bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The prevalence and characteristics of shoulder pain after traumatic brain injury
Authors: Leung Joan , Moseley Anne , Fereday Sarah , Jones Taryn , Fairbairn Timothy , Wyndham Shirley
Published: February 2007

Objective: To determine the prevalence and characteristics of shoulder pain in people with traumatic brain injury participating in inpatient rehabilitation and to compare the clinical presentation with that of people with stroke.

Design: A prospective comparative study.

Setting: Six metropolitan rehabilitation units.

Subjects: Eighty-seven people with traumatic brain injury and 52 people with stroke took part in the study.

Main measures: Assessment of shoulder pain, range of motion, strength and function was conducted on admission and, for the subjects with traumatic brain injury, at discharge if rehabilitation exceeded two weeks.

Results: The prevalence of shoulder pain in people with traumatic brain injury was 62%, which was comparable with the 69% of subjects with stroke that experienced shoulder pain (odds ratio 0.72, 95% confidence interval 0.34 -1.5). Fracture in the shoulder complex and passive shoulder external rotation range of motion were the best predictors for shoulder pain after traumatic brain injury. This was different from the subjects with stroke for which the best predictors were passive shoulder flexion range of motion and length of acute hospital stay.

Conclusion: There is a relatively high prevalence of shoulder pain after traumatic brain injury. Trauma to the shoulder complex contributes to shoulder pain after traumatic brain injury, making clinical presentation different from people with stroke. The findings support the need for greater attention in the management of shoulder pain after traumatic brain injury.
Prospective Evaluation of Prolonged Fresh Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation of the Femoral Condyle
Authors: McCulloch Patrick C. , Kang Richard W. , Sobhy Mohamed H. , Hayden Jennifer K. , Cole Brian J.
Published: February 2007

Background

Focal articular cartilage lesions of the knee in young patients present a therapeutic challenge. Little information is available pertaining to the results after implantation of prolonged fresh grafts.

Hypothesis

Prolonged fresh osteochondral allografts present a viable option for treating large full-thickness articular cartilage lesions.

Study Design

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods

This study presents the results of 25 consecutive patients who underwent prolonged fresh osteochondral allograft transplantation for defects in the femoral condyle. The average patient age was 35 years (range, 17-49 years). The average length of follow-up was 35 months (range, 24-67 months). Prospective data were collected using several subjective scoring systems, as well as objective and radiographic assessments.

Results

Statistically significant improvements (P < .05) were seen for the Lysholm (39 to 67), International Knee Documentation Committee scores (29 to 58), all 5 components of the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (Pain, 43 to 73; Other Disease-Specific Symptoms, 46 to 64; Activities of Daily Living Function, 56 to 83; Sport and Recreation Function, 18 to 46; Knee-Related Quality of Life, 22 to 50), and the Short Form-12 physical component score (36 to 40). Overall, patients reported 84% (range, 25% to 100%) satisfaction with their results and believed that the knee functioned at 79% (range, 35% to 100%) of their unaffected knee. Radiographically, 22 of the grafts (88%) were incorporated into host bone.

Conclusion

Fresh osteochondral allograft transplantation is an acceptable intermediate procedure for treatment of localized osteochondral defects of the femur. At 2-year follow-up, it is well incorporated and offered consistent improvements in pain and function.

Clinical Relevance

Prolonged fresh allograft transplantation is a safe and effective technique for addressing symptomatic osteoarticular lesions in the knees of young patients.
The in Vivo Kinematics of the Anteromedial and Posterolateral Bundles of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament during Weightbearing Knee Flexion
Authors: Jordan Susan S. , DeFrate Louis E. , Wook Nha Kyung , Papannagari Ramprasad , Gill Thomas J. , Li Guoan
Published: February 2007

Background

Recently, double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction has been advocated. However, there are little data on the in vivo biomechanics of the anteromedial and posterolateral bundles of the anterior cruciate ligament. Our objective was to measure the kinematics of the 2 bundles during weightbearing flexion.

Study Design

Descriptive laboratory study.

Hypothesis

The bundles of the anterior cruciate ligament are longest at low flexion angles during in vivo weightbearing flexion.

Methods

Magnetic resonance images from 7 healthy subjects were used to create 3-dimensional models of the knee. The attachments of the anteromedial and posterolateral bundles were outlined on each model. Next, the subjects performed a quasi-static lunge from full extension to 135° while being imaged using a dual orthogonal fluoroscopic system. The models and fluoroscopic images were used to reproduce the motion of the knee. The length, elevation, deviation, and twist of the functional bundles were measured.

Results

The anteromedial and posterolateral bundles were longest at low flexion angles and shortened significantly with increasing flexion. The elevation and deviation angles of both bundles were similar at low flexion angles (<45°). The twist of the bundles was minimal (<5°) at low flexion.

Conclusion

With in vivo flexion, the anteromedial and posterolateral bundles did not demonstrate the reciprocal behavior noted in previous cadaveric studies. Both bundles were parallel and maximally elongated at low flexion angles. Our data suggest that if a double-bundle reconstruction is performed, 2 tunnels might need to be drilled in the femur and tibia to reproduce the orientation of the anterior cruciate ligament. Both anteromedial and posterolateral grafts should be fixed at low flexion angles to prevent over-constraint.
How Idle is Idle Talk? One Hundred Years of Rumor Research
Authors: Donovan Pamela
Published: February 2007

This paper examines the stability of the concept of rumor in the past century. It is suggested that not only do models of explanation change, but rumors themselves also change - not just in content, but perhaps in the way they are believed or disbelieved. Social scientific interest in rumors begins with the birth of modern psychology in the 19 th century, shifts to social psychology and sociology in mid-20th century, prompted by governmental concern over subversion through rumor during the Second World War, and is finally revived by folklorists in more recent decades. Understood variously as a conduit of the unconscious and otherwise unendorsable thoughts, a mundane communication drift, or an intentional form of deception and provocation, many of our rumor model assumptions are drawn from that era and remain basically unchallenged. A central assumption emerged that ambiguous situations create a vacuum which rumor fills. By the late 1960s, despite a decline in social scientific interest in the topic, a handful of significant empirical and theoretical challenges emerge from scattered studies. The discipline of folklore begins to take more interest in contemporary rumor in the 1970s, and by the early 1990s the rubric of the rumor is almost entirely supplanted in English language scholarship by the ‘urban legend’ (Brunvand, 1981).
Theory Is Everywhere
Authors: Pedersen Elaine L.
Published: February 2007

There is confusion concerning what theory is, how to recognize it, how to know when and if it is needed, and when it is present. The purpose of this article is to explore the concept of theory via a concept analysis and to examine how and why understandings of theory may vary. Definitions of theory are examined. Definitions have two to four definitional components: theoretical structure, functions, elements, and relationship of theory to research. The use of theory in textiles and clothing is discussed including theory for practice and creative activity. When using the identified functions of theory as a guide, theory can be identified as present in most applications within the textiles and clothing field, even when theories are not named or discussed.
Accounting for the Joint Effects of the Servicescape and Service Exchange on Consumers’ Satisfaction Evaluations
Authors: Namasivayam Karthik , Mattila Anna S.
Published: February 2007

This study reports the results of a study designed to evaluate the effects of a service exchange on consumers’ satisfaction after accounting for the effects of the servicescape. An experimental design was adopted to show that servicescapes have an effect on individuals’ preexisting mood states. Consumers’ moods after they had been exposed to the servicescape were crossed with two service exchange states: good and bad. Their reported level of satisfaction was measured. Results indicate that servicescapes have an important effect on consumers’ mood states. Direct effects of servicescape type and service exchange are reported and managerial implications discussed.
Developing a Performance Criteria Model for School Foodservice
Authors: Hwang Joyce Hyunjoo , Sneed Jeannie
Published: February 2007

Child nutrition programs (CNPs) including federal programs such as the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) have an overall goal to serve nutritious and appealing foods to help safeguard the health and well-being of the nation’s children. This study developed a performance criteria model for achieving the overall CNP goal for school foodservice by applying an analytic hierarchy process (AHP). A total of 39 performance criteria were identified and structured into a hierarchy of five major categories and 34 subcategories and criteria. Of the five major categories, the customer satisfaction category was rated as most important in achieving the overall CNP goal, followed by financial management, meal quality, program management, and operations management. Relative importance of subcategories and criteria were estimated. In addition, managerial implications of using the performance criteria model are discussed and future research ideas using AHP are suggested.
Production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor by mononuclear cells of patients with multiple sclerosis treated with glatiramer acetate, interferon-β 1a, and high doses of immunoglobulins
Authors: Sarchielli P. , Zaffaroni M. , Floridi A. , Greco L. , Candeliere A. , Mattioni A. , Tenaglia S. , Di Filippo M. , Calabresi P.
Published: February 2007

Sixty, relapsing remitting (RR) multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, who underwent treatment with glatiramer acetate (GA), interferon (IFN)-β 1a, and immunoglobulins (Igs) (20 per treatment group), were assessed for levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the supernatants of unstimulated and stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in the first year of treatment. Phytohemagglutinin (PHA), anti-OKT3 antibody, myelin basic protein (MPB) and GA were used as stimuli. Cytokine responses by ELISPOT and lymphoproliferative responses were also assessed. The GA-treated MS patient group showed a progressive increase in BDNF levels, from baseline to month three; thereafter, the levels remained stable and significantly greater compared with baseline and controls (ANOVA=P<0.001). IFN-β 1a had no effect on BDNF production, whereas Igs induced a slight decrease (ANOVA=P<0.04). ELISPOT analysis revealed a significant decrease of IFN-γ, an increase of interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-5 in GA-treated MS patients, and an increase of IL-10 in patients treated with IFN-β 1a and GA. No significant correlation was found between BDNF secretion in the supernatants of PBMCs and cytokine response, lesional load, and measures of atrophy. Increased BDNF production related to GA treatment can have implications for understanding the mechanism of action of this immunomodulatory agent, in light of evidence suggesting its effects in promoting neuroprotective immunity in MS patients; however, a clinically measurable effect, especially in terms of an impact on actual disease progression, remains to be established. Multiple Sclerosis 2007; 13: 313-331. http://msj.sagepub.com
Effects of motor cortex rTMS on lower urinary tract dysfunction in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Centonze D , Petta F , Versace V , Rossi S , Torelli F , Prosperetti C , Rossi St , Marfia Ga , Bernardi G , Koch G , Miano R , Boffa L , Finazzi-Agrò E
Published: February 2007

We tested the effects of 5-Hz rTMS over the motor cortex in multiple sclerosis (MS) subjects complaining of lower urinary tract symptoms either in the filling or voiding phase. Our data show that motor cortex stimulation for five consecutive days over two weeks ameliorates the voiding phase of the micturition cycle, suggesting that enhancing corticospinal tract excitability might be useful to ameliorate detrusor contraction and/or urethral sphincter relaxation in MS patients with bladder dysfunction. Multiple Sclerosis 2007; 13: 269–271. http://msj.sagepub.com
Health, disability, and life insurance experiences of working-age persons with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Iezzoni LI , Ngo L.
Published: February 2007

Working-age Americans with multiple sclerosis (MS) may face considerable financial insecurities when they become unable to work and lack the health, disability, and life insurance typically offered through employers. In order to estimate the rates of having these insurance policies, as well as how insurance status affects reports of financial stress, we conducted half-hour telephone interviews with 983 working-age persons across the US, who reported being diagnosed with MS. The interviews occurred from May through November 2005, and among the sampled individuals contacted and confirmed eligible, 93.2% completed the interview. The study population was largely female (78.9%), Caucasian (86.4%), married (68.6%), with at least some college education (71.5%), and unemployed (60.2%). Overall, 96.3% had some health insurance (40.3% with public health insurance, primarily Medicare), 56.7% had long-term disability insurance (36.4% with public programs), and 68.3% had life insurance. Notably, 27.4% indicated that, since being diagnosed with MS, health insurance concerns had significantly affected employment decisions. In addition, 16.4% reported considerable difficulty paying for health care, 27.4% put off or postponed seeking needed health care because of costs, and 22.3% delayed filling prescriptions, skipped medication doses, or split pills because of costs. Overall, 26.6% reported considerable worries about affording even basic necessities, such as food, utilities, and housing. Multiple Sclerosis 2007; 13: 534-546. http://msj.sagepub.com
The effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on spasticity in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Miller L. , Mattison P. , Paul L. , Wood L.
Published: February 2007

Spasticity is a common and often disabling symptom associated with multiple sclerosis (MS). Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been found effective in reducing spasticity in conditions such as stroke, but there is little evidence to support its use in MS. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of TENS on spasticity in MS and, furthermore, to compare two different application times. Thirty-two subjects were randomized into two groups, and a single, blind, crossover design was used to compare two weeks of 60 minutes and 8 hours daily of TENS applications (100 Hz and 0.125 ms pulse width). Outcomes were examined using the Global Spasticity Score (GSS), the Penn Spasm Score (PSS), and a visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain. The results of the study demonstrated that there were no statistically significant differences in the GSS following either 60 minutes or 8 hours daily of TENS (P=0.433 and 0.217, respectively). The 8-hour application time led to a significant reduction in muscle spasm (P=0.038) and pain (P = 0.008). Thus, this study suggests that, whilst TENS does not appear to be effective in reducing spasticity, longer applications may be useful in treating MS patients with pain and muscle spasm. Multiple Sclerosis 2007; 13: 527-533. http://msj.sagepub.com
Beyond C U L8R: disengaging from online social worlds
Authors: Kazmer Michelle M.
Published: February 2007

People who work, learn, or play in online social worlds must sometimes leave those social worlds. Such departures may happen for many reasons. Often they are anticipated departures because the social world was meant from the start to be temporary. Most people do not yet have much practice at leaving an online social world, nor do we have a good model of the process. Activities that people undertake while disengaging from transient online social worlds affect them personally, as well as their future personal and professional relationships with one another. For this research, 30 students near the time of graduating from an online learning master’s degree program participated in semi-structured interviews exploring their activities and emotions related to disengaging. The result is a model of the disengaging process encompassing 12 dimensions.
The cyberself: the self-ing project goes online, symbolic interaction in the digital age
Authors: Robinson Laura
Published: February 2007

Juxtaposing symbolic interactionist and postmodern interpretations of cyberself-ing, I bring data to bear on the tensions between these two theoretical stances. I argue that postmodernist accounts are no longer tenable; such studies were based on multi-user domains (MUDs), but generalized to cyberspace. I examine the evolving internet population, which has reached a critical mass of the American population, to demonstrate that MUD users no longer constitute the majority of users. After substantiating this shift in the user base, I elucidate evidence that corroborates the countervailing thesis of ‘socialized’ online selves. I argue that using a symbolic interactionist perspective to frame the cyberself-ing project allows us to understand the creation of the cyber ‘I,’‘me,’ and digital ‘generalized other,’ as well as the dynamics of interactional cuing online.
Internet news media and issue development: a case study on the roles of independent online news services as agenda-builders for anti-US protests in South Korea
Authors: Song Yonghoi
Published: February 2007

This study compares the roles of progressive online news services with those of mainstream newspapers in developing reactions to the deaths of two schoolgirls by a US military vehicle into massive anti-US protests during 2002 in South Korea. Clear differences were found between the online news services and the mainstream conservative newspapers’ coverage in terms of the number of articles, the composition of news sources, and the frames used to make sense of the issues. It reveals that the progressive media played an important role in escalating reactions to the deaths of the two schoolgirls into a broader anti-US sentiment. The results of the study suggest the limitations to the inter-media agenda-setting model in explicating the dynamics of issue development. Additionally, the potential of alternative online news media in agenda-building and the relationship between the news media and issue development are discussed.
Beyond the diluted community concept: a symbolic interactionist perspective on online social relations
Authors: Fernback Jan
Published: February 2007

The study of cybercommunity is inevitably linked to the development of the internet amid other cultural phenomena, and cybercommunity as a cultural practice has clearly reached a point of critical mass. The concept of online community has become increasingly diluted as it evolves into a pastiche of elements that ostensibly ‘signify’ community. This study grapples with the concept of community in cyberspace and suggests alternative ways of characterizing online social relations that avoid the vagaries of ‘community’. Based on interviews and a theoretical consideration of online community, it finds that the metaphor of ‘community’ in cyberspace is one of convenient togetherness without real responsibility. This study suggests a symbolic interactionist approach to the examination of online social relationships that is free of the controversy and structural-functional baggage of the term ‘community’. It suggests that community is an evolving process, and that commitment is the truly desired social ideal in social interaction, whether online or offline.
Meta-torbernite I, its physical properties and relation to Torbernite
Authors: Hallimond A. F.
Published: February 2007

In a general account of the properties of torbernite given by the present author in this magazine in 1916 it was shown that the transition from torbernite to the first dehydrationproduct, known as meta-torbernite I (meta-kupferuranit), was dependent on the temperature and the vapour-pressure, and that the boundary, of the stability area lay only a little outside the range of ordinary atmospheric conditions; the transition-point of torbernite in contact With water was determined as 75° C.
Riebeckite-rhyolite from northern Kordofan, Sudan
Authors: Campbell Smith W.
Published: February 2007

While investigating the relies of early habitations at Beraeis, near Jebel Katul, 100 miles N.W. of El Obeid, northern Kordofan, Dr. C. G. Seligman found a number of implements all made of a finegrained, blue-grey stone, quantities of which he found at the base of Jebel Katul. A fragment of this stone was examined by Dr. G. T. Prior in 1912, and found to be rich in riebeckite.
The meteoric stone seen to fall near Crumlin, Co. Antrim, on September 13, 1902
Authors: Fletcher Lazarus
Published: February 2007

On Saturday, September 18, 1902, at 10.30 a.m. (Irish time), a stone coming from the sky struck the earth (let. 54° 88' 20" N., long. 6° 12' 10" W. of Greenwich) at a farm, belonging to Mr. Andrew Walker, situated in the district termed Crossbill, a mile to the north of the village of Crumlin, in which there is a station of the same name on the line of railway between Lisburn and Antrim. The place of fall is 3½ miles east of Lough Neagh, the largest lake in the British Isles, and I2 miles almost due west of Belfast, in which city nearly two thousand members of the British Association were then assembled for the annual meeting (September 10-17).
Smoking cessation in patients with respiratory diseases: a high priority, integral component of therapy
Authors: Tønnesen P. , Carrozzi L. , Fagerström K. O. , Gratziou C. , Jimenez-Ruiz C. , Nardini S. , Viegi G. , Lazzaro C. , Campell I. A. , Dagli E. , West R.
Published: February 2007

Smoking cessation is the one of the most important ways to improve the prognosis of patients with respiratory disease. The Task Force on guidelines for smoking cessation in patients with respiratory diseases was convened to provide evidence-based recommendations on smoking cessation interventions in respiratory patients.

Based on the currently available evidence and the consensus of an expert panel, the following key recommendations were made. 1) Patients with respiratory disease have a greater and more urgent need to stop smoking than the average smoker, so respiratory physicians must take a proactive and continuing role with all smokers in motivating them to stop and in providing treatment to aid smoking cessation. 2) Smoking cessation treatment should be integrated into the management of the patient's respiratory condition. 3) Therapies should include pharmacological treatment (
i
.
e
. nicotine replacement therapy, bupropion or varenicline) combined with behavioural support. 4) Respiratory physicians should receive training to ensure that they have the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to deliver these interventions or to refer to an appropriate specialist. 5) Although the cost of implementing these recommendations will partly be offset by a reduction in attendance for exacerbations,
etc
., a budget should be established to enable implementation.

Research is needed to establish optimum treatment strategies specifically for respiratory patients.
Genetic Control of Immune Response in Carriers of Ancestral Haplotype 8.1
Authors: CANDORE GIUSEPPINA , BALISTRERI CARMELA R. , CAMPAGNA ANNA MARIA , COLOMBO ALFREDO , CUPPARI IRENE , DI‐CARLO DANIELE , GRIMALDI MARIA P. , ORLANDO VALENTINA , PIAZZA GIUSEPPINA , VASTO SONYA , LIO DOMENICO , CARUSO CALOGERO
Published: February 2007

Abstract:  In all caucasian populations the association of an impressive number of autoimmune diseases with genes from the HLA‐B8, DR3 haplotype that is part of the ancestral haplotype (AH) 8.1 HLA‐A1, Cw7, B8, TNFAB*a2b3, TNFN*S, C2*C, Bf*s, C4A*Q0, C4B*1, DRB1*0301, DRB3*0101, DQA1*0501, DQB1*0201 has been reported by different research groups. This haplotype, which is more common in northern Europe, is also associated with a number of immune system dysfunctions in healthy subjects. Analyzing the data according to gender, some dysfunctions are observed in women but not in men, in agreement with the role of X‐linked genes and/or estrogens in the development and progression of autoimmune diseases. It has been proposed that a small number of genes within the 8.1 AH modify immune responsiveness and hence affect multiple immunopathological diseases. In this article, we demonstrate that neutrophil chemotaxis is significantly decreased in carriers of this AH, suggesting that this impairment may also be related to the increased occurrence of autoimmune diseases in these individuals.
Implications for Estrogens in Parkinson's Disease
Authors: RAGONESE PAOLO , D'AMELIO MARCO , SAVETTIERI GIOVANNI
Published: February 2007

Abstract:  Evidence from experimental and epidemiological studies suggests a role of sex hormones in the pathogenic process leading to neurodegenerative diseases, (i.e., Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease). The effects of sexual steroid hormones are complex and vary with the events of women's fertile life. Estrogens are supposed to influence dopamine synthesis, metabolism, and transport; however, there is no consensus regarding the direction, locus, and mechanism of the effect of estrogens on the dopaminergic system. A neuroprotective effect of estrogens has been demonstrated in 1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)‐animal models of Parkinson's disease (PD). Epidemiological studies indicate gender differences regarding the onset and the prognosis of PD. Most of the analytical studies explored the relationship between PD and exogenous estrogens. Only three studies investigated the role of endogenous estrogens in the risk of developing PD. These studies reported an increased risk of PD in conditions causing an early reduction in endogenous estrogens (early menopause, reduced fertile life length). Longer cumulative length of pregnancies has also been associated with an increased PD risk. A lack of consensus still exists on the effect of the type of menopause (surgical vs. natural) on PD risk. Finally, the effect of postmenopausal estrogen replacement therapy is still debated. Inconsistencies across studies are in part explained by the complexity of the mechanisms of action of sexual hormones and by the paucity of analytical studies.
Crosstalk between EGFR and Extranuclear Steroid Receptors
Authors: MIGLIACCIO ANTIMO , CASTORIA GABRIELLA , DOMENICO MARINA DI , CIOCIOLA ALESSANDRA , LOMBARDI MARIA , DE FALCO ANTONIETTA , NANAYAKKARA MERLIN , BOTTERO DANIELA , DE STASIO ROSINA , VARRICCHIO LILIAN , AURICCHIO FERDINANDO
Published: February 2007

Abstract:  Epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulates DNA synthesis and cytoskeletal rearrangement in human breast cancer (MCF‐7) and human prostate cancer (LNCaP) cells. Both effects are inhibited by estrogen (ICI 182,780) and androgen (Casodex) antagonists. This supports the view that crosstalk exists between EGF and estradiol (ER) and androgen (AR) receptors and suggests that these receptors are directly involved in the EGF action. Our recent work shows that EGF stimulates ER phosphorylation on tyrosine and promotes the association of a complex between EGFR, AR/ER, and the kinase Src. The complex assembly triggers Src activity, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) phosphorylation on tyrosine, and the EGF‐dependent signaling pathway activation. In these cells, the AR/ER/Src complex is required for the EGF action, as the growth factor effects are abolished upon receptor silencing by specific SiRNAs and steroid antagonists or Src inhibition by the kinase inhibitor PP2.
HER2/neu Expression in Relation to Clinicopathologic Features of Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: TRAINA ADELE , AGOSTARA BIAGIO , MARASÀ LORENZO , CALABRÒ MAURIZIO , ZARCONE MAURIZIO , CARRUBA GIUSEPPE
Published: February 2007

Abstract:  We have evaluated HER2/neu expression in 1,355 breast cancer patients recruited at the Breast Cancer Registry in Palermo between January 1999 and December 2004. In this retrospective study, HER2/neu expression was related to clinicopathologic features of the disease, including tumor size, nodal and menopausal status, estrogen and progesterone receptors. Statistical analysis on all 1,355 patients showed a significant correlation between HER2/neu and nodal status (P < 0.001), and a significant association between HER2/neu overexpression and estrogen and progesterone receptors status (P < 0.001). In 194 patients without metastasis, with an average follow‐up ≥5 years, only HER2/neu 3+ and histopathologic grading G3 were significantly associated with overall survival.
Estrogens in Human Vascular Diseases
Authors: KLOUCHE MARIAM
Published: February 2007

Abstract:  Estrogens are correlated with a lower incidence of atherosclerotic vascular disease, but also provide a protective effect on neovascular disorders, such as Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). Estrogens mediate indirect antiatherosclerotic vascular effects by reducing low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) levels and by influencing fibrinolysis, and they exert direct actions on vascular cells including vascular relaxation and vasodilatation, thus reducing progression of the lesion. It is increasingly appreciated that the estrogenic effects are mediated not only by the classic genomic action via the specific nuclear hormone receptors ERα and ERβ, but also by distinct rapid, nongenomic actions. Vascular cells have the capacity to express different types of estrogen receptors, and we provide evidence for selective expression of estrogen receptor subtypes on different human vascular cell types. Moreover, we give an overview on the vascular effects of estrogens, selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), and androgens on normal and malignant vascular cells, with particular focus on the protective estrogenic potential on the vasculature.
Immunogenetics, Gender, and Longevity
Authors: CANDORE GIUSEPPINA , BALISTRERI CARMELA R. , LISTÌ FLORINDA , GRIMALDI MARIA P. , VASTO SONYA , COLONNA‐ROMANO GIUSEPPINA , FRANCESCHI CLAUDIO , LIO DOMENICO , CASELLI GRAZIELLA , CARUSO CALOGERO
Published: February 2007

Abstract:  In this article we discuss relevant data on aging, longevity, and gender with particular focus on inflammation gene polymorphisms which could affect an individual's chance to reach the extreme limit of human life. The present review is not an extensive revision of the literature, but rather an expert opinion based on selected data from the authors' laboratories. In 2000–2005 in the more developed regions, the life expectancy at birth is 71.9 years for men (78.3 in Japan) and 79.3 years for women (86.3 in Japan). Indeed, gender accounts for important differences in the prevalence of a variety of age‐related diseases. Considering people of far‐advanced age, demographic data document a clear‐cut prevalence of females compared to males, suggesting that sex‐specific mortality rates follow different trajectories during aging. In Italy this female/male ratio is relatively lower (about 5/1; F/M ratios are usually 5–6:1 in other developed countries), but significant differences have been observed between Italian regions in the distribution of centenarians by gender—from two women per man in the South to more than eight in certain regions in the North. Thus, a complex interaction of environmental, historical, and genetic factors, differently characterizing the various parts of Italy, likely plays an important role in determining the gender‐specific probability of achieving longevity. This can be due to gender‐specific cultural and anthropological characteristics of Italian society in the last 100 years. Age‐related immunoinflammatory factors increase during proinflammatory status, and the frequency of pro/anti‐inflammatory gene variants also show gender differences. There is some suggestion that people genetically predisposed to weak inflammatory activity may be at reduced chance of developing coronary heart disease (CHD) and, therefore, may achieve longer lifespan if they avoid serious life‐threatening infectious disease thoroughout life. Thus, the pathogen burden, by interacting with host genotype, could determine the type and intensity of the immune‐inflammatory response responsible for both proinflammatory status and CHD. These findings point to a strong relationship between the genetics of inflammation, successful aging, and the control of cardiovascular disease, but seem to suggest that the evidence for men is much stronger. The importance of these studies lies in the fact that half of the population (males) lives approximately 10% shorter lives than the other half (females). Understanding the different strategies that men and women seem to follow to achieve longevity may help us to comprehend better the basic phenomenon of aging and allow us to search for safe ways to increase male lifespan.
Association of the Circulating Levels of the Urokinase System of Plasminogen Activation With the Presence of Prostate Cancer and Invasion, Progression, and Metastasis
Authors: Shariat Shahrokh F. , Roehrborn Claus G. , McConnell John D. , Park Sangtae , Alam Nina , Wheeler Thomas M. , Slawin Kevin M.
Published: February 2007

Purpose

To assess whether preoperative plasma levels of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and its soluble receptor (uPAR) would predict cancer of the prostate (CaP) presence, stage, and prognosis.

Patients and Methods

Plasma levels of uPA and uPAR were measured in patients who underwent radical prostatectomy for clinically localized CaP (preoperative, n = 429; postoperative, n = 76), 44 healthy men, 19 patients with metastases to regional lymph nodes, and 10 patients with bone metastases.

Results

uPA and uPAR levels were significantly elevated in patients with CaP compared with healthy men and significantly declined after prostate removal. In CaP patients, uPA and uPAR levels both increased significantly from patients with nonmetastatic CaP to patients with lymph node metastases to patients with skeletal metastases. On univariate analysis, preoperative uPA and uPAR levels were significantly elevated in patients with extracapsular extension, seminal vesicle involvement, higher prostatectomy Gleason sum, lymph node invasion, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, and higher tumor volume. Higher preoperative uPAR was associated with biochemical progression in univariate analysis. Conversely, higher preoperative uPA was independently associated with biochemical progression in preoperative or postoperative multivariate models. In patients with biochemical progression, preoperative uPA and uPAR were both significantly associated with shorter postprogression total serum prostate-specific antigen doubling times, failure to respond to salvage local radiation therapy, and/or development of distant metastasis.

Conclusion

Elevation of plasma uPA and uPAR levels in CaP patients seems to be partly caused by local release from the prostate. Plasma levels of uPA and uPAR are associated with features of biologically aggressive CaP, disease progression after radical prostatectomy, and metastasis.
Cross‐Race Preferences for Same‐Race Faces Extend Beyond the African Versus Caucasian Contrast in 3‐Month‐Old Infants
Authors: Kelly David J. , Liu Shaoying , Ge Liezhong , Quinn Paul C. , Slater Alan M. , Lee Kang , Liu Qinyao , Pascalis Olivier
Published: February 2007

A visual preference procedure was used to examine preferences among faces of different ethnicities (African, Asian, Caucasian, and Middle Eastern) in Chinese 3‐month‐old infants exposed only to Chinese faces. The infants demonstrated a preference for faces from their own ethnic group. Alongside previous results showing that Caucasian infants exposed only to Caucasian faces prefer same‐race faces (Kelly et al., 2005) and that Caucasian and African infants exposed only to native faces prefer the same over the other‐race faces (Bar‐Haim, Ziv, Lamy, & Hodes, 2006), the findings reported here (a) extend the same‐race preference observed in young infants to a new race of infants (Chinese), and (b) show that cross‐race preferences for same‐race faces extend beyond the perceptually robust contrast between African and Caucasian faces.
Ribophorin I acts as a substrate-specific facilitator of N-glycosylation
Authors: Wilson Cornelia M. , High Stephen
Published: February 2007

The mammalian oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) complex is composed of about eight subunits and mediates the N-glycosylation of nascent polypeptide chains entering the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The conserved STT3 subunit of eukaryotic OST complexes has been identified as its catalytic centre, yet although many other subunits are equally well conserved their functions are unknown. We used RNA interference to investigate the function of ribophorin I, an ER-translocon-associated subunit of the OST complex previously shown to associate with newly synthesised membrane proteins. We show that ribophorin I dramatically enhances the N-glycosylation of selected membrane proteins and provide evidence that it is not essential for N-glycosylation per se. Parallel studies confirm that STT3 is essential for transferase activity of the complex, but reveal that the two mammalian isoforms are not functionally equivalent when modifying bona fide polypeptide substrates. We propose a new model for OST function where ribophorin I acts as a chaperone or escort to promote the N-glycosylation of selected substrates by the catalytic STT3 subunits.
Characterization of the proteasome interaction with the Sec61 channel in the endoplasmic reticulum
Authors: Ng Waiyan , Sergeyenko Tatiana , Zeng Naiyan , Brown Jeremy D. , Römisch Karin
Published: February 2007

Biogenesis of secretory proteins requires their translocation into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) through the Sec61 channel. Proteins that fail to fold are transported back into the cytosol and are degraded by proteasomes. For many substrates this retrograde transport is affected by mutations in the Sec61 channel, and can be promoted by ATP and the 19S regulatory particle of the proteasome, which binds directly to the Sec61 channel via its base. Here, we identify mutations in SEC61 which reduce proteasome binding to the channel, and demonstrate that proteasomes and ribosomes bind differently to cytosolic domains of the channel. We found that Sec63p and BiP coprecipitate with ER-associated proteasomes, but Sec63p does not contribute to proteasome binding to the ER. The 19S base contains six AAA-ATPase subunits (Rpt proteins) that have non-equivalent functions in proteasome-mediated protein turnover and form a hetero-hexamer. Mutations in the ATP-binding sites of individual Rpt proteins all reduced the affinity of 19S complexes for the ER, suggesting that the 19S base in the ATP-bound conformation docks at the Sec61 channel.
Technical factors affecting cup stability in bone impaction grafting
Authors: Bolder S B T , Verdonschot N , Schreurs B W
Published: February 2007

Favourable long-term clinical results can be achieved by the bone impaction technique in bone stock deficient acetabuli. Originally, firm impaction of manually prepared bone grafts using a rongeur was performed. An alternative technique for producing bone grafts is reaming from the pelvic wall or femoral head, which produces smaller-sized slurry bone grafts. These slurry grafts can be manually compressed in the bone defect using an acetabular reamer en reverse. In an artificial acetabular cavitary defect model both reconstruction techniques were compared in combination with a cemented cup. Mechanical testing was performed with a sequentially increasing dynamic load. Roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis was used to determine initial cup stability. At all testing levels the initial stability of the cups reconstructed with slurry grafts and reversed reaming was significantly less in comparison to the original impaction technique. The original technique with firm impaction with a hammer and impactors of relatively large-sized bone grafts provides optimal initial stability. The reversed reaming technique of slurry grafts cannot be recommended for bone grafting of acetabular defects.
Measurement of DNA Mutations Caused by Seconds-period UV-irradiation
Authors: Futakami Masae , Nishigaki Koichi
Published: February 2007

UV is a potent mutagen threatening human health. A genome analysis technology, genome profiling, was found to be used to measure UV-irradiated DNA mutations quantitatively within the range of 500 J/m2 of UVA. An intriguing phenomenon was also observed for the UV-irradiation to in vivo DNA that the apparent amount of mutations oscillated responding to an increasing amount of UV-dosage. This method is advantageous in measuring the alteration of DNA directly, eliminating the necessity of complicated interpretation required for bioassays.
Research Note—Competitive Bundling and Counterbundling with Generalist and Specialist Firms
Authors: Ghosh Bikram , Balachander Subramanian
Published: February 2007

Bundling, which is the practice of selling two or more products or services in a package, is a pervasive marketing practice and is often used as a strategic competitive tool. However, there has not been enough consideration of competitive bundling situations in which exit of a competitor is not a concern. In this paper, we address this issue by identifying conditions under which strategic competitors may or may not resort to bundling when competitor exit considerations are absent. We study competition between a multiproduct generalist firm and two single-product specialist firms in two product categories, one of which has undifferentiated products and the other has differentiated products. In our model, the specialist firms can form an alliance to bundle their products in competing with the generalist firm. In contrast to the previous literature, we find that concurrent bundling by competitors, if it occurs in equilibrium, is profitable. We also find that when one competitor bundles and the other does not, the bundling firm gains a greater share of customers and makes a higher profit. However, when conditions favor counterbundling by a competitor, such counterbundling helps the competitor retain its customers. Finally, we note that under other market conditions, concurrent bundling by competitors escalates price competition to the extent that retaining customers through bundling is not profitable. In such a case, we show that strategic competitors are better off having asymmetric product lines with one competitor bundling and the other selling unbundled.
Apparent Survival and Detection Estimates for PIT‐Tagged Slimy Sculpin in Five Small New Brunswick Streams
Authors: Keeler Rachel A. , Breton AndréR. , Peterson Douglas P. , Cunjak Richard A.
Published: February 2007

The slimy sculpin Cottus cognatus is an abundant and widespread benthic fish that inhabits cold lakes and rivers in North America. The objective of this study was to estimate survival and detection probabilities for slimy sculpin in relation to several environmental and biological predictors. Passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags were implanted into 337 adult slimy sculpin in five tributaries of the Kennebecasis River, New Brunswick, Canada. A portable PIT tag antenna was used to search for marked individuals from June 2003 to July 2004. Cormack–Jolly–Seber open population models were used to test several predictions and to estimate apparent survival and detection probabilities. We found that survival was high (73–99%) among sampling events; the average period was about 4 weeks (range, <1–22 weeks). Survival was positively related to fish length and negatively related to maximum stream discharge. The mean detection probability of tagged sculpin was 0.80, but it varied among sampling events and with respect to the minimum electrical current of our antenna and the percentage of boulder substrate at the site. This study demonstrates that a portable PIT tag system can be used in conjunction with capture–mark–recapture models to acquire an understanding of the basic life history characteristics of slimy sculpin and possibly other small‐bodied fish in freshwater systems.
Electrofishing Distance Needed to Estimate Consistent Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) Scores in Raftable Oregon Rivers
Authors: Hughes Robert M. , Herlihy Alan T.
Published: February 2007

An important issue surrounding assessment of riverine fish assemblages is the minimum amount of sampling distance needed to adequately determine biotic condition. Determining adequate sampling distance is important because sampling distance affects estimates of fish assemblage condition at both local and regional scales, and oversampling is costly. We examined the sampling distance question by sampling 45 raftable Oregon river reaches for an entire day and then assessing the minimum distance needed to obtain index of biotic integrity (IBI) scores in those reaches that varied by less than 10% from the 1‐d samples. An electrofishing raft was used to collect fish, and physical and chemical habitats were sampled to aid in reach description. We found that a sampling distance equal to 50 times the mean wetted channel width, or a catch of more than 120 individuals, produced IBI scores that met our criteria.
Turbidity Affects Foraging Success of Drift‐Feeding Rosyside Dace
Authors: Zamor Richard M. , Grossman Gary D.
Published: February 2007

The effects of suspended sediment on nongame fishes are not well understood. We examined the effects of suspended sediment (i.e., turbidity) on reactive distance and prey capture success at spring–autumn (12°C) and summer (18°C) temperatures for rosyside dace Clinostomus funduloides in an artificial stream. Experimental turbidities ranged from 0 to 56 nephelometric turbidity units (NTUs) at the two temperatures, and sample sizes for each turbidity–temperature combination ranged from 5 to 10 fish. All fish were tested at a single, randomly selected turbidity. Nonlinear regression (dosage–response curves) detected a negative relationship between turbidity and reactive distance at both spring–autumn (R2 = 0.96) and summer (R2 = 0.90) temperatures. Turbidity also had a strong negative effect on capture success at both spring–autumn (R2 = 0.88) and summer (R2 = 0.70) temperatures. Two‐way analysis of variance showed that turbidity and temperature were significant in all models (P < 0.0001) and that there were no significant interactions. The median effective concentrations (EC50s, i.e., the concentrations required to elicit a response equal to 50% of the maximum response observed) for reactive distance regressions were 9.9 NTUs in spring and autumn and 9.2 NTUs in summer. Data from moderately impacted streams in the region indicate that these streams possess turbidities that exceed the EC50s approximately 50% of the time. These results suggest that turbidity negatively affects the foraging behavior of rosyside dace at even low to intermediate levels (>9 NTUs) and that these effects may vary seasonally.