bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Functional biodiversity in the agricultural landscape: relationships between weeds and arthropod fauna
Authors: BÀRBERI P , BURGIO G , DINELLI G , MOONEN A C , OTTO S , VAZZANA C , ZANIN G
Published: July 2010

BàrberiP, BurgioG, DinelliG, MoonenAC, OttoS, VazzanaC & ZaninG (2010). Functional biodiversity in the agricultural landscape: relationships between weeds and arthropod fauna.Weed Research50, 388–401.

We reviewed studies aimed at understanding functional relationships between weeds and arthropods in agroecosystems as influenced by biodiversity at different scales, with the main goal of highlighting gaps in knowledge, research methods and approaches. We first addressed: (i) the regulation of arthropod communities by weed diversity at genetic, species and habitat levels, (ii) the regulation of weed communities by arthropods through seed predation and dispersal and (iii) below‐ground weed‐insect interactions. We then focussed on methodologies to study weed–arthropod interactions in agricultural landscapes and discuss techniques potentially available for data analysis and the importance of joint weed–arthropod trend detection. Lastly, we discuss the implications of research findings for biodiversity conservation policies (agri‐environmental schemes) and suggest some priorities for future work. Results showed that to date research has largely ignored weed–arthropod interactions in agricultural landscapes. No information is available on the role of weed genetic diversity as driver of weed–arthropod interactions, whereas studies on effects of species and habitat diversity often lack a functional perspective and/or a spatial component. Also, information on how management of the wider agricultural biotope might express positive weed–arthropod functional interactions is scarce. Another area worth being explored is the relationship between weed‐leaf/root herbivores and beneficial arthropods. Tools for spatial data analysis might be useful for elucidating weed–arthropod interactions in agricultural landscapes, but some methodological aspects, e.g. the definition of the most appropriate experimental design and sampling scale/frequency, must be refined. New studies on weed–arthropod interactions should encompass an explicit spatial component; this knowledge is particularly important for improving IPM/IWM systems and designing more targeted agri‐environmental schemes.
Attitude of health care professionals to brain death: influence on the organ donation process
Authors: Cohen Jonathan , Ami Sharona Ben , Ashkenazi Tamar , Singer Pierre
Published: July 2010

Abstract: Background:  The acceptance and application of the concept that brain death is a valid determination of death is the central issue in organ donation. However, whether attitude to brain death of health care professionals influences the organ procurement process has not been systematically studied.

Methods:  Questionnaires were distributed to health care professionals involved in the organ procurement process (intensive care, internal medicine, emergency room, anesthesia) in all hospitals in Israel. Attitude to brain death (defined as positive if the respondent accepted brain death as a valid determination of death, negative or do not know) and level of comfort in performing key donor‐related tasks were analyzed.

Results:  A total of 2366 completed questionnaires were returned (629 doctors and 1737 nurses; response rate 60.3%). Overall, 78.9% of respondents had a positive attitude to brain death. This was significantly associated with increasing age, higher professional status and was most prevalent amongst intensive care unit staff (p < 0.001 for all variables). These respondents felt significantly more comfortable informing the transplant coordinator of a potential donor, explaining brain death to the family, raising the subject of organ donation, approaching the family about donation and providing support to the grieving family. In addition, they believed the transplant coordinator should be involved early in the donation process.

Conclusions:  The understanding and acceptance of brain death as a valid determination of death was associated with a positive effect on the level of comfort of health care professionals in performing key donor‐related tasks. Reinforcing a positive attitude to brain death among health care professionals may facilitate the procurement process.
Anaesthesia for renal transplant surgery
Authors: SarinKapoor H. , Kaur R. , Kaur H.
Published: July 2010

Renal transplantation is the preferred therapeutic option for patients with end‐stage renal disease. Survival rates are much higher in patients who receive a transplant. Patients with renal failure have significant concomitant medical conditions, such as cardiovascular disease. This article provides an overview of the important issues to be considered in patients undergoing renal transplant, and discusses the anaesthetic management of these patients.
Clinical pharmacology of methadone for pain
Authors: FREDHEIM O. M. S. , MOKSNES K. , BORCHGREVINK P. C. , KAASA S. , DALE O.
Published: July 2010

Background: This topical review addresses methadone's pharmacology, its application in malignant and non‐malignant pain conditions, practical issues related to methadone for the treatment of pain and its influence on QTc time.

Methods: Relevant papers were identified in PubMed and EMBASE.

Results: Methadone is advocated by experts as a second line opioid when first line opioids fail to provide a satisfactory balance between pain control and side effects (opioid switching). Although randomized‐controlled studies are lacking, current evidence suggests that switching to methadone in this situation reduces pain intensity. However, interindividual variability in its pharmacokinetics make its application challenging and metabolism by CYP 3A4 and 2B6 implies a substantial risk of drug–drug interactions. Several ways of switching to methadone have been presented, with a gradual switch during 3 days or ‘stop and go’ as the dominating strategies. Episodes of torsade de pointes arrhythmia during methadone treatment have been reported in patients with other risk factors for arrhythmia, while small prospective studies have reported a small, lasting and stable increase in QTc time. The extensive use of methadone for opioid replacement in addicts has added additional patient barriers to its use for pain control.

Conclusion: In spite of challenges related to the variable pharmacokinetics and concerns regarding increase in QTc time, current evidence indicates that opioid switching to methadone improves pain control in a substantial proportion of patients who are candidates for opioid switching. Measures must be instituted to secure that patients receiving methadone for pain are not considered opioid addicts.
Early Cretaceous palynofloral provinces in China: western additions
Authors: Li Jianguo , Batten David J.
Published: July 2010

Two distinct palynofloral provinces have been recognized for the Early Cretaceous of western China, including Xizang (Tibet): one indicated by the presence of the cheirolepidiacean pollen grain Dicheiropollis and the other by abundant representatives of different gymnospermous pollen, especially Araucariacites and Callialasporites. The boundary between them coincides with the Yarlung Zangbo Suture. To the north of the suture, the Xizang–Tarim Dicheiropollis Province occupies a wide region from southern Xinjiang through the central and northern Qinghai–Xizang Plateau to the west of Yunnan. South of the suture, the Southern Xizang Araucariacites‐Callialasporites Province appears to have affinities with the South Gondwanan (floral) Realm. Despite some similarities with the composition of assemblages from other palynofloral provinces, both are distinct and considered to reflect different climates. Hot arid to semi‐arid conditions are indicated by the Dicheiropollis Province, whereas a more humid and somewhat cooler climate is suggested for the Araucariacites‐Callialasporites Province.
Toxicity biomarkers in autism spectrum disorder: A blinded study of urinary porphyrins
Authors: Kern Janet K. , Geier David A. , Adams James B. , Mehta Jyutika A. , Grannemann Bruce D. , Geier Mark R.
Published: July 2010

Background:  Recent studies suggest that children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have significantly increased levels of urinary porphyrins associated with mercury (Hg) toxicity, including pentacarboxyporphyrin (5cxP), precoproporphyrin (prcP), and coproporphyrin (cP), compared to typically developing controls. However, these initial studies were criticized because the controls were not age‐ and gender‐matched to the children diagnosed with an ASD.

Methods:  Urinary porphyrin biomarkers in a group of children (2–13 years of age) diagnosed with an ASD (n= 20) were compared to matched (age, gender, race, location, and year tested) group of typically developing controls (n= 20).

Results:  Participants diagnosed with an ASD had significantly increased levels of 5cxP, prcP, and cP in comparison to controls. No significant differences were found in non‐Hg associated urinary porphyrins (uroporphyrins, hexacarboxyporphyrin, and heptacarboxyporphyrin). There was a significantly increased odds ratio for an ASD diagnosis relative to controls among study participants with precoproporphyrin (odds ratio = 15.5, P < 0.01) and coproporphyrin (odds ratio = 15.5, P < 0.01) levels in the second through fourth quartiles in comparison to the first quartile.

Conclusion:  These results suggest that the levels of Hg‐toxicity‐associated porphyrins are higher in children with an ASD diagnosis than controls. Although the pattern seen (increased 5cxP, prcP, and cP) is characteristic of Hg toxicity, the influence of other factors, such as genetics and other metals cannot be completely ruled out.
Maintenance intravesical bacillus Calmette‐Guérin instillation for Ta, T1 cancer and carcinoma in situ of the bladder: Randomized controlled trial by the BCG Tokyo Strain Study Group
Authors: Koga Hirofumi , Ozono Seiichiro , Tsushima Tomoyasu , Tomita Kyoichi , Horiguchi Yutaka , Usami Michiyuki , Hirao Yoshihiko , Akaza Hideyuki , Naito Seiji ,   BCG Tokyo Strain Study Group
Published: July 2010

Objectives:  We carried out a prospective, randomized, controlled trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of both induction and maintenance therapy with intravesical instillation of bacillus Calmette‐Guérin (BCG) for high‐risk non‐muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).

Methods:  Intravesical instillation of 80 mg Tokyo strain was given to patients with high‐risk NMIBC, including carcinoma in situ (CIS), once weekly for eight consecutive weeks as induction therapy. Patients who achieved complete response (CR) were randomly assigned to either the maintenance group or the observation group.

Results:  A total of 90 patients were enrolled. After induction therapy, 75% of the patients achieved CR and 53 of them were enrolled in the randomized comparative phase. A total of four maintenance instillations were given. Median follow‐up was 26.5 and 28.7 months after randomization in the maintenance and the observation group, respectively. Although it was not statistically significant, the 2‐year recurrence‐free survival rate in the maintenance group (95.8%) was higher than that in the observation group (74.1%, P = 0.078). Univariate analysis identified maintenance therapy as a significant factor influencing recurrence. During induction therapy, 82.2% of patients experienced urination‐related adverse drug reactions, but most events were not serious. There were fewer adverse drug reactions with maintenance therapy than with induction therapy. Neither induction therapy nor maintenance therapy reduced patients’ quality of life (QOL).

Conclusions:  These findings show high levels of efficacy and safety of BCG induction treatment for high‐risk NMIBC, and suggest that the number of maintenance instillations could probably be reduced without reducing treatment efficacy or influencing QOL.
Predictive value of the Delphian and level VI nodes in papillary thyroid cancer
Authors: Isaacs Joseph D. , McMullen Todd P. W. , Sidhu Stan B. , Sywak Mark S. , Robinson Bruce G. , Delbridge Leigh W.
Published: July 2010

Background:  Recent published data has shown that metastatic involvement of the prelaryngeal or Delphian lymph node (DLN), the highest of the central (level VI) cervical lymph nodes, is highly predictive of advanced nodal disease in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). The aims of this study were to determine the diagnostic accuracy of all the level VI cervical nodes in PTC and to determine which node group, if any, is the most accurate in predicting lateral node (N1b) disease.

Methods:  This was a retrospective cohort study. Data were obtained from the University of Sydney Endocrine Surgical Unit Database and through a review of the histopathology records. The study cohort was composed of 177 consecutive patients with a final diagnosis of PTC who underwent total thyroidectomy and lymph node dissection, spanning the period from May 2001 to December 2006.

Results:  Of the 177 patients with PTC, 86 had the DLN removed, 51 had a pretracheal node removed and 76 had the paratracheal group removed. DLN, paratracheal and pretracheal node disease was present in 21%, 39% and 46%, respectively. Lateral node (N1b) disease was present in 35%. Paratracheal node involvement was mildly predictive of further disease with patients 1.7 times more likely to have lateral node involvement (sensitivity = 55%, specificity = 68%). Pretracheal node involvement was moderately predictive of further disease with patients three times more likely to have lateral node involvement (sensitivity = 72%, specificity = 74%). DLN involvement was highly predictive of further node involvement with patients nine times more likely to have lateral node disease (sensitivity = 53%, specificity = 94%) and 40 times more likely to have any nodal disease (sensitivity = 41%, specificity = 100%).

Conclusion:  This is the first study to examine the diagnostic accuracy of all level VI lymph nodes in PTC. While, metastatic involvement of all central nodal groups is indicative of further disease, the DLN is the most accurate predictor.
Mycobacterium ulcerans infection in North Queensland: the ‘Daintree ulcer’
Authors: Steffen Christina M. , Smith May , McBride William J. H.
Published: July 2010

Background:  As the third most common mycobacterial infection in the world after tuberculosis and leprosy, Mycobacterium ulcerans is a major health and development problem that has become the focus of a World Health Organisation (WHO) initiative seeking to reduce the burden of this disease. The Daintree River catchment in north Queensland is an endemic focus for Mycobacterium ulcerans infection, known locally as the ‘Daintree Ulcer’. The aim of this study is to analyse the changing pattern of the disease over the last 44 years in the region.

Methods:  The study is a descriptive review of all human cases where infection had been acquired in an endemic region of far north Queensland. Demographic information, lesion characteristics, management and outcomes were recorded in a database.

Results:  Over the period there were 92 cases of M. ulcerans infection. The average age was 41.7 years and 56.7% were male. There was distinct clustering of cases in several defined locations in the area. Most cases (90%) presented with ulcers, and all but three patients were treated surgically. Excision and skin grafting was more commonly used in the period between 1964–1988. Excision alone was the most common treatment used thereafter. Earlier recognition and smaller lesion size is thought to have contributed to the change in surgical practice.

Conclusions:  Ulcers caused by M. ulcerans infection are a distinct clinical entity in tropical North Queensland. Early recognition, diagnosis and prompt surgical intervention has minimised morbidity associated with this disease.
Wound infusion with local anaesthesia after laparotomy: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Wang Louis William , Wong Shing Wai , Crowe Philip John , Khor Kok Eng , Jastrzab Grazyna , Parasyn Andrew David , Walsh William Robert
Published: July 2010

Background:  The use of a continuous local anaesthesia infusion after laparotomy may reduce opioid requirements and facilitate earlier return of bowel function, independent mobilization and hospital discharge.

Methods:  We performed a double‐blinded, randomized controlled trial on 55 patients who underwent laparotomy. Patients were randomly allocated to receive a continuous infusion of either 0.2% ropivacaine or normal saline into their midline abdominal wound at the fascial level. The end points of the study were: total opioid requirements at 24 and 48 h; time to first flatus, bowel movement and independent ambulation; length of hospital stay; complications; and daily mean patient‐reported pain scores at rest and movement.

Results:  The two treatment groups were well controlled for factors that influence analgesia requirements, including age, weight, length of wound incision and type of operation. Patients allocated to ropivacaine infusion used, on average, 32 mg less morphine at 48 h (95% confidence interval 7, 57; P= 0.01). This was highly statistically significant after adjusting for age, gender and type of operation (P= 0.0006). Ropivacaine infusion was associated with a significantly decreased time to independent mobilization (P= 0.02), time to first flatus (P= 0.02) and reduced post‐operative ileus (2/28 versus 9/27, χ2= 5.89, P= 0.02). There was no significant effect of ropivacaine infusion on time to first bowel movement (P= 0.94) nor length of hospital stay (P= 0.77).

Conclusions:  Local anaesthesia infusion at the fascial plane provides effective analgesia. This improves patient recovery through earlier return to bowel function and mobilization.
The meaning of guilt and shame: A qualitative study of mothers who suffer from eating difficulties
Authors: Rørtveit Kristine , Åström Sture , Severinsson Elisabeth
Published: July 2010

The aim of this study was to illuminate and interpret guilt and shame expressed by mothers with eating difficulties (ED). The research question was: What is the meaning of guilt and shame experienced by mothers with ED? Experiences of guilt and shame in mothers with ED may be strong, yet concealed, and should be addressed when promoting women's mental health. The study design was explorative, and in‐depth interviews were conducted with eight mothers suffering from ED. The data were analysed by means of qualitative content analysis and interpreted according to a hermeneutic approach. The main theme ‘Struggling in silence with guilt and shame as a mother living with ED and trying to keep it secret’ was interpreted on two levels: emotional, ‘Feeling worried about failure and wanting to be successful’, and cognitive, ‘Having condemning thoughts about one's own sense of responsibility’. In addition, each theme contained two subthemes. Feelings and awareness of guilt and shame are strong; they vary between individuals and are intensified in mothers who suffer from ED. It is important for mental health nurses to help mothers with ED articulate such feelings in order to promote health.
Lesions of the posterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis eliminate opposite‐sex odor preference and delay copulation in male Syrian hamsters: role of odor volatility and sexual experience
Authors: Been Laura E. , Petrulis Aras
Published: July 2010

In Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus), the expression of reproductive behavior requires the perception of social odors. The behavioral response to these odors is mediated by a network of ventral forebrain nuclei, including the posterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (pBNST). Previous studies have tested the role of the pBNST in reproductive behavior, but the use of large, fiber‐damaging lesions in these studies make it difficult to attribute post‐lesion deficits to the pBNST specifically. Thus, the current study used discrete, excitotoxic lesions of the pBNST to test the role of the pBNST in opposite‐sex odor preference and copulatory behavior in both sexually‐naive and sexually‐experienced males. Lesions of the pBNST decreased sexually‐naive males’ investigation of volatile female odors, resulting in an elimination of opposite‐sex odor preference. This elimination of preference was not due to a sensory deficit, as males with pBNST lesions were able to discriminate between odors. When, however, subjects were given sexual experience prior to pBNST lesions, their preference for volatile opposite‐sex odors remained intact post‐lesion. Similarly, when sexually‐naive or sexually‐experienced subjects were allowed to contact the social odors during the preference test, lesions of the pBNST decreased males’ investigation of female odors but did not eliminate preference for opposite‐sex odors, regardless of sexual experience. Finally, lesions of the pBNST delayed the copulatory sequence in sexually‐naive, but not sexually‐experienced, males such that they took longer to mount, intromit, ejaculate and display long intromissions. Together, these results demonstrate that the pBNST plays a unique and critical role in both appetitive and consummatory aspects of male reproductive behaviors.
The in vivo distribution of brain tissue loss in Richardson’s syndrome and PSP‐parkinsonism: a VBM‐DARTEL study
Authors: Agosta Federica , Kostić Vladimir S. , Galantucci Sebastiano , Mesaroš Šarlota , Svetel Marina , Pagani Elisabetta , Stefanova Elka , Filippi Massimo
Published: July 2010

In this study, we wished to test, using magnetic resonance imaging and voxel‐based morphometry (VBM), whether specific cortical and subcortical patterns of brain grey (GM) and white matter (WM) tissue loss can be detected in patients with Richardson’s syndrome (PSP‐RS) and progressive supranuclear palsy‐parkinsonism (PSP‐P), and possibly account for their clinical heterogeneity. Twenty patients with PSP, classified as PSP‐RS (10 patients) or PSP‐P (10 patients), and 24 healthy controls were studied. The Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM5) and the Diffeomorphic Anatomical Registration using Exponentiated Lie algebra method were used to perform a VBM analysis. Compared with controls, both patient groups showed GM loss in the central midbrain, cerebellar lobes, caudate nuclei, frontotemporal cortices and right hippocampus. WM loss was detected in both conditions in the midbrain, left superior cerebellar peduncle, internal capsulae, and left premotor and bilateral prefrontal regions. Compared with PSP‐P, patients with PSP‐RS showed additional regions of GM loss in the midbrain, left cerebellar lobe and dentate nuclei. PSP‐RS was also associated with a more severe WM loss in the midbrain, internal capsulae, and orbitofrontal, prefrontal and precentral/premotor regions, bilaterally. Patients with PSP‐P showed a more pronounced GM loss only in the frontal cortex, bilaterally. This study shows that, albeit the overall pattern of brain atrophy associated with PSP appears remarkably consistent across the spectrum of clinical features recorded in life, major anatomical differences between these two conditions do exist. Such a different topographical distribution of tissue damage may account for the clinical differences between PSP‐RS and PSP‐P.
Predator‐released hydrocarbons repel oviposition by a mosquito
Authors: Silberbush Alon , Markman Shai , Lewinsohn Efraim , Bar Einat , Cohen Joel E. , Blaustein Leon
Published: July 2010

Ecology Letters (2010) 13: 1129–1138

Prey species commonly use predator‐released kairomones (PRKs) to detect risk of predation, yet the chemical identity of PRKs remains elusive. Chemical identification of PRKs will facilitate the study of predator–prey interactions and the risk of predation, and when the prey are pests, will potentially provide environmentally friendly means of pest control. In temporary pools of the Mediterranean and Middle East, larvae of the mosquito Culiseta longiareolata Macquart are highly vulnerable to the common predatory backswimmer, Notonecta maculata Fabricius. We demonstrate that N. maculata releases two hydrocarbons, n‐heneicosane and n‐tricosane, which repel ovipositing females of C. longiareolata. In behavioural tests with environmentally relevant chemical concentrations in outdoor mesocosm experiments, the repellent effects of the two compounds were additive at the tested concentrations.
Coffee consumption and risk of prostate cancer: a meta‐analysis of epidemiological studies
Authors: Park Chang‐Hae , Myung Seung‐Kwon , Kim Tae‐Yeon , Seo Hong Gwan , Jeon Young‐Jee , Kim Yeol ,   Korean Meta‐Analysis (KORMA) Study Group
Published: July 2010

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association between coffee consumption and the risk of prostate cancer.

METHODS We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the bibliographies of relevant articles in August 2009. Two evaluators independently reviewed and selected articles based on predetermined selection criteria.

RESULTS Twelve epidemiological studies (eight case‐control studies and four cohort studies) were included in the final analysis. In a meta‐analysis of all included studies, when compared with the lowest level of coffee consumption, the overall relative risk (RR) of prostate cancer for the highest level of coffee consumption was 1.16 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01–1.33). In subgroup meta‐analyses by study design, there was a significant positive (harmful) association between coffee consumption and prostate cancer risk in seven case‐control studies using both crude and adjusted data (RR 1.20, 95% CI 1.02–1.40; and RR 1.21, 95% CI 1.03–1.43, respectively), whereas there was no significant association in four cohort studies using crude or adjusted data (RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.68–1.38; and RR 1.06, 95% CI 0.83–1.35, respectively).

CONCLUSION Given that a cohort study gives a higher level of evidence than a case‐control study, there is no evidence to support a harmful effect of coffee consumption on prostate cancer risk. Further prospective cohort studies are required.
Urothelial carcinoma of the bladder with seminal vesicle invasion: prognostic significance
Authors: You Dalsan , Kim Seong Choel , Jeong In Gab , Hong Jun Hyuk , Ro Jae Y. , Ahn Hanjong , Kim Choung‐Soo
Published: July 2010

Study Type – Prognosis (case series) Level of Evidence 4

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the prognostic impact of seminal vesicle invasion in men who underwent radical cystectomy for bladder cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Of the 610 patients who underwent radical cystectomy for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder at our institution from 1989 to 2008, 60 male patients who had pathological stage T4 disease were divided into three groups: prostatic stromal invasion only (Group A, n= 35), seminal vesicle invasion regardless of prostatic stromal invasion (Group B, n= 19), and rectum or pelvic wall invasion (Group C, n= 6). We assessed the effect of several variables on recurrence‐free survival (RFS) and cancer‐specific survival (CSS).

RESULTS

The 2‐ and 5‐year RFS rates for the entire cohort were 33.5% and 22.5%, respectively, and the 2‐ and 5‐year CSS rates were 48.0% and 23.6%, respectively. Median RFS (6.6 months vs 26.3 months, P < 0.001) and CSS (14.5 months vs 35.9 months, P= 0.005) were significantly shorter for Group B than for Group A, but were similar in Groups B and C (6.6 months vs 8.8 months, P= 0.859 and 14.5 months vs 11.8 months, P= 0.613, respectively). On multivariate analysis, seminal vesicle invasion was an independent predictor of RFS (hazard ratio 2.94, 95% CI 1.40–6.17, P= 0.004) and CSS (2.63, 1.21–5.70, P= 0.014), along with pathological nodal status (3.90, 1.64–9.28, P= 0.002 and 4.39, 1.79–10.76, P= 0.001) and adjuvant therapy (2.76, 1.31–5.82, P= 0.008 and 4.14, 1.86–9.23, P= 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Seminal vesicle invasion by urothelial carcinoma of the bladder is a poor prognostic indicator for RFS and CSS. The prognosis of patients with seminal vesicle invasion mimics that of patients with pT4b bladder cancer.
A clinical analysis of diabetic patients with hand ulcer in a diabetic foot centre
Authors: Wang C. , Lv L. , Wen X. , Chen D. , Cen S. , Huang H. , Li X. , Ran X.
Published: July 2010

Diabet. Med. 27, 848–851 (2010)

Aims  The aim of the study was to explore the prevalence and clinical characteristics of hand ulcer in hospitalized patients with diabetes.

Methods  We analysed 17 subjects with hand ulcer among diabetic inpatients, who were admitted to the Diabetic Foot Care Center, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the West China Hospital of Sichuan University from April 2003 to December 2008.

Results  The prevalence of diabetic hand ulcer among hospitalized patients (0.37%) was significantly lower than that of diabetic foot ulcers (9.7%, P = 0.000). The mean age was 62.1 ± 9.4 years. The average known durations of diabetes and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) were 5.3 ± 4.9 years and 10.9 ± 2.4%, respectively. All patients lived in the subtropical zone. Fifteen patients (88.2%) were diagnosed with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Ten patients had hand infection. After therapy, the ulcers healed in 13 patients (76.5%) and none of them experienced amputation. The average hospital stay for patients with local infection was characteristically longer than that for patients without infection (P = 0.012). The prognosis of the hand ulcer was poorer in the patients who had diabetes for > 3 years compared with those who had diabetes for < 3 years (P = 0.009).

Conclusions  Diabetic hand ulcer is a relatively rare complication of diabetes in South‐West China. Long duration of diabetes, poorly controlled blood glucose, minor trauma and delayed treatment are the risk factors. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy may play an important role in the pathogenesis of hand ulcer. Early control of blood glucose with insulin and early anti‐microbial therapy with appropriate antibiotics are crucial. Debridement and drainage are necessary for hand abscesses.
Systematic review of the association between lung function and Type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Klein O. L. , Krishnan J. A. , Glick S. , Smith L. J.
Published: July 2010

Diabet. Med. 27, 977–987 (2010)

Aims  To describe the association between lung function and Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods  We identified English language studies evaluating the association between lung function and diabetes mellitus in the MEDLINE database from 1 January 1975 to 31 December 2009. We evaluated study quality based on established criteria (54 studies were reviewed, 34 met the inclusion criteria).

Results  Cross‐sectional studies showed that adults with diabetes mellitus have lower forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), with reductions in FVC more consistent than FEV1 and lower diffusion capacity (DLCO) compared with their non‐diabetic counterparts. The reduced lung function in patients with diabetes is inversely related to blood glucose levels, duration of diabetes and its severity and is independent of smoking or obesity. Findings in cohort studies have been less consistent, with only a few studies identifying an increased rate of lung function decline in adults with diabetes. In addition, other cohort studies have reported an association between decreased lung function and incident insulin resistance and diabetes. Studies evaluating biological mechanisms to explain the association between lung impairment and diabetes identified microangiopathy of the alveolar capillaries and pulmonary arterioles, chronic inflammation, autonomic neuropathy involving the respiratory muscles, loss of elastic recoil secondary to collagen glycosylation of lung parenchyma, hypoxia‐induced insulin resistance and low birthweight, as being associated with both insulin resistance and impaired lung function.

Conclusions  There is an association between diabetes mellitus and decreased lung function, but the definitive direction as well as the exact pathophysiological mechanism to explain this association requires further investigation.
A 12‐year follow‐up study of all‐cause and cardiovascular mortality among 10 532 people newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in Tayside, Scotland
Authors: Barnett K. N. , Ogston S. A. , McMurdo M. E. T. , Morris A. D. , Evans J. M. M.
Published: July 2010

Diabet. Med. 27, 1124–1129 (2010)

Aims  To determine absolute and relative risks of all‐cause and cardiovascular mortality among patients newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

Methods  In an observational cohort study using record‐linkage databases, based in Tayside, Scotland, UK, we identified newly diagnosed patients with Type 2 diabetes in 1993–2004. We also identified a set of non‐diabetic comparators from lists of patients registered with a general practice, individually matched to the diabetic patients by sex, age and deprivation. We followed up patients for mortality and cardiovascular mortality over a 12‐year period and calculated hazard ratios using Cox regression.

Results  There were 10 532 patients with Type 2 diabetes and 21 056 non‐diabetic comparators. Diabetic patients in every age/sex group had higher absolute mortality rates. Even taking deprivation into account, the hazard ratio for mortality was 1.32 (95% CI 1.25–1.40), decreasing to 1.15 (1.09–1.22) after adjusting for pre‐existing cardiovascular disease. The hazard ratios for cardiovascular mortality were higher, decreasing from 1.51 (1.37–1.67) to 1.23 (1.11–1.36) after adjusting for pre‐existing cardiovascular disease. The hazard ratios decreased with increasing age at diagnosis, although the difference in absolute rate of mortality increased slightly with age. Increased mortality risks were only evident 2 years after diagnosis and increased thereafter.

Conclusions  Patients with Type 2 diabetes have an increased risk of all‐cause and cardiovascular mortality compared with non‐diabetic comparators, although this is not observable immediately after diagnosis. Age at diagnosis and duration of the disease independently affect absolute and relative mortality risk.
Neural signatures of number processing in human infants: evidence for two core systems underlying numerical cognition
Authors: Hyde Daniel C. , Spelke Elizabeth S.
Published: July 2010

Behavioral research suggests that two cognitive systems are at the foundations of numerical thinking: one for representing 1–3 objects in parallel and one for representing and comparing large, approximate numerical magnitudes. We tested for dissociable neural signatures of these systems in preverbal infants by recording event‐related potentials (ERPs) as 6–7.5‐month‐old infants (n = 32) viewed dot arrays containing either small (1–3) or large (8–32) sets of objects in a number alternation paradigm. If small and large numbers are represented by the same neural system, then the brain response to the arrays should scale with ratio for both number ranges, a behavioral and brain signature of the approximate numerical magnitude system obtained in animals and in human adults. Contrary to this prediction, a mid‐latency positivity (P500) over parietal scalp sites was modulated by the ratio between successive large, but not small, numbers. Conversely, an earlier peaking positivity (P400) over occipital‐temporal sites was modulated by the absolute cardinal value of small, but not large, numbers. These results provide evidence for two early developing systems of non‐verbal numerical cognition: one that responds to small quantities as individual objects and a second that responds to large quantities as approximate numerical values. These brain signatures are functionally similar to those observed in previous studies of non‐symbolic number with adults, suggesting that this dissociation may persist over vast differences in experience and formal training in mathematics.
Discrimination and Unfair Treatment in the Workplace
Authors: Fevre Ralph , Grainger Heidi , Brewer Rioch
Published: July 2010

The difficulties of researching discrimination are often unacknowledged when policy makers draw on survey data. We explore these difficulties by means of a discussion informed by labour‐market sociology and a subsequent empirical discussion that draws on the results of the first Fair Treatment at Work Survey (FTWS). The great majority of respondents to the FTWS appeared to trust instrumental rationality to ensure that there was no discrimination in the labour market or the workplace. Given what we know of the difficulties of establishing the existence of discrimination, this widespread belief in its absence is shown to be ideological. It is both a determinant of survey results and an obstacle to changes needed to address patterns of disadvantage.
The Rise and Fall of Euro Preparations: Strategic Networking and the Depoliticisation of Labour's National Changeover Plan
Authors: James Scott
Published: July 2010

Although much has been written about Labour's policy towards the European single currency, few studies have explored the Treasury-led process of preparing Britain for changeover. The article attempts to address this by employing a strategic-relational framework to map the contours of the euro preparations network, to identify the key stakeholders and to chart its development between 1998 and 2008. It argues that by establishing an autonomous policy network, the government was able to pursue a highly effective strategy of depoliticisation by separating the logistical preparations for changeover from the political decision over whether to join the euro. The article also demonstrates the value of strategic networking as a flexible mechanism for managing political uncertainty and retaining institutional memory by placing the euro preparations process into hibernation after 2005.
Can Tax Authorities Scrutinise the Ideas of Foreign Charities? The ECJ's Persche Judgment and Lessons from US Tax Law
Authors: Georgopoulos Theodore
Published: July 2010

The European Court of Justice's (ECJ's) recent Persche judgment poses important questions about the relationship between taxation of gifts and charitable purposes in the light of EC law requirements. This article argues that by applying its established case‐law to the matter of donors to foreign recipient bodies, the ECJ takes a position on the social role of both charities and tax deduction. Moreover, the position of the ECJ clearly paves the way for tax authorities to check the objectives and the values pursued by recipient bodies seeking tax‐preferred status, a situation that recalls a similar power recognised under specific circumstances of the US Internal Revenue Services. Arguably, the ECJ case‐law has more profound consequences on charitable action, since it seems that the power accorded to tax authorities of the Member States to check the purposes of charitable organisations leads to a cosmopolitan apprehension of charitable action while it pushes charities to enhance transparency in their activities.
Going Public: An Empirical Investigation of U.S. Bound Israeli IPOs
Authors: Hasan Iftekhar , Waisman Maya
Published: July 2010

Between 1985–2003, more than 120 Israeli companies went public in the U.S., bringing the accumulated number of U.S. bound, Israeli initial public offerings (IPOs) to a figure greater than all other foreign countries combined. In this study, we compare the short and long run performance of Israeli IPOs to that of similar international and U.S. IPOs. Holding all else equal, we find that Israeli IPOs are significantly less underpriced than their local and foreign counterparts. As we examine the characteristics of Israeli issuers, we find that they differ than those of other foreign and local issuers in some important dimensions that compensate investors for information asymmetry and risk. First, compared to their home market capitalization size, U.S. bound Israeli IPOs, are significantly larger than the IPOs conducted by their foreign counterparts. Second, Israeli issuers tend to perform better than other foreign and U.S. local IPOs during our entire period of observation. Third, to a large extent, the Israeli firms in our sample have products, licensing or franchising relationships or venture capital funds with strong roots in the U.S. prior to the IPO. And fourth, the relevant investor community of Israeli IPOs, at least at the early stages, is small and overwhelmingly American. Our findings are consistent with prior studies documenting that firms raising capital outside of their domicile country are typically a select group of high quality firms in need of external financing that cannot be sufficiently provided in their home market.
Infantile convulsions with mild gastroenteritis: a retrospective study of 25 patients
Authors: Durá‐Travé T. , Yoldi‐Petri M. E. , Gallinas‐Victoriano F. , Molins‐Castiella T.
Published: July 2010

Background: The aim of this study was to analyze the epidemiologic, clinical, and evolutional characteristics in patients who presented convulsions with mild gastroenteritis (CwG) to facilitate the diagnosis in daily clinical practice.

Methods: Twenty‐five medical records of patients diagnosed with CwG were reviewed, and the epidemiological and clinical features, results of complementary studies, and evolutional data were collected.

Results: Age of onset ranged between 12 and 24 months in 76% of patients. Female/male ratio was 2.6 (18 women and seven men). Seizures were mostly brief (<5 min) and apparently generalized, and often repetitive occurring in cluster (2.2 seizures per episode). One patient with status epilepticus was recorded. The average interval between the onset of gastroenteritis and seizures was 3.8 days, even though seizure preceded diarrhea in three cases. Mean rectal temperature at the moment of seizure was 37.1°C. Rotavirus antigen was positive in stool in 17 episodes (55.8%). There were no abnormalities in serum biochemistry tests and cerebrospinal fluid studies. Four patients showed anomalies in the interictal electroencephalogram. The period of follow‐up was 4.2 years. Five patients (20%) experienced recurrences when suffering a new gastroenteritis episode. One patient developed epilepsy during the follow‐up period.

Conclusions: CwG would constitute a well‐differentiated convulsive syndrome. Prognosis is excellent, but a relatively important percentage of patients relapse when suffering a new diarrhea episode.
Quality Measures in a Modular Qualification System and its Impact on Students at Risk
Authors: Shulruf Boaz , Hattie John , Tumen Sarah
Published: July 2010

Success in tertiary studies is often measured using quality indicators (e.g. grade point average) and completion rates. These measures are particularly difficult to use in many non‐degree programmes where completion can be very low (often due to high levels of mobility across institutions and in and out of the workforce). This study uses student achievement and demographic data from a large New Zealand polytechnic to provide an alternative method for determining success, which then allows comparisons across programmes and institutions regardless of differences in grading scales and completion rates. Furthermore, by instituting this new method it is possible to identify more precisely the groups of students who are at the greatest risk of failure while identifying programmes that require further investigation regarding low achievement and/or low completion rates. It is suggested that this model is widely applicable across different educational systems. Implications for educational policy makers are discussed.
Whitening effect of α‐bisabolol in Asian women subjects
Authors: Lee J. , Jun H. , Jung E. , Ha J. , Park D.
Published: July 2010

Synopsis

Although skin pigmentation, which results from the production and distribution of melanin in the epidermis, is the major physiological defence against solar irradiation, hyperpigmentation is a common and distressing problem caused by various inflammatory skin disorders, such as eczema, allergic contact dermatitis and irritant contact dermatitis. We evaluated the effects of a preparation containing α‐bisabolol on pigmented skin of a group of subjects. The effectiveness of the active compound, α‐bisabolol, in a base‐cream preparation for the treatment of pigmented skin was tested on 28 female subjects as follows: the cream was applied once a day to the back for 8 weeks. These same women also applied a vehicle control cream to the pigmented skin. The results were evaluated by clinical and biophysical test methods. After 8 weeks of treatment of the α‐bisabolol‐containing cream, there was significant lightening effect in the pigmented skin for the majority of the subjects who tested the cream.
Frictional behaviors during applications of lotions by use of a novel friction meter and evaluation of tactile feeling
Authors: Ishikubo A. , Noda A.
Published: July 2010

Vol. 43, No.3 (2009) pp.171–176

A novel friction meter that allows us to measure normal force and friction force at the same time was developed, and the frictional behavior of cosmetics during application was investigated for an evaluation of a tactile feeling, permeability. As a result of measurements of four lotion samples by 15 panels, time courses of normal forces, friction forces and friction coefficients were different among the panels though they used the same samples. It was also found that the maximum value of differentiation in friction coefficient with better permeability feeling was larger than those with less permeability feeling. This suggests that relative changes in the time course of friction coefficients have an important influence on a tactile feeling, permeability.
A novel mechanism of cutaneous photo‐aging mediated by the impairment of lymphatic function and the protective role of a lymphatic‐promoting compound
Authors: Kajiya K. , Kawai E. , Kishimoto J. , Detmar M.
Published: July 2010

Vol. 43, No.3 (2009) pp.192–196

The lymphatic system plays an important role in the maintenance of tissue fluid homeostasis and the afferent phase of immune response. However, the role of the lymphatic system in mediation of aging and its molecular mechanism has been totally unknown. Here we have identified, for the first time, the importance of the cutaneous lymphatic system in the process of ultraviolet (UV) B‐induced skin‐damage. UVB induced the prominent enlargement of lymphatic vessels which were leaky and hyperpermeable, suggesting that the function of enlarged lymphatic vessels induced by UVB was impaired. Moreover, impaired lymphatic function could cause prolonged inflammation with retained macrophages in the dermis, eventually leading to wrinkle formation. A potent lymphangiogenesis factor, VEGFC was downregulated after UVB irradiation in vitro as well as in vivo, suggesting that the impairment of lymphatic function was triggered by VEGFC downregulation. MACC, which was found to be a novel VEGFC‐inducing compound in keratinocytes, has a strong potential to prevent UVB‐induced skin damage/wrinkle formation by promoting lymphatic vessel growth and function.
Characterization of eye bags in chinese women
Authors: Nakazawa Y. , Ma X. , Li L. , Tsukakoshi N. , Ootsubo M. , Amano S. , Masuda Y. , Nakayama Y.
Published: July 2010

Vol. 43, No.3 (2009) pp.197–200

Most Chinese women aspire to beauty around the eyes, and the ‘eye bag’ is a major concern for them. The purpose of this study is to characterize the eye bags of Chinese women using skin measurement instruments. The degree of slackness, dark rings and wrinkles of the skin under the eyes were evaluated by questionnaire and direct observation in Chinese women. The levels of hemoglobin and melanin were analyzed with a Skin Image Analyzer. The elasticity was measured with a cutometer. Visual observation indicated that the eye bags in young Chinese women were characterized by slackness and swelling under the eyes. Color analysis showed that the level of hemoglobin under the eyes tended to be higher than that on the cheeks, suggesting that the eye bags may result from impaired circulation. The level of melanin under the eyes was higher than that in the cheek. The elasticity under eyes was significantly lower than that in the cheek, indicating that the skin under the eyes is looser than that of the cheek. In conclusion, the eye bags of Chinese women were characterized by pigmentation and impaired circulation, in addition to skin sagging owing to reduced resilience.