bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Laparoscopic versus open colposuspension—results of a prospective randomised controlled trial
Authors: Kitchener HC , Dunn G , Lawton V , Reid F , Nelson L , Smith ARB
Published: August 2006

Objective  To compare the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of open and laparoscopic colposuspension in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence.

Design  A randomised controlled trial. Women were randomised between March 1999 and February 2002 and were seen for assessment at 6, 12 and 24 months, postoperatively.

Setting  Women were recruited from six gynaecology units in the UK.

Population  Women with proven stress urinary incontinence requiring surgery.

Methods  Open abdominal retropubic colposuspension or laparoscopic colposuspension.

Main outcome measures  Primary outcomes were subjective (satisfaction with outcome) and objective (negative 1‐hour pad test). Secondary outcomes were operative and postoperative morbidity and quality of life. The study was powered to demonstrate noninferiority, i.e. that the absolute cure rate of laparoscopic colposuspension was no more than 15% below that of open colposuspension.

Results  A total of 291 women were randomised, with 24‐month data on subjective and objective outcomes in 88 and 82.5%, respectively. The intention‐to‐treat analysis indicated no significant difference in cure rates between open and laparoscopic surgery. The objective cure rates for open and laparoscopic were 70.1 and 79.7%, respectively. Subjective cure rates by satisfaction were lower than objective cure; 54.6 and 54.9%, respectively, and there was considerable nonconcordance both ways.

Conclusions  Laparoscopic colposuspension is not inferior to open colposuspension in terms of curing stress urinary incontinence.
Cost‐effectiveness analysis of open colposuspension versus laparoscopic colposuspension in the treatment of urodynamic stress incontinence
Authors: Dumville JC , Manca A , Kitchener HC , Smith ARB , Nelson L , Torgerson DJ
Published: August 2006

Objectives  To compare the cost effectiveness of laparoscopic versus open colposuspension for the treatment of female urinary stress incontinence.

Design  Cost utility analysis alongside a randomised controlled trial.

Setting  Six gynaecological surgical centres within the UK.

Population/Sample  Women with proven stress urinary incontinence requiring surgery.

Methods  Open abdominal retropubic colposuspension or laparoscopic colposuspension carried out by experienced surgeons.

Main outcome measures  Cost, measured in pounds sterling and generic health‐related quality of life, measured using the EQ‐5D. The latter was used to estimate patient‐specific quality‐adjusted life years (QALYs).

Results  Healthcare resource use over 6‐month follow up translated into costs of £1805 for the laparoscopic arm and £1433 for the open arm (differential mean cost £372; 95% credibility interval [CrI]: 274–471). At 6 months, QALYs were slightly higher in the laparoscopic arm relative to the open arm (0.005; 95% CrI: −0.012 to 0.023). Therefore, the cost of each extra QALY in the laparoscopic group (the incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio [ICER]) was £74,400 at 6 months. At 24 months, the laparoscopic arm again had a higher mean QALY score compared to the open surgery group. Thus, assuming that beyond 6 months the laparoscopic colposuspension would not lead to any significant additional costs compared with open colposuspension, the ICER was reduced to £9300 at 24 months. Extensive sensitivity analyses were carried out to test assumptions made in the base case scenario.

Conclusions  Laparoscopic colposuspension is not cost effective when compared with open colposuspension during the first 6 months following surgery, but it may be cost effective over 24 months.
Laparoscopic versus open Burch colposuspension: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Carey MP , Goh JT , Rosamilia A , Cornish A , Gordon I , Hawthorne G , Maher CF , Dwyer PL , Moran P , Gilmour DT
Published: August 2006

Objective  To compare perioperative characteristics, short‐term, and long‐term outcomes for laparoscopic Burch colposuspension (LBC) and open Burch colposuspension (OBC) for the treatment of urinary stress incontinence.

Design  Randomised surgical trial with single blinding.

Setting  Three tertiary level teaching hospitals involving seven surgeons of varying skill levels.

Population  Two hundred women with urodynamic stress incontinence (USI).

Methods  The two groups were treated in identical fashion, except for the laparoscopic or open approach to surgery. Attempts were made to blind the subjects and the observers obtaining outcome data to treatment group. Analyses were adjusted for surgeon experience.

Main outcome measures  Absence of USI 6 months following surgery, postoperative pain, time spent in hospital, and time to return to activities of normal daily living.

Results  There were no significant differences in objective and subjective measures of cure and in patient satisfaction at 6 months, 24 months, or 3–5 years of follow up between laparoscopic and open colposuspension groups. Laparoscopic colposuspension took longer time to perform (87 versus 42 minutes, P < 0.0001) but was associated with less blood loss (P= 0.03), less pain (P= 0.02), and quicker return to normal activities (P= 0.01).

Conclusion  LBC has significant advantages over traditional OBC, without any apparent compromise in short‐term and long‐term outcomes.
Molecular characterization of microbial communities in fault‐bordered aquifers in the Miocene formation of northernmost Japan
Authors: SHIMIZU S. , AKIYAMA M. , ISHIJIMA Y. , HAMA K. , KUNIMARU T. , NAGANUMA T.
Published: August 2006

We investigated the diversity and distribution of archaeal and bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences in deep aquifers of mid‐ to late Miocene hard shale located in the northernmost region of the Japanese archipelago. A major fault in the north‐west–south‐east (NW–SE) direction runs across the studied area. We collected three groundwater samples from boreholes on the south‐west (SW) side of the fault at depths of 296, 374 and 625 m below ground level (m.b.g.l.) and one sample from the north‐east (NE) side of the fault at a depth of 458 m.b.g.l. The groundwater samples were observed to be neutral and weakly saline. The total microbial counts after staining with acridine orange were in the order 105−106 cells mL−1 and 103 cells mL−1 in the aquifers to the SW and to the NE of the fault, respectively. A total of 407 archaeal and bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences (204 and 203 sequences, respectively) were determined for clone libraries constructed from all groundwater samples. Phylogenetic analyses showed that the libraries constructed from the SW aquifers were generally coherent but considerably different from those constructed from the NE aquifer. All of the archaeal clone libraries from the SW aquifers were predominated by a single sequence closely related to the archaeon Methanoculleus chikugoensis, and the corresponding bacterial libraries were mostly predominated by the sequences related to Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and δ‐Proteobacteria. In contrast, the libraries from the NE aquifer were dominated by uncultured environmental archaeal clones with no methanogen sequences and by β‐proteobacterial clones with no sequences related to Bacteroidetes and δ‐Proteobacteria. Hence, the possible coexistence of methanogens and sulphate reducers in Horonobe deep borehole (HDB) on the SW side is suggested, particularly in HDB‐6 (374 m.b.g.l.). Moreover, these organisms might play an important geochemical role in the groundwater obtained from the aquifers.
Analysis of distributed genetic algorithms for solving cutting problems
Authors: Salto Carolina , Alba Enrique , Molina Juan M.
Published: August 2006

In this paper, a solution to the three‐stage two‐dimensional cutting problem is presented by using sequential and parallel genetic algorithms (GAs). More specifically, an analysis of including distributed population ideas and parallelism in the basic GA are carried out to solve the problem more accurately and efficiently than with ordinary sequential techniques. Publicly available test problems have been used to illustrate the computational performance of the resulting metaheuristics. Experimental evidence in this work will show that the proposed algorithms outperform their sequential counterparts in time (high speedup with multiprocessors) and numerically (lower number of visited points during the search to find the solutions).
Optimizing transportation and storage of final products in the sugar and ethanol industry: a case study
Authors: Kawamura M. S. , Ronconi D. P. , Yoshizaki H.
Published: August 2006

COPERSUCAR Ltda (the acronym for the Sugarcane and Ethanol Producers' Cooperative in São Paulo state) is a Brazilian cooperative of sugarcane producers and the largest sugar and ethanol manufacturer in Brazil, producing 4.4 million metric tons of sugar and 2.7 billion liters of ethanol. The cooperative is composed of 34 sugar mills with centralized sales and marketing. This organization establishes the amount of each product that will be manufactured in each mill to reduce total transportation and storage costs and, consequently, increase overall gain. Critical aspects of this problem are seasonal production and, therefore, the need to store final products to meet demand during the off‐season period. This study focuses on the application of a multi‐period linear programming model that provides optimal assignment of production, transportation, and storage of final products subject to manufacturing and flow capacity constraints. The expected annual benefits of implementing the proposed solution are 3.3 million dollars. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was carried out to investigate the possibility of increasing the capacity of the installed mills.
Saxon or European? Interpreting and Reinterpreting St Boniface
Authors: Palmer James
Published: August 2006

St Boniface (c.680–754) has been called one of the ‘founders of Christian Europe’ for his wide‐ranging influence on religion, politics and culture in the early Middle Ages. This Anglo‐Saxon was a missionary in Frisia, reformer in Germany, promoted papal authority, and supported the Carolingian seizure of royal power in Frankia in 751. Yet the precise significance of his achievements has always been subject to interpretation, invention and challenge. This essay explores some of the medieval and modern attitudes to Boniface, examining how and why representations of the saint remain varied and open to change. In particular it asks why the commemoration of St Boniface was divorced from the conversion of Saxony – a task he as an Anglo‐Saxon had actively promoted – and instead became a matter of European meaning.
Live/Real Time Three‐Dimensional Echocardiographic Demonstration of Left Ventricular Noncompaction and Thrombi
Authors: Yelamanchili Pridhvi , Nanda Navin C. , Patel Vinod , Baysan Oben , Singh Anurag , Duncan Kurt , Rajdev Sanjay , Brown Marcus L.
Published: August 2006

We describe two adult patients with left ventricular noncompaction in whom live/real time three‐dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (3DTTE) supplemented two‐dimensional transthoracic echocardiography in making a definitive diagnosis of clots coexisting with trabeculations in the left ventricle. Mobility of clots and the presence of central echolucencies consistent with clot lysis were best demonstrated by 3DTTE and served to confidently differentiate clots from adjacent trabeculations.
U.S. Genetics Nurses in Advanced Practice
Authors: Lea Dale Halsey , Williams Janet K. , Cooksey Judith A. , Flanagan Patricia A. , Forte Gaetano , Blitzer Miriam G.
Published: August 2006

Purpose: To describe characteristics and professional roles of genetics nurses in advanced practice.

Design: A cross‐sectional descriptive survey administered in 2004 as one component of a comprehensive study of genetic services and the health workforce. The sample was 211 U.S. members of the International Society of Nurses in Genetics.

Methods: The survey included demographic characteristics, education, credentials, professional roles, and attitudes about genetic healthcare issues.

Findings: The majority of respondents had master's degrees and many had earned doctorates in nursing (20%) or other fields (12%). Thirty‐one percent were certified as nurse practitioners; 57% provided direct patient care, with the largest percentage working in genetics (26%) or oncology (22%) settings. Over one‐third were educators and 19% conducted genome‐related research.

Conclusions: Genetics nurses in advanced practice in the US focus on both genomic discoveries and clinical health care through the application of genomic knowledge into health care, research, and nursing education.
Social Processes Used by African American Women in Making Decisions About Mammography Screening
Authors: Fowler Barbara Ann
Published: August 2006

Purpose: To describe the social processes used by African American (AA) women ages ≥50 years in making decisions about mammography screening.

Design: Grounded theory methodology.

Methods: Tape‐recorded interviews with a researcher‐designed, semi‐structured interview guide with an initial and theoretical sample of 30 AA women ages 52 to 71 of diverse socioeconomic status. Interviews occurred in various settings such as the church rectory, women's homes, and work settings. Extensive written field notes and tapes were transcribed verbatim immediately after the interviews by an experienced transcriptionist.

Findings: The women's decisions about mammography screening were associated with five social processes: (a) acknowledging prior experiences with healthcare providers and systems; (b) reporting fears and fatalistic beliefs of breast cancer and related treatment; (c) valuing the opinions of significant others; (d) relying on religious beliefs and supports; and (e) caregiving responsibilities of significant others. The processes were further differentiated by three distinct decision‐making styles: taking charge, enduring, and protesting.

Conclusions: Each of the social processes was reported equally and emphasized by the diverse sample of AA women in decisions related to mammography screening. Mammography screening decisions were heavily influenced by caregiving responsibilities. Further research is needed to explain and understand this social process on the health and well‐being of AA women over time.
The Experiences of Midlife Women With Migraines
Authors: Moloney Margaret F. , Strickland Ora L. , DeRossett Sarah E. , Melby Melissa K. , Dietrich Alexa S.
Published: August 2006

Purpose: To describe the experiences of midlife women with migraines.

Design and Methods: Qualitative data were collected in two consecutive studies, using open‐ended interviews, focus groups, and online discussion boards. Interpretive methods were used for analysis.

Findings: Three patterns were identified: Changing Headache Patterns; Predicting, Preventing, and Controlling Headaches; and Keeping on the Move. These patterns indicated how women's headaches changed over time, how headaches were envisioned within the context of their lives, what strategies were used to meet work and home responsibilities, and how women controlled their headaches while maintaining a sense of perspective.

Conclusions: Many midlife women with migraines receive inadequate or inappropriate treatment, and better dissemination of current diagnostic and treatment guidelines is necessary. Ongoing research is needed to increase understanding of how this problem affects midlife women's lives and of what interventions might prevent or alleviate migraine discomfort.
Correlates of Sexual Abstinence Among Adolescent Virgins Dating Steady Boyfriends in Taiwan
Authors: Wang Ruey‐Hsia , Hsu Hsiu‐Yueh
Published: August 2006

Purposes: (a) To examine the relations among processes of change, decisional balance, self‐efficacy, perceptions of personal power, and relationship power to stage of change (SOC) for sexual abstinence behavior, and (b) to identify the important explanatory factors of SOC for sexual abstinence among adolescent virgins who were dating steady boyfriends.

Design: A cross‐sectional survey. Female adolescents (N=500) who were dating steady boyfriends and had not had sexual experience in the past were selected.

Methods: An anonymous, self‐administered questionnaire was used with parts concerning: age, processes of change for sexual abstinence, decisional balance for sexual abstinence, self‐efficacy for sexual abstinence, perceptions of personal power, perceptions of relationship power, and SOC for sexual abstinence.

Findings: Processes of change, decisional balance, self‐efficacy, perceptions of personal power, and relationship power differed across the SOC for sexual abstinence. Stepwise logistic regression showed higher self‐efficacy for sexual abstinence, higher decisional balance for sexual abstinence, and lower age increased the probability of being in the definite group (preparation and action stage). In the final regression model 77.3% of the participants were correctly classified.

Conclusions: This information about SOC for sexual abstinence can be used by health professionals for intervention strategies for adolescent girls who were dating steady boyfriends.
Registered Nurses' Willingness to Serve Populations on the Periphery of Society
Authors: Maze Claire D. Martino
Published: August 2006

Purpose: To (a) determine the relative combined contributions of age, highest level of education, gender, and nursing certification on registered nurses' values, and (b) to identify the relative combined contributions of age, highest level of education, gender, nursing certification, and values on registered nurses' willingness to serve underserved and disenfranchised populations.

Design: Survey.

Methods: Web‐based anonymous survey containing the AACN Values Questionnaire—Nurse, the Willingness to Serve the Underserved and Disenfranchised Scale, and a demographic questionnaire were used to assess the meaning that participants attach to seven values; the willingness of participants to care for members of diverse groups; and participant demographic information. Data analysis was accomplished using regression analyses with a convenience sample of 128.

Findings: Age and highest level of education showed significant combined contributions to the values scores; however, these variables, including values, were not significant in predicting nurses' willingness to serve underserved and disenfranchised populations.

Conclusions: Demographic characteristics (age and level of education) showed limited influence on values, but no variables included in this study were significantly associated with registered nurses' willingness to serve populations on the periphery of society.
Iris microhaemangiomas and idiopathic juxtafoveolar retinal telangiectasis
Authors: Bakke Espen F. , Drolsum Liv
Published: August 2006

We describe a case of iris microhaemangiomas (iris vascular tufts) causing spontaneous hyphaema and where examination showed that the patient also had idiopathic juxtafoveolar retinal telangiectasis. A systematic search through PubMed, EMBASE and reference lists revealed a total of 90 reported cases of iris microhaemangiomas. To our knowledge, no previous reports have described concurrent findings of iris microhaemangiomas and idiopathic juxtafoveolar retinal telangiectasis in a patient. Both conditions are acquired vascular diseases, but their pathogenesis and aetiologies are unknown. Iris microhaemangiomas are important clinically because they are occasionally a cause of spontaneous hyphaema and may induce transient elevation of intraocular pressure.
The CX3CL1–CX3CR1 system and psoriasis
Authors: Plant Darren , Young Helen S. , Watson Rachel E. B. , Worthington Jane , Griffiths Christopher E. M.
Published: August 2006

Abstract:  CX3CL1 is a chemoattractant and adhesion molecule that induces the redistribution of CX3CR1‐positive inflammatory leucocytes to sites of inflammation. As a consequence of their increased expression in plaques of psoriasis, and location within genomic regions previously linked to this disease, CX3CL1, and its receptor CX3CR1, represent attractive positional and functional ‘psoriasis susceptibility genes’. To investigate the CX3CL1–CX3CR1 system in psoriasis, eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CX3CL1 and two SNPs in CX3CR1 were genotyped in 281 psoriasis patients and 184 unrelated controls. Allele, genotype and estimated haplotype frequencies were then compared between experimental groups. Allele frequency differences between healthy volunteers and psoriasis patients revealed associations with two CX3CR1 SNPs (hCV11578468, P = 0.03 and c_5687_1, P = 0.04). No associations were observed between CX3CL1 SNPs and psoriasis. These results support a role for the CX3CL1–CX3CR1 system in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and identify SNPs within the chemokine receptors that are associated with the disease.
Adoptive Transfer of Paternal Antigen‐Hyporesponsive T Cells Facilitates a Th2 Bias in Peripheral Lymphocytes and at Materno‐Fetal Interface in Murine Abortion‐prone Matings
Authors: Jin Li‐Ping , Zhou Yue‐Hua , Zhu Xiao‐Yong , Wang Ming‐Yan , Li Da‐Jin
Published: August 2006

Problem  To investigate the Th1/Th2 cytokine changes in abortion‐prone recipient mice adoptively transferred by the paternal antigen‐hyporesponsive T cells.

Method of study  The paternal antigen‐hyporesponsive T cells were generated by the anti‐B7 monoclonal antibody (mAb) treatment and adoptively transferred into pregnant CBA/J mice of abortion‐prone matings on day 4 of gestation. The intracellular expressions of Th1 cell‐derived cytokine, tumor necrosis factor‐α, γ‐interferon and interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) and Th2 cell‐derived cytokine, IL‐4 and IL‐10 in the maternal spleen were analyzed by flow cytometry, and secretions of the Th1 and Th2 cytokines in supernatant of the feto‐placental unit culture were analyzed by an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.

Results  Our findings showed the increased secretion of Th1 cytokines and the decreased secretion of Th2 cytokines in abortion‐prone matings. Treatment with anti‐B7 mAbs on day 4 of gestation enhanced Th2 and reduced Th1 cytokine production in abortion‐prone matings. Similarly, adoptive transfer of paternal antigen‐hyporesponsive T cells induced maternal tolerance to the fetus and displayed a Th2 bias both in the peripheral lymphocytes and at the materno‐fetal interface of the abortion‐prone matings.

Conclusions  These findings indicate that the Th2 cytokine bias and an increase in fetal viability induced by the anti‐B7 mAb treatment can be transferred to other pregnant mice of the abortion‐prone matings.
Application of magnetic resonance imaging movie to assess articulatory movement
Authors: Inoue MS , Ono T , Honda E , Kurabayashi T , Ohyama K
Published: August 2006

Structured Abstract

Authors –  Inoue MS, Ono T, Honda E, Kurabayashi T, Ohyama K

Objective –  To introduce the technique of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) movie and to propose its feasibility for investigating articulatory movement.

Subjects –  Five healthy adult females participated in the study.

Methods –  Dynamic changes in oropharyngeal structures were assessed with MRI movie during the articulation of a bilabial consonant.

Results –  Movements of the velum and tongue at a time resolution of 30 ms were complex at the tip of the tongue and the anterior part of the velum. These movements that were seen with a time resolution of 30 ms could not be interpolated or in any way derived from the results obtained with a time resolution of 120 ms.

Conclusion –  The results suggest that MRI movie may be useful in the evaluation of articulation. It is important to reduce the time resolution to 30 ms to obtain images of articulators.
Growth factor effects on passaged TMJ disk cells in monolayer and pellet cultures
Authors: Allen KD , Athanasiou KA
Published: August 2006

Structured Abstract

Authors –  Allen KD, Athanasiou KA

Objectives –  Previously, we demonstrated rapid changes in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disk gene expression during monolayer expansion. This study's objective was to investigate the ability of pellet culture and growth factors to rescue TMJ disk gene expression changes.

Design –  Temporomandibular joint disk cells were isolated from mature porcine tissue and passaged up to five times. At each passage, 300 000 cells were placed in a monolayer or pellet culture environment before being exposed to transforming growth factor‐beta 3 (TGF‐β3) (5 ng/ml), TGF‐β1 (5 ng/ml), and insulin‐like growth factor I (IGF‐I) (10 ng/ml).

Outcome Measure –  After 24 h, gene expression was analyzed via reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR).

Results –  Pelleting was detrimental to TMJ disk gene expression, marked by gene expression decreases in collagen type I (5.5‐fold), aggrecan (1.4‐fold), decorin (0.73‐fold), and biglycan (0.73‐fold) relative to monolayer cultures. IGF‐I, TGF‐β1, and TGF‐β3 demonstrated limited ability to rescue TMJ disk gene expression in the pellet culture. In monolayer, TGF‐β3 and TGF‐β1 increased decorin and biglycan gene expression relative to passaged controls. Collagen type I expression, the TMJ disk's primary matrix constituent, was highest in TGF‐β3 cultures; however, differences were not statistically significant.

Conclusion –  These results indicate that pellet cultures are a poor choice for TMJ disk tissue engineering, and the effects of TGF‐β1, TGF‐β3, and IGF‐I on TMJ disk gene expression are minimal relative to passaging and pelleting effects.
“WE ARE A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH”: BLACK AND LATINA WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP IN THE CONTEMPORARY U.S. LABOR MOVEMENT
Authors: Dickerson Niki T.
Published: August 2006

In the face of growing race/gender labor market inequality, women‐of‐color unionists are calling for greater responsiveness of the labor movement to the needs of workers of color. This article details how women of color within the labor movement are pushing for structural change within the institution to increase the voice of women and people of color in the labor movement and explores the significant impact these women are having on the institution of labor. In noting the emergence of black and Latina female leaders, the study explores what factors propelled and continue to motivate their careers, and asks what effect, if any, their leadership has on the labor movement's agenda with respect to diversity. To address these questions, the study relies on interviews with key actors affecting institutional change: black and Latina female union leaders, survey data, resolutions, speeches, current labor force data on black and Latina workers, and data on union involvement by race and gender.
Esophageal skip metastasis from an adenocarcinoma of the gastric cardia
Authors: KURIHARA Hideko , IKEDA Yoshifumi , MORITA Naomi , NIIIMI Masanori , OKINAGA Kota
Published: August 2006

Although diffuse‐type gastric carcinomas sometimes spread within the esophageal mucosa, a distant skip metastasis from a gastric carcinoma to the esophagus wall has rarely been reported. We herein report the case of a patient found to have a carcinoma of the gastric cardia with a skip metastasis to the esophagus, approximately 10 cm distant from the esophagogastric junction. A 53‐year‐old man was admitted to our department suffering from a sudden hematemesis. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopic study revealed an infiltrative ulcerating tumor of the gastric cardia and a small, reddish, elevated submucosal tumor on the middle third of the esophagus, apart from the tumor on the cardia. A histological study of the biopsy specimens from both tumors showed poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas. The patient underwent total thoracic esophagectomy and proximal gastrectomy combined with a splenectomy through a cervicoabdominal approach. The resected specimen contained a tumor of the cardia, 7.4 × 5.1 cm in area, that had infiltrated the submucosal layers of the lower esophagus up to 2.0 cm from the esophagogastric junction. The skip metastases were located 0.5, 4 and 7.2 cm from the oral side of the main tumor.
Protecting female fertility in cancer patients
Authors: GILANI Mitra Modares , HASANZADEH Malihe
Published: August 2006

Aim:  The preservation of fertility in female patients diagnosed with cancer has recently been an area of intensive investigation. This review summarizes available options and discusses recently published data concerning experimental methods. Specific strategies for fertility preservation in women with gynecologic malignancies are also presented.

Method:  The MEDLINE database was reviewed for all publication on medication, surgery or assisted reproductive technology that could potentially preserve fertility in women who are receiving cancer therapy.

Conclusion:  There are many modalities that are available to a patient undergoing a treatment that will negatively impact on her fertility. While many procedures and medical interventions have been proven successful both in terms of ovarian function and pregnancy rates, other techniques have great potential but do not have long‐term clinical data. gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) analogs prevent chemotherapy‐induced ovarian damage in animals, however, human results are controversial. Anti‐apoptotic agents may present an innovative treatment to prevent oocyte destruction during cancer therapy. The cryopreservation of embryo, oocyte and ovarian tissue is one option to preserve fertility. It is important that the patients’ primary‐care physician understand the methods available to preserve fertility in a cancer patient and communicate this information to the patient. The improvement of these techniques as well as a better characterization of their success rates and risks await further investigation.
Light-cone anisotropy in 21-cm fluctuations during the epoch of reionization
Authors: Barkana Rennan , Loeb Abraham
Published: August 2006

The delay in light traveltime along the line of sight generates an anisotropy in the power spectrum of 21-cm brightness fluctuations from the epoch of reionization. We show that when the fluctuations in the neutral hydrogen fraction become non-linear at the later stages of reionization, the light-cone anisotropy becomes of the order of unity on scales ≳50 comoving Mpc. During this period the density fluctuations and the associated anisotropy generated by peculiar velocities are negligible in comparison.
THE ANALYSIS OF STRESS RELAXATION DATA OF SOME VISCOELASTIC FOODS USING A TEXTURE ANALYZER*
Authors: SINGH H. , ROCKALL A. , MARTIN C.R. , CHUNG O.K. , LOOKHART G.L.
Published: August 2006

Uniaxial compression test for dough and several commercial products like jello, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, tofu and sausage (cooked and uncooked) was performed using a texture analyzer (TA). Percent stress relaxation (%SR ), k1 (initial rate of relaxation), k2 (extent of relaxation) and relaxation time (RT) were calculated and compared for different products. The TA software was used to convert the raw SR data into a linear form. Constants k1 and k2 were determined from the intercept and slope of the linear data. Higher values of %SR and k2 (90 and 9, respectively) indicated higher elasticity for jello, whereas wheat flour dough samples showed the lowest values (20–30) for %SR and 1 to 2 for k2. The RT and k1 values were not good indicators for differentiating different products based on their viscoelastic behavior. Measurement of RT was limited by the maximum time for which the data were collected, whereas k1, because of its mathematical form, needed careful interpretation. In this study, %SR was found to be a good measure to interpret viscoelasticity of different food samples.
MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE ROLE OF FRICTION IN ORAL TEXTURE
Authors: DE WIJK RENE A. , PRINZ JON F.
Published: August 2006

The role of friction in food texture sensations are reviewed with the focus on results from our own laboratory, concentrating on texture sensations that are affected by the lubricative properties (e.g., roughness and creaminess), by the viscosity (e.g., melting and thickness) and by the used thickeners (e.g., airiness and heterogeneity). A food's lubricative properties are affected by its fat content, fat droplet size, particle size and shape and thickener. Foods with lower fat contents, larger fat droplets, larger particles and specific thickeners exhibited higher friction while their creaminess and fattiness sensations, associated with good lubrication, are reduced. Roughness and dryness sensations, associated with poor lubrication, are increased. Taste and flavor compounds also affected these texture sensations, albeit via a different mechanism. Specific compounds can affect the lubricative properties of saliva resulting in friction‐related sensations, such as astringency. Astringent compounds interact with proline‐rich proteins in saliva, causing precipitation that may be sensed as discrete particles and/or increased roughness. Alternatively, the compounds may precipitate dead cells and other debris present in saliva. Astringent compounds may also directly affect the surface properties of the oral mucosa.
OPTIMAL COOKING TIME OF NOODLES RELATED TO THEIR NOTCH SENSITIVITY*
Authors: SUI ZHONGQUAN , LUCAS PETER W. , CORKE HAROLD
Published: August 2006

White salty and yellow alkaline noodles were prepared raw and also as cooked for varying periods between 2 and 14 min by boiling in distilled water and then tested in tension at room temperature on a universal testing machine to characterize their stress–strain and fracture behaviors. From these tests, it was deduced that a period of∼7 min of cooking time for both types of noodles produced the greatest notch sensitivity. A sensory panel was constructed to evaluate the sensorily perceived optimal cooking time of these products. This perception correlated well with the notch sensitivity results obtained from the tensile tests. From a materials perspective, solids that are notch‐sensitive have firm mechanical links between their structural components. Raw, undercooked and overcooked noodles variably lack this. These results suggest that notch sensitivity may be important in sensory perception and help in constructing a physical definition of “cookedness” for these types of food.
Dietary carnitine intake and carnitine status in endurance‐trained males
Authors: BROAD Elizabeth , BOLGER Claire , GALLOWAY Stuart
Published: August 2006

Background:  Carnitine is an integral component of fatty acid transfer into the mitochondria, and also buffers excess intramitochondrial acyl‐CoA. It has previously been suggested that athletes may be at risk of low carnitine status and could therefore benefit from carnitine supplementation.

Objective:  To report the habitual dietary carnitine intakes of endurance‐trained adult males, and to determine whether they are at risk of carnitine insufficiency by measuring plasma and urinary carnitine concentrations.

Methods:  Fourteen non‐vegetarian endurance‐trained males completed a seven‐day weighed food record and exercise logs to determine habitual dietary carnitine intake. Resting venous blood samples and 24‐hour urine collections were used to determine plasma carnitine concentration and urinary carnitine excretion.

Results:  The mean dietary carnitine intake was 64 (range 21–110) mg/day. Mean ± SD resting plasma total carnitine was 44 ± 7 µmol/L and acyl : free carnitine ratio was 0.28 ± 0.11, which were within normal ranges. Urinary carnitine excretion was 437 ± 236 µmol/day. There was no correlation between dietary carnitine intake or dietary macro‐ and micronutrients and plasma carnitine or urinary carnitine excretion.

Conclusion:  The results of the present study indicate there is no evidence that endurance‐trained males consuming a mixed diet are at risk of carnitine insufficiency.
Estimates of overweight and obesity among samples of preschool‐aged children in Melbourne and Sydney
Authors: ZUO Yeqin , NORBERG Maine , WEN Li Ming , RISSEL Chris
Published: August 2006

Objective:  Childhood obesity is a significant and increasing public health issue. We present results from two cross‐sectional surveys from Melbourne and Sydney that sought to estimate the level of overweight and obesity among preschool‐aged children.

Methods:  In Melbourne, weight and height of 196 children from 12 randomly selected preschools and kindergartens were measured and recorded. In Sydney, data on weight and height of 325 children attending four early childhood centres were extracted from client records. The two studies used the age and gender‐specific body mass index criteria for classifying overweight and obesity.

Results:  The prevalence of Melbourne preschool‐aged children considered overweight was 15.3% for boys and 17.3% for girls, with a further 7.1% of boys and 8.2% of girls considered obese. In Sydney, the proportion of children considered overweight was 15.3% for boys and 26.3% for girls. An additional 8.7% of boys and 8% of girls were considered obese.

Conclusion:  There is some evidence that childhood obesity may begin in the preschool years. Intervention programs targeting obesity should be considered for families with preschool‐aged children in urban Australia.
Endodontic retreatment of a maxillary second molar with three separate buccal roots
Authors: Jafarzadeh Hamid , Javidi Maryam , Zarei Mina
Published: August 2006

A rare case of a four‐rooted maxillary second molar in a 39‐year‐old male patient is reported. After clinical and radiographic examination, two separate mesio‐buccal roots were detected, and a treatment plan consisting treatment of the mesio‐buccal roots and retreatment of the disto‐buccal and palatal roots was made to resolve the previous treatment failure. The tooth was treated by orthograde endodontic retreatment in two visits. Mesio‐buccal canals that were located in the separate mesio‐buccal roots (which were missed in previous treatment) were found and treated. The case report underlines the importance of complete knowledge about root canal morphology and possible variations, coupled with full clinical and radiographic examination, in order to increase the ability of clinicians to treat difficult cases.
The effects of face cooling on the prolactin response and subjective comfort during moderate passive heating in humans
Authors: Mündel Toby , Hooper Paula L. , Bunn Sabrina J. , Jones David A.
Published: August 2006

The purpose of the present study was twofold: first, to determine the extent to which elevated skin temperature is responsible for the hormonal and perceptual responses to passive heating; and second, to determine to what extent face‐cooling can override the effects of raised skin temperature. Sixteen recreationally active, non‐heat‐acclimated volunteers (12 male, 4 female; age, 29 ± 9 years, [mean ±s.d.]) underwent a passive heat exposure for 60 min in a sauna maintained at 58°C (13% relative humidity), conditions under which sweating effectively maintains core temperature. Subjects were allocated to one of two experimental groups which were matched for sex, age, body mass index, body surface area and sweating response; one group received face cooling (FC) every 5 min, whilst the other control group (CON) received none. Mean skin temperatures were elevated by ∼4°C for the 60 min duration (CON, 36.5 ± 0.1°C; FC, 35.7 ± 0.1°C; P < 0.05) but core temperature rose by only ∼0.25°C with no difference between groups. Circulating prolactin remained stable and showed no increase for the FC group, whereas concentrations increased by 102 ± 34% (P < 0.05) for the CON group. No differences were observed between groups for heart rate, but the sensation of heat was less (P < 0.05) with FC. We suggest that a significant component of the prolactin response to moderate passive heating is mediated by facial skin temperature, and selective cooling of the face is associated with improved perception of thermal comfort. These results indicate that the temperature of only a small part of the total skin area (∼10%) has a disproportionately large effect on the hormonal and perceptual responses to heat stress.
Sorcin modulation of Ca2+ sparks in rat vascular smooth muscle cells
Authors: Rueda Angélica , Song Ming , Toro Ligia , Stefani Enrico , Valdivia Héctor H.
Published: August 2006

Spontaneous, local Ca2+ release events or Ca2+ sparks by ryanodine receptors (RyRs) are important determinants of vascular tone and arteriolar resistance, but the mechanisms that modulate their properties in smooth muscle are poorly understood. Sorcin, a Ca2+‐binding protein that associates with cardiac RyRs and quickly stops Ca2+ release in the heart, provides a potential mechanism to modulate Ca2+ sparks in vascular smooth muscle, but little is known about the functional role of sorcin in this tissue. In this work, we characterized the expression and intracellular location of sorcin in aorta and cerebral artery and gained mechanistic insights into its functional role as a modulator of Ca2+ sparks. Sorcin is present in endothelial and smooth muscle cells, as assessed by immunocytochemical and Western blot analyses. Smooth muscle sorcin translocates from cytosolic to membranous compartments in a Ca2+‐dependent manner and associates with RyRs, as shown by coimmunoprecipitation and immunostaining experiments. Ca2+ sparks recorded in saponin‐permeabilized vascular myocytes have increased frequency, duration and spatial spread but reduced amplitude with respect to Ca2+ sparks in intact cells, suggesting that permeabilization disrupts the normal organization of RyRs and releases diffusible substances that control Ca2+ spark properties. Perfusion of 2 μm sorcin onto permeabilized myocytes reduced the amplitude, duration and spatial spread of Ca2+ sparks, demonstrating that sorcin effectively regulates Ca2+ signalling in vascular smooth muscle. Together with a dense distribution in the perimeter of the cell along a pool of RyRs, these properties make sorcin a viable candidate to modulate vascular tone in smooth muscle.
Peripheral amplification of sweating – a role for calcitonin gene‐related peptide
Authors: Schlereth* Tanja , Dittmar Jan Oliver , Seewald Bianca , Birklein Frank
Published: August 2006

Neuropeptides are the mediators of neurogenic inflammation. Some pain disorders, e.g. complex regional pain syndromes, are characterized by increased neurogenic inflammation and by exaggerated sudomotor function. The aim of this study was to explore whether neuropeptides have a peripheral effect on human sweating. We investigated the effects of different concentrations of calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and substance P (SP) on acetylcholine‐induced axon reflex sweating in healthy subjects (total n= 18). All substances were applied via dermal microdialysis. The experiments were done in a parallel setting: ACh alone and ACh combined with CGRP, VIP or SP in various concentrations were applied. Acetylcholine (10−2m) always elicited a sweating response, neuropeptides alone did not. However, CGRP significantly enhanced ACh‐induced sweating (P < 0.01). Post hoc tests revealed that CGRP in physiological concentrations of 10−7–10−9m was most effective. VIP at any concentration had no significant effect on axon reflex sweating. The duration of the sweating response (P < 0.01), but not the amount of sweat, was reduced by SP. ACh‐induced skin blood flow was significantly increased by CGRP (P < 0.01), but unaltered by VIP and SP. The results indicate that CGRP amplifies axon reflex sweating in human skin.
Cerebellar Golgi cells in the rat receive multimodal convergent peripheral inputs via the lateral funiculus of the spinal cord
Authors: Holtzman Tahl , Mostofi Abteen , Phuah Chia Ling , Edgley Steve A.
Published: August 2006

We recently showed that the activity of cerebellar Golgi cells can be powerfully modulated by stimulation of peripheral afferents, in a pattern different to local Purkinje cells. Here we have examined the pathways underlying these responses. Graded electrical stimulation of muscle and cutaneous nerves revealed that long‐lasting depressions and short‐lasting excitations of Golgi cells were evoked by stimulation of cutaneous nerves at stimulus intensities that activated large mechanoreceptive afferents, and grew as additional afferents were recruited. In contrast, none of the neurones responded to stimulation of muscle nerves at intensities that activated group I afferents, although about half responded with long‐lasting depressions, but not excitations, to stimuli that recruited group II and III afferents. Selective lesions of the spinal dorsal columns did not affect either of these types of response. After lesions of one lateral funiculus in the lumbar cord the responses evoked by stimulation of the hindlimb contralateral to the lesion were reduced or abolished, leaving responses evoked by ipsilateral hindlimb afferents unaltered. Since both ipsi‐ and contralateral afferents generate responses in Golgi cells, the convergence from the two sides must occur supraspinally. It is difficult to reconcile these properties with any of the direct spinocerebellar pathways or spinoreticulocerebellar pathways that have been described. Instead, it is likely that the responses are evoked via the multimodal ‘wide dynamic range’ neurones of the anterolateral system. Golgi cell activity may thus be powerfully enhanced or depressed during arousal via the anterolateral system.
Reactive lymphoid hyperplasia of the liver in a patient with multiple carcinomas: a case report and brief review
Authors: Sato K , Ueda Y , Yokoi M , Hayashi K , Kosaka T , Katsuda S
Published: August 2006

A rare case of reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (RLH) of the liver in a 75-year-old woman admitted to hospital for surgical treatment of gastric, caecal and colon carcinomas is described here. Two nodular lesions in the left and right lobes of the liver were clinically diagnosed as metastatic tumours by computed tomography of the abdomen. A demarcating grey–white mass of size 1.4 cm was observed in a partially resected liver specimen. On examining the lesion microscopically, it was found to be composed of hyperplastic lymphoid follicles, lymphocytes, plasma cells, other inflammatory cells and interlaced hyalinised fibrous tissues. In the portal tracts around the lesion, chronic inflammatory cell infiltrates were seen, but no interface hepatitis or lymphoid follicle was observed. No evidence of monoclonality was observed by immunohistochemistry for B and T cell markers, in situ hybridisation for κ and λ light chains, and polymerase chain reaction analysis of immunoglobulin heavy chains or T cell receptor β and γ gene rearrangements. Bcl-2 immunoreactivity was not observed in the germinal centre. Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) antigen (latent membrane protein-1) and EBV-encoded small RNAs were not detected. A proliferation neither of myofibroblasts nor of cells positive for follicular dendritic cell markers was observed. RLH, formerly known as pseudolymphoma, has been reported of the liver in only 14 cases and is considered to be a differential diagnosis of small nodular lesions of the liver. That RLH has an inflammatory reactive nature, not a neoplastic disposition, and that EBV does not participate in the pathogenesis of RLH is supported by this case.