bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Polymeric microlenses for real-time aqueous and nonaqueous organic imaging
Authors: Cheng Chao-Min , Kubicek James D. , LeDuc Philip R.
Published: January 2006

A simple and efficient polydimethylsiloxane microlens is made through controlling surface interactions, which can be integrated into soft lithographic systems. Lenses are created by controlling the solid-liquid interface between a droplet of liquid polydimethylsiloxane and a polymer substrate. By altering the surface characteristics, we control the contact angles of the droplet, which creates defined diameters and magnifications of these lenses. Furthermore, we demonstrate the ability to integrate these devices into culture systems enabling real-time magnified biological imaging in both aqueous and nonaqueous environments. This method has potential applications in fields including functional biomimetic microlenses, optical trapping, and endoscopy.
Direct etch method for microfludic channel and nanoheight post-fabrication by picoliter droplets
Authors: Demirci Utkan , Toner Mehmet
Published: January 2006

Photolithography is an expensive and significant step in microfabrication. Approaches that could change lithography would create an impact on semiconductor industry and microelectromechanical systems technologies. We demonstrate a direct etching method by ejecting etchant droplets at desired locations by using microdroplet ejector arrays. This method could be used for easy fabrication of poly(dimethylsiloxane) microfluidic channels and nanometer height postlike structures in microfluidic channels.
Emission of light through thin silver films via near-field coupling to surface plasmon polaritons
Authors: Winter G. , Barnes W. L.
Published: January 2006

We show that the emission of light from a dye layer through an adjacent thin silver film is maximal for a silver thickness of approximately 50 nm. This effect is explained as the result of competition between enhancement of the electric field at the metal surface due to the excitation of a surface plasmon-polariton mode, the amount of power coupled to the surface plasmon-polariton mode, and the attenuation of the field transmitted through the silver, all three of which vary with metal thickness. We indicate how these findings may be of relevance in the design of some surface plasmon-polariton-based fluorescence biosensing schemes.
Organic photocouplers consisting of organic light-emitting diodes and organic photoresistors
Authors: Dong Guifang , Hu Yan , Jiang Chongyun , Wang Liduo , Qiu Yong
Published: January 2006

We have fabricated one kind of organic photocoupler with organic light-emitting diode as the input unit and pentacene photoresistor as the output unit. The wavelength of the emitting light was 522nm. The output current of the photocoupler linearly increased with its input current and the ratio of the transfer current density reached 3. When the output voltages were 60V, the ratio of the maximum output current to the minimum output current was 150. The breakdown voltage between the input unit and the output unit was more than 10kV and the response time of the device was about 6.5s. We believe this kind of device is promising in the full organic optoelectronic integrated circuits.
Capacitive resonant mass sensor with frequency demodulation detection based on resonant circuit
Authors: Kim Sang-Jin , Ono Takahito , Esashi Masayoshi
Published: January 2006

In this letter, capacitive mass sensing with a 250-nm-thick single-crystalline silicon cantilever is investigated. The mass sensor employs the frequency modulation detection method using an electrical LC oscillator, in which the capacitance of the sensor serves as the component of the oscillator. The displacement noise of the demonstrated capacitive detection is 0.05nm∕(Hz)0.5, which is equivalent to the capacitance change of 2.4×10−21F. It is experimentally shown that the capacitive detection is less affected to temperature fluctuation noise than optical detection. The detectable minimum mass of 1×10−14g is achieved using capacitive detection in ambient atmosphere.
Semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes exposed to distilled water and aqueous solution: Electrical measurement and theoretical calculation
Authors: Lu Ming-Pei , Hsiao Cheng-Yun , Lo Po-Yuan , Wei Jeng-Hua , Yang Yuh-Shyong , Chen Ming-Jer
Published: January 2006

We fabricate and measure a single-walled carbon nanotube transistor having a liquid-gate electrode. The ratio value of Ion∕Ioff is as high as 104, indicating the presence of a semiconducting channel. A passivation layer over the source/drain electrode greatly suppresses the liquid-gate leakage by about three orders of magnitude. The channel currents are noticeably distinct between two liquid samples: distilled water and aqueous solution (1×10−4M NaCl). This biological sensing ability is attributed to the different electrical double-layer capacitances with respect to the bulk part of the channel. The corresponding theoretical calculation is carried out in detail.
A method for determining the dependence of calcium oscillations on inositol trisphosphate oscillations
Authors: Sneyd J. , Tsaneva-Atanasova K. , Reznikov V. , Bai Y. , Sanderson M. J. , Yule D. I.
Published: January 2006

In some cell types, oscillations in the concentration of free intracellular calcium ([Ca
2+
]) are accompanied by oscillations in the concentration of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate ([IP
3
]). However, in most cell types it is still an open question as to whether oscillations in [IP
3
] are
necessary
for Ca
2+
oscillations
in vivo
, or whether they merely follow passively. Using a wide range of models, we show that the response to an artificially applied pulse of IP
3
can be used to distinguish between these two cases. Hence, we show that muscarinic receptor-mediated, long-period Ca
2+
oscillations in pancreatic acinar cells depend on [IP
3
] oscillations, whereas short-period Ca
2+
oscillations in airway smooth muscle do not.
Determination of the geometric structure of the metal site in a blue copper protein by paramagnetic NMR
Authors: Hansen D. Flemming , Led Jens J.
Published: January 2006

The biological function of metalloproteins is closely tied to the geometric and electronic structures of the metal sites. Here, we show that the geometric structure of the metal site of a metalloprotein in solution can be determined from experimentally measured electron-nuclear spin–spin interactions obtained by NMR. Thus, the geometric metal site structure of plastocyanin from
Anabaena variabilis
was determined by including the paramagnetic relaxation enhancement of protons close to the copper site as restraints in a conventional NMR structure determination, together with the distribution of the unpaired electron onto the ligand atoms. Also, the interproton distances (nuclear Overhauser enhancements) and dihedral angles (scalar nuclear spin–spin couplings) normally used in NMR structure determinations were included as restraints. The structure calculations were carried out with the program
x-plor
and a module that takes into account the specific characteristics of the paramagnetic restraints. A well defined metal site structure was obtained with the structural characteristics of the blue copper site, including a distorted tetrahedral geometry, a short Cu–Cys S
γ
bond, and a long Cu–Met S
δ
bond. Overall, the agreement of the obtained metal site structure of
Anabaena variabilis
plastocyanin with those of other plastocyanins obtained by x-ray crystallography confirms the reliability of the approach.
Odorant responses of olfactory sensory neurons expressing the odorant receptor MOR23: A patch clamp analysis in gene-targeted mice
Authors: Grosmaitre Xavier , Vassalli Anne , Mombaerts Peter , Shepherd Gordon M. , Ma Minghong
Published: January 2006

A glomerulus in the mammalian olfactory bulb receives axonal inputs from olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) that express the same odorant receptor (OR). Glomeruli are generally thought to represent functional units of olfactory coding, but there are no data on the electrophysiological properties of OSNs that express the same endogenous OR. Here, using patch clamp recordings in an intact epithelial preparation, we directly measured the transduction currents and receptor potentials from the dendritic knobs of mouse OSNs that express the odorant receptor MOR23 along with the green fluorescent protein. All of the 53 cells examined responded to lyral, a known ligand for MOR23. There were profound differences in response kinetics, particularly in the deactivation phase. The cells were very sensitive to lyral, with some cells responding to as little as 10 nM. The dynamic range was unexpectedly broad, with threshold and saturation in individual cells often covering three log units of lyral concentration. The potential causes and biological significance of this cellular heterogeneity are discussed. Patch clamp recording from OSNs that express a defined OR provides a powerful approach to investigate the sensory inputs to individual glomeruli.
Nod1-dependent control of tumor growth
Authors: da Silva Correia Jean , Miranda Yvonne , Austin-Brown Nikki , Hsu Jenny , Mathison John , Xiang Rong , Zhou Huamin , Li Qinxi , Han Jiahuai , Ulevitch Richard J.
Published: January 2006

Nod1, a cytosolic protein that senses meso-diaminopimelic acid-containing ligands derived from peptidoglycan, plays a role in host responses to invasive bacteria. Here we describe a function for Nod1, whereby it controls tumor formation. Cell lines derived from the human breast cancer epithelial cell line MCF-7 were used in a severe combined immune deficiency (SCID) mouse xenograft model to characterize a pathway linking Nod1 to the growth of estrogen-sensitive tumors. In MCF-7 cells, the absence of Nod1 correlates with tumor growth, an increased sensitivity to estrogen-induced cell proliferation, and a failure to undergo Nod1-dependent apoptosis. Conversely, overexpression of Nod1 in MCF-7 cells results in inhibition of estrogen-dependent tumor growth and reduction of estrogen-induced proliferative responsesin vitro.
The role of neuregulin–ErbB4 interactions on the proliferation and organization of cells in the subventricular zone
Authors: Ghashghaei H. T. , Weber Janet , Pevny Larysa , Schmid Ralf , Schwab Markus H. , Lloyd K. C. Kent , Eisenstat David D. , Lai Cary , Anton E. S.
Published: January 2006

Coordinated regulation of neuronal progenitor differentiation in the subventricular zone (SVZ) is a fundamental feature of adult neurogenesis. However, the molecular control of this process remains mostly undeciphered. Here, we investigate the role of neuregulins (NRGs) in this process and show that a NRG receptor, ErbB4, is primarily expressed by polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule immature neuroblasts but is also detected in a subset of GFAP
+
astroglial cells, ependymal cells, and Dlx2
+
precursors in the SVZ. Of the NRG ligands, both NRG1 and -2 are expressed by immature polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule neuroblasts in the SVZ. NRG2 is also expressed by some of the GFAP
+
putative stem cells lining the ventricles. Infusion of exogenous NRG1 leads to rapid aggregation of Dlx2
+
cells in the SVZ and affects the initiation and maintenance of organized neuroblast migration from the SVZ toward the olfactory bulb. In contrast, the infusion of NRG2 increased the number of Sox2 and GFAP
+
precursors in the SVZ. An outcome of this NRG2 effect is an increase in the number of newly generated migrating neuroblasts in the rostral migratory stream and GABAergic interneurons in the olfactory bulb. The analysis of conditional null mice that lack NRG receptor, ErbB4, in the nervous system revealed that the observed activities of NRG2 require ErbB4 activation. These results indicate that different NRG ligands affect distinct populations of differentiating neural precursors in the neurogenic regions of the mature forebrain. Furthermore, these studies identify NRG2 as a factor capable of promoting SVZ proliferation, leading to the formation of new neurons
in vivo
.
Subunit–subunit interactions are critical for proton sensitivity of ROMK: Evidence in support of an intermolecular gating mechanism
Authors: Leng Qiang , MacGregor Gordon G. , Dong Ke , Giebisch Gerhard , Hebert Steven C.
Published: January 2006

The tetrameric K channel ROMK provides an important pathway for K secretion by the mammalian kidney, and the gating of this channel is highly sensitive to changes in cytosolic pH. Although charge–charge interactions have been implicated in pH sensing by this K channel tetramer, the molecular mechanism linking pH sensing and the gating of ion channels is poorly understood. The x-ray crystal structure KirBac1.1, a prokaryotic ortholog of ROMK, has suggested that channel gating involves intermolecular interactions of the N- and C-terminal domains of adjacent subunits. Here we studied channel gating behavior to changes in pH using giant patch clamping of
Xenopus laevis
oocytes expressing WT or mutant ROMK, and we present evidence that no single charged residue provides the pH sensor. Instead, we show that N–C- and C–C-terminal subunit–subunit interactions form salt bridges, which function to stabilize ROMK in the open state and which are modified by protons. We identify a highly conserved C–C-terminal arginine–glutamate (R-E) ion pair that forms an intermolecular salt bridge and responds to changes in proton concentration. Our results support the intermolecular model for pH gating of inward rectifier K channels.
Activation of the E3 ubiquitin ligase Itch through a phosphorylation-induced conformational change
Authors: Gallagher Ewen , Gao Min , Liu Yun-Cai , Karin Michael
Published: January 2006

The E3 ubiquitin (Ub) ligase Itch is a critical regulator of T helper 2 (Th2) cytokine production through its ability to induce Ub-dependent JunB degradation. After T cell receptor engagement, Itch undergoes JNK1-mediated phosphorylation that greatly enhances its enzymatic activity. To investigate how phosphorylation activates an E3 Ub ligase we have identified the JNK1 phosphorylation sites within Itch as S199, S232, and T222, which are located within a Pro-rich region. Phosphorylation of these sites is necessary and sufficient for disrupting an inhibitory interaction between the WW domain of Itch and its catalytic HECT (Homologous to E6-AP C Terminus) domain and induces a conformational change that greatly enhances the catalytic activity of Itch, a HECT E3 ligase found to be directly activated upon its phosphorylation.
Lipocalin 2-deficient mice exhibit increased sensitivity toEscherichia coliinfection but not to ischemia-reperfusion injury
Authors: Berger Thorsten , Togawa Atsushi , Duncan Gordon S. , Elia Andrew J. , You-Ten Annick , Wakeham Andrew , Fong Hannah E. H. , Cheung Carol C. , Mak Tak W.
Published: January 2006

Diverse functions have been reported for lipocalin 2. To investigate these functionsin vivo, we generated gene-targeted lipocalin 2-deficient mice (Lcn2−/−mice).In vitrostudies have suggested that lipocalin 2 is important for cellular apoptosis induced by IL-3 withdrawal, and for the induction of kidney differentiation during embryogenesis. Analysis ofLcn2−/−mice showed normal cell death upon IL-3 withdrawal and normal kidney development. However, we found thatLcn2−/−mice exhibited an increased susceptibility to bacterial infections, in keeping with the proposed function of lipocalin 2 in iron sequestration. Neutrophils isolated fromLcn2−/−mice showed significantly less bacteriostatic activity compared with WT controls. The bacteriostatic property of the WT neutrophils was abolished by the addition of exogenous iron, indicating that the main function of lipocalin 2 in the antibacterial innate immune response is to limit this essential element. Another important function ascribed to lipocalin 2 has been its protective role against kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury. We analyzedLcn2−/−mice using a mouse model for severe renal failure and could not detect any significant differences compared with their WT littermates.
Differential involvement of the hippocampus, anterior cingulate cortex, and basolateral amygdala in memory for context and footshock
Authors: Malin Emily L. , McGaugh James L.
Published: January 2006

Extensive evidence from contextual fear conditioning experiments suggests that the hippocampus is involved in processing memory for contextual information. Evidence also suggests that the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) may be selectively involved in memory for nociceptive stimulation. In contrast, many findings indicate that the basolateral amygdala (BLA) is more broadly involved in modulating the consolidation of different kinds of information. To investigate further the differential involvement of these brain regions in memory consolidation, the present experiments used a modified inhibitory avoidance training procedure that took place on 2 sequential days to separate context training from footshock training. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were implanted with unilateral cannulae aimed at the (
i
) hippocampus, (
ii
) rACC, or (
iii
) BLA, and given infusions of the muscarinic cholinergic agonist oxotremorine (OXO) immediately after either context training (day 1) or footshock training in that context (day 2). OXO enhanced retention when infused into the hippocampus after context, but not footshock, training. Conversely, OXO infusions enhanced memory when administered into the rACC immediately after footshock, but not context, training. Lastly, intra-BLA OXO infusions enhanced retention when administered after either context or footshock training. These findings are consistent with evidence that the hippocampus and rACC play selective roles in memory for specific components of training experiences. Additionally, they provide further evidence that the BLA is more liberally involved in modulating memory consolidation for various aspects of emotionally arousing experiences.
WNK3 bypasses the tonicity requirement for K-Cl cotransporter activation via a phosphatase-dependent pathway
Authors: de los Heros Paola , Kahle Kristopher T. , Rinehart Jesse , Bobadilla Norma A. , Vázquez Norma , San Cristobal Pedro , Mount David B. , Lifton Richard P. , Hebert Steven C. , Gamba Gerardo
Published: January 2006

SLC12A
cation/Cl
−
cotransporters are mutated in human disease, are targets of diuretics, and are collectively involved in the regulation of cell volume, neuronal excitability, and blood pressure. This gene family has two major branches with different physiological functions and inverse regulation: K-Cl cotransporters (KCC1–KCC4) mediate cellular Cl
−
efflux, are inhibited by phosphorylation, and are activated by dephosphorylation; Na-(K)-Cl cotransporters (NCC and NKCC1/2) mediate cellular Cl
−
influx and are activated by phosphorylation. A single kinase/phosphatase pathway is thought to coordinate the activities of these cotransporters in a given cell; however, the mechanisms involved are as yet unknown. We previously demonstrated that WNK3, a paralog of serine-threonine kinases mutated in hereditary hypertension, is coexpressed with several cation/Cl
−
cotransporters and regulates their activity. Here, we show that WNK3 completely prevents the cell swelling-induced activation of KCC1–KCC4 in
Xenopus
oocytes. In contrast, catalytically inactive WNK3 abolishes the cell shrinkage-induced inhibition of KCC1–KCC4, resulting in a >100-fold stimulation of K-Cl cotransport during conditions in which transport is normally inactive. This activation is completely abolished by calyculin A and cyclosporine A, inhibitors of protein phosphatase 1 and 2B, respectively. Wild-type WNK3 activates Na-(K)-Cl cotransporters by increasing their phosphorylation, and catalytically inactive kinase inhibits Na-(K)-Cl cotransporters by decreasing their phosphorylation, such that our data suggest that WNK3 is a crucial component of the kinase/phosphatase signaling pathway that coordinately regulates the Cl
−
influx and efflux branches of the
SLC12A
cotransporter family.
Immortalized keratinocyte lines derived from human embryonic stem cells
Authors: Iuchi Shiro , Dabelsteen Sally , Easley Karen , Rheinwald James G. , Green Howard
Published: January 2006

Cells of the human embryonic stem (hES) cell line H9, when cultured in the form of embryoid bodies, give rise to cells with markers of the keratinocyte of stratified squamous epithelia. Keratinocytes also form in nodules produced in
scid
mice by injected H9 cells; the hES-derived keratinocytes could be recovered in culture, where their colonies underwent a peculiar form of fragmentation. Whether formed from embryoid bodies or in nodules, hES-derived keratinocytes differed from postnatal keratinocytes in their much lower proliferative potential in culture; isolated single keratinocytes could not be expanded into mass cultures. Although their growth was not improved by transduction with the hTERT gene, these keratinocytes were immortalized by transduction with the E6E7 genes of HPV16. Clonally derived lines isolated from E6E7-transduced keratinocytes continued to express markers of the keratinocyte lineage, but the frequency with which they terminally differentiated was reduced compared with keratinocytes cultured from postnatal human epidermis. If other hES-derived somatic cell types also prove to be restricted in growth potential, not identical to the corresponding postnatal cell types, and to require immortalization for clonal isolation and expansion, these properties will have to be considered in planning their therapeutic use.
Pirate Towns: Reworking Social and Symbolic Infrastructures in Johannesburg and Douala
Authors: Simone AbdouMaliq
Published: January 2006

Through examinations of inner-city street economies in Johannesburg and mechanisms of emigration and political resistance in the Bapenda Omnisport and Mouchouchou quarters of Douala, the paper attempts to explore how notions of piracy might usefully elucidate the everyday practices of African urban residents attempting to operate more resourcefully in underresourced cities. Rather than being rooted in clearly defined familial, territorial and institutional relationships, residents increasingly seek out and manage a wide diversity of engagements within the city without long-term or clearly defined commitments. The key to realising movement within and among cities is to multiply the uses that can be made of resources of all kinds and this means the ability to put together different combinations of people with different skills, perspectives, linkages, identities and aspirations. Such complex and not easily identifiable forms of social organisation constitute a kind of perceptual system, a way of seeing that leads individuals and groups to put objects and experiences to many, otherwise unanticipated uses.
Development and Urban Policy: Johannesburg's City Development Strategy
Authors: Parnell Susan , Robinson Jenny
Published: January 2006

City development strategies (CDS) have emerged as an important new initiative in international policy and practice. This paper considers their significance by exploring recent initiatives to formulate a city strategy for Johannesburg, South Africa. The Johannesburg CDS emerged out of the local demand for a post- apartheid vision for South African cities as well as a renewed enthusiasm for city-level economic planning within international development agencies and consultancies. As with CDSs in other resource-stretched cities, in order to address the distinctive challenges of their highly unequal city, Johannesburg's policy-makers had to draw on ideas which transcend conventional divisions between poverty relief and urban growth strategies. The Joburg CDS process provides an important basis for overcoming longstanding divisions between accounts of wealthier Western cities and poorer cities in developing country contexts. Johannesburg's distinctive challenges, stretching from accommodating cutting-edge global economic activities to supporting basic service delivery in informal settlements, highlights the paucity of existing urban policy discourses-which offer few ready-made solutions for any city, but especially not to those faced with significant structural inequities. Attending to strategic challenges in cities that have limited resources, it is suggested, could provoke new agendas and insights for city managers and urban scholars everywhere. Here, we explore the tensions between the policy agendas of economic growth and development, and the policy processes of participation and formal institutional politics.
Planning, Anti-planning and the Infrastructure Crisis Facing Metropolitan Lagos
Authors: Gandy Matthew
Published: January 2006

Many of the 'mega cities' of the global South face an escalating crisis in the adequate provision of basic services such as water, housing and mass transit systems. Lagos-the largest city in sub-Saharan Africa-exemplifies many of these challenges but has tended to be viewed within a narrow analytical frame. In this essay, 'exceptionalist' perspectives on the African city are eschewed in favour of an analysis which frames the experience of Lagos within a wider geopolitical arena of economic instability, petro-capitalist development and regional internecine strife. An historical perspective is developed in order to reveal how structural factors operating through both the colonial and post-colonial periods have militated against any effective resolution to the city's worsening infrastructure crisis. It is concluded that a workable conception of the public realm must form an integral element in any tentative steps towards more progressive approaches to urban policy-making in the post-Abacha era and the return to civilian rule.
Ambient Power: Berlin's Potsdamer Platz and the Seductive Logic of Public Spaces
Authors: Allen John
Published: January 2006

In privatised public spaces where people mill around and cross over one another's paths in largely unforeseen ways, one could be forgiven for thinking that power is largely about guards and gates or that it is present through surveillance techniques. This paper puts forward a rather different view of power in public spaces that highlights its unmarked presence. It argues that closure in some of the more recent privatised public spaces is achieved in decidedly modest ways through a logic of seduction. Using the example of a privatised public space at the heart of Berlin's Potsdamer Platz redevelopment, it is suggested that the layout and design of the complex represent a seductive presence that effectively closes down options, enticing visitors to circulate and interact in ways that they might not otherwise have chosen. The suggestive practices, experiences and spaces are laid out for temptation in such a way that closure is achieved by degree, through inclusion rather than exclusion. Power in this instance works through the ambient qualities of the space, where the experience of it is itself the expression of power.
The State of South African Cities a Decade after Democracy
Authors: Boraine Andrew , Crankshaw Owen , Engelbrecht Carien , Gotz Graeme , Mbanga Sithole , Narsoo Monty , Parnell Susan
Published: January 2006

Like other national urban policy documents, the State of the Cities Report 2004 affirms a vision of an inclusive non-racial city in which democracy is stable and development flourishes. But the 2004 report is different from preceding urban policy statements in a number of critical respects, not least that it is not a formal statement of government. In part, the relative autonomy of the Report's sponsor, the South African Cities Network (a quango of state and non-state affiliates), explains its divergent analytical point of departure in the assessment of the state of the cities 10 years after democracy. The 2004 report is premised on the notion that changing the racial pattern of inequality hinges on systematic responses to the material forces, demographic, economic, environmental and institutional, that shaped the inherited apartheid city form. The 2004 report is also different from earlier government policy positions in that it argues that urban development is not just a site of national reconstruction and development, but that the urban question lies at the heart of achieving the national vision of a productive, democratic and non-racial society based on a vision of sustainable human settlements.
FDG-PET on irradiated brain tumor: ten years' summary
Authors: Wang S. X. , Boethius J. , Ericson K.
Published: January 2006

Purpose: To evaluate FDG-PET in post-radiotherapy differentiation of tumor recurrence/malignant degeneration and radiation reaction, and to assess the role of PET in terms of survival.

Material and Methods: 117 consecutive patients with a total of 156 FDG-PET examinations with positive but non-diagnostic MRI and/or CT were included. Final diagnosis was based on histopathology or correlated with radiologic and clinical follow-up. Brain metastases from lung carcinomas were further studied separately. Survival time was analysed using the Kaplan-Meier method.

Results: There were 61 true-positive, 2 false-positive, 15 false-negative, and 51 true-negative PET examinations; 5 positive and 22 negative PET examinations were indeterminate. The positive predictive value of a PET examination was 96% in all and 100% in brain metastases from lung carcinoma. The negative predictive value based on the histopathologic results was 55.6%. Survival time was significantly longer in patients with negative PET.

Conclusion: FDG-PET is a valuable tool in the detection of tumor recurrence, especially lung carcinoma metastasis. FDG uptake is a prognostic marker.
Percutaneous placement of central venous catheters: comparing the anatomical landmark method with the radiologically guided technique for central venous catheterization through the internal jugular vein in emergent hemodialysis patients
Authors: Koroglu M. , Demir M. , Koroglu B. K. , Sezer M. T. , Akhan O. , Yildiz H. , Yavuz L. , Baykal B. , Oyar O.
Published: January 2006

Purpose: To compare the success and immediate complication rates of the anatomical landmark method (group 1) and the radiologically (combined real-time ultrasound and fluoroscopy) guided technique (group 2) in the placement of central venous catheters in emergent hemodialysis patients.

Material and Methods: The study was performed prospectively in a randomized manner. The success and immediate complication rates of radiologically guided placement of central venous access catheters through the internal jugular vein ( n = 40) were compared with those of the anatomical landmark method ( n = 40). The success of placement, the complications, the number of passes required, and whether a single or double-wall puncture occurred were also noted and compared.

Results: The groups were comparable in age and sex. The indication for catheter placement was hemodialysis access in all patients. Catheter placement was successful in all patients in group 2 and unsuccessful in 1 (2.5%) patient in group 1. All catheters functioned adequately and immediately after the placement (0% initial failure rate) in group 2, but 3 catheters (7.5% initial failure rate) were non-functional just after placement in group 1. The total number of needle passes, double venous wall puncture, and complication rate were significantly lower in group 2.

Conclusion: Percutaneous central venous catheterization via the internal jugular vein can be performed by interventional radiologists with better technical success rates and lower immediate complications. In conclusion, central venous catheterization for emergent dialysis should be performed under both real-time ultrasound and fluoroscopic guidance.
The general practitioner pharmacotherapy prescribing workforce: examining sustainability from a systems perspective
Authors: HOTHAM ELIZABETH , ROCHE ANN , SKINNER NATALIE , DOLLMAN BILL
Published: January 2006

As prescribers of opioid pharmacotherapies, general practitioners (GPs) are pivotal to the sustainability of opioid pharmacotherapy treatment services. The goal of this study was to examine the nature and sustainability of the Australian GP prescriber workforce in order to inform future programmes and policy development in this area. Data were collected from four Australian states: South Australia, Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales. Key features of the available data were: a heavy client load carried by a small number of prescribers, a high proportion of trained but inactive prescribers, and a high proportion (one‐third to two‐thirds) of medical practitioners who undertake training but do not take up prescribing, i.e. a high attrition rate. Available data indicate significant shortfalls in the number of prescribers available in each state to service this patient population. Across all states a relatively small number of prescribers were providing services for the majority of methadone clients. In order to achieve sustainable, high quality prescriber service provision, workforce development strategies are needed which focus on recruitment of new prescribers, and the support and retention of existing and inactive prescribers. Establishment of systematic and detailed data collection systems should also be considered a priority.
Application of the Transtheoretical Model to substance abuse: historical development and future directions
Authors: MIGNEAULT JEFFERY P. , ADAMS TROY B. , READ JENNIFER P.
Published: January 2006

As a growing literature has documented applications of the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) to substance abuse, the utility or futility of such an application has been debated widely. The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the TTM, and its conceptual and empirical applications to the field of substance abuse. This review focuses not only on the stage of change dimension of the TTM, but also the processes, decisional balance, and self‐efficacy dimensions, which have received less attention in earlier reviews. Particular emphasis is placed on the measurement and conceptualization of the stage of change construct. Unanswered questions and directions for future research are identified. It is concluded that, to effectively determine the TTM's applicability to substance abuse, all dimensions must be more fully developed, validated and evaluated across a range of substance abuse problems. Further, prospective studies are needed to determine the predictive utility of the TTM, and evaluation of TTM‐matched interventions will help to address the model's specificity.
Lifetime Histories of Trauma among Pathological Gamblers
Authors: Kausch Otto , Rugle Loreen , Rowland Douglas Y.
Published: January 2006

This study extends the work completed with pathological gamblers and substance abusers, looking at associations between a history of trauma and comorbid substance dependence, impulsivity, measures of problem severity, and personality variables. We studied 111 patients admitted to the gambling treatment program at the Brecksville VA Medical Center and found that 64% of gamblers reported a history of emotional trauma; 40.5%, physical trauma; and 24.3%, sexual trauma. Most of this trauma occurred in childhood. A history of trauma was associated with a greater relative frequency of suicide attempts and drug and alcohol dependence, more severe scores in measures of psychiatric distress, and limited effects on personality functioning.
Atypical Antipsychotic Medication and Substance Use‐Related Outcomes in the Treatment of Schizophrenia
Authors: Petrakis Ismene L. , Leslie Douglas , Finney John W. , Rosenheck Robert
Published: January 2006

Using national administrative data from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), clinical change in veterans with schizophrenia and comorbid substance abuse and dependence (n=249) was assessed with the Addiction Severity Index. Outcomes among those switched or maintained on an atypical antipsychotic were compared with those treated with conventionals. For the entire sample and those on an atypical during the last assessment, paired t‐tests showed significant decreases in the alcohol and psychological ASI scores. However, multivariate analysis showed no greater improvement in alcohol, drug, or psychological scores in individuals who were switched to (n=33) or maintained on (n=161) an atypical antipsychotic as compared to those who were treated with conventional at the final assessment (n=55). Patients treated with atypical antipsychotics achieved no greater improvement in substance‐related outcomes that patients who were not.
Transferring Methadone‐Stabilized Pregnant Patients to Buprenorphine Using an Immediate Release Morphine Transition: An Open‐Label Exploratory Study
Authors: Jones Hendrée E. , Suess Patricia , Jasinski Donald R. , Johnson Rolley E.
Published: January 2006

A transition from methadone to buprenorphine without intervening withdrawal symptoms is critical for advancing the treatment of opioid‐dependent patients. Four pregnant inpatients were transferred from methadone (65–85 mg) to five days of immediate release morphine (IRM) and then to buprenorphine (12–28 mg). Withdrawal scores decreased during the five days of IRM and subsequently increased over the first three days on buprenorphine. The transitional use of IRM appears safe for both mother and fetus. Withdrawal symptoms appeared during buprenorphine induction; however, these data suggest that the intensity of withdrawal symptoms may be lessened by the dose and frequency of buprenorphine administration.
A Randomized, Open‐Label, Controlled Trial of Gabapentin and Phenobarbital in the Treatment of Alcohol Withdrawal
Authors: Mariani John J. , Rosenthal Richard N. , Tross Susan , Singh Prameet , Anand Om P.
Published: January 2006

Gabapentin was compared with phenobarbital for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal in a randomized, open‐label, controlled trial in 27 inpatients. There were no significant differences in the proportion of treatment completers between treatment groups or the proportion of patients in each group requiring rescue medication for breakthrough signs and symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. There were no significant treatment differences in withdrawal symptoms or psychological distress, nor were there serious adverse events. These findings suggest that gabapentin may be as effective as phenobarbital in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal. Given gabapentin's favorable pharmacokinetic profile, further study of its effectiveness in treating alcohol withdrawal is warranted.
Review Article: Road traffic injuries in India: A review of the literature
Authors: Garg Nitin , Hyder Adnan A.
Published: January 2006

Aims: India is the largest country in the South Asian region with all the problems faced by rapidly developing nations, especially increasing motorization. In spite of such developments, there are limited data in the literature addressing the problem of road traffic injuries. This article is an attempt to estimate the magnitude of the problem through published literature. Methods: This article is a systematic review of the literature on road traffic injuries in India, conducted using three electronic databases and hand-searching of the selected articles. Final analyses were conducted with 22 studies. Results: Road traffic injuries are a significant burden on the health care system in India. The most commonly affected group is young males. Pedestrians constitute a large majority of the victims and there is high early mortality in most cases. Conclusions: There is lack of population-based data on road traffic injuries in India and there is large heterogeneity in the published data. This is an important research agenda for the country. Immediate steps are required to curb this problem to limit the loss of life and resources.
Health behaviour among adolescents in Denmark: Influence of school class and individual risk factors
Authors: Johansen Anette , Rasmussen Søren , Madsen Mette
Published: January 2006

Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the relative influence of school class on health behaviour among adolescents versus that of the family's socioeconomic status and individual factors among adolescents. Methods: The material comprised 3,458 students in grades 8 and 9 in 244 school classes. Data were collected through questionnaires completed by the students and by their class teacher and information from the school physician. Multilevel analysis was used to indicate the relative significance of individual and school class characteristics. Results: We find no consistent pattern between the mother's socioeconomic status and the included health behaviour measurements; however, adolescents from the lower socioeconomic groups had a higher risk of unhealthy dietary habits and adolescents whose mothers were unemployed had a significantly lower risk of drinking alcohol weekly versus all other adolescents. Not living with both biological parents, focusing on friends, and not being very academically proficient were associated with an increased risk of harmful health behaviour. Health behaviour varied substantially between school classes, especially for daily smoking, weekly alcohol consumption, and use of hashish and other euphoriants. Circumstances in the school class more profoundly influenced risk behaviour among adolescents (smoking, alcohol consumption, and use of hashish or other euphoriants) than their dietary habits (eating breakfast, frequent intake of fruit and vegetables, and frequent intake of soft drinks). Conclusions: The school class had the relatively strongest influence on adolescents' risk behaviour (smoking, alcohol intake, and use of hashish or other euphoriants), whereas family circumstances comprised the strongest influence on dietary habits.
Social capital and lack of belief in the possibility to influence one's own health: A population-based study
Authors: Lindström Martin
Published: January 2006

Objectives: To study the impact of social capital (social participation and trust) on lack of belief in possibility to influence health. Methods: The Scania 2000 public-health survey is a cross-sectional, postal questionnaire study including 13,604 persons aged 18—80 years which was conducted in 2000 by the regional healthcare authorities in Region Skåne, southern Sweden, to investigate health-related risk factors in the population. A logistic regression model was used to investigate the association between social capital and lack of belief in possibility to influence health. The multivariate analyses analysed the importance of confounders on the differences in lack of belief in possibility to influence health according to the social capital variables. Results: In total, 31.0% of all men and 33.5% of all women lack belief in the possibility to influence their own health. Lack of belief in possibility to influence health was positively associated with both low social participation and low trust, although stronger for social participation than for trust. Conclusions: Low levels of social capital, particularly low social participation, is positively associated with lack of belief in the possibility to influence one's own health.
Neighborhood social participation, use of anxiolytic-hypnotic drugs, and women's propensity for disability pension: a multilevel analysis
Authors: Johnell Kristina , Månsson Nils-Ove , Sundquist Jan , Melander Arne , Blennow Göran , Merlo Juan
Published: January 2006

Aims: The increasing number of people on disability pension in Sweden is of concern for Swedish policy-makers, and there is a need for a better understanding of the mechanisms behind disability pension. We investigated (i) whether women living in the same neighborhood have a similar propensity for disability pension that relates to neighborhood social participation, and (ii) whether there is an association between anxiolytic-hypnotic drug (AHD) use and disability pension in women that is modified by the neighborhood context. Methods: We used multilevel logistic regression with 12,156 women aged 45 to 64 (first level) residing in 95 neighborhoods (second level) in the city of Malmö (250,000 inhabitants), Sweden, who participated in the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study (1991—96). Results: Both AHD use (OR=2.09, 95% CI 1.65, 2.65) and neighborhood rate of low social participation (OR=11.85, 95% CI 5.09, 27.58) were associated with higher propensity for disability pension. The interval odds ratio indicated that the influence of neighborhood social participation was large compared with the unexplained variance between the neighborhoods. The association between AHD use and disability pension was not modified by the neighborhood context. The median odds ratio was 1.44 after adjusting for individual characteristics and 1.27 after the additional adjusting for neighborhood social participation. Conclusions: Women living in the same neighborhood appear to have a similar propensity for disability pension, beyond individual characteristics, and this contextual effect seems largely explained by neighborhood social participation. In addition, AHD use might increase the propensity for disability pension in women.
Macro-organizational factors, the incidence of work disability, and work ability among the total workforce of home care workers in Sweden
Authors: Dellve Lotta , Karlberg Catarina , Allebeck Peter , Herloff Birgitta , Hagberg Mats
Published: January 2006

Aims: To investigate the importance of macro-organizational factors, i.e. organizational sociodemographic and socioeconomic preconditions, of the municipal incidence of long-term sick leave, disability pension, and prevalence of workers with long-term work ability among home care workers. Methods: In an ecological study design, data from national databases were combined by record linkage. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used to estimate and interpret macro-organizational factors (economic resources, region, unemployment, employment, occupational rehabilitation, return to work, age structures of inhabitants and home care workers). Results: The incidence of long-term sick leave among female home care workers was twice as high as that of male home care workers, and incidence of disability pension was about four times as high for the women. A great variation in municipal incidence of long-term sick leave, disability pension, and long-term work ability (101—264, 0.6—19.6, and 913—1,279 per 1,000 full-time equivalent workers and year) was also found. The strongest single factor for long-term work ability was a high proportion of part-time or hourly paid employees, which explained 35% of the municipal variation. Macro-organizational factors explained long-term work ability (47—62% explained variance) better than long-term sick leave (33% explained variance). There was a low rehabilitation activity; only 2% received occupational rehabilitation and 5% of those on sick leave longer than 2 weeks returned to work within 30 days. Conclusions: The differences in the municipal proportion of work ability incidence indicate a preventive potential, especially related to employment and return to work after sick leave.