bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bone Age Progression during the First Year of Growth Hormone Therapy in Pre-Pubertal Children with Idiopathic Growth Hormone Deficiency, Turner Syndrome or Idiopathic Short Stature, and in Short Children Born Small for Gestational Age: Analysis of Data from KIGS (Pfizer International Growth Database)
Authors: Darendeliler Feyza , Ranke Michael B. , Bakker Bert , Lindberg Anders , Cowell Christopher T. , Albertsson-Wikland Kerstin , Reiter Edward O. , Price David A.
Published: December 2004

Background/Aims: The beneficial effects of growth hormone (GH) therapy on statural growth in children are well established, but the effects on skeletal maturation are less clear. The progression of bone age (BA) was therefore studied during the first year of GH treatment in pre-pubertal children with idiopathic GH deficiency (GHD), Turner syndrome (TS) or idiopathic short stature (ISS), and in short pre-pubertal children born small for gestational age (SGA). Methods: Cross-sectional data on 2,209 short children with idiopathic GHD, 694 with TS, 569 with ISS and 153 with SGA were analysed. Longitudinal data were also analysed from 308 children with idiopathic GHD, 99 with TS, 57 with ISS and 29 with SGA. All patients included in the study were enrolled in KIGS (Pfizer International Growth Database) and were being treated with recombinant human GH (Genotropin®). BA was assessed using the Greulich and Pyle method at baseline and after 1 year of GH therapy. Results: In all groups of patients the mean progression of BA was 1 year during the year of GH therapy, although there was considerable individual variation. Progression of BA was not correlated with chronological age, BA, height SD score (SDS) or body mass index SDS at the onset of GH therapy. There was also no consistent effect of the GH dose on BA progression. Conclusion: Progression of BA appears to be normal in patients receiving GH in these diagnostic groups, at least over the first year of treatment in pre-puberty.
Riverine spawning and reproductive segregation in a lacustrine cyprinid species flock, facilitated by homing?
Authors: Palstra Arjan , de Graaf Martin , Sibbing Ferdinand
Published: December 2004

This paper aims at assessing the reproductive segregation within the endemic Barbus (renamed Labeobarbus) species flock of Lake Tana (Ethiopia). Migration, followed by temporal and spatial reproductive segregation in the upstream tributaries of two inflowing rivers was studied systematically over the 1999 and 2000 spawning seasons. Physical events that may trigger lacustrine migration and characterise suitability of spawning grounds were analysed. Six species migrate 30-40 km upstream Gumara River during declining flow, just after the rainy season. Spawning occurs in the well-oxygenated gravel beds of four Gumara tributaries. Eight 'large barb' species were absent from the rivers, or found only incidentally, thus segregating them at a macro-spatial scale from the six river-spawners. The missing species spawn either in the lake or in other rivers not sampled. Long distance migration and species-specific spawning sites suggest that homing may have facilitated reproductive isolation and speciation. A fine-tuning between homing and gonad development is suggested since females reach spawning maturity only as they arrive at the spawning grounds. This study provides convincing evidence for reproductive segregation, and contributes in unravelling the evolution of this unique Labeobarbus species flock. Collective migration and riverine spawning of six Labeobarbus species makes them very vulnerable for overfishing at the spawning areas.
Phylogeny, origin and biogeography of catfishes: support for a Pangean origin of 'modern teleosts' and reexamination of some Mesozoic Pangean connections between the Gondwanan and Laurasian supercontinents
Authors: Diogo Rui
Published: December 2004

The wide geographical distribution of the mainly freshwater catfishes has long intrigued the scientific community. This work provides a new insight into the phylogeny and the puzzling biogeographical distribution of catfishes. The important implications for teleost biogeography and plate tectonics are discussed. The results of the author's cladistic study on catfish higher level phylogeny, together with a revision of the data available concerning different fields such as palaeobiogeography, phylogeny, ecology and molecular biology, as well as the growing evidence supporting the existence of some remaining Pangean connections between Gondwana and Laurasia extending into the Early Cretaceous, strongly support a rather complex biogeographic scenario with multiple pre-drift and post-drift continental dispersions, vicariances, and, possibly, some marine migrations. According to this scenario: 1) catfishes originated in the South American region at a moment when there were still some remaining Pangean connections between Gondwana and Laurasia; 2) after this, there was a relatively rapid pre-drift continental dispersion of several, but not all, main groups of Siluriformes from the South-American region to Africa and other Gondwanan areas, with some of those groups succeeding in radiating ulteriorly via the remaining continental Pangean connections between Gondwana and Laurasia to this latter super-continent; 3) the final separation between Laurasia and Gondwana, and posteriorly between the regions constituting each of these super-continents, contributed to important vicariant events; 4) this scenario was still further complicated by numerous events such as the collision of India with Asia, the re-establishment of certain land connections between previously separated continents (e.g., between the Americas), and eventually also by some marine migrations, thus explaining the highly complex biogeographical distribution of the Siluriformes. In sustaining such a scenario, this work thus supports that, contrary to what is often accepted, some groups of 'modern teleosts' did have a Pangean origin.
The Effects of Nonnormal Distributions on Confidence Intervals Around the Standardized Mean Difference: Bootstrap and Parametric Confidence Intervals
Authors: Kelley Ken
Published: December 2004

The standardized group mean difference, Cohen’s d, is among the most commonly used and intuitively appealing effect sizes for group comparisons. However, reporting this point estimate alone does not reflect the extent to which sampling error may have led to an obtained value. A confidence interval expresses the uncertainty that exists between d and the population value, δ, it represents. A set of Monte Carlo simulations was conducted to examine the integrity of a noncentral approach analogous to that given by Steiger and Fouladi, as well as two bootstrap approaches in situations in which the normality assumption is violated. Because d is positively biased, a procedure given by Hedges and Olkin is outlined, such that an unbiased estimate of δ can be obtained. The bias-corrected and accelerated bootstrap confidence interval using the unbiased estimate of δ is proposed and recommended for general use, especially in cases in which the assumption of normality may be violated.
Estimating the Reliability of Dichotomous or Trichotomous Scores
Authors: Feldt Leonard S.
Published: December 2004

To meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act, school districts and states must compile summary reports of the levels of student achievement in reading and mathematics. The levels are to be described in broad categories: “basic and below,” “proficient,” or “advanced.” Educational units are given considerable latitude in defining the percentile limits of these categories and the measures to be used in assessing the levels of each student. However, they must defend the validity and reliability of these measures. The question arises: How does one estimate the reliability of a score generated by a test of k items after the score is reduced to three or even two values? A precise solution, based on normality assumptions, requires the application of computer programs inaccessible to most local educators. Tables are provided in this article that enable local educators to deduce the reliability of broad-category scores (ρ yy′) from the reliability of the original scores (ρ xx′).
Assessment of Teachers’ Beliefs about Classroom Use of Critical-Thinking Activities
Authors: Torff Bruce , Warburton Edward C.
Published: December 2004

This article reports five studies in which a scale for assessing teachers’ beliefs about classroom use of critical-thinking (CT) activities was developed and its scores evaluated for reliability and validity. The Critical Thinking Belief Appraisal (CTBA) is based on a four-factor “advantage effect” model: the theoretical premise that teachers’ CT-related decision making is associated with their beliefs about the effectiveness of (a) high-CT activities for high-advantage learners, (b) high-CT activities for low-advantage learners, (c) low-CT activities for high-advantage learners, and (d) low-CT activities for low-advantage learners. Results indicated that the scale produced scores with high reliability; a stable factor structure; and satisfactory discriminant, construct, and predictive validity. The studies supported the theoretical and practical utility of the construct and measure of teachers’ beliefs about classroom use of CT activities.
Rasch Rating Scale Modeling of the Korean Version of the Beck Depression Inventory
Authors: Hong Sehee , Wong Eunice C.
Published: December 2004

The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is one of the most frequently used instruments in the study of depression both within and outside of the United States. Though developed primarily with European American clinical populations, the BDI has been applied in nonclinical and non-Western samples. To determine whether such a practice is warranted, the authors used Rasch rating scale modeling on a Korean version of the BDI (BDI-K) with Korean university students( N = 279).Results revealed that (a) most BDI-K items represented one common construct, (b) somatic symptoms of depression were more difficult to endorse, and (c) the difficulty level of the BDI-K may not be appropriate for nonclinical Korean university samples.
Asylum Recognition Rates in Western Europe
Authors: Neumayer Eric
Published: December 2004

Substantial variation in recognition rates for asylum claims from the same countries of origin subjects refugees to unfair and discriminatory treatment. This article demonstrates the extent of variation and lack of convergence over the period from 1980 to 1999 across Western European destination countries. Refugee interest groups also suspect that political and economic conditions in destination countries, as well as the number of past asylum claims, unduly affect recognition rates. This article estimates the determinants of asylum recognition rates. Origin-specific recognition rates vary, as they should, with the extent of political oppression, human rights violations, interstate armed conflict, and events of genocide and politicide in countries of origin. Recognition rates for the full-protection status are lower only in times of high unemployment in destination countries. Such rates are also lower if many asylum seekers from a country of origin have already applied for asylum in the past.
What Kind of Democrat was Spinoza?
Authors: Smith Steven B.
Published: December 2004

Spinoza’s Ethics is rarely read as a work of political theory. Its formidable geometric structure and its author’s commitment to a kind of metaphysical determinism do not seem promising materials from which to fashion a theory of democratic self-government. Yet impressions can mislead. A close reading of the Ethics reveals it to be an impassioned, deeply political book. Its aim is not only to liberate the individual from false beliefs and systems of power but also to enable us to act in concert as members of a democratic community. Above all, the work represents a celebration of individuality and the joys of life in all its plenitude. The Ethics provides Spinoza’s clearest answer to the question “What is a free people ( libera multitudo )?” only briefly alluded to at the end of his unfinished Political Treatise.
Mapping the Criminal Mind: Idiographic Assessment of Criminal Belief Systems
Authors: Walters Glenn D.
Published: December 2004

An idiographic procedure designed to assess the belief systems of criminal offenders is described, investigated, and clarified. This measure, the Cognitive Map of Major Belief Systems (CMMBS), assesses the five belief systems (self-view, world-view, past-view, present-view, future-view) held to occupy the higher echelons of human cognition. Modest to moderate test-retest reliability was achieved when 19 inmates, enrolled in one of three drug-counseling groups, completed the CMMBS on two separate occasions, 2 weeks apart. It was also ascertained that the drug treatment specialist who served as therapist for all three groups “blindly” matched the 19 CMMBS records to the inmates who produced them. A case study of one of the 19 participants was used to illustrate how the CMMBS is employed with individual offenders and how belief systems interact with major schematic subnetworks such as attributions, outcome expectancies, efficacy expectancies, goals, values, and thinking styles to create crime-supporting lifestyles.
The Association Between Multiple Drug Misuse and Crime
Authors: Bennett Trevor , Holloway Katy
Published: December 2004

Research that has investigated the association between specific drug types and crime has tended to focus on the specific drug type in isolation from other drugs. The main problem with this is that it cannot be assumed that the association between specific drug use and crime will be the same regardless of the additional drugs consumed. The research aimed to investigate whether there was a correlation between number and type of drugs used and involvement in crime. The analysis of multiple drug use was based on data collected as part of the New English and Welsh Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring program in the United Kingdom. The results showed that both the number of drug types consumed and the particular drug type combinations used explained offending rate. The research concluded that the investigation of links between multiple drug use and crime might help inform antidrugs strategies and treatment services.
Interpersonal Factors and Personality Disorders as Discriminators Between Intra-Familial and Extra-Familial Child Molesters
Authors: Bogaerts Stefan , Declercq Frédéric , Vanheule Stijn , Palmans Vicky
Published: December 2004

This article presents the results of research investigating the relation between interpersonal factors and personality disorders and intra-familial versus extra-familial child molesters. The sample contained 41 intra-familial and 43 extra-familial child molesters as well as a matched comparison group of 80 subjects. The analysis of the research results show that interpersonal factors, such as parental sensitivity, trust, and adult romantic attachment, discriminate between intra-familial and extra-familial child molesters. These findings structure the heterogeneous field of child molesters, as intra-familial child molesting seems to be related to relational attitude as well as personality disorders, whereas extra-familial child molesting is mainly related to personality disorders without showing significant deficits in the interpersonal factors that were measured. These results contribute to the explanation of this deviant sexual conduct and to the development and differentiation of the treatment of child molesters.
Role of Rap1 in promoting sickle red blood cell adhesion to laminin via BCAM/LU
Authors: Murphy Meghan M. , Zayed Mohamed A. , Evans Allyson , Parker Carol E. , Ataga Kenneth I. , Telen Marilyn J. , Parise Leslie V.
Published: December 2004

Vaso-occlusion is a hallmark of sickle cell disease. Agonist-induced activation of sickle red blood cells (SS RBCs) promotes their adhesion to vascular proteins, potentially contributing to vasoocclusion. Previously, we described a cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)-dependent increase in SS RBC adhesion to laminin. Here, we investigated whether Rap1, a small guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) known to promote integrin-mediated adhesion in other cells, was involved in this signaling pathway. We found that agonists known to induce cAMP signaling promoted the GTP-bound, active state of Rap1 in SS RBCs. The cAMP-dependent exchange factor Epac (exchange protein directly activated by cAMP) is a likely upstream activator of Rap1, since Epac is present in these cells and the Epac-specific cAMP analog 8CPT-2-Me (8-(4-cholorophenylthio)-2′-O-methyl-cAMP) activated Rap1 and promoted SS RBC adhesion to laminin. This 8CPT-2-Me-stimulated adhesion was integrin independent, since it was insensitive to RGD peptide or antibodies against the only known integrin on SS RBCs, α4β1. However, this adhesion was completely inhibited by either a soluble version of basal cell adhesion molecule/Lutheran (BCAM/LU) or a BCAM/LU adhesion-blocking anti-body. Surprisingly, 8CPT-2-Me-activated Rap1 did not promote SS RBC adhesion to a known α4β1 ligand, vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1). These results demonstrate that Epac-induced Rap1 activation in SS RBCs promotes BCAM/LU-mediated adhesion to laminin. Thus, Epac-mediated Rap1 activation may represent an important signaling pathway for promoting SS RBC adhesion. (Blood. 2005;105:3322-3329)
Determinants of ABH expression on human blood platelets
Authors: Cooling Laura L. W. , Kelly Kathleen , Barton James , Hwang Debbie , Koerner Theodore A. W. , Olson John D.
Published: December 2004

Platelets express ABH antigens, which can adversely effect platelet transfusion recovery and survival in ABH-incompatible recipients. To date, there has been no large, comprehensive study comparing specific donor factors with ABH expression on platelet membranes and glycoconjugates. We studied ABH expression in 166 group A apheresis platelet donors by flow cytometry, Western blotting, and thin layer chromatography relative to donor age, sex, A1/A2 subgroup, and Lewis phenotype. Overall, A antigen on platelet membranes, glycoproteins, and glycosphingolipids was linked to an A1 red blood cell (RBC) phenotype. Among A1 donors, platelet ABH varied significantly between donors (0%-87%). Intradonor variability, however, was minimal, suggesting that platelet ABH expression is a stable, donor-specific characteristic, with 5% of A1 donors typing as either ABH high- or low-expressers. Group A2 donors, in contrast, possessed a Bombay-like phenotype, lacking both A and H antigens. Unlike RBCs, ABH expression on platelets may be determined primarily by H-glycosyltransferase (FUT1) activity. Identification of A2 and A1 low expressers may increase the availability and selection of crossmatched and HLA-matched platelets. Platelets from group A2 may also be a superior product for patients undergoing A/O major mismatch allogeneic progenitor cell transplantation. (Blood. 2005;105:3356-3364)
Antibody responses to H-Y minor histocompatibility antigens correlate with chronic graft-versus-host disease and disease remission
Authors: Miklos David B. , Kim Haesook T. , Miller Katherine H. , Guo Luxuan , Zorn Emmanuel , Lee Stephanie J. , Hochberg Ephraim P. , Wu Catherine J. , Alyea Edwin P. , Cutler Corey , Ho Vincent , Soiffer Robert J. , Antin Joseph H. , Ritz Jerome
Published: December 2004

Minor histocompatibility antigens (mHAs) are known targets of donor T cells after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). In contrast, B-cell responses to mHAs have not been extensively characterized and the clinical significance of antibodies to mHAs is unknown. We tested 121 patients who underwent HSCT and 134 healthy donors for immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against 5 mHAs encoded by genes on the Y chromosome (DBY, UTY, ZFY, RPS4Y, and EIF1AY). Antibodies to at least one H-Y protein developed in 52% of male patients with female donors compared with 8.7% of male patients with male donors (P < .0001), and in 41.4% of healthy females compared with 7.8% of healthy males (P < .0001). H-Y antibodies develop 4 to 12 months after transplantation and persist for long periods. The clinical significance of H-Y antibodies was characterized in 75 male patients with hematologic malignancies who received stem cells from female donors (F → M HSCT). The presence of H-Y antibodies correlated with chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) by univariate (odds ratio [OR] = 15.5; P < .0001) and multivariable logistic regression analysis (OR = 56.5; P < .0001). Antibody response to Y-chromosome encoded histocompatibility antigens (H-Y antigens) was also associated with maintenance of disease remission (P < .0001). B cells may provide a new target for immune intervention in chronic GVHD.
CD38 and CD100 lead a network of surface receptors relaying positive signals for B-CLL growth and survival
Authors: Deaglio Silvia , Vaisitti Tiziana , Bergui Luciana , Bonello Lisa , Horenstein Alberto L. , Tamagnone Luca , Boumsell Laurence , Malavasi Fabio
Published: December 2004

This work addresses the question whether CD38, a negative prognostic marker in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL), plays a role in neoplastic B-cell growth and survival. We show that CD38+ B-CLL cells bind to murine fibroblasts transfected with the CD31 ligand. The interaction triggers an extensive remodeling of the B-CLL membrane, with relocalization of BCR/CD19 to the CD38/CD31 contact areas, and it also increases cell survival and proliferation. A second event is the up-modulation of the survival receptor CD100, restricted to proliferating cells, and a concomitant decrease of CD72 (low-affinity CD100 ligand and negative regulator of immune responses). The most efficient signals are delivered through sequential interactions between CD38/CD31 and CD100/plexin-B1 (high-affinity CD100 ligand), as inferred by coculture experiments using specific transfectants and blocking monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). The finding that nurselike cells from B-CLL patients express CD31 and plexin-B1, which deliver growth and survival signals to CD38+/CD100+ B-CLL cells, further confirms the model proposed. These findings show that a set of normal receptors and ligands ruling physiologic signaling pathways in B lymphocytes becomes detrimental when expressed in the context of B-CLL cells, ultimately leading to the generation of a tumor reservoir.
Phase II Clinical Experience With the Novel Proteasome Inhibitor Bortezomib in Patients With Indolent Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and Mantle Cell Lymphoma
Authors: O'Connor Owen A. , Wright John , Moskowitz Craig , Muzzy Jamie , MacGregor-Cortelli Barbara , Stubblefield Michael , Straus David , Portlock Carol , Hamlin Paul , Choi Elizabeth , Dumetrescu Otila , Esseltine Dixie , Trehu Elizabeth , Adams Julian , Schenkein David , Zelenetz Andrew D.
Published: December 2004

Purpose

To determine the antitumor activity of the novel proteasome inhibitor bortezomib in patients with indolent and mantle-cell lymphoma (MCL).

Patients and Methods

Patients with indolent and MCL were eligible. Bortezomib was given at a dose of 1.5 mg/m2 on days 1, 4, 8, and 11. Patients were required to have received no more than three prior chemotherapy regimens, with at least 1 month since the prior treatment, 3 months from prior rituximab, and 7 days from prior corticosteroids; absolute neutrophil count more than 1,500/μL (500/μL if documented bone marrow involvement); and platelet count more than 50,000/μL.

Results

Twenty-six patients were registered, of whom 24 were assessable. Ten patients had follicular lymphoma, 11 had MCL, three had small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL) or chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and two had marginal zone lymphoma. The overall response rate was 58%, with one complete remission (CR), one unconfirmed CR (CRu), and four partial remissions (PR) among patients with follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). All responses were durable, lasting from 3 to 24+ months. One patient with MCL achieved a CRu, four achieved a PR, and four had stable disease. One patient with MCL maintained his remission for 19 months. Both patients with marginal zone lymphoma achieved PR lasting 8+ and 11+ months, respectively. Patients with SLL or CLL have yet to respond. Overall, the drug was well tolerated, with only one grade 4 toxicity (hyponatremia). The most common grade 3 toxicities were lymphopenia (n = 14) and thrombocytopenia (n = 7).

Conclusion

These data suggest that bortezomib was well tolerated and has significant single-agent activity in patients with certain subtypes of NHL.
The novel fission yeast (1,3)β-D-glucan synthase catalytic subunit Bgs4p is essential during both cytokinesis and polarized growth
Authors: Cortés Juan Carlos G. , Carnero Elena , Ishiguro Junpei , Sánchez Yolanda , Durán Angel , Ribas Juan Carlos
Published: December 2004

Schizosaccharomyces pombe contains four putative (1,3)β-D-glucan synthase (GS) catalytic subunits, Bgs1p-4p. In this work, we cloned bgs4+ and show that Bgs4p is the only subunit found to be a part of the GS enzyme and essential for maintaining cell integrity during cytokinesis and polarized growth. Here we show that bgs4+, cwg1+ (cwg1-1 shows reduced cell-wall β-glucan and GS catalytic activity) and orb11+ (orb11-59 is defective in cell morphogenesis) are the same gene. bgs4+ is essential for spore germination and bgs4+ shut-off produces cell lysis at growing poles and mainly at the septum prior to cytokinesis, suggesting that Bgs4p is essential for cell wall growth and to compensate for an excess of cell wall degradation during cytokinesis. Shut-off and overexpression analysis suggest that Bgs4p forms part of a GS catalytic multiprotein complex and that Bgs4p-promoted cell-wall β-glucan alterations induce compensatory mechanisms from other Bgs subunits and (1,3)α-D-glucan synthase. Physiological localization studies showed that Bgs4p localizes to the growing ends, the medial ring and septum, and at each stage of wall synthesis or remodeling that occurs during sexual differentiation: mating, zygote and spore formation, and spore germination. Bgs4p timing and requirements for proper positioning during cytokinesis and its localization pattern during spore maturation differ from those of Bgs1p. Bgs4p localizes overlapping the contractile ring once Bgs1p is present and a Calcofluor white-stained septum material is detected, suggesting that Bgs4p is involved in a late process of secondary or general septum synthesis. Unlike Bgs1p, Bgs4p needs the medial ring but not the septation initiation network proteins to localize with the other septation components. Furthermore, Bgs4p localization depends on the polarity establishment proteins. Finally, F-actin is necessary for Bgs4p delocalization from and relocalization to the growing regions, but it is not needed for the stable maintenance of Bgs4p at the growing sites, poles and septum. All these data show for the first time an essential role for a Bgs subunit in the synthesis of a (1,3)β-D-glucan necessary to preserve cell integrity when cell wall synthesis or repair are needed.
Single Crystal Trigonal Selenium Nanoplates Converted from Selenium Nanoparticles
Authors: Yin Haoyong , Xu Zhude , Bao Huahui , Bai Jingyi , Zheng Yifan
Published: December 2004

The single crystal trigonal selenium nanoplates have been prepared directly from the trigonal selenium nanoparticles in a simple way with ethylenediamine in existence. The as-prepared nanoplates were characterized by XRD, TEM, HRTEM, SEM, and SAED measurements. It is shown that the selenium nanoplates have a single crystalline structure with the length and width reaching up to several microns while their thickness being only about 50 nm. This preparation method may be extended to the fabrication of other 2D elemental crystals with the similar crystal structures of trigonal selenium.
Analysis of Aspirin-Associated Risks in Healthy Individuals
Authors: Hur Chin , Simon Lee S , Gazelle G Scott
Published: December 2004

BACKGROUND:

Aspirin therapy is widely accepted for patients with documented cardiovascular disease, but there is a growing trend among healthy individuals to use aspirin as primary prevention for both cardiovascular disease and cancer.

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the impact of the complications of aspirin therapy on quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) in healthy individuals.

METHODS:

A computer-based decision-analytic model was constructed. In this model, healthy individuals taking aspirin were assumed to receive no advantages from the aspirin, but were at risk of developing its associated complications. Individuals took 325 mg of enteric-coated aspirin every day until death, discontinuing therapy only if an aspirin-induced complication occurred. The analysis was performed from a societal perspective, starting at age 50 years. Extensive sensitivity analyses were performed.

RESULTS:

In the absence of any beneficial effect, aspirin reduced QALYs by 0.03 per individual. Unadjusted life expectancy was decreased by 0.04 years (2 wk). Lifetime aspirin use cost an average of $460/healthy person. The total complication rate over a lifetime of aspirin therapy was 6.79%, with a mortality rate of 0.18%. Alternatively stated, there was one complication for every 15 individuals treated and one death for every 556 individuals treated. Extensive sensitivity analysis showed the range of results possible when varying age, gender, length of follow-up, and other key parameters.

CONCLUSIONS:

Assuming no benefits, aspirin therapy in healthy individuals leads to a small reduction in QALYs at an overall low cost per person. However, approximately 1 in 15 individuals will experience an aspirin-induced complication and 1 in 556 individuals will die.
Impact of Pharmacist-Led Community Bone Mineral Density Screenings
Authors: Summers Kelly M , Brock Tina Penick
Published: December 2004

BACKGROUND:

Osteoporosis-associated fractures burden both individuals and the overall healthcare system. Bone mineral density (BMD) screening remains the gold standard measure for identifying patients at risk.

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the impact of convenient, pharmacist-led BMD screening and counseling sessions on identification and education of patients at risk for or with osteoporosis.

METHODS:

Nonpregnant persons >18 years of age were eligible for enrollment in this descriptive study. At an urban retail pharmacy, participants underwent risk factor assessment, peripheral BMD scanning, and personalized counseling. At 3 and 6 months after screening, subjects were questioned by telephone regarding any subsequent primary care provider (PCP) interactions, as well as any behaviors initiated and/or medications modified.

RESULTS:

Of the 102 subjects screened, 22.6% and 11.7% were identified as being at medium risk (T score −1.0 to −2.5) and high risk (T score −2.5 or less) for osteoporosis, respectively. By 6 months, 42.5% of the participants reported increasing their dietary intake of calcium, 29.3% began or increased calcium supplements, and 54.9% positively modified smoking status, exercise level, alcohol consumption, or caffeine intake. Additionally, 24 of 52 subjects who had discussed their results with a PCP by 6 months also received a treatment recommendation. Eighty-nine participants reported the community location increased their likelihood of receiving a BMD scan.

CONCLUSIONS:

Overall, pharmacist-led BMD screenings that include individualized counseling sessions appear convenient, accessible, and beneficial for patients. With the establishment of clinical benefit of and positive reception to such screenings, pharmacists can now look toward securing consistent reimbursement for this vital pharmaceutical care service.
Internal stresses in glulam due to moisture gradients in the grain direction
Authors: Jönsson Johan Hans
Published: December 2004

An experimental study on the internal stress state perpendicular to grain in glued laminated timber induced by moisture variations along the grain is presented. The stress is evaluated by using measured modulus of elasticity and strain. Different types of tests are performed, in which specimens are exposed to artificial climate change when the specimens are in either a wetting or a drying state, and specimens are exposed to a cyclic climate change. Test results from the specimens that were in a drying state show that the tensile stresses near the end of the specimens at some point exceeds the strength of the wood and cracks. In the opposite test, when the specimens are in a moistening phase, the maximum tensile stresses are lower and in the order of 0.2 MPa during the tested period. The cyclic test, which continued during 20 weeks, showed that there were no accumulated effects regarding strain and stress values. In this test, the average maximum tensile and compression stresses were of the order 0.20 and 0.10 MPa, respectively.
Cellulose microfibrils: A novel method of preparation using high shear refining and cryocrushing
Authors: Chakraborty Ayan , Sain Mohini , Kortschot Mark
Published: December 2004

This paper describes a novel technique to produce cellulose microfibrils through mechanical methods. The technique involved a combination of severe shearing in a refiner, followed by high-impact crushing under liquid nitrogen. Fibers treated in this way were subsequently either freeze-dried or suspended in water. The fibers were characterized using SEM, TEM, AFM, and high-resolution optical microscopy. In the freeze-dried batch, 75% of the fibrils had diameters of 1 μm and below, whereas in the water dispersed batch, 89% of the fibrils had diameters in this range. The aspect ratio of the microfibrils ranged between 15 and 55 for the freeze-dried fibrils, and from 20 to 85 for the fibrils dispersed in water. These measurements suggest that the microfibrils have the potential to produce composites with high strength and stiffness for high-performance applications. The microfibrils in water were compounded with polylactic acid polymer to form a biocomposite. Laser confocal microscopy showed that the microfibrils were well dispersed in the polymer matrix.
The Concept of Evolution in Early Twentieth‐Century Americanist Archaeology
Authors: Lyman R. Lee , O'Brien Michael J.
Published: December 2004

American archaeologists who founded the culture‐history paradigm early in the 20th century held a view of the evolution of cultures commensurate with Darwin's notions of continuous, gradual change. Initially, in their view, artifacts varied continuously across space and through time. This materialist metaphysic was, however, short‐lived. Its fall from favor began in the 1920s, when it was noted that cultural evolution was reticulate whereas biological evolution was only branching. When it was argued in the 1940s that cultures were, after all, not organisms and that inanimate objects did not interbreed, any hope of adopting a Darwinian version of evolution in archaeology was abandoned. Rather, archaeologists adopted cultural evolutionism founded by Herbert Spencer in the 19th century and popularized by Leslie White in the 20th century. Franz Boas and his students flatly rejected this version in part because of its essentialist metaphysic. A. L. Kroeber had some significant insights into how to construct historical lineages, but he and his contemporaries did not know how to implement Darwin's version of evolutionism in anthropology and archaeology. Archaeologists of the 1950s thus came to view culture change largely in terms of discontinuous stages. Such a view gained legitimacy because biologists in the 1950s claimed the evolution of cultures was unlike the evolution of organisms. After some forty years, it is time to try a Darwinian version of evolution.
The Mode and Tempo of the Initial Human Colonisation of Empty Landmasses: Sahul and the Americas Compared
Authors: Webb R. Esmée , Rindos David J.
Published: December 2004

The tempo and mode of the initial human colonisation of terra incognita has long been a controversial topic in archaeology. Two opposing models have been used to explain the earliest evidence for human occupation of 'Sahul' (a eustatically enlarged Pleistocene landmass that incorporated Tasmania and New Guinea): that people adapted quickly to new environments and hence spread rapidly over the region, or that they found adaptation to new conditions difficult and hence spread slowly, initially around the coast. The assumption that the rate of adaptation to new conditions determines the rate of spread underlies both hypotheses.

We present here an alternative model of colonisation that reconsiders these issues. We suggest that initial human movement through Sahul would have been inherently fast. However, this rate of spread would not have been a consequence of rapid adaptation, but of maladapted subsistence strategies that resulted in inefficient extractive methods and hence low carrying capacities. Thus, we reverse the normal argument and posit that minimising adaptiveness, as long as human survival is possible, will maximise the rate of human spread over an empty landmass.
Growing Old in Spanish Harlem.
Authors: Foner Nancy
Published: December 2004

Growing Old in Spanish Harlem. Museum of the City of New York (September 12, 1992 January 3, 1993).
Kachina Dolls: The Art of Hopi Carvers.
Authors: Sayers Robert
Published: December 2004

Kachina Dolls: The Art of Hopi Carvers. Helga Teiwes. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1991. 160 pp., color and b/w illustrations, bibliography, index. $29.95 (cloth).
Margot Blum Schevill, Janet Catherine Berlo, and Edward B. Dwyer. Textile Traditions of Mesoamerica and the Andes.
Authors: Niessen Sandra A.
Published: December 2004

Textile Traditions ofMesoamerica and the Andes: An Anthology, MARGOT BLUM SCHEVILL. JANET CATHERINE BERLO. and EDWARD B. DWYER. New York and London: Garland Publishing, 1991. 503 pp., b/w illustrations. Out of print.
High Art Down Home: An Economic Ethnography of a Local Art Market
Authors: Dubin Margaret
Published: December 2004

High Art Down Home: An Economic Ethnography of. Locai Art Market. STUART PLATTNER. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996. xiii. 250 pp.; 17 illustrations,. tables,. appendices, notes, bibliography, index
The Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center
Authors: Erikson Patricia Pierce
Published: December 2004

THE MASHANTUCKET PEQUOT MUSEUM AND RESEARCH CENTER. Mashantucket, Connecticut (Permanent Installation)
The Feather Cape Enigma: English or American Indian?
Authors: Kaeppler Adrienne L.
Published: December 2004

A Response to Lurie and Anderson's "Lost Art Form: A Case Study of 19th Century Feathered Capes Produced by American Indians in the Great Lakes Region" /Museum Anthropology 22(2), Fall 1998].
Maintenance of meiotic arrest in bovine oocytes using the S-enantiomer of roscovitine: effects on maturation, fertilization and subsequent embryo development in vitro
Authors: Coy Pilar , Romar Raquel , Payton Rebecca R , McCann Lisa , Saxton Arnold M , Edwards J Lannett
Published: December 2004

The overall objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of the S-enantiomer of roscovitine (inhibitor of p34cdc2/cyclin B kinase) to maintain bovine cumulus–oocyte complexes at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage for extended times after removal from antral follicles without compromising subsequent maturation, fertilization and embryo development. Oocytes were cultured in 0, 12.5, 25 or 50 μmol/l S-roscovitine for 24 h. Hoechst staining showed that 50 μmol/l S-roscovitine maintained >90% of oocytes at the GV stage and inhibited gonadotropin-induced cumulus expansion. Fewer oocytes underwent nuclear maturation after in vitro maturation (Hoechst staining) when cultured in 50 μmol/l S-roscovitine for 66 versus 21 or 42 h. Zona pellucida (ZP) hardening (pronase resistance), cortical granule types (lens culinaris agglutinin–fluorescein isothiocyanate), nuclear maturation and fertilization with frozen-thawed spermatozoa (Hoechst staining) were assessed after culture of oocytes in 50 μmol/l S-roscovitine for 0, 24 or 48 h. Neither ZP hardening, nor nuclear maturation nor fertilization were altered by roscovitine culture for 48 h. A higher proportion of oocytes had a type III cortical granule pattern (premature translocation to the oolemma) after roscovitine culture for 48 h. However, embryo development was not compromised as cleavage, development to 8–16 cell and blastocyst stages were at least comparable in control and roscovitine-treated oocytes. In conclusion, the studies have shown that S-roscovitine reversibly maintained bovine oocytes at the GV stage for 48 h. However, maintenance of oocytes in static culture for 48 h was not sufficient to improve development above non-treated controls.
From Faith to Fun
Authors: Heddendorf Russell
Published: December 2004

The problem of paradox, which is important in Scripture and in modern life, may be taken seriously or dismissed with humor. Humor may subvert faith in a secularized society when it is used to interpret paradox. Fun, used as a euphemism, is that form of humor which trivializes paradox with its interpretation. As a world-view, fun functions as a religion when it brings order into a world of disorder, and consistency to that which is inconsistent. The result is a culture of fun which may distort our perception of the created world and our place in it.
Popular Music and Historiography
Authors: Hamm Charles
Published: December 2004

A study of the proliferation, institutionalization and legitimization of the study of popular music over the past several decades.
Topotecan in the First-Line Treatment of Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Stewart David J.
Published: December 2004

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, the reader will be able to:

Discuss the role of topotecan combinations as first-line therapy for SCLC. Discuss the role of single-agent topotecan as first-line therapy or consolidation therapy for SCLC. Discuss the toxicity profile of topotecan alone and in combinations.

Access and take the CME test online and receive 1 hour of AMA PRA category 1 credit at CME.TheOncologist.com

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is generally sensitive to first-line chemotherapy, but limited disease often recurs and extensive disease is rarely curable. The most common first-line therapy regimen is cisplatin (Platinol®; Bristol-Myers Squibb; Princeton, NJ) plus etoposide (Etopophos®; Bristol-Myers Squibb)—PE, which is associated with overall response rates >80% in patients with limited SCLC. Although it is associated with median survival times of approximately 18–20 months for limited disease, PE yields median survival times of only approximately 8–12 months in patients with extensive disease, and symptom palliation becomes the primary therapeutic goal. The toxicities of PE may undermine quality of life and leave patients more susceptible to adverse events during subsequent therapies. Topotecan (HYCAMTIN®; GlaxoSmithKline; Philadelphia, PA), an established treatment for recurrent SCLC, is being investigated in the first-line setting because of its novel mechanism of action; predictable, noncumulative, and manageable toxicities; and potential synergy with other active agents. Several recent phase II trials have generated promising results for topotecan-based combination regimens, including topotecan/paclitaxel (TAXOL®; Bristol-Myers Squibb) (overall response rates 45%–100%), topotecan/etoposide (overall response, 95%), and topotecan, paclitaxel, and platinum agent triplets (overall response rates 51%–93%). The most frequent serious toxicity associated with these regimens was reversible and noncumulative neutropenia, which was generally manageable with supportive care. Additional clinical trials to investigate topotecan-based combination regimens and confirm their role in the first-line treatment of SCLC are under way.
Setting site-specific water-quality standards by using tissue residue thresholds and bioaccumulation data. Part 2. Calculating site-specific selenium water-quality standards for protecting fish and birds
Authors: Brix Kevin V. , Toll John E. , Tear Lucinda M. , Deforest David K. , Adams William J.
Published: December 2004

In a companion paper, a method for deriving tissue residue-based site-specific water-quality standards (SSWQSs) was described. In this paper, the methodology is applied to selenium (Se) as an example. Models were developed to describe Se bioaccumulation in aquatic-dependent bird eggs and whole fish. A simple log-linear model best described Se accumulation in bird eggs (r2 = 0.50). For fish, separate hockey stick regressions were developed for lentic (r2 = 0.65) and lotic environments (r2 = 0.37). The low r2 value for the lotic fish model precludes its reliable use at this time. Corresponding tissue residue criteria (i.e., tissue thresholds) for bird eggs and whole fish also were identified and example model predictions were made. The models were able to predict SSWQSs over a wide range of water-tissue combinations that might be encountered in the environment. The models also were shown to be sensitive to variability in measured tissue residues with relatively small changes in variability (as characterized by the standard error) resulting in relatively large differences in SSWQSs.
Setting site-specific water-quality standards by using tissue residue criteria and bioaccumulation data. Part 1. Methodology
Authors: Toll John E. , Tear Lucinda M. , DeForest David K. , Brix Kevin V. , Adams William J.
Published: December 2004

We have developed a method for determining site-specific water-quality standards (SSWQs) for substances regulated based on tissue residues. The method uses a multisite regression model to solve for the conditional prior probability density function (PDF) on water concentration, given that tissue concentration equals a tissue residue threshold. The method then uses site-specific water and tissue concentration data to update the probabilities on a Monte Carlo sample of the prior PDF by using Bayesian Monte Carlo analysis. The resultant posterior PDF identifies the water concentration that, if met at the site, would provide a desired level of confidence of meeting the tissue residue threshold contingent on model assumptions. This allows for derivation of a SSWQS. The method is fully reproducible, statistically rigorous, and easily implemented. A useful property of the method is that the model is sensitive to the amount of site-specific data available, that is, a more conservative or protective number (water concentration) is derived when the data set is small or the variance is large. Likewise, as the site water concentration increases above the water-quality standard, more site-specific information is needed to demonstrate a safe concentration at the site. A companion paper demonstrates the method by using selenium as an example.
Quantitative bio-imaging analysis for evaluation of sexual differentiation in germ cells of olvas-GFP/ST-II YI medaka (Oryzias latipes) nanoinjected in ovo with ethinylestradiol
Authors: Hano Takeshi , Oshima Yuji , Oe Toshiaki , Kinoshita Masato , Tanaka Minoru , Wakamatsu Yuko , Ozato Kenjiro , Honjo Tsuneo
Published: December 2004

We examined the effects on sexual differentiation of nanoinjecting ethinylestradiol (EE2) into embryos of olvas-GFP/ST-II YI medaka (Oryzias latipes). This strain contains the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene fused to the regulatory region of the medaka vasa gene, and germ-cell-specific expression of GFP can be visualized in living (transparent) individuals. The number of germ cells in untreated genotypic females (XX) was approximately 10-fold that in untreated genotypic males (XY) at 10 d posthatch (dph). Germ cell proliferation was prevented in XX females that developed from embryos nanoinjected with 0.5, 2.5, or 5.0 ng of EE2. Some 10-dph XY males from embryos injected with 0.5 ng or more of EE2 showed a larger fluorescent area and more germ cells than those of pooled control groups. Males and females from embryos injected with 5.0 ng of EE2 had no significant difference in germ cell number or fluorescent area. Thus, EE2 injection into embryos caused abnormal gonadal development in both sexes. Observations of external secondary sex characteristics and histological examination of adult gonads showed complete sex reversal in some males after 0.5-, 2.5-, and 5.0-ng treatments but no changes in XX females after any treatment. Thus, quantitative bio-imaging can aid in evaluating the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on fish within 10 dph.