bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electrochemical and photoelectrochemical degradation of direct dyes
Authors: Socha A , Sochocka E , Podsiadły R , Sokołowska J
Published: July 2006

The electrochemical treatment of CI Direct Red 81 and CI Direct Black 36 solutions using platinum and mercury electrodes was investigated. Additionally, the electrochemical oxidation at the titanium electrode coated with TiO2/RuO2 was studied. The optimal electrochemical parameters applied for photoelectrochemical oxidation increased the effectiveness of the dyes’ decolorisation and mineralisation.
Energy requirement of ultraviolet and AOPs for the post‐treatment of treated combined industrial effluent
Authors: Yasar Abdullah , Ahmad Nasir , Khan Aamir Amanat Ali
Published: July 2006

Post‐treatment was carried out to eliminate the colour and COD of treated combined industrial effluent. Ozonation at a dose of 300 mg/h for 10 min resulted in 100% colour and 96% COD removal at pH 8 and temperature 25 °C. The application of UV/H2O2 resulted in 91% colour and 82% COD removal. 79% colour and 60% COD removal was obtained with the Fenton process after 60‐min treatment in the presence of 170 mg/l H2O2, while the photo‐Fenton process showed an almost complete elimination of both parameters. Electrical energy consumption showed that the photo‐Fenton resulted in the highest removal efficiency with 95% removal in terms of colour and COD abatement rates. The electrical energy requirements of the tested processes followed the increasing order UV/Fe/H2O2 < O3 < UV/H2O2 < UV.
Synthesis of heteromultifunctional dye‐resist agents containing chloro‐s‐triazine and α‐bromoacrylamide and their dye‐resist properties in wool fabrics
Authors: Oh Myung Joon , Kim Jae Pil , Koh Joonseok
Published: July 2006

Five heteromultifunctional dye‐resist agents containing chloro‐s‐triazine and α‐bromoacrylamide were synthesised and their resist effectiveness on wool were compared. The dye‐resist agent with the dichlorotriazinyl group showed better resist effectiveness than the dye‐resist agent with the monochlorotriazinyl group. Also, their resist effectiveness was improved by increasing the number of sulphonate groups in the dye‐resist agents and the reactive groups in the reactive dyes applied over them.
Kinetics of thermo‐fixation of solvent dyes and pigments in polyester fibres
Authors: Li Dapeng , Sun Gang
Published: July 2006

The diffusion coefficient of a dye in fibres is critical to understanding the dyeing process and coloration quality of products. In this paper, the diffusion kinetics of solvent dyes in the thermosol dyeing of polyester fibres was studied by measuring K/S of the dyed polyester fabrics based on the Kubelka–Munk equation. The diffusion coefficients of two model solvent dyes were estimated with Hill's equation using the experimentally measured K/S values and were found to be in good agreement with those calculated from the traditional extraction method. Such a measurement method was applied to several other solvent dyes and pigments that have different molecular sizes and a good correlation between the measured diffusion coefficients and sizes of these dyes and pigments was found. The results indicate that it is feasible to use K/S measurement of dyed fabrics and Hill's equation to evaluate the kinetics of the thermosol dyeing process under certain conditions.
Photoyellowing of wool. Part 1: Factors affecting photoyellowing and experimental techniques
Authors: Millington Keith R
Published: July 2006

The yellowing of wool exposed to sunlight is a serious commercial shortcoming compared to cotton and synthetic fibres, particularly when photostable brilliant whites and bright pastel shades are required. Part 1 of this review discusses the effects of light on wool keratin and the factors that affect the rate of photoyellowing, including oxidative bleaching, fluorescent whitening and the presence of moisture. The effect of variation of the wavelength of light, particularly attenuation of the ultraviolet wavelengths in sunlight by window glass that can result in photobleaching of wool is described. The experimental techniques that have been used to study the complex photochemistry involved in yellowing, and to identify the nature of the yellow chromophores formed, are also discussed. Part 2 of the review will focus on the photochemical mechanisms involved, and discusses potential ways for improving wool's photostability.
Epilepsy as a Consequence of Cerebral Malaria in Area in Which Malaria Is Endemic in Mali, West Africa
Authors: Ngoungou Edgard Brice , Dulac Olivier , Poudiougou Belco , Druet‐Cabanac Michel , Dicko Alassane , Mamadou Traore Abdoulaye , Coulibaly Drissa , Farnarier Guy , Tuillas Maryse , Keita Marouf Mamadou , Kombila Maryvonne , Doumbo Ogobara K. , Preux Pierre‐Marie
Published: July 2006

Summary:  Purpose: Cerebral malaria (CM) is suspected to be a potential cause of epilepsy in tropical areas, but little information is available. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of CM in epilepsy among children in Mali.

  Methods: An exposed–nonexposed study was performed to identify children who had epilepsy after malaria in the 0‐ to 15‐year age group. The exposure factor was CM defined according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, and the nonexposure factor was symptomatic malaria without the characteristics of CM (NCM). All the children underwent a screening questionnaire and were examined by a medical physician. After the screening phase, a specialist in neuropediatrics examined the children suspected to have epilepsy. EEG and computed tomography (CT) scans were performed in some of these patients.

  Results: In total, 101 subjects who had had CM and 222 who had had NCM were included. Fifty‐four children (CM, 34; NCM, 20) were suspected to have epilepsy, and six were confirmed (CM, five; NCM, one). The incidence rate was 17.0 per 1000 person‐years in the CM group and 1.8 per 1000 person‐year in the NCM group; thus the relative risk (RR) was 9.4 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.3–80.3; p = 0.02]. After adjustment on age and duration of follow‐up, the RR was 14.3 (95% CI, 1.6–132.0; p = 0.01).

  Conclusions: The risk of sequelar epilepsy is significantly higher in the CM group compared with the NCM group. A reevaluation of this cohort should be carried out later to search for temporal epilepsy that appeared after age 10 years.
Synergies and Internal Agency Conflicts: The Double‐Edged Sword of Mergers
Authors: Fulghieri Paolo , Hodrick Laurie Simon
Published: July 2006

This paper investigates the interaction between synergies and internal agency conflicts that emerges endogenously in multi‐division firms. A divisional manager's entrenchment choice depends directly on the specificity of her division's assets, because the specificity governs whether entrenchment activities reduce the likelihood of her division being divested. The presence of synergies, by modifying the difference between the value of assets in their current use and in alternative uses, may alter the divisional manager's entrenchment incentive. In “the double‐edged sword of mergers,” synergy and internal agency effects are of opposite sign and merger gains may not be increasing in expected synergies. We characterize when divisions should optimally stand alone and when they should be part of a merged firm. We predict an absence of diversifying mergers in industries plagued by misdeployed assets, offer a novel explanation for the cross‐sectional variation in postmerger valuation, and explain why mergers may be valuable ex ante while leading to successful divestitures ex post.
Authority and Commitment: Why Universities, Like Legislatures, Are Not Organized as Firms
Authors: Masten Scott E.
Published: July 2006

This paper explores the functions and limitations of democratic governance by analyzing the allocation of decision‐making authority in colleges and universities. Contrary to the conventional perception that large numbers and heterogeneity of voters and issues undermine the efficiency of democratic decision making, data on the allocation of authority for thirty‐one decision areas in 826 US colleges and universities show democratic governance to be more prevalent in larger, “full‐service” research universities than in smaller liberal arts colleges and special‐curriculum institutions. State‐ and church‐affiliated institutions, meanwhile, tend to be governed more like firms. The results overall are consistent with economic theories of political organization that view democratic governance primarily as a means of enhancing the credibility of commitments rather than as a method of aggregating preferences.

“Educational systems, like governments, apparently can never be rational, never a logical and economical means to a definite end. Rather must they be always makeshifts.”

—J.P. Munroe (1899)

“Never did a dean lack legitimate reasons by which to color his bad faith”

—Machiavelli, The Dean (1513)
Allocating Ideas: Horizontal Competition in Tournaments
Authors: Ganuza Juan‐José , Hauk Esther
Published: July 2006

We develop a stylized model of horizontal and vertical competition in tournaments with two competing firms. The sponsor cares not only about the quality of the design but also about the design location. A priori not even the sponsor knows his preferred design location, which is only discovered once he has seen the actual proposals. We show that the more efficient firm is more likely to be conservative when choosing the design location. Also, to get some differentiation in design locations, the cost difference between contestants can be neither too small nor too big. Therefore, if the sponsor mainly cares about the design location, participation in the tournaments by the two lowest‐cost contestants cannot be optimal for the sponsor.
Possibly‐Final Offers
Authors: Miller Nolan H. , Piankov Nikita E. , Zeckhauser Richard J.
Published: July 2006

A price‐setting seller faces a buyer with unknown reservation value. We show that if the buyer is sufficiently risk averse, the seller can benefit from employing a Possibly‐Final Offer (PFO) strategy. In a PFO, if the buyer rejects the seller's initial offer the seller sometimes terminates the interaction. If the seller does not terminate, he follows up with a subsequent, more attractive offer. As the buyer's risk aversion increases, the seller's expected profit under the optimal PFO approaches the full‐information profit. These results extend to contexts with endogenous commitment, multiple types of buyers, multidimensional objects, and nonseparable utility functions.
A Randomized Trial of Olfactory Stimulation Using Black Pepper Oil in Older People with Swallowing Dysfunction
Authors: Ebihara Takae , Ebihara Satoru , Maruyama Masahiro , Kobayashi Mitsuru , Itou Azusa , Arai Hiroyuki , Sasaki Hidetada
Published: July 2006

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of olfactory stimulation with volatile black pepper oil (BPO) on risk factors for pneumonia.

DESIGN: A 1‐month randomized, controlled study.

SETTING: Nursing homes in Japan that serve as long‐term care facilities for older residents who are physically handicapped, mainly because of cerebrovascular disease.

PARTICIPANTS: One hundred five poststroke residents.

MEASUREMENTS: Latency of the swallowing reflex (LTSR), the number of swallowing movements, serum substance P (SP), and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF).

RESULTS: Nasal inhalation of BPO for 1 minute shortened LTSR, compared with that of lavender oil and distilled water (P<.03). Compared with the period before the study, the 1‐month intervention using BPO improved LTSR with an increase of serum SP (P<.01). The number of swallowing movements for 1 minute during the nasal inhalation of BPO increased (P<.001). Multiple comparisons showed a poststudy increase in rCBF within the insular cortex (P<.001). Compared with the prestudy rCBF, BPO intervention increased rCBF in the right orbitofrontal and left insular cortex (P<.001).

CONCLUSION: Inhalation of BPO, which can activate the insular or orbitofrontal cortex, resulting in improvement of the reflexive swallowing movement, might benefit older poststroke patients with dysphagia regardless of their level of consciousness or physical and mental status.
Deletion/Insertion Polymorphism of the Angiotensin‐Converting Enzyme Gene and White Matter Hyperintensities in Dementia: A Pilot Study
Authors: Purandare Nitin , Oude Voshaar Richard C. , Davidson Yvonne , Gibbons Linda , Hardicre Jayne , Byrne Jane , McCollum Charles , Jackson Alan , Burns Alistair , Mann David M. A.
Published: July 2006

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between the angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) deletion/insertion (D/I) polymorphism and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) in patients with dementia.

DESIGN: Observational pilot study with adjustment for potential confounders using analysis of covariance.

SETTING: Secondary care old‐age psychiatry services in greater Manchester, United Kingdom.

PARTICIPANTS: Ninety‐seven patients with dementia: 49 with Alzheimer's disease (AD, National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke/Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association criteria) and 48 with vascular dementia (VaD, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke/Association Internationale pour la Recherche et l'Enseignement en Neurosciences criteria).

MEASUREMENTS: The ACE D/I polymorphism, WMHs (deep WMHs (DWMHs) and periventricular hyperintensities (PVHs)) on T2‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging, and potential cardiovascular confounders.

RESULTS: The D/D polymorphism of the ACE genotype was associated with severity of DWMH (P=.005) but not PVH (P=.34), corrected for age, cardiovascular risk factors, and type of dementia. Post hoc analyses were limited by statistical power but suggested an interaction with the apolipoprotein E ɛ4 allele.

CONCLUSION: The results support previous observations that genetic factors influence the development of WMHs in dementia. The involvement of the ACE D/I polymorphism in the pathogenesis of DWMHs in dementia (AD and VaD), by a mechanism that is independent of its association with cardiovascular risk factors, should be confirmed in a large population‐based sample.
Tobacco Cessation Counseling Across the Ages
Authors: Wallace Amy E. , Sairafi Nasser A. , Weeks William B.
Published: July 2006

OBJECTIVES: To examine recent rates of tobacco cessation counseling and whether patient age or sex was associated with providers' adherence to tobacco cessation guidelines.

DESIGN: Survey study.

SETTING: The 2002 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS).

PARTICIPANTS: Analysis of 22,605 records representing 687 million ambulatory care appointments with adults from the 2002 NAMCS.

MEASUREMENTS: The proportion of visits by sex and age category during which physicians identified a patient's tobacco use status and counseled tobacco users to quit.

RESULTS: The rates at which providers inquired about tobacco use were similar across groups, ranging from 65% of visits with men aged 20 to 44 to 73% of visits with women aged 45 to 59, but providers' rates of tobacco cessation counseling differed by age, ranging from 27% of visits with male tobacco users aged 45 to 59 to 6% of visits with male tobacco users aged 75 old and older.

CONCLUSION: Although providers frequently ask their patients about tobacco use, they infrequently counsel patients to quit, especially if those patients are older men. Provider time constraints, misconceptions about older patients' ability and willingness to quit, or doubt about the potential health benefits of tobacco cessation in this age group may explain the lower counseling rates provided to older male patients. Because rates of counseling have declined in the last decade, providers should be reeducated about the need for and effectiveness of tobacco cessation counseling for men and women of all ages.
Molecular Medicine, the Medicare Drug Benefit, and the Need for Cost Control
Authors: Gillick Muriel R.
Published: July 2006

The implementation of Medicare Part D, although successful in improving access to prescription drugs for millions of beneficiaries, will lead to a marked escalation in the cost of the Medicare program. An important component of the rise in costs will be specialty pharmaceuticals, including a group of drugs that are self‐administered and that cost at least $1,000/month. The rate of growth in expenditures on specialty pharmaceuticals has been 34% per year. Although all these drugs confer benefits, the degree of benefit varies from dramatic (e.g., imatinib for chronic myelogenous leukemia) to cost‐effective (e.g., tumor necrosis factor‐alpha blockers for rheumatoid arthritis) to more modest (e.g., disease‐modifying drugs used in multiple sclerosis). Historically, when costs within the Medicare program have risen, Congress has enacted price controls, as it did with hospitalization, physician services, and outpatient care. The Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) currently prohibits such an approach. Resorting instead to competition from generic drugs will be of little utility, because there is currently no mechanism to allow biogeneric drugs and patents in the biopharmaceutical industry to limit competition. Controlling the cost of the Medicare Part D program, as dramatically illustrated by the case of specialty pharmaceuticals, will require patent reform, giving the Food and Drug Administration jurisdiction over biogenerics, and amending the MMA to allow the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to institute price controls.
Dental plaque, caries prevalence and gingival conditions of 14–15‐year‐old schoolchildren in Jerash District, Jordan
Authors: El‐Qaderi SS , Quteish Ta'ani D
Published: July 2006

Abstract:  The aim of this cross‐sectional study was to evaluate oral hygiene, gingival condition and dental caries prevalence in 14–15‐year‐old school children in Jerash District, Northern Jordan. Twenty schools (10 male and 10 female schools) with 1362 children of eighth and ninth grades were randomly selected and incorporated in this study. All participants had dental examinations for oral hygiene, gingival condition and dental caries experience using the Silness and Löe Plaque Index (PI), Löe and Silness Gingival Index (GI), and decayed (D), missing (M) and filled (F) teeth (DMFT) and surface (DMFS) codes respectively. The results showed that males had significant lower plaque but significantly higher gingival scores than females (P < 0.001). About 24% of children were caries‐free. The proportions of children with one, two or three decayed teeth were between 10% and 18%. Slight non‐significant variations between males and females were observed in regard to DMFT/S and their components (P < 0.05). It is concluded that significant gender variations were noted in PI and GI scores but not in DMFT/S or their components. However, the values of these clinical scores were lower than those results previously reported in northern Jordan.
A thin or thick probe handle: does it make a difference?
Authors: Van Weringh M , Barendregt DS , Rosema NAM , Timmerman MF , Van Der Weijden GA
Published: July 2006

Abstract:  Objectives: The aim of the present study was to assess the probing force exerted when using two manual periodontal probes with different handle diameters in hands of different dental professionals. Methods: For this study two periodontal probes with handle diameters of 54 and 92 mm were used. The 11 subjects responsible for the measurements were periodontists, postgraduate periodontal students and dental hygienists. Per measurement session, 20 measurements were performed by each subject. Each probe was used 10 times. After the first baseline measurement session, a second session was performed 1 week later and a last third session another 3 weeks later. Orders for using each probe were randomized for each subject and each session. Results: The mean overall force with the thin probe was 55.2 g and with the thick probe 59.4 g. The difference of 4.2 g between the two probe types was found to be statistically significant (P = 0.041). Conclusion: The present study showed that the diameter of the probe handle also had an effect on the force exerted with a periodontal probe. However, the clinical relevance of this difference may be minor, when considering the interindividual variance of forces exerted when probing.
Measurement of stain removal in vitro: a comparison of two instrumental methods
Authors: Lath DL , Johnson C , Smith RN , Brook AH
Published: July 2006

Abstract  Aim:The aim of this study was to compare an established spectrophotometrical approach for the measurement of stain removal in vitro with a new digital image analysis system. Method: Eighteen acrylic blocks were stained by cycling them through human saliva (2 min), chlorhexidine (2 min) and tea (1 h), rinsed with deionized water and left to air dry. The absorbance of each block was then measured at 395 nm using a single‐beam spectrophotometer. The lightness (L‐value) of the stained blocks (after a baseline correction) was measured using digital image analysis. Image acquisition and L‐values were obtained using Adobe Photoshop software. The stain removal ability of two whitening toothpastes and deionized water was tested by immersing each stained block in a test slurry (15 g paste/60 ml deionized water) for 1 min, rinsing and finally left to air dry. This cycle was repeated until the blocks had 5 min exposure to the slurry. Absorbance values from spectrophotometry and L‐values by image analysis were obtained after each cycle. Results: Fleiss’ coefficient of reliability for intra‐operator repeatability of the image analysis system and spectrophotometry was 0.999 for both methods which shows excellent reliability. Pearson's correlation coefficients for the two methods (stain build‐up) were 0.976. Test products A, B and C gave correlations of 0.962, 0.998 and 0.817 respectively (stain removal), significant at the 0.01 level. Conclusion: The image system is a reliable alternative measurement method validated here against spectrophotometry for stain removal in vitro, and can provide full colour measurement.
Differential diagnosis of leg ulcers
Authors: Dissemond Joachim , Körber Andreas , Grabbe Stephan
Published: July 2006

In Germany about 0.7 % of the adult population have a chronic leg ulcer. Although chronic venous insufficiency accounts for at least 80 % of all chronic leg ulcers, knowledge of the relevant differential diagnostic considerations is of crucial importance, in particular for patients who are refractory to therapy. In addition to vascular disease, other causes include neuropathic, metabolic, hematologic and exogenous factors as well as neoplasias, infections, drugs, genetic defects and some primary skin disorders. For the long‐term successful treatment of patients with chronic leg ulcers, it is necessary to identify all relevant factors, in order to enable a pathogenesis‐oriented, interdisciplinary therapeutic approach.
A645G (Lys216Glu) polymorphism of the bactericidal/permeability‐increasing protein gene in periodontal disease
Authors: Glas J. , Török H.‐P. , Tonenchi L. , Hamann S. , Malachova O. , Euba A. , Folwaczny C. , Folwaczny M.
Published: July 2006

Bactericidal/permeability‐increasing protein (BPI) is a member of the pattern recognition receptors of the innate immune system and recognizes lipopolysaccharides (LPS), a bacterial component belonging to the pathogen‐associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). BPI mediates the neutralization of LPS and increases the phagocytosis and cytotoxicity against bacteria. Recently, the functionally effective polymorphism A645G resulting in the amino acid alteration Lys216Glu has been described. The aim of the study was to investigate the association of the A645G polymorphism with chronic periodontal disease.

The study population comprised 123 patients with periodontal disease (36 with mild, 52 with moderate and 35 with severe periodontitis) and 122 healthy, unrelated control individuals. Genotyping of the BPI gene polymorphism A645G (Lys216Glu) was performed by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Statistical analysis was carried out employing the χ2 test with Yates correction.

Genotype and allele frequencies of the polymorphism tested herein showed no significant differences between periodontal disease as compared to the control group. The frequencies of the G allele were 52.4% in patients with periodontal disease and 49.2% in the control individuals (P = 0.528). Moreover, no significant associations could be detected after stratification for disease severity and according to gender.

The present study does not give evidence for the contribution of the BPI gene to the genetic background of chronic periodontal disease.
Distribution of 22 cytokine gene polymorphisms in the healthy Czech population
Authors: Kubistova Z. , Mrazek F. , Tudos Z. , Kriegova E. , Ambruzova Z. , Mytilineos J. , Petrek M.
Published: July 2006

Cytokine gene polymorphisms (CGP) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of immune‐mediated diseases including transplant complications via their effect on cytokine production and regulation.

This study aimed to determine population frequencies of selected cytokine single nucleotide polymorphisms in the healthy Czech population and compare them with the data from other selected European populations. 

CGP were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction with sequence‐specific primers (PCR–SSP) using the Heidelberg kit in 120 unrelated Czech healthy individuals. Chi‐squared analysis was used to test for a deviation from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium.

Allelic and genotype frequencies and carriage rates were determined for 22 CGP located within 13 cytokine genes in total. The frequencies observed in this study were similar to those available from the other two geographically close Central European centres, but they differed for several CGP from the data reported in south European populations.

The data on the distribution of 22 CGP in the healthy Czech population reported here may be utilized to investigate possible associations of CGP with diseases or transplantation outcome.
Cytokine profiling of pulmonary aspergillosis
Authors: Sambatakou H. , Pravica V. , Hutchinson I. V. , Denning D. W.
Published: July 2006

Aspergillus fumigatus is ubiquitous and yet causes invasive, chronic and allergic disease of the lung. Chronic cavitary pulmonary aspergillosis (CCPA) is a slowly destructive form of pulmonary aspergillosis, without immunocompromise. We hypothesized that CCPA cytokine gene polymorphisms would differ from patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) and uninfected controls.

We have profiled functional cytokine gene polymorphisms for interleukin (IL)‐10, IL‐15, transforming growth factors (TGF)‐β1, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α and interferon (IFN)‐γ in patients with CCPA (n = 24) who were compared with other forms of aspergillosis (mostly ABPA) (n = 15) and with ethnically matched controls (n = 65–330). Results are described with reference to the high‐producing genotype in each case.

Susceptibility to aspergillosis (all patients compared with normal controls) was associated with higher frequency of the IL‐15 +13689*A allele (OR = 2.37, P = 0.0028) and A/A genotype (χ2 = 10.31, P < 0.001), with a lower frequency of the TNF‐α−308*A/A genotype (χ2 = 11.05, P < 0.01). Within the aspergillosis patients, CCPA is associated with lower frequency of the IL‐10 −1082*G allele (OR = 0.38, P = 0.0006) and G/G genotype (χ2 = 22.45, P < 0.001) and with a lower frequency of the TGF‐β1 +869 *T allele (OR +0.42, P < 0.0029) and T/T genotype (χ2 = 17.82, P < 0.001) compared with non‐CCPA patients and normal controls.

Patients infected with Aspergillus appear to be higher producers of IL‐15, a Th2‐promoting cytokine, and lower producers of TNF‐α, a cytokine central in protective responses. CCPA occurs in patients who are genetically lower producers of both IL‐10 and TGF‐β1. As these cytokines are regulatory and anti‐inflammatory, CCPA may be a consequence of poor inflammatory response control in the lung.
Diet of Chinese skink,Eumeces chinensis: is prey size important?
Authors: CHEN Xiaolin , JIANG Yong
Published: July 2006

The diet of the skink,Eumeces chinensis(Lacertilia: Scincidae), in Xiamen (Amoy), China was examined using stomach analysis during April and May, and its selection of prey size was tested by feeding trials. Insects (primarily Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, and Orthoptera), gastropods and arachnids constituted most of theE. chinensisdiet, but earthworms, leeches, crustaceans and fish were also consumed. In the field, male skinks ate more prey items that were 11–20 mm in length than other size classes. When presented with a choice of different‐sized prey in the laboratory, maleE. chinensisexhibited a strong preference for prey items 11–20 mm in length over other size classes. The relationship between prey size and handling time was exponential, indicating that there is an upper limit to the ability ofE. chinensisto process prey. Mean energy intake for handling different‐sized prey showed that selection of midsizeclass prey items would provide maleE. chinensiswith the most energy‐efficient prey option. These results indicate that prey size selection inE. chinensisfavors maximization of rates of energy intake, which is in agreement with optimal foraging theory.
Resumption of ovary activity and normal estrus cycles in postpartum cows after inclusion of placenta‐containing additives in the diet
Authors: VASILENKO Tatyana F.
Published: July 2006

Food additives made of placenta tissues of healthy cattle, included in the diet of cows 23–38 days before calving and/or in different intervals of the postpartum period, stimulated the resumption of ovary activity and the manifestation of normal estrus cycles (with ovulation) in cows. The cow fertilization rates during 80 days after calving was 50–80%. These values increased more than twofold in comparison with the fertility level of cows fed a normal diet. The level of fertilization after inclusion of placenta‐containing additives in the diet of cows 5 days before ovulation, in estrus cycles that took place during 6 months after calving, increased 38 % on average, in comparison with that of cows fed a normal diet.
Origin of postcranial skeletal pneumaticity in dinosaurs
Authors: WEDEL Mathew J.
Published: July 2006

The sauropodomorph Thecodontosaurus caducus and theropod Coelophysis bauri are the earliest known dinosaurs with postcranial skeletal pneumaticity. In both taxa, postcranial pneumatic features are confined to the cervical vertebrae. This distribution of pneumaticity in the skeleton is most consistent with pneumatization by diverticula of cervical air sacs similar to those of birds. Other hypotheses, including pneumatization by diverticula of the lungs, larynx and trachea, or cranial air spaces, are less well‐supported.
Systems or species? Approaches to conservation for the 21st century
Authors: McNEELY Jeffrey A.
Published: July 2006

One of the hot debates in the conservation community is whether to focus on individual species (for example, through species recovery plans, or lists of threatened species) or on systems approaches (such as the ecosystem approach advocated by the Convention on Biological Diversity). This paper will discuss some of the various options, before reaching a conclusion that both approaches are valid and mutually reinforcing, and that the dichotomy is a false one. Perhaps more importantly, no conservation investment is likely to be effective if economic, social, and political factors are driving in the opposite direction. Instead, we need multiple approaches that build a stronger political constituency, new ways of providing knowledge for decisions, better ways of mobilizing information and dynamic approaches that enable us to adapt to changing conditions, and new ways to generate funding for conservation.
Predicting the long term course of low back pain and its consequences for sickness absence and associated work disability
Authors: Burdorf A , Jansen J P
Published: July 2006

Background:Low back pain is characterised by a dynamic pattern of episodes and recovery but little is known about the long term course of back pain due to lack of cohort studies with sufficiently long follow up periods.

Methods:A cohort of 523 workers in nursing homes and homes for the elderly was followed for two years. Physical load was measured by observations at the workplace. Psychosocial factors at work, individual characteristics, and low back pain were determined by questionnaire once a year. The effect of work load on low back pain and the transition of low back pain into sickness absence was calculated with logistic regression analysis. A Markov model was used to construct a hypothetical cohort of workers with follow up of 40 years (40 cycles of 1 year) with transitional probabilities between no complaints, low back pain, and sickness due to low back pain. Permanent disability was used as end state of health.

Results:The transitional probability from no complaints to low back pain varied between p = 0.25 and p = 0.29, from low back pain to sickness absence between p = 0.09 and p = 0.25, and recurrence of sickness absence varied between p = 0.27 and p = 0.50, depending on the level of physical load. During a 40 year career, total sickness absence due to low back pain was approximately 140 weeks (6.6%) among workers with high physical load and about 30 weeks (1.4%) among those with low physical load.

Conclusion:The Markov approach illustrated the potential impact of physical load on (permanent) disability due to low back pain among workers with exposure to physical load. These consequences may go unnoticed in cohort studies with follow up periods of a few years.
Ecological association between childhood asthma and availability of indoor chlorinated swimming pools in Europe
Authors: Nickmilder M , Bernard A
Published: July 2006

Background:It has been hypothesised that the rise in childhood asthma in the developed world could result at least in part from the increasing exposure of children to toxic chlorination products in the air of indoor swimming pools.

Objectives:Ecological study to evaluate whether this hypothesis can explain the geographical variation in the prevalence of asthma and other atopic diseases in Europe.

Methods:The relationships between the prevalences of wheezing by written or video questionnaire, of ever asthma, hay fever, rhinitis, and atopic eczema as reported by the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), and the number of indoor chlorinated swimming pools per inhabitant in the studied centres were examined. Associations with geoclimatic variables, the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, and several other lifestyle indicators were also evaluated.

Results:Among children aged 13–14 years, the prevalence of wheezing by written questionnaire, of wheezing by video questionnaire, and of ever asthma across Europe increased respectively by 3.39% (95% CI 1.96 to 4.81), 0.96% (95% CI 0.28 to 1.64), and 2.73% (95% CI 1.94 to 3.52), with an increase of one indoor chlorinated pool per 100 000 inhabitants. Similar increases were found when analysing separately centres in Western or Northern Europe and for ever asthma in Southern Europe. In children aged 6–7 years (33 centres), the prevalence of ever asthma also increased with swimming pool availability (1.47%; 95% CI 0.21 to 2.74). These consistent associations were not found with other atopic diseases and were independent of the influence of altitude, climate, and GDP per capita.

Conclusions:The prevalence of childhood asthma and availability of indoor swimming pools in Europe are linked through associations that are consistent with the hypothesis implicating pool chlorine in the rise of childhood asthma in industrialised countries.
Occupational risk factors for pancreatic cancer among female textile workers in Shanghai, China
Authors: Li W , Ray R M , Gao D L , Fitzgibbons E D , Seixas N S , Camp J E , Wernli K J , Astrakianakis G , Feng Z , Thomas D B , Checkoway H
Published: July 2006

Objectives

To investigate whether occupational exposures to dusts and chemicals in the Shanghai textile industry are associated with risk of pancreatic cancer.

Methods

A case cohort study nested in a cohort of 267 400 female textile workers in Shanghai, China was conducted among 180 incident pancreatic cancer cases and an age stratified randomly selected comparison subcohort (n = 3188). A complete occupational history of work in the textile industry was obtained for each woman, and was linked to a job exposure matrix developed for the textile industry to estimate exposures to specific dusts and chemicals. Cumulative exposures to cotton dust and endotoxin were reconstructed from historical and contemporaneous measurements.

Results

After adjusting for smoking status, a trend of decreasing risk of pancreatic cancer was observed for increasing cumulative exposures to cotton dust and endotoxin with a lag of 20 years. The hazard ratios for women cumulatively exposed to >143.4 mg/m3× years of cotton dust and >3530.6 EU/m3× years of endotoxin were 0.6 (95% CI 0.3 to 0.9) and 0.5 (95% CI 0.3 to 0.9), respectively, compared to unexposed women. There was little evidence that exposures to other textile dusts and chemicals were associated with risk of pancreatic cancer.

Conclusions

Occupational exposure to cotton dust and endotoxin in the textile industry may have reduced risks of pancreatic cancer in this cohort. These associations should be replicated by others before making a firm conclusion of their possible effects on pancreatic cancer.
Retrospective mortality cohort study of Italian workers compensated for silicosis: Table 1
Authors: Marinaccio A , Scarselli A , Gorini G , Chellini E , Mastrantonio M , Uccelli R , Altavista P , Pirastu R , Merlo D F , Nesti M
Published: July 2006

Objectives:To estimate cause specific mortality in a large cohort of Italian workers compensated for silicosis.

Methods:The cohort included 14 929 subjects (14 098 men and 831 women) compensated for silicosis between 1946 and 1979, alive on 1 January 1980, and resident in Tuscany (a region of central Italy with 3 547 000 inhabitants). Mortality follow up ranged from 1980 to 1999. Vital status and the causes of death were determined by linkage with the regional mortality registry and with the national mortality database. The cohort mortality rates were compared to the rates of the local reference population. SMRs and their 95% confidence intervals were computed assuming a Poisson distribution of the observed deaths. Specific SMR analyses were performed according to the level of disability, the year of compensation assignment, and the job type.

Results:A significant excess mortality was observed in male silicotics for cancer of the lung, trachea, and bronchus and cancer of the liver, respiratory diseases (silicosis, asbestosis, antracosilicosis, and other pneumoconiosis), and for tubercolosis. Statistically significant mortality excess was observed in female silicotics for respiratory diseases (specifically silicosis and other pneumoconiosis) and tuberculosis. Analyses for period of compensation assignment showed a twofold increased SMR for biliary tract cancer among female workers and for liver cancer among male workers compensated before 1970.

Conclusions:The excess mortality from respiratory tract cancers and respiratory tract diseases detected in Italian compensated silicotics are in agreement with previous epidemiological studies. Although the twofold increased risk for liver cancer among males is suggestive of a possible association with silica dust exposure, the finding needs to be confirmed.
Inhibition of human IAPP fibril formation does not prevent β-cell death: evidence for distinct actions of oligomers and fibrils of human IAPP
Authors: Meier Juris J. , Kayed Rakez , Lin Chia-Yu , Gurlo Tatyana , Haataja Leena , Jayasinghe Sajith , Langen Ralf , Glabe Charles G. , Butler Peter C.
Published: July 2006

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by an ∼60% deficit in β-cell mass, increased β-cell apoptosis, and islet amyloid derived from islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP). Human IAPP (hIAPP) forms oligomers, leading to either amyloid fibrils or toxic oligomers in an aqueous solution in vitro. Either application of hIAPP on or overexpression of hIAPP in cells induces apoptosis. It remains controversial whether the fibrils or smaller toxic oligomers induce β-cell apoptosis. Rifampicin prevents hIAPP amyloid fibril formation and has been proposed as a potential target for prevention of T2DM. We examined the actions of rifampicin on hIAPP amyloid fibril and toxic oligomer formation as well as its ability to protect β-cells from either application of hIAPP or endogenous overexpression of hIAPP (transgenic rats and adenovirus-transduced β-cells). We report that rifampicin (Acocella G. Clin Pharmacokinet 3: 108–127, 1978) prevents hIAPP fibril formation, but not formation of toxic hIAPP oligomers (Bates G. Lancet 361: 1642–1644, 2003), and does not protect β-cells from apoptosis induced by either overexpression or application of hIAPP. These data emphasize that toxic hIAPP oligomers, rather than hIAPP fibrils, initiate β-cell apoptosis and that screening tools to identify inhibitors of amyloid fibril formation are likely to be less useful than those that identify inhibitors of toxic oligomer formation. Finally, rifampicin and related molecules do not appear to be useful as candidates for prevention of T2DM.
Total respiratory tract deposition of fine micrometer-sized particles in healthy adults: empirical equations for sex and breathing pattern
Authors: Kim Chong S. , Hu Shu-Chieh
Published: July 2006

Accurate dose estimation under various inhalation conditions is important for assessing both the potential health effects of pollutant particles and the therapeutic efficacy of medicinal aerosols. We measured total deposition fraction (TDF) of monodisperse micrometer-sized particles [particle diameter (Dp) = 1, 3, and 5 μm in diameter] in healthy adults (8 men and 7 women) in a wide range of breathing patterns; tidal volumes (Vt) of 350–1500 ml and respiratory flow rates (Q̇) of 175–1,000 ml/s. The subject inhaled test aerosols for 10–20 breaths with each of the prescribed breathing patterns, and TDF was obtained by monitoring inhaled and exhaled aerosols breath by breath by a laser aerosol photometer. Results show that TDF varied from 0.12–0.25, 0.26–0.68, and 0.45–0.83 for Dp = 1, 3, and 5 μm, respectively, depending on the breathing pattern used. TDF was comparable between men and women for Dp = 1 μm but was greater in women than men for Dp = 3 and 5 μm for all breathing patterns used ( P < 0.05). TDF increased with an increase in Vt regardless of Dp and Q̇ used. At a fixed Vt TDF decreased with an increase in Q̇ for Dp = 1 and 3 μm but did not show any significant changes for Dp = 5 μm. The varying TDF values, however, could be consolidated by a single composite parameter (ω) consisting of Dp, Vt, and Q̇. The results indicate that unifying empirical formulas provide a convenient means of assessing deposition dose of particles under varying inhalation conditions.
Inhibition of the Multidrug-Resistant Phenotype by Targeting YB-1 with a Conditionally Oncolytic Adenovirus: Implications for Combinatorial Treatment Regimen with Chemotherapeutic Agents
Authors: Mantwill Klaus , Köhler-Vargas Nadia , Bernshausen Alexandra , Bieler Alexa , Lage Hermann , Kaszubiak Alexander , Surowiak Pavel , Dravits Tanja , Treiber Uwe , Hartung Rudolf , Gansbacher Bernd , Holm Per S.
Published: July 2006

Bearing in mind the limited success of available treatment modalities for the therapy of multidrug-resistant tumor cells, alternative and complementary strategies need to be developed. It is known that the transcriptional activation of genes, such as MDR1 and MRP1, which play a major role in the development of a multidrug-resistant phenotype in tumor cells, involves the Y-box protein YB-1. Thus, YB-1 is a promising target for new therapeutic approaches to defeat multidrug resistance. In addition, it has been reported previously that YB-1 is an important factor in adenoviral replication because it activates transcription from the adenoviral E2-late promoter. Here, we report that an oncolytic adenovirus, named Xvir03, expressing the viral proteins E1B55k and E4orf6, leads to nuclear translocation of YB-1 and in consequence to viral replication and cell lysis in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we show that Xvir03 down-regulates the expression of MDR1 and MRP1, indicating that recruiting YB-1 to the adenoviral E2-late promoter for viral replication is responsible for this effect. Thus, nuclear translocation of YB-1 by Xvir03 leads to resensitization of tumor cells to cytotoxic drugs. These data reveal a link between chemotherapy and virotherapy based on the cellular transcription factor YB-1 and provide the basis for formulating a model for a novel combined therapy regimen named Mutually Synergistic Therapy. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(14): 7195-202)
Hic-5/ARA55, a LIM Domain–Containing Nuclear Receptor Coactivator Expressed in Prostate Stromal Cells
Authors: Heitzer Marjet D. , DeFranco Donald B.
Published: July 2006

Prostate gland development and growth requires both androgen action and epithelial-stromal communications. In fact, androgen signaling through the androgen receptor (AR) may be important in both stromal and epithelial cells of the prostate. Because interaction of AR with the coactivator, Hic-5/ARA55, results in enhanced androgen-induced transcription, we analyzed Hic-5/ARA55 expression in prostate tissue sections from normal human donors and prostate cancer patients. In each sample, Hic-5/ARA55 expression was confined to the stromal compartment of the prostate. Furthermore, a prostate stromal cell line, WPMY-1 cells, expresses Hic-5/ARA55, which is localized both at focal adhesion complexes and within the soluble cytoplasmic compartment. The ability of Hic-5/ARA55 to shuttle between the nuclear and cytoplasmic compartments was revealed on inhibition of nuclear export with leptomycin B. Small interfering RNA ablation experiments established endogenous Hic-5/ARA55 as a coactivator for both viral and endogenous cellular AR-regulated genes. Finally, the mechanism of Hic-5/ARA55 coactivator activity in WPMY-1 cells was revealed by chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis that showed its androgen-dependent recruitment to the promoter of the stromal androgen-responsive keratinocyte growth factor gene. These data provide the first demonstration of a stromal-specific AR coactivator that has an effect on an androgen-regulated growth factor that is essential for stromal/epithelial cell communication in the prostate. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(14): 7326-33)