acute restraint stress (30 min) were assessed in the Morris water maze. Hippocampal GR, MR and BDNF levels were determined immunocytochemically. 5-HT1A receptors were quantified by in vitro binding autoradiography. Circulating leptin levels, following a chronic forced swimming stress, were measured by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Data were statistically analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Results

Neonatal handling increased the ability of male rats for spatial learning and memory. It also resulted in increased GR/MR ratio, BDNF and 5-HT1A receptor levels in the hippocampus. Furthermore, leptin levels, body weight and food consumption during chronic forced swimming stress were reduced as a result of handling.

Conclusion

Neonatal handling is shown to have a beneficial effect in the males, improving their cognitive abilities. This effect on behavior could be mediated by the handling-induced increase in hippocampal GR/MR ratio and BDNF levels. The handling-induced changes in BDNF and 5-HT1A receptors could underlie the previously documented effect of handling in preventing "depression". Furthermore, handling is shown to prevent other maladaptive states such as stress-induced hyperphagia, obesity and resistance to leptin.
Hypogonadism in Hereditary Hemochromatosis
Authors: McDermott J. H. , Walsh C. H.
Published: April 2005

Hypogonadism, usually hypogonadotropic in origin, is the most common nondiabetic endocrinopathy in hereditary hemochromatosis (HH). Early studies, usually evaluating small numbers of patients with advanced HH, report prevalence rates of 10–100%. The clinical presentation of HH has changed in recent years as a result of increased awareness and screening. We assessed the prevalence of hypogonadism in a large group of patients with HH diagnosed in a single center over the past 20 yr, the period of follow-up spanning the time before and after widespread screening was introduced and the HFE gene was recognized. Abnormally low plasma testosterone levels, with low LH and FSH levels, were found in nine of 141 (6.4%) male patients tested. Eight of nine (89%) had associated hepatic cirrhosis; three of nine (33%) had diabetes. Inappropriately low LH and FSH levels were found in two of 38 females (5.2%) in whom the pituitary-gonadal axis could be assessed. This is the largest detailed study of hypogonadism reported in HH. The lower prevalence of hypogonadism compared with other reported series reflects the earlier diagnosis of HH in an unselected group of patients attending a single center. Patients with lesser degrees of hepatic siderosis at diagnosis are unlikely to develop hypo-gonadism.
Prevalence and Characteristics of the Metabolic Syndrome in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Authors: Apridonidze Teimuraz , Essah Paulina A. , Iuorno Maria J. , Nestler John E.
Published: April 2005

The polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by insulin resistance with compensatory hyperinsulinemia. Insulin resistance also plays a role in the metabolic syndrome (MBS). We hypothesized that the MBS is prevalent in PCOS and that women with both conditions would present with more hyperandrogenism and menstrual cycle irregularity than women with PCOS only.

We conducted a retrospective chart review of all women with PCOS seen over a 3-yr period at an endocrinology clinic. Of the 161 PCOS cases reviewed, 106 met the inclusion criteria. The women were divided into two groups: 1) women with PCOS and the MBS (n = 46); and 2) women with PCOS lacking the MBS (n = 60).

Prevalence of the MBS was 43%, nearly 2-fold higher than that reported for age-matched women in the general population. Women with PCOS had persistently higher prevalence rates of the MBS than women in the general population, regardless of matched age and body mass index ranges. Acanthosis nigricans was more frequent in women with PCOS and the MBS. Women with PCOS and the MBS had significantly higher levels of serum free testosterone (P = 0.002) and lower levels of serum SHBG (P = 0.001) than women with PCOS without the MBS. No differences in total testosterone were observed between the groups.

We conclude that the MBS and its components are common in women with PCOS, placing them at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Women with PCOS and the MBS differ from their counterparts lacking the MBS in terms of increased hyperandrogenemia, lower serum SHBG, and higher prevalence of acanthosis nigricans, all features that may reflect more severe insulin resistance.