bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rigid thermosetting liquid molding resins from renewable resources. II. Copolymers of soybean oil monoglyceride maleates with neopentyl glycol and bisphenol A maleates
Authors: Can E. , Küsefoğlu S. , Wool R. P.
Published: August 2002

Soybean oil monoglycerides (SOMG), obtained by the glycerolysis of soybean oil, were reacted with maleic anhydride to produce SOMG maleate half esters. The copolymers of the SOMG maleates with styrene produced rigid thermosetting polymers. The dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) of this polymer showed a glass‐transition temperature (Tg) around 133°C and a storage modulus (E′) value around 0.94 GPa at 35°C. The tensile tests performed on this polymer showed a tensile strength of 29.36 MPa and a tensile modulus of 0.84 GPa. Mixtures of SOMG with neopentyl glycol (NPG) and SOMG with bisphenol A (BPA) were also maleinized under the same reaction conditions and the resulting maleates were then copolymerized with styrene. The resulting polymers were analyzed for their mechanical properties. The Tg of the copolymers of the SOMG/NPG maleates with styrene was 145°C and the E′ value at 35°C was 2 GPa. The tensile strength of this polymer as calculated from the stress–strain data was 15.65 MPa and the tensile modulus was 1.49 GPa. The Tg of the copolymers of SOMG/BPA maleates, on the other hand, was found to be around 131°C and the E′ value was 1.34 GPa at 35°C. The changes observed in the mechanical properties of the resulting polymers with the introduction of NPG maleates and BPA maleates to the SOMG maleates can be explained by the structural changes on the polymer backbone. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 83: 972–980, 2002
Leaping lopsided: A review of the current hypotheses regarding etiologies of limb malformations in frogs
Authors: Loeffler I. Kati , Stocum David L. , Fallon John F. , Meteyer Carol U.
Published: August 2002

Recent progress in the investigation of limb malformations in free‐living frogs has underlined the wide range in the types of limb malformations and the apparent spatiotemporal clustering of their occurrence. Here, we review the current understanding of normal and abnormal vertebrate limb development and regeneration and discuss some of the molecular events that may bring about limb malformation. Consideration of the differences between limb development and regeneration in amphibians has led us to the hypothesis that some of the observed limb malformations come about through misdirected regeneration. We report the results of a pilot study that supports this hypothesis. In this study, the distal aspect of the right hindlimb buds of X. laevis tadpoles was amputated at the pre–foot paddle stage. The tadpoles were raised in water from a pond in Minnesota at which 7% of surveyed newly metamorphosed feral frogs had malformations. Six percent (6 of 100) of the right limbs of the tadpoles raised in pond water developed abnormally. One truncated right limb was the only malformation in the control group, which was raised in dechlorinated municipal water. All unamputated limbs developed normally in both groups. Three major factors under consideration for effecting the limb malformations are discussed. These factors include environmental chemicals (primarily agrichemicals), encysted larvae (metacercariae) of trematode parasites, and increased levels of ultraviolet light. Emphasis is placed on the necessary intersection of environmental stressors and developmental events to bring about the specific malformations that are observed in free‐living frog populations. Anat Rec (New Anat) 265:228–245, 2001. Published 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Autonomic innervation of the human cardiac conduction system: Changes from infancy to senility—An immunohistochemical and histochemical analysis
Authors: Chow Louis Tsun Cheung , Ming Chow Sharron Sau , Anderson Robert H. , Gosling John A.
Published: August 2002

In order to study the changes in the pattern of autonomic innervation of the human cardiac conduction system in relation to age, the innervation of the conduction system of 24 human hearts (the age of the individuals ranged from newborn to 80 years), freshly obtained at autopsy, was evaluated by a combination of immunofluorescence and histochemical techniques. The pattern of distribution and density of nerves exhibiting immunoreactivity against protein gene product 9.5 (PGP), a general neural marker, dopamine β‐hydroxylase (DBH) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), indicators for presumptive sympathetic neural tissue, and those demonstrating positive acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, were studied. All these nerves showed a similar pattern of distribution and developmental changes. The density of innervation, assessed semiquantitatively, was highest in the sinus node, and exhibited a decreasing gradient through the atrioventricular node, penetrating and branching bundle, to the bundle branches. Other than a paucity of those showing AChE activity, nerves were present in substantial quantities in infancy. They then increased in density to a maximum in childhood, at which time the adult pattern was achieved and then gradually decreased in density in the elders to a level similar to or slightly less than that in infancy. In contrast, only scattered AChE‐positive nerves were found in the sinus and atrioventricular nodes, but were absent from the bundle branches of the infant heart, whereas these conduction tissues themselves possessing a substantial amount of pseudocholinesterase. During maturation into adulthood, however, the conduction tissues gradually lost their content of pseudocholinesterase but acquired a rich supply of AChE‐positive nerves, comparable in density to those of DBH and TH nerves. The decline in density of AChE‐positive nerves in the conduction tissues in the elders was also similar to those of DBH and TH nerves. Our findings of initial sympathetic dominance in the neural supply to the human cardiac conduction system in infancy, and its gradual transition into a sympathetic and parasympathetic codominance in adulthood, correlate well with the physiologic alterations known to occur in cardiac rate during postnatal development. The finding of reduction in density of innervation of the conduction tissue with ageing is also in agreement with clinical and electrophysiological findings such as age‐associated reduction in cardiac response to parasympathetic stimulation. Finally, our findings also support the hypothesis that, in addition to the para‐arterial route, the parafascicular route of extension along the conduction tissue constitutes another pathway for the innervation of the conduction system of the human heart during development. Anat Rec 264:169–182, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Male accessory gland derived factors can stimulate oogenesis and enhance oviposition in Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Authors: Jin Zhao‐Yang , Gong He
Published: August 2002

In Helicoverpa armigera, female moths began to lay eggs on the third day after emergence. Mating stimulated earlier egg maturation/oogenesis (P = 0.002) and oviposition (P << 0.01). We established a suitable bioassay model for the influence of male accessory glands (MAG) on the physiology of virgin females: Crude extracts of MAG (2‐ to 3‐day‐old) were injected into 2‐day‐old virgin females, and the injected females were dissected 20 h after mating. It was shown that crude extracts of MAG stimulated earlier egg maturation (P < 0.001) and oviposition (the oviposition ratio was more than 2 times the ratio of the control). Proteinaceous components in crude extracts purified by fractionation and sub‐fractionation in reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography also stimulated earlier egg maturation (P < 0.01) and ovipositon (more than 2 times the ratio of the control), and we called them the oogenesis and ovipostion factors (OOSF). With SDS‐PAGE, the molecular mass of the bands from OOSF was estimated to be between 55–66 KD. Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 46:175–185, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Urea as a passive transport marker for arthritis biomarker studies
Authors: Kraus Virginia B. , Huebner Janet L. , Fink Christian , King Jeffrey B. , Brown Spencer , Vail T. Parker , Guilak Farshid
Published: August 2002

Objective

To develop a method to correct for the unknown dilution of synovial fluid that occurs during lavage of a joint, we evaluated the utility of urea, a molecule that is neither synthesized nor metabolized by joint tissues, as a means of correcting for the dilutional effects of lavage procedures and effusions.

Methods

Joint fluids were obtained from normal canine joints by direct aspiration (n = 41) and lavage (n = 10). Acute joint injury was induced in 4 joints by intraarticular injection of chymopapain. Serum and joint fluid levels of urea and joint fluid concentrations of glucose, lactate, cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), and keratan sulfate (KS) were measured in these 55 joints.

Results

Urea concentrations in joint fluid were directly proportional to those in serum throughout a wide range of concentrations in normal joints. From this relationship, the dilution factor introduced by joint lavage was determined. This method was applied to quantify biomarker concentrations in synovial lavage fluid and was found to successfully correct for lavage‐induced dilution of glucose, lactate, COMP, and KS to levels equivalent to those in samples aspirated directly. In the context of chymopapain‐induced joint effusion, urea concentrations continued to be proportional to serum concentrations, but were much lower, enabling an estimation of the change in the volume of distribution (Vd) of a marker due to a change in joint water content in the setting of inflammation characterized by effusion. Lactate and KS levels rose markedly in response to chymopapain. After adjustment for the Vd, the glucose concentration in the chymopapain‐injected joints did not change.

Conclusion

Urea provides a robust method of quantifying and correcting for the dilution of synovial fluid due to joint lavage or inflammation. This method is potentially applicable to surrogate marker studies in human arthritis.
Inflammation is preceded by tumor necrosis factor‐dependent infiltration of mesenchymal cells in experimental arthritis
Authors: Marinova‐Mutafchieva L. , Williams R. O. , Funa K. , Maini R. N. , Zvaifler N. J.
Published: August 2002

Objective

To determine the involvement of mesenchymal progenitor cells in the induction of collagen‐induced arthritis (CIA).

Methods

DBA/1 mice were immunized with type II collagen in adjuvant or adjuvant alone, and the presence of mesenchymal cells in the joints of prearthritic mice was studied by immunohistochemistry.

Results

An analysis of the joints on day 10 postimmunization (at least 10 days before the onset of arthritis) revealed synovial hyperplasia without leukocytic infiltration. Large, round cells expressing bone morphogenetic protein receptors (BMPRs), which serve as markers for primitive mesenchymal cells, were present in increased numbers in the bone marrow adjacent to the joint, in the synovium itself, and within enlarged bone canals that connect the bone marrow to the synovium. Similar changes were observed in mice given adjuvant without collagen. Adjuvant‐induced infiltration of BMPR+ cells and enlargement of bone canals were abrogated by anti‐tumor necrosis factor (anti‐TNF) treatment and were absent in TNFR p55/p75−/− mice. Increased numbers of bone marrow cells and enlarged bone canals were observed in nonimmunized TNF transgenic mice (which spontaneously develop arthritis).

Conclusion

These findings suggest that in CIA, there is an antigen‐independent (innate) prearthritic phase that prepares the joint for the subsequent immune‐mediated arthritis. The induction phase involves marrow‐derived mesenchymal cells and requires the presence of TNF.
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of intravenous bumetanide in mutant nagase analbuminemic rats: importance of globulin binding for the pharmacodynamic effects
Authors: Kim Eun J. , Lee Myung G.
Published: August 2002

The importance of plasma protein binding of intravenous furosemide in circulating blood for its urinary excretion and hence its diuretic effects in mutant Nagase analbuminemic rats was reported. Based on the furosemide report, the diuretic effects of another loop diuretic, bumetanide, could be expected in analbuminemic rats if plasma protein binding of bumetanide is considerable in the rats. This was proved by this study. After intravenous administration of bumetanide, 10 mg/kg, to analbuminemic rats, the plasma protein binding of bumetanide was 36.8% in the rats mainly due to considerable binding to α‐ and β‐globulins (this value, 36.8%, was considerably greater than only 12% for furosemide), and hence the percentages of intravenous dose of bumetanide excreted in 6 h urine as unchanged drug was 16.0% in the rat (this value was considerably greater than only 7% for furosemide). After intravenous administration of bumetanide to analbuminemic rats, the area under the plasma concentration–time curve from time zero to time infinity (1012 compared with 2472 μg min/mL) was significantly smaller [due to significantly faster both renal clearance (1.49 compared with 0.275 ml/min/kg) and nonrenal clearance (8.30 compared with 3.71 ml/min/kg)], terminal half‐life (9.94 compared with 22.4 min) and mean residence time (4.25 compared with 5.90 min) were significantly shorter (due to faster total body clearance, 9.88 compared with 4.05 ml/min/kg), and amount of 6 h urinary excretion of unchanged bumetanide (559 compared with 261 μg, due to increase in intrinsic renal excretion) was significantly greater than that in control rats. The 6 h urine output and 6 h urinary excretions of sodium, chloride and potassium were comparable between two groups of rats although the 6 h urinary excretion of bumetanide was significantly greater in analbuminemic rats. This could be explained by the following. The amount of urinary excretion of bumetanide was significantly greater in analbuminemic rats than that in control rats only between 0 and 30 min urine collection. In both groups of rats, the urinary excretion rates of bumetanide during 0–30 min reached a upper plateau with respect to urine flow rate as well urinary excretion rates of sodium, potassium and chloride, therefore, the diuretic effects (6 h urine output and 6 h urinary excretions of sodium, potassium and chloride) were not significantly different between two groups of rats. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The nature of robustness in development
Authors: Nijhout H.F.
Published: August 2002

A trait is robust to a genetic or environmental variable if its variation is weakly correlated with variation in that variable. The source of robustness lies in the fact that the developmental processes that give rise to complex traits are nonlinear. A consequence of this nonlinearity is that not all genes are equally correlated with the trait whose ontogeny they control. Here we explore how developmental mechanisms determine and alter the correlation structure between genes and the traits that they control. A formula is developed by which the correlation of a gene or environmental variable with a trait can be calculated if the mechanism that gives rise to the trait is known. The nature of robustness and the ways in which robustness can evolve are discussed in the context of the problems that arise in the analysis of inherently nonlinear systems. BioEssays 24:553–563, 2002. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Brachyury, the blastopore and the evolution of the mesoderm
Authors: Technau Ulrich
Published: August 2002

The role of Brachyury and other T‐box genes in the differentiation of mesoderm and endoderm of vertebrates is well established. Recently, homologues of Brachyury have been isolated from an increasing number of diverse organisms ranging from Cnidaria to vertebrates and insects. Comparative expression and function analysis allows the origin of the mesoderm and the evolution of the developmental role of Brachyury gene family in metazoans to be traced. The data suggest that an ancestral function of Brachyury was to designate a blastoporal region that had distinct properties in induction and axis elongation. A subset of blastoporal cells expressing Brachyury and other genes that convey specific mesodermal functions may have segregated as a distinct cell population from this region in the course of mesoderm evolution. BioEssays 23:788–794, 2001. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Turtles as hopeful monsters
Authors: Rieppel Olivier
Published: August 2002

A recently published study on the development of the turtle shell(1) highlights the important role that development plays in the origin of evolutionary novelties(1). The evolution of the highly derived adult anatomy of turtles is a prime example of a macroevolutionary event triggered by changes in early embryonic development. Early ontogenetic deviation may cause patterns of morphological change that are not compatible with scenarios of gradualistic, stepwise transformation. BioEssays 23:987–991, 2001. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A comparison of whole blood neutrophil chemiluminescence measured with cuvette and microtitre plate luminometers
Authors: Lojek Antonín , Kubala Lukás̆ , C̆íz̆ová Hana , C̆íz̆ Milan
Published: August 2002

Results obtained by measuring human whole blood neutrophil chemiluminescence (CL) using the BioOrbit 1251 cuvette luminometer and the Immunotech LM‐01T microtitre plate luminometer are compared in this study. Opsonized zymosan, phorbol myristate acetate, N‐formyl–Met–Leu–Phe and calcium ionophore A23187 were used as activators. The CL response of neutrophils to their stimulation with the individual types of activators tested was fully detectable using either type of the luminometers. The kinetic curves of CL activity obtained from both the cuvette and the microtitre plate luminometers had similar characteristics. The only insignificant difference observed when comparing the kinetic curves was in the rates of the CL reactions. The peak CL response of activated neutrophils was reached faster when using the luminometer BioOrbit 1251 than with the luminometer Immunotech LM‐01T. A likely reason for this difference is the mode of transporting samples during the measurement, inducing different degrees of agitation. However, although this fact needs to be considered when interpreting results, both types of luminometer can be fully utilized in both research and clinical laboratories. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influence of structure of human, rat, and bovine serum albumins on binding properties of photoactive drug hypericin
Authors: Hritz Jozef , Kascakova Slavka , Ulicny Jozef , Miskovsky Pavol
Published: August 2002

Fluorescence binding measurements and molecular modeling were employed to study the interaction of hypericin (Hyp) with human (HSA), rat (RSA), and bovine (BSA) serum albumins. Fluorescence emission data show the solubility of Hyp increasing in the order BSA, HSA, and RSA. Molecular modeling was used to construct the detailed structural models of the complexes and to explain the differences in the binding properties of Hyp. It was shown that the structures of Hyp/HSA and Hyp/RSA complexes are more similar and in some aspects different from those found for the Hyp/BSA complex. The role of the amino acid sequence in the IIA subdomains of HSA, RSA, and BSA is discussed to explain the observed differences. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Biospectroscopy) 67: 251–254, 2002
Sensitivity analysis of a biofilm model describing a one‐stage completely autotrophic nitrogen removal (CANON) process
Authors: Hao Xiaodi , Heijnen Joseph J. , van Loosdrecht Mark C. M.
Published: August 2002

A mathematical model for nitrification and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) processes in a single biofilm reactor (CANON) was developed. This model describes completely autotrophic conversion of ammonium to dinitrogen gas. Aerobic ammonium and nitrite oxidation were modeled together with ANAMMOX. The sensitivity of kinetic constants and biofilm and process parameters to the process performance was evaluated, and the total effluent concentrations were, in general, found to be insensitive to affinity constants. Increasing the amount of biomass by either increasing biofilm thickness and density or decreasing porosity had no significant influence on the total effluent concentrations, provided that a minimum total biomass was present in the reactor. The ANAMMOX process always occurred in the depth of the biofilm provided that the oxygen concentration was limiting. The optimal dissolved oxygen concentration level at which the maximum nitrogen removal occurred is related to a certain ammonium surface load on the biofilm. An ammonium surface load of 2 g N/m2 · d, associated with a dissolved oxygen concentration level of 1.3 g O2/m3 in the bulk liquid and with a minimum biofilm depth of 1 mm seems a proper design condition for the one‐stage ammonium removal process. Under this condition, the ammonium removal efficiency is 94% (82% for the total nitrogen removal efficiency) (30°C). Better ammonium removal could be achieved with an increase in the dissolved oxygen concentration level, but this would strongly limit the ANAMMOX process and decrease total nitrogen removal. It can be concluded that a one‐stage process is probably not optimal if a good nitrogen effluent is required. A two‐stage process like the combined SHARON and ANAMMOX process would be advised for complete nitrogen removal. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 77: 266–277, 2002.
Evaluation of the performance of immobilized penicillin G acylase using active‐site titration
Authors: Janssen Michiel H. A. , van Langen Luuk M. , Pereira Silvia R. M. , Rantwijk Fred van , Sheldon Roger A.
Published: August 2002

Penicillin G acylase from Escherichia coli was immobilized on Eupergit® C with different enzyme loading. The activity of the immobilized preparations was assayed in the hydrolysis of penicillin G and was found to be much lower than would be expected on the basis of the residual enzyme activity in the immobilization supernatant. Active‐site titration demonstrated that the immobilized enzyme molecules on average had turnover rates much lower than that of the dissolved enzyme. This was attributed to diffusion limitations of substrate and product inhibition. Indeed, when the immobilized preparations were crushed, the activity increased from 587 U g−1 to up to 974 U g−1. The immobilized preparations exhibited up to 15% lower turnover rates than the dissolved enzyme in cephalexin synthesis from 7‐ADCA and d‐(−)‐phenylglycine amide. The synthesis over hydrolysis ratios of the immobilized preparations were also much lower than that of the dissolved enzyme. This was partly due to diffusion limitations but also to an intrinsic property of the immobilized enzyme because the synthesis over hydrolysis ratio of the crushed preparations was much lower than that of the dissolved enzyme. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 78: 425–432, 2002.
Location of crosslinks in chemically stabilized horseradish peroxidase: Implications for design of crosslinks
Authors: O'Brien Anne Marie , Ó'Fágáin Ciarán , Nielsen Per F. , Welinder Karen G.
Published: August 2002

The bifunctional compound, ethylene‐glycol bis(N‐hydroxysuccinimidylsuccinate) (EGNHS), stabilizes horseradish peroxidase C (HRP) by reaction with the enzyme's lysine residues. In this study we compare native and modified HRP by proteolytic fragmentation, peptide sequencing, and mass spectroscopy, and identify the sites of modification. Most significantly, EGNHS is shown to form a crosslink between Lys232 and Lys241 of HRP and modifies Lys174 without formation of a crosslink. These findings are in agreement with the lysine side‐chain reactivities predicted from the surface accessibility of the amino groups, and the maximal span of 16 Å of the EGNHS crosslinker. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 76: 277–284, 2001.
Detection of oxidative stress. Interest of GC‐MS for malondialdehyde and formaldehyde monitoring
Authors: Maboudou P. , Mathieu D. , Bachelet H. , Wiart J. F. , Lhermitte M.
Published: August 2002

Ischemia–reperfusion syndrome is a condition where the role of oxygen free radicals is important. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and formaldehyde (FA), products of lipid peroxidation, are the presumptive markers for the development of oxidative stress in tissues and plasmas. A GC‐MS method for the determination of MDA and FA in rat brain extract is described. Rat brains were homogenized with deionized water. The homogenates were derivatized with 2,4‐dinitrophenylhydrazone (DNPH) to obtain hydrazines derivatives of MDA and FA. The hydrazine derivatives were analyzed by GC‐MS and quantitation was by single ion monitoring (SIM). The retention times of FA and MDA were, respectively, 13.75 and 14.20 min, and for SIM quantitation, ion at m/z 210 for FA, and m/z 158 for MDA were used. The results showed that it is possible to estimate the products of lipid peroxidation in brain and to monitor the oxidative stress developed during the ischemia–reperfusion syndrome compared to the normal values. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Patterns of connections between the musculocutaneous and median nerves in the axilla and arm
Authors: Choi David , Rodríguez‐Niedenführ Marc , Vázquez Teresa , Parkin Ian , Sañudo José R.
Published: August 2002

Variations in connections between the musculocutaneous and median nerves in the arm are not as uncommon as was once thought. This opinion led us to perform a study in 138 cadavers (66 male, 72 female). These variations were seen in 64 cadavers (46.4%), 9 bilaterally and 55 unilaterally (26 right and 29 left); in total, therefore, variations were observed in 73 out of 276 arms (26.4%), 42 male and 31 female. No statistically significant differences by gender and side were observed. We classify the variations in three main patterns: Pattern 1, fusion of both nerves (14 arms, 19.2%); Pattern 2, presence of one supplementary branch between both nerves (53 arms, 72.6%); and Pattern 3, two branches (5 arms, 6.8%). Pattern 2 was further subdivided into a sub‐group 2a when a single root from the musculocutaneous nerve contributed to the connection (51 arms, 69.9%), and 2b when there were two roots from the musculocutaneous nerve (2 arms, 2.7%). A combination of Patterns 1 and 2a was observed in one case (1.4%). Further variations are described, published classification systems are reviewed and a meta‐analysis of previous results is presented. An overall incidence of 33% of variant arms was observed. Of these variant arms, Pattern 1 represented 13.1%, Pattern 2 represented 75.4%, and Pattern 3, 8.5%, similar to our figures. Clin. Anat. 15:11–17, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Domestic violence: analysis of a community safety alarm system
Authors: Walker Steven
Published: August 2002

This paper presents the findings of an analysis of the trial period of a local authority community alarm system adapted to protect adult and child victims of domestic violence and enable them to remain living in their own homes. The system was augmented as a response to government guidance on promoting interagency initiatives to tackle the crime of domestic violence. Qualitative and quantitative research methods were employed to seek the perceptions and experiences of referrers, service users and potential service users in the context of the administration, resource implications and cost‐effectiveness of the new system. The evaluation discovered that potential service users were anxious about police and social services involvement in relation to child care. The system was considered to be protective, enabling women and children to remain in their own homes, and relatively cheap to operate. It has the potential to provide a deterrent to perpetrators and enhance interagency cooperation in protecting children, subject to further refinement and longer‐term evaluation. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Attachment representations and factitious illness by proxy: relevance for assessment of parenting capacity in child maltreatment
Authors: Adshead Gwen , Bluglass Kerry
Published: August 2002

The Department of Health assessment framework document indicates a need to assess parenting capacity in parents involved in child protection procedures. Parenting capacity includes an assessment of the parent's own experience of parenting as a child. In this paper, we present data from a pilot study of attachment representations in a sample of mothers exhibiting factitious illness by proxy behaviours. We suggest that attachment representations can help to explain how such mothers fail to care for their children, and argue that attachment theory generally is helpful for understanding how normal and abnormal caregiving behavioural systems develop. We conclude that it is useful to understand child maltreatment, at least in part, as a failure of caregiving in the parent as a result of parental insecurity of attachment. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A comparison of two programmes for victims of child sexual abuse: a treatment outcome study
Authors: Nolan Margretta , Carr Alan , Fitzpatrick Carol , O'Flaherty Anne , Keary Kay , Turner Rhonda , O'Shea Deirdre , Smyth Patricia , Tobin Genevieve
Published: August 2002

This study aimed to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of individual therapy and combined individual and group therapy in the treatment of the psychological sequelae of child sexual abuse. The Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL), the Youth Self Report form (YSR), the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC) were administered before treatment and 6 months later to a group of 20 young people who participated in individual therapy (IT) programmes and to a group of 18 young people who participated in programmes that involved combined individual and group therapy (IGT). For both types of programmes, statistically significant improvement occurred on the following scales: the total problems, internalizing problems, externalizing problems, withdrawn, somatic complaints, anxious/depressed, social problems, attention problems and aggressive behaviour problems CBCL scales; the total depression, interpersonal problems and anhedonia CDI scales; and the depression and anger TSCC scales. The only scale for which one therapy programme led to greater improvement than another was the CDI ineffectiveness scale. The IGT programme led to a reduction in the mean CDI ineffectiveness score, whereas a slight increase in the mean ineffectiveness score occurred in the IT group. There were no significant differences in the rates of clinically significant improvement associated with the two treatments and no major differences between cases who improved and those that did not improve over the course of therapy. From this study, it may be concluded that after 6 months, individual therapy and combined individual and group therapy were equally effective in the treatment of the psychological sequelae of child sexual abuse. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Assessing coronary blood flow dynamics with the TIMI frame count method: Comparison with simultaneous intracoronary Doppler and ultrasound
Authors: Tanedo Joel S. , Kelly Russell F. , Marquez Misael , Burns Durand E. , Klein Lloyd W. , Costanzo Maria Rosa , Parrillo Joseph E. , Hollenberg Steven M.
Published: August 2002

This study compared the TIMI frame count (TFC), which has been proposed as a method for quantifying coronary blood flow, with coronary flow and microvascular function measured with intracoronary Doppler and intracoronary ultrasound. Coronary blood flow volume was calculated from coronary blood velocity (by intracoronary Doppler) and lumen area (by intracoronary ultrasound) in the LAD in 46 post–heart transplant patients at baseline and after intracoronary adenosine. TFC correlated significantly with average peak coronary blood velocity (r = −0.42; P = 0.004) and coronary lumen area (r = 0.39; P = 0.008), but not with coronary blood flow volume (r = −0.01; P = 0.96) or the coronary flow reserve response to adenosine (r = 0.09; P = 0.58). In conclusion, TFC is a simple method of assessing coronary blood velocity but not volumetric flow. While TFC does not predict coronary flow reserve, as a measure of velocity it does provide an assessment of basal microvascular tone, information that is complementary to that afforded by flow reserve measurements. Cathet Cardiovasc Intervent 2001;53:459–463. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Meeting Review: Plant Bioinformatics at the NSF and NPGI (PAMGX Satellite) Meetings
Authors: Bruskiewich Richard
Published: August 2002

This brief meeting review summarizes the recommendations of NSF and NPGI funded bioinformaticians concerning the future requirements for plant bioinformatics systems and databases. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Myosin Va is locally synthesized following nerve injury
Authors: Calliari A. , Sotelo‐Silveira J. , Costa M.C. , Nogueira J. , Cameron L.C. , Kun A. , Benech J. , Sotelo J.R.
Published: August 2002

The presence of Myosin Va (an actin‐based molecular motor) in the peripheral nervous system was examined and its subcellular distribution within the axons of the sciatic nerve was demonstrated via immunocytochemistry. Myosin Va (M‐Va) in the nerve was detected by using SDS‐PAGE and Western blot techniques with a polyclonal antibody specifically raised against the M‐Va globular tail domain. In addition, purification of M‐Va from the rat sciatic nerve prior to immunoblotting yielded a M‐Va standard band. Likewise, optical immunocytochemical procedures revealed the presence of M‐Va, particularly in the cortical axoplasmic territory, but also in the Schwann cell soma. The above experiments were carried out both on intact as well as on severed sciatic nerves with similar results. The proximal stumps of severed sciatic nerves (from 0 to 72 h after injury) were labelled in vivo with 35S‐methionine. SDS‐PAGE autoradiography of the immunoabsorbed M‐Va from the radiolabelled homogenized nerve tissue showed a significant increment of the radioactive intensity of M‐Va heavy chain band through time. Moreover, a significant increment of transcripts coding for M‐Va heavy chain was detected through time using RT‐PCR after nerve injury and compared to intact nerves. This data suggest that M‐Va is up‐regulated in a time‐dependent manner. The latter suggests a possible involvement of M‐Va in nerve regeneration processes. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 51:169–176, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Immunotherapy for nonmelanoma skin cancer
Authors: Urosevic Mirjana , Dummer Reinhard
Published: August 2002

BACKGROUND

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin are the most common malignancies in the white human population, accounting for greater than 95% of nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSCs). Current data show an increasing incidence of NMSC in recent decades. Although the mortality is low, this cancer group is associated with substantial morbidity. Multiple treatment modalities are available for NMSC, with surgery being a “cornerstone” of current therapy approaches. However, in patients with multiple lesions or in cases of tumors on critical locations, disfigurement and the disease recurrence may represent a serious problem associated with the surgical treatment. The purpose of this study was to review and analyze whether NMSC could represent a target for immune therapy, evaluating the aspects of the availability of tumor antigens and the existence of tumor specific immune response, including a summary of the major clinical studies dealing with immunotherapy for NMSC.

METHODS

The authors have reviewed the available medical literature on NMSC, with a focus on tumor immunology and associated abnormalities, as well as immunotherapy‐based treatment trials.

RESULTS

The major advantage of NMSCs is that they arise from the skin, which makes them easily detectable and treatable. Furthermore, these tumors posses all the prerequisites, i.e., the presence of tumor‐associated antigens as well as the tumor specific immune response, needed for immune intervention. This also was confirmed in various studies demonstrating clinical efficacy of cytokines and other immune response modifiers.

CONCLUSIONS

In addition to clinical cure, by activating and stimulating patient's immune resources this therapeutic option may be a “silver bullet,” providing a long‐term protective immunity against initial tumor. Cancer 2002;94:477–85. © 2002 American Cancer Society.
Catheter‐related infection and thrombosis of the internal jugular vein in hematologic‐oncologic patients undergoing chemotherapy
Authors: Harter Christoph , Salwender Hans Jürgen , Bach Alfons , Egerer Gerlinde , Goldschmidt Hartmut , Ho Anthony D.
Published: August 2002

BACKGROUND

Catheter‐related venous thrombosis is one of the most frequent complications of central venous catheters (CVCs). This complication occurs in 4– 40% of patients with hematologic malignancies receiving conventional chemotherapy after placement of CVCs.

METHODS

The objective of this prospective study was to assess whether a silver‐coated CVC poses an additional risk in the development of catheter‐related thrombosis in hematologic‐oncologic patients. Patients were randomized to receive either silver‐coated polyurethane catheters (BactiGuard; Metacot, Stockholm, Sweden) or uncoated standard polyurethane catheters (Cavatheter, Fresenius AG, Bad Homburg, Germany) for central venous access. Silver‐coated catheters (n = 120) and standard catheters (n = 113) were inserted into the jugular vein in 233 consecutive patients. Variables that may be significant for the development of thrombosis were comparable in the two groups. After removal of the CVC, the patency of both jugularian veins internal as well as external was assessed with real‐time ultrasound (Sonolayer‐SAL‐35A; Toshiba, Tokyo, Japan).

RESULTS

Four of 233 patients (1.5%) were found to have venous thrombosis. Incomplete occlusion of the internal jugular vein occurred in 2 patients (0.75%, parietal thrombosis), and complete thrombosis, although clinically silent, was found in 2 patients (0.75%). There was no difference between patients with silver‐coated and uncoated CVCs.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors concluded that this novel silver‐coated CVC does not cause a higher rate of central venous thrombosis compared with standard CVCs. The low overall incidence of central venous thrombosis might be attributed to the routine application of low‐dose heparin in our patients during chemotherapeutic treatment. Cancer 2002;94:245–51. © 2002 American Cancer Society.
Quantitation of GD2 synthase mRNA by real‐time reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction
Authors: Cheung Irene Y. , Serena Lo Piccolo M. , Collins Nancy , Kushner Brian H. , Cheung Nai‐Kong V.
Published: August 2002

BACKGROUND

Antigen ganglioside GD2 is expressed abundantly on neuroblastoma (NB) cells. Anti‐GD2 monoclonal antibody (MoAb) 3F8 kills NB cells by complement‐dependent cytotoxicity and antibody‐dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Its utility in bone marrow (BM) purging is evaluated by a real‐time reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) assay to quantify the mRNA of GD2 synthase, the key enzyme in GD2 synthesis.

METHODS

From 1990 to 1993, 10 patients with relapsed/refractory Stage 4 NB participated in a pilot study. In these patients, MoAb 3F8 was used to purge tumor cells from harvested BM that had 5% or less tumor content by immunofluorescence (IF). Subsequently, 31 Stage 4 NB patients who underwent treatment on the N7 protocol (1994–1999) had their BM, which was in remission, purged by 3F8 before 131I‐3F8 myeloablative radioimmunotherapy. GD2‐positive tumor cells before and after purging were quantified by real‐time quantitative RT‐PCR of GD2 synthase.

RESULTS

GD2 positivity by IF was found before purging in six of eight patients in the pilot study. Five of six patients became negative postpurging. Of 31 patients on the N7 protocol, the more sensitive real‐time quantitative RT‐PCR detected GD2 synthase mRNA in the BM samples of 7 patients even though the prepurge BM samples were negative by histology and IF. Six of the seven BM samples became negative after 3F8 purging. Marker positivity before purging was statistically significant in predicting overall survival (P = 0.04), but not progression‐free survival (P = 0.1). In vitro hematopoietic stem cell recovery and the median time to engraftment were acceptable.

CONCLUSION

Tumor cell depletion quantified by real‐time RT‐PCR demonstrated efficacy of MoAb 3F8 in BM purging. Cancer 2002;94:3042–8. © 2002 American Cancer Society.

DOI 10.1002/cncr.10519
Histologic indices in biopsy specimens for estimating the probability of extended local spread in patients with rectal carcinoma
Authors: Ueno Hideki , Mochizuki Hidetaka , Shinto Eiji , Hashiguchi Yojiro , Hase Kazuo , Talbot Ian C.
Published: August 2002

BACKGROUND

Although precise preoperative assessment of the extent of local cancer spread is important to determine the appropriate treatment strategy, imaging modalities have not been sufficient. The aim of this study was to establish effective preoperative indices that would predict the degree of local spread in patients with rectal carcinoma.

METHODS

In specimens from 437 patients with advanced rectal carcinoma, the submucosal horizontal invasive frontal region was examined histologically with reference to three unfavorable characteristics: 1) tumor “budding”, 2) poor differentiation, and 3) vascular invasion. In addition, a transanal submucosal biopsy, which targets the tumor edge, was performed on 85 patients to verify the utility of preoperative evaluation of these parameters.

RESULTS

Multivariate logistic analysis showed that three unfavorable parameters had independent impact on the degree of nodal involvement. These parameters related significantly to the number of lymph nodes involved, the development of extranodal tumor deposits, circumferential surgical margin involvement, and lateral pelvic lymph node metastases. Regarding patients without unfavorable parameters as a standard, the odds ratio of pelvic recurrence was 1.8 (0.9–3.4) in patients with one unfavorable parameter and 5.3 (2.7–10.2) in patients with multiple unfavorable parameters. Based on the transanal biopsy, the submucosal invasive frontal region could be estimated in 73 patients (85.9%). Among these cases, the multiple unfavorable parameters were relevant to an increased risk of extensive local spread. In addition, pelvic recurrence developed in 36% of patients with multiple unfavorable parameters (no‐risk patients, 5%; single‐risk patients, 13%).

CONCLUSION

Histology in the submucosal invasive frontal region reflects the extent of local spread and can be evaluated preoperatively by transanal biopsy, which should become a useful tool for therapy selection for patients with advanced rectal carcinoma. Cancer 2002;94:2882–91. © 2002 American Cancer Society.

DOI 10.1002/cncr.10551
Hippocampal dependent learning ability correlates with N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor levels in CA3 neurons of young and aged rats
Authors: Adams Michelle M. , Smith Thressa D. , Moga Diana , Gallagher Michela , Wang Yuehua , Wolfe Barry B. , Rapp Peter R. , Morrison John H.
Published: August 2002

Hippocampal N‐methyl‐D‐Aspartate (NMDA) receptors mediate mechanisms of cellular plasticity critical for spatial learning in rats. The present study examined the relationship between spatial learning and NMDA receptor expression in discrete neuronal populations, as well as the degree to which putative age‐related changes in NMDA receptors are coupled to the effects of normal aging on spatial learning. Young and aged Long‐Evans rats were tested in a Morris water maze task that depends on the integrity of the hippocampus. Levels of NR1, the obligatory subunit for a functional NMDA receptor, were subsequently quantified both biochemically by Western blot in whole homogenized hippocampus, and immunocytochemically by using a high‐resolution confocal laser scanning microscopy method. The latter approach allowed comprehensive, regional analysis of discrete elements of excitatory hippocampal circuitry. Neither method revealed global changes, nor were there region‐specific differences in hippocampal NR1 levels between young and aged animals. However, across all subjects, individual differences in spatial learning ability correlated with NR1 immunofluorescence levels selectively in CA3 neurons of the hippocampus. Parallel confocal microscopic analysis of the GluR2 subunit of the alpha‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazole proprionic acid (AMPA) receptor failed to reveal reliable differences as a function of age or spatial learning ability. This analysis linking age, performance, and NR1 levels demonstrates that although dendritic NR1 is generally preserved in the aged rat hippocampus, levels of this receptor subunit in selective elements of hippocampal circuitry are linked to spatial learning. These findings suggest that NMDA receptor abundance in CA3 bears a critical relationship to learning mediated by the hippocampus throughout the life span. J. Comp. Neurol. 432:230–243, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mono‐ and oligo‐vesicular synapses and their connectivity in a Cnidarian sensory epithelium (Coryne tubulosa)
Authors: Holtmann Mattias , Thurm Ulrich
Published: August 2002

The spherical end‐knobs of the tentacles of capitate hydropolyps are an evolutionarily early paradigm of a chemo‐ and mechanosensory epithelium composed of four types of sensory cells and one type of chemo‐mechanosensitive nematocytes (stinging cells), all separated by supporting cells. The epithelium discriminates sites and compositions of stimuli and induces various kinds of behavior. Recent electrophysiological studies demonstrated rapid chemo‐synaptic signal transmission of nematocytes and mechanosensory hair cells, graded in amplitude and duration. The present electron microscopic work, applying serial sectioning, analyses the ultrastructural basis of signal transmission and efference control in the tentacular spheres of Coryne tubulosa, a species also used in preceding studies. Neurites of sensory cells and of proximal ganglion cells constitute a nerve plexus at the base of the ectodermal cells. No ganglion cells are located within the spheres. Chemical synapses of the usual configuration connect neurites or are efferent to nematocytes and hair cells. Each of these synapses contains only 3–10 clear and/or dense‐core vesicles of 70–150 nm diameter (oligo‐vesicular synapses). For the graded afferent signal transmission of nematocytes and hair cells, the only candidates are regularly occurring zones of neurite contacts at the base of these cells. At their presynaptic side, mostly one (more seldom two to four) large vesicles (160–1100‐nm‐diameter magno‐vesicles) are attached to a surface membrane density. In order to reconcile structural and functional data, a transient fusion and partial depletion of stationary vesicles is considered for the release of transmitter in mono‐vesicular synapses, similar to recent findings for vertebrate endocrine secretion. The same principle is discussed for the usual oligo‐vesicular synapses of Cnidaria. J. Comp. Neurol. 432:537–549, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.