bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical, structural and functional implications of mutations and polymorphisms in human NADPH P450 oxidoreductase
Authors: Flück Christa E. , Nicolo Catherine , Pandey Amit V.
Published: July 2007

Cytochrome P450 proteins are involved in metabolism of drugs and xenobiotics. In the endoplasmic reticulum a single nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) P450 oxidoreductase (POR) supplies electrons to all microsomal P450s for catalytic activity. POR is a flavoprotein that contains both flavin mononucleotide and flavin adenine dinucleotide as cofactors and uses NADPH as the source of electrons. We have recently reported a number of POR mutations in the patients with disordered steroidogenesis. In the first report we had described missense mutations (A287P, R457H, V492E, C569Y, and V608F) identified in four patients with defects in steroid production. Each POR variant was produced as recombinant N‐27 form of the enzyme in bacteria and as full‐length form in yeast. Membranes from bacteria or yeast expressing normal or variant POR were purified and their activities were characterized in cytochrome c and CYP17A1 assays. Later we have published a larger study that described a whole range of POR mutations and characterized the mutants/polymorphisms A115V, T142A, M263V, Y459H, A503V, G539R, L565P, R616X, V631I, and F646del from the sequencing of patient DNA. We also studied POR variants Y181D, P228L, R316W, G413S, and G504R that were available in public databases or published literature. Three‐dimensional structure of rat POR is known and we have used this structure to deduce the structure–function correlation of POR mutations in human. The missense mutations found in patients with disordered steroidogenesis are generally in the co‐factor binding and functionally important domains of POR and the apparent polymorphisms are found in regions with lesser structural importance. A variation in POR can alter the activity of all microsomal P450s, and therefore, can affect the metabolism of drugs and xenobiotics even when the P450s involved are otherwise normal. It is important to study the genetic and biochemical basis of POR variants in human population to gain information about possible differences in P450 mediated reactions among the individuals carrying a variant or polymorphic form of POR that could impact their metabolism.
Habitat‐specific effects of a food supplementation experiment on immunocompetence in Eurasian MagpiePica picanestlings
Authors: NEVE LIESBETH DE , SOLER JUAN J. , RUIZ‐RODRÍGUEZ MAGDALENA , MARTÍN‐GÁLVEZ DAVID , PÉREZ‐CONTRERAS TOMÁS , SOLER MANUEL
Published: July 2007

Parasite pressure and nutrition are two of the most important factors affecting the trade‐off between nestling growth and immune development. During development, energy and nutrients are often limited, and nestlings should only dedicate differentially more valuable resources to their immune system when the associated benefits are high (i.e. in situations of an increased risk of parasitism). In this study, we manipulated nutritional condition of Eurasian MagpiePica picanestlings by providing a food supplement. Additionally, the study area was subdivided into two categories of habitat (irrigated and arid) based on the presence of irrigation canals. Nestling diet composition was more varied in the irrigated compared with in the arid habitat. In addition, nestlings of the irrigated habitat showed a significantly higher infestation of both ectoparasites and blood parasites and a significantly higher cell‐mediated immunity, but lower tarsus length compared with nestlings of the arid habitat. Food supplementation to nestlings did not affect tarsus length, but increased nestling cell‐mediated immunity in the arid habitat only. Based on the recent demonstrated trade‐off between growth and immunocompetence in nestlings, we suggest that differences between habitats in nestling diet and parasite prevalence may have caused different priority rules in the allocation of resources between both fitness traits.
A stem lineage representative of buttonquails from the Lower Oligocene of Germany – fossil evidence for a charadriiform origin of the Turnicidae
Authors: MAYR GERALD , KNOPF CHARLES W.
Published: July 2007

A new species of the charadriiform taxonTurnipaxMayr, 2000 is described from the Lower Oligocene fossil site Frauenweiler in southern Germany. The postcranial skeleton assigned toTurnipax oechslerorumsp. nov. is very well preserved and allows the recognition of significant, previously unknown osteological details ofTurnipax, especially concerning the wing and pectoral girdle bones. We provide evidence thatTurnipaxis a stem lineage representative of the Turnicidae (buttonquails) and synonymize Turnipacidae Mayr, 2000 with Turnicidae Gray, 1840.Turnipaxis the earliest fossil representative of the Turnicidae, which otherwise have no Paleogene fossil record. Because recent molecular studies support a charadriiform origin of buttonquails, the mosaic distribution in the skeleton ofTurnipaxof derived features of the Turnicidae and non‐turnicid charadriiform birds is of particular interest.Turnipaxexhibits a more plesiomorphic morphology than extant Turnicidae, and we assume that its habitat and way of living differed from that of crown group Turnicidae, which may not have diversified before the spread of grasslands during the Oligocene and Miocene.
Reexamining the Effects of Family Structure on Children's Access to Care: The Single‐Father Family
Authors: Leininger Lindsey Jeanne , Ziol‐Guest Kathleen M.
Published: July 2007

Objective. To examine the effects of family structure, focusing on the single‐father family, on children's access to medical care.

Data Source. The 1999 and 2002 rounds of the National Survey of America's Families (NSAF) including 62,193 children ages 0–17 years.

Study Design. We employ a nationally representative sample of children residing in two‐parent families, single‐mother families, and single‐father families. Multivariate logistic regression is used to examine the relationship between family structure and measures of access to care. We estimate stratified models on children below 200 percent of the federal poverty threshold and those above.

Data Collection/Extraction Method. We combine data from the Focal Child and Adult Pair modules of the 1999 and 2002 waves of the NSAF.

Principal Findings. Children who reside in single‐father families exhibit poorer access to health care than children in other family structures. The stratified models suggest that, unlike residing in a single‐mother family, the effects of residence in a single‐father family do not vary by poverty status.

Conclusions. Children in single‐father families may be more vulnerable to health shocks than their peers in other family structures.
The Epidemiology of Convulsive Status Epilepticus in Children: A Critical Review
Authors: Raspall‐Chaure Miquel , Chin Richard F. M. , Neville Brian G. , Bedford Helen , Scott Rod C.
Published: July 2007

Summary: There is ongoing debate regarding the most appropriate definition of status epilepticus. This depends upon the research question being asked. Based on the most widely used “30 min definition,” the incidence of childhood convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) in developed countries is approximately 20/100,000/year, but will vary depending, among others, on socioeconomic and ethnic characteristics of the population. Age is a main determinant of the epidemiology of CSE and, even within the pediatric population there are substantial differences between older and younger children in terms of incidence, etiology, and frequency of prior neurological abnormalities or prior seizures. Overall, incidence is highest during the first year of life, febrile CSE is the single most common cause, around 40% of children will have previous neurological abnormalities and less than 15% will have a prior history of epilepsy. Outcome is mainly a function of etiology. However, the causative role of CSE itself on mesial temporal sclerosis and subsequent epilepsy or the influence of age, duration, or treatment on outcome of CSE remains largely unknown. Future studies should aim at clarifying these issues and identifying specific ethnic, genetic, or socioeconomic factors associated with CSE to pinpoint potential targets for its primary and secondary prevention.
Levetiracetam, Phenytoin, and Valproate Act Differently on Rat Bone Mass, Structure, and Metabolism
Authors: Nissen‐Meyer Lise Sofie H. , Svalheim Sigrid , Taubøll Erik , Reppe Sjur , Lekva Tove , Solberg Lene B. , Melhus Gunhild , Reinholt Finn P. , Gjerstad Leif , Jemtland Rune
Published: July 2007

Summary:  Purpose: Long‐term treatment with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) is associated with increased risk of fractures. Phenytoin (PHT) and valproate (VPA) have both been suggested to influence bone health, whereas levetiracetam (LEV) is scarcely studied. The present study compares the effect of these AEDs on bone mass, biomechanical strength, and bone turnover in rats.

Methods: Female rats received PHT (50mg/kg), VPA (300mg/kg), or LEV (50 and 150mg/kg) for 90 days. Dissected femurs were analyzed using dual energy x‐ray absorptiometry (DXA), three‐point cantilever bending, and histomorphological evaluation. Serum levels of biochemical bone turnover markers were monitored using immunoassay quantification.

Results: PHT and VPA reduced bone mineral density (BMD) and content (BMC) in one or more bone compartments, whereas LEV did not. VPA induced increased bone turnover, whereas modest changes were observed for PHT. Interestingly, low‐dose LEV was associated with reduced biomechanical strength of the femoral neck (mainly trabecular bone). In addition, low‐dose LEV treatment resulted in significantly reduced levels of serum osteocalcin, a marker of bone formation. Histomorphological analyses indicated increased retention of cartilage remnants at the growth plate metaphysis of rats treated with low‐dose LEV vs. controls.

Conclusions: PHT, VPA, and LEV exert differential effects on bone mass and strength, suggesting different mechanisms of action. The weakening effect of low‐dose LEV on the femoral neck, despite a constant BMD, suggests a primary effect on bone quality. These findings warrant further human studies of possible adverse effects of LEV on bone development and growth, particularly in children and adolescents.
Electrical Stimulation of the Hippocampal Epileptic Foci for Seizure Control: A Double‐Blind, Long‐Term Follow‐Up Study
Authors: Velasco Ana Luisa , Velasco Francisco , Velasco Marcos , Trejo David , Castro Guillermo , Carrillo‐Ruiz José Damián
Published: July 2007

Summary: Purpose:Our aim was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of electrical stimulation of the hippocampus in a long‐term follow‐up study, as well as its impact on memory performance in the treatment of patients with refractory mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

Methods:Nine patients were included. All had refractory partial complex seizures, some with secondary generalizations. All patients had a 3‐month‐baseline‐seizure count, after which they underwent bilateral hippocampal diagnostic electrode implantation to establish focus laterality and location. Three patients had bilateral, and six, unilateral foci. Diagnostic electrodes were explanted and definitive Medtronic electrodes were implanted directed into the hippocampal foci. Position was confirmed with MRI and afterwards, the deep brain stimulation system internalized. Patients signed the informed consent approved by the Hospital's Ethics Committee and began a double‐blind stimulation protocol. Patients attended a medical appointment every 3 months for seizure diary collection, deep brain stimulation system checkup, and neuropsychological testing.

Results:Follow‐up ranged from 18 months to 7 years. Patients were divided in two groups: five had normal MRIs and seizure reduction of >95%, while four had hippocampal sclerosis and seizure reduction of 50–70%. No patient had neuropsychological deterioration, nor did any patient show side effects. Three patients were explanted after 2 years due to skin erosion in the trajectory of the system.

Conclusions:Electrical stimulation of the hippocampus provides a nonlesional method that improves seizure outcome without memory deterioration in patients with hippocampal epileptic foci.
Site‐Specific Applications of Probabilistic Health Risk Assessment: Review of the Literature Since 2000
Authors: Lester Richard R. , Green Laura C. , Linkov Igor
Published: July 2007

Whether and to what extent contaminated sites harm ecologic and human health are topics of considerable interest, but also considerable uncertainty. Several federal and state agencies have approved the use of some or many aspects of probabilistic risk assessment (PRA), but its site‐specific application has often been limited to high‐profile sites and large projects. Nonetheless, times are changing: newly developed software tools, and recent federal and state guidance documents formalizing PRA procedures, now make PRA a readily available method of analysis for even small‐scale projects. This article presents and discusses a broad review of PRA literature published since 2000.3
The Economic Impacts of a Terrorist Attack on the U.S. Commercial Aviation System
Authors: Gordon Peter , Moore James E. , Park Ji Young , Richardson Harry W.
Published: July 2007

We use data on air passenger travel expenditures per passenger as well as statistical analysis of the air traffic lost for the two‐year aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks to estimate direct demand losses for air transportation services. These are used along with a national input‐output model to assess the full costs of these losses. Depending on assumptions made, the full losses to the U.S. economy were between $214.3 and $420.5 billion. These estimates are similar to those from other studies of such an event, and suggest that the high costs of effective countermeasures may be justified.
Risk‐Management and Risk‐Analysis‐Based Decision Tools for Attacks on Electric Power
Authors: Simonoff Jeffrey S. , Restrepo Carlos E. , Zimmerman Rae
Published: July 2007

Incident data about disruptions to the electric power grid provide useful information that can be used as inputs into risk management policies in the energy sector for disruptions from a variety of origins, including terrorist attacks. This article uses data from the Disturbance Analysis Working Group (DAWG) database, which is maintained by the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC), to look at incidents over time in the United States and Canada for the period 1990–2004. Negative binomial regression, logistic regression, and weighted least squares regression are used to gain a better understanding of how these disturbances varied over time and by season during this period, and to analyze how characteristics such as number of customers lost and outage duration are related to different characteristics of the outages. The results of the models can be used as inputs to construct various scenarios to estimate potential outcomes of electric power outages, encompassing the risks, consequences, and costs of such outages.
Modeling Values for Anti‐Terrorism Analysis
Authors: Keeney Ralph L.
Published: July 2007

Decisions are made to achieve objectives. A qualitative list of the objectives for a decision is the foundation for a value model that unambiguously represents objectives in a quantitative manner. The objectives guide thinking and the value model provides a basis for analyzing alternatives to best meet the desired objectives. This article illustrates the usefulness of clearly identifying objectives and developing value models to support anti‐terrorism analysis. It outlines procedures to develop value models for the Department of Homeland Security and for terrorist organizations. The later is useful to both design anti‐terrorism alternatives and suggest possible terrorist priorities and actions. An example that develops a terrorist value model for the theft and misuse of plutonium is presented. Several uses of value models for anti‐terrorist activities are discussed and suggestions for developing such value models are outlined.
How Does the General Public Evaluate Risk Information? The Impact of Associations with Other Risks
Authors: Visschers Vivianne H. M. , Meertens Ree M. , Passchier Wim F. , DeVries Nanne K.
Published: July 2007

There is a considerable body of knowledge about the way people perceive risks using heuristics and qualitative characteristics, and about how risk information should be communicated to the public. However, little is known about the way people use the perception of known risks (associated risks) to judge an unknown risk. In a first, qualitative study, six different risks were discussed in in‐depth interviews and focus group interviews. The interviews showed that risk associations played a prominent role in forming risk perceptions. Associated risks were often mentioned spontaneously. Second, a survey study was conducted to confirm the importance of risk associations quantitatively. This study investigated whether people related unknown risks to known risks. This was indeed confirmed. Furthermore, some insight was gained into how and why people form risk associations. Results showed that the semantic category of the unknown risks was more important in forming associations than the perceived level of risk or specific risk characteristics. These findings were in line with the semantic network theory. Based on these two studies, we recommend using the mental models approach in developing new risk communications.
Mental Models of Flash Floods and Landslides
Authors: Wagner Klaus
Published: July 2007

Perceptions of flash floods and landslides were analyzed in four communities of the Bavarian Alps using the mental model approach. Thirty‐eight qualitative interviews, two telephone surveys with 600 respondents, and two onsite interviews (74/95 respondents) were conducted. Mental models concerning flash floods are much better developed than those for landslides because the key physical processes for flash floods are easier for the general public to recognize and understand. Mental models are influenced by the local conditions. People who have a better knowledge about the hazards are those who use many different sources to inform themselves, express fear about natural hazards, or have previous experience with hazards. Conclusions for how to improve information for the general public are discussed.
Initial Stages of Sintering of Alumina by Thermo‐Optical Measurements
Authors: Stanciu Lia , Quach Dat , Faconti Christopher , Groza Joanna R. , Raether Friedrich
Published: July 2007

The behavior of nanostructured and submicrometer α‐Al2O3 powders during the initial stages of field‐assisted sintering technique (FAST), conventional, and microwave sintering was investigated using the laser‐flash technique for thermo‐optical measurements (TOM). An enhanced neck formation due to surface diffusion at very early stages of sintering was found in FAST samples. No significant difference due to heating rate has been found in these various samples.
The Paradox of Accepting One's Share of Responsibility in Mediation
Authors: Poitras Jean
Published: July 2007

Mediators generally avoid the issue of whether parties accept their individual share of responsibility for a conflict. But the results of this study demonstrate the important role that taking responsibility for the conflict can play to encourage the emergence of cooperation within the mediation process. In this article, the author first explores the role of responsibility within the context of various mediation approaches and styles. Next, he reports the results of a quantitative study that examined the attitudes of disputants involved in workplace conflict mediations. His results indicate that acceptance of responsibility can play a parodixical role in the mediation process: it seems to be effective only when both parties jointly acknowledge responsibility. When responsibility is acknowledged unilaterally, it seems to have a negative effect on the emergence of cooperation. Finally, the author proposes an intervention strategy for mediators that is designed to encourage the joint acceptance of responsibility and thus facilitate the emergence of cooperation in mediation.
Rituximab plus cladribine with or without cyclophosphamide in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Authors: Robak Tadeusz , Smolewski Piotr , Cebula Barbara , Grzybowska‐Izydorczyk Olga , Błoński Jerzy Z.
Published: July 2007

Objectives: The aim of our study was to determine the feasibility, effectiveness and toxicity of combined regimens consisting of rituximab and cladribine (2‐CdA) (RC) and RC plus cyclophosphamide (RCC) in the treatment of patients with recurrent or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

Methods: The RC regimen consisted of rituximab given on day 1 and 2‐CdA (days 2–6). The RCC protocol included rituximab (day 1), 2‐CdA (days 2–4) and cyclophosphamide given on days 2–4. The courses were re‐administered at time intervals of 4 weeks or longer if severe myelosuppression occurred.

Results: Forty‐six patients with CLL entered the study. Eighteen patients were treated with RC and 28 with RCC regimen. The median number of courses administered were three cycles (range 1–6). Three (6.5%) patients (95% CI: 1–14%) achieved a complete response and 31 (67%) patients (95% CI: 50–83%) a partial response. According to the particular regimen, the overall response rate was obtained in 12 (67%) patients treated with RC (95% CI: 45–89%) and in 22 patients (78%) treated with RCC (95% CI: 62–93%). The median progression free survival of responders to RC/RCC regimens was 12 months (range 4–46). Hypersensitivity to rituximab occurred in 16 (33%) patients, mostly during the first infusion of the drug. Grade 3/4 neutropenia was seen in six (13%) patients, grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia in three (9%) patients and grade 3/4 infections were observed in ten (28%) patients.

Conclusions: These data indicate that both RC and RCC regimens are feasible in heavily pretreated patients with CLL, showing also distinct therapeutic activity and relatively low toxicity, even in patients previously treated with cladribine‐based protocols.
Neural cell adhesion molecule (CD56)‐positive B‐cell lymphoma
Authors: Isobe Yasushi , Sugimoto Koichi , Takeuchi Kengo , Ando Jun , Masuda Azuchi , Mori Takeshi , Oshimi Kazuo
Published: July 2007

Expression of neural cell‐adhesion molecule CD56 is a rare event in B‐cell lymphoma. We described four cases of CD56‐positive B‐cell lymphoma, including follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma. These lymphoma cells expressed CD10 and bcl‐6, which suggests germinal center‐stage phenotype. Immunohistochemistry showed that CD56‐positive cells aggregated and displayed a cohesive growth pattern, indicating that homotypic adhesion through the molecules might affect the manner of tumor growth and expansion. Although CD56 expression level varies among the cases, this molecule might play some roles in the manner of growth and expansion of CD56‐positive B‐cell lymphomas.
Georg Scherer und der Deutsch‐Französische Krieg
Authors: Webster William
Published: July 2007

Dieser Aufsatz behandelt zwei bedeutende Projekte des Lyrikers und Herausgebers Georg Scherer: eine bei dem Ausbruch des Deutsch‐Französischen Krieges zusammengestellte Anthologie von patriotischen Liedern, die zum Bestseller wurde (die Deutschen Kriegs‐ und Vaterlandslieder), und einen nach Friedensschluss erschienenen Huldigungsband an den Dichter der in den vorangegangenen Monaten massenhaft populär gewordenen ,,Wacht am Rhein‘‘, Max Schneckenburger und den Komponisten der beliebtesten Vertonung, Karl Wilhelm. Indem Entstehung, Veröffentlichung und Rezeption dieser für Scherer untypischen Bände erörtert werden, wird Licht auf einen signifikanten, aber bisher vernachlässigten Aspekt der Kriegsdichtung in den Jahren 1870 und 1871 geworfen.
The Grotesque as a Comic Strategy of Subversion. Mapping the Crisis of Masculinity in Patrick McGrath's The Grotesque
Authors: Butter Stella
Published: July 2007

Patrick McGrath's novel The Grotesque (1989) provides a paradigm example of how the grotesque may be used to interrogate and ultimately subvert patriarchal notions of masculinity and authority. A working definition of the grotesque is provided by drawing on Peter Fuß’s conceptualization of the grotesque as a ‘chimerical field’, i.e. as rooted in the intersection of diverse aesthetic domains and modes, such as the comic, the uncanny, the fantastic, the absurd and satire. The structural aspects of the grotesque which potentially evoke the mixed emotion of laughter and fear in the recipient are highlighted. The developed theoretical framework serves as a point of reference for the analysis of McGrath's novel, which engages in an explicit dialogue with the complex tradition of the grotesque. The analysis focuses on a detailed reading of how the epistemic crisis staged in the novel is dramatized as a (grotesque) crisis in gender identity. It is argued that the grotesque deformation of the symbolic order and the conflation of gendered dichotomies in the medium of the grotesque (as well as the ridiculing of the ‘manly ideal’ [sensu G. Mosse]) functions as a reader‐activating strategy, calling on us to find alternative models for forging our identity in the postmodern world.
Predictable Esthetics through Functional Design: The Role of Harmonious Disclusion
Authors: VENCE BRIAN S.
Published: July 2007

The goal of this clinical report is to describe and illustrate the principles for achieving a predictable esthetic result for patients with worn incisal edges by creating a harmonious angle of disclusion. Patients can create an esthetic problem from altered tooth form and tooth migration, caused by worn incisal edges resulting from parafunctional activity. This presents substantial challenges to the restorative dentist, paramount among them, achieving longevity of porcelain or composite bonded restorations used in an esthetic reconstruction. Although a number of therapies are available to provide esthetic improvement, the predictability in the continuing presence of the parafunction that caused the esthetic problem is in doubt. Altering the incisal edge position for esthetics and achieving a harmonious angle of disclusion, though, is a clinical approach that may substantially reduce this risk.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

An angle of disclusion in harmony with a patient’s envelope of parafunction reduces load on the anterior teeth and therefore may help reduce failure on the restored anterior teeth.
Evaluation of Fluorescence of Dental Composites Using Contrast Ratios to Adjacent Tooth Structure: A Pilot Study
Authors: REIS RODRIGO SANT’ANNA AGUIAR DOS , CASEMIRO LUCIANA ASSIRATI , CARLINO GISELA VÂNIA , LINS EMERY CLEYTON CABRAL CORREIA , KURACHI CRISTINA , BAGNATO VANDERLEI SALVADOR , PIRES‐DE‐SOUZA FERNANDA DE CARVALHO PANZERI , PANZERI HEITOR
Published: July 2007

Statement of the Problem:  Fluorescence is an optical signal that is present in natural teeth and some dental restorative materials as a consequence of its molecules energetic decrease. Restorative materials need to match the fluorescence properties of surrounding tooth structure to achieve the best esthetics and appear undetectable.

Purpose:  The fluorescence of 10 commercial composites (shade A2 or equivalent) was tested against that of tooth structure using contrast differences.

Materials and Methods:  Thirty‐three standard preparations (3.0‐mm wide and 2.00‐mm depth) were done on mean maxillaries incisors and divided into 10 groups containing three test samples each. High‐definition images of the restored areas and adjacent tooth structure were obtained both under white light of the visible spectrum (control) and ultraviolet light (UV‐A=300/ 400 nm). The contrast between composites and tooth structure, expressed in absolute values, was analyzed through digital processing Matlab and Origin softwares and by one‐way analysis of variance and Tukey’s test (p≤ 0.05; statistical differences between groups*).

Results:  Based on mean values, the composites were ranked in four groups, according to least fluorescence contrast with tooth structure: (Esthet‐X [YE]=Esthet‐X [A2]=TPH Spectrum [A2]) < (TPH Spectrum [A2] ≤ Esthet × [A20]=Fill Magic [A2]) < (Charisma [A2]=Filtek Supreme [A2B]) < (Filtek Supreme [A2E] =Z250 [A2]=Z100 [A2]).

Conclusion:  There is a considerable variation of fluorescence between the composites and the natural tooth structure.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Ideal restorative materials should have fluorescence similar to that of natural teeth. Therefore, it is important to select a composite that possesses adequate fluorescence.
The Effect of Different Polishing Systems on Surface Roughness and Gloss of Various Resin Composites
Authors: COSTA JULIANA DA , FERRACANE JACK , PARAVINA RADE D. , MAZUR RUI FERNANDO , ROEDER LESLIE
Published: July 2007

Purpose:  The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the surface finish and gloss of five direct resin composites polished with six polishing systems.

Materials and Methods:  One hundred and fifty disk‐shaped composite specimens (D=10.0 mm, 2‐mm‐thick, N=30 per material) were made. One side of each specimen was finished with a 16‐fluted carbide finishing bur and then polished. Five specimens of each resin composite were randomly assigned to one of the six polishing systems. The surface roughness and gloss were measured with a surface profilometer and a glossmeter. The results were analyzed by two‐way analysis of variance and Tukey’s t‐test (p≤ 0.05).

Results:  There was no significant interaction between the composite and the polishing systems for surface roughness (p=0.059). The order of surface roughness ranked according to composite was: Durafill < Esthet‐X < Supreme < Z250 < Z100; and the ranking for the polishing system was: Pogo < Sof‐Lex < Diacomp/Enamelize < Diacomp < ComposiPro brush < Jiffy. There was interaction of gloss values between the composites and the polishing systems (p < 0.001). The highest gloss value was recorded for Supreme + Pogo; the lowest was recorded for Z100 + Jiffy. Pogo showed the highest gloss values for all composites.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

The nanofill (Supreme) and minifill (Esthet‐X) composites presented a surface roughness comparable to a microfill (Durafill), independent of the polishing system used, and a gloss comparable to a microfill, when polished with a one‐step system (Pogo). As compared with the multiple‐step systems, the smoothest surfaces and the highest gloss values were achieved using the one‐step system (Pogo) for all the evaluated composites.
Bakhtinian ‘Journalization’ and the Mid‐Victorian Literary Marketplace
Authors: Liddle Dallas
Published: July 2007

This paper forms part of a Literature Compass cluster on Modern Book History. The full cluster is made up of the following articles:

‘Between Then and Now: Modern Book History’, Kate Longworth, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2007.00474.x.

‘Ezra Pound's Cantos: A Compact History of Twentieth‐Century Authorship, Publishing and Editing’, Mark Byron, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2007.00475.x.

‘ “The Making of the Book”: Roy Fisher, the Circle Press and the Poetics of Book Art’, Matthew Sperling, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2007.00476.x.

‘Bakhtinian “Journalization” and the Mid‐Victorian Literary Marketplace’, Dallas Liddle, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2007.00477.x.

‘Manuscript in Print: The Materiality of Alternative Comics’, Emma Tinker, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2007.00478.x.

‘Lost in a World of Books: Reading and Identity in Pre‐War Japan’, Susan C. Townsend, Literature Compass 4 (2007), 10.1111/j.1741‐4113.2007.00479.x.

***

In now‐famous remarks on ‘novelization’, M. M. Bakhtin theorized a mechanism by which one literary genre influences the content and structure of other genres. The popular and critical success of the novel form demonstrates its specific discursive advantages over other genres, which recognize these advantages and often attempt to copy or adapt to them. Though the influence Bakhtin describes goes only one way – the novel ‘novelizes’ other genres – novelization is not an isolated phenomenon, but an example or case study within Bakhtin's larger ‘Galilean’ conception of genre interaction. Parallel cases should therefore exist: in other literary markets and moments in book history we should expect great artistic, popular, or financial success by one genre to lead contemporary writers to adopt elements of the successful genre, or to adjust their practices in response to it. This prediction is particularly important because for Bakhtin genres are more than outward conventions; they are ‘form‐shaping ideologies’ with inherent knowledges and ways of thinking. Adopting or adapting a new genre requires a writer to change not simply forms, but also attitudes, assumptions, and worldview. My paper hypothesizes a Bakhtinian moment of genre influence in Great Britain in and immediately after 1855, triggered by the sudden rise in the perceived power of newspaper press discourse. Factors including the apparent political power wielded by the press during the Crimean War, and the repeal of the newspaper stamp, with its resulting proliferation of apparently successful new journals, combined to raise the perceived cultural, financial, and political status of newspaper discourse in this period dramatically. I consider critically the evidence for a resulting ‘journalization’ of other discourse genres between 1855 and 1860, reflected partly by a sudden proliferation of journalist characters and considerations of journalism in British fiction and poetry of this period.
Aldhelm and the Two Cultures of Anglo‐Saxon Poetry
Authors: Abram Christopher
Published: July 2007

Old English literature dominates the study of Anglo‐Saxon culture as a whole, to the extent that ‘Anglo‐Saxon’ and ‘Old English’ were for a long time considered synonymous. The Anglo‐Saxons, however, also produced a large body of texts in Latin. In this survey, I examine the often false dichotomy sometimes made between Old English and Anglo‐Latin literary aesthetics and textual production as they are revealed through Anglo‐Saxon poetry, and discuss the post‐medieval intellectual contexts that produce and sustain this dichotomy. The figure and work of Aldhelm (c.639 ce–709 ce) is used as an example of how Anglo‐Saxon poets often occupied a liminal position between Latinate and Germanic culture. I argue that a proper understanding of Anglo‐Saxon culture (and poetry’s place within it) requires us to disassemble the artificial barriers that have been erected between Old English and Anglo‐Latin verse.
Prostate Cancer Patients and Their Partners: Differences in Satisfaction Indices and Psychological Variables
Authors: Garos Sheila , Kluck Annette , Aronoff David
Published: July 2007

Introduction

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer found in American men. Patient adjustment to prostate cancer is not limited to attempts to restore sexual function, a process that can pose significant challenges to couples following most surgical and nonsurgical treatments. Patients often struggle with depression and other relational stressors. Partners also undergo psychosocial, relational, sexual, and quality-of-life changes and their responses to these changes may relate to patient adjustment.

Aim

To evaluate to what extent partners' psychosocial and relational adjustment relates to prostate cancer patient adjustment.

Main Outcome Measures

Partner and patient general and sexual depression; patient relationship satisfaction, quality of sexual communication, sexual satisfaction, and life satisfaction.

Method

A total of 77 patients and 57 partners responded to a mail survey that included demographic information, the Beck Depression Inventory, Life Satisfaction Index, Index of Sexual Satisfaction, Relationship Assessment Scale, Dyadic Sexual Communication Scale, Sexuality Scale, and Client Satisfaction Questionnaire.

Results

Patients and their partners differed in their sexual self-esteem, sexual depression, sexual preoccupation, and life satisfaction. Both had greater levels of depression, poorer quality of sexual communication, and more sexual dissatisfaction than the general population. Partners' level of general depression and depression concerning their sex lives were significant predictors of patients' relationship satisfaction, perceived quality of communication about the sexual relationship, and sexual satisfaction after controlling for patients' general and sexual depression.

Conclusions

Partners often serve as primary caregivers, thus partner adjustment can be critical to the health of the patient and to his primary relationship. Results suggest the importance of including partners' adjustment in assessing patient adjustment post-treatment. We suggest that physicians working with these patients partner with mental health professionals who can help couples address the challenges they encounter and extend the continuity of care when the need for medical intervention has passed.
Long-Acting Intramuscular Testosterone Undecanoate for Treatment of Female-to-Male Transgender Individuals
Authors: Jacobeit Jens W. , Gooren Louis J. , Schulte Heinrich M.
Published: July 2007

Aim

Testosterone treatment is essential for the induction and maintenance of virilization of female-to-male transsexuals. This study tested the suitability of a novel testosterone preparation for this purpose.

Methods

Parenteral long-acting testosterone undecanoate (TU) was administered to 12 female-to-male transsexuals. Observations were made while subjects received treatment.

Main Outcome Measures

Virilization of female-to-male transsexuals and side effects of testosterone administration.

Results

The testosterone levels were largely identical to those in hypogonadal men receiving testosterone treatment with TU. There were no side effects. There was a small but significant decrease in plasma cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein, but plasma high-density lipoprotein did not change significantly. Both levels of hemoglobin and hematocrit rose upon administration but remained within the physiological range.

Conclusions

TU is suited for induction of virilization in female-to-male transsexuals without significant side effects.
Impact of Research Trails on Seedling Dynamics in a Tropical Forest
Authors: Comita Liza S. , Goldsmith Gregory R.
Published: July 2007

We evaluated the impact of research access trails on adjacent seedling density, survival, and recruitment in a permanent tropical forest plot in Panama. Significant differences were detected up to 20 m from trails, indicating that data collected close to trails may be biased. However, observed effects were not substantial enough to affect plot‐wide estimates of seedling dynamics, suggesting that research trail impacts are negligible when affected areas constitute only a small fraction of the total area sampled.
Exotic Guavas are Foci of Forest Regeneration in Kenyan Farmland
Authors: Berens Dana Gertrud , Farwig Nina , Schaab Gertrud , Böhning‐Gaese Katrin
Published: July 2007

Fruiting trees in degraded areas are attractive for frugivorous birds and may become centers of regeneration. However, a number of tree species in degraded areas are exotic species. Thus, the question arises whether these exotic species can also act as foci for forest regeneration. In the farmland adjacent to Kakamega Forest, Kenya, we investigated the frugivore assemblage in, and seed rain and seedling establishment under, 29 fruiting exotic guava trees (Psidium guajava) at different distances to the forest. The results show that 40 frugivorous bird species visited guava trees. All of the seed and 82 percent of the seedling species found under the treecrowns were animal dispersed, 58 and 57 percent of them late‐successional species, respectively. Path analysis revealed that the abundance of frugivorous birds, seeds, and seedlings did not decrease up to a distance of 2 km from the forest. Surprisingly, the abundance of frugivorous shrubland birds, animal‐dispersed seeds, and late‐successional seeds showed an increase with increasing distance from forest. Even though they are exotics, fruiting guava trees may have a positive effect on forest regeneration and might prove valuable for management plans concerning forest restoration.
Pollinator Abundance and Pollen Limitation of a Solanaceous Shrub at Premontane and Lower Montane Sites
Authors: Stone Judy L. , Jenkins Elli G.
Published: July 2007

Populations at geographic range limits may frequently encounter changing biotic interactions as well as abiotic constraints. A conundrum in plant population biology, the frequent apparent overproduction of flowers, is thought to be a response by plant populations to unpredictable pollinator environments, such as those that may be expected at the range limit. We studied pollinator visitation rates and pollen limitation of fruit set in populations of Witheringia solanacea, a widespread bee‐pollinated species. We compared two populations in the south and two in the north of Costa Rica, with each region encompassing a lower montane site at the upper elevational limit of the species range with small plant populations, and a premontane site where population densities were high. Populations in the south, where the climate was favorable, had higher pollinator visitation and higher natural fruit set, and showed only minor pollen limitation as compared with northern populations at windy sites near the Continental Divide. Lower montane populations had lower pollinator visitation rates than premontane populations but did not show more pollen limitation of fruit set. In general, pollen limitation was not inversely proportional to pollinator abundance but was higher where the climate is unpredictable.
Imaging of Cerebral Vasculitis
Authors: Küker Wilhelm
Published: July 2007

Background

In young patients, vasculitic stenoses of cerebral blood vessels are an important cause of cerebral ischaemia. Diagnosis may prove very difficult.

Summary of review

The diagnostic process is usually initiated by the detection of brain lesions consistent with cerebral vasculitis. Multiple infarcts of various ages in more than one vascular territory are thought to be suggestive of a vascular inflammatory disease. The next step in the imaging of patients with suspected vasculitis is the search for an underlying vascular stenosis. Today, magnetic resonance angiography is the principal modality for the investigation of patients thought to have intracranial stenoses. At 1·5 T, only large brain arteries can be imaged with a high diagnostic accuracy. Intraarterial DSA remains an indispensable tool for the investigation of medium and small brain artery stenoses.

Conclusions

However, contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging may be able to demonstrate wall thickening and contrast uptake in large cerebral arteries, obviating biopsy in patients with basal vasculitis.
Burden of Stroke in Maori and Pacific Peoples of New Zealand
Authors: Feigin Valery L. , McNaughton Harry , Dyall Lorna
Published: July 2007

Studying ethnic particularities of stroke epidemiology may not only provide a clue to the causes of the observed racial/ethnic differences in stroke mortality but is also important for appropriate, culturally specific health care planning, prevention in stroke and improved health outcomes. This overview of published population-based stroke incidence studies and other relevant research in the multi-ethnic New Zealand population demonstrates an obvious ethnic disparity in stroke in New Zealand, with the greatest and increasing burden of stroke being imposed on Maori, who are indigenous, and Pacific people, who have migrated and settled in this country. These data warrant urgent and effective measures to be undertaken by health policy makers and health care providers to reverse the unfavourable trends in stroke and improve Maori and Pacific people's health.
My view of the sanctity of life: a rebuttal of John Keown’s critique
Authors: Price David
Published: July 2007

In a previous paper in this journal I responded to Professor John Keown’s criticisms of the British Medical Association guidance on withholding and withdrawing life-prolonging treatment, arguing that the sanctity of life principle he endorses is indefensible as a juridical and moral guide. Professor Keown replied recently, also in this journal, alleging that I wrongly caricatured the sanctity of life position he supports, which continues to illuminate the proper decision-making path in relation to the withdrawal or withholding of life-sustaining medical treatment. In this present paper it is submitted that Keown’s riposte is misconceived and disguises the true nature of the sanctity of life stance, which both rests upon unconvincing premisses and tends towards unacceptable repercussions, thus leading to its inevitable and rightful rejection.
Freedom of religion in the Irish primary school system: a failure to protect human rights?
Authors: Mawhinney Alison
Published: July 2007

In the Republic of Ireland nearly all primary schools are state-funded but the vast majority of these schools are owned and managed by religious bodies. There is no system of state-run schools. This paper discusses the protection of freedom of religion within this unique system of schooling. In particular, it examines the notion of ‘the integrated curriculum’ whereby all schools in receipt of state funding are legally obliged to ensure that a religious spirit informs and vivifies the whole work of the school. The paper identifies the international human rights standards relevant to the teaching of religion in schools. Through empirical evidence based on interviews with parents, teachers and pupils, an assessment is made of how far Irish law and practice respect these standards. The outcome of this evaluation of the use of religious bodies in non-state service provision is discussed.
‘As a glow brings out a haze’: understanding violence in jurisprudence and Joseph Conrad’s fiction
Authors: Skinner Stephen
Published: July 2007

This paper explores connections between jurisprudential discussion of pain and violence and the methodology of law and literature. Starting with Robert Cover’s work on law’s ‘field of pain and death’, it argues that the theory on which he relied in rejecting literary approaches to law can equally justify a turn to fiction in understanding violence. It then considers the experiential dimension of Austin Sarat’s and Thomas Kearns’s jurisprudence of violence and argues that interdisciplinary perspectives, including relevant fiction, can assist in engaging with the challenges of capturing such experience in textual form. Situating the argument in relation to broader law and literature rationales, the paper finds relevant illustrations in Joseph Conrad’sHeart of Darkness, The Secret AgentandUnder Western Eyes. It argues that Conrad’s stories represent dimensions of pain and violence that might otherwise be irreducible to non-fictional textual discourse, whilst also expressing the limits of that representation.
Prostitution as a Form of Work
Authors: Weitzer Ronald
Published: July 2007

In recent years, prostitution increasingly has been recast as a form of ‘sex work’, which directs attention to both the work itself and the larger occupational milieu in which it takes place. This article examines several aspects of the work environment, including important variations between different types of workers (on the street and in indoor venues), relations between workers and customers, and what is known about the role of various managers involved in recruitment, socialization, and control over workers. The article highlights areas in which further research will provide a more complete picture of sex work in different kinds of contexts.