bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Origins and Development of Urbanism: Archaeological Perspectives
Authors: Cowgill George L.
Published: December 2004

▪ Abstract  I survey recent literature about early cities in the regional traditions of Southwest Asia, Egypt, South Asia, China, Mesoamerica, Andean South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Greece, and Rome. Major themes include the importance of theorizing individuals and their practices, interests, and emotions; the extent to which the first cities were deliberately created rather than merely emerging as by-products of increasing sociopolitical complexity; internal structure of cities and the interplay of top-down planning and bottom-up self-organization; social, economic, and political relations between cities and their hinterlands; interactions of cities with their physical environments; and the difficult “city-state” concept. Some axes or dimensions for describing settlements are proposed as better than typological concepts.
The Archaeology of Communication Technologies
Authors: Houston Stephen D.
Published: December 2004

▪ Abstract  Accessing ancient meaning and sound from graphic notations is an immense challenge to archaeologists, whether with respect to marked objects, petrographs, or phonic writing. Two paths clear the way: the detection or reasoned reconstruction of “situation,” how graphic notations were used in the past and in what social and cultural setting, and the process of “extraction,” the hermeneutic scholarship that decodes such messages and establishes the relative plausibility of an interpretation. Situation is easier to study and extraction more likely to occur in cases of phonic writing, where varieties or types, physical inspection, decipherment, origins, and extinction permit multiple inroads into past sound and meaning.
Culture, Globalization, Mediation
Authors: Mazzarella William
Published: December 2004

▪ Abstract  This chapter reviews the literature on media and globalization. It develops the argument that this literature foregrounds a problem that, ironically, it also largely disavows: namely, the question of mediation as a general foundation of social life. I explore the origins of this contradiction in the emergence of globalization studies out of earlier traditions in media and cultural studies. I suggest that the failure to move beyond this impasse has perpetuated a surprising and debilitating reliance on substantialist and essentialist models of culture, models that are both at odds with the critical thrust of globalization studies and fully complicit with the agendas of public and commercial bureaucracies. The review tracks the recurrence of such thinking in several key strands of globalization studies and proceeds to outline an alternative ethnographic and theoretical strategy on the basis of a general theory of media and mediation.
Motivational Interviewing
Authors: Hettema Jennifer , Steele Julie , Miller William R.
Published: December 2004

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a client-centered, directive therapeutic style to enhance readiness for change by helping clients explore and resolve ambivalence. An evolution of Rogers's person-centered counseling approach, MI elicits the client's own motivations for change. The rapidly growing evidence base for MI is summarized in a new meta-analysis of 72 clinical trials spanning a range of target problems. The average short-term between-group effect size of MI was 0.77, decreasing to 0.30 at follow-ups to one year. Observed effect sizes of MI were larger with ethnic minority populations, and when the practice of MI was not manual-guided. The highly variable effectiveness of MI across providers, populations, target problems, and settings suggests a need to understand and specify how MI exerts its effects. Progress toward a theory of MI is described, as is research on how clinicians develop proficiency in this method.
Climate Change, Climate Modes, and Climate Impacts
Authors: Wang Guiling , Schimel David
Published: December 2004

▪ Abstract  Variability of the atmospheric and oceanic circulations in the earth system gives rise to an array of naturally occurring dynamical modes. Instead of being spatially independent or spatially uniform, climate variability in different parts of the globe is orchestrated by one or a combination of several climate modes, and global changes take place with a distinctive spatial pattern resembling that of the modes-related climate anomalies. Climate impact on the dynamics of terrestrial and marine biosphere also demonstrates clear signals for the mode effects. In this review, we view modes as an important attribute of climate variability, changes, and impact and emphasize the emerging concept that future climate changes may be manifest as changes in the leading modes of the climate system. The focus of this review is on three of the leading modes: the North Atlantic Oscillation, the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation.
Transport of Energy, Information, and Material Through the Biosphere
Authors: Reiners William A. , Driese Kenneth L.
Published: December 2004

A variety of transport processes operate within the biosphere at all temporal and spatial scales. Temporary events or chronic conditions, both scale-dependent, instigate the transport of entities having material, energetic, or informational properties via several different transport vectors. The fluxes and influences imparted by these transport phenomena shape the physical environment, underlie gene flow, facilitate animal communication, and constrain the nature of local systems. These transport phenomena have been highly altered in the last century as humankind has become an ever more potent force in the earth system. As a result, issues of environmental and earth system science are, to a considerable extent, aspects of transport phenomena. A general appreciation for transport phenomena, broadly defined, is vital to gaining an appropriate perspective on the fluid nature of the earth system and to defining system structure and function through present and past events.
State of the World’s Fisheries
Authors: Hilborn Ray , Branch Trevor A. , Ernst Billy , Magnusson Arni , Minte-Vera Carolina V. , Scheuerell Mark D. , Valero Juan L.
Published: December 2004

The total world catch from marine and freshwater wild stocks has peaked and may be slightly declining. There appear to be few significant resources to be developed, and the majority of the world's fish stocks are intensively exploited. Many marine ecosystems have been profoundly changed by fishing and other human activities. Although most of the world's major fisheries continue to produce substantial sustainable yield, a number have been severely overfished, and many more stocks appear to be heading toward depletion. The world's fisheries continue to be heavily subsidized, which encourages overfishing and provides society with a small fraction of the potential economic benefits. In most of the world's fisheries there is a “race for fish” in which boats compete to catch the fish before a quota is achieved or the fish are caught by someone else. The race for fish leads to economic inefficiency, poor quality product, and pressure to extract every fish for short-term gain. A number of countries have instituted alternative management practices that eliminate the race for fish and encourage economic efficiency, use lower exploitation rates that deliberately do not attempt to maximize biological yield, and encourage reduced fishing costs and increased value of products. In fisheries where this transition has taken place, we see the potential for future sustainability, but in those fisheries where the race for fish continues, we anticipate further declines in abundance, further loss of jobs and fishing communities, and potential structural change to marine ecosystems.
INTERNATIONALENVIRONMENTALAGREEMENTS: A Survey of Their Features, Formation, and Effects
Authors: Mitchell Ronald B.
Published: December 2004

▪ Abstract  International environmental agreements (IEAs), legally binding intergovernmental efforts directed at reducing human impacts on the environment, are common features of global environmental governance. Using a clear definition allowed creation of a comprehensive database [available online at ( 31 )] listing over 700 multilateral agreements (MEAs) and over 1000 bilateral agreements (BEAs), which included treaties, protocols, and amendments that address numerous pollutants; preservation of many species; and, increasingly, protection of various habitats. Research into the factors that explain the timing, content, and membership in environmental agreements clarifies that the interests and power of influential states create pressures for, or constraints on, progress in global environmental governance but that discourse, actors, and processes also play important roles. Variation in the effects of these agreements on environmental behaviors and outcomes often depends as much on characteristics of member countries, the international context, and the underlying environmental problem as on the differences in agreement design.
DNA DEGRADATION IN DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRAMMED CELL DEATH
Authors: Nagata Shigekazu
Published: December 2004

▪ Abstract  Most mammalian cells have nuclei that contain DNA, which replicates during cell proliferation. DNA is destroyed by various developmental processes in mammals. It is degraded during programmed cell death that accompanies mammalian development. The nuclei of erythrocytes and eye lens fiber cells are also removed during their differentiation into mature cells. If DNA is not properly degraded in these processes, it can cause various diseases, including tissue atrophy, anemia, cataract, and autoimmune diseases, which indicates that DNA can be a pathogenic molecule. Here, I present how DNA is degraded during programmed cell death, erythroid cell differentiation, and lens cell differentiation. I discuss what might be or will be learned from understanding the molecular mechanisms of DNA degradation that occurs during mammalian development.
ACCELERATORS, COLLIDERS, ANDSNAKES
Authors: Courant Ernest D.
Published: December 2004

▪ Abstract  The author traces his involvement in the evolution of particle accelerators over the past 50 years. He participated in building the first billion-volt accelerator, the Brookhaven Cosmotron, which led to the introduction of the “strong-focusing” method that has in turn led to the very large accelerators and colliders of the present day. The problems of acceleration of spin-polarized protons are also addressed, with discussions of depolarizing resonances and “Siberian snakes” as a technique for mitigating these resonances.
HIGH-CURRENTENERGY-RECOVERINGELECTRONLINACS
Authors: Merminga Lia , Douglas David R. , Krafft Geoffrey A.
Published: December 2004

▪ Abstract  The use of energy recovery provides a potentially powerful new paradigm for generation of the charged particle beams used in synchrotron radiation sources, high-energy electron cooling devices, electron-ion colliders, and other applications in photon science and nuclear and high-energy physics. Energy-recovering electron linear accelerators (called energy-recovering linacs, or ERLs) share many characteristics with ordinary linacs, as their six-dimensional beam phase space is largely determined by electron source properties. However, in common with classic storage rings, ERLs possess a high average-current-carrying capability enabled by the energy recovery process, and thus promise similar efficiencies. We discuss the concept of energy recovery and its technical challenges and describe the Jefferson Lab (JLab) Infrared Demonstration Free-Electron Laser (IR Demo FEL), originally driven by a 35–48-MeV, 5-mA superconducting radiofrequency (srf) ERL, which provided the most substantial demonstration of energy recovery to date: a beam of 250 kW average power. We present an overview of envisioned ERL applications and a development path to achieving the required performance. We use experimental data obtained at the JLab IR Demo FEL and recent experimental results from CEBAF-ER—a GeV-scale, comparatively low-current energy-recovery demonstration at JLab—to evaluate the feasibility of the new applications of high-current ERLs, as well as ERLs' limitations and ultimate performance.
Cholesterol modulates human intestinal sodium-dependent bile acid transporter
Authors: Alrefai Waddah A. , Sarwar Zaheer , Tyagi Sangeeta , Saksena Seema , Dudeja Pradeep K. , Gill Ravinder K.
Published: December 2004

Bile acids are efficiently absorbed from the intestinal lumen via the ileal apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT). ASBT function is essential for maintenance of cholesterol homeostasis in the body. The molecular mechanisms of the direct effect of cholesterol on human ASBT function and expression are not entirely understood. The present studies were undertaken to establish a suitable in vitro experimental model to study human ASBT function and its regulation by cholesterol. Luminal membrane bile acid transport was evaluated by the measurement of sodium-dependent3H-labeled taurocholic acid (3H-TC) uptake in human intestinal Caco-2 cell monolayers. The relative abundance of human ASBT (hASBT) mRNA was determined by real-time PCR. Transient transfection and luciferase assay techniques were employed to assess hASBT promoter activity. Caco-2 cell line was found to represent a suitable model to study hASBT function and regulation. 25-Hydroxycholesterol (25-HCH; 2.5 μg/ml for 24 h) significantly inhibited Na+-dependent3H-TC uptake in Caco-2 cells. This inhibition was associated with a 50% decrease in the Vmaxof the transporter with no significant changes in the apparent Km. The inhibition in hASBT activity was associated with reduction in both the level of hASBT mRNA and its promoter activity. Our data show the inhibition of hASBT function and expression by 25-HCH in Caco-2 cells. These data provide novel evidence for the direct regulation of human ASBT function by cholesterol and suggest that this phenomenon may play a central role in cholesterol homeostasis.
Thyroid hormones induce unique and potentially beneficial changes in cardiac myocyte shape in hypertensive rats near heart failure
Authors: Thomas Tracy A. , Kuzman James A. , Anderson Brent E. , Andersen Susan M. K. , Schlenker Evelyn H. , Holder Maurice S. , Gerdes A. Martin
Published: December 2004

We examined the effects of thyroid hormones (THs) on left ventricular (LV) function and myocyte remodeling in rats with spontaneously hypertensive heart failure (SHHF). SHHF rats were treated with three different TH doses from 20–21 mo of age. In terminal experiments, LV function (as determined by echocardiography and catheterization) and isolated myocyte shape were examined in SHHF rat groups and age-matched Wistar-Furth control animals. Compared with Wistar-Furth rats, the ratio of α- to β-myosin was reduced in untreated SHHF rats. The α-to-β-myosin ratio increased in all TH groups, which suggests a reversal of the fetal gene program. Low-dose TH produced no changes in LV myocyte size or function, but high-dose TH produced signs of hyperthyroidism (e.g., increased heart weight, tachycardia). The chamber diameter-to-wall thickness ratio declined with increasing dose due to reduced chamber diameter and increased wall thickness. This resulted in a 38% reduction in LV systolic wall stress in the middle- and high-dose groups despite sustained hypertension. Isolated myocyte data indicated that chamber remodeling and reduced wall stress were due to a unique alteration in myocyte transverse shape (e.g., reduced major diameter and increased minor diameter). Based on our present understanding of ventricular remodeling and wall stress, we believe these changes are likely beneficial. Results suggest that TH may be an important regulator of myocyte transverse shape in heart disease.
Nitric oxide modulation of glutamatergic, baroreflex, and cardiopulmonary transmission in the nucleus of the solitary tract
Authors: Dias Ana Carolina Rodrigues , Vitela Melissa , Colombari Eduardo , Mifflin Steven W.
Published: December 2004

The neuromodulatory effect of NO on glutamatergic transmission has been studied in several brain areas. Our previous single-cell studies suggested that NO facilitates glutamatergic transmission in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS). In this study, we examined the effect of the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor NG-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME) on glutamatergic and reflex transmission in the NTS. We measured mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) from Inactin-anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats. Bilateral microinjections of l-NAME (10 nmol/100 nl) into the NTS did not cause significant changes in basal MAP, HR, or RSNA. Unilateral microinjection of ( RS)-α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA, 1 pmol/100 nl) into the NTS decreased MAP and RSNA. Fifteen minutes after l-NAME microinjections, AMPA-evoked cardiovascular changes were significantly reduced. N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA, 0.5 pmol/100 nl) microinjection into the NTS decreased MAP, HR, and RSNA. NMDA-evoked falls in MAP, HR, and RSNA were significantly reduced 30 min after l-NAME. To examine baroreceptor and cardiopulmonary reflex function, l-NAME was microinjected at multiple sites within the rostro-caudal extent of the NTS. Baroreflex function was tested with phenylephrine (PE, 25 μg iv) before and after l-NAME. Five minutes after l-NAME the decrease in RSNA caused by PE was significantly reduced. To examine cardiopulmonary reflex function, phenylbiguanide (PBG, 8 μg/kg) was injected into the right atrium. PBG-evoked hypotension, bradycardia, and RSNA reduction were significantly attenuated 5 min after l-NAME. Our results indicate that inhibition of NOS within the NTS attenuates baro- and cardiopulmonary reflexes, suggesting that NO plays a physiologically significant neuromodulatory role in cardiovascular regulation.
Superoxide dismutase failed to attenuate allergen-induced nasal congestion in ragweed-sensitized dogs
Authors: Skorohod Natalia , Yeates Donovan B.
Published: December 2004

We hypothesized that augmentation of antioxidant defenses with exogenous superoxide dismutase (SOD), an enzyme that provides an initial defense against oxidative injury, would attenuate allergen-induced nasal congestion in the canine model of allergic rhinitis. Nasal congestion was evaluated by the measurements of nasal resistance and the volume of the nasal passage. In five nonsensitized dogs, 30,000 U of SOD from bovine erythrocytes delivered by aerosol to the nasal passages before histamine challenge reduced the histamine-induced nasal congestion. At 30 min postchallenge, nasal resistance was 1.14 ± 0.2 cmH2O·l−1·min−1 in the saline pretreatment study vs. 0.36 ± 0.02 cmH2O·l−1·min−1 in the SOD pretreatment study ( P < 0.05), and volume of nasal passage was 10.9 ± 0.5 cm3 vs. 17.4 ± 1.3 cm3 ( P < 0.05), respectively. In five sensitized dogs, however, neither an analogous pretreatment with SOD nor intranasal aerosolized pretreatment with 30,000 U of SOD conjugated to polyethylene glycol attenuated ragweed-induced nasal congestion. Also, systemic application of SOD did not attenuate responses to challenges with histamine and ragweed in nonsensitized and sensitized dogs, respectively. The antioxidant-induced attenuation of nasal congestion in nonsensitized dogs confirms validity of the model and indicates the involvement of free radical-mediated damage in the genesis of the histamine-induced congestion. In sensitized dogs, the data do not support the hypothesis that oxidative stress is a clinically significant component of acute ragweed-induced nasal congestion. The data do not support the use of SOD for acute protection against allergic rhinitis.
Craniodental Variation in the African Macaque, with Reference to Various Asian Species
Authors: Pan Ruliang , Oxnard Charles
Published: December 2004

Based on twenty-seven craniodental measurements and ratios derived from them, the relationship between the African macaque (M. sylvanus) and the others in Asia were examined with principal components analyses (PCA) and Euclidean distance analysis based upon prior discriminant function analyses (DFA). Results based on analyses of raw measurements indicate that the variation between species lies in the first axis of PCA; the species are dispersed according to their differences in size. The variation between sexes (sexual dimorphism) lies in the second axis. In the analyses of ratio variables, though these two patterns of separation remain orthogonal, they lie at approximately forty-five degrees to each axis. Variables relating to anterior teeth were found to play an important role in variation analysis, and this may be related to the special food preferences of these monkeys: more frequent usage of the incisor teeth for processing frugivorous diets than in other primates that are mainly folivorous. The results from Euclidean distance analyses indicate that the average distance of species within the Asian group is shorter than that between Asian and African groups regardless of sex and variable type. In addition the variation between African and Asian groups is larger than that within Asian group. Thus, it is reasonable to suggest that the African macaque has a range of measurements and ratios quite distinct from the species found in Asia (though the greatest separations result from the analyses of ratio data). These results therefore support the view that M. sylvanus may be regarded as an independent species group in the genus Macaca as proposed by Delson [1980].
Form and Functions of ‘Slut Bashing’ in Male Identity Constructions in15-Year-Olds
Authors: Bamberg Michael
Published: December 2004

In this article I discuss an excerpt from a group discussion between five 15-year-old boys who, in the presence of an adult moderator, engaged in the act of ‘slut bashing’ while telling a minimal story about an incident of female promiscuity. The analysis proceeds microanalytically in a three-step procedure that details the positions taken by the young participants during the interaction. First, I analyze how the story characters are positioned in story time and story space. Next, I analyze how the interactants draw up their positions in relation to one another during the interaction. Finally, in the third step, I discuss how the first two levels are used to develop positions in relation to any preexisting normative discourses (master narratives). My observations focus on the role of narrative and interaction in the microgenetic construal of identity and self, and reveal how positioning becomes part of the identity construction of the five male adolescents.
Prognostic Value of Change in Amniotic Fluid Color during Labor
Authors: Locatelli Anna , Regalia Anna Laura , Patregnani Cinzia , Ratti Marta , Toso Laura , Ghidini Alessandro
Published: December 2004

Objective: Evidence of meconium-stained amniotic fluid (AF) during labor suggests implementation of close monitoring of fetal well-being. We have investigated whether the presence of meconium in the AF on admission for labor is as important a predictor of neonatal outcome as a change in AF color during labor. Methods: AF characteristics on admission for labor at term (37–42 weeks) and their changes during labor were recorded in all singleton pregnancies during an 8-year period (1992–1999). Excluded were stillbirths on admission, congenital anomalies, and elective cesarean sections. The presence of meconium and its consistency (light or thick) were documented on admission by inspection with transcervical amnioscopy in women with intact membranes or in the vaginal pool in those with ruptured membranes. Changes in AF color or consistency during labor were recorded and correlated with the obstetric and neonatal outcome. Statistical analysis utilized χ2 for trend, with p < 0.05 considered significant. Results: 19,090 women were admitted in labor at term during the study period and fulfilled the study inclusion criteria and had amniotic fluid evaluation available. The appearance of meconium or worsening in thickness of meconium during labor was associated with higher rates of Apgar scores <7 at 5 min (clear AF on admission and at delivery 0.6%; light or thick meconium on admission and no change at delivery 0.8%; clear AF on admission and light or thick meconium at delivery 3.2%, and light meconium on admission and thick meconium at delivery 2.5%; p < 0.001) and umbilical artery pH <7.10 (the respective rates in the four groups were 1.7, 1.8, 3.6, and 3.8%; p < 0.001). Conclusion: The appearance or thickening of meconium during labor has a greater predictive ability for depressed neonates than the presence of meconium on admission.
Disseminated Bronchoalveolar Keratinocyte Plugs in Severe Neonatal Congenital Lamellar Ichthyosis
Authors: Reyal F. , Sinicot M. , Danan C. , Gerard M. , Haddad B.
Published: December 2004

We present here a case of congenital lamellar ichthyosis responsible for neonatal death immediately after delivery due to obstruction by bonchoalveolar keratinocyte plugs. The main interest of this case was to confirm in utero amniotic fluid movement into the distal airways by fetal breathing or gasping.
Fusion as the Etiology of Chimerism in Monochorionic Dizygotic Twins
Authors: Ginsberg Norman A. , Ginsberg Sara , Rechitsky Svetlana , Verlinsky Yury
Published: December 2004

In a dizygotic pregnancy within monochorionic placenta, findings consistent with chimerism were detected. Monochorionicity was confirmed by a combination of ultrasound, histological evaluation and DNA technology. Etiologic hypotheses are offered to explain this rare circumstance.
Rapid Clearance of mRNA for PLAC1 Gene in Maternal Blood after Delivery
Authors: Concu Manuela , Banzola Irina , Farina Antonio , Sekizawa Akihiko , Rizzo Nicola , Marini Marina , Caramelli Elisabetta , Carinci Paolo
Published: December 2004

Objective: To evaluate (1) whether the presence of mRNA for the specific trophoblast gene PLAC1 in maternal whole blood is pregnancy-specific, and (2) whether delivery would result in the clearance of mRNA from maternal blood. Methods: Sixteen pregnant women at term (41 completed weeks’ gestation) were enrolled in the study. Blood samples were obtained before the onset of labor and 24 h after delivery. Eight healthy donors (3 males and 5 non-pregnant women) were used as controls. Total RNA was extracted by means of ABI Prism 6100. A quantitative evaluation was obtained by means of real-time PCR. Wilcoxon test was used to evaluate differences between time intervals. Results: Median concentrations of PLAC1 mRNA relative to the standardization curve (see below) were 44 (2.9–675) ng/ml and 0.48 (0.05–10.7) ng/ml respectively for pre- and post-delivery samples (p value <0.001). Male and non-pregnant female controls did not show any signal of cDNA amplification. Conclusion: mRNA transcripts from a placenta-expressed specific gene are detectable in maternal blood and rapidly disappear after delivery. Such an mRNA provides a gender-independent marker for non-invasive prenatal gene expression profiling, and can open new perspectives to monitor those conditions associated to trophoblast damage as well as preeclampsia.
QTc Interval Prolongation in Patients on Long-Term Methadone Maintenance Therapy
Authors: Maremmani Icro , Pacini Matteo , Cesaroni Claudio , Lovrecic Mercedes , Perugi Giulio , Tagliamonte Alessandro
Published: December 2004

Objective: The aim of the present study was to assess the incidence of abnormal QTc interval values in a population of subjects on a long-term methadone maintenance treatment, as a single therapy, and with methadone dosages ranging between 10 and 600 mg/daily (mean ± SD = 87 ± 76). Method: Basal ECG recordings were carried out in 83 former heroin addicts on long-term successful methadone maintenance therapy for at least 6 months, while no other known QT-prolonging agent was being administered. Results: Eighty-three percent of the subjects had a more prolonged QT interval than the reference values for persons of the same sex and age. Only 2 patients displayed a QTc interval of >500 ms. No correlation emerged between QTc values and methadone dosages. Conclusion: Patients on long-term methadone maintenance treatment show longer than expected QTc interval values. This data, associated with the finding that methadone is a rather potent inhibitor of HERG potassium channels and that it may induce torsade de pointes in predisposed subjects, supports the recommendation that patients entering methadone treatment (MT) are screened for cardiac risk factors. ECG might be considered in ongoing MT patients especially before starting QT-prolonging medications.
Reliability and Validity of the Form 90 Interview
Authors: Scheurich A. , Müller M.J. , Anghelescu I. , Lörch B. , Dreher M. , Hautzinger M. , Szegedi A.
Published: December 2004

Objective: Alcohol consumption is a central variable in substance abuse research and treatment. The study reports the psychometric characteristics of the German version of the Form 90 interview for the assessment of recent alcohol consumption. Method: Reliability was evaluated in a test-retest study (7 days) with 30 consecutively admitted psychiatric inpatients with alcohol dependence. Validity of Form 90 was assessed with a second sample of 60 alcohol-dependent inpatients. Results: Form 90 demonstrated good to excellent retest reliability for the central variables of alcohol consumption. Retest reliability Pearson correlation coefficients (r) ranged from 0.76 to 0.99 and Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) ranged from 0.74 to 0.98. Reliability coefficients proved to be stable throughout the whole assessment window (90 days). Confidence intervals demonstrated sufficient precision of measures of alcohol consumption. Validity was supported by significant correlations of the amount of alcohol consumed with outcome parameters of the Lifetime Drinking History Interview (r = 0.47 and 0.58), γ-glutamyltransferase on admission to detoxification treatment (r = 0.37), physical withdrawal symptoms (r = 0.56) and the withdrawal symptom index (r = 0.48). Conclusions: Form 90 presented evidence of good to excellent psychometric properties, and its applicability to clinical populations of alcohol-dependent patients in German-speaking countries could be confirmed.
Under-Investigation of Older People with Abnormal Chest Radiographs
Authors: Gosney Margot
Published: December 2004

Background: Whilst many authors have previously suggested that older people are under-represented in the investigation and management of lung cancer, few data are available as to the effect of age on the subsequent investigation and management of a patient with an abnormal chest radiograph. Methods: During a 3-month period in a university teaching hospital, all abnormal chest radiographs suggestive of a possible diagnosis of lung cancer were identified, and patients subsequently followed to determine investigation, management and date of death over a 5-year period. Results: Thirty-seven younger (≤69 years, median age 62 years) and 43 older patients (≧70 years, median age 80 years) were identified. Of the 80 patients with a possible bronchial carcinoma only 59% had a further chest radiograph performed. Bronchoscopy was performed in 34% of patients, but a biopsy of the lesion was undertaken in only 24% of patients. Sixteen of the 80 patients, irrespective of what investigations had been undertaken, were referred for an oncological or surgical opinion. During the study period (3 months), 24% of the patients died. At 6, 24 and 60 months, respectively, the total deaths were 40, 78 and 88%. Conclusion: Older patients compared with those aged less than 70 years were less likely to be investigated, further, were more likely to be managed differently (i.e., less aggressively) and more likely to die within each time interval. In more of the older group a presumed death certificate diagnosis of pneumonia was made. When an abnormal chest radiograph raises the possibility of an underlying bronchial carcinoma, the finding of this study suggests that an ageist attitude influences the subsequent management of some patients.
Exaggerated Plasma Fibrin Formation (D-Dimer) in Elderly Alzheimer Caregivers as Compared to Noncaregiving Controls
Authors: von Känel Roland , Dimsdale Joel E. , Adler Karen A. , Patterson Thomas L. , Mills Paul J. , Grant Igor
Published: December 2004

Background: The chronic stress of providing care for a spouse suffering from Alzheimer’s disease has been associated with an increased risk for coronary artery disease and overall mortality. Procoagulant changes are kindled by mental stress, and they are prospectively associated with atherothrombotic events. Objective: To examine whether dementia caregivers would show greater coagulation activity and less fibrinolytic capacity than noncaregiving controls. Methods: Subjects were 48 (30 female and 18 male) elderly (mean age ± SD, 72 ± 9 years) community-dwelling spousal Alzheimer caregivers and 20 noncaregiving age- and gender-matched controls. Plasma levels of thrombin-antithrombin III, fibrin D-dimer, von Willebrand factor, tissue-type plasminogen activator, and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 were measured. Results: D-dimer, a marker of fibrin formation and degradation, was significantly higher in caregivers than in controls (688 ± 575 vs. 406 ± 157 ng/ml, p = 0.021). Plasma levels of the four other hemostasis variables were not significantly different between the two groups. Controlling for the classic cardiovascular risk factors body mass index, hypertension status, smoking status, hypercholesterolemia, type II diabetes, and medication potentially affecting hemostasis did not change results. Conclusion: The findings suggest that Alzheimer caregivers have an increased fibrin turnover as compared to noncaregiving controls independent of common confounders of hemostasis. Such an elevated clotting diathesis might contribute to increased cardiovascular risk and overall mortality with dementia caregiving strain.
Enhanced Sensitivity to Oxidant-Induced Micronucleus Frequency in Elderly Individuals Is Not Associated with Glutathione S- Transferase M1 (GSTM1) Null Genotype in Lymphocytes
Authors: Guven Gulgun S. , Guven Mehmet , Onaran Ilhan , Tunckale Aydın , Hacihanefioglu Seniha , Ulutin Turgut
Published: December 2004

Background: A large number of studies have demonstrated that various kinds of DNA damage accumulate during aging and that oxidative stress possibly contributes to this process. Glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1) can prevent their possible effects on DNA via detoxification of reactive substances that induced oxidative stress. Objective: To investigate the relationship between GSTM1 polymorphism and DNA sensitivity to oxidative stress with age, we used micronucleus (MN) frequency as a marker of DNA damage in lymphocytes from young and elderly subjects. Methods: This study was performed in 30 young (age range 20–36 years) and 30 elderly (age range 66–87 years) healthy individuals who were chosen on the basis of their GSTM1 genotype (15 GSTM1 null and 15 GSTM1 positive for each group). Lymphocytes were cultured after Ficoll isolation and treated for 48 h with a 30-µM dose of cumene hydroperoxide (CumOOH), a dose that does not decrease cell viability. Results: There was no significant difference in the MN frequency observed in control cultures from young and elderly individuals. However, the MN frequency in CumOOH-treated cultures was significantly higher in the elderly group than the young group (p < 0.001). No association was found between the GSTM1 phenotype and CumOOH-induced MN frequency.  Conclusions: The results suggest that lymphocytes of elderly individuals are more susceptible to in vitro MN induction by CumOOH. However, this difference in susceptibility is not explained by the lack of GSTM1.
Pet Ownership and Health in Older Adults: Findings from a Survey of 2,551 Community-Based Australians Aged 60–64
Authors: Parslow Ruth A. , Jorm Anthony F. , Christensen Helen , Rodgers Bryan , Jacomb Patricia
Published: December 2004

Background: It is commonly assumed that owning a pet provides older residents in the community with health benefits including improved physical health and psychological well-being. It has also been reported that pet owners are lower on neuroticism and higher on extraversion compared with those without pets. However, findings of research on this topic have been mixed with a number of researchers reporting that, for older people, there is little or no health benefit associated with pet ownership. Objective: To identify health benefits associated with pet ownership and pet caring responsibilities in a large sample of older community-based residents. Methods: Using survey information provided by 2,551 individuals aged between 60 and 64 years, we compared the sociodemographic attributes, mental and physical health measures, and personality traits of pet owners and non-owners. For 78.8% of these participants, we were also able to compare the health services used, based on information obtained from the national insurer on the number of general practitioner (GP) visits they made over a 12-month period. Results: Compared with non-owners, those with pets reported more depressive symptoms while female pet owners who were married also had poorer physical health. We found that caring for a pet was associated with negative health outcomes including more symptoms of depression, poorer physical health and higher rates of use of pain relief medication. No relationship was found between pet ownership and use of GP services. When we examined the personality traits of pet owners and carers, we found that men who cared for pets had higher extraversion scores. Our principal and unexpected finding, however, was that pet owners and carers reported higher levels of psychoticism as measured by the Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Conclusions: We conclude that pet ownership confers no health benefits for this age group. Instead, those with pets have poorer mental and physical health and use more pain relief medication. Further, our study suggests that those with pets are less conforming to social norms as indicated by their higher levels of psychoticism.
An Improved Organ Culture for Regeneration of Pure Autologous Keratinocytes from Small Split-Thickness Skin Specimens
Authors: Liu Jin Yu , Burg Gunter
Published: December 2004

Background: Failure of autologous keratinocyte culture from small split-thickness skin specimens or contamination of the keratinocyte culture by melanocytes represents practical problems in basic medical research and clinical studies. Purpose: To establish a simple and reliable method of harvesting pure autologous keratinocytes from a small split-thickness skin specimen. Methods: Split-thickness (0.3 mm) skin explants (1 × 2 mm) were firstly cultured in DMEM containing 10% FCS till formation of keratinocyte strips, then cultured in serum-free keratinocyte growth medium or cocultured with lethally irradiated 3T3 fibroblasts (J2) in a mixture of DMEM and Ham’s F12 (DF) medium. Results: Pure autologous keratinocyte culture is easily and reliably established by this organ culture technique. Conclusion: Culturing of skin explants in serum-free keratinocyte growth medium or coculturing of the skin explants with lethally irradiated 3T3 cells in DF medium is proved to be a useful, simple and reliable method of harvesting pure autologous keratinocytes from a small split-thickness skin biopsy.
Chronic Graft-versus-Host-Disease-Like Dermopathy in a Child with CD4+ Cell Microchimerism
Authors: Kowalzick Lutz , Artlett Carol M. , Thoss Karin , Baum Hans-Peter , Ziegler Heidrun , Mischke Daniel , Blum Roland , Pönnighaus Jörg-Martin , Quietzsch Jürgen
Published: December 2004

We report the case of an 11-year-old boy suffering from a severe progressive chronic skin disease with clinical features of progressive systemic scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus and dermatomyositis. Skin biopsies revealed fibrosis and lichenoid changes and muscle biopsy a myositis. Immunohistology of the skin showed a lichen-ruber-like pattern. Despite repeated extensive investigations, no autoantibodies were detectable. Some of these findings looked like those described in juvenile dermatomyositis. Finally, it could be demonstrated that the boy showed microchimerism with approximately 1% maternal CD4+ lymphocytes in his peripheral blood leukocytes. Furthermore maternal cells could be demonstrated in inflamed muscle tissue. So a graft-versus-host-disease-like pathomechanism appears to be likely. Several systemic therapies have been used with limited success to improve the condition including corticosteroids, azathioprine, cyclosporine A and mycophenolate mofetil. A distinct improvement of erythemas and sclerosis could be achieved by means of low-dose UVA1 phototherapy which was applied with escalating single doses of 3–12 J/cm2 for 35 consecutive days.
Acquired and Inherited Thrombophilic Factors and the Risk for Residual Venous Thrombosis
Authors: Bank Ivan , Tick Lidwien W. , Hutten Barbara A. , Kramer Mark H.H. , Middeldorp Saskia , Büller Harry R.
Published: December 2004

Acquired and inherited thrombophilic factors increase the risk for (recurrent) venous thrombotic disease. However, little is known about the pathophysiological mechanisms causing these recurrences, or the persistence of thrombosis despite adequate treatment. Because residual thrombosis has been associated with a worse prognostic outcome, we performed an explorative study in order to investigate the prevalence of residual thrombotic lesions after anticoagulant treatment in patients with deep venous thrombosis. Thrombotic parameters as assessed by ultrasonography after a 12-week course of anticoagulants were used. Both thrombophilia in general and acquired thrombophilia in particular were found to be associated with the extent of residual thrombosis. Of the individual thrombophilic factors, protein C deficiency, prothrombin 20210A mutation, active malignant disease and lupus anticoagulant were associated with an increased risk of residual thrombotic mass. Patients with inherited thrombophilia did not differ from patients without any thrombophilic abnormality with regard to residual thrombotic mass [relative risk (RR) 1.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.9–1.8], while acquired thrombophilic disorders increased the risk for residual thrombotic mass as compared to patients without any defect (RR 1.7, 95% CI 1.2–2.2). Although these results should be confirmed in a larger study, they might help us form hypotheses concerning why patients with thrombophilia are more prone to recurrent venous thromboembolic disease.
Periurethral Abscess Formation due to Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Authors: Kraus Sigurd , Luedecke G. , Ludwig M. , Weidner W.
Published: December 2004

Abscess formation secondary to chronic urethritis of the posterior male urethra caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae has become an atypical and rare urological complication. Periurethral abscess formation has been reported to be associated with gonococcal infections, but in such rare cases a delay in the diagnosis of gonococcal infection seems to have been the cause for this periurethral complication. A case with a primary diagnosis of periurethral abscess with N. gonorrhoeae infection is reported – successful treatment included transurethral incision and antibiotic therapy.
Radiofrequency Ablation of Liver Tumors: How to Enlarge the Necrotic Zones?
Authors: Frieser M. , Haensler J. , Schaber S. , Peters A. , Mohelsky E. , Bernatik T. , Hahn E.G. , Strobel D.
Published: December 2004

In an attempt to increase necrotic zones in liver tissue by radiofrequency ablation fresh bovine liver was coagulated by means of a needle electrode continuously perfused with NaCl solution. Power output (60 W) and application time (15 min) were kept constant while the perfusion was varied in terms of saline concentration (0.9, 5.85 and 10%) and perfusion rate (40 or 80 ml/h). Our results showed that the use of higher osmolar saline solutions in radiofrequency ablation with perfused needle electrodes did not lead to significantly larger coagulation volumes. By contrast, increasing the perfusion rate produced significantly larger necrotic zones. Doubling the perfusion rate made it possible to reach higher temperatures (>60°C) within significantly shorter time.
Effect of Saliva Composition on Experimental Root Caries
Authors: Bardow A. , Hofer E. , Nyvad B. , ten Cate J.M. , Kirkeby S. , Moe D. , Nauntofte B.
Published: December 2004

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of saliva composition on caries lesion development independently of the flow rate of unstimulated whole saliva (UWS) and other caries-related variables such as lesion progression time, oral hygiene level, and fluoride exposure. We hypothesized that this could be done by developing experimental root caries under carefully controlled conditions in situ in test subjects with UWS flow rates within a narrow window of normalcy. Fifteen female and 5 male subjects (66 ± 6 years) were selected for the study according to their UWS flow rates between 0.2 and 0.4 ml/min. All subjects developed experimental root caries lesions during a 62-day period in which UWS as well as stimulated whole saliva (SWS) were repeatedly collected and analysed for flow rate, pH, buffer capacity, inorganic, and organic composition. Caries lesion development was determined by quantitative microradiography. The mean UWS flow rate was 0.30 ± 0.05 ml/min. Significant negative correlations were obtained between UWS total phosphate concentration and mineral loss (ΔZ; rs = –0.72, p < 0.001) and UWS total protein concentration and ΔZ (rs = –0.70, p < 0.01). SWS and its constituents had only limited or no effect on ΔZ. Qualitative UWS protein analysis (SDS-PAGE) revealed that subjects with low ΔZ values had broader and more stained amylase bands than subjects with high ΔZ values. These findings were confirmed quantitatively by HPLC. We conclude that, within a group of subjects with normal UWS flow rates, the UWS composition was more important for caries lesion development than the SWS composition. Furthermore, high UWS concentrations of phosphate, protein, and amylase were caries-protective.
Interferon-γ-Dependent in vitro Model for the Putative Keratin 17 Autoimmune Loop in Psoriasis: Exploration of Pharmaco- and Gene-Therapeutic Effects
Authors: Böckelmann R. , Horn T. , Gollnick H. , Bonnekoh B.
Published: December 2004

In 1999, A.S. Gudmundsdottir et al. have envisaged an epitope on keratin 17 (K17) as a putative psoriasis major autoantigen recognized by T cells. In a HaCaT keratinocyte model, we now demonstrate that IFN-γ and to a less extent also TNF-α and TGF-α are able to induce K17 protein expression, in contrast to IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-18. This supports our hypothesis of an existing proinflammatory cytokine/K17 autoimmune loop as a presumptive positive feedback mechanism driving psoriasis etiopathogenesis. K17 overexpression was now found to also coincide with suppression of keratinocyte proliferation, e.g. induced by NF-kappa B inhibitors (Bay 11-7082 and Bay 11-7085), and thereby correlated hyperapoptosis to be encountered in psoriatic epidermis. Acitretin as an established antipsoriatic drug and the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib decreased, whereas hydrocortisone as well as dexamethasone increased the IFN-γ-induced K17 overexpression. The latter might be another mechanism explaining the well-known rebound phenomena after abrupt withdrawal of corticosteroids in psoriasis treatment. Finally, we defined a K17-directed and effective antisense oligodesoxynucleotide which may hold promise for future gene-therapeutic approaches in psoriasis.