bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Paternal age at birth and high-functioning autistic-spectrum
disorder in offspring
Authors: Tsuchiya Kenji J. , Matsumoto Kaori , Miyachi Taishi , Tsujii Masatsugu , Nakamura Kazuhiko , Takagai Shu , Kawai Masayoshi , Yagi Atsuko , Iwaki Kimie , Suda Shiro , Sugihara Genichi , Iwata Yasuhide , Matsuzaki Hideo , Sekine Yoshimoto , Suzuki Katsuaki , Sugiyama Toshirou , Mori Norio , Takei Nori
Published: September 2008

Background

Previous studies have reported the association between advanced paternal
age at birth and the risk of autistic-spectrum disorder in offspring,
including offspring with intellectual disability.

Aims

To test whether an association between advanced paternal age at birth is
found in offspring with high-functioning autistic-spectrum disorder (i.e.
offspring without intellectual disability).

Method

A case–control study was conducted in Japan. The participants consisted
of individuals with full-scale IQ ⩾ 70, with a DSM–IV autistic disorder
or related diagnosis. Unrelated healthy volunteers were recruited as
controls. Parental ages were divided into tertiles (i.e. three age
classes). Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using
logistic regression analyses, with an adjustment for age, gender and
birth order.

Results

Eighty-four individuals with autistic-spectrum disorder but without
intellectual disability and 208 healthy controls were enrolled. Increased
paternal, but not maternal, age was associated with an elevated risk of
high-functioning autistic-spectrum disorder. A one-level advance in
paternal age class corresponded to a 1.8-fold increase in risk, after
adjustment for covariates.

Conclusions

Advanced paternal age is associated with an increased risk for
high-functioning autistic-spectrum disorder.
Correlation and familial aggregation of dimensions of psychosis
in affected sibling pairs from China
Authors: Vassos Evangelos , Sham Pak C. , Cai Guiqing , Deng Hong , Liu Xiehe , Sun Xueli , Zhao Jinghua , Murray Robin M. , Collier David A. , Li Tao
Published: September 2008

Background

A number of studies with conflicting results have examined the
familiality of schizophrenia syndromes in Western populations.

Aims

The objective of this study was to determine, using clinical data from
concordant sibling pairs, whether symptom dimensions and other clinical
characteristics of schizophrenia show familial aggregation and are
therefore potentially useful traits in genetic studies.

Method

We measured clinical and demographic features, and symptom dimensions of
schizophrenia in 137 families from China who had two or more affected
members with schizophrenia. Within-sibling pair correlation was assessed
with intraclass correlation coefficient and kappa statistics.

Results

Global functioning, positive, disorganisation and dysphoric symptoms,
premorbid schizotypal and schizoid traits, premorbid social adjustment,
type and age at illness onset all showed significant evidence of familial
aggregation. DSM–IV schizophrenia subtypes were also found to be
familial.

Conclusions

This is the first study in a large non-European population to confirm
that schizophrenia dimensions and clinical characteristics show
significant familiality, implying possible heritability. This supports
their use in the delineation of homogeneous subsets for future genetic
studies.
Cognitive–behavioural therapy for health anxiety in a genitourinary medicine clinic: randomised controlled trial
Authors: Seivewright Helen , Green John , Salkovskis Paul , Barrett Barbara , Nur Ula , Tyrer Peter
Published: September 2008

Background

Little is known about the management of health anxiety and hypochondriasis in secondary care settings.

Aims

To determine whether cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) along with a supplementary manual was effective in reducing symptoms and health consultations in patients with high health anxiety in a genitourinary medicine clinic.

Method

Patients with high health anxiety were randomly assigned to brief CBT and compared with a control group.

Results

Greater improvement was seen in Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI) scores (primary outcome) in patients treated with CBT (n=23) than in the control group (n=26) (P=0.001). Similar but less marked differences were found for secondary outcomes of generalised anxiety, depression and social function, and there were fewer health service consultations. The CBT intervention resulted in improvements in outcomes alongside higher costs, with an incremental cost of £33 per unit reduction in HAI score.

Conclusions

Cognitive–behavioural therapy for health anxiety within a genitourinary medicine clinic is effective and suggests wider use of this intervention in medical settings.
Implementation of crisis resolution/home treatment teams in England: national survey 2005–2006
Authors: Onyett Steve , Linde Karen , Glover Gyles , Floyd Siobhan , Bradley Steven , Middleton Hugh
Published: September 2008

Aims and Method

To describe implementation of crisis resolution/home treatment (CRHT) teams in England, examine obstacles to implementation and priorities for development. We conducted an online survey followed by a telephone or face-to-face interview among 243 teams.

Results

Considerable progress has been made in implementation with a subset of teams demonstrating strong fidelity to the Department of Health's guidance, particularly in urban settings. However, only 40% of teams described themselves as fully established. Many teams reported a high assessment load, understaffing, limited multidisciplinary input and patchy fulfilment of their gate-keeping role.

Clinical Implications

Successful implementation of the CRHT teams as alternatives to hospital admission requires resources for home treatment out of hours, effective systems working among local services, stronger local understanding and advocacy of the teams' role.
The baffling multitude of disease models for the study of human disease – how can the scientist navigate the huge amount of data and receive guidance?
Authors: Chang Michael C. , Grieder Franziska B.
Published: September 2008

Funding from external sources is the lifeline for most biomedical research scientists. In the USA, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), composed of 27 institutes and centers, is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting medical research. One of these centers, the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) provides financial support and resources to clinical or translational scientists working to understand human disease. Through the Division of Comparative Medicine, the NCRR funds projects focused on the development and use of model organisms to understand, diagnose, prevent and treat disease. Here, officials within the NCRR’s Division of Comparative Medicine discuss some of the funding opportunities and resources available to researchers who use model organisms, and their perspectives on the future of model organism research.
The 3′ proximal translational enhancer of Turnip crinkle virus binds to 60S ribosomal subunits
Authors: Stupina Vera A. , Meskauskas Arturas , McCormack John C. , Yingling Yaroslava G. , Shapiro Bruce A. , Dinman Jonathan D. , Simon Anne E.
Published: September 2008

During cap-dependent translation of eukaryotic mRNAs, initiation factors interact with the 5′ cap to attract ribosomes. When animal viruses translate in a cap-independent fashion, ribosomes assemble upstream of initiation codons at internal ribosome entry sites (IRES). In contrast, many plant viral genomes do not contain 5′ ends with substantial IRES activity but instead have 3′ translational enhancers that function by an unknown mechanism. A 393-nucleotide (nt) region that includes the entire 3′ UTR of the Turnip crinkle virus (TCV) synergistically enhances translation of a reporter gene when associated with the TCV 5′ UTR. The major enhancer activity was mapped to an internal region of ∼140 nt that partially overlaps with a 100-nt structural domain previously predicted to adopt a form with some resemblance to a tRNA, according to a recent study by J.C. McCormack and colleagues. The T-shaped structure binds to 80S ribosomes and 60S ribosomal subunits, and binding is more efficient in the absence of surrounding sequences and in the presence of a pseudoknot that mimics the tRNA-acceptor stem. Untranslated TCV satellite RNA satC, which contains the TCV 3′ end and 6-nt differences in the region corresponding to the T-shaped element, does not detectably bind to 80S ribosomes and is not predicted to form a comparable structure. Binding of the TCV T-shaped element by 80S ribosomes was unaffected by salt-washing, reduced in the presence of AcPhe-tRNA, which binds to the P-site, and enhanced binding of Phe-tRNA to the ribosome A site. Mutations that reduced translation in vivo had similar effects on ribosome binding in vitro. This strong correlation suggests that ribosome entry in the 3′ UTR is a key function of the 3′ translational enhancer of TCV and that the T-shaped element contains some tRNA-like properties.
The Metasul metal-on-metal articulation in primary total hip replacement
Authors: Eswaramoorthy V. , Moonot P. , Kalairajah Y. , Biant L. C. , Field R. E.
Published: September 2008

We report the clinical and radiological outcome at ten years of 104 primary total hip replacements (100 patients) using the Metasul metal-on-metal bearing. Of these, 52 had a cemented Stuehmer-Weber polyethylene acetabular component with a Metasul bearing and 52 had an uncemented Allofit acetabular component with a Metasul liner. A total of 15 patients (16 hips) died before their follow-up at ten years and three were lost to follow-up. The study group therefore comprised 82 patients (85 hips).

The mean Oxford score at ten years was 20.7 (12 to 42). Six of 85 hips required revision surgery. One was performed because of infection, one for aseptic loosening of the acetabular component and four because of unexplained pain. Histological examination showed an aseptic lymphocytic vasculitis associated lesion-type tissue response in two of these. Continued follow-up is advocated in order to monitor the long-term performance of the Metasul bearing and tissue responses to metal debris.
Prognostic factors and outcome of treatment in Perthes’ disease
Authors: Wiig O. , Terjesen T. , Svenningsen S.
Published: September 2008

This nationwide prospective study was designed to determine prognostic factors and evaluate the outcome of different treatments of Perthes’ disease.

A total of 28 hospitals in Norway were instructed to report all new cases of Perthes’ disease over a period of five years and 425 patients were reported and followed for five years. Of these, 368 with unilateral disease were included in the present study. The hips were classified radiologically according to a modified two-group Catterall classification and the lateral pillar classification. A total of 358 patients (97%) attended the five-year follow-up, when a modified three-group Stulberg classification was used as a radiological outcome measure. For patients over six years of age at diagnosis and with more than 50% necrosis of the femoral head (152 patients), the surgeons at the different hospitals had chosen one of three methods of treatment: physiotherapy (55 patients), the Scottish Rite abduction orthosis (26), and proximal femoral varus osteotomy (71). Of these hips, 146 (96%) were available for the five-year follow-up.

The strongest predictor of outcome was femoral head involvement of more or less than 50% (odds ratio (OR) = 7.76, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.82 to 21.37), followed by age at diagnosis (OR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.92 to 0.99) and the lateral pillar classification (OR = 0.62, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.98). In children over six years at diagnosis with more than 50% of femoral head necrosis, proximal femoral varus osteotomy gave a significantly better outcome than orthosis (p = 0.001) or physiotherapy (p = 0.001). There was no significant difference between the physiotherapy and orthosis groups (p = 0.36), and we found no difference in outcome after any of the treatments in children under six years (p = 0.73).

We recommend proximal femoral varus osteotomy in children aged six years and over at the time of diagnosis with hips having more than 50% femoral head necrosis. The abduction orthosis should be abandoned in Perthes’ disease.
In vivo local administration of osteogenic protein-1 increases structural properties of the overstretched anterior cruciate ligament with partial midsubstance laceration
Authors: Hayashi R. , Kondo E. , Tohyama H. , Saito T. , Yasuda K.
Published: September 2008

We report the effects of local administration of osteogenic protein-1 on the biomechanical properties of the overstretched anterior cruciate ligament in an animal model. An injury in the anterior cruciate ligament was created in 45 rabbits. They were divided into three equal groups. In group 1, no treatment was applied, in group II, phosphate-buffered saline was applied around the injured ligament, and in group III, 12.5 μg of osteogenic protein-1 mixed with phosphate-buffered saline was applied around the injured ligament. A control group of 15 rabbits was assembled from randomly-selected injured knees from among the first three groups. Each rabbit was killed at 12 weeks.

The maximum load and stiffness of the anterior cruciate ligament was found to be significantly greater in group III than either group 1 (p = 0.002, p = 0.014) or group II (p = 0.032, p = 0.025). The tensile strength and the tangent modulus of fascicles from the ligament were also significantly greater in group III than either group I (p = 0.002, p = 0.0174) or II (p = 0.005, p = 0.022).

The application of osteogenic protein-1 enhanced the healing in the injured anterior cruciate ligament, but compared with the control group the treated ligament remained lengthened. The administration of osteogenic protein-1 may have a therapeutic role in treating the overstretched anterior cruciate ligament.
The surgical anatomy of the blood supply to the femoral head
Authors: Grose A. W. , Gardner M. J. , Sussmann P. S. , Helfet D. L. , Lorich D. G.
Published: September 2008

The inferior gluteal artery is described in standard anatomy textbooks as contributing to the blood supply of the hip through an anastomosis with the medial femoral circumflex artery. The site(s) of the anastomosis has not been described previously. We undertook an injection study to define the anastomotic connections between these two arteries and to determine whether the inferior gluteal artery could supply the lateral epiphyseal arteries alone. From eight fresh-frozen cadaver pelvic specimens we were able to inject the vessels in 14 hips with latex moulding compound through either the medial femoral circumflex artery or the inferior gluteal artery. Injected vessels around the hip were then carefully exposed and documented photographically.

In seven of the eight specimens a clear anastomosis was shown between the two arteries adjacent to the tendon of obturator externus. The terminal vessel arising from this anastomosis was noted to pass directly beneath the posterior capsule of the hip before ascending the superior aspect of the femoral neck and terminating in the lateral epiphyseal vessels. At no point was the terminal vessel found between the capsule and the conjoined tendon. The medial femoral circumflex artery receives a direct supply from the inferior gluteal artery immediately before passing beneath the capsule of the hip.

Detailed knowledge of this anatomy may help to explain the development of avascular necrosis after hip trauma, as well as to allow additional safe surgical exposure of the femoral neck and head.
Open medial dislocation of the ankle without fracture
Authors: Tarantino U. , Cannata G. , Gasbarra E. , Bondi L. , Celi M. , Iundusi R.
Published: September 2008

A 20-year-old man sustained an open medial dislocation of the ankle without an associated fracture after a low-energy inversion injury. Prompt debridement and reduction with primary wound closure of the skin were performed without suture of the capsule. Immobilisation in a non-weight-bearing cast for 30 days followed by ankle bracing for two weeks and subsequent physiotherapy, produced full functional recovery by three months. At follow-up at one year there was a full range of pain-free movement, although the radiographs and MR scan showed early post-traumatic degenerative change at the medial aspect of the tibiotalar and the calcaneocuboid joints.
Non-operative management of femoral neuropathy secondary to a traumatic iliacus haematoma in an adolescent
Authors: Patel A. , Calfee R. , Thakur N. , Eberson C.
Published: September 2008

Iliacus haematoma is a relatively rare condition, which may cause a local compressive neuropathy. It is usually diagnosed in adults with haemophilia or those on anticoagulation treatment and may occur after trauma. We present the case of a healthy 15-year-old boy with a femoral neuropathy due to an iliacus haematoma which resolved following conservative treatment.
Ultrastructural Localization of Integrin Subunits β4 and α3 Within the Migrating Epithelial Tongue of In Vivo Human Wounds
Authors: Underwood Robert A. , Carter William G. , Usui Marcia L. , Olerud John E.
Published: September 2008

Subsequent to wounding, keratinocytes must quickly restore barrier function. In vitro wound models have served to elucidate mechanisms of epithelial closure and key roles for integrins α6β4 and α3β1. To extrapolate in vitro data to in vivo human tissues, we used ultrathin cryomicrotomy to simultaneously observe tissue ultrastructure and immuno-gold localization in unwounded skin and acute human cutaneous wounds. Localization of the β4 integrin subunit in unwounded skin shows dominant hemidesmosomal association and minor basal keratinocyte lateral filopodic cell–cell expression. After wounding, β4 dominantly localized to cytokeratin-rich regions (trailing edge hemidesmosomes) and minor association with lamellipodia (leading edge). β4 colocalizes with α3 within filopodia juxtaposed to wound matrix, and increased concentrations of β4 were found in cytoplasmic vesicles within basal keratinocytes of the migrating tongue. α3 integrin subunit dominantly localized to filopodia within basal keratinocyte lateral cell–cell interfaces in unwounded skin and both cell–cell and cell–matrix filopodic interactions in wounded skin. This study indicates that β4 interacts with the extracellular environment through both stable and transient interactions and may be managed through a different endosomal trafficking pathway than α3. α3 integrin, despite its ability to respond to alternate ligands after wounding, does so through a single structure, the filopodia.
Indentation-induced phase transformations in silicon as a function of history of unloading
Authors: Fujisawa N. , Keikotlhaile R.T. , Bradby J.E. , Williams J.S.
Published: September 2008

A crystalline silicon surface, loaded by a Berkovich indenter to a constant maximum load, was unloaded using three unload functions, each consisting of five linear segments of equal time period. The first function had an exponentially decaying unload rate and was found to promote a pop-out event more readily than the second function, having a linear unload rate, or the third case with its unload rate increasing with time. Statistical analyses of experimental data suggest that the unload rate within 20%–30% of the maximum load, when the mean contact pressure in the indent volume is roughly 5 to 6 GPa, is the most dominant factor influencing the probabilistic occurrence of a pop-out event. Unload rates at higher load levels were shown to have a much less significant effect on the probability of pop-out occurrence.
Retardation of cyclic indentation creep exhibited in metal alloys
Authors: Wei Pal Jen , Wang Yun Che , Lin Jen Fin
Published: September 2008

Depth penetration per cycle and its retardation exhibited in specimens of 6061 Al were studied. By holding the maximum load reached during loading prior to cyclic oscillating, the creep could be effectively attenuated from the cyclic indentation. Constant depth penetration of sub-nanometers per cycle was found. The interrupt segments with different amplitudes (over- and underloading) or frequencies (frequency increasing and decreasing), but with same mean load, induced immediate retardations of cyclic indentation. As the interrupt segments have more than 10 cycles, the retardation is enhanced with the increase of cycle number. Accumulation of strain hardening due to stress concentration under the indenter tip is proposed to be the mechanism by which interrupt oscillation retards subsequent cyclic indentation.
Synthesis of tungsten oxide comblike nanostructures
Authors: Hong Kunquan , Xie Maohai , Hu Rong , Wu Huasheng
Published: September 2008

Tungsten oxide comblike nanostructures were synthesized using a two-step thermal evaporation method. The first step involving high reactor pressure and temperature was to synthesize the cores of the comb structures, upon which the teeth of the comb were grown in the second step using low operation pressures and temperatures. The teeth of the comb structure are well aligned and vertical to the side surfaces of the cores. The effects of growth parameters were examined, and the growth mechanism was investigated.
Interfacial adhesion and friction of pyrolytic carbon thin films on silicon substrates
Authors: Deyneka-Dupriez N. , Herr U. , Fecht H-J. , Pfrang A. , Schimmel Th. , Reznik B. , Gerthsen D.
Published: September 2008

Frictional behavior and interfacial adhesion of differently textured pyrolytic carbon layers on Si substrate were investigated by indentation and scratch testing. A large amount of elastic recovery and a low coefficient of friction (μ = 0.05 to 0.09) were observed. Elastic/plastic and frictional behaviors of the coatings are strongly influenced by the microstructure of the pyrolytic carbon films, especially by the texture. The critical load at which the first abrupt increase in the normal displacement occurs was used to characterize interfacial adhesive strength. A pyrolytic carbon film deposited at higher residence time from a gas mixture containing 3% oxygen exhibited higher critical loads than film deposited at lower residence time without oxygen. The results can be understood if one assumes that the gas phase composition during deposition significantly influences the bonding strength at the interface. Failure mechanisms are discussed for both types of films.
Topography analysis of grit-blasted and grit-blasted-acid-etched titanium implant surfaces using multi-scale measurements and multi-parameter statistics
Authors: Sosale Guruprasad , Hacking S. Adam , Vengallatore Srikar
Published: September 2008

Micro texturing of titanium implant surfaces is commonly used to enhance fixation by osseointegration, and devising robust and specific correlations between surface topographic features and implant performance is an area of active current research. In this context, we present a detailed analysis of the topographies of titanium surfaces prepared by grit blasting (GB) and grit blasting followed by acid etching (GB+AE) at two different imaging scales over a full range of statistical parameters. The surfaces were characterized using white light interferometry and atomic force microscopy, and the topographic images were processed to extract the amplitude, spatial, hybrid, and functional parameters of the surface. Although GB+AE surfaces are known to elicit significantly higher bone response than GB surfaces, the topographies differed by less than 20% (over all parameters) when averaged over 242 × 181 μm interferometric images. In contrast, measurements over smaller 25 × 25 μm areas obtained using high-resolution atomic force microscopy indicated that the GB+AE surfaces exhibit a 26% increase in root-mean-square (rms) roughness, a 63% increase in rms slope, a 75% increase in the curvature of the summits, and a 21% increase in surface area over GB surfaces. These results constitute the first identification of rms slope and summit curvatures as important topographic variables that must be considered in ongoing efforts to correlate surface topography with the performance of endosseous titanium implants.
Facile synthesis of size-tunable lanthanum phosphate nanocrystals monodispersible in both organic and aqueous solutions
Authors: Li Jingbo , Bu Wenbo , Guo Limin , Chen Zhenxing , Chen Feng , Shi Jianlin
Published: September 2008

A facile one-pot synthetic approach, using oleic acid and oleylamine as composite stabilizers combined with high-temperature treatment in 1-octadecene, has been developed for the preparation of monodisperse and uniform lanthanum phosphate and europium-doped lanthanum phosphate nanocrystals. In particular, with the present synthetic approach, the size of the resulting nanocrystals could be tuned precisely and continuously from 3.5 to 6.5 nm by seed-mediated epitaxial growth. The as-obtained uniform nanocrystals with hydrophobic surfaces, which show efficient photoluminescence, could be easily dispersed in nonpolar solvents. More importantly, these nanocrystals can also be easily modified to water-dispersed ones with hydrophilic surfaces for potential use in in vitro imaging in bioanalysis. In addition, a synthetic mechanism for these monodisperse nanocrystals is presented and discussed.
Qualidade da assistência ao trabalho de parto pelo Sistema Único de Saúde, Rio de Janeiro (RJ), 1999-2001
Authors: Oliveira Maria Inês Couto de , Dias Marcos Augusto Bastos , Cunha Cynthia B , Leal Maria do Carmo
Published: September 2008

OBJETIVO: A qualidade da assistência ao trabalho de parto tem sido reconhecida na prevenção de complicações obstétricas que podem levar à morbi-mortalidade materna, perinatal e neonatal. O objetivo do estudo foi analisar a qualidade da assistência ao trabalho de parto segundo o risco gestacional e tipo de prestador. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal de observação da assistência ao trabalho de parto de 574 mulheres, selecionadas por amostra estratificada em 20 maternidades do Sistema Único de Saúde do Rio de Janeiro (RJ), entre 1999 e 2001. A qualidade da assistência foi analisada segundo o risco gestacional e o tipo de prestador. Utilizaram-se procedimentos estatísticos de análise de variância e de diferença de proporções. RESULTADOS: Do total da amostra, 29,6% das gestantes foram classificadas como de risco. Apesar da hipertensão ser a causa mais importante de morte materna no Brasil, a pressão arterial não foi aferida em 71,6% das gestantes durante a observação no pré-parto. Em média foram feitas cinco aferições por parturiente, sendo o menor número nos hospitais conveniados privados (média de 2,9). Quanto à humanização da assistência, observou-se que apenas 21,4% das parturientes tiveram a presença de acompanhante no pré-parto, 75,7% foram submetidas à hidratação venosa e 24,3% à amniotomia. O único tipo de cuidado que variou segundo o risco obstétrico foi a freqüência da aferição da pressão arterial, em que as gestantes de risco foram monitoradas o dobro de vezes em relação às demais (média de 0,36 x 0,18 aferições/h respectivamente, p=0,006). CONCLUSÕES: De modo geral, as gestantes de baixo risco são submetidas a intervenções desnecessárias e as de alto risco não recebem cuidado adequado. Como conseqüência, os resultados perinatais são desfavoráveis e as taxas de cesariana e de mortalidade materna são incompatíveis com os investimentos e a tecnologia disponível.
Georeferenced data in epidemiologic research
Authors: Werneck Guilherme Loureiro
Published: September 2008

This paper reviews some conceptual and practical issues regarding the application of georeferenced data in epidemiologic research. Starting with the disease mapping tradition of geographical medicine, topics such as types of georeferenced data, implications for data analysis, spatial autocorrelation and main analytical approaches are heuristically discussed, relying on examples from the epidemiologic literature, most of them concerning mapping disease distribution, detection of disease spatial clustering, evaluation of exposure in environmental health investigation and ecological correlation studies. As for concluding remarks, special topics that deserve further development, including the misuses of the concept of space in epidemiologic research, issues related to data quality and confidentiality, the role of epidemiologic designs for spatial research, sensitivity analysis and spatiotemporal modeling, are presented.
O impacto da saúde bucal na qualidade de vida de crianças infectadas pelo HIV: revisão de literatura
Authors: Buczynski Ana Karla , Castro Glória Fernanda , Souza Ivete Pomarico Ribeiro de
Published: September 2008

Em busca de uma melhora da saúde de pacientes sistemicamente comprometidos e um maior entendimento do impacto de doenças nas suas vidas, grande interesse tem sido dado à qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde, principalmente em crianças com doenças crônicas. Neste sentido, a qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde bucal tem sua importância haja vista que a mesma é um componente indissociável da saúde geral e também pela relevância dos problemas orais na vida destes pacientes. Assim, a avaliação de qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde bucal em pacientes infantis infectados pelo HIV pode ser de grande relevância uma vez que estas apresentam alta prevalência de doença cárie e periodontal, além da presença de manifestações orais da própria infecção pelo vírus. Dessa forma, o objetivo deste artigo é, através de uma revisão de literatura, apresentar alguns conceitos relacionados à qualidade de vida e utilização de instrumentos de avaliação da mesma, bem como analisar o impacto da saúde bucal na qualidade de vida de crianças infectadas pelo HIV.
Adesão a um programa de atenção à saúde bucal para crianças e adolescentes infectados pelo HIV e atitude dos responsáveis
Authors: Machado Fernanda Campos , Souza Ivete Pomarico Ribeiro de , Tura Luiz Fernando Rangel , Castro Glória Fernanda
Published: September 2008

O estudo avaliou a adesão a um Programa de Atenção à Saúde Bucal (PASB) por crianças e adolescentes infectados pelo HIV, bem como a atitude de seus responsáveis quanto a cuidados em relação à saúde bucal. Foram entrevistados 58 responsáveis que acompanhavam crianças e adolescentes HIV+ nas consultas médicas de rotina no ambulatório de aids, os quais foram indagados sobre os dados pessoais, adesão ao PASB ou a outros serviços odontológicos e atitudes quanto aos cuidados bucais. Aproximadamente 70% dos responsáveis disseram que a criança participava do PASB; entretanto, 20% delas não retornavam às consultas de prevenção quando solicitadas, e este retorno era menor quando os responsáveis não eram os próprios pais (p=0,036). A adesão desta população ao tratamento odontológico fora do PASB foi pequena, visto que 48% dos responsáveis relataram que a criança não concluiu o tratamento quando este não foi realizado no PASB. A atitude dos responsáveis em relação aos cuidados bucais das crianças HIV+ também não foi considerada satisfatória. Desta forma, ressalta-se a importância da inserção do odontopediatra em equipes multidisciplinares que atendem crianças e adolescentes HIV+, bem como da divulgação deste serviço para os familiares e para todas as equipes médicas envolvidas com estes pacientes.
Conhecimento da população de Viçosa, MG, sobre as formas de transmissão da aids
Authors: Lima Marcela Miranda , Carlos Jaqueline , Areal Rômulo Braga , Souza Rodrigo José Silva , Lima Swiany Silveira , Campos Lucio Antonio de Oliveira , Eisenlohr Pedro Vasconcellos , Filardi Michelle Picinin
Published: September 2008

A aids é um dos mais graves problemas de saúde pública atuais e uma importante forma de prevenção reside no conhecimento, por parte da população, das formas de transmissão da doença. Com o objetivo de avaliar o grau de conhecimento da população da cidade de Viçosa em relação às formas de transmissão da aids, foram aplicados 376 questionários, com onze perguntas de múltipla escolha sobre as formas de transmissão da aids, bem como sexo, idade e escolaridade dos entrevistados. Os dados mostraram que as formas de transmissão enfatizadas pelas campanhas de saúde estão bem assimiladas, enquanto situações do cotidiano que não oferecem risco apresentaram elevado número de respostas incorretas. As diferenças encontradas entre os sexos não foram significativas. Quando os dados foram estratificados por idade e escolaridade, foram encontradas diferenças significativas para algumas perguntas em que as pessoas com mais de 55 anos e de menor escolaridade apresentaram maior número de respostas incorretas. Pode-se concluir que a população viçosense conhece as principais formas de transmissão da aids, mas uma parte desconhece a ausência de risco de algumas atividades cotidianas. Esses dados podem ser usados para a elaboração de campanhas de esclarecimento visando à redução do preconceito.
Aspectos históricos do feminino e do maternal e a infecção pelo HIV em mulheres
Authors: Carvalho Fernanda Torres de , Piccinini Cesar Augusto
Published: September 2008

O presente artigo teve por objetivo examinar aspectos históricos ligados ao feminino e ao maternal, buscando ampliar a compreensão sobre a maternidade no contexto da infecção pelo HIV/aids. Apresenta-se uma revisão do papel da mulher ao longo da história, demonstrando a dissociação histórica do feminino dividido entre a mãe, digna de respeito e consideração, e a prostituta, marginalizada e desrespeitada. Nesse contexto, discutem-se as doenças sexualmente transmissíveis e as reações sociais diante destas infecções em mulheres e, em especial, a questão da maternidade no contexto de HIV/aids. Destaca-se a presença de crenças sociais historicamente construídas a respeito dos comportamentos femininos como fatores que dificultam a efetiva prevenção de DST/HIV/aids em mulheres, o que indica a necessidade de reflexão quanto às estratégias de prevenção e assistência.
As arranhaduras da masculinidade: uma discussão sobre o toque retal como medida de prevenção do câncer prostático
Authors: Gomes Romeu , Nascimento Elaine Ferreira do , Rebello Lúcia Emília Figueiredo de Sousa , Araújo Fábio Carvalho de
Published: September 2008

O presente estudo tem por objetivo analisar os sentidos atribuídos ao toque retal, buscando refletir acerca de questões subjacentes a falas masculinas a partir de aspectos do modelo hegemônico de masculinidade. O método do estudo baseia-se numa abordagem de pesquisa qualitativa, através de entrevistas semi-estruturadas, com 28 homens, realizadas na cidade do Rio de Janeiro, em 2004. Dentre os principais resultados, destaca-se a idéia de que o exame do toque retal pode suscitar interdições e violações, podendo ser percebido como algo que compromete o que se entende comumente por ser homem; ou seja, o toque retal não toca apenas a próstata, mas também toca na masculinidade, podendo arranhá-la. Conclui-se que, para a compreensão e problematização das questões sobre a prevenção do câncer prostático, em específico, e as relacionadas ao cuidar de si masculino, em geral, se faz necessário levar em consideração os aspectos estruturais e simbólicos que perpassam tais questões.
Diurnal variation in phagocytic activity of splenic phagocytes in freshwater teleost Channa punctatus: melatonin and its signaling mechanism
Authors: Roy Brototi , Singh Rajeev , Kumar Sunil , Rai Umesh
Published: September 2008

The aim of the present study was to understand the rhythmic changes in innate immune response in freshwater fish Channa punctatus. Furthermore, the putative role of melatonin as the zeitgeber was explored. The phagocytic activity of splenic phagocytes assessed at 6-h intervals showed higher phagocytic activity during light phase than dark phase. The increased phagocytic activity during light phase was diminished by melatonin administration at 09:00 h. Implication of melatonin in control of diurnal variation in phagocytic activity was substantiated by administering irreversible tryptophan hydroxylase inhibitor, para-chlorophenylalanine (pCPA) at 18:00 h. pCPA abrogated the decrease of phagocytosis observed during dark phase, and the same was restored after melatonin administration. The direct involvement of melatonin in modulation of phagocytosis was demonstrated following in vitro experiments. Melatonin suppressed the phagocytic activity in a concentration-dependent manner without affecting the viability of phagocytes. The existence of functional membrane-bound melatonin receptors on fish phagocytes was pharmacologically demonstrated. Luzindole, melatonin membrane receptor antagonist, completely blocked the inhibitory effect of melatonin on phagocytosis. Further receptor-coupled adenylate cyclase–protein kinase A (PKA) pathway was implicated in transducing the melatonin effect as both adenylate cyclase and PKA inhibitor completely nullified the melatonin-induced suppression. An increased intracellular cAMP level in response to melatonin ascertained the second messenger status of cAMP for downstream signaling. However, manipulation of phospholipase C/PKC failed to influence the effect of melatonin on phagocytic activity. These observations in C. punctatus evidenced the diurnal rhythmicity in phagocytic activity that is regulated by melatonin following membrane-bound receptor-coupled cAMP-PKA pathway.
The Effects of Borage Oil Supplementation on Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Requirements in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Kumar Pradeep , Strang Andrea , Ho Meilin , Maple Christine , Radederstoff Daniel , Morley Kenneth , Belch Jill
Published: September 2008

Objective: Dietary supplementation with evening primrose oil and fish oils have been shown to be beneficial in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We investigated whether dietary supplementation with borage(starflower) oil could be substituted for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), without exacerbation/worsening of clinical measures of disease activity in patients with RA.Methods: 28 patients were enrolled in the study. 14 patients received GLA-containing oil and 14 placebo. Patients were reviewed at 4, 12, 24 and 36 weeks and asked to gradually reduce their NSAID dose only if this did not exacerbate RA symptoms. Disease activity was assessed clinically using the Ritchie articular index (RAI), grip strength, duration of morning stiffness, 10cm visual analogue pain scale and subjective response. Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) and C - reactive protein (CRP) were measured also.Results: Patient-centered outcomes were improved on active treatment, with a significant reduction in pain (p=0.0013, students 2-tailed t-test), improvement in well being (Pearson Chi Square 6.8, p=0.032; likelihood-ratio Chi Square 7.2, p=0.027). There was a trend towards reduced NSAID requirement in the borage oil group (p=0.066, students 2-tailed t-test).Conclusion: This study suggests that Borage oil does has a beneficial effect on controlling pain.
“ALL PROPAGATED WITH THE BEST Intentions”: Greene, THE Us, AND INDOCHINA 1951–1955
Authors: Gibson Andrew
Published: September 2008

Graham Greene’s The Quiet American is an “epochal novel.” It announces the inception of a new epoch at a decisive historical moment: on March 15, 1954, US National Security Council Directive 5412 came into force. NSC 5412 more or less coincided with the onset of the Cold War and made a political imperative of the absolute deniability of covert actions. It thereby ushered in a specifically modern form of innocence. Greene’s novel is about an early version of that innocence. Modern innocence conceals the “principle of implosion” according to which ferocious opposites reverse into one another. Greene gives us his own version of implosion, the collapse of any private moral space putatively valorizable apart from global antagonisms. Modern innocence might seem principally identifiable with the Cold War era. However, Orwell’s analysis of doublethink gives the concept larger scope, as do Le Carré’s masterful analyses of its persistence in post-1997 British culture.
Incomplete Archived Data of Intelligent Transportation Systems for Calculation of Annual Average Traffic Statistics
Authors: Turner Shawn , Park Eun Sug
Published: September 2008

Some transportation planning and traffic operations–intelligent transportation system (ITS) groups are cooperating on data-sharing initiatives, including the use of archived ITS data for planning statistics. However, conventional procedures for the calculation of annual average traffic statistics need to be updated to accommodate the incomplete nature of archived ITS data. The effects of various missing data patterns on several existing and modified annual average statistic calculation procedures were tested. Five locations were chosen for the study: two urban Interstate highways with significant commuter traffic, one urban parkway with commuter traffic and recreational trips, and two rural roads with pronounced seasonal patterns. A complete year of data was obtained for each study location; then missing data patterns (as identified from an empirical study) were simulated by randomly or systematically removing data. At urban locations in which commuter traffic dampens seasonality patterns, a significant amount of missing data (up to 8 months of consecutive missing data) can be tolerated with little to no effect on annual average traffic statistics. All calculation procedures provided similar results at the urban locations. For the two rural locations, 1 month of missing data still resulted in tolerable error for most procedures, whereas 2 months of missing data were close to or exceeded tolerable error levels for most procedures. Modifications of conventional calculation procedures (that account for small gaps in data on a daily basis) are better suited to archived ITS data.
Nonparametric Method to Examine Changes in Traffic Volume Pattern during Holiday Periods
Authors: Liu Zhaobin , Sharma Satish
Published: September 2008

Rising standards of living and the trend toward shorter working weeks have led to significant changes in traffic volume during holiday periods. The challenge of holiday traffic has been reported worldwide in the literature. A comprehensive understanding of the changes in traffic volume pattern associated with holiday events is critical to many transportation engineering aspects such as traffic control; signal timing; road safety; and traffic volume monitoring, imputation, and prediction. However, existing research focusing on holiday traffic has been very limited to date, and the efforts made have generally been limited to a particular holiday period or a specific recreational area. A nonparametric hypothesis test method was used to examine the changes in traffic volume patterns caused by holidays. The data used in this study were traffic volumes collected from Canadian highway networks over the past 20 years. To illustrate the application and effectiveness of the proposed method, in-depth investigations were carried out with respect to the variation of both weekly and daily volumes during 12 Canadian holiday periods. The test results showed that, for various types of roads, this method is effective and easy to understand. Moreover, the outputs were informative and reasonable. This method also may be a useful tool to examine the variation characteristics of traffic during other special time periods.
Consideration of Weather Conditions to Estimate Missing Traffic Data
Authors: Datla Sandeep , Sharma Satish
Published: September 2008

Estimating missing traffic data is an essential task for transportation agencies. Several imputation methods have been developed in the literature to estimate the missing traffic volumes. However, none have considered the variation in traffic patterns caused by severe winter weather conditions. Highway traffic volumes are highly influenced by weather conditions; therefore, a detailed investigation was carried out to develop relationships between weather and highway traffic volumes and to use them for reliable estimation of missing traffic volumes. The study was based on hourly traffic data from permanent traffic counter sites located on provincial highways of Alberta, Canada, using 11 years of data from 1995 to 2005. Weather data were obtained from Environment Canada weather stations located within 10 mi of the chosen permanent traffic counter sites. Cold and snowfall represented the winter conditions. Multiple regression analysis was used to develop relationships between hourly traffic volumes, categorized cold, and total snowfall. The study models showed a strong association between traffic volumes and weather conditions. Weekend traffic was more susceptible to weather than weekday traffic. In cases of extreme cold (≤25°C), the peak hours experienced fewer reductions in traffic (6% to 13%) than off-peak hours (10% to 17%). The amount of reduction in traffic volume caused by each centimeter of snowfall varied from 0.5% to 2.0%. The traffic–weather relationships developed were used to estimate missing hourly volumes. The errors were 30% to 75% less than the traditional methods used by highway agencies.
Amending the Incentive for Strategic Bias in Stated Preference Studies
Authors: Lu Hui , Fowkes Tony , Wardman Mark
Published: September 2008

Stated preference (SP) methods have been used extensively in transport research and elsewhere, both to forecast demand and to value the importance attached to different product features and travel attributes. Before introducing new or refurbished rolling stock as part of their franchises, British Train Operating Companies (TOCs) have often carried out SP surveys to investigate passenger preferences and to test whether the improvement of the fleet and services is enough to recover the cost through increased fares and patronage and thus to evaluate the costs and benefits of this investment. The rolling stock value derived from SP results is used not only for welfare appraisal and pricing but also for rail demand forecasting. Alongside the broader acceptance and wider application of SP methods, some practitioners have argued for greater openness in discussing what they have seen as significant concerns surrounding SP. The issue of the strategic biasing of SP responses was specifically addressed by examining the incentive compatibility of SP responses related to task complexity and the presence of specific antibias warnings in the questionnaire. Methods to amend incentive to bias were suggested. Adding cheap talk script reduces the overestimation of valuation of improved rolling stock in the case study; however, bias may remain. Adding more attributes to the SP experiment does not show a significant impact on the estimation bias, but contributes to a higher error variance in responses.
Collecting Commercial Vehicle Tour Data with Passive Global Positioning System Technology
Authors: Greaves Stephen P. , Figliozzi Miguel A.
Published: September 2008

The assessment of strategies designed to manage the continued growth in road-based freight and associated externalities has been hampered by a paucity of disaggregate data on commercial vehicle movements. When disaggregated data are available, the analysis of commercial vehicle route and trip chain structure can provide insightful information about urban commercial vehicle tours, travel patterns, and congestion levels. Over the past 15 years, the ability to collect detailed travel information has been expanded by developments in global positioning system (GPS) technology. In mid-2006, a GPS survey of commercial vehicles was piloted in Melbourne, Australia, to support a major update of freight data and modeling capabilities in the metropolitan region. The survey used passive GPS methods in which the truck driver's involvement in the data collection effort was minimal. The contributions of this research to the field of urban freight data collection were fourfold: (a) describing implementation issues with the data collection, (b) detailing the algorithms used to process the raw GPS data into meaningful travel and trip information, (c) presenting a discussion of pilot survey data tour results, and (d) discussing potential uses and limitations of GPS technology in urban freight modeling and planning. Despite processing challenges, GPS provides an appealing method to enrich commercial vehicle data collection and enhance our understanding of on-road behavior. Because increasing numbers of commercial vehicles become equipped with GPS receivers, only privacy concerns remain as a major barrier to gathering and using such data on a widespread basis in the future.