bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Training health care providers in the treatment of tobacco use and dependence: pre‐ and post‐training results
Authors: Sheffer Christine E. , Barone Claudia P. , Anders Michael E.
Published: July 2009

Rationale  Health care providers have an extended reach into the population of tobacco users. Increasing the number and variety of health care providers that deliver the evidence‐based, brief interventions for tobacco use prescribed by the Public Health Service Clinical Practice Guideline is likely to result in more tobacco users exposed to evidence‐based treatments and more successful quit attempts. Effective training is key to increasing provider performance and proficiency in this regard.

Method  A 1‐hour didactic training was delivered to 1286 health care providers (185 physicians, 359 nurses, 75 dental providers and 667 other health‐related professions). Pre‐ and post‐training tests assessed provider attitudes, knowledge and behaviours. Paired samples t‐tests were used to compare pre‐ and post‐test results. Analysis of variance was used to test for significant differences among professional groups.

Results  Prior to training, physicians engaged in more interventions and reported more knowledge and more positive attitudes towards treating tobacco use than the other professions. Post‐training, differences among physicians, nurses and dental providers were minimal. All professions reported significantly more knowledge and more positive attitudes on nearly all measures.

Conclusions  A large potential benefit can be garnered from a brief, targeted, 1‐hour training in the brief, evidence‐based interventions for treating tobacco use and dependence. Increases in perceived knowledge and positive attitudes towards treatment among the professional groups suggest that trainees will perform interventions at higher frequency post‐training. Overall gains were highest for dental providers and nurses.
Validation of priority criteria for cataract extraction
Authors: Gutiérrez Susana García , Quintana Jose Maria , Bilbao Amaia , Escobar Antonio , Milla Emilio Perea , Elizalde Belen , Baré Marisa , Fernandez de Larrea MD MPH Nerea ,   The IRYSS Cataract Group
Published: July 2009

Rationale, aims and objectives  Given the increasing prevalence of cataract and demand for cataract extraction surgery, patients must often wait to undergo this procedure. We validated a previously developed priority scoring system in terms of clinical variables, pre‐intervention health status, appropriateness of surgery and gain in visual acuity (VA) and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL).

Methods  Explicit prioritization criteria for cataract extraction created by a variation of the Research and Development (RAND) and University of California Los Angeles appropriateness methodology were retrospectively applied to a prospective cohort of 5257 patients on waiting lists to undergo cataract by phacoemulsification at 17 hospitals in Spain. Demographic data, clinical data and data related to surgical technique were collected by trained ophthalmologists. Patients were evaluated by their ophthalmologist before the intervention and 6 weeks afterward. They also completed, by mail, the Visual Function Index (VF‐14) before the intervention and 3 months afterward.

Results  High‐priority patients experienced greater improvement in VA and HRQoL than those classified as intermediate or low‐priority (P < 0.0001), even after adjusting by VA and the VF‐14 score at baseline. The time to intervention was the same for high‐priority patients as it was for intermediate and low‐priority patients.

Conclusions  The priority score we developed identified patients most likely to experience the greatest improvements from cataract extraction. Use of this tool could provide a fairer and more rational way to prioritize patients for cataract extraction.
Improvement in health‐related quality of life, independent of fasting glucose concentration, via insulin pen device in diabetic patients
Authors: Lee I‐Te , Liu Hsiu‐Chen , Liau Yi‐Ju , Lee Wen‐Jane , Huang Chien‐Ning , Sheu Wayne Huey‐Herng
Published: July 2009

Rationale and aims  Using an insulin pen may improve the quality of life (QOL) for diabetic individuals. However, glycemic control and its relationship to better QOL are controversial. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between health‐related QOL and glycemic control in diabetic patients using insulin pen.

Methods  All of the participants were diabetic patients receiving insulin therapy by syringe injection for longer than 1 month. One group of enrolled subjects changed over to use of insulin pen for 12 weeks, while the other group (age‐matched control subjects) continued to use syringe for insulin‐injection during the same period. Fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c and a 36‐Item Short‐Form Health Survey (SF‐36) were assessed in both groups before and after the 12‐week study.

Results  A total of 32 subjects in the insulin pen group and 33 subjects in the syringe group completed the assessment. In comparison with baseline, fasting glucose significantly decreased in the insulin pen group (−57 ± 14 mg dL−1, P < 0.001), and the reduction was significantly greater than that in the syringe group (P = 0.003). The summary scale of physical components but not mental components in the SF‐36 was significantly higher in the insulin pen group than in the syringe group (P = 0.037). This improvement was independent of the change in fasting glucose.

Conclusions  Using insulin pen for insulin‐injection improved glycemic control and health‐related QOL in diabetic patients. The better functional health status as a result of physical improvement was independent of the glycemic control.
Seeking a new biomedical model. How evolutionary biology may contribute
Authors: Lewis Stephen
Published: July 2009

Rationale  The medical profession is not to blame for the limitations of the biomedical model with which it is often associated; the biology upon which that model is built is incomplete and bears some of the responsibility. Some of the more fundamental aspects of biological theory which are currently missing from the biomedical model need to be introduced in order to help provide a better description of the integrated biology involved.

Aims and Objectives  By considering the biological nature of the individual human being as an organism, this article introduces a brief sketch of a new biomedical model of the individual as a biological entity. Core to this model is the idea of individual survival in the ‘struggle for existence’ introduced 150 years ago by Charles Darwin in ‘On the Origin of Species’.
Multidrug resistant gram‐negative bacilli as predominant bacteremic pathogens in liver transplant recipients
Authors: Shi S.H. , Kong H.S. , Xu J. , Zhang W.J. , Jia C.K. , Wang W.L. , Shen Y. , Zhang M. , Zheng S.S.
Published: July 2009

Background. Bacteremias, which are often caused by gram‐negative bacteria, are the most frequently occurring infectious complications after liver transplantation (LT). The aim of this study was to investigate bacteremic incidence, pathogenic spectrum, risk factors for bacteremia due to multidrug resistant (MDR) gram‐negative bacilli, and its impact on mortality after LT.

Methods. A cohort analysis of prospectively recorded data was done in 475 LT recipients, who were divided into 3 categories: cases with gram‐negative bacteremia, cases with MDR gram‐negative bacteremia, and cases without bacteremia as controls.

Results. In 475 LT recipients, there were 152 (32.0%) patients with gram‐negative bacillus bacteremia in the first 6 months after LT. Out of 152 patients, there were 225 bacteremic episodes, which accounted for 69.7% in a total 323 bacteremic episodes. A total of 190 bacteremic episodes were caused by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Enterobacteriaceae, Ochrobactrum anthropi, Pseudomonas, and Acinetobacter baumanii, all of which were the most frequent gram‐negative isolates in this study, and MDR bacilli constituted 56.3%. The most frequent source was intravascular catheters. There were 70 patients with MDR gram‐negative bacillus bacteremia. Independent risk factors for bacteremia due to MDR gram‐negative bacillus were as follows: post‐LT abdominal infection (P<0.0001, odds ratio [OR] 0.066, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.019–0.226), post‐LT reoperative episodes (P<0.0001, OR 10.505, 95% CI 3.055–36.121), or one or more episodes of acute rejection (P=0.042, OR 4.457, 95% CI 0.988–20.103). In the first 6 months after LT, MDR gram‐negative bacillus bacteremia‐related mortality was significantly higher than that due to antibiotic‐susceptible bacillus (38.6% vs. 14.6%, P<0.001).

Conclusion. Post‐LT bacteremias caused by MDR gram‐negative bacilli are common, and associated with allograft acute rejection, post‐LT reoperation, and abdominal infection. The increasing isolates of MDR gram‐negative bacilli pose a great challenge for clinical treatment.
Central nervous system involvement in cryptococcal infection in individuals after solid organ transplantation or with AIDS
Authors: Davis J.A. , Horn D.L. , Marr K.A. , Fishman J.A.
Published: July 2009

Background. Cryptococcus neoformans is an important pathogen of immunocompromised hosts. Manifestations of cryptococcal infection have not been compared between populations based on the nature of the underlying immune deficiencies.

Methods. The Prospective Antifungal Therapy Alliance (PATH) is a registry that collects clinical data from patients with invasive fungal infections from medical centers in North America. Univariate analyses and group comparisons were conducted from the PATH registry for cases of infection due to Cryptococcus species occurring between March 2004 and April 2008.

Results. A total 235 cases of proven infection due to Cryptococcus species were documented, all of which were due to C. neoformans (52 in solid organ transplant [SOT] recipients, 107 in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus [HIV], and 76 with neither HIV nor organ transplantation). A total of 140 cases manifested as meningitis (25 in SOT recipients, 88 in HIV‐positive patients, and 27 in those with neither risk factor). Of individuals with cryptococcal infection, 44.2% of SOT recipients had central nervous system (CNS) disease, while 84.1% of those with HIV infection presented with CNS involvement (P=0.0265). SOT recipients receiving calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) were less likely to have CNS involvement in cryptococcal infection (40.1% versus 66.7%). Overall, 12‐week mortality for patients with cryptococcal infection in the PATH Alliance registry was 22.6% (21.2% for SOT, 15.9% for HIV‐infected patients, and 32.9% for patients with risk factors other than HIV infection or organ transplantation).

Conclusions. In a prospectively assembled cohort of individuals with proven infection due to C. neoformans, CNS involvement was more common in individuals with HIV infection than in SOT recipients. The role of CNIs in the reduction of risk for CNS cryptococcosis remains to be defined. Overall survival of patients with cryptococcal infection in immunocompromised hosts has improved over time. Observed differences in the context of various host immune deficits provide a basis for further investigation of cryptococcosis and other opportunistic infections.
Leukotrienes are Auto‐/Paracrine Factors in the Bovine Corpus Luteum: An In Vitro Study
Authors: Korzekwa A , Lukasik K , Skarzynski DJ
Published: July 2009

Contents

The aim of this study was to determine leukotrienes (LTs) functions in the bovine corpus luteum (BCL) during the oestrous cycle. In steroidogenic CL cells we examined the effect of luteotropic [LH, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)] and luteolytic (PGF2α, cytokines) factors on: the levels of LTB4 and C4, the expression of 5‐lipoxygenase (LO), LT receptors type I (LTR‐I) and LTR‐II, and the effects of LTB4 and C4 stimulations on the levels of progesterone (P4), PGE2, F2α and nitric oxide (NO) metabolites. Both luteolytic and luteotropic factors stimulated 5‐LO expression on days 2–4 and 17–19 of the cycle. Leukotriene receptors type I expression increased after PGE2 and tumour necrosis factor α with interferon γ (TNF/IFN) stimulation on days 2–4 of the cycle. Leukotriene receptor type II expression increased after PGE2α and TNF/IFN stimulation on days 2–4 and 17–19 of the cycle, and LTR‐II expression on days 8–10 of the cycle was unchanged after cell stimulation with any factor. Leukotriene B4 level increased after BSC incubation with luteotropic factors during all examined days of the cycle and after cytokine stimulation at early‐ and mid‐luteal stages, whereas luteolytic factors stimulated LTC4 secretion over the entire cycle. Leukotriene B4 stimulated P4 secretion at the mid‐luteal stage and stimulated NO secretion during all examined phases. Leukotriene B4 stimulated PGE2 secretion at the early‐ and mid‐luteal stage. Leukotriene C4 inhibited P4 secretion at the mid‐ and regressing‐luteal stage, stimulated NO (entire cycle) and PGF2α at mid‐ and regressing‐luteal phases. Leukotrienes modulate steroidogenic cells functions, depending on the stage of the cycle. Leukotriene B4 plays a luteotropic role stimulating P4 and PGE2 secretions; LTC4 stimulates the secretion of luteolytic factors and enhances the luteolytic cascade within BCL.
Expression of Oestrogen Receptor α and Oestrogen Receptor β in the Uterus of the Pregnant Swine
Authors: Knapczyk‐Stwora K , Durlej M , Duda M , Czernichowska‐Ferreira K , Tabecka‐Lonczynska A , Slomczynska M
Published: July 2009

Contents

The uterus is a well‐known target of endocrine, paracrine and autocrine acting molecules among which steroid hormones are of special importance. The objective of our work was to localize oestrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ) mRNA and protein in the pig uterus throughout pregnancy (10, 18, 32, 50, 71, 90 days post coitum) using RT‐PCR, Western‐blot and immunohistochemistry. The present study is the first one to demonstrate the presence of ERs protein in the porcine uterus not only at the beginning but also at mid‐ and late pregnancy. In the pregnant swine, ERα was immunolocalized in the luminal epithelium (LE) and glandular epithelium (GE) and the myometrium of the uterus with differences in the intensity of staining at different stages of pregnancy studied. The LE and GE of pregnant swine stained for ERβ regardless of the day of pregnancy examined, whereas only a few cells within the myometrium showed a weak immunoreactivity. Western blot analysis confirmed the presence of ERα and ERβ proteins on all investigated days of gestation. The expression of ERα and ERβ mRNA was detected by RT‐PCR in all examined samples corresponding to each of the consecutive stages of pregnancy. The obtained results show that ERα is more abundant in comparison to ERβ within the porcine pregnant uterus. The presence of ERα and ERβ in all compartments of the pig uterus during pregnancy may indicate direct action of oestrogens on proliferation and differentiation of these cells.
Evaluation of the treatment of non‐melanoma skin cancers by surgical excision
Authors: Pua Vernon SC , Huilgol Shyamala , Hill Dudley
Published: July 2009

A retrospective study of all non‐melanoma skin cancers excised by two dermatologists at a private practice in 2004 (excluding Mohs microscopic surgery cases) was conducted. Two hundred and forty‐one patients were treated, with a total of 453 tumours excised. The overall incomplete excision rate was 2.2% (10/453). For basal cell cancers, the incomplete excision rate was 1.54% (5/324) and for squamous cell cancers including Bowen's disease the incomplete excision rate was 3.9% (5/129). The majority of repairs were primary closures (82.6%). Although a significant proportion of the tumours were from the head and neck region (45.9%), this study demonstrated that careful patient selection, experience of the surgeon and adherence to recommended excision margins can achieve a favourable incomplete excision rate.
Indurated reticulate palmar erythema as a sign of paraneoplastic palmar fasciitis and polyarthritis syndrome
Authors: Preda Veronica A , Frederiksen Peter , Kossard Steven
Published: July 2009

A 62‐year‐old woman presented with a 6‐month history of polyarthritis. She had also noted a 2‐month history of indurated palmar erythema and increasing bilateral hand swelling and stiffness. A biopsy from the area of palmar erythema showed interstitial fibroplasia within the dermis and subcutis representing a palmar fibromatosis. This presentation appears to belong to the spectrum of palmar fasciitis and polyarthritis syndrome. Rheumatologists have recognised this syndrome as a paraneoplastic disorder and subsequent investigations in our patient revealed an elevated cancer antigen 125 and an inoperable ovarian carcinoma. Indurated palmar erythema is a sign that is not widely recognised by dermatologists as a clue for this paraneoplastic syndrome, and skin biopsy demonstrating dermal and subcutaneous fibroplasia may help in diagnosis in the absence of advanced signs of palmar fasciitis.
Water conservation in surgery: A comparison of two surgical scrub techniques demonstrating the amount of water saved using a ‘taps on/taps off’ technique
Authors: Petterwood Joshua , Shridhar Vivek
Published: July 2009

Objective:  Australia finds itself in the grip of its worst drought on record. The surgical profession has a responsibility to conserve water where possible. We tried to show how much water we saved through the simple measure of turning taps off while not in use during the surgical scrub.

Design:  We conducted a prospective analysis of two different scrub techniques at the Gold Coast Hospital in Queensland, Australia. Ten participants completed two 5‐min scrubs using standard ‘elbow on’ taps. In the first, they left the taps running throughout the scrub; in the second, they turned the taps on and off so that water ran only when rinsing the hands. Water was collected and the amount of time the hands spent under running water was recorded.

Main outcome measure:  Amount of water used during the surgical scrub.

Results:  A mean of 15.5 L was used during the ‘taps on’ scrub, with participants spending a mean of 47 s rinsing the hands. During the ‘taps on/off’ scrub, participants used a mean of 4.5 L, spending 40 s rinsing the hands. This represents a water saving of 11 L or 71% for each scrub (P < 0.001). There was a difference of 7 s in time rinsing the hands (P = 0.16).

Conclusion:  A taps on/off technique is a simple and effective way of conserving large amounts of water during the surgical scrub. The technique should be adopted as standard practice.
Change of glomerular filtration rate in healthy adults with aging
Authors: SUN XUEFENG , CHEN YUNSHUANG , CHEN XIANGMEI , WANG JIANZHONG , XI CHUNSHENG , LIN SHUPENG , LIU XIUJUAN
Published: July 2009

Aim:  In order to determine the relationship between glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and age, the associated factors, and the accurate method of GFR in healthy adults, we conducted a cross‐sectional study in community‐dwelling adults in Beijing.

Methods:  Renal function of 201 clinically healthy subjects was determined using technetium‐99 m‐labelled diethylene triamine pentacetic acid (99mTc‐DTPA). Estimated GFR was calculated with the Cockcroft–Gault (CG) equation, abbreviated Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation, and plasma clearance of creatinine (Ccr). Serum cystatin C, biomarkers of inflammatory and endothelial cells were analyzed as well. Protein intake, carotid artery intima‐media thickness and plaque formation were assayed as well.

Results:  Glomerular filtration rate was negatively associated with age and the correlation coefficient for 99mTc‐GFR, CG‐GFR, MDRD‐GFR, Ccr were −0.643, −0.736, −0.55 and −0.619, respectively (P < 0.001), while the correlation coefficient between cystatin C and age was 0.681 (P < 0.001). Estimated GFR were associated with measured GFR, and the correlation coefficient for Ccr, CG‐GFR and MDRD‐GFR were 0.813, 0.582 and 0.418, respectively (P < 0.001). The area under the receiver–operator curve of Ccr was larger, CG was smaller while MDRD was the smallest, and the difference was significant (P < 0.001). So a predicted equation was presented by cystatin C and C‐reactive protein for the elderly.

Conclusion:  In the clinically healthy adults, GFR declined with age. MDRD and CG equation are not suitable to estimate GFR in healthy adults. The predicted equation established by cystatin C and C‐reactive protein may be more accurate.
Gut Reactions
Authors: Wisneski Daniel C. , Lytle Brad L. , Skitka Linda J.
Published: July 2009

Theory and research point to different ways moral conviction and religiosity connect to trust in political authorities to decide controversial issues of the day. Specifically, we predicted that stronger moral convictions would be associated with greater distrust in authorities such as the U.S. Supreme Court making the “right” decisions regarding controversial issues. Conversely, we predicted that stronger religiosity would be associated with greater trust in authorities. We tested these hypotheses using a survey of a nationally representative sample of Americans (N = 727) that assessed the degree to which people trusted the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on the legal status of physician-assisted suicide. Results indicated that greater religiosity was associated with greater trust in the U.S. Supreme Court to decide this issue, and that stronger moral convictions about physician-assisted suicide were associated with greater distrust in the U.S. Supreme Court to decide this issue. Also, the processes underlying religious trust and distrust based on moral convictions were more quick and visceral than slow and carefully considered.
Evidence of Differential Meta-Accuracy
Authors: Carlson Erika N. , Furr R. Michael
Published: July 2009

This article reexamines the prevailing conclusion that people are unaware of the different impressions they make, or that their differential meta-accuracy is poor. This conclusion emerged from research employing contextually undifferentiated designs that may have constrained differences in actual impressions, thereby limiting participants' ability to demonstrate differential meta-accuracy. We argue that an alternative, contextually differentiated approach may reveal evidence for differential meta-accuracy because (a) people tend to behave differently in different social contexts, (b) interaction partners from different social contexts witness differing behaviors and form differing impressions of a target person, and (c) contextual information used to infer the impression one makes on others is relatively differentiated across contexts, resulting in differentiated metaperceptions. We assessed differential meta-accuracy across social contexts (i.e., parents, hometown friends, and college friends) and found that, in contrast to researchers' prevailing conclusion, people can indeed detect the relative impressions they make on others.
Dependent Companions
Authors: MILLIGAN TONY
Published: July 2009

abstract

My primary concern will be to cast light upon the relation between animal guardians (‘pet owners’) and pets as a deep relation. I will proceed with a degree of indirectness by explaining why animal guardians can have an epistemically‐privileged position when it comes to end‐of‐life decisions concerning pets. My contention is that they are best placed to grasp the relevant narrative considerations upon which end‐of‐life deliberation in marginal cases ought to depend. Such narrative‐appreciation is built into the practice of treating animals as pets. By virtue of having such a narrative appreciation, animal guardians can be best placed to grasp the life‐role of pain and suffering.
Abortion, Competing Entitlements, and Parental Responsibility
Authors: RAJCZI ALEX
Published: July 2009

abstract

Don Marquis offered the most famous philosophical argument against abortion. His argument contained a novel defence of the idea that foetuses have the same moral status as ordinary adults. The first half of this paper contends that even if Marquis has shown that foetuses have this status, he has not proven that abortion is therefore wrong. Instead his argument falls victim to problems similar to those raised by Judith Thomson, problems that have plagued most anti‐abortion arguments since.

Once Marquis's anti‐abortion argument is shown to fail, this raises the question of whether there is some way to circumvent the problems. The second half of the paper argues that this issue hinges on important questions about responsibility for risky behaviour and the duties of parenthood. Because we have yet to develop appropriate theoretical frameworks for judging such questions, we cannot yet know whether Marquis's anti‐abortion argument — and indeed most other anti‐abortion arguments — can be completed.
Multiple roles of the cytoskeleton in autophagy
Authors: Monastyrska Iryna , Rieter Ester , Klionsky Daniel J. , Reggiori Fulvio
Published: July 2009

Autophagy is involved in a wide range of physiological processes including cellular remodeling during development, immuno‐protection against heterologous invaders and elimination of aberrant or obsolete cellular structures. This conserved degradation pathway also plays a key role in maintaining intracellular nutritional homeostasis and during starvation, for example, it is involved in the recycling of unnecessary cellular components to compensate for the limitation of nutrients. Autophagy is characterized by specific membrane rearrangements that culminate with the formation of large cytosolic double‐membrane vesicles called autophagosomes. Autophagosomes sequester cytoplasmic material that is destined for degradation. Once completed, these vesicles dock and fuse with endosomes and/or lysosomes to deliver their contents into the hydrolytically active lumen of the latter organelle where, together with their cargoes, they are broken down into their basic components. Specific structures destined for degradation via autophagy are in many cases selectively targeted and sequestered into autophagosomes.

A number of factors required for autophagy have been identified, but numerous questions about the molecular mechanism of this pathway remain unanswered. For instance, it is unclear how membranes are recruited and assembled into autophagosomes. In addition, once completed, these vesicles are transported to cellular locations where endosomes and lysosomes are concentrated. The mechanism employed for this directed movement is not well understood. The cellular cytoskeleton is a large, highly dynamic cellular scaffold that has a crucial role in multiple processes, several of which involve membrane rearrangements and vesicle‐mediated events. Relatively little is known about the roles of the cytoskeleton network in autophagy. Nevertheless, some recent studies have revealed the importance of cytoskeletal elements such as actin microfilaments and microtubules in specific aspects of autophagy. In this review, we will highlight the results of this work and discuss their implications, providing possible working models. In particular, we will first describe the findings obtained with the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, for long the leading organism for the study of autophagy, and, successively, those attained in mammalian cells, to emphasize possible differences between eukaryotic organisms.
A comparison of the oxygen cost of locomotion in children with and without developmental coordination disorder
Authors: CHIA LAY CHERN , GUELFI KYM J , LICARI MELISSA K
Published: July 2009

Aim  The aim of this study was to compare the oxygen cost (V̄o2) of walking and running, as well as aerobic fitness, in children with and without developmental coordination disorder (DCD).

Method  Thirty‐one males (17 with DCD and 14 in a comparison group; mean age 8y 7mo, SD 1y 3mo and 8y 5mo, SD 1y 2mo respectively) were tested on two separate occasions at least 1 week apart. On the first visit, motor proficiency was assessed by the McCarron Assessment of Neuromuscular Development instrument, which was followed by the determination of maximal aerobic capacity (V̄o2max). The second visit involved 4‐minute bouts of treadmill walking (at 4.3km/h and 5.8km/h) and running (at 7.8km/h and 8.4km/h). Oxygen consumption, heart rate, respiratory exchange ratio, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), step rate, and qualitative assessment of locomotion were obtained for each speed.

Results  Despite poorer locomotion proficiency, there was no significant difference in the oxygen cost of walking or running between males with and without DCD. However, the DCD group had significantly higher RPE while running at 7.8km/h (p=0.011) and had greater difficulty achieving V̄o2max, resulting in significantly lower scores for aerobic fitness.

Interpretation  The differences in locomotion proficiency between children with and without DCD are not large enough to affect the oxygen cost of locomotion. However, children with DCD are more likely to withdraw from exercising at higher intensities before achieving peak performance.
Molecular crosstalk between TRAIL and natural antioxidants in the treatment of cancer
Authors: Rushworth Stuart A , Micheau Olivier
Published: July 2009

The endogenous protein, tumour necrosis factor receptor apoptosis‐inducing ligand (TRAIL), induces apoptosis in a wide variety of transformed and cancer cells but has little or no effect on normal cells. Therefore, TRAIL is considered to be a tumour‐selective, apoptosis‐inducing cytokine and a promising new candidate for cancer prevention and treatment. Some cancer cells are however resistant to TRAIL‐induced apoptosis, but treatment in combination with conventional chemotherapeutic drugs or radiation generally restores TRAIL sensitivity in those cells. A novel class of molecules exhibiting synergy with TRAIL but devoid of major side effects are emerging as alternative approaches to treat resistant cancer cells, including natural antioxidants such as sulphoraphane or the flavonoids curcumin, quercetin, resveratrol, baicalein and wogonin. In this issue of the BJP, Lee et al. demonstrate that treatment of TRAIL‐resistant cancer cells with wogonin restores TRAIL‐induced cell death in a reactive oxygen species‐dependent manner through up‐regulation of p53 and Puma.
Helicobacter pylori VacA Activates NF‐κB in T Cells via the Classical but not Alternative Pathway
Authors: Takeshima Eriko , Tomimori Koh , Takamatsu Reika , Ishikawa Chie , Kinjo Fukunori , Hirayama Toshiya , Fujita Jiro , Mori Naoki
Published: July 2009

Background:  Helicobacter pylori secretes vacuolating cytotoxin (VacA) that damages the gastric epithelium by erosion and loosening of tight junctions. VacA has also immunosuppressive effects, inhibiting interleukin (IL)‐2 secretion by interference with the T cell receptor/IL‐2 signaling pathway. This study investigated the effect of VacA on gene expression of T cells.

Materials and methods:  Gene expression profile of a T cell line, Jurkat, was analyzed by the cDNA microarray technique after VacA challenge. The expression of specific mRNAs was assessed by reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction. Interleukin (IL)‐8 concentrations in culture supernatants and cell surface expression of CD69 were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry, respectively. We evaluated nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) activation in Jurkat cells challenged with VacA by luciferase assay, electrophoretic mobility shift assay, and Western blot analysis.

Results:  VacA produced two or greater fold up‐regulation of expression of 60 genes. Most of these genes were associated with signal transduction, regulation of gene expression, apoptosis, and inflammation. Up‐regulation of four genes (IL8, IL2RA, ICAM1, and CD69) was confirmed. The supernatants of cells incubated with VacA showed significantly higher secretion levels of IL‐8 than those incubated without VacA. VacA also induced the cell surface expression of CD69. Since microarray analysis indicated NF‐κB was involved in the transcriptional activation of the above genes, we examined NF‐κB signaling pathway. VacA activated NF‐κB via classical but not alternative pathway.

Conclusions:  VacA has two paradoxical effects on T cells, immunosuppression, and proinflammatory effects. The latter is mediated by NF‐κB activation.
Distinct cagA EPIYA Motifs are Associated with Ethnic Diversity in Malaysia and Singapore
Authors: Schmidt Heather‐Marie A. , Goh Khean‐Lee , Fock Kwong Ming , Hilmi Ida , Dhamodaran Subbiah , Forman David , Mitchell Hazel
Published: July 2009

Background:  In vitro studies have shown that the biologic activity of CagA is influenced by the number and class of EPIYA motifs present in its variable region as these motifs correspond to the CagA phosphorylation sites. It has been hypothesized that strains possessing specific combinations of these motifs may be responsible for gastric cancer development. This study investigated the prevalence of cagA and the EPIYA motifs with regard to number, class, and patterns in strains from the three major ethnic groups within the Malaysian and Singaporean populations in relation to disease development.

Materials and methods:  Helicobacter pylori isolates from 49 Chinese, 43 Indian, and 14 Malay patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) and 21 gastric cancer (GC) cases were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction for the presence of cagA and the number, type, and pattern of EPIYA motifs. Additionally, the EPIYA motifs of 47 isolates were sequenced.

Results:  All 126 isolates possessed cagA, with the majority encoding EPIYA‐A (97.6%) and all encoding EPIYA‐B. However, while the cagA of 93.0% of Indian FD isolates encoded EPIYA‐C as the third motif, 91.8% of Chinese FD isolates and 81.7% of Chinese GC isolates encoded EPIYA‐D (p < .001). Of Malay FD isolates, 61.5% and 38.5% possessed EPIYA‐C and EPIYA‐D, respectively. The majority of isolates possessed three EPIYA motifs; however, Indian isolates were significantly more likely to have four or more (p < .05).

Conclusion:  Although, H. pylori strains with distinct cagA‐types are circulating within the primary ethnic groups resident in Malaysia and Singapore, these genotypes appear unassociated with the development of GC in the ethnic Chinese population. The phenomenon of distinct strains circulating within different ethnic groups, in combination with host and certain environmental factors, may help to explain the rates of GC development in Malaysia.
Alcohol Biomarkers in Patients Admitted for Trauma
Authors: Fleming Michael , Bhamb Bhushan , Schurr Michael , Mundt Marlon , Williams Andrea
Published: July 2009

Background:  To assess the value of blood alcohol levels (BAL) and carbohydrate‐deficient transferrin (CDT) in trauma patients.

Methods:  A prospective study was conducted among 213 patients admitted to a university hospital after trauma. Outcomes of interest included the development of alcohol withdrawal, infections, respiratory problems, cardiac events, thromboembolism, and length of stay.

Results:  The majority (78%) of the trauma patients in the study was males over the age of 18. Seventy‐five percent were reported drinking an alcohol‐containing beverage in the previous 30 days, 34% had ≥5 heavy drinking days, and 18.7% met current DSM‐IV criteria for alcohol abuse and 13.1% current criteria for dependence. Twenty‐two percent (n = 48) had a positive BAL and 14% (n = 30) a CDT level >2.5%. Twelve percent (n = 27) of the sample developed alcohol withdrawal and 55% (n = 113) had one or more adverse health events during their hospitalization. The development of alcohol withdrawal was associated with an admission CDT >2.5% (χ2: 4.77, p < 0.029) and/or a positive BAL (χ2: 54.01, p < 0.001). The alcohol biomarkers identified 13 male and 3 female high‐risk patients (7.4% of the total sample) who denied excessive alcohol use, and who would have been missed if these markers were not used. A composite morbidity trauma score composed of 25 adverse health events was associated with a positive BAL (p < 0.022).

Conclusion:  The study provides additional empirical evidence that supports the use of BAL in all patients admitted for trauma. The usefulness of CDT in trauma patients remains unclear and will require larger samples in more critically ill patients.
The Superstar Inventors and Entrepreneurs: How Were They Educated?
Authors: Baumol William J. , Schilling Melissa A. , Wolff Edward N.
Published: July 2009

Observations, such as the many celebrated inventive entrepreneurs with minimal schooling, lead to the hypothesis that protracted and rigorous education can impede entrepreneurship. Systematic analysis of biographies of noted inventors and entrepreneurs appears not to support the hypothesis. We do find that with time, entrepreneurial and inventor education increases as technology grows more complex. However, we find at the same time that the educational attainment of inventors has grown more rapidly than that of entrepreneurs and the educational gap has tended to widen over time.
Competing on Standards? Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, and Platform Technologies
Authors: Simcoe Timothy S. , Graham Stuart J.H. , Feldman Maryann P.
Published: July 2009

Entrepreneurs often rely on intellectual property (IP) to earn a return on their innovations, and also compatibility standards, which allow them to supply specialized components for a shared technology platform. This paper compares the IP strategies of small entrepreneurs and large incumbents that disclose patents at 13 voluntary standard setting organizations (SSOs). These patents have a relatively high litigation rate. For small private firms, the probability of filing a lawsuit increases after disclosure to the SSO. For large public firms, the filing rate is unchanged. Although forward citations increase after disclosure for all firms, the size of this effect is the same for entrepreneurs and incumbents. These results suggest that standards increase the difference between large and small firms’ incentives to litigate, rather than the relative value of their patents. We conclude that because specialized technology providers cannot seek rents in complementary markets, they defend IP more aggressively once it has been incorporated into an open platform.
Firms' Stakeholders and the Costs of Transparency
Authors: Almazan Andres , Suarez Javier , Titman Sheridan
Published: July 2009

We develop a model of a firm whose production process requires it to initiate and nurture a relationship with its stakeholders. Because there are spillover benefits of being associated with a “winner,” the perceptions of stakeholders and potential stakeholders can affect firm value. Our analysis indicates that while transparency (i.e., generating information about a firm's quality) may improve the allocation of resources, a firm may have a higher ex ante value if information about its quality is not prematurely generated. Transparency costs arise because of asymmetric information regarding the extent to which stakeholders benefit from having a relationship with a high‐quality firm. These costs are higher when firms can undertake noncontractible innovative investments that enhance the value of their stakeholder relationships. Stakeholder effects of transparency are especially important for younger firms with less established track records.
All Creatures Great and Small: New Perspectives on Psychology and Human–Animal Interactions
Authors: Knight Sarah , Herzog Harold
Published: July 2009

Relations between humans and nonhuman animals are morally significant, intense, enduring, and pervasive. Presented here are current perspectives on social and psychological aspects of human–animal interactions. The articles in this issue focus on three broad themes—attitudes toward the use of other species, the effects of relationships with companion animals on human health and well‐being, and the ethical and policy implications of our interactions with other species. The article represent a mix of theory, qualitative and quantitative empirical approaches, review, and policy recommendations on a topic that has historically been neglected by social scientists.
Moral Emotions and Social Activism: The Case of Animal Rights
Authors: Herzog Harold A. , Golden Lauren L.
Published: July 2009

Why do some people and not others become involved in social movements? We examined the relationships between a moral emotion—disgust—and animal activism, attitudes toward animal welfare, and consumption of meat. Participants were recruited through two social networking websites and included animal activists, promoters of animal use, and participants not involved in animal‐related causes. They took an online survey which included measures of sensitivity to visceral disgust, attitudes toward animal welfare, and frequency of meat eating. Animal activists were more sensitive to visceral disgust than were promoters of animal use or nonaligned participants. Disgust sensitivity was positively correlated with attitudes toward animal welfare but not with meat consumption. The relationship between animal activism and vegetarianism was complex; nearly half of animal activists ate meat, and half of the vegetarians did not consider themselves to be animal activists. We argue that conflicts over the moral status of animals reflect fundamental differences in moral intuitions.
The Effects of Animals on Human Health and Well‐Being
Authors: Wells Deborah L.
Published: July 2009

Substantial sums of money are invested annually in preventative medicine and therapeutic treatment for people with a wide range of physical and psychological health problems, sometimes to no avail. There is now mounting evidence to suggest that companion animals, such as dogs and cats, can enhance the health of their human owners and may thus contribute significantly to the health expenditure of our country. This paper explores the evidence that pets can contribute to human health and well‐being. The article initially concentrates on the value of animals for short‐ and long‐term physical health, before exploring the relationship between animals and psychological health, focusing on the ability of dogs, cats, and other species to aid the disabled and serve as a “therapist” to those in institutional settings. The paper also discusses the evidence for the ability of dogs to facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of specific chronic diseases, notably cancer, epilepsy, and diabetes. Mechanisms underlying the ability of animals to promote human health are discussed within a theoretical framework. Whereas the evidence for a direct causal association between human well‐being and companion animals is not conclusive, the literature reviewed is largely supportive of the widely held, and long‐standing, belief that “pets are good for us.”
People and Animals, Kindness and Cruelty: Research Directions and Policy Implications
Authors: Ascione Frank R. , Shapiro Kenneth
Published: July 2009

This article addresses the challenges of defining and assessing animal abuse, the relation between animal abuse and childhood mental health, the extensive research on animal abuse and intimate partner violence, and the implication of these empirical findings for programs to enhance human and animal welfare. Highlighted are recent developments and advances in research and policy issues on animal abuse. The reader is directed to existing reviews of research and areas of focus on the expanding horizon of empirical analyses and programmatic innovations addressing animal abuse. Following a discussion of forensic and veterinary issues related to animal abuse, we discuss policy issues including how the status of animals as human companions at times may place animals at risk. We also review developments in the field of human–animal relations and apply the primary–secondary–tertiary prevention public health model to prevention and treatment of animal abuse. We close with a description of community networks addressing animal abuse, interagency collaborations, and new developments in animal‐related law.
Incorporating Predictor Network in Penalized Regression with Application to Microarray Data
Authors: Pan Wei , Xie Benhuai , Shen Xiaotong
Published: July 2009

SummaryWe consider penalized linear regression, especially for “large p, small n” problems, for which the relationships among predictors are described a priori by a network. A class of motivating examples includes modeling a phenotype through gene expression profiles while accounting for coordinated functioning of genes in the form of biological pathways or networks. To incorporate the prior knowledge of the similar effect sizes of neighboring predictors in a network, we propose a grouped penalty based on the Lγ‐norm that smoothes the regression coefficients of the predictors over the network. The main feature of the proposed method is its ability to automatically realize grouped variable selection and exploit grouping effects. We also discuss effects of the choices of the γ and some weights inside the Lγ‐norm. Simulation studies demonstrate the superior finite‐sample performance of the proposed method as compared to Lasso, elastic net, and a recently proposed network‐based method. The new method performs best in variable selection across all simulation set‐ups considered. For illustration, the method is applied to a microarray dataset to predict survival times for some glioblastoma patients using a gene expression dataset and a gene network compiled from some Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways.
Statistical Metrics for Quality Assessment of High‐Density Tiling Array Data
Authors: Tang Hui , Therneau Terry M.
Published: July 2009

Summary High‐density tiling arrays are designed to blanket an entire genomic region of interest using tiled oligonucleotides at very high resolution and are widely used in various biological applications. Experiments are usually conducted in multiple stages, in which unwanted technical variations may be introduced. As tiling arrays become more popular and are adopted by many research labs, it is pressing to develop quality control tools as was done for expression microarrays. We propose a set of statistical quality metrics analogous to those in expression microarrays with application to tiling array data. We also develop a method to estimate the significance level of an observed quality measurement using randomization tests. These methods have been applied to multiple real data sets, including three independent ChIP‐chip experiments and one transcriptom mapping study, and they have successfully identified good quality chips as well as outliers in each study.
Regression Analysis with a Misclassified Covariate from a Current Status Observation Scheme
Authors: Zeng Leilei , Cook Richard J. , Warkentin Theodore E.
Published: July 2009

SummaryNaive use of misclassified covariates leads to inconsistent estimators of covariate effects in regression models. A variety of methods have been proposed to address this problem including likelihood, pseudo‐likelihood, estimating equation methods, and Bayesian methods, with all of these methods typically requiring either internal or external validation samples or replication studies. We consider a problem arising from a series of orthopedic studies in which interest lies in examining the effect of a short‐term serological response and other covariates on the risk of developing a longer term thrombotic condition called deep vein thrombosis. The serological response is an indicator of whether the patient developed antibodies following exposure to an antithrombotic drug, but the seroconversion status of patients is only available at the time of a blood sample taken upon the discharge from hospital. The seroconversion time is therefore subject to a current status observation scheme, or Case I interval censoring, and subjects tested before seroconversion are misclassified as nonseroconverters. We develop a likelihood‐based approach for fitting regression models that accounts for misclassification of the seroconversion status due to early testing using parametric and nonparametric estimates of the seroconversion time distribution. The method is shown to reduce the bias resulting from naive analyses in simulation studies and an application to the data from the orthopedic studies provides further illustration.