bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Primary histiocytic sarcoma arising in the head and neck with predominant spindle cell component
Authors: Alexiev Borislav A , Sailey Charles J , McClure Shawn A , Ord Robert A , Zhao XF , Papadimitriou John C
Published: February 2007

This is the first case report of Histiocytic Sarcoma (HS) with predominant spindle cell component occurring in the head and neck region of a 41-year-old man. The tumor was composed of sheets of large round to oval cells with pleomorphic vesicular nuclei, prominent nucleoli and abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm. Multinucleated forms, numerous mitoses, and tumor necrosis were also noted. Sheets, fascicles, and whorls of spindle cells with spindled to ovoid vesicular nuclei, small to medium-sized distinct nucleoli, and eosinophilic cytoplasm were frequently observed. Immunohistochemical staining in the tumor cells was positive for CD163, CD68, lysozyme, CD45, and NSE. Focal expression of CD4 and S-100 was also noted. Electron microscopy demonstrated an abundance of lysosomes in the cytoplasm of tumor cells. Chromosome study revealed a 57–80 hyperdiploid [7]/46, XY [13] karyotype, including 3 to 4 copies of various chromosomes. The immunohistochemical and ultrastructural findings confirmed the diagnosis of HS.
Monitoring weight and blood glucose in in-patients: how helpful is a protocol?
Authors: Runcie Olga , Boilson Marie , Hamilton Ross
Published: February 2007

Aims and Method

Following a survey in 2001, a protocol for monitoring weight and blood glucose of psychiatric in-patients receiving antipsychotic drugs was developed. The effect of this protocol was investigated by comparing 61 admissions in 2004 with the 2001 in-patients.

Results

No significant improvement in recording of admission weight or blood glucose was observed. Ongoing monitoring of weight after admission was significantly more common. For only 29% of patients studied in 2004 was there complete adherence to the protocol.

Clinical Implications

In spite of the availability of a protocol and education, the results suggest that monitoring of weight and blood glucose is still haphazard for psychiatric in-patients. The implications for out-patient monitoring are discussed.
Plasma Adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) Values and Cortisol Response to 250 and 1 μg ACTH Stimulation in Patients with Hyperthyroidism before and after Carbimazole Therapy: Case-Control Comparative Study
Authors: Mishra Sunil Kumar , Gupta Nandita , Goswami Ravinder
Published: February 2007

Context: Although the production and metabolic clearance rate of cortisol is increased during thyrotoxic state, the net effect on adrenocortical reserves is not clear.

Objective: We assessed circulating ACTH levels, cortisol binding globulin (CBG), and adrenocortical reserves in hyperthyroid patients (before and after carbimazole therapy) and healthy controls.

Design and Setting: This was a case-control investigative study in a tertiary care setting.

Patients and Methods: Plasma ACTH and free cortisol index (FCI; serum cortisol/CBG) were measured in 49 consecutive patients with hyperthyroidism and 50 controls. ACTH1–24 stimulation tests (250 and 1 μg) were carried out in the first 29 patients and 15 controls. Peak FCI less than the mean −3 sd of healthy controls was considered subnormal. ACTH1–24 stimulation tests were repeated in 24 patients in the euthyroid state.

Results: The mean basal plasma ACTH and FCI were higher and CBG was lower in thyrotoxic patients in comparison with controls. The peak cortisol was less than 18 μg/dl in 10 of 29 and 14 of 29 on 250 and 1 μg ACTH1–24 stimulation. Peak FCI was subnormal only in three of 27 (11.1%) and two of 21 (7.4%) on 250 and 1 μg ACTH1–24 stimulation, respectively. The mean plasma ACTH, basal FCI, and subnormal peak FCI (two of the three) normalized after euthyroidism. Plasma ACTH and FCI did not correlate with severity of thyrotoxicosis.

Conclusions: Up to 11% of thyrotoxics have subnormal peak FCI on ACTH1–24 stimulation. Such changes occur despite high basal plasma ACTH and FCI. Use of FCI, rather than total cortisol, is required for the interpretation of cortisol values in thyrotoxicosis due to the variation in CBG.
Performance of battery-powered airships
Authors: Dorrington G E
Published: February 2007

The performance of airships using battery and fuel cell power sources for propulsion is investigated. A parametric analysis is used to determine the mass breakdown of several, helium-filled, pressurized, non-rigid design concepts, in order to estimate maximum power source mass. It is concluded that the use of existing lithium-ion batteries permits airships with volumes > 7000 m to attain airspeeds in excess of 86 km/h, or endurances in excess of 24 h. Further refinement of the parametric analysis and improved drag estimation methods are recommended.
Internalizing the Social Cost of Noise Pollution in the Cost Analysis of Electricity Generated by Wind Turbines
Authors: Ehyaei M. A. , Bahadori M. N.
Published: February 2007

The Social Cost of nuisance noise from a wind turbine is defined here as the additional cost to reduce the noise level at a receptor to an acceptable, non-nuisance value, i.e. to mitigate this cost. This acceptable sound level is considered to be 35 dB. Our example is a 10-kW (nominal power) wind turbine considered to supply the electrical energy needs of a 3-storey residential building in Tehran and Manjil. The turbine generates sound at 75 dB. To reduce the sound level at the third floor of the building to 35 dB, it was necessary to increase the height of the turbine from 24 m to 48 m. The initial installed cost of the turbine thereby increased from US$45,000 to US$55,000. The cost of electricity generated by the wind turbine, with- and without consideration of the social cost of the turbine noise pollution, was determined for the turbine operating in these cities. The annual average cost of electricity generated by the wind turbine located in Tehran with-and without consideration of the social cost was estimated to be US$1.50/kWh and US$1.25/kWh respectively. For the city of Manji, with relatively stronger wind speeds, these costs were US$0.60/kWh, and US$0.45/kWh, respectively.
Shoreline Windfarm, from Manufacture to Installation by Sea: The Philippine Experience
Authors: Corbyn Andrew
Published: February 2007

This is an account of the delivery and installation of the Bangui Bay windfarm in the Philippines. This is noteworthy, not only as the Philippines' and South East Asia's first windfarm, but as one of the world's first onshore windfarms to be delivered from manufacture to site by sea, without using roads either for blade transportation at manufacture or for wind turbine component transportation at installation. This technique is favourable for large wind turbines, especially for heavy and/or long components such as blades, since transportation between dock and site by road may be difficult or impossible. Thus, the transportation techniques of offshore windfarms have major benefits for shoreline sites.
The Selection of a Suitable Maintenance Strategy for Wind Turbines
Authors: Andrawus Jesse A. , Watson John , Kishk Mohammed , Adam Allan
Published: February 2007

Common maintenance strategies applied to wind turbines include ‘Time-Based’ which involves carrying out maintenance tasks at predetermined regular-intervals and ‘Failure-Based’ which entails using a wind turbine until it fails. However, the consequence of failure of critical components limits the adequacy of these strategies to support the current commercial drivers of the wind industry. Reliability-Centred Maintenance (RCM) is a technique used mostly to select appropriate maintenance strategies for physical assets. In this paper, a hybrid of an RCM approach and Asset Life-Cycle Analysis technique is applied to Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbines to identify possible failure modes, causes and the resultant effects on system operation. The failure consequences of critical components are evaluated and expressed in financial terms. Suitable Condition-Based Maintenance activities are identified and assessed over the life-cycle of wind turbines to maximise the return on investment in wind farms.
Wind Turbine Tower Optimization Method Using a Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Yoshida Shigeo
Published: February 2007

A wind turbine tower optimization program was developed, using a genetic algorithm. This allowed a rational analysis to reduce the mass of turbine towers, by considering, for example, the distributions of diameter and wall thickness, and the positions of flanges and access ports to navigation lights. Both extreme and fatigue loads were calculated, based on wind turbine design requirements and the Building Standard Law of Japan. Therefore, the aero-elastic characteristics and the controller of each turbine were considered. Furthermore, sensitivities to some representative design parameters were also investigated in case studies of the SUBARU80/2.0, 2 MW turbine.
Performance of Downwind Turbines in Complex Terrains
Authors: Yoshida Shigeo
Published: February 2007

This study verified an advantage in the performance of downwind-turbines in complex terrain, compared with upwind-turbines. The comparison, for otherwise identical machines, was by wind turbine simulations, field tests, and local area wind predictions. A three-dimensional power calculation function was formulated based on momentum theory. It indicates the advantage of downwind-turbines in up-flow wind, as they have smaller misalignment due to their negative tilt angles. Validities of the function and the downwind-turbine advantage were verified through field tests, in both upwind and downwind configurations of a 100 kW turbine. In similar up-flow wind conditions, the downwind configuration produced significantly more power than the upwind configuration. Local area wind predictions were also conducted for a windfarm in a typical complex terrain; it showed that the utilized wind energy is distributed mainly at positive inclination, and that time and energy average inclinations were respectively +6.0 deg and +7.5 deg. Furthermore, 2 MW downwind-turbines were shown to produce 7.6% more annual energy in complex terrain than upwind-turbines with same dimensions.
Experimental Study on a Model of a Commercial Windpumping Rotor
Authors: Sarkis Nicolas , Pinilla Alvaro E.
Published: February 2007

This paper describes the experimental determination of performance and torque characteristics of the Jober commercial low-solidity, fast-running wind rotor for direct driven wind-pumping applications. A scale model of the Jober wind rotor is tested at different blade setting angles to determine the best configuration. The optimal configuration lies within a range of blade pitch angles between 45° and 30°. The performance of the rotor is also compared to a newly designed, more aerodynamic rotor based on the theory of wind rotors. It is shown that an aerodynamic design for the rotor can be used in water pumping applications, which shows improved performance when compared to the original commercial design.

The overall wind-to-water conversion efficiency is analyzed theoretically and the results show that there is a substantial improvement in the newly designed rotor configuration as compared to the actual configuration of the Jober windpump.
Simulation of a Turbulent Wind Field for HAWT
Authors: Yan Chen , Zhicheng Zhang , Zhiquan Ye
Published: February 2007

For structural design and dynamic performance analysis of a wind turbine, a wind field model is useful to simulate the turbulent wind. Taking the turbulent flow as a stochastic process, a practical turbulent wind field model based on Veers' Fourier synthesis method is presented, and the corresponding numerical algorithm is described. The aerodynamic torque of a 600 kW HAWT is calculated by using the turbulent wind field model and the result is given.
Selecting political candidates: A longitudinal study of assessment centre performance and political success in the 2005 UK General Election
Authors: Silvester J. , Dykes C.
Published: February 2007

There has been surprisingly little consideration of how the selection of political candidates compares with employee selection, or whether individual differences predict electoral success. This study describes the design and validation of an assessment centre [AC] for selecting prospective Parliamentary candidates for a main UK political party. A job analysis was conducted to identify the key competencies required by a Member of Parliament [MP] and the selection criteria for a standardised assessment process. Analysis of the first 415 participants revealed no differences on exercises or dimensions in performance between male and female candidates. For the 106 candidates selected to fight the May 2005 UK general election, critical thinking skills [CTA] and performance in a structured interview were significantly associated with the ‘percentage swing’ achieved by a candidate (r= .45,p<.01;r= .31,p<.01). CTA was also associated with ‘percentage votes’ (r= .26,p<.01). These results are discussed in relation to the development of a theory of political performance.
Current developments in policies, priorities and personnel
Authors: ARNOLD JOHN
Published: February 2007

Data on the recent operation and content of the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology (JOOP) are reviewed and conclusions drawn about the journal and the current state of the field. The benefits of contextualizing research and of strengthening the links between research and practice are discussed. Recommendations to authors, and new elements of JOOP policy and procedure, are outlined. These should be read alongside the earlier editorial statement (Arnold, 2004).
Criterion validity of the French version of Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) in a hospital department of internal medicine
Authors: Carballeira Yolanda , Dumont Patricia , Borgacci Sandro , Rentsch Denis , de Tonnac Nicolas , Archinard Marc , Andreoli Antonio
Published: February 2007

Objectives. Depressive disorders are overrepresented among the patients admitted to non‐psychiatric units in general hospitals. However, the majority of depressed patients fail to be identified within this care setting. Since a self‐administered questionnaire (Patient Health Questionnaire, PHQ‐9) has given encouraging results in English and Spanish, new research should test its criterion validity in a French‐speaking environment.

Design. The study included 292 patients admitted to the internal medicine units of the University Hospitals of Geneva. Each patient filled the PHQ‐9; 212 patients also underwent a blinded DSM‐IV diagnostic assessment by a psychiatrist.

Methods. In order to assess the validity of PHQ‐9 against the gold standard of the psychiatrist's DSM‐IV diagnosis, we calculated overall accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and Cohen kappa coefficients. We also studied the relationship between the PHQ‐9 diagnostic and the severity of depression. Finally, analysis focused on the presence of a diagnosis of depression.

Results. Within the framework of the study, PHQ‐9 showed an acceptable level of specificity. However, its sensitivity in detecting major depression was low (about 50% of false‐negative results). As regards the overall presence of depressive disorders, this instrument performed hardly any better (35% of false negatives). Other characteristics of the population under investigation may have affected the data.

Conclusions. The French version of PHQ‐9 demonstrated low sensitivity as compared with psychiatrist‐established diagnosis of DSM‐IV A criterion and major depressive episode.
The Cardiff Study of All Wales and North West of England Twins (CaStANET): A Longitudinal Research Program of Child and Adolescent Development
Authors: Bree Marianne B. M. van den , Rice Frances , Fowler Tom A. , Shelton Katherine H. , Lifford Kate J. , Scourfield Jane , Harold Gordon T. , Thapar Anita
Published: February 2007

The study of twins and their families provides a highly useful tool for disentangling the genetic and environmental origins of traits. The Cardiff Study of All Wales and North West of England Twins (CaStANET) has followed children and adolescents over time into early adulthood, assessing a wide range of aspects of behavior and psychopathology using self-, parent and teacher reports. Four main waves of data collection have taken place to date, which have provided a wealth of information on the contributions of genetic and environmental risk factors to the psychological health of young people. This article first describes the CaStANET register and subsequently presents some of the findings that have emerged from this resource, with a focus on depression and anxiety, chronic fatigue, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, conduct problems and prosocial behavior. We describe in somewhat more detail the 4th wave of data collection, which has recently been completed and has provided us with extensive information on substance use and problem use as well as associated risk factors in the twins and their families, including longitudinal data on conduct problems and the relations between family members. Because of the wealth of data already collected and the opportunity for genetically informative analyses over time, CaStANET provides a valuable resource for understanding the complexities of the psychological development of young people.
The Early Growth and Development Study: A Prospective Adoption Design
Authors: Leve Leslie D. , Neiderhiser Jenae M. , Ge Xiaojia , Scaramella Laura V. , Conger Rand D. , Reid John B. , Shaw Daniel S. , Reiss David
Published: February 2007

The Early Growth and Development Study is a prospective adoption study of birth parents, adoptive parents, and adopted children (N = 359 triads) that was initiated in 2003. The primary study aims are to examine how family processes mediate or moderate the expression of genetic influences in order to aid in the identification of specific family processes that could serve as malleable targets for intervention. Participants in the study are recruited through adoption agencies located throughout the United States, following the birth of a child. Assessments occur at 6-month intervals until the child reaches 3 years of age. Data collection includes the following primary constructs: infant and toddler temperament, social behavior, and health; birth and adoptive parent personality characteristics, psychopathology, competence, stress, and substance use; adoptive parenting and marital relations; and prenatal exposure to drugs and maternal stress. Preliminary analyses suggest the representativeness of the sample and minimal confounding effects of current trends in adoption practices, including openness and selective placement. Future plans are described.
High-Frequency Stimulation of the Subthalamic Nucleus Potentiates l-DOPA-Induced Neurochemical Changes in the Striatum in a Rat Model of Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Oueslati Abid , Sgambato-Faure Véronique , Melon Christophe , Kachidian Philippe , Gubellini Paolo , Amri Mohammed , Goff Lydia Kerkerian-Le , Salin Pascal
Published: February 2007

This study examined the cellular changes produced in the striatum by chronicl-DOPA treatment and prolonged subthalamic nucleus high-frequency stimulation (STN–HFS) applied separately, successively, or in association, in the 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rat model of Parkinson's disease (PD). Only animals showing severel-DOPA-induced dyskinesias (LIDs) were included, and STN–HFS was applied for 5 d at an intensity efficient for alleviating akinesia without inducing dyskinesias.l-DOPA treatment alone induced FosB/ΔFosB immunoreactivity, exacerbated the postlesional increase in preproenkephalin, reversed the decrease in preprotachykinin, and markedly increased mRNA levels of preprodynorphin and of the glial glutamate transporter GLT1, which were respectively decreased and unaffected by the dopamine lesion. STN–HFS did not affect per se the postlesion changes in any of these markers. However, when applied in association withl-DOPA treatment, it potentiated the positive modulation exerted byl-DOPA on all of the markers examined and tended to exacerbate LIDs. After 5 d ofl-DOPA withdrawal, the only persisting drug-induced responses were an elevation in preprodynorphin mRNA levels and in the number of FosB/ΔFosB-immunoreactive neurons. Selective additional increases in these two markers were measured when STN–HFS was applied subsequently tol-DOPA treatment. These data provide the first evidence that STN–HFS exacerbates the responsiveness of striatal cells tol-DOPA medication and suggest that STN–HFS acts specifically through anl-DOPA-modulated signal transduction pathway associated with LIDs in the striatum. They point to striatal cells as a primary site for the complex interactions between these two therapeutic approaches in PD and argue against a direct anti-dyskinetic action of STN–HFS.
A Forward Genetics Screen in Mice Identifies Recessive Deafness Traits and Reveals That Pejvakin Is Essential for Outer Hair Cell Function
Authors: Schwander Martin , Sczaniecka Anna , Grillet Nicolas , Bailey Janice S. , Avenarius Matthew , Najmabadi Hossein , Steffy Brian M. , Federe Glenn C. , Lagler Erica A. , Banan Raheleh , Hice Rudy , Grabowski-Boase Laura , Keithley Elisabeth M. , Ryan Allen F. , Housley Gary D. , Wiltshire Tim , Smith Richard J. H. , Tarantino Lisa M. , Müller Ulrich
Published: February 2007

Deafness is the most common form of sensory impairment in the human population and is frequently caused by recessive mutations. To obtain animal models for recessive forms of deafness and to identify genes that control the development and function of the auditory sense organs, we performed a forward genetics screen in mice. We identified 13 mouse lines with defects in auditory function and six lines with auditory and vestibular defects. We mapped several of the affected genetic loci and identified point mutations in four genes. Interestingly, all identified genes are expressed in mechanosensory hair cells and required for their function. One mutation maps to thepejvakingene, which encodes a new member of the gasdermin protein family. Previous studies have described two missense mutations in the humanpejvakingene that cause nonsyndromic recessive deafness (DFNB59) by affecting the function of auditory neurons. In contrast, thepejvakinallele described here introduces a premature stop codon, causes outer hair cell defects, and leads to progressive hearing loss. We also identified a novel allele of the humanpejvakingene in an Iranian pedigree that is afflicted with progressive hearing loss. Our findings suggest that the mechanisms of pathogenesis associated withpejvakinmutations are more diverse than previously appreciated. More generally, our findings demonstrate that recessive screens in mice are powerful tools for identifying genes that control the development and function of mechanosensory hair cells and cause deafness in humans, as well as generating animal models for disease.
A Rhetorical Approach to the Prose of Daniel Defoe
Authors: Curtis Laura A.
Published: February 2007

Abstract: Previous attempts to account for Defoe's stylistic versatility have failed to take account of the important role played by his training in rhetoric. Ttiis essay argues that a useful taxonomy of styles can be generated by taking into account traditional rhetorical principles of sentence composition, prose rhythms and clausulae construction, the use of various figures of speech, and the frequency of tropes. This method of analyzing Defoe's prose shows deliberate rhetorical choices in his lesser-known essays and pamphlets as well as in his better-known fiction.
The Shadow of Helen: The Status of the Visual Image in Gorgias's Encomium to Helen
Authors: Shaffer Diana
Published: February 2007

Abstract: Gorgias's Encomium to Helen presumes a similarity between verbal and visual art. Where language, envisaged as masculine, attempts a logical persuasion, the visual image, seen as feminine and disruptive, overwhelms the beholder and leads the mind astray. Gorgias's account of Helen takes as its starting point an interpretation of her role which originates in book three of the Iliad, where her beauty is seen as causing the Trojan war and inspiring Homer's epic. The tragic poets identify her with destruction. Gorgias proves her innocence, but only by transforming her from a volimtary subject to a passive object. Because Helen was overcome by eros caused by visual stimuli she cannot be held responsible for the consequences of her actions. In this assertion Gorgias has used verbal logic to delimit and overcome the emotional force of previous images of Helen.
Marked Hyperbilirubinemia Associated With the Heme Oxygenase-1 Gene Promoter Microsatellite Polymorphism in a Boy With Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia
Authors: Immenschuh Stephan , Shan Ying , Kroll Hartmut , Santoso Sentot , Wössmann Wilhelm , Bein Gregor , Bonkovsky Herbert L.
Published: February 2007

Mild hyperbilirubinemia is a clinical feature of hemolysis. Here we describe a boy with marked elevation of serum bilirubin values (maximum: 70 mg/dL) during an acute episode of autoimmune hemolytic anemia, which returned to within the reference range after clinical improvement. The boy was a homozygous carrier of short alleles of the heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) gene GT dinucleotide-repeat promoter polymorphism, which is associated with increased activity and inducibility of the heme-degrading enzyme HO-1, which catalyzes the production of bilirubin. In addition, heterozygosity of the uridine 5′-diphosphate-glucuronosyl-transferase 1A1 promoter polymorphism that is linked with Gilbert syndrome was found in this patient. Because bilirubin production plays a critical role during the neonatal period, the HO-1 promoter polymorphism may be an important genetic factor for the clinical outcome of neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.
Response of Common Lambsquarters (Chenopodium album) to Glyphosate as Affected by Growth Stage
Authors: Schuster Christopher L. , Shoup Douglas E. , Al-Khatib Kassim
Published: February 2007

Experiments were conducted to determine the efficacy of glyphosate on four common lambsquarters populations collected from Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Ohio. Glyphosate dose-response studies for common lambsquarters treated at 2.5-, 7.5-, and 15-cm heights showed that glyphosate at 1.1 kg ae ha−1caused more than 80% injury to 2.5-cm plants but less than 55% injury to 7.5- and 15-cm plants. All populations were susceptible to glyphosate at the 2.5-cm height. The glyphosate rate required to cause 50% injury (GR50) was 430, 500, 500, and 560 g ha−1for the Kansas, North Dakota, Ohio, and Nebraska populations, respectively. Differential response of common lambsquarters populations was evident with 15-cm plants where the GR50was glyphosate at 1,010, 1,230, 1,650, and 2,770 g ha−1for the Kansas, North Dakota, Nebraska, and Ohio populations, respectively. Reduced injury on 15-cm common lambsquarters plants by glyphosate may be partly attributed to reduced glyphosate accumulation per unit of plant tissues and enhanced calcium content in more-developed plants. All four common lambsquarters populations at the early seedling stage were susceptible to glyphosate, but tolerance increased as the plant developed and the extent of tolerance differed among populations.
Nitrogen Fertilizer and Crop Residue Effects on Seed Mortality and Germination of Eight Annual Weed Species
Authors: Davis Adam S.
Published: February 2007

Weed seed persistence in the soil seedbank is central to weed population dynamics; however, limited knowledge of mechanisms regulating seed survival in soil remains an obstacle to developing seed-bank management practices. Weed seeds are rich in carbon and nitrogen, and therefore may represent an important nutritional resource to soil microbes. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that weed seed mortality due to microbial predation is limited by soil inorganic N availability and soil C:N ratio. A factorial of N fertilizer rate (0, 14, and 28 mg N kg soil−1) and corn stover addition rate (0 and 3,000 mg stover kg soil−1) was applied to bioassay units containing Illinois field soil (silt loam, 3.8% organic carbon) and seeds of one of eight annual weed species common to Illinois field crops: giant foxtail, green foxtail, yellow foxtail, wooly cupgrass, giant ragweed, redroot pigweed, velvetleaf, and Venice mallow. Seeds were incubated for 2 mo, after which they were recovered from the soil and tested for viability. Only three of the eight species, velvetleaf, giant ragweed, and wooly cupgrass, responded to the experimental treatments. Velvetleaf seed mortality was 40% lower in the corn stover–amended treatment than in the unamended treatment. Both giant ragweed and wooly cupgrass showed a more complex interaction between N fertilizer and corn stover treatments. Path analysis supported the hypothesis that the influence of soil N on seed mortality in velvetleaf was because of the direct effect of soil N on microbial predation of velvetleaf seeds, whereas for giant ragweed and wooly cupgrass, the effect on seed mortality appeared to be mediated through soil N effects on germination. Mechanisms underlying soil N fertility effects on weed seed mortality appear to be species-specific. Future investigations of this phenomenon should include quantitative measures of seed coat composition and quality.
Twenty-five years' geotechnical observation and testing in the Tertiary Boom Clay formation
Authors: Bernier F. , Li X. L. , Bastiaens W.
Published: February 2007

The research and development programme on geological disposal for high-level and long-lived waste (HLW) in Belgium was initiated in 1974. A deep tertiary clay formation, the Boom Clay, present under the Mol-Dessel nuclear site, was selected as a reference host formation for experimental purposes. The construction of the underground laboratory HADES (at a depth of 223 m, initiated in 1980 and extended in 2002) allowed the building of a valuable geotechnical database, and led to the development of improved excavation techniques that significantly reduce the excavation-damaged zone (EDZ). Since the operational start of HADES about 25 years ago, many geotechnical measurements have been performed around excavations. Comparison between in situ measurements and modelling results allowed a continuous improvement of our knowledge on the Boom Clay behaviour. Important issues for interpreting the measurements correctly are good control of the excavation parameters and the boundary conditions. An extensive characterisation of the hydromechanical response of Boom Clay around an excavation for short- and long-term conditions has been performed. One important finding was the occurrence of measurable hydraulic effects at a distance of about 60 m (12·5 tunnel diameters) ahead of the tunnel excavation.
Responses: Framing Ecology as an Urban Concern Has Merit
Authors: Bennett David
Published: February 2007

Margrit Hugentobler advocates a version of urban sustainable development which rests on an appeal to nature or “natural harmony.” To do this, we have to have conceptions both of nature and of human society. These conceptions will determine, among other things, the extent to which human societies are to be regarded as part of the natural world. Then we have to have ethical or moral premises to argue that human societies and habitations should imitate or emulate nature. These moral premises are assumed rather than validated in Margrit Hugentobler's critique.
Silenced Complaints, Suppressed Expectations: The Cumulative Effects of Home Care Rationing
Authors: Aronson Jane
Published: February 2007

In many Western welfare jurisdictions, publicly provided home care is being eroded and its provision increasingly individualized. These shifts are of a particular significance for older women, a group for whom supportive home care has been an important buttress against the social and physical jeopardies of old age. A longitudinal, qualitative study of such women in Ontario, Canada, spanned the implementation of managed competition in home care and a period of rapid privatization and service rationing. Study participants experienced cuts and, stemming from increasingly precarious employment conditions in the home care workforce, inconsistent care providers. These changes generated distress, insecurity, and isolation in participants' lives. This article explores how their complaints about insufficient care were silenced: by fear, hopelessness, and the cultural injunction to put a stoic and selfless face on the limitations of old age. Their accounts reveal how large material and discursive shifts and state restructuring come to penetrate identity, feeling, and speech. This examination of the silencing of complaint at home care's front lines reveals the cumulative effects of rationing; it also illuminates how, if heard, service users' voices can inform collective struggles to resist the degradation of home care and reposition older people in relation to the state.
Analysis of Genetic Variation in Akt2/PKB-β in Severe Insulin Resistance, Lipodystrophy, Type 2 Diabetes, and Related Metabolic Phenotypes
Authors: Tan Karen , Kimber Wendy A. , Luan Jian’an , Soos Maria A. , Semple Robert K. , Wareham Nicholas J. , O’Rahilly Stephen , Barroso Inês
Published: February 2007

We previously reported a family in which a heterozygous missense mutation in Akt2 led to a dominantly inherited syndrome of insulin-resistant diabetes and partial lipodystrophy. To determine whether genetic variation in AKT2 plays a broader role in human metabolic disease, we sequenced the entire coding region and splice junctions of AKT2 in 94 unrelated patients with severe insulin resistance, 35 of whom had partial lipodystrophy. Two rare missense mutations (R208K and R467W) were identified in single individuals. However, insulin-stimulated kinase activities of these variants were indistinguishable from wild type. In two large case-control studies (total number of participants 2,200), 0 of 11 common single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) in AKT2 showed significant association with type 2 diabetes. In a quantitative trait study of 1,721 extensively phenotyped individuals from the U.K., no association was found with any relevant intermediate metabolic trait. In summary, although heterozygous loss-of- function mutations in AKT2 can cause a syndrome of severe insulin resistance and lipodystrophy in humans, such mutations are uncommon causes of these syndromes. Furthermore, genetic variation in and around the AKT2 locus is unlikely to contribute significantly to the risk of type 2 diabetes or related intermediate metabolic traits in U.K. populations.
Genetic Variation, C-Reactive Protein Levels, and Incidence of Diabetes
Authors: Dehghan Abbas , Kardys Isabella , de Maat Moniek P.M. , Uitterlinden Andre G. , Sijbrands Eric J.G. , Bootsma Aart H. , Stijnen Theo , Hofman Albert , Schram Miranda T. , Witteman Jacqueline C.M.
Published: February 2007

C-reactive protein (CRP) has been shown to be associated with type 2 diabetes, but whether CRP has a causal role is not yet clear. We examined the association in the Rotterdam Study, a population-based prospective cohort study. The association of baseline serum CRP and incident diabetes during follow-up was investigated, and a meta-analysis was conducted on the BMI-adjusted relation of CRP and diabetes. Furthermore, the association of CRP haplotypes with serum CRP and risk of diabetes was assessed. The age- and sex-adjusted hazard ratio for diabetes was 1.41 (95% CI 1.29–1.54) per 1 SD increase in natural logarithm of CRP, and it was 1.88, 2.16, and 2.83 for the second, third, and fourth quartiles of CRP, respectively, compared with the first quartile. The risk estimates attenuated but remained statistically significant after additional adjustment for obesity indexes, which agreed with the results of the meta-analysis. The most common genetic haplotype was associated with a significantly lower CRP level compared with the three other haplotypes. The risk of diabetes was significantly higher in the haplotype with the highest serum CRP level compared with the most common haplotype (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.08–1.96). These findings support the hypothesis that serum CRP enhances the development of diabetes.
Contributions of Inflammation and Cardiac Matrix Metalloproteinase Activity to Cardiac Failure in Diabetic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Westermann Dirk , Rutschow Susanne , Jäger Sebastian , Linderer Anne , Anker Stefan , Riad Alexander , Unger Thomas , Schultheiss Heinz-Peter , Pauschinger Matthias , Tschöpe Carsten
Published: February 2007

We investigated the effect of the angiotensin type 1 (AT-1) receptor antagonist, irbesartan, on matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity and cardiac cytokines in an animal model of diabetic cardiomyopathy. Diabetes was induced in 20 C57/bl6 mice by injection of streptozotocin (STZ). These animals were treated with irbesartan or placebo and were compared with nondiabetic controls. Left ventricular (LV) function was measured by pressure-volume loops with parameters for systolic function (end systolic elastance [Ees]) and diastolic function (cardiac stiffness) 8 weeks after STZ treatment. The cardiac protein content of interleukin (IL)1β and transforming growth factor (TGF)β1 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The total cardiac collagen content and collagen type 1 and 3 were measured by histochemestry, and MMP-2 activity was measured by gelatin zymography. LV dysfunction was documented by impaired Ees and diastolic stiffness in STZ mice compared with controls. This was accompanied by increased TGFβ, IL1β, and fibrosis and decreased MMP-2 activity. Treatment with irbesartan attenuated LV dysfunction, IL1β, TGFβ, and cardiac fibrosis compared with untreated diabetic animals and normalized MMP activity. These findings present evidence that AT-1 receptor antagonists attenuate cardiac failure by decreasing cardiac inflammation and normalizing MMP activity, leading to normalized cardiac fibrosis in STZ-induced diabetic cardiomyopathy.
Diet-Induced Increases in Adiposity, but Not Plasma Lipids, Promote Macrophage Infiltration Into White Adipose Tissue
Authors: Coenen Kimberly R. , Gruen Marnie L. , Chait Alan , Hasty Alyssa H.
Published: February 2007

Obesity, hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance are cardinal features of the metabolic syndrome and individually increase the risk for developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease, a risk that is amplified when they are simultaneously present. It is becoming increasingly clear that macrophages can infiltrate white adipose tissue (WAT) in the obese state, and their presence is associated with pathophysiological consequences of obesity, such as inflammation and insulin resistance. To determine whether hyperlipidemia could potentiate macrophage infiltration into WAT in the presence of obesity, obesity-prone agouti yellow mice (Ay/a) on a hyperlipidemia-prone LDL receptor (LDLR)–deficient (LDLR−/−) background were placed on chow or Western diet. In addition, Ay/a mice that were LDLR sufficient were also placed on Western diet. Both genetics and diet increased the degree of adiposity; however, plasma lipids were elevated only in the Western diet–fed LDLR−/− mice. The extent of macrophage accumulation in WAT correlated with the degree of adiposity. However, hyperlipidemia did not impact macrophage recruitment to WAT or the downstream metabolic consequences of macrophage accumulation in WAT, such as inflammation and insulin resistance. These data have important implications for the pathogenesis of diet-induced obesity in humans, even when plasma lipid abnormalities are not present.
Two Years of Treatment With Dehydroepiandrosterone Does Not Improve Insulin Secretion, Insulin Action, or Postprandial Glucose Turnover in Elderly Men or Women
Authors: Basu Rita , Dalla Man Chiara , Campioni Marco , Basu Ananda , Nair K. Sree , Jensen Michael D. , Khosla Sundeep , Klee George , Toffolo Gianna , Cobelli Claudio , Rizza Robert A.
Published: February 2007

To determine if dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) replacement improves insulin secretion, insulin action, and/or postprandial glucose metabolism, 112 elderly subjects with relative DHEA deficiency ingested a labeled mixed meal and underwent a frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test before and after 2 years of either DHEA or placebo. Despite restoring DHEA sulphate concentrations to values observed in young men and women, the changes over time in fasting and postprandial glucose concentrations, meal appearance, glucose disposal, and endogenous glucose production were identical to those observed after 2 years of placebo. The change over time in postmeal and intravenous glucose tolerance test insulin and C-peptide concentrations did not differ in men treated with DHEA or placebo. In contrast, postmeal and intravenous glucose tolerance test change over time in insulin and C-peptide concentrations were greater (P < 0.05) in women after DHEA than after placebo. However, since DHEA tended to decrease insulin action, the change over time in disposition indexes did not differ between DHEA- and placebo-treated women, indicating that the slight increase in insulin secretion was a compensatory response to a slight decrease in insulin action. We conclude that 2 years of replacement of DHEA in elderly men and women does not improve insulin secretion, insulin action, or the pattern of postprandial glucose metabolism.
Prospective Study of Hyperglycemia and Cancer Risk
Authors: Stattin Pär , Björ Ove , Ferrari Pietro , Lukanova Annekatrin , Lenner Per , Lindahl Bernt , Hallmans Göran , Kaaks Rudolf
Published: February 2007

OBJECTIVE—To investigate whether hyperglycemia is associated with increased cancer risk.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—In the Västerbotten Intervention Project of northern Sweden, fasting and postload plasma glucose concentrations were available for 33,293 women and 31,304 men and 2,478 incident cases of cancer were identified. Relative risk (RR) of cancer for levels of fasting and postload glucose was calculated with the use of Poisson models, with adjustment for age, year of recruitment, fasting time, and smoking status. Repeated measurements 10 years after baseline in almost 10,000 subjects were used to correct RRs for random error in glucose measurements.

RESULTS—Total cancer risk in women increased with rising plasma levels of fasting and postload glucose, up to an RR for the top versus bottom quartile of 1.26 (95% CI 1.09–1.47) (Ptrend <0.001) and 1.31 (1.12–1.52) (Ptrend = 0.001), respectively. Correction for random error in glucose measurements increased these risks up to 1.75 (1.32–2.36) and 1.63 (1.26–2.18), respectively. For men, corresponding uncorrected RR was 1.08 (0.92–1.27) (Ptrend = 0.25) and 0.98 (0.83–1.16) (Ptrend = 0.99), respectively. Risk of cancer of the pancreas, endometrium, urinary tract, and of malignant melanoma was statistically significantly associated with high fasting glucose with RRs of 2.49 (1.23–5.45) (Ptrend = 0.006), 1.86 (1.09–3.31) (Ptrend = 0.02), 1.69 (0.95–3.16) (Ptrend = 0.049), and 2.16 (1.14–4.35) (Ptrend = 0.01), respectively. Adjustment for BMI had no material effect on risk estimates.

CONCLUSIONS—The association of hyperglycemia with total cancer risk in women and in women and men combined for several cancer sites, independently of obesity, provides further evidence for an association between abnormal glucose metabolism and cancer.
Altered Kidney Graft High-Energy Phosphate Metabolism in Kidney-Transplanted End-Stage Renal Disease Type 1 Diabetic Patients
Authors: Fiorina Paolo , Perseghin Gianluca , De Cobelli Francesco , Gremizzi Chiara , Petrelli Alessandra , Monti Lucilla , Maffi Paola , Luzi Livio , Secchi Antonio , Del Maschio Alessandro
Published: February 2007

OBJECTIVE—Diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, nephrotoxicity of certain immunosuppressive drugs, and the persistence of a chronic alloimmune response may significantly affect graft survival in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) type 1 diabetic patients who have undergone kidney transplant. The aim of this study was to ascertain the impact of kidney alone (KD) or combined kidney-pancreas (KP) transplantation on renal energy metabolism.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—We assessed high-energy phosphates (HEPs) metabolism by using, in a cross-sectional fashion, 31P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the graft of ESRD type 1 diabetic transplanted patients who received KD (n = 20) or KP (n = 20) transplant long before the appearance of overt chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN). Ten nondiabetic microalbuminuric kidney transplanted patients and 10 nondiabetic kidney transplanted patients with overt CAN were chosen as controls subjects.

RESULTS—Simultaneous KP transplantation patients showed a higher β-ATP/inorganic phosphorus (Pi) ratio (marker of the graft energy status) versus the other groups, and a positive correlation between β-ATP/Pi phosphorus ratio and A1C was found. In the analysis limited to the subgroup of normoalbuminuric patients, the difference in β-ATP/Pi was still detectable in KP patients compared with KD transplantation.

CONCLUSIONS—KP transplantation was associated with better HEPs than in KD transplantation, suggesting that restoration of β-cell function positively affects kidney graft metabolism.
The Effect of Menopause on the Metabolic Syndrome Among Korean Women
Authors: Kim Hee Man , Park Jong , Ryu So Yeon , Kim Jongoh
Published: February 2007

OBJECTIVE—This study examined the effect of menopausal status on the risk of the metabolic syndrome in Korean women.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Data were obtained from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 2001. A total of 2,671 women who did not receive hormone replacement therapy (1,893 premenopausal women and 778 postmenopausal women) were included in the analysis. The metabolic syndrome was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III.

RESULTS—Postmenopausal women had significantly higher mean waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels than premenopausal women after adjusting for age (P = 0.018, P = 0.001, P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001, P < 0.0001, and P = 0.006, respectively). Among postmenopausal women, the age-adjusted odds ratio was 1.61 (95% CI 1.15–2.25) for abdominal obesity, 1.11 (0.76–1.61) for elevated blood pressure, 1.24 (0.90–1.72) for low HDL cholesterol, 1.28 (0.89–1.83) for high triglycerides, and 1.07 (0.69–1.65) for high fasting glucose compared with premenopausal women. The multivariate-adjusted odds ratio for the metabolic syndrome was 1.60 (95% CI 1.04–2.46) among postmenopausal women compared with premenopausal women.

CONCLUSIONS—Postmenopausal status is associated with an increased risk of the metabolic syndrome independent of normal aging in Korean women.