bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relevance of the developmental toxicity of ethanol in the occupational setting: a review
Authors: Irvine Lorraine F. H.
Published: September 2003

Numerous studies have been conducted investigating the reproductive toxicology of ethanol, the overwhelming majority concerning the adverse effects of consuming alcohol in beverages during pregnancy. Because many of the in vivo studies were designed to model alcoholism, they used comparatively high doses and assessed relatively few endpoints. Outcomes may have been affected by disturbances of metabolism at such high exposures, giving rise to secondary effects on development. The available data on ethanol from ‘conventional’ developmental toxicity study test methods of the type used for regulatory hazard assessment of chemicals are limited. It is in this context, however, i.e. the use of ethanol as an industrial chemical rather than as a component of beverages, that this review is based. Using the usual criteria applied for the purpose of hazard assessment of industrial chemicals, it is concluded that there is no evidence that industrial exposure to ethanol is a developmental toxicity hazard. Developmental toxicity may result from drinking alcoholic beverages, the threshold level for all aspects of which has yet to be deﬁned. This is not, however, considered relevant to the low blood alcohol concentrations resulting from any conceivable inhalation or dermal exposure in the workplace or through the directed use of any consumer product containing ethanol. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Survival and metabolic responses to freezing by the water frog (Rana ridibunda)
Authors: Voituron Yann , Eugene Michel , Barré Hervé
Published: September 2003

We studied the ability of the marsh frog Rana ridibunda to survive freezing exposure and the associated subsequent metabolic variations. This species that typically overwinters under water tolerates the conversion of 55% of its body water into ice. This ice content is attained after a few hours (between 8 and 36 hours depending on the mass of the individual and the environmental temperature) but death occurs at greater than 58% ice. Freezing stimulated a significant increase in blood carnitine and trimethylamine levels (respectively 4.5±2.5 and 0.5±0.2 µmol.l−1 for controls versus 27.0±18.9 and 3.6±4.1 µmol.l−1 after thawing) but these increases had no significant effect on plasma osmolality which was unchanged between control and freeze exposed frogs (252.6±20.3 versus 240.2±25.0 mOsmol.l−1, respectively). Freezing also induced a significant dehydration of heart, liver and muscles (respectively 4.2, 3.2 and 2.8%) but the observed levels are low compared to values found in highly freeze tolerant species. This species could be classified as “partially freeze tolerant” enduring the transformation of a significant part of its body water into ice but not the completion of the exotherm. The existence of freeze tolerance in an aquatic hibernator that does not accumulate cryoprotectant, exhibiting low organ dehydration after freezing and low hypoxia tolerance, raises the possibility that a tolerance of nearly 60% ice within the body is common among anurans. J. Exp. Zool. 299A:118–126, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Turning manoeuvres in free‐flying locusts: High‐speed video‐monitoring
Authors: Berger Sebastian , Kutsch Wolfram
Published: September 2003

High‐speed video‐monitoring (500 f/s) was employed to analyse the flight path of free‐flying locusts. A 3–D reconstruction enabled the simultaneous documentation of the motion of the body and all four wings. Particular attention was paid to turning manoeuvres. It is shown that angular changes during yawing and rolling are closely related; both are coupled, enabling natural banking of a free‐flying animal. Rolling depends on bilateral inequalities in stroking of both wing pairs, whereby the differences are more conspicuous for the forewings. A relatively shorter downstroke occurs for the “inner” side of a turn. The determination of the phase ratio allows a reliable description of the instantaneous rolling manoeuvre. There is no change in cycle duration correlated with turning. The downstroke shortening results from a slight delay of downstroke initiation and an advance of the upstroke reversal. In parallel, the stroke amplitude is reduced on the ”inner” side. The effects of bilateral asymmetries are immediate; they influence the instantaneous wing‐beat cycle, but not the subsequent cycle. These correlations are consistent, though variable, in their magnitude, as is to be expected for a complex system in which several parameters have to be combined for the behaviourally relevant output. J. Exp. Zool. 299A:127–138, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Turning manoeuvres in free‐flying locusts: Two‐channel radio‐telemetric transmission of muscle activity
Authors: Kutsch Wolfram , Berger Sebastian , Kautz Harald
Published: September 2003

A device has been constructed allowing the simultaneous transmission of two separate electrical signals in unrestrained small animals. We employed this device to investigate the motor output in free‐flying locusts. The activation pattern of several combinations of different muscles was recorded, including bilateral symmetric muscles and pairs of antagonists. Particular attention was paid to the recruitment of a specific set of flight muscles in both winged segments during rolling manoeuvres. The relationship of the muscle activation with wing movement was analysed in combination with a high‐speed video‐monitoring. The muscles are activated in advance of the relevant stroke directions, in opposition to previous studies of tethered flying locusts. During turning manoeuvres a statistically significant difference in timing of the bilateral symmetric muscles is not apparent; this contrasts with the distinct difference revealed for the bilateral wing movement. It is discussed that rolling might rely on the fine tuned interaction of several major flight muscles or on the precise activation of a specific wing hinge muscle. Correspondence with investigations of bird flight is discussed. J. Exp. Zool. 299A:139–150, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
On a Penrose–Fife type system with Dirichlet boundary conditions for temperature
Authors: Gilardi Gianni , Marson Andrea
Published: September 2003

We deal with the Dirichlet problem for a class of Penrose–Fife phase field models for phase transitions. An existence result is obtained by approximating the non‐homogeneous Dirichlet condition with classical third type conditions on the heat flux at the boundary of the domain where the model is considered. Moreover, we prove a regularity and uniqueness result under stronger assumptions on the regularity of the data. Suitable assumptions on the behaviour of the heat flux at zero and +∞are considered. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Spatial distribution of safety factors: Cohesive vertical cut
Authors: Baker R. , Leshchinsky D.
Published: September 2003

The objective of the present work is to study the spatial distribution of safety factors in a vertical purely cohesive cut, utilizing the safety map notion introduced by Baker and Leshchinsky (2001). The investigation shows that there exists a zone in the vicinity of the crest in which critical conditions are realized on slip circles with overhanging cliffs. Such mechanisms are stable only if there is sufficient tensile strength to prevent formation of tension cracks. It is shown that the tensile strength required to prevent cracking is of the same order as the mobilized cohesion, and Taylor's classical result is valid only for such conditions. The safety factor of a vertical cut in a zero tensile strength material is approximately 70% of Taylor's value. It is demonstrated that safety maps provide a natural framework for designing remedial measures in substandard slopes. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 18p and distal 21q22.3 deletion
Authors: Chen Chih‐Ping , Chern Schu‐Rern , Lee Chen‐Chi , Chen Li‐Feng , Chin Daniel T. H. , Tzen Chin‐Yuan , Wang Wayseen
Published: September 2003

Objectives

To present the perinatal findings and molecular cytogenetic analysis of concomitant trisomy 18p (18p11.2→pter) and distal 21q22.3 deletion.

Case and Methods

A 29‐year‐old woman, gravida 2 para 1, underwent amniocentesis at 17 weeks' gestation because she was a carrier of a balanced reciprocal translocation, 46,XX,t(18;21)(p11.2;q22.3). Cytogenetic analysis of the cultured amniocytes revealed a karyotype of 46,XX,der(21)t(18;21)(p11.2;q22.3). The fetus had a derivative chromosome 21 with an extra short arm of chromosome 18 attached to the terminal region of the long arm of chromosome 21. Level II sonograms did not find prominent structural anomalies. The pregnancy was terminated subsequently. At autopsy, the proband displayed a mild phenotype of hypertelorism, a small mouth, micrognathia, a narrowly arched palate, low‐set ears, and clinodactyly. The brain and other organs were unremarkable. Genetic marker analysis showed a distal deletion at 21q22.3 and a breakpoint between D21S53 (present) and D21S212 (absent), centromeric to the known holoprosencephaly (HPE) minimal critical region D21S113–21qter.

Conclusion

Genetic marker analysis helps in delineating the region of deletion in prenatally detected unbalanced cryptic translocation. Fetuses with concomitant trisomy 18p and distal 21q22.3 deletion may manifest inapparent phenotypic abnormalities in utero. Haploinsufficiency of the HPE critical region at 21q22.3 may not cause an HPE phenotype. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Serial in utero ultrasonographic measurements of the fetal thyroid: a new complementary tool in the management of maternal hyperthyroidism in pregnancy
Authors: Cohen Ohad , Pinhas‐Hamiel Orit , Sivan Eyal , Dolitski Mordechai , Lipitz Shlomo , Achiron Reuwen
Published: September 2003

Objective

Treatment of maternal hyperthyroidism during pregnancy is complicated by the lack of readily available measures of the thyroid status of the fetus. The aim of this study is to describe the use of serial in utero ultrasound measurements of fetal thyroid in patients being treated for Graves' disease in pregnancy.

Methods

Over a 24‐month period, all pregnant women with Graves' disease attending our special Fetal Thyroid Unit were followed. Maternal thyroid status was assessed by thyroid function tests. Fetal thyroid size was measured serially by transvaginal ultrasonography between 14 and 17 weeks of gestation and by abdominal ultrasonography between 18 and 37 weeks of gestation in 20 women with Grave's disease.

Results

In 15 fetuses, thyroid width and circumference were within the 95% confidence interval of the normal population. In five fetuses, thyroid size was above the 95th percentile for gestational age. In three of them, thyroid size decreased concurrently with a decrease in maternal thionamide dosage, reaching normal range. These three fetuses were born euthyroid. In two fetuses, thyroid size was unaffected by a decrement in maternal drug dosage. Both had neonatal thyrotoxicosis at birth.

Conclusions

Serial in utero ultrasonography measuring fetal thyroid size in mothers with Graves' disease can serve as an effective noninvasive tool for the early detection of enlarged fetal thyroid. These findings can be used to monitor the maternal antithyroid drug dosage, thereby preventing intrauterine hypothyroidism in some cases. When a dosage reduction does not cause a decrease in fetal thyroid size, transplacental passage of thyroid‐stimulating antibodies causing fetal thyrotoxicosis should be suspected. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Spreading process of the northern Mariana Trough: Rifting‐spreading transition at 22°N
Authors: Yamazaki Toshitsugu , Seama Nobukazu , Okino Kyoko , Kitada Kazuya , Joshima Masato , Oda Hirokuni , Naka Jiro
Published: September 2003

We have conducted a geophysical survey of the northern Mariana Trough from 19°N to 24°N. The trough evolves southward from incipient rifting to seafloor spreading within this region. This study aims to clarify the location and time of the rifting‐to‐spreading transition, which was controversial previously, and processes of seafloor spreading after the transition. The new data set includes swath bathymetry with side‐scan images and magnetic vector anomaly. The mantle Bouguer gravity anomaly (MBA) was calculated using the free‐air gravity anomaly from satellite altimetry. The rifting‐to‐spreading transition occurs at about 22°N, which is proved by seafloor‐spreading fabric in the bathymetry, clear magnetic lineations, and the bull's‐eye pattern in MBA. Four ridge segments separated by three nontransform discontinuities are recognized between 19°N and 22°N. The northernmost segment has relatively abundant magma supply compared with the other segments, which is estimated from a larger segment length, shallower axial depths with no rift valley, and lower MBA. The next segment to the south is, on the other hand, a magma‐starved segment with a prominent rift valley. Two anomalously deep grabens (called the Central Grabens) formed by amagmatic extension occur near the segment ends. The succession of magma‐rich, magma‐starved, and normal segments with increasing distance from the volcanic arc is the same as the observation in the Lau Basin reported by Martinez and Taylor [2002]. The magnetic anomaly revealed the detailed history of the spreading. The seafloor spreading between 19°N and 20°N began prior to 5 Ma, and that between 20°N and 21°30′N began at about 4 Ma. Spreading half‐rates in the western side of the spreading center were 2 to 3 cm/year before 2.58 Ma south of 21°30′N and during the Matuyama Chron north of 21°30′N, but an average during the Brunhes Chron is 1 cm/year or less. Orientations of the ridge axes, which range from −20° to 0° at present, have rotated about 20° clockwise since the start of the spreading. These changes in rate and direction might be associated with changes in the motion of the Philippine Sea plate. Spreading has been asymmetric in the northern Mariana Trough. The spreading rates of the western side of the spreading center have been significantly larger than the eastern counterpart in general. The asymmetry may have been caused by an interaction of mantle upwelling systems under the volcanic front and the backarc spreading center and would be a characteristic of backarc spreading.
Linear analysis of melt band formation by simple shear
Authors: Spiegelman Marc
Published: September 2003

Recent experiments by Holtzman et al. [2003] demonstrate that partially molten aggregates of many mantle materials undergoing simple shear (from ∼100–500% strain) will spontaneously develop localized melt‐rich bands. These bands develop at small strains but persist at low angles to the plane of shear (∼15–20°) even at large shear strains. The melt‐rich bands also appear to form localized weak regions that act as strain guides for the solid matrix flow. These experiments provide an opportunity to test the equations governing flow in deformable porous media developed by McKenzie [1984] and others. Here we present linear analysis of these equations for a solid with a porosity weakening viscosity undergoing simple shear. This analysis calculates the growth in porosity of a plane wave perturbation that initiates at an angle θ0 to the plane of shear after some amount of finite strain. For a strain of 300%, the maximum growing melt band initiates at 16.8° (but rotates to ∼70° in the linear analysis). We also calculate the additional solid shear induced by the localized weak regions and show that it develops a sense of shear consistent with observations only for melt bands less that 45°. These two results suggest that only low angle bands are favored under shear, consistent with the observations. The linear analysis, however, does not allow the porosity growth and shear to interact which causes the initially low angle bands to be rotated to higher angles by the background simple shear. To follow the further development of the bands requires solutions of the full nonlinear equations. Nevertheless, the linear analysis provides useful insights into the development of the shear bands and suggests that the theory is useful for describing partially molten systems.
Impacts of Columbia River discharge on salmonid habitat: 1. A nonstationary fluvial tide model
Authors: Kukulka Tobias , Jay David A.
Published: September 2003

This is the first part of a two‐part investigation that applies nonstationary time series analysis methods and the St. Venant equations to the problem of understanding juvenile salmonid access to favorable shallow‐water habitat in a tidal river. Habitat access is a function of river stage, tidal range, and the distribution of bed elevation. Part 1 models nonstationary tidal properties: species amplitudes and phases and tidal range. Part 2 models low‐frequency river stage in the Lower Columbia River and reconstructs historical water levels, using the tidal model from part 1. To incorporate the nonstationary frictional effects of variable river discharge into the tidal model, we decompose the tidal wave into tidal species and calculate daily tidal range. Our one‐dimensional tidal model is based on analytic wave solutions to the linearized St. Venant equation and uses six coefficients per tidal species to represent the upstream evolution of the frictionally damped tidal wave. The form of the coefficients is derived from the St. Venant equations, but their values are determined objectively from the data. About 50 station‐years of surface elevation data collected (1981–2000) below Bonneville Dam (235 km from the ocean) were processed with a wavelet filter bank to retrieve time series of tidal species properties. A min‐max filter was used to estimate daily tidal range. Tidal range, diurnal, and semidiurnal amplitudes were predicted with mean root mean square errors <30 mm, which is significantly more accurate than predictions obtained from harmonic analysis. Thus despite the compact form of our solution, we model nonstationary fluvial tidal properties with a high level of accuracy.
Three‐dimensional solar radiation effects on the actinic flux field in a biomass‐burning plume
Authors: Trentmann Jörg , Früh Barbara , Boucher Olivier , Trautmann Thomas , Andreae Meinrat O.
Published: September 2003

Three‐dimensional (3‐D) solar radiative transfer models describe radiative transfer under inhomogeneous atmospheric conditions more accurately than the commonly used one‐dimensional (1‐D) radiative transfer models that assume horizontal homogeneity of the atmosphere. Here results of 3‐D radiative transfer simulations for a biomass‐burning plume are presented and compared with local one‐dimensional (l‐1‐D) simulations, i.e., 1‐D simulations in every column of the model domain. The spatial distribution of the aerosol particles was derived from a 3‐D atmospheric transport simulation. We studied the impact of 3‐D radiative effects on the actinic flux within the plume center. The differences in the actinic flux between results from the 3‐D and the l‐1‐D simulations are considerable, ranging from −40% to more than +200%, depending on the wavelength, solar zenith angle, and the absorbing properties of the aerosol. The reason for this discrepancy is the neglect of horizontal photon transport in the 1‐D simulation. These large 3‐D effects on the actinic flux have the potential to influence significantly the in‐plume photochemistry.
The effect of unloading on protein synthesis in human skeletal muscle
Authors: Gamrin L. , Berg H.E. , Essén P. , Tesch P.A. , Hultman E. , Garlick P.J. , McNurlan M.A. , Wernerman And J.
Published: September 2003

Atrophy of skeletal muscle is observed in response to immobilization and lack of weight‐bearing. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of immobilization on muscle protein synthesis and associated biochemical parameters in skeletal muscle of healthy volunteers employing a standardized model of lower limb unloading. One leg was unloaded for 10 days, and percutaneous muscle biopsies were taken before and at the end of the unloading period. The capacity for protein synthesis, as reflected by the concentration of RNA, decreased by 16% (P < 0.05) although the fractional synthesis rate (FSR) of protein was not significantly changed after 10 days of unloading. Furthermore there was an increase in the concentration of the free branched chain amino acids in muscle by 48% (P < 0.05).
Distribution of Sympathetic and Afferent Neurones Innervating the Submandibular Gland in the Sheep
Authors: Arciszewski M. B. , Zacharko A.
Published: September 2003

The distribution of sympathetic and sensory neurones innervating the submandibular gland (SMG) in sheep was studied using retrograde tracing technique. The retrograde tracer Fast Blue (FB) was unilaterally injected into the SMG in five juvenile male sheep under general anaesthesia. After a 4‐week survival period, all the animals were reanaesthetized, perfused transcardially with 4% buffered paraformaldehyde and ganglia, which could be considered as a potential sources of sympathetic, and afferent innervation of the gland were bilaterally collected. The FB‐labelled sympathetic neurones were found in the ipsilateral superior and middle cervical ganglion. Many labelled neurones were distributed in the ipsilateral jugular and nodose ganglia of the vagus nerve and smaller numbers of the nerve cells were also found in ipsilateral C1–C3 dorsal root ganglia (DRG). No labelled neurones were observed in the ipsilateral stellate ganglion, trigeminal ganglion, C4–C8 DRG and in all contralateral ganglia. The present study revealed that the majority of sympathetic neurones projecting to the sheep SMG are found in the superior cervical ganglion but some of them are also distributed in the middle cervical ganglion. Most of the afferent neurones are located in the jugular and nodose ganglia of vagus nerve but C1–C3 DRG also comprise some of these nerve cells.
Alterations in leucocyte trafficking in lupus‐prone mice: an examination of the MRL/faslpr mouse
Authors: Hickey Michael J
Published: September 2003

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease involving inappropriate inflammatory responses in a wide range of organs. The recruitment of leucocytes to these sites of inflammation is one of the key events in the development of tissue injury in SLE. However, the mechanisms responsible for this aberrant recruitment are poorly understood. Several studies have demonstrated upregulation of endothelial adhesion molecule expression in tissue biopsies from SLE patients. However, the progression to analysis of the functional roles of these adhesion molecules has entailed the use of animal models of SLE. Much of this work has involved the use of the MRL/faslpr mouse model of systemic autoimmune disease. This mouse develops a systemic inflammatory disease with similarities to human SLE. This review summarizes work by our laboratory and others which have examined alterations in the mechanisms of leucocyte trafficking in the MRL/faslpr mouse. These experiments have revealed upregulation of key adhesion molecules, alterations in leucocyte–endothelial cell interactions and in some cases protective effects of deletion of endothelial adhesion molecules. From analysis of a range of microvasculatures in the MRL/faslpr mouse, it is becoming clear that the roles of specific adhesion molecules vary according to the tissue under analysis. Furthermore, analysis of MRL/faslpr mice with targeted deletions of specific adhesion molecules indicates that their roles in development and progression of disease can vary from having key contributions to the development of disease, to attenuating disease via as yet unidentified mechanisms.
Simultaneous choroidal melanoma and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment
Authors: Wilson Graham A , Clemett Richard S
Published: September 2003

A case is reported of a 30‐year‐old man who presented with the unusual combination of a unilateral inferonasal choroidal melanoma and an unassociated rhegmatogenous retinal detachment attributable to a large horseshoe tear in the superotemporal quadrant. Over 20 cases of simultaneous occurrence of these two phenomena have now been reported but this patient appears to be the youngest. The reports of this uncommon association are reviewed.
Periocular tumour of the follicular infundibulum
Authors: Hutchinson Kenneth W , Boulton Jonathan E , Sullivan Timothy J , Whitehead Kevin J
Published: September 2003

Tumour of the follicular infundibulum (TFI) is an uncommon, benign lesion of the skin adnexae. Four cases are reported of periocular TFI. In all cases a clinical diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma was made before surgery; however, histopathological examination revealed TFI. This is an epithelial tumour showing differentiation along the lines of the follicular infundibulum. Characteristic features are a shelf‐like proliferation of pale epithelial cells in the upper dermis, attachment to the epidermis and the upper portions of the pilosebaceous units, a dense border of elastic fibres, and palisading of the peripheral cell layer of the tumour plate. This benign tumour has not, to the authors’ knowledge, been reported in the ophthalmic literature. It has a non‐specific appearance and may be clinically misdiagnosed as naevus sebaceous, xanthoma, seborrhoeic keratosis, or basal cell carcinoma.
Prepapillary vascular loops
Authors: Romano Paul E
Published: September 2003

A case is reported of a 10‐year‐old girl with prepapillary vascular loops. These are normal blood vessels of excessive length, usually arterial, that project from the optic disc into the vitreous cavity. Stereoscopic photographs and fluorescein angiographs of the condition are presented.
Carotid dissection: a common cause of Horner's syndrome
Authors: Chan Colin CK , Paine Mark , O'Day Justin
Published: September 2003

Purpose: To highlight that internal carotid artery dissection is a common cause of Horner's syndrome and that it is important to diagnose dissection as anticoagulation can prevent carotid thrombosis and embolism.

Methods: Five case reports are presented of patients with Horner's syndrome secondary to carotid dissection. One patient had carotid dissection secondary to trauma, two had spontaneous dissections and two had dissections in the settings of other illness. A literature search was performed on carotid dissection as a cause of Horner's syndrome and its diagnosis and management.

Results: The case reports and literature highlight that dissection is under‐recognized as a cause of Horner's syndrome and can be missed. The investigation of choice is a magnetic resonance imaging and angiography scan of the head and neck. The treatment advocated is anticoagulation for 3–6 months.

Conclusion: Carotid dissection should be suspected in patients with Horner's syndrome, particularly if head or neck pain is present.
Proliferation of lens epithelial cells on the Acrysof intraocular lens: clinical and histological features of a case
Authors: Turner Angus , House Philip
Published: September 2003

Postoperative deposits on the surface of intraocular lenses (IOLs) have been demonstrated in vivo for many IOL material types. The Acrysof acrylic lens develops a granular material extending from the capsulorhexis margin onto the IOL's anterior surface during the first 4 weeks after surgery in a significant proportion of cases. Complete resolution of this membrane occurs by 3 months in almost all cases. The case is presented of an 81‐year‐old woman who had a persisting membrane covering the IOL surface at 6 months. This membrane was removed surgically and pathology showed the constituent cells to be of lens epithelial cell origin.
Visual outcomes for remote Australian Aboriginal people after cataract surgery
Authors: Hewitt Alex , Verma Nitin , Gruen Russell
Published: September 2003

Purpose: To assess the visual outcomes and quality of life after cataract surgery in Aboriginal people and compare them with a case‐matched population of non‐Aboriginal people living in remote and rural areas in the Top End of the Northern Territory.

Methods: Patients living in remote areas of the Top End of the Northern Territory who underwent cataract surgery between 1994 and 1999 were identified from records at the three major hospitals in the region. Eighty‐three patients were included in the study. Each patient underwent a complete ocular assessment and then was administered a standardized, field‐tested, 12‐item questionnaire concerning visual function. This was analyzed and the results of the Aboriginal and matched non‐Aboriginal populations compared.

Results: Sixty‐one Aboriginal and 22 non‐Aboriginal people from a total of 295 patients who underwent cataract surgery were included in the study. The two study groups were closely matched by sex, age at the time of surgery, time of follow up from surgery and the number who had undergone bilateral surgery. The median preoperative visual acuity for the Aboriginal group was 6/60 against 6/24 of the non‐Aboriginal group. After surgery, at the time of follow up, 26% of eyes in Aboriginal patients did not correct to 6/12 or better with pinhole approximation. Posterior capsule opacities were the most common principal postoperative cause for a deterioration of visual acuity in both groups. Postoperative trauma was a common cause for a low best‐corrected visual acuity in the Aboriginal group but not in the non‐Aboriginal group. The majority (75.5%) of Aboriginal patients were satisfied with their operated eyes. Patients who were dissatisfied all had a visual acuity worse than 6/36. Aboriginal patients reported worse visual function than did those in the non‐Aboriginal group.

Conclusions: Cataract surgery has a beneficial effect on the visual acuity and quality of life of Aboriginal and non‐Aboriginal people. As compared to their non‐Aboriginal counterparts, most Aboriginal people underwent surgery when they were legally blind, had a lower level of attained postoperative visual acuity and a high incidence of uncorrected refractive errors and posterior capsular opacification requiring laser capsulotomy. The positive impact of cataract surgery on the lives of the majority of Aboriginal patients is highlighted, as is the need for continued postoperative follow up.
Pars planitis: a comparison of childhood onset and adult onset disease
Authors: Guest Stephen , Funkhouser Elly , Lightman Susan
Published: September 2003

Purpose: To compare the symptoms, visual acuities and complications found in childhood onset pars planitis, with those seen in adult onset disease.

Method: The records of 26 patients (52 eyes) with idiopathic pars planitis seen at a tertiary care clinic were reviewed. The study design allowed comparison of follow‐up visual acuities for the adult onset and childhood onset groups at 2 years and 5 years from the time of initial diagnosis.

Results: The visual acuity at the time of initial diagnosis, at 2 years’ follow up and at 5 years’ follow up was worse for children than for adults, but this difference only reached statistical significance at 2 years’ follow up (6/10 vs 6/7; P = 0.026). When looking at correlation coefficients between age and acuity, the same trend was observed at all time intervals, only reaching statistical significance with initial visual acuities (r = 0.32; P = 0.019). Adults had a tendency to complain more at presentation of blurred vision and floaters than children. Complication rates were similar for both groups.

Conclusion: The study presents data supporting the idea that patients presenting with idiopathic pars planitis in childhood have a worse visual acuity both at initial diagnosis and at follow up than those presenting in adulthood. This is a long‐suspected finding that has not previously been demonstrated.
Two methods for predicting the multiaxial fatigue limits of sharp notches
Authors: SUSMEL L. , TAYLOR D.
Published: September 2003

In this paper the problem of the multiaxial fatigue limit estimation of sharply notched components has been addressed using two different methods: a critical distance method and a method involving modified Wöhler curves. These two methods had been previously developed by the authors, but required modification for use in conjunction with finite element stress analysis of sharply notched specimens subjected to multiaxial loadings. Initially, it was demonstrated mathematically that these methods are equivalent in terms of multiaxial stresses near the notch tip. Subsequently, by employing some well‐known uniaxial notch fatigue concepts, some assumptions have been made in order to extend the use of these methods to in‐phase multiaxial notch fatigue situations. Experimental data were obtained from tests conducted on V‐notched specimens subjected to in‐phase mixed Mode I and Mode II loadings. Both methods were successful in giving fatigue limit predictions with an error usually less than 15%. This is interesting because the two methods make quite different assumptions about the nature of fatigue crack growth in the vicinity of the notch.
Truth and validity in grounded theory – a reconsidered realist interpretation of the criteria: fit, work, relevance and modifiability
Authors: Lomborg Kirsten , Kirkevold Marit
Published: September 2003

Grounded theory is a frequently used approach in nursing research. Over the years the methodology has developed in different directions with ambiguous answers to questions of truth and validity. This ambiguity influences the interpretation of the criteria for quality judgement of grounded theories: fit, work, relevance and modifiability. In particular, the criterion fit seems to be caught in a vacuum between different epistemological and ontological positions. Fit can be interpreted either from a realist or from a nonrealist position but both present problems. A realist position is problematic if it insists on an immutable empirical world and ignores the social and psychological aspects of human life. A nonrealist position can either be argued to rely on hidden realist assumptions and therefore to be inconsistent, or it can be relativistic, opening up the possibility of ‘anything goes’ attitudes in research and solipsistic confirmations of the world view of researchers with little or misleading practical impact. A reconsideration of the realist position is suggested, in which validity is regulated by the social constructed reality ‘as it really is’. From this position fit is a matter of correspondence to facts in social reality. The criteria work, relevance and modifiability are argued to support the fitness of a theory, and to be useful in the broader evaluation of the quality of grounded theories.
A philosophy underlying excellence in teaching
Authors: Tabak Nili , Adi Livne , Eherenfeld Mali
Published: September 2003

This article discusses nursing education and changing paradigms of knowledge, emphasizing critical thinking, nursing praxis, and the place of the educator as a role model who provides knowledge, facilitates critical thinking, and teaches students how to cope with the knowledge. It interprets the connection between knowledge and power as a potential source of injustice and inequality in the student–teacher relationship; and tries to solve this problematic issue by annulling the differences in power. Examples from clinical areas are presented to illustrate differential power the educator‐teacher‐researcher has in different clinical areas.
Attempted suicide by elderly Chinese in Singapore
Authors: KUA Ee Heok , HONG Clarice
Published: September 2003

Background:  There is a paucity of data on attempted suicide by elderly people in Asian countries. The present paper compares suicide attempts of elderly and young Chinese living in Singapore.

Methods:  The present study was conducted in a general hospital from 1991 to 2000. All patients were interviewed by a psychiatrist and diagnoses were based on the 3rd edn (revised) of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (of Mental Health disorders) (DSM III R) or 4th edn of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (of Mental Health disorders) (DSM IV) classification. As well as demographic data, reasons for the suicide attempt and methods used were noted.

Results:  In the 10 years of the study there were 1568 young (64 years and younger) and 61 elderly (65 years and older) Chinese patients. The male to female ratio was the same in each group. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that the elderly were more likely to have ingested benzodiazepines (OR: 3.19, CI: 1.34–7.57, P = 0.009), to have a diagnosis of depression (OR: 464, CI: 1.94–11.10, P = 0.001) and to suffer from a physical illness than were the young (OR: 4.39, CI: 1.92–10.04, P = 0.000).

Conclusion:  The majority of Chinese elderly who attempted suicide had depression and were more likely to have been prescribed benzodiazepines than antidepressants. Prevention strategies in the future should include training programs for doctors to enable them to identify depression and treat depression effectively.
Correlation between functional assessment staging and the ‘Basic Age’ by the Binet scale supports the retrogenesis model of Alzheimer's disease: a preliminary study
Authors: SHIMADA Masumi , HAYAT Jabeen , MEGURO Kenichi , OO Thet , JAFRI Syed , YAMADORI Atsushi , FRANSSEN Emile H. , REISBERG Barry
Published: September 2003

Background:  In the progression of their disease, Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients have been observed to demonstrate various clinical features reminiscent of children. Based on behavioral, neurological and neuropathological findings, Reisberg et al. noted the relationships between development and dementia and proposed the ‘retrogenesis’ model.

Methods:  The functional assessment staging procedure (FAST) was used for assessment of functional ability, and the Tanaka–Binet intelligence scale (TB scale) was used to assess intellectual ability in 24 patients with moderate to severe AD.

Results:  Overall, there was a significant Spearman's correlation between the FAST stage and the basic age (BA) value (r = −0.85, P < 0.01). The BA by the TB scale was significantly different between FAST stages 5 and 6 to 7. The mean (standard error [SE]) BA values of FAST stages 5 and 6 were 4.2 (0.9) and 2.3 (0.7), respectively, the latter being significantly lower than the former (F = 10.2, P < 0.01 one‐way anova). The TB scale could not assess the BA of the FAST stage 7 patients because of floor effects.

Conclusion:  Although further investigation using larger samples would be needed, the findings support the general concordance of intellectual and functional decline in AD with the converse developmental acquisition of the same capacities, as hypothesized in the retrogenesis model.
Bundling and Menus of Two‐Part Tariffs
Authors: Kolay Sreya , Shaffer Greg
Published: September 2003

Inducing self‐selection among different segments of consumers is an important issue in pricing. Some firms induce self‐selection by offering a menu of two‐part tariffs (e.g., different rate plans) and letting consumers select the tariff and quantity they prefer. Other firms induce self‐selection by offering a menu of price‐quantity bundles (e.g., different package sizes) and letting consumers select only from among these bundles. We show that bundling is more profitable absent cost considerations. Social welfare may be higher or lower with bundling.
Order and Disorder in Product Innovation Models
Authors: Cunha Miguel Pina e , Gomes Jorge F.S.
Published: September 2003

This article argues that the conceptual development of product innovation models goes hand in hand with paradigmatic changes in the field of organization science. Remarkable similarities in the change of organizational perspectives and product innovation models are noticeable. To illustrate how changes in the organizational paradigm are being translated into changes in new product development (NPD) practices, five NPD models are presented: the sequential, compression, flexible, integrative and improvisational models. The evolution of product innovation management shows a move from planned and mechanistic, towards emergent and organic models. Such a process of re‐orientation poses several challenges that are presented in the form of six propositions: from universal to contingent models, from invariant to flexible practices, from avoiding risks to taking advantage of opportunities, from planning to learning, from exclusive teams to inclusive networks, from structure to structured chaos.
Thirsting for God in the Classroom: A Meditation on Psalm 42:1–8
Authors: Brown William P.
Published: September 2003

Abstract.  This brief meditation on teaching was shared at a gathering of mid‐career theological school teachers for a retreat in Scottsdale, Arizona. It draws upon the author's familiarity with the desert to provide a metaphoric exploration of the “desiccation and delight” that surprises us repeatedly in our classrooms and instructs us in humility and hope.
Teaching the Bible along the Devotional/Academic Faultline: An Incarnational Approach to the Quarrel between Love and Knowledge
Authors: Newell Roger
Published: September 2003

Abstract.  There seem to be two irreconcilable approaches to reading the Bible, and these often collide in an undergraduate's first college class in religion. Students from a devotional background find the scholarly approach a disappointment compared with their preferred way of reading. Yet upon closer examination the limits of an exclusively devotional way or an exclusively academic way soon become apparent. A way beyond this impasse is described as an incarnational approach, which seeks to honor the integrity of the literary, cultural, and historical features of the Bible while also taking seriously the personal faith of both student and instructor. This strategy is not original of course, but is a case study of a way in which the Christian tradition may address the quarrel between two competing ways of reading and turn it into a conversation.
The United Nations as a Vehicle for Dialogue
Authors: Smith Courtney B.
Published: September 2003

The United Nations (UN) proclaimed 2001 as the Year of Dialogue among Civilizations in an effort to examine how confrontation and hostility in world politics could be replaced by discourse and understanding. However, in the midst of this process the world was witness to the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Since terrorism represents the antithesis to dialogue, the UN's discussion of these issues became more urgent and focused. Two major documents were produced, but they do not explore adequately the United Nations’ potential role in regard to building dialogue. This article begins this undertaking by considering the UN as a forum for debate where different peoples of the world meet and as a catalyst for an ongoing process of interaction and change. In other words, serious thinking about the UN's role as a vehicle for dialogue requires appreciating both its passive and dynamic characteristics and functions.
S&P 500 Index Additions and Earnings Expectations
Authors: Denis Diane K. , McConnell John J. , Ovtchinnikov Alexei V. , Yu Yun
Published: September 2003

Stock price increases associated with addition to the S&P 500 Index have been interpreted as evidence that demand curves for stocks slope downward. A key premise underlying this interpretation is that Index inclusion provides no new information about companies' future prospects. We examine this premise by analyzing analysts' earnings per share (eps) forecasts around Index inclusion and by comparing postinclusion realized earnings to preinclusion forecasts. Relative to benchmark companies, companies newly added to the Index experience significant increases in eps forecasts and significant improvements in realized earnings. These results indicate that S&P Index inclusion is not an information‐free event.
Risk Management with Derivatives by Dealers and Market Quality in Government Bond Markets
Authors: Naik Narayan Y. , Yadav Pradeep K.
Published: September 2003

This paper investigates how bond dealers manage core business risk with interest rate futures and the extent to which market quality is affected by their selective risk taking. We observe that dealers use futures to take directional bets and hedge changes in their spot exposure. We find that, cross‐sectionally, a dealer with longer (shorter) risk exposure sells (buys) a larger amount of exposure the next day. However, this risk control takes place via the futures market and not the spot market. Finally, we find strong support for the price effects of capital constraints emphasized by Froot and Stein (1998).
An Empirical Analysis of Analysts' Target Prices: Short‐term Informativeness and Long‐term Dynamics
Authors: Brav Alon , Lehavy Reuven
Published: September 2003

Using a large database of analysts' target prices issued over the period 1997–1999, we examine short‐term market reactions to target price revisions and long‐term comovement of target and stock prices. We find a significant market reaction to the information contained in analysts' target prices, both unconditionally and conditional on contemporaneously issued stock recommendation and earnings forecast revisions. Using a cointegration approach, we analyze the long‐term behavior of market and target prices. We find that, on average, the one‐year‐ahead target price is 28 percent higher than the current market price.
mRNA Splicing Regulates Human Papillomavirus Type 11 E1 Protein Production and DNA Replication
Authors: Deng Wentao , Jin Ge , Lin Biing-Yuan , Van Tine Brian A. , Broker Thomas R. , Chow Louise T.
Published: September 2003

The papillomavirus replicative helicase E1 and the origin recognition protein E2 are required for efficient viral DNA replication. We fused the green fluorescent protein (GFP) to the human papillomavirus type 11 E1 protein either in a plasmid with the E1 coding region alone (nucleotides [nt] 832 to 2781) (pGFP-11E1) or in a plasmid containing both the E1 and E2 regions (nt 2723 to 3826) and the viral origin of replication (ori) (p11Rc). The former supported transient replication of an ori plasmid, whereas the latter was a self-contained replicon. Unexpectedly, these plasmids produced predominantly a cytoplasmic variant GFP or a GFP-E1^E4 protein, respectively. The majority of the mRNAs had an intragenic or intergenic splice from nt 847 to nt 2622 or from nt 847 to nt 3325, corresponding to the E2 or E1^E4 messages. pGFP-11E1dm and p11Rc-E1dm, mutated at the splice donor site, abolished these splices and increased GFP-E1 protein expression. Three novel, alternatively spliced, putative E2 mRNAs were generated in higher abundance from the mutated replicon than from the wild type. Relative to pGFP-11E1, low levels of pGFP-11E1dm supported more efficient replication, but high levels had a negative effect. In contrast, elevated E2 levels always increased replication. Despite abundant GFP-E1 protein, p11Rc-E1dm replicated less efficiently than the wild type. Collectively, these observations show that the E1/E2 ratio is as important as the E1 and E2 concentrations in determining the replication efficiency. These findings suggest that alternative mRNA splicing could provide a mechanism to regulate E1 and E2 protein expression and DNA replication during different stages of the virus life cycle.