bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is dental health education effective? A systematic review of current evidence
Authors: Kay E. J. , Locker D.
Published: May 2006

Abstract In order that health service resources are allocated in the way which most benefits the population, systematic review of the available evidence regarding the effectiveness of programmes and interventions are required. This study examined papers relating to dental health education interventions, which were published between 1982 and 1994 (n=143). Each was scored by two independent researchers according to twenty predetermined validity criteria. For each paper which achieved a validity score of more than 12 (n=37), data concerning the objectives of the intervention, the types and numbers of participants, and the outcomes, were extracted from the article. Where sufficient data were provided in a paper which met more than 15 of the validity criteria quantitative meta‐analysis was earned out i.e. the results of the studies were pooled in order to calculate an overall intervention effect with confidence intervals. This combination of qualitative and quantitative review techniques showed that dental health interventions have: a small positive, but temporary effect on plaque accumulation (reduction in plaque index=0.37 95% CI ‐0.29–0.59); no discernible effect on caries increment and a consistent positive effect on knowledge levels. The results of this analysis suggest that further efforts to synthesise current information about dental health education, in a systematic way, are required, along with maintenance of rigorous scientific standards in evaluation research.
Subsidized dental care improves caries status in male industrial workers
Authors: Ahlberg Jarzi , Ahlberg Jari , Tuominen Risto , Murtomaa Heikki
Published: May 2006

Abstract The association between an employer‐provided dental benefit scheme and dental status was studied in male industrial workers in southern Finland in 1994. A total of 325 workers (age 38–65 yrs) with access to subsidized dental care and 174 controls completed a multiple‐choice questionnaire followed by clinical examinations. One or more carious teeth was registered in 19% of the subsidized group and 50% of the controls (P<0.001). For subjects with retained roots the proportions were 2% and 15%. respectively (P<0.0()1). Among those with caries the mean number of carious teeth was 2.1 (SD 2.0) in the subsidized group, and 3.2 (SD 3.8) in the control group (P<0.05). The groups did not differ significantly in numbers of teeth or filled teeth. The probability of having one or more carious teeth was negatively associated with access to subsidized dental care, with a recall or check‐up as the reason for the last dental visit, and with having had the last dental visit within the past two years. The results showed that the dental benefit scheme resulted in less untreated caries.
Perceptions of orthodontic treatment need: Receiver Operating Characteristic analysis
Authors: Bearn David , Wright Jean , Kay Elizabeth , O'Brien Kevin
Published: May 2006

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the variations in dentists' perception of need for orthodontic treatment. Sixteen dentists viewed forty clinical vignettes and recorded their decisions according to the certainty with which they would offer treatment for each case. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed on this data, using the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) as the ‘gold standard'. The data suggest that dentists treatment decisions do not concur with current guidelines in use in the UK.
Who is dentally anxious? Concordance between measures of dental anxiety
Authors: Locker D. , Shapiro D. , Liddell A.
Published: May 2006

Abstract Studies of the prevalence of dental anxiety in general population samples have produced estimates which range from a low of 2.6% to a high of 20.4%. It is not clear whether these reflect real differences among populations or whether they are the result of the use of different measures and different cutoff points. We undertook a large scale mail survey of dental anxiety in a random sample of the adult population living in Metropolitan Toronto designed to assess the performance of and agreement between three measures. These were Corah's DAS, the single item used by Milgrom and colleagues in Seattle and the ten‐point fear scale used by Gatchel. These measures and their published cut‐off points produced prevalence estimates of 10.9%, 23.4% and 8.2% respectively. While there was a significant association between scores on pairs of measures the agreement between them was far from perfect. Kappa values ranged from 0.37 to 0.56, indicating only fair to moderate agreement beyond chance. There was evidence to indicate that the dentally anxious subjects identified by each measure differed according to certain behavioural and other characteristics. The results of the study suggest the need to revisit the issue of measurement in studies of dental anxiety.
Attitudes to malocclusion among 18‐ and 35‐year‐old Norwegians
Authors: Stenvik Arild , Espeland Lisen , Berset Gry P. , Eriksen Harald M.
Published: May 2006

Abstract Knowledge about age‐related changes in attitudes to dental appearance and orthodontic treatment may guide the orthodontist in educating and providing advice to potential patients and their parents. The purpose of the present study was to compare attitudes to malocclusion in groups of young and middle‐aged adults from populations having been exposed to similar provision of care. The material comprised samples of orthodontically untreated 18‐yr‐olds (n=50) and 35‐yr‐olds (n=73) from Oslo, Norway. From a clinical examination, radiographs, and measurements on dental study casts, the subjects were classified according to the Need for Orthodontic Treatment Index (NOTI) used by the Norwegian Health Insurance System. Satisfaction with dental appearance and desire for orthodontic treatment were investigated using questionnaires. The 35‐yr‐olds exhibited significantly more malocclusion compared to the 18‐yr‐olds (P<0.01). Among subjects classified to have obvious need for orthodontic treatment, 54% and 21% expressed dissatisfaction at ages 18 yr and 35 yr, respectively, indicating a lower level of concern for malocclusion in the older age group.
Development of a scale to measure the social and psychological effects of severe dental anxiety: social attributes of the Dental Anxiety Scale
Authors: Kent Gerry , Rubin Gordon , Getz Tracy , Humphris Gerry
Published: May 2006

Abstract This paper describes the development of a scale designed to measure the extent to which severe dental anxiety or phobia affects patients' social well‐being outside of the dental setting. Items initially selected on the basis of clinical experience were administered to two groups: 78 patients seeking help for severe anxiety and 88 patients attending the general clinic of a dental hospital. Items on the scale discriminated between these two groups and also between patients who were reluctant to attend even when experiencing symptoms and those who attend more regularly. Although the scale correlated moderately well with Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale, factor analysis indicated that its items assess the effects of severe anxiety on the two domains of psychological reactions and social inhibition as they occur as indirect effects of dental care. The scale could be included in assessments designed to measure the social and psychological effects of severe dental anxiety.
Using subjective oral health status indicators to screen for dental care needs in older adults
Authors: Locker D. , Jokovic A.
Published: May 2006

Abstract A study was undertaken to assess the ability of a number of subjective oral health status indicators to identify community‐dwelling older adults who need dental treatment. The indicators consisted of a single‐item self‐rating of treatment need, a 15‐item psychosocial impact index and the 49‐item Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP). Data for the study were collected as part of an oral health survey of Canadians aged 50 years and over. The associations between these subjective indicators and clinically defined dental treatment needs were assessed using statistics for determining the predictive power of a diagnostic test. Although there were statistically significant associations between the subjective and clinical measures, values for statistics such as sensitivity, positive predictive values and positive likelihood ratios were low. Although the measures did not perform well as screening tests, they did identify a sub‐group of individuals whose clinical conditions impacted significantly on daily life and who would probably benefit the most from dental treatment. In this respect, the subjective measures assessed here can themselves be interpreted as indicators of need which complement conventional clinical measures of needs for dental care.
Assessing the stage of caries lesion activity on the basis of clinical and microbiological examination
Authors: Nyvad Bente , Fejerskov Ole
Published: May 2006

Abstract The dynamic nature of caries lesion progression may require that classification of caries lesions makes distinctions in activity status. The aim of the present review was to compile and discuss the literature which pertains to clinical assessment of caries lesion activity, and to examine whether recent developments in microbiological research may justify the use of microbiological methods for evaluation of caries activity. Clinical observations suggest that caries lesion progression can be arrested at any stage of lesion development, provided that clinically plaque‐free conditions are obtained. However, there is no universal level of oral hygiene to be recommended. The diagnoses “active” and “inactive/arrested” caries have been validated by a range of histological and chemical methods which have supported a separation into distinct clinical categories. Simple microbiological methods have so far not been useful in differentiating between active and inactive caries lesions. Very few studies have evaluated the inter‐ and intra‐examiner reliability of caries diagnostic criteria based on assessment of the activity state of lesions, but recent data indicate that active and inactive caries lesions can be diagnosed with a high degree of reliability. A decision‐making tree for dental caries is presented by means of which it is possible to associate the assessment of caries lesion activity with an appropriate treatment modality. It is concluded that research into better methods of assessing caries lesion activity clinically should be stimulated.
Salivary parameters of relevance for assessing caries activity in individuals and populations
Authors: Tenovuo Jorma
Published: May 2006

Abstract A review of the non‐microbial salivary parameters with respect to their possible association with caries activity is presented. The parameters are limited to those which already are or at least in the near future will obviously be simple enough, also for clinical purposes. Salivary flow rate is undoubtedly the most important single parameter since the cariostatic activity or efficacy of practically all other salivary parameters depends on the flow rate. Flow rate as such has no linear association with dental caries but there seems to exist an individual “threshold” limit which is decisive for enhanced caries activity. This threshold limit varies among different individuals and therefore the so‐called normal values for unstimulated or stimulated flow rate are more reliable on a population level than among individuals for screening purposes. In any individual a regular and longitudinal follow‐up of the flow rate is of higher clinical value than only a single cross‐sectional measurement. Salivary buffer effect has only a weak negative association with caries activity and again, this effect is of greater clinical significance on a population level. Since the decisive processes in caries attack occur within or under the dental plaque, the buffering effect of saliva is limited and obviously more important to screen for erosion‐ than caries‐prone individuals. Although important for dental health, none of the salivary antimicrobial agents as such has shown any strong association with caries activity. The only ones with some evidence of a regulatory role are secretory IgA antibodies, hypothiocyanite ions, and agglutinins. However, the data are controversial and it seems that instead of measuring individual parameters, the assessment of saliva's functional properties (such as the ability to aggregate bacteria, prevent their adhesion to hydroxyapatite or sugar metabolism etc.) is more important for clinical purposes. Of the parameters involved in de‐ and remineralization process, only salivary fluoride content has some association with caries susceptibility but its diagnostic or predictive value is questionable.
Future treatment needs in children, adults and the elderly
Authors: Holst Dorthe , Schuller Annemarie , Grytten Jostein
Published: May 2006

Abstract Future treatment needs for dental services are discussed in the perspective of the objectives which the services are meant to fulfill. These are, broadly speaking, equal distribution of services and economic efficiency. Within the Nordic countries, the emphasis has been on equity, perhaps less on efficiency. Equity of utilization is best understood as being a situation where patients with equal needs for oral health care receive equal treatment, in terms of both the volume and the quality of the services. The justification for arguing that equality of utilization is the appropriate measure is mainly based on the externality argument: health‐care consumption by one person may be the source of utility to another person. According to that view there are two beneficiaries of dental care: the patient who is sick, and the rest of society who care for the sick patient and who derive utility from seeing the patient become healthy. The public dental services for children in the Nordic countries are organized according to the principle of equity of utilization. Equity of access is best understood as being a situation where people with equal needs have equal opportunity to use dental services. It is a supply‐side phenomenon; equal access is achieved when patients with the same needs face the same costs of dental‐care consumption in terms of both time and money. The oral health situation among children, adults and the elderly is exemplified by national service data and recent studies.
Promoting changes in clinical practice. Treatment time and outcome studies in a Danish public child dental health clinic
Authors: Thylstrup Anders , Vinther Dorte , Christiansen Jette
Published: May 2006

Abstract This paper examines the characteristics of the process of innovation as applied to provision of dental health to children. The data are from a demonstration project conducted in a Danish public child dental health clinic to evaluate the appropriateness and effectiveness of an individualized and alternative, mainly non‐operative, caries treatment strategy that was implemented in 1987. The aim of the strategy was to avoid operative intervention and sealants, and was based on three principles: caries is a localized disease; intensive training in home‐based treatment; and individualized risk assessments and controls in conjunction with professional plaque removal. The major influence on the innovation process appeared to be personal education of the personnel, active participation in research, and feedback from clinical observations, In 1992 an additional feedback measure was introduced addressing the question: how much time does the individual child spend on treatment during one year? Mean total treatment time varied from 12 min for 1‐ to 4‐yr‐olds to 44–58 min for 7‐ to 17‐yr‐olds. About 60% of the total treatment time was used on non‐operative caries treatment (diagnosis, risk assessment, plaque removal, toothbrushing training) and about 25% on operative caries treatment for 3‐ to 17‐yr‐olds. The 1–2‐yr‐olds required only non‐operative treatment. The new treatment strategy reduced operative procedures by 60%. The paper introduces an easily applicable measure of treatment outcome in terms of teeth that have not been restored or sealed ax a result of regular professional treatment or care. The main conclusion drawn is that the dominant moving forces in the innovation process were professional responsibility and self‐adjustment by a constant learning process involving clinical feedback measures in conjunction with modern understanding of caries as a localized disease caused by local evolution of microbial cariogenic biofilms.
Understanding decision‐making processes for sugar consumption in adolescence
Authors: Freeman Ruth , Sheiham Aubrey
Published: May 2006

Abstract The mechanisms by which adolescents make food choices are not clear. The interaction and combination of the many social and psychological factors must be considered when examining adolescents' decision‐making processes for sound food choices. The aim of this investigation is to examine one specific food choice, namely, the use of sucrose in hot drinks. One hundred and eightyseven adolescents in thir 16th year completed a questionnaire on the consumption of sugar using the method developed by Ajzen & Fishbein in their ‘Theory of Reasoned Action’. The group was randomly divided into two groups so that decision‐making processes with respect to two behavioural intentions—adding sugar to tea and coffee and excluding it—could be examined. The findings suggest that the immediate pleasurable taste of sugar outweighed and deferred the recognition of dangers associated with its consumption. Past dental health experiences, behaviours and education together with the role of parental figures acted as important influences. An awareness of these factors should assist dental health professionals to highlight the importance of sound food choices when negotiating dental health goals with adolescents.
Predictors of destructive periodontal disease incidence and progression in adult and elderly Chinese
Authors: Baelum Vibeke , Luan Wen‐Min , Chen Xia , Fejerskov Ole
Published: May 2006

Abstract This study describes some predictors of new and progressing destructive periodontal disease over a 10‐year period in rural Chinese. A total of 398 persons aged 20–80 years, who had participated in a baseline survey of tooth mortality, dental caries and periodontal conditions and were still dentate 10 years later, were reexamined for the same parameters as assessed at baseline. Three different threshold values were used to define new and progressing destructive periodontal disease. Irrespective of the threshold used, most persons experienced new disease. Progressing disease was very prevalent when a 2+ mm disease definition was used, but occurred less frequently at the higher threshold levels. The logistic regression models for 2+ and 3+ mm disease were essentially similar, and showed that women, persons with 104 sites or more, and persons with 0–5% sites with 4+ mm attachment levels had a lower risk of disease progression as well as of new disease than did men, persons with few sites and persons with 6% sites or more with attachment levels 4+ mm. The variables sex, number of sites present, percentage of sites with 4+ mm attachment levels, and presence of mobile teeth were predictive for new disease using a 4+ mm definition. Age, percentage of sites with 4+ mm attachment levels and percentage of sites with 4+ mm pockets were predictive for progressing disease using the 4+ mm disease definition.
Gender and age differences in attitudes to dental pain and dental control
Authors: Liddell A. , Locker D.
Published: May 2006

Abstract In the literature, it is usual to find women and younger subjects reporting higher levels of dental anxiety than men and older subjects. Fear of pain was found to be the most important predictor of dental anxiety and issues of control were also related to such anxiety. Therefore, it was predicted that gender and age differences would be reflected in attitudes to pain and control. Subjects were randomly selected from the voters' list in metropolitan Toronto and mailed a questionnaire with a request for cooperation in a study of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviour regarding dental treatment. The questionnaire included demographic data, measures of dental anxiety and painful experiences as well as the Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale and the Iowa Dental Control Index. The results supported the main predictions. In addition, attitudes to pain and control were found to be complex phenomena with characteristic gender differences.
Digital radiographic measurement of approximal caries progression in fluoridated and non‐fluoridated areas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Authors: Lawrence Herenia Procopio , Benn Douglas Keith , Sheiham Aubrey
Published: May 2006

Abstract The effect of fluoridation on approximal caries progression was investigated using serial digitized bitewing images and conventional film images of 290 12‐16‐year‐old schoolchildren who were lifetime residents of either Rio de Janeiro (a fluoridated area) or Mangaratiba and Angra dos Reis (non‐fluoridated areas) in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. One examiner scored a maximum of 28 approximal surfaces of posterior teeth per subject using both methods. The intra‐examiner reliability for rating lesion depth with digital images was comparable with that of the conventional bitewing films (namely, intraclass correlation of 0.99 and weighted Kappa scores of 0.82, respectively). Approximal surface D1S was 3.17±0.25 (Sx) in fluoridated areas and 6.64±0.44 in non‐fluoridated areas. After 1 year, the rate of caries progression in approximal surfaces was significantly lower in the fluoridated areas (0.54±0.14) as compared with the non‐fluoridated areas (1.41±0.20) using Pitts' scoring system for conventional bitewing radiographs (P<0.001). Similarly, the digital radiographic method was able to detect subtle differences in approximal caries progression in the enamel and the dentin (overall mean: 0.34 mm/year in fluoridated areas vs 0.49 mm/year in non‐fluoridated areas, P<0.05). The two radiographic methods were strongly correlated (rs=0.7). Assuming a constant rate over time, these results indicate that lesion progression from the outer half of the enamel into the outer half of the dentin takes approximately 3‐4 years in schoolchildren from the fluoridated areas compared to 2 1/2 years in the non‐fluoridated areas.
A 5‐year retrospective analysis of employer‐provided dental care for Finnish male industrial workers
Authors: Ahlberg Jari , Tuominen Risto , Murtomaa Heikki
Published: May 2006

Abstract The treatment‐mix, treatment time, and dental status of 268 male industrial workers entitled to employer‐provided dental care were studied. The data were collected from treatment records of the covered workers over the 5‐year period 1989‐93. Treatment time was based on clinical treatment time recorded per patient visit, and the treatment procedure codes were reclassified into a treatment‐mix according to American Dental Association categories, with a modification combining endodontics and restorative treatment. The mean number of check‐ups followed by prescribed treatment (treatment courses) during the 5 years was 3.7 among those who had entered the in‐house dental care program prior to the monitored period (old attenders). Their treatment time was stable, 57–63 min per year, while the first‐year mean treatment time (170 min) of those who had entered the program during the study period (new attenders) was significantly higher (P<0.01) than the 5‐year mean of the old attenders (61 min). Over the first 2 years, the treatment‐mix of the new attenders showed a rise in diagnostic and preventive procedures from one‐third to about one‐half of all procedures, as it was for the old attenders. The new attenders' mean number of carious teeth (2.7), registered at the initial check‐up visit, paralleled the mean recently demonstrated in the similar non‐covered population. It was significantly higher than the 5‐year mean of the old attenders (0.5) (P<0.001), but declined to the same level after the first year of treatment. It was concluded that the studied program seemed to contribute to a stabilization of treatment‐mix, and to the establishment of a shorter annual treatment time within the first 2 years of treatment.
Porokeratosis of Mibelli induced by topical corticosteroid
Authors: Yazkan Figen , Turk Bengu Gerceker , Dereli Tugrul , Kazandi Ali Can
Published: May 2006

Background:  Porokeratosis of Mibelli is a chronic disorder characterised by slightly atrophic plaques surrounded by keratotic border.

Methods and Results:  A 45‐year‐old man treated with clobetazole propionate ointment for psoriasis over 15 years developed characteristic lesions of porokeratosis Mibelli on the elbows. Histopathological examination revealed the cornoid lamellae located on the edges of the specimen and psoriasiform acanthosis and a spongiotic pustule formation in the center of the specimen; thus, it was suggested as ‘psoriasis encircled by porokeratosis’.

Conclusions:  Development of porokeratosis may be explained by the local immunosuppressive effect of the prolonged application of the topical steroid.
The role of residue Thr249 in modulating the catalytic efficiency and substrate specificity of catechol‐2,3‐dioxygenase from Pseudomonas stutzeri OX1
Authors: Siani Loredana , Viggiani Ambra , Notomista Eugenio , Pezzella Alessandro , Di Donato Alberto
Published: May 2006

Bioremediation strategies use microorganisms to remove hazardous substances, such as aromatic molecules, from polluted sites. The applicability of these techniques would greatly benefit from the expansion of the catabolic ability of these bacteria in transforming a variety of aromatic compounds. Catechol‐2,3‐dioxygenase (C2,3O) from Pseudomonas stutzeri OX1 is a key enzyme in the catabolic pathway for aromatic molecules. Its specificity and regioselectivity control the range of molecules degraded through the catabolic pathway of the microorganism that is able to use aromatic hydrocarbons as growth substrates. We have used in silico substrate docking procedures to investigate the molecular determinants that direct the enzyme substrate specificity. In particular, we looked for a possible molecular explanation of the inability of catechol‐2,3‐dioxygenase to cleave 3,5‐dimethylcatechol and 3,6‐dimethylcatechol and of the efficient cleavage of 3,4‐dimethylcatechol. The docking study suggested that reduction in the volume of the side chain of residue 249 could allow the binding of 3,5‐dimethylcatechol and 3,6‐dimethylcatechol. This information was used to prepare and characterize mutants at position 249. The kinetic and regiospecificity parameters of the mutants confirm the docking predictions, and indicate that this position controls the substrate specificity of catechol‐2,3‐dioxygenase. Moreover, our results suggest that Thr249 also plays a previously unsuspected role in the catalytic mechanism of substrate cleavage. The hypothesis is advanced that a water molecule bound between one of the hydroxyl groups of the substrate and the side chain of Thr249 favors the deprotonation/protonation of this hydroxyl group, thus assisting the final steps of the cleavage reaction.
SYMPLECTIC CONNECTIONS
Authors: BIELIAVSKY PIERRE , CAHEN MICHEL , GUTT SIMONE , RAWNSLEY JOHN , SCHWACHHÖFER LORENZ
Published: May 2006

This article is an overview of the results obtained in recent years on symplectic connections. We present what is known about preferred connections (critical points of a variational principle). The class of Ricci-type connections (for which the curvature is entirely determined by the Ricci tensor) is described in detail, as well as its far-reaching generalization to special connections. A twistorial construction shows a relation between Ricci-type connections and complex geometry. We give a construction of Ricci-flat symplectic connections. We end up by presenting, through an explicit example, an approach to non-commutative symplectic symmetric spaces.
VARIATIONAL CALCULUS, SYMMETRIES AND REDUCTION
Authors: LOPEZ C.
Published: May 2006

Variational Principles and Symmetries are both fundamental ingredients of the most relevant (either classical or modern) physical theories, and of many interesting models in Pure and Applied Mathematics. While the variational principle determines the law (differential and sometimes algebraic equations) of the dynamics, the symmetries give way to reduction. Noether's theorem connects some symmetries with constants of the motion in the framework of Lagrangian (point symmetries) or Hamiltonian (canonical symmetries) systems, becoming a powerful tool in the reduction process. This entanglement between variational principles and symmetries is the source of a very rich machinery that holds outstanding mathematical beauty and physical interpretations; however, it sometimes generates misunderstandings about the different roles played by each of these geometric ingredients in the framework of the theory. The aim of this paper is to review some basic facts about the geometric anatomy and physiology of classical dynamical systems ruled by a variational principle and subject to symmetries, distilling the inherited properties of the system according to its cause. A brief discussion of some illustrative examples accompany the exposition to enhance the main ideas.
THE HAMILTON–JACOBI EQUATION ON LIE AFFGEBROIDS
Authors: MARRERO J. C. , SOSA D.
Published: May 2006

The Hamilton–Jacobi equation for a Hamiltonian section on a Lie affgebroid is introduced and some examples are discussed.
Listeria-like Motion of Oil Droplets
Authors: Toyota Taro , Tsuha Hirotatsu , Yamada Koji , Takakura Katsuto , Ikegami Takashi , Sugawara Tadashi
Published: May 2006

Self-propelling movement of oil droplets associated with formation of giant vesicles on/in the surface of an oil droplet at the site opposite that of the direction of motion was observed. Fluorescence microscopic study using a synthesized fluorescent indicator confirmed that formation of the vesicular molecule occurred through the coupling reaction between a reactive lipophile and a micellar amphiphile in an aqueous dispersion.
Leptin Predicts BMD and Bone Resorption in Older Women but Not Older Men: The Rancho Bernardo Study
Authors: Weiss Lauren A , Barrett-Connor Elizabeth , von Mühlen Denise , Clark Patricia
Published: May 2006

We studied the relation of leptin to bone, bone loss, and bone turnover in community-dwelling men and women. Leptin predicted higher BMD and lower bone turnover only in women. Leptin was not associated with 4-year bone loss in either sex.

Introduction: Leptin, the protein product of the obesity (OB) gene produced in fat tissue, was originally thought to be involved only in the regulation of food intake and energy balance. Recent evidence suggests that leptin may play a role in the pathophysiology of several chronic diseases. Studies of the association between leptin and bone have been numerous yet inconclusive. Only one previous longitudinal study has been reported, which showed no association of leptin with BMD after adjusting for body size.

Materials and Methods: We report the association of serum leptin with BMD at the hip, spine, and midshaft radius in community-dwelling men (n = 498) and nonestrogen-using postmenopausal women (n = 411) 45–92 years of age. Serum leptin was measured in blood obtained between 1984 and 1987. Between 1988 and 1991, BMD was measured at the midshaft radius by single photon absorptiometry and at the femoral neck, total hip, and lumbar spine by DXA; at the same visit, height, weight, and body fat (by bioelectrical impedance analysis) were measured, and bone resorption was assessed in a subset of men (n = 286) and women (n = 241) using urine N-telopeptide (NTX). Four years later, axial BMD was remeasured in 536 participants. Sex-specific associations of leptin with BMD, NTX, and bone loss were tested using regression analysis.

Results: In unadjusted analyses, leptin was associated with BMD at the femoral neck, total hip, lumbar spine, and midshaft radius in both sexes (p < 0.01). In multiple regression analyses, adjusted for age, BMI, and other bone-related factors, only women showed a graded stepwise positive association between serum leptin and BMD at all sites and a negative stepwise association with NTX (all p for trend < 0.01). Baseline leptin levels did not predict 4-year bone loss in either sex.

Conclusions: A favorable dose-dependent leptin–BMD association unexplained by obesity was observed only in women. The reason for the sex difference is unknown.
Mikroakustische Sensoren – von chemischen zu elektrischen Signalen (Microwave Acoustic Sensors – from Chemical to Electrical Signals)
Authors: Fischerauer Gerhard
Published: May 2006

Massensensitive Chemosensoren reagieren mit Frequenzänderungen auf die selektive Sorption von Molekülen. Hier wird das Systemverhalten solcher Sensoren im diffusionsbestimmten Regime analysiert. Es wird ein modellbasiertes Verfahren zur Prädiktion der stationären Sensorantwort und damit zur Verkürzung der effektiven Antwortzeit abgeleitet.
Fate of centrosomes following somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) in bovine oocytes
Authors: Dai Yunping , Wang Lili , Wang Haiping , Liu Ying , Li Ning , Lyu Qifeng , Keefe David L , Albertini David F , Liu Lin
Published: May 2006

Cloning mammalians by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) remains inefficient. A majority of clones produced by SCNT fail to develop properly and of those which do survive, some exhibit early aging, premature death, tumors, and other pathologies associated with aneuploidy. Alterations of centrosomes are linked to aberrant cell cycle progression, aneuploidy, and tumorigenesis in many cell types. It remains to be determined how centrosomes are remodeled in cloned bovine embryos. We show that abnormalities in either distribution and/or number of centrosomes were evident in approximately 50% of reconstructed embryos following SCNT. Moreover, centrosome abnormalities and failed ‘pronuclear’ migration which manifested during the first cell cycle coincided with errors in spindle morphogenesis, chromosome alignment, and cytokinesis. By contrast, nuclear mitotic apparatus protein (NuMA) exhibited normal expression patterns at metaphase spindle poles and in ‘pronucleus’ during interphase. The defects in centrosome remodeling and ‘pronuclear’ migration could lead to chromosome instability and developmental failures associated with embryo production by SCNT. Addressing these fundamental problems may enhance production of normal clones.
Associations between Surficial Sediments and Groundfish Distributions in the Gulf of Maine–Georges Bank Region
Authors: Methratta Elizabeth T. , Link Jason S.
Published: May 2006

The delineation of essential fish habitat is an important element of contemporary fisheries management. Although local-scale species–habitat relationships have been established for some managed species, we lack an understanding of these associations at the synoptic spatial scales on which fish populations and their associated fisheries operate. Interest in habitat delineations has been elevated further by an increased awareness of ongoing habitat degradation caused by mobile fishing gears and by the advancement of spatial management tools. Here we examine the associations between surficial sediment grain size and groundfish distributions in the Gulf of Maine–Georges Bank region. The mean abundances for 58 demersal fish species were determined for a spatial cell grid (185.2 km2 per cell), which was subsequently joined to a spatially referenced sediment database in a geographical information systems environment. Multivariate statistical methods were then used to examine how fish distribution and abundance varied with substrate grain size. Of the 58 species examined, 12 were consistently associated with particular substrate types. Atlantic cod Gadus morhua, longhorn sculpin Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus, sea raven Hemitripterus americanus, and winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus were consistently abundant in large-grained substrate types, whereas white hake Urophycis tenuis, goosefish Lophius americanus, red hake U. chuss, silver hake Merluccius bilinearis, witch flounder Glyptocephalus cynoglossus, and American plaice Hippoglossoides platessoides were consistently abundant in fine-grained substrates. Little skate Leucoraja erinacea was most abundant in sediments of intermediate grain size. Although broadly distributed, spring dogfish Squalus acanthias consistently distinguished assemblages in fine-grained sediments. Given that we were able to detect even weak associations and that these relationships were consistent with local-scale studies, we recommend using these relationships to further refine essential fish habitat and that they be given more weight in this and similar temperate ecosystems.
Selective Isolation of Mammalian Genes by TAR Cloning
Authors: Kouprina Natalay , Larionov Vladimir
Published: May 2006

Transformation‐associated recombination (TAR) cloning provides a unique tool for selective isolation of desired chromosome segments and full‐size genes from complex genomes in the form of a circular yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) up to 250 kb in size. The method has a broad application for structural and functional genomics, long‐range haplotyping, mutational analysis of gene families, characterization of chromosomal rearrangements, and evolutionary studies. This unit describes a procedure for gene isolation by TAR as well as a method for conversion of YAC‐TAR isolates into a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) form.
Modeling the partial nitrification in sequencing batch reactor for biomass adapted to high ammonia concentrations
Authors: Pambrun V. , Paul E. , Spérandio M.
Published: May 2006

Partial nitrification has proven to be an economic way for treatment of industrial N‐rich effluent, reducing oxygen and external COD requirements during nitrification/denitrification process. One of the key issues of this system is the intermediate nitrite accumulation stability. This work presents a control strategy and a modeling tool for maintaining nitrite build‐up. Partial nitrification process has been carried out in a sequencing batch reactor at 30°C, maintaining strong changing ammonia concentration in the reactor (sequencing feed). Stable nitrite accumulation has been obtained with the help of an on‐line oxygen uptake rate (OUR)‐based control system, with removal rate of 2 kg NH‐N · m−3/day and 90%–95% of conversion of ammonium into nitrite. A mathematical model, identified through the occurring biological reactions, is proposed to optimize the process (preventing nitrate production). Most of the kinetic parameters have been estimated from specific respirometric tests on biomass and validated on pilot‐scale experiments of one‐cycle duration. Comparison of dynamic data at different pH confirms that NH3 and NO should be considered as the true substrate of nitritation and nitratation, respectively. The proposed model represents major features: the inhibition of ammonia‐oxidizing bacteria by its substrate (NH3) and product (HNO2), the inhibition of nitrite‐oxidizing bacteria by free ammonia (NH3), the INFluence of pH. It appears that the model correctly describes the short‐term dynamics of nitrogenous compounds in SBR, when both ammonia oxidizers and nitrite oxidizers are present and active in the reactor. The model proposed represents a useful tool for process design and optimization. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Simultaneous lower and upper critical solution temperature‐type co‐nonsolvency behaviour exhibited in water–dioxane mixtures by linear copolymers and hydrogels containing N‐isopropylacrylamide and N,N‐dimethylacrylamide
Authors: Pagonis Konstantinos , Bokias Georgios
Published: May 2006

The co‐nonsolvency behaviour in water–dioxane mixtures of linear copolymers and hydrogels consisting of N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and N,N‐dimethylacrylamide (DMAM) was studied as a function of solvent composition and temperature. The composition of the copolymers, P(NIPAM‐co‐DMAMx), in DMAM units, x, varies from x = 0 up to x = 100%. It is shown that the copolymers combine the lower critical solution temperature (LCST)‐type co‐nonsolvency behaviour of poly‐NIPAM with the upper critical solution temperature (UCST)‐type co‐nonsolvency behaviour of poly‐DMAM. Depending on x, both the LCST‐ and UCST‐type co‐nonsolvency behaviour may be simultaneously observed in water‐rich and dioxane‐rich solvent mixtures, respectively. Due to this complex phase separation behaviour, the variation of the reduced viscosity of the linear copolymers, as well as the swelling–deswelling behaviour of the respective hydrogels, are shown to be temperature‐ and solvent‐sensitive. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry
Effects of exercise training on cardiac performance, exercise capacity and quality of life in patients with heart failure: A meta‐analysis
Authors: van Tol Benno A.F. , Huijsmans Rosalie J. , Kroon Dineke W. , Schothorst Maaike , Kwakkel Gert
Published: May 2006

Background

Despite major advances in pharmacological treatment of chronic heart failure (CHF), a number of patients still suffer from dyspnoea, fatigue, diminished exercise capacity and poor quality of life. It is in this context that exercise training is being intensively evaluated for any additional benefit in the treatment of CHF.

Aims

To determine the effect of exercise training in patients with CHF on cardiac performance, exercise capacity and health‐related quality of life. A meta‐analysis was performed to obtain this goal.

Methods and results

After including 35 randomised controlled trials, the methodological quality of each study was assessed, summary effect sizes (SESs) and the concomitant 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated for each outcome. Quantitative analysis showed statistically significant SESs, at rest, for diastolic blood pressure and end‐diastolic volume. During maximal exercise, significant SESs were found for systolic blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, peak oxygen uptake, anaerobic threshold and 6‐min walking test. The Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire improved by an average of 9.7 points.

Conclusions

Exercise training has clinically important effects on exercise capacity and HRQL, and may have small positive effects on cardiac performance during exercise.
p38‐MAP kinase activation followed by BIM induction is essential for glucocorticoid‐induced apoptosis in lymphoblastic leukemia cells
Authors: Lu Jianghua , Quearry Bonnie , Harada Hisashi
Published: May 2006

Glucocorticoids (GC) are common components in chemotherapeutic protocols for lymphoid malignancies. GC‐induced apoptosis requires the intrinsic, BCL‐2 family‐regulated pathway. Treatment of CCRF‐CEM (T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia) cells with the GC, dexamethasone (Dex), activates p38‐mitogen activated protein kinase (p38‐MAPK) and then induces mRNA transcription and synthesis levels of BIM, a BH3‐only pro‐apoptotic BCL‐2 family member. Dex‐induced apoptosis is dramatically inhibited by downregulation of BIM by shRNA or by pretreatment with a p38‐MAPK inhibitor, SB203580, which also reduces BIM induction. These findings indicate that BIM induction through p38‐MAPK activation is a critical pathway in GC‐induced cell death.
Idiopathic hypertrophic osteopathy in a cat
Authors: de Ocarino Natália Melo , Fukushima Fabíola B. , de Gomes Aléxis Matos , Bueno Daniela F. , de Oliveira Taismara Simas , Serakides Rogéria
Published: May 2006

This report describes the first case of idiopathic hypertrophic osteopathy (HO) in a cat. No causes for the bone pathology were found following evaluation of the physical and laboratory examinations (complete blood count, albumin, creatinine, urea, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and γ-glutamyltransferase and urinalysis), and after histopathological evaluation of organs at necropsy. Based on the radiographic, clinical and anatomopathological findings, idiopathic HO was diagnosed.
EXTENDING A RESULT OF RYAN ON WEAKLY COMPACT OPERATORS
Authors: Saitô Kazuyuki , Wright J. D. Maitland
Published: May 2006

An elegant result of Ryan gives a characterization of weakly compact operators from a Banach space $A$ into $c_{0}(X)$, the space of null sequences in a Banach space $X$. It would be a useful tool if the analogue of Ryan’s result were valid when $c_{0}(X)$ is replaced by $c(X)$, the space of convergent sequences in $X$. This seems plausible and has been assumed to be true by some authors. Unfortunately, it is false in general; Ylinen has produced a counterexample. But when $A$ is a $C^*$-algebra, or, more generally, when the dual of $A$ is weakly sequentially complete, we show that the desired extension of Ryan’s result does hold. The latter result turns out to be ‘best possible’.
Civil Courage and Helping Behavior
Authors: Greitemeyer Tobias , Fischer Peter , Kastenmüller Andreas , Frey Dieter
Published: May 2006

The present research reveals that people's implicit theories of civil courage and helping behavior are clearly distinguishable. In three studies, it was shown that situations requiring civil courage rather than helping assistance were perceived more quickly and were associated with greater perceived responsibility, less perceived intervention skills, a lower degree of expected positive social consequences, a higher degree of expected negative social consequences, a higher salience of societal norms, more evaluation apprehension, anger, and more empathy. Moreover, results revealed that the decisions on whether or not to engage in either civil courage or helping behavior are differentially influenced by perceived responsibility (the influence was greater for the decision to help than for the decision to show civil courage) and empathy (empathy was only important for the decision to help, but not for the decision to show civil courage). Implications of these results are discussed and the question of whether the determinants of helping behavior are also responsible for civil courage is pursued in detail.
1,3-Dipolar Cycloadditions of a Chiral Oxazolidinone With Nitrones and Nitrile Oxides
Authors: Pyne SG , Safaei-G J , Skelton BW , White AH
Published: May 2006

The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions of the chiral oxazolidinone (1) and nitrones are highly regioselective and only 5,5-disubstituted isoxazolidine adducts are formed. These reactions occur under equilibrating conditions to give the more stable adducts that result from addition to the exocyclic methylene of (1) from the sterically more hindered π-face. The endo adducts are generally thermodynamically favoured. In one case the novel azetidine (21) was formed from the treatment of the adduct (4a) with palladium hydroxide on carbon under a hydrogen atmosphere. The major adducts from the reaction of (1) and nitrile oxides (16a,b) had the expected stereochemistry, addition of the 1,3-dipole having occurred from the less hindered π-face of the exocyclic methylene of (1). The stereochemistry of many of these products has been elucidated by single-crystal X-ray structural determinations.
A Simple, Mild Synthesis of 3-Aryl-2-methylidene-3-(p-tolylsulfonylamino)propanoates
Authors: Campi EM , Holmes A , Perlmutter P , Teo CC
Published: May 2006

A mild synthesis of 3-aryl-2-methylidene-3-( tosylamino ) propanoates is described. The potential utility of these products is demonstrated by a simple preparation of the ethyl esters of syn- and anti-3-amino-2-methyl-3-phenylpropanoic acid.