bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A case of living‐related renal transplant from the donor with membranous nephropathy
Authors: Akioka Kiyokazu , Okamoto Masahiko , Ushigome Hidetaka , Nobori Shuji , Suzuki Tomoyuki , Sakai Kazuki , Sakamoto Seisuke , Urasaki Koji , Yanagisawa Akio , Fukatsu Atsushi , Yoshimura Norio
Published: July 2009

Abstract:  Introduction:  When a patient who had renal replacement therapy becomes older, an elder donor candidate may be considered as a potential donor for living‐related transplantation. Elder donor candidate might have pre‐existing disease including mild renal dysfunction, such as proteinuria. Marginally appropriate donors might be considered for renal graft because of the shortage of donors. A successful outcome after kidney transplantation from a living‐related donor diagnosed as membranous nephropathy is reported.

Case report:  A 38‐yr‐old male had been on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) since the age of 37. His 63‐yr‐old father had mild proteinuria, and had been diagnosed with membranous nephropathy by needle biopsy at the age of 60. However, renal function of the father was found to be stable for three yr in a preoperative examination for donor; the father had normal renal function except for mild proteinuria. After adequate informed consent, we transplanted a kidney from the father, diagnosed with membranous nephropathy, to his son with a cyclosporine A‐based immunosuppression regimen. In both the recipient and the donor, postoperative course was stable without complication such as rejection or infection. At 57 months after transplantation, the serum creatine level was 1.7 mg/dL in the recipient and 1.2 mg/dL in the donor. At 39 months after transplantation, allograft needle biopsy showed mild spike formation with partial thickening of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM). Decreases in electron‐dense deposits and electron‐lucent washout lesions with thickening of the GBM were observed using electron microscopy. This was diagnosed as Stage IV membranous nephropathy, showing clearance of the immune complexes and histological repair of the GBM.

Conclusion:  Donation of the kidney did not affect the residual renal function of the father with membranous nephropathy. Pre‐existing membranous nephropathy itself might show remission after transplantation in the recipient. However, long‐term careful observation for both the donor and recipient is required.
A case of acute rejection with adenovirus infection after ABO‐incompatible kidney transplantation
Authors: Komiya Toshiyuki , Goto Norihiko , Takeda Asami , Horike Keiji , Onoda Hiroshi , Sakai Kaoru , Kitamura Ken , Yamamoto Keiko , Oikawa Tadashi , Nagasaka Takaharu , Hiramitsu Takahisa , Simabukuro Syuichi , Suzuki Keisuke , Sato Tetsuhiko , Yoshihiko Watarai , Uchida Kazuharu , Morozumi Kunio
Published: July 2009

Abstract:  We report clinical and histopathologic findings of a case of acute rejection with adenovirus infection after kidney transplantation. A 63‐yr‐old woman with end‐stage renal disease caused by lupus nephritis received an ABO‐incompatible living kidney transplantation from her husband. On the 7th post‐operative day (POD), she had fever, hematuria, and bladder irritation. Although she was treated with an antibiotic, the symptoms were not improved. We diagnosed adenovirus infection as positive with the urine shell vial method and blood PCR analysis. Cyclophosphamide was interrupted and immunoglobulin therapy was performed. However, urine output decreased and serum creatinine levels increased. An episode biopsy was performed on POD 20. We diagnosed acute antibody‐mediated rejection. She was treated with plasma exchange for acute rejection and antiviral drug (rivabirin) for active adenovirus infection. However, the renal graft dysfunction was deemed irreversible and the renal graft was removed on POD 34. The graftectomy specimen showed acute rejection and acute tubular necrosis with adenovirus infection.
ROLE OF EXTRACELLULAR Na+, Ca2+‐ACTIVATED Cl‐ CHANNELS AND BK CHANNELS IN THE CONTRACTION OF Ca2+ STORE‐DEPLETED TRACHEAL SMOOTH MUSCLE
Authors: Romero‐Méndez Catalina , Algara‐Suárez Paola , Sánchez‐Armass Sergio , Mandeville Peter B , Meza Ulises , Espinosa‐Tanguma Ricardo
Published: July 2009

In the present study, we investigated the series of events involved in the contraction of tracheal smooth muscle induced by the re‐addition of Ca2+ in an in vitro experimental model in which Ca2+ stores had been depleted and their refilling had been blocked by thapsigargin.

Mean (±SEM) contraction was diminished by: (i) inhibitors of store‐operated calcium channels (SOCC), namely 100 µmol/L SKF‐96365 and 100 µmol/L 1‐(2‐trifluoromethylphenyl) imidazole (to 66.3 ± 4.4 and 41.3 ± 5.2% of control, respectively); (ii) inhibitors of voltage‐gated Ca2+ channels CaV1.2 channels, namely 1 µmol/L nifedipine and 10 µmol/L verapamil (to 86.2 ± 3.4 and 76.9 ± 5.9% of control, respectively); and (iii) 20 µmol/L niflumic acid, a non‐selective inhibitor of Ca2+‐dependent Cl− channels (to 41.1 ± 9.8% of control). In contrast, contraction was increased 2.3‐fold by 100 nmol/L iberiotoxin, a blocker of the large‐conductance Ca2+‐activated K+ (BK) channels.

Furthermore, contraction was significantly inhibited when Na+ in the bathing solution was replaced by N‐methyl–d‐glucamine (NMDG+) to 39.9 ± 7.2% of control, but not when it was replaced by Li+ (114.5 ± 24.4% of control). In addition, when Na+ had been replaced by NMDG+, contractions were further inhibited by both nifedipine and niflumic acid (to 3.0 ± 1.8 and 24.4 ± 8.1% of control, respectively). Nifedipine also reduced contractions when Na+ had been replaced by Li+ (to 10.7 ± 3.4% to control), the niflumic acid had no effect (116.0 ± 4.5% of control).

In conclusion, the data of the present study demonstrate the roles of SOCC, BK channels and CaV1.2 channels in the contractions induced by the re‐addition of Ca2+ to the solution bathing guinea‐pig tracheal rings under conditions of Ca2+‐depleted sacroplasmic reticulum and inhibition of sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase. The contractions were highly dependent on extracellular Na+, suggesting a role for SOCC in mediating the Na+ influx.
Elevated fasting plasma C‐peptide occurs in non‐diabetic individuals with fatty liver, irrespective of insulin resistance
Authors: Perseghin G. , Caumo A. , Lattuada G. , De Cobelli F. , Ntali G. , Esposito A. , Belloni E. , Canu T. , Ragogna F. , Scifo P. , Del Maschio A. , Luzi L.
Published: June 2009

Aims  Studies have pointed to insulin resistance as a pathogenic factor in fatty liver. Although pancreatic B‐cell function is believed to be involved, its role is unclear. This study was undertaken to test whether fasting C‐peptide, an index of fasting B‐cell function, was related to intra‐hepatic fat (IHF) content in non‐diabetic humans.

Methods  We assessed, retrospectively, fasting plasma C‐peptide concentration in 31 patients with fatty liver and 62 individuals without fatty liver. The IHF content was measured by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H‐MRS), while insulin sensitivity was estimated based on fasting plasma glucose and insulin with the homestasis model assessment (HOMA) 2 method.

Results  Age, sex and body mass index (BMI) were not different between groups. Patients with fatty liver had higher fasting insulin (P < 0.01), C‐peptide (P < 0.005) and lower insulin sensitivity (HOMA2‐%S). Fasting insulin alone explained 14% of the IHF content variability (P < 0.001); inclusion of fasting C‐peptide in multivariate regression explained up to 32% (P < 0.001). A subgroup analysis was performed by matching 1 : 1 for HOMA2‐%S. These data were analysed by conditional logistic regression which showed that, when HOMA2‐%S was matched between groups, fasting C‐peptide remained the only significant predictor of fatty liver.

Conclusions  Non‐diabetic individuals with fatty liver are characterized by increased fasting plasma C‐peptide concentration, irrespective of their insulin resistant state.
Diabetes, healthcare cost and loss of productivity in Sweden 1987 and 2005—a register‐based approach
Authors: Bolin K. , Gip C. , Mörk A.‐C. , Lindgren B.
Published: June 2009

Aim  The aim of this study was to estimate healthcare cost and productivity losses as a result of diabetes and diabetes‐related chronic complications in Sweden in 1987 and 2005.

Research design and methods  Published estimates on relative risks and Swedish age‐specific diabetes‐prevalence rates were used to calculate the proportions of diabetes‐related chronic complications that are attributable to diabetes. These attributable risks were applied to cost estimates for diabetes‐related chronic complications based on data from Swedish population registers.

Results  The estimated total costs for Sweden in 1987 and 2005 were EUR439m and EUR920m, respectively. The increase of 110% was as a result of a 69% increase in the estimated prevalence from 150 000 (1.8% of the population) to 254 000 (2.8%) and of an increase in the estimated annual cost per person diagnosed with diabetes by 24%. Healthcare accounted for 45% of the estimated cost in 1987 and for 37% in 2005. The estimated diabetes‐related healthcare cost accounted for approximately 1.0% of total healthcare cost in Sweden in 1987 and for 1.4% in 2005. Diabetes per se accounted for 57% of the healthcare cost in 1987 and for 50% in 2005. The most important chronic complication was cardiovascular disease.

Conclusions  The cost of diabetes is substantial and increasing even in a fairly low‐prevalence country such as Sweden. Measures to curb the increase in prevalence and to improve individual control of his or her diabetes seem to be the most important challenges.
Morphological comparison of small nerve fibres in gastric mucosa in non‐diabetic and Type 2 diabetic subjects
Authors: Jin H. Y. , Kang Y. M. , Kim C. Y. , Kim S. H. , Liu W. J. , Piao M. H. , Park J. H. , Baek H. S. , Park T. S.
Published: June 2009

Aim  To determine changes in small nerve fibres in gastric mucosa in patients with Type 2 diabetes by morphological observation.

Methods  In twenty‐five non‐diabetic and 21 Type 2 diabetic participants, gastric mucosal biopsy under endoscopy was performed. Innervation in gastric mucosa was detected using immunohistochemical staining. Anti‐protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 positive nerves underwent morphological observation and quantitative analysis.

Results  Small nerve fibres in gastric mucosa were shortened in the diabetic subjects. The ratio of gastric mucosal protrusions maintaining nerve fibres between gastric pits to total observed protrusions was lower in patients with Type 2 diabetes compared with the non‐diabetic subjects (ratio of innervated protrusion/total protrusion: 0.49 ± 0.12 vs. 0.89 ± 0.06, P < 0.05).

Conclusions  This study sets the scene for further research to investigate the relationship between gastric mucosal nerves and autonomic neuropathy or diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide: an independent marker for coronary artery disease in asymptomatic diabetic patients
Authors: Cosson E. , Nguyen M. T. , Pham I. , Pontet M. , Nitenberg A. , Valensi P.
Published: June 2009

Aims  To determine whether plasma N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) levels, a marker for cardiac failure and potentially for the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD), predicts silent myocardial ischaemia (SMI) and silent CAD in asymptomatic high‐risk diabetic patients.

Methods  Five hundred and seventeen asymptomatic diabetic patients with ≥ 1 additional cardiovascular risk factor but without heart failure were prospectively screened between 1998 and 2008 for SMI, defined as an abnormal stress myocardial scintigraphy, and subsequently for significant (> 70%) angiographic CAD. The 323 patients with interpretable echocardiography and for whom NT‐proBNP was measured were included in this analysis.

Results  SMI was found in 108 (33.4%) patients, 39 of whom had CAD. NT‐proBNP was higher in the patients with CAD than in the patients without CAD [45.0 (1–3199) vs. 20.0 (1–1640) pg/ml; P < 0.0001 median (range)], even after adjustment for confounding factors: age, gender, body mass index, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), retinopathy, nephropathy, hypertension, echocardiographic parameters (P < 0.05). NT‐proBNP in the third tertile (≥ 38 pg/ml) predicted CAD with a sensitivity of 59% and a specificity of 67%. In a multiple logistic regression analysis including NT‐proBNP ≥ 38 pg/ml, age, body mass index, gender, HbA1c, hypertension, retinopathy, nephropathy, peripheral occlusive arterial disease, left ventricular systolic dysfunction, dilatation and hypertrophy and Type 1 transmitral flow, NT‐proBNP ≥ 38 pg/ml was the only significant independent predictor of silent CAD [odds ratio (OR) 3.1 (95% confidence interval 1.3–7.6), P = 0.015].

Conclusions  NT‐proBNP measurement helps to better define asymptomatic diabetic patients with an increased likelihood for CAD, independently of cardiac function and structure.
Stabilizing effect of exenatide in a patient with C‐peptide‐negative diabetes mellitus
Authors: Paisley A. N. , Savage M. W. , Wiles P. G.
Published: June 2009

Background  Exenatide is an incretin mimetic licensed for treatment of Type 2 diabetes poorly controlled despite maximally tolerated doses of oral therapy. Similar in structure to the natural incretin hormone glucagon‐like peptide 1 (GLP‐1), it helps restore underlying pathophysiological abnormalities.

Case report  We report the successful use of exenatide, combined with insulin, in a 66‐year‐old woman initially diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 1989 but now exhibiting a Type 1 phenotype. Diet, lifestyle advice and oral glucose‐lowering agents were commenced but persisting poor control necessitated insulin therapy in 2005. She later presented twice in diabetic ketoacidosis, suggesting conversion to a Type 1 phenotype (postprandial C‐peptide < 94 pmol/l). Despite differing insulin regimens, control remained poor with frequent hyperglycaemic and hypoglycaemic excursions, severely impairing quality of life. Whilst an inpatient in 2007 [glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) 10.2%, body mass index (BMI) 31.5 kg/m2] exenatide was commenced in an attempt to stabilize glycaemic control. Dramatic improvements were seen and continued. Eight months later, HbA1c had fallen by 2% with an 8‐kg weight loss and 10‐unit reduction in daily insulin dose. Quality of life dramatically improved. C‐peptide remains undetectable.

Conclusions  This patient with features of both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes benefited greatly from exenatide with insulin therapy. The improvement seen in glycaemic control could not be attributable to enhanced insulin secretion but could be as a result of a combination of the other incretin effects (postprandial glucagon suppression, delayed gastric emptying and weight loss secondary to increased satiety) all improving insulin sensitivity, reducing insulin dose and smoothing control.
Risk factors associated with the dramatic increase in the prevalence of diabetes in the adult Chinese population in Qingdao, China
Authors: Ning F. , Pang Z. C. , Dong Y. H. , Gao W. G. , Nan H. R. , Wang S. J. , Zhang L. , Ren J. , Tuomilehto J. , Hammar N. , Malmberg K. , Andersson S. W. , Qiao Q. ,   for the Qingdao Diabetes Survey Group
Published: June 2009

Objective  To investigate the major risk factors and their association with the dramatic increase in the prevalence of diabetes from 2001–2002 to 2006 in Qingdao, China.

Methods  Population‐based cross‐sectional studies on diabetes were performed in 4598 men and 7026 women aged 35–74 years. The 2006 World Health Organization diagnostic criteria for diabetes were used.

Results  The crude prevalence of diabetes was 11.3% in both men and women in urban areas and 5.3% and 8.9% in rural areas in 2001–2002. This increased to 19.2% and 16.1% in urban areas and 14.2% and 13.8% in rural areas in 2006 for men and women, respectively. The increase in diabetes prevalence from 2001–2002 to 2006 was paralleled by an increased body mass index in rural areas but not in urban areas. The major risk factors associated with diabetes were age, family history of diabetes, obesity, hypertension and high triglycerides. The multivariate adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval for diabetes corresponding to a one standard deviation increase in waist circumference was 1.81 (1.47, 2.23) in urban men, 1.64 (1.26, 2.13) in rural men, 1.98 (1.66, 2.37) in urban women and 2.02 (1.63, 2.51) in rural women. Low socio‐economic classes had a higher risk for diabetes in urban areas but a lower risk in rural areas, both associated with increased waist circumference.

Conclusion  Established risk factors are of great importance for the prevalence of diabetes in the urban and rural Chinese populations and changes in these factors could explain the recent dramatic increase in diabetes prevalence, particularly in rural areas. Considering the high prevalence of obesity and physical inactivity, intervention is urgently required in China.
Governance regulatory changes, International Financial Reporting Standards adoption, and New Zealand audit and non‐audit fees: empirical evidence
Authors: Griffin Paul A. , Lont David H. , Sun Yuan
Published: July 2009

This study examines the association between overseas and New Zealand governance regulatory reforms and New Zealand companies’ audit and non‐audit fees. Our models use temporal and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) indicator variables to relate the timing of the fee changes to the incidence of the overseas and local reforms. We find that audit fees increased in New Zealand over 2002–2006. Such increases associate reliably with the transition to and adoption of NZ IFRS and not with earlier overseas governance reforms. Our study also documents a decrease in non‐audit fees over the same period, but we find no IFRS effect for non‐audit fees.
Private placements of convertible securities: stock returns, operating performance and abnormal accruals
Authors: Williams Jan L. , Tang Alex P.
Published: July 2009

This study examines long‐run stock returns, operating performance and abnormal accruals of private placements of convertible securities. We investigate the effects surrounding private placements to test and differentiate the implications of several competing hypotheses. While the monitoring and certification hypotheses suggest positive effects, the managerial entrenchment, overvaluation and windows‐of‐opportunity hypotheses suggest the opposite. We find that placing firms generally experience positive effects in the pre‐periods and negative effects in the post‐periods. Our overall findings are more consistent with the predictions of the overvaluation and windows‐of‐opportunity hypotheses while our post‐placement evidence is also consistent with the predictions of the managerial entrenchment hypothesis.
Efficacy of weight loss drugs on obesity and cardiovascular risk factors in obese adolescents: a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Czernichow S. , Lee C. M. Y. , Barzi F. , Greenfield J. R. , Baur L. A. , Chalmers J. , Woodward M. , Huxley R. R.
Published: July 2009

Weight loss drugs have been developed to reduce the comorbidities associated with excess weight. We conducted a meta‐analysis of the efficacy of orlistat and sibutramine on weight, body mass index, waist circumference and cardiovascular risk factors in overweight adolescents. MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library were searched for relevant articles using MESH terms and keywords. Studies were included if they had reported quantitative estimates and standard deviations of the association between each weight loss drug and weight, with information on at least one cardiovascular risk factor. A total of eight trials (three orlistat and five sibutramine) with information on 1391 individuals was included in the present analysis. The mean decrease in weight between the intervention and control groups was 5.25 kg (95% confidence interval: 3.03–7.48) after a minimum follow‐up of 6 months. There was evidence of statistical heterogeneity between the studies (I2 = 76%) that was no longer apparent after exclusion of trials of orlistat (mean weight decrease = 5.32 kg; I2 = 38%). There was little evidence that treatment was associated with adverse effects on cardiovascular risk factors but this requires verification from future large trials with longer study follow‐up.
A Paradox in the Making: Detecting Something Positive in UPA Under the Ten Kate Effect
Authors: Kombos Costas
Published: July 2009

Abstract:  The European Court of Justice has persisted in adopting an unduly restrictive interpretation of Article 230(4) EC and that persistence has reached its apogee in the UPA decision, while at the same time it was mirrored in the relevant provisions of the draft Constitution. Therefore, it is surprising to see that in the aftermath of UPA, there can be something positive that can be explored further and that can be tested in order to establish whether any indirect, alas limited, liberalisation of the standing criteria is possible. The Ten Kate case established that, in principle, a Member State could be under an obligation under domestic law to challenge the validity of Community legislation. If the state, in all of its different manifestations, fails to challenge the validity of a Community measure when such an obligation arises under municipal law, then the citizen could be in a position to claim compensation. Therefore, the case introduces the doctrine of state liability and the agency analogy (with the state representing the individual or as parens patriae) as connected paths trying to circumvent the standing restrictions. The advantage is that the proceedings would take place under national law and would be detached from the Plaumann conditions. It is proposed that constitutionally entrenched human rights, like effective judicial protection, combined with the principle of legitimate expectation, could create the legal basis for an obligation of the state under national law to challenge the validity of Community norms. The paradox is that effective judicial protection was the exact argument that the European Court of Justice sidelined in UPA.
Entrapment between Two Pillars: The European Court of Justice Rulings in Criminal Law
Authors: Neagu Norel
Published: July 2009

Abstract:  This article deals with the possibility of adopting criminal law provisions on a first pillar legal basis. The analysis focuses on two decisions of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) dealing with the matter, with specific emphasis on the second one. The main problems debated are the legality principle, the implicit competence of the Community legislator, the criteria for establishing when there is a need for adopting criminal law provisions on an EC legal basis and the scope and depth of this competence. Comparing the arguments of the Advocate General with the ECJ's approach to the matter, the author tries to establish whether the right decision has been adopted and what the solutions for the future are.
Capacity and Solidarity: Foundational Elements in the Unionization Strategy for Immigrant Day Labourers
Authors: Camou Michelle
Published: July 2009

Recent scholarship has been reasonably optimistic about unionization as a mechanism of labour justice for immigrant workers in casual and contingent work. This optimism rests on two assumptions: (1) that unions have the capacity to absorb immigrant workers in nonstandard work and (2) that casual, immigrant labourers enjoy the kind of solidarity that underpins collective action. This paper examines these assumptions critically through a case study of construction unions and Latino immigrant day labourers in Denver, Colorado and Baltimore, Maryland. I use participant observation and in‐depth interviews with nine labour unions, 19 Latino immigrant day labourers, and two (non‐union) day labour organizing projects in the cities to examine questions of capacity and solidarity. I find that the existing foundations for unionizing day labourers may be weak in certain cities and communities. Union capacity is undermined by structural fragmentation and specialization in market segments that are inaccessible to day labourers. Strategically, in an age of de‐unionization, unions also face pressures to “add value” for employers by sorting the workforce into high quality and low quality categories. Locals indicate day labourers would likely fall into the latter category, thus precluding membership. The foundations for solidarity are similarly weakened in the cases studied. Culturally, day labourers in Denver and Baltimore emphasize self‐reliance and material well‐being over collective action and the pursuit of justice. To work toward unionization, organizers should be prepared to confront deficits of capacity and solidarity in other cities as well, especially those where homelessness is prevalent among day labourers, where immigrant populations are newly arrived, or where local union cultures are unreformed. I suggest that union collaboration, a cooperative type of occupational unionism, and commitments to training day labourers may help boost union capacity to absorb day labourers, while the creative use of material incentives should figure prominently in organizing strategies.
From Circular Migrants in the Mines to Transnational Polygynists in the Townships: A Century of Transformation in Central Mozambican Male Migration Regimes (1900‐1999)
Authors: Lubkemann Stephen C.
Published: July 2009

This article tracks the most significant transformations in the international migration regime between central Mozambique and South Africa throughout the twentieth century as the product of complex and continuous interactions between the broader political‐economic environment and local forms of gendered and inter‐generational social struggle. A century of perspective brings into resolution the complex linkages between forms of migrancy such as labour migration and refugee displacement that are usually treated as categorically distinct, but which are be demonstrated here to significantly inform each other. As a result of its deployment as a strategy for coping with various forms of political duress, seizing new economic opportunity, and negotiating local social relations, the meaning and practice of migration has been transformed throughout the twentieth century from a strategy for ensuring social reproduction back in Mozambique into the indispensable mechanism for enacting transnational lives that presume and pursue simultaneous social and economic investment and involvement in both South Africa and in Mozambique.
Risk management in a globalizing world: An empirical analysis of individual preferences in 26 European countries
Authors: Koster Ferry
Published: July 2009

The risks that individuals face in everyday life, such as illness and unemployment, can be covered using market, government, or community mechanisms. The market can function with a lower level of solidarity compared to the other two mechanisms; the government mechanism requires the highest level of compulsory solidarity and communities are associated with voluntary solidarity. Social context affects individual preferences with regard to any one of these mechanisms. This article investigates to what extent these preferences are influenced by globalization: the economic, social and political openness of countries. The dataset used in this study combines data from the European Values Study 1999‐2000 (EVS), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the KOF Index of Globalization, and contains information about 31,554 people living in 26 European countries. The results derived from logistic multilevel analysis show that preferences towards the organization of solidarity are related to the different dimensions of globalization.
J. Cosmet. Sci., 59, 263–289 (July/August 2008) True porosity measurement of hair: A new way to study hair damage mechanisms
Authors: Hessefort Y. Z. , Holland B. T. , Cloud R. W.
Published: July 2009

Presented at the Annual Scientific Seminar of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, Anaheim, CA, May 11, 2007.

Synopsis

This study employs a novel method, gas sorption (1), to quantify the porosity characteristics of hair by determining total pore volume, adsorption pore‐size distribution, and the surface area of damaged hair. Damage mechanisms were studied by comparing the different pore volume and surface area resulting from two different types of damage: chemical and UV. Hair color measurement and tensile strength, both reflecting the changes in hair cortex, were also employed in this study. The results suggest that hair damage caused by oxidative bleach and UV oxidation follows different pathways. Chemical damage (oxidative bleach) nearly triples the hair surface area in the first minute of bleaching due to the increase in the number of pores, followed by a sudden drop after 10 min of bleaching from smaller pores breaking down into larger ones. In contrast, UV damage shows an immediate loss in surface area in the first 200 hr of exposure and a gradual increase as exposure time continues.
Terbinafine (250 mg/day): an effective and safe treatment of cutaneous sporotrichosis
Authors: Francesconi G , Valle AC , Passos S , Reis R , Galhardo MC
Published: July 2009

Background  There are a few studies on the treatment of sporotrichosis. The standard drug used is itraconazole. However, the use of itraconazole is limited by its interaction with other drugs.

Objective  To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of 250 mg terbinafine for the treatment of cutaneous sporotrichosis in patients in whom itraconazole use is not possible.

Methods  We performed a descriptive study of cutaneous sporotrichosis cases treated with 250 mg terbinafine for which itraconazole was contraindicated or resulted in severe or moderate pharmacological interactions. Sporotrichosis was diagnosed based on the isolation of S. schenckii.

Results  Fifty patients seen between July 2005 and September 2007 were included. Forty‐five (92%) patients reported contact with a sick cat and 47 (94%) presented comorbidities (high blood pressure: 64.0%; diabetes mellitus: 30.0%; dyslipidemia: 16.7%; depression: 10.0%; migraine: 2.1%; Parkinsonís disease: 2.1%; peptic ulcer disease: 2.1%; heart failure: 2.1%, and arrhythmia: 2.1%). All patients used some medication interacting with itraconazole (psycholeptics: 36.0%; antidiabetic agents: 28.0%; hypolipemiant agents: 18.0%; calcium‐channel blockers: 16.0%; anticonvulsants: 8.0%; cardiotropic drugs: 6.3%; antacids: 6.3%, and antiparkinsonian agent: 2.1%). Most patients (96%) were cured within a mean period of 14 weeks. The drug was discontinued due to a skin rash in one patient. There were no cases of recurrence of the mycosis within a mean follow‐up period of 37 weeks.

Conclusions  This study suggests that 250 mg/day terbinafine is an effective and well‐tolerated alternative to drug therapy of cutaneous sporotrichosis in a population in which itraconazole use is not possible.
Subthreshold conditions as precursors for full syndrome disorders: a 15‐year longitudinal study of multiple diagnostic classes
Authors: Shankman Stewart A. , Lewinsohn Peter M. , Klein Daniel N. , Small Jason W. , Seeley John R. , Altman Sarah E.
Published: July 2009

Background:  There has been increasing interest in the distinction between subthreshold and full syndrome disorders and specifically whether subthreshold conditions escalate or predict the onset of full syndrome disorders over time. Most of these studies, however, examined whether a single subthreshold condition escalates into the full syndrome form of that disorder. Equally important, though, is whether subthreshold conditions are likely to develop other full syndrome disorders and whether these associations are maintained after adjusting for comorbidity.

Methods:  A 15‐year longitudinal study of subthreshold psychiatric conditions was conducted with 1,505 community‐drawn young adults. We examined whether 1) subthreshold major depression, bipolar, anxiety disorders, alcohol use, substance use, conduct disorder and/or ADHD were precursors for the corresponding (homotypic) full syndrome disorder; 2) subthreshold conditions were precursors for other (heterotypic) full syndrome disorders; and 3) these homotypic and heterotypic precursors persisted after adjusting for comorbidity.

Results:  Subthreshold major depression, anxiety, alcohol use, substance use, and conduct all escalated into their corresponding full syndrome and nearly all homotypic developments were maintained after adjusting for comorbid subthreshold and full syndrome conditions. Many heterotypic associations were also observed and most remained after controlling for comorbidity, particularly among externalizing disorders (e.g., alcohol, substance, conduct/antisocial personality disorder).

Conclusions:  Many subthreshold conditions have predictive validity as they may represent precursors for full syndrome disorders. Alternatively, dimensional conceptualizations of psychopathology which include these more minor conditions may yield greater validity. Subthreshold conditions may represent good targets for preventive interventions.
Childhood problem behaviors and injury risk over the life course
Authors: Jokela Markus , Power Chris , Kivimäki Mika
Published: July 2009

Background:  Childhood externalizing and internalizing behaviors have been associated with injury risk in childhood and adolescence, but it is unknown whether this association continues to hold in adulthood. We examined whether externalizing and internalizing behaviors expressed in childhood predict injuries in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.

Methods:  The participants were from the 1958 British birth cohort (n = 11,537). Problem behaviors were assessed by teachers at ages 7 and 11. Injuries were reported by the participants’ parents (at ages 7, 11, 16) and by the participants (at ages 23, 33, 42, and 46). Data on injury severity were available at ages 23 and 33, and on types of injuries at ages 23, 33, and 42. Measures of childhood family environment included father’s social class, family size, and family difficulties. Adult psychological distress, treated as a potential mediating factor, was assessed at ages 23, 33, and 42.

Results:  Externalizing behavior predicted increased injury risk: one SD increase in externalizing score was associated with 10–19% increase in the rate of injuries in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. In contrast, internalizing behavior decreased injury rate by 3–9% in adolescence and adulthood. Externalizing behavior was associated with various types of injuries, including injuries in traffic, at home, at work, and from violent assaults, while internalizing behavior predicted decreased injury risk particularly in sports, in traffic, and at home. These associations were largely independent of childhood family environment and adult psychological distress.

Conclusions:  The findings suggest that childhood problem behaviors predict injury risk over the life course from childhood to midlife, with externalizing behaviors increasing and internalizing behaviors decreasing this risk.
Prediction of peak oxygen uptake from sub‐maximal ratings of perceived exertion elicited during a graded exercise test in obese women
Authors: Coquart Jeremy B. J. , Lemaire Christine , Dubart Alain‐Eric , Douillard Claire , Luttenbacher David‐Pol , Wibaux Frederique , Garcin Murielle
Published: July 2009

The purpose was to assess the validity of predicting peak oxygen uptake from Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE)≤15, during a graded exercise test (GXT), in obese women. Forty‐three obese women performed GXT to volitional exhaustion. During GXT, oxygen uptake and RPE were measured. Individual linear regressions between and RPE≤15 were extrapolated to RPE 20 in order to predict . Actual and predicted were not significantly different (13.9±3.0 vs 14.2±3.3 ml kg−1 min−1, respectively; p=.26). The Pearson product moment correlation between actual and predicted was high (r=0.82). The 95% limits of agreement analysis on these values (bias±1.96SD) was −0.3±3.7 ml kg−1 min−1. Results suggested that RPE≤15 elicited during a sub‐maximal GXT provides accurate prediction. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform GXT to voluntary exhaustion to determine in obese women.
Preparing hearts and minds: Cardiac slowing and a cortical inhibitory network
Authors: Jennings J. R. , Van Der Molen M.W. , Tanase C.
Published: July 2009

Preparing for a cued, speeded response induces a set of physiological changes. A review of the psychophysiology of preparation suggested that inhibition of action was an important process among the constellation of changes constituting attentive preparation. The current experiment combined event‐related functional magnetic resonance imaging and cardiac inter‐beat interval measures in an experiment that compared preparing for a response, watching stimuli without responding, and responding in the absence of preparation. Ten college‐aged participants were tested in an initial psychophysiological experiment followed by two scanning sessions during which reverse spiral imaging was performed concurrent with inter‐beat interval measurement. Two analytic approaches were used to confirm blood oxygenation level dependent responses during preparation, and these converged to show inferior prefrontal and related subthalamic nuclei activity in the context of other known changes related to brain attentional networks. Subthalamic nuclei changes were related to the depth of preparatory cardiac deceleration. This pattern of findings suggests that preparation involves the activation of a complex inhibitory neural network implicating brain and autonomic nervous systems.
Atlastin‐1, the dynamin‐like GTPase responsible for spastic paraplegia SPG3A, remodels lipid membranes and may form tubules and vesicles in the endoplasmic reticulum
Authors: Muriel Marie‐Paule , Dauphin Aurélien , Namekawa Michito , Gervais Annie , Brice Alexis , Ruberg Merle
Published: July 2009

We examined the effects of wild‐type and mutant atlastin‐1 on vesicle transport in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)‐Golgi interface and vesicle budding from ER‐derived microsomes using the temperature‐sensitive reporter vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSV‐G), and the ability of purified atlastin‐1 to form tubules or vesicles from protein‐free phosphatidylserine liposomes. A GTPase domain mutation (T162P) altered the cellular distribution of the ER, but none of the mutations studied significantly affected transport from the ER to the Golgi apparatus. The mutations also had no significant effect on the incorporation of VSV‐G into vesicles formed from ER microsomes. Atlastin‐1, however, was also incorporated into microsome‐derived vesicles, suggesting that it might be implicated in vesicle formation. Purified atlastin‐1 transformed phosphatidylserine liposomes into branched tubules and polygonal networks of tubules and vesicles, an action inhibited by GDP and the synthetic dynamin inhibitor dynasore. The GTPase mutations T162P and R217C decreased but did not totally prevent this action; the C‐terminal transmembrane domain mutation R495W was as active as the wild‐type enzyme. Similar effects were observed in human embryonic kidney cells over‐expressing mutant atlastin‐1. We concluded that atlastin‐1, like dynamin, might be implicated in membrane tubulation and vesiculation and participated in the formation as well as the function of the ER.
Dimerization of tyrosine phosphatase PTPRO decreases its activity and ability to inactivate TrkC
Authors: Hower Amy E. , Beltran Pedro J. , Bixby John L.
Published: July 2009

Receptor‐protein tyrosine phosphatases (RPTPs), like receptor tyrosine kinases, regulate neuronal differentiation. While receptor tyrosine kinases are dimerized and activated by extracellular ligands, the extent to which RPTPs dimerize, and the effects of dimerization on phosphatase activity, are poorly understood. We have examined a neuronal type III RPTP, PTPRO; we find that PTPRO can form dimers in living cells, and that disulfide linkages in PTPROs intracellular domain likely regulate dimerization. Dimerization of PTPROs transmembrane and intracellular domains, achieved by ligand binding to a chimeric fusion protein, decreases activity toward artificial peptides and toward a putative substrate, tropomyosin‐related kinase C (TrkC). Dephosphorylation of TrkC by PTPRO may be physiologically relevant, as it is efficient, and TrkC and PTPRO can be co‐precipitated from transfected cells. Inhibition of PTPROs phosphatase activity by dimerization is interesting, as dimerization of a related RPTP, CD148/PTPRJ, increases activity. Thus, our results suggest a complex relationship between dimerization and activity in type III RPTPs.
Life Events, Chronic Stressors, and Depressive Symptoms in Low‐Income Urban Mothers With Asthmatic Children
Authors: Kub Joan , Jennings Jacky M. , Donithan Michele , Walker Jennifer M. , Land Cassia Lewis , Butz Arlene
Published: July 2009

ABSTRACT
Objective: This secondary data analysis study examines the relationship between maternal sociodemographic variables, life events, chronic stressors, including asthma control and management and environmental stressors, and maternal depression.

Design: Cross‐sectional descriptive design study consisting of baseline data from participants enrolled in a randomized asthma communication educational intervention trial.

Sample: 201 mothers of children with asthma (ages 6–12), recruited from community pediatric practices and emergency departments of 2 urban university hospitals.

Measurement: Life events were measured using standardized items. Chronic stressors were measured using items from the International Asthma and Allergies in Childhood study and maternal and child exposure to violence. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies‐Depression scale.

Results: Close to 25% of the mothers had high depressive symptoms. In separate multiple logistic regression models, education (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=2.62; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.07, 6.39) or unemployment (AOR=2.38; 95% CI=1.16, 4.90) and the use of quick relief medications (AOR=2.74; 95% CI=1.33, 5.66) for asthma were positively associated with depressive symptoms.

Conclusions: Implications include the need to assess maternal depressive symptoms of mothers of children with asthma, in order to improve asthma management for low‐income urban children.
Inadequate Cold Tolerance as a Possible Limitation to American Chestnut Restoration in the Northeastern United States
Authors: Gurney Kendra M. , Schaberg Paul G. , Hawley Gary J. , Shane John B.
Published: July 2009

The American chestnut (Castanea dentata(Marshall) Borkh.), once a major component of eastern forests from Maine to Georgia, was functionally removed from the forest ecosystem by chestnut blight (an exotic fungal disease caused byCryphonectria parasitica(Murr.) Barr), first identified at the beginning of the twentieth century. Hybrid‐backcross breeding programs that incorporate the blight resistance of Chinese chestnut (Castenea mollissimaBlume) and Japanese chestnut (Castenea crenataSieb. & Zuc.) into American chestnut stock show promise for achieving the blight resistance needed for species restoration. However, it is uncertain if limitations in tissue cold tolerance within current breeding programs might restrict the restoration of the species at the northern limits of American chestnut's historic range. Shoots of American chestnut and hybrid‐backcross chestnut (i.e., backcross chestnut) saplings growing in two plantings in Vermont were tested during November 2006, February 2007, and April 2007 to assess their cold tolerance relative to ambient low temperatures. Shoots of two potential native competitors, northern red oak (Quercus rubraL.) and sugar maple (Acer saccharumL.), were also sampled for comparison. During the winter, American and backcross chestnuts were approximately 5°C less cold tolerant than red oak and sugar maple, with a tendency for American chestnut to be more cold tolerant than the backcross chestnut. Terminal shoots of American and backcross chestnut also showed significantly more freezing damage in the field than nearby red oak and sugar maple shoots, which showed no visible injury.
Promoting Native Vegetation and Diversity in Exotic Annual Grass Infestations
Authors: Davies Kirk W. , Sheley Roger L.
Published: July 2009

Exotic plant invasions are especially problematic because reestablishment of native perennial vegetation is rarely successful. It may be more appropriate to treat exotic plant infestations that still have some remaining native vegetation. We evaluated this restoration strategy by measuring the effects of spring burning, fall burning, fall applied imazapic, spring burning with fall applied imazapic, and fall burning with fall applied imazapic on the exotic annual grass, medusahead (Taeniatherum caput‐medusae (L.) Nevski), and native vegetation at six sites in Oregon for 2 years post‐treatment. Medusahead infestations included in this study had some residual native perennial bunchgrasses and forbs. Burning followed by imazapic application provided the best control of medusahead and resulted in the greatest increases in native perennial vegetation. However, imazapic application decreased native annual forb cover the first year post‐treatment and density the first and second year post‐treatment. The spring burn followed by imazapic application produced an almost 2‐fold increase in plant species diversity compared to the control. The fall burn followed by imazapic application also increased diversity compared to the control. Results of this study indicate that native plants can be promoted in medusahead invasions; however, responses vary by plant functional group and treatment. Our results compared to previous research suggest that restoration of plant communities invaded by exotic annual grass may be more successful if efforts focus on areas with some residual native perennial vegetation. Thus, invasive plant infestations with some native vegetation remaining should receive priority for restoration efforts over near monocultures of invasive plant species.
Reintroduction of Castilleja levisecta: Effects of Ecological Similarity, Source Population Genetics, and Habitat Quality
Authors: Lawrence Beth A. , Kaye Thomas N.
Published: July 2009

A suite of ecological and genetic factors are likely to contribute to reintroduction performance. Potential factors include the ecological similarity between seed source and introduction site, population size and genetic diversity of seed sources, and the habitat quality of the introduction site. We conducted common garden experiments with golden paintbrush (Castilleja levisecta), an endangered species from the Pacific Northwest, U.S.A., in order to test hypotheses about reintroduction performance and to provide management recommendations. Ten common gardens, each composed of C. levisecta individuals grown from seed from six of the remaining populations, were planted into field conditions and monitored during two growing seasons. Plant community characteristics were important predictors of observed variation in C. levisecta performance. Exotic species‐cover at common garden sites was associated with a reduction in performance of first‐year C. levisecta transplants, while survival to the second growing season increased with increasing similarity in plant functional groups between source and common garden sites. Although measures of genetic diversity, population size, and geographic distance are often used to make conservation decisions during species recovery, here they were poor predictors of C. levisecta performance and establishment. We recommend choosing material for reintroduction from ecologically similar habitats, rather than those most proximate geographically, and selecting recovery sites with low exotic species abundance.