bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multicentre quality assurance of intensity‐modulated radiation therapy plans: A precursor to clinical trials
Authors: Williams MJ , Bailey MJ , Forstner D , Metcalfe PE
Published: September 2007

A multicentre planning study comparing intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) plans for the treatment of a head and neck cancer has been carried out. Three Australian radiotherapy centres, each with a different planning system, were supplied a fully contoured CT dataset and requested to generate an IMRT plan in accordance with the requirements of an IMRT‐based radiation therapy oncology group clinical trial. Plan analysis was carried out using software developed specifically for reviewing multicentre clinical trial data. Two out of the three plans failed to meet the prescription requirements with one misinterpreting the prescription and the third failed to meet one of the constraints. Only one plan achieved all of the dose objectives for the critical structures and normal tissues. Although each centre used very similar planning parameters and beam arrangements the resulting plans were quite different. The subjective interpretation and application of the prescription and planning objectives emphasize one of the many difficulties in carrying out multicentre IMRT planning studies. The treatment prescription protocol in a clinical trial must be both lucid and unequivocally stated to avoid misinterpretation. Australian radiotherapy centres must show that they can produce a quality IMRT plan and that they can adhere to protocols for IMRT planning before using it in a clinical trial.
HYPEROXIA CONFERS MYOCARDIAL PROTECTION IN MECHANICALLY VENTILATED RATS THROUGH THE GENERATION OF FREE RADICALS AND OPENING OF MITOCHONDRIAL ATP‐SENSITIVE POTASSIUM CHANNELS
Authors: Colantuono Giuseppe , Tiravanti Edy Altea , Di Venosa Nicola , Cazzato Antonia , Rastaldo Raffaella , Cagiano Raffaele , D’Agostino Donato , Federici Antonio , Fiore Tommaso
Published: September 2007

One hour exposure to hyperoxia has been shown previously to limit a subsequent ischaemia–reperfusion injury in spontaneously breathing rats. We tested the cardioprotective effect of a shorter period of hyperoxia during mechanical ventilation and the possible contribution of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial ATP‐sensitive potassium (mitoKATP) channels.

Mechanically ventilated rats were exposed to normoxia (Fio2 = 0.3) or hyperoxia (Fio2 = 1.0) for 30 min and pH, Pco2, Po2, heart rate, airway and blood pressure were measured at baseline and after 30 min mechanical ventilation. Isolated hearts were subsequently subjected to 30 min ischaemia and 120 min reperfusion. Infarct size and left ventricular end‐diastolic pressure (LVEDP), developed pressure (LVDP) and coronary flow (CF) were measured. In order to investigate the role of ROS and KATP channels within the mechanism leading to cardioprotection, the free radical scavenger N‐acetylcysteine (NAC; 150 mg/kg) was infused in mechanically ventilated rats and the KATP channel blockers glibenclamide (200 mmol/L) or 5‐hydroxydecanoate (10 mmol/L) were infused in isolated hearts immediately before ischaemia.

No differences were detected in Pco2, pH, heart rate, airway and blood pressure between the groups. However, the Po2 in hyperoxic groups was significantly higher compared with that in normoxic groups (P < 0.01). After 30 min ischaemia, we found that hyperoxic preconditioning significantly improved CF (P < 0.01), LVDP (P < 0.01) and LVEDP (P < 0.01) and reduced the extent of infarct size in the reperfused heart compared with the normoxic group (P < 0.01). When rats were pretreated either with NAC before hyperoxic ventilation or with KATP channel blockers before ischaemia, myocardial protection was abolished.

Hyperoxic mechanical ventilation, prior to ischaemia, reduces myocardial reperfusion injury. This is likely to occur through the induction of oxidative stress, which leads to myocyte mitoKATP channel opening.
CELLULAR DISTRIBUTION OF THE RENAL BUMETANIDE‐SENSITIVE Na–K–2Cl COTRANSPORTER BSC‐1 IN THE INNER STRIPE OF THE OUTER MEDULLA DURING THE DEVELOPMENT OF HYPERTENSION IN THE SPONTANEOUSLY HYPERTENSIVE RAT
Authors: Sonalker Prajakta A , Tofovic Stevan P , Jackson Edwin K
Published: September 2007

The renal bumetanide‐sensitive Na–K–2Cl cotransporter (BSC‐1) is expressed only in the thick ascending limb and selectively traffics from intracellular vesicles (IVs) to apical plasma membranes (PMs), where BSC‐1 regulates sodium reabsorption. We showed previously that in kidneys from adult spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR; model of essential hypertension) total protein expression of BSC‐1 was higher compared with kidneys from normotensive Wistar‐Kyoto (WKY) rats. However, whether this change is associated with an increased trafficking of BSC‐1 from IVs to PMs is unknown. The goal of the present study was to test the hypothesis that the increase in total renal BSC‐1 protein expression in SHR is accompanied by an augmented distribution of BSC‐1 from IVs to PMs.

To test the hypothesis, we obtained renal tissue from the inner stripe of the outer medulla (ISOM; enriched in thick ascending limbs) and isolated IVs and PMs from this tissue by differential centrifugation. Total BSC‐1 protein expression in ISOM and BSC‐1 protein expression in ISOM IVs and PMs were measured by semiquantitative western blotting in SHR and aged‐matched WKY rats at different ages and stages of hypertension.

At 5 weeks of age, SHR were prehypertensive (mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) 97 mmHg). At this age, both the total abundance and cellular distribution of BSC‐1 were similar in ISOM from SHR and WKY rats.

As SHR aged, their hypertension progressed (MABP 137 and 195 mmHg at 8 and 14 weeks of age, respectively). Associated with the increase in MABP was an increase in both steady state protein levels of ISOM BSC‐1 and the distribution of ISOM BSC‐1 to PMs (four‐ and sixfold increases at 8 and 14 weeks of age, respectively, compared with age‐matched WKY rats; P < 0.001).

Using semiquantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction, BSC‐1 mRNA was measured and was found not to differ between SHR and WKY rat ISOM at any age or level of MABP.

We conclude that as SHR transition from prehypertensive to established hypertension, there is a marked increase in the total expression of BSC‐1 in ISOM that is not related to increases in steady state levels of BSC‐1 mRNA and therefore unlikely to be due to changes in either the rate of BSC‐1 gene transcription or the stability of BSC‐1 mRNA. This suggests changes in either translational efficiency or BSC‐1 protein stability in SHR.

We also conclude that the age/hypertension‐related increase in BSC‐1 protein levels in ISOM is accompanied by an equally marked increased trafficking of BSC‐1 to PMs in SHR ISOM.
Arterial thromboembolic disease: A single‐centre case series study
Authors: Monagle Paul , Newall Fiona , Barnes Chris , Savoia Helen , Campbell Janine , Wallace Timothy , Crock Catherine
Published: September 2007

Aim:  Paediatric venous thromboembolic disease has been reported with increased frequency during the last decade. In contrast, the pathophysiology of arterial thromboembolic disease in infants and children has not been adequately explored. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, aetiology, diagnostic criteria, management and outcome of arterial thromboembolism (TE) in a tertiary paediatric centre.

Methods:  A prospective, single‐centre registry was established at an Australian tertiary paediatric centre in order to address the aim of this study.

Results:  One‐hundred‐and‐two arterial thrombotic events occurred in 98 patients during 48 months. Infants were most likely to have a lower limb arterial TE (n = 22) whilst children were most likely to have a central nervous system arterial TE (n = 26). Surgery was a frequent predisposing factor in both infants and children. Doppler ultrasonography, computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging were the most commonly used diagnostic modalities.

Unfractionated heparin was the most frequently used treatment in both age groups. At discharge, 25 infants and twelve children had complete resolution of their arterial TE. Direct thrombosis‐related mortality was 4% in infants and 9% in children. Duration of follow‐up ranged from 1 to 900 days, with thirteen infants and 32 children never achieving complete resolution. Forty‐nine percent of post‐discharge survivors had significant long term sequelae directly attributable to their arterial TE.

Conclusion:  Arterial TE occurred as frequently as venous TE in our tertiary paediatric population. The clinical outcome and long term sequelae of such events are significant.
Prevalence of positive tuberculin skin tests in foreign‐born children
Authors: Fortin Kristine , Carceller Ana , Robert Monique , Chevalier Isabelle , Lamarre Valérie , Lebel Marc H
Published: September 2007

Aims:  To evaluate the prevalence of positive tuberculin skin tests (TST) in internationally adopted and immigrant children. To identify risk factors for positive TST in these populations.

Methods:  The study was a retrospective medical record review in a tertiary care pediatric hospital. All children evaluated at the International Adoption and Immigrant Health Clinic of CHU Sainte‐Justine in Montreal, Canada, between 01‐01‐1998 and 31‐12‐2001 were included. Demographic and anthropometrical data, BCG vaccination, TST, chest X‐ray results and treatment were extracted from the medical records of the patients and analyzed. Positive TST was defined as induration = 10 mm, 48 to 72 hours after injection of five tuberculin units of purified protein derivate.

Results:  Our population included 670 children: 112 immigrants and 558 adoptees. Median age was 6.9 years for immigrants and 1.1 years for adopted children. Overall incidence of positive TST was 12.2% in our cohort: 31% in the immigrant and 8% in the adopted children groups. There was one case of active tuberculosis. Older age on arrival in Canada and BCG vaccination were identified as risk factors for positive TST in our multivariate model. For each one‐year increase in age on arrival in Canada, there was a 1.2 times greater risk for positive TST.

Conclusions:  Latent tuberculosis is a frequent problem in foreign‐born children. The higher incidence in immigrant children can be explained by older age on arrival.
Use of naloxone during neonatal resuscitation in Australia: Compliance with published guidelines
Authors: Gill Andrew W , Colvin Joanne
Published: September 2007

Aims:  The aims of this study were to describe the use of naloxone during neonatal resuscitation in Australia, and to assess this against the published guidelines for use.

Methods:  The states of Queensland, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory record the administration of naloxone in their statutory state perinatal database collections, covering all deliveries within each state. Relevant information was extracted from these databases. In addition, we interrogated the perinatal database from a single tertiary perinatal centre in Western Australia and conducted a chart review of the 100 most recent infants identified as receiving naloxone.

Results:  A total of 531 058 liveborn infants from 1994 through 2004 were assessed. The administration of naloxone fell from 4% to 1% of liveborn infants during this period. There was inconsistent compliance with published guidelines. Forty‐two per cent of infants received naloxone without documentation of prior ventilatory support, 14% of infants received naloxone without prior administration of maternal narcotics and 80% of infants were not monitored following naloxone administration. The prevalent route of administration was intramuscular.

Conclusions:  Despite a steady decrease in the use of naloxone for neonatal resuscitation, there is a considerable lack of compliance with published guidelines for use. Given the scant evidence supporting naloxone use during neonatal resuscitation and increasing documentation of potential deleterious effects, perhaps it is time to remove naloxone from our resuscitaires.
Disordered eating attitudes and behaviours among adolescents in Hong Kong: Prevalence and correlates
Authors: Tam Carmen KM , Ng Cherry FN , Yu Chak Man , Young Betty WY
Published: September 2007

Aims:  To study the prevalence of disordered eating attitudes and behaviours among adolescents in Hong Kong and to examine the socio‐demographic and behavioural correlates.

Methods:  Three secondary schools with different academic performance were selected from the Eastern District of Hong Kong. A total of 2382 students enrolled in Forms 1–7 at the three schools completed a specially designed questionnaire. The questionnaire contained questions on socio‐demographic information, body weight satisfaction, exposure to mass media, health behaviours as well as the Eating Attitudes Test – 26 (EAT‐26). Data were analysed using Student’s t‐test, χ2 analysis and multivariate logistic regression models.

Results:  Disordered eating (EAT score ≥20) was present in 52 (3.9%) adolescent boys and 68 (6.5%) adolescent girls. The youngest case was only 11 years old. A high degree of body weight dissatisfaction was shared by our adolescents. Teenage girls, overweight youths and those with poor academic performance were at increased risk of having disordered eating. Strong associations were found between disordered eating and other health‐compromising behaviours including smoking, alcohol and soft drug use, delinquent behaviours, suicidal ideation and self‐harm behaviours. Exposure to entertainment, beauty and youth magazines was positively related to disordered eating.

Conclusions:  Disordered eating is prevalent among adolescents in Hong Kong. It remains a significant public health challenge to our community. Prevention programmes targeting youths at the greatest risk should be considered.
Gemcitabine and paclitaxel chemotherapy as a second‐line treatment for advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma
Authors: Matsumoto Kazumasa , Irie Akira , Satoh Takefumi , Okazaki Miyoko , Iwamura Masatsugu , Baba Shiro
Published: September 2007

Objectives:  We report that a combination of gemcitabine and paclitaxel will effectively treat patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC) who have been previously treated with methotrexate, vinblastine, adriamycin, and cisplatin (MVAC). The objective of this study was to assess the tumor responses, toxicity, and overall survival of these patients as second‐line treatment.

Methods:  Ten eligible patients were enrolled in this study. All patients had been previously treated with MVAC. Patients received paclitaxel 200 mg/m2 on day 1 and gemcitabine 1000 mg/m2 on days 1, 8, and 15. The treatment was repeated every 21 days. Tumors were assessed every two cycles by imaging study.

Results:  The median number of treatment courses was 4 (range 2–7). Two patients had complete response and five patients had partial response after two courses of treatment. Median overall survival was 10.3 months. Median overall survival from the first MVAC was 19.1 months. Median progression‐free survival was 4.1 months. Of the seven responders, median progression‐free survival was 7.4 months. Myelosuppresion was the most common toxicity. Nonhematologic toxicity consisted of hypersensitivity reactions to paclitaxel. There were no therapy‐related deaths.

Conclusions:  Gemcitabine and paclitaxel chemotherapy is a favorable therapeutic alternative for patients with advanced or metastatic UC who have previously been treated with MVAC chemotherapy. Given the safety and benefit profile seen in this study, a large prospective research study is warranted to consider the potential role of gemcitabine and paclitaxel chemotherapy as a second‐line treatment for urothelial cancer.
Eye disease and care at hospital clinics in Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga
Authors: Ramke Jacqueline , Brian Garry , Du Toit Renee
Published: September 2007

Abstract

Purpose:  To obtain eye disease and care data to assist with service planning in Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.

Methods:  A hospital‐based rapid assessment including interviews and examination of clinical records.

Results:  An overview of equipment, staff and services was attained. Visual impairment was associated with increasing age but not gender of clinic attendees. Cataract was the most common cause of low vision and blindness. A substantial proportion of visually significant cataract, particularly that causing low vision but not blindness, was not offered treatment. The vision outcome of cataract surgery in Fiji was less successful than elsewhere. Only Samoa achieved the World Health Organization suggested outcomes. Refractive error was a significant cause of low vision, but poorly treated. Diabetic retinopathy was a substantial contributor to visual impairment at all locations except the Cook Islands, but not all was treated with laser. Trauma/corneal opacity was an important cause of blindness in Cook Islands and Tonga. Pterygium‐induced low vision and glaucoma blindness were diagnosed most frequently in Samoa.

Discussion:  This methodology enabled quick and cost‐efficient collection of data about hospital eye services, the conditions diagnosed and treated, and the outcome of treatment. It could easily be repeated by local clinicians to measure the impact of service planning and implementation. In the four countries audited, the management of, and intervention outcomes for, cataract, refractive error, diabetic retinopathy and trauma need attention.
Mental health nursing research: The contemporary context
Authors: Crowe Marie , Carlyle Dave
Published: September 2007

ABSTRACT:  While the need to develop and conduct research has been prominent in mental health nursing for some time, the current funding climate in tertiary institutions has created even more pressure for research outputs. The Research Assessment Exercise is well ingrained in UK institutions, New Zealand is about to enter the second round of the Performance‐based Research Funding model, and Australia is committed to a Research Quality Framework. There is much to learn from nursing departments in those countries that have already been part of the process. This paper will present a content analysis of what mental health nursing research is currently being published in nursing journals and discuss the implications of the research assessment exercises on its future. Those mental health nursing articles sampled in the study revealed a shift beginning towards more consumer‐focused research was occurring but that there was a need for more research into the effectiveness of specific mental health nursing interventions. Most of the articles also reported on small‐scale research. It concludes that research needs to be more clinically orientated and less profession‐orientated. It also suggests a need to focus on larger‐scale studies possibly situated within a collaborative research programme. These programmes need to be more collaborative both cross‐institutional and cross‐disciplinary.
Age‐related changes in antioxidant enzyme activities in the brain and liver of BN/Bi rats: Striking differences from those in F344 rats emphasize the need for “public observations” for generating a general theory of aging
Authors: Carrillo Maria‐Cristina , Kitani Kenichi , Minami Chiyoko , Maruyama Wakako
Published: September 2007

Objective:  Age‐related changes in endogenous antioxidant enzyme activities have been widely discussed in relation to mechanisms of organismic aging. However, some discrepancies in this regard can be seen in the published work. The present study aimed to clarify past discrepancies using BN/Bi rats in which no study has been reported in the past.

Methods:  Antioxidant enzyme activities such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were compared in several brain regions and the liver between young (8–9 months) and old (27–29 months) BN/BiRijHsd rats of both sexes.

Results:  CAT activities in brain regions were quite comparable between young and old rats of both sexes. SOD activity changes with age also were not remarkable, with the exception of significantly lower Mn‐SOD activities in substantia nigra and hippocampus of old male rats and significantly higher activities of Cu/Zn‐SOD in substantia nigra of old female rats in comparison with respective values in young rats. CAT activities in the liver tended to be lower in old male rats, while in females the opposite was observed. SOD activities in the liver stayed essentially unchanged with age in males, while in females total as well as Cu/Zn‐SOD activities were more than twofold higher in old animals.

Conclusion:  These data coupled with previously reported results, indicate that no generalization can be made in terms of age‐related changes in antioxidant enzyme activities. These differences emphasize the need of “public observations” in any attempt to generate a theory for mechanisms of aging based on antioxidant enzyme activity changes with age.
Memory and physical mobility in physically and cognitively‐independent elderly people
Authors: Kimura Nobuyo , Kazui Hiroaki , Kubo Yoshihiko , Yoshida Tetsuhiko , Ishida Yumiko , Miyoshi Noriko , Ogino Atsushi , Doronbekov Talant K , Tokunaga Hiromasa , Ikejiri Yoshitaka , Takeda Masatoshi
Published: September 2007

Objective:  To examine the relationship between memory and basic physical mobility in an independent elderly population.

Methods:  We evaluated memory and physical mobility in 147 persons aged 60 years or older who were physically and cognitively independent. Memory was assessed by using the Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test (RBMT) and a total standardized profile score was used as an index of overall memory status. Additionally, we made a “score independent of walking ability” to exclude the effect of physical mobility on the RBMT score and a “score independent of prospective memory” to exclude the effect of executive function on the RBMT score. Basic physical mobility was assessed by using the Timed Up and Go test (TUG). The score was expressed as the time in seconds to perform the sequence of the action required in TUG.

Results:  The TUG score significantly correlated with the total standardized profile score (rs = −0.21, P < 0.05) and the scores independent of walking ability (rs = −0.23, P < 0.01) and prospective memory (rs = −0.23, P < 0.01). Controlling for age, sex, education, and the presence of risk factors of cerebrovascular disease did not change the results.

Conclusions:  Memory is associated with basic physical mobility in independent elderly people. Because the TUG score significantly correlated with the scores independent of walking ability and prospective memory, the correlation was not a superficial one due to physical mobility or executive function. Our findings suggest that maintaining basic physical mobility can slow memory decline during aging.
Clinical, endocrine and ultrasonographic features of polycystic ovary syndrome in Thai women
Authors: Vutyavanich Teraporn , Khaniyao Vorathep , Wongtra‐ngan Supreeya , Sreshthaputra Opas , Sreshthaputra Rungaroon , Piromlertamorn Waraporn
Published: September 2007

Aim:  To study the prevalence, reproductive hormone profiles and ovarian sonographic appearance of Thai women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Methods:  One thousand and ninety‐five women were screened for oligomenorrhea/amenorrhea, and the clinical symptoms of hyperandrogenism. Ovarian morphology and volume were assessed by ultrasonography in diagnosed cases. Blood was taken for the measurement of the follicle stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, prolactin, testosterone, androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone and 17‐hydroxyprogesterone.

Results:  The prevalence of PCOS was 5.7%. The mean age of women with PCOS was less than that of non‐PCOS cases (27.4 ± 6.5 and 31.1 ± 6.4 years, respectively; P < 0.0001). Abnormal uterine bleeding and infertility were the leading presenting symptoms. The mean ovarian volume in women with PCO appearance was 9.22 ± 4.36 mL compared to 6.53 ± 3.31 mL in those without this appearance (P = 0.04). Hyperandrogenemia was confirmed in 23 of the 62 cases (37.1%).

Conclusions:  The prevalence and clinical presentations of Thai women with PCOS were similar to those in other reports. However, hirsutism, elevated testosterone level and acanthosis nigricans were uncommon in our population. Serum androstenedione was a more sensitive indicator of hyperandrogenemia than total testosterone. Further research is needed to clarify whether there is an ethnic difference in endocrine profiles and risks of metabolic syndrome.
Prophylactic trans‐uterine embolization to reduce intraoperative blood loss for placenta percreta invading the urinary bladder
Authors: Leung Ting‐Kai , Au Heng‐Kien , Lin Yun‐Ho , Lee Chi‐Ming , Shen Li‐Kuo , Lee Wei‐Hsing , Wang Hung‐Jung , Hsiao Wen‐Tien , Chen Ya‐Yen
Published: September 2007

Reported herein is the case of a 35‐year‐old multipara woman diagnosed (on sonography) with total placenta previa that had ruptured through the myometrium of the uterus, invading the wall of the urinary bladder. In the 32nd week of gestation the patient underwent an emergency cesarean section due to profuse vaginal bleeding. Due to possible intraoperative massive bleeding during removal of the placenta it was decided to preserve the uterus and placenta temporarily. The patient underwent superselective trans‐uterine embolization through the bilateral anterior branches of the hypogastric arteries, using gelfoam cubes and coils. Two days later cesarean hysterectomy was performed, and the placenta was successfully removed from the invaded urinary bladder. The whole procedure went smoothly and the estimated blood loss was only 1300 mL.
The change of plasma endothelin‐1 levels before and after surgery with or without Down syndrome
Authors: KAGEYAMA KYOKO , HASHIMOTO SOSHI , NAKAJIMA YASUFUMI , SHIME NOBUAKI , HASHIMOTO SATORU
Published: September 2007

Background:  The present study aimed to elucidate the pathophysiological roles of endothelin (ET)‐1 in patients with pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary vascular obstructive disease secondary to congenital heart disease and compare the plasma levels of ET‐1 between children with and without Down syndrome.

Methods:  Subjects comprised 32 children with congenital heart disease aged 0.5–14 months. Patients were classified into two groups: those with Down syndrome (Group D, n = 16); and those with nonDown syndrome (Group ND, n = 16). Heparinized blood samples were taken from a radial arterial line and plasma ET‐1 levels were measured preoperatively, during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), a few minutes after termination of CPB, and 2, 6 and 24 h after discontinuation of CPB.

Results:  Plasma ET‐1 levels were significantly higher in Group D than in Group ND at all times except for a few minutes after termination of CPB. In both groups, peak ET‐1 values were obtained at 6 h after CPB. At 24 h after CPB, ET‐1 concentrations returned to baseline levels before CPB in Group ND, but not in Group D. A correlation was identified between preoperative pulmonary to systemic pressure ratio and ET‐1 concentration before and after CPB in both groups.

Conclusions:  Pre‐ and postoperative plasma ET‐1 concentrations reflect pre‐ and postoperative pulmonary artery conditions in both groups. Specific features in Down syndrome could be associated with ET injury and might cause persistent increases in ET concentration and prolong artificial respiration.
Dismissal of Acoelomorpha: Acoela and Nemertodermatida are separate early bilaterian clades
Authors: Wallberg Andreas , Curini‐Galletti Marco , Ahmadzadeh Afsaneh , Jondelius Ulf
Published: September 2007

We used new 18S and 28S rRNA sequences analysed with parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods of phylogenetic reconstruction to show that Nemertodermatida, generally classified as the sister group of Acoela within the recently proposed Phylum Acoelomorpha, are a separate basal bilaterian lineage. We used several analytical approaches to control for possible long branch attraction (LBA) artefacts in our results. Parsimony and the model based phylogenetic reconstruction methods that incorporate ‘corrections’ for substitution rate heterogenities yielded concordant results. When putative long branch taxa were experimentally removed the resulting topologies were consistent with our total evidence analysis. Deletion of fast‐evolving nucleotide sites decreased resolution and clade support, but did not support a topology conflicting with the total evidence analysis. Establishment of Acoela and Nemertodermatida as two early lineages facilitates reconstruction of ancestral bilaterian features. The ancestor of extant Bilateria was a small, benthic direct developer without coelom or a planktonic larval stage. The previously proposed Phylum Acoelomorpha is dismissed as paraphyletic.
Evaluation of [11C]‐choline positron‐emission/computed tomography in patients with increasing prostate‐specific antigen levels after primary treatment for prostate cancer
Authors: Rinnab Ludwig , Mottaghy Felix M. , Blumstein Norbert M. , Reske Sven N. , Hautmann Richard E. , Hohl Kathrin , Möller Peter , Wiegel Thomas , Kuefer Rainer , Gschwend Juergen E.
Published: September 2007

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate [11C]‐choline positron‐emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) for detecting clinical recurrence after primary treatment for prostate cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In all, 50 patients with prostate cancer who had had initial therapy (radical prostatectomy in 40, external beam radiation in three and interstitial brachytherapy in seven) had PET/CT using [11C]‐choline in the presence of an increased or increasing prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) level. The mean (range) time to biochemical progression was 22 (2–136) months. Current PSA levels were determined in all patients at the time of examination. The results were correlated with the histopathology reports after targeted biopsy or surgery, and with the clinical follow‐up.

RESULTS

The mean (median, range) PSA level in patients with positive PET/CT was 3.62 (2.42, 0.5–13.1) ng/mL, and that in patients with a negative scan was 0.90 (0.95, 0.41–1.40) ng/mL. PET/CT was positive in seven of 13 patients with a PSA level of <1.5 ng/mL, and histology was positive in this group in nine. In 17 patients with PSA levels of 1.5–2.5 ng/mL PET/CT was positive in all and the histology was positive in 13; in 11 men with a PSA level of 2.5–5 ng/mL PET/CT was positive in all 11 and the histology was positive in 10; in nine men with PSA levels of >5 ng/mL PET/CT identified all as positive and the histology was positive in eight. The sensitivity at a PSA level of <2.5 ng/mL of PET/CT for detecting recurrence was 91% (95% confidence interval, 71–99%) with a specificity of 50% (16–84)%.

CONCLUSION

[11C]‐choline PET/CT seems to be useful for re‐staging prostate cancer after curative therapy and with increasing PSA levels; this was verified by histological examination. We recommend this method at PSA levels of <2.5 ng/mL.
High‐grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia is an independent predictor of outcome after radical prostatectomy
Authors: Pierorazio Phillip M. , Lambert Sarah M. , Matsukhani Mahesh , Sprenkle Preston C. , McCann Tara R. , Katz Aaron E. , Olsson Carl A. , Benson Mitchell C. , McKiernan James M.
Published: September 2007

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relationship between the presence of high‐grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) in retropubic radical prostatectomy (RP) specimens and cancer‐specific outcomes, including pathological variables and biochemical disease‐free survival (bDFS), as HGPIN shares many histopathological characteristics with prostate carcinoma and has been considered a precursor lesion to prostate cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The Columbia University Urologic Oncology Database was reviewed; 3460 patients were identified who underwent RP between 1988–2006, and 2133 with or without HGPIN and >12 months of follow‐up were included in the analysis. Analysis of variance methods were used to evaluate the relationship between HGPIN and pathological stage, Gleason sum, perineural invasion, multifocality, extraprostatic extension, margin and nodal status. Kaplan‐Meier analysis with the log‐rank test and a multivariate Cox proportional hazard model fitted for preoperative prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) level, Gleason sum and pathological stage were used to assess differences in bDFS.

RESULTS

In all, 1885 (88.4%) patients had HGPIN in the RRP specimen and 248 (11.6%) had no HGPIN. There was no significant difference in the distribution of PSA level (P = 0.27), pathological stage (P = 0.18) or Gleason sum (P = 0.84) between patients with and with no HGPIN. The HGPIN‐positive group had higher rates of perineural invasion (69.9 vs 57.5%; P = 0.003) and multifocality (63.0 vs 38.4%; P < 0.001). Patients with no HGPIN had a better bDFS, at 87.3% vs 81.0% at a median follow‐up of 50 months, and 73.6% vs 67.0% at 9 years (P = 0.045). The risk of biochemical failure was 1.9 times greater in the HGPIN‐positive group than the negative group (P = 0.006) when controlling for PSA level, pathological stage and Gleason sum.

CONCLUSIONS

In addition to traditional pathological prognostic variables, the absence of HGPIN in RRP specimens, although found in a minority of patients, denotes a significantly lower rate of tumour multifocality, perineural invasion and ultimately biochemical recurrence.
A delay in radical cystectomy of >3 months is not associated with a worse clinical outcome
Authors: Nielsen Matthew E. , Palapattu Ganesh S. , Karakiewicz Pierre I. , Lotan Yair , Bastian Patrick J. , Lerner Seth P. , Sagalowsky Arthur I. , Schoenberg Mark P. , Shariat Shahrokh F.
Published: September 2007

The first three papers in this section relate to the use of radical cystectomy in bladder cancer, and each study describes issues which are uncommonly written about, but which are relevant and important to any urologist who manages such patients.

There is also a paper from Cleveland describing the rare condition of neuroendocrine tumours in the kidney. This is a large series of cases, and the authors recommend awareness of the condition and the prudent use of immunohistochemical neuroendocrine markers.

There are a further six papers on prostate cancer; two of them evaluate high‐grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, taking different views on the subject.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between the interval from the last transurethral resection (TUR) to radical cystectomy (RC) and bladder cancer‐specific outcome, as the decision to proceed to RC for an individual patient is complex, and recent reports suggest an interval from diagnosis to RC of >3 months is associated with adverse outcomes.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The records of 592 patients who had RC were reviewed; the interval from the last TUR was analysed as both a continuous and categorical variable (<3 vs ≥3 months). Logistic regression and survival analyses were used to evaluate the association between the interval to RC with pathological characteristics and clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

The mean (sd) actuarial cancer‐specific survival was 70.5 (2.3)% and 60.7 (3.2)% at 3 and 7 years, respectively. Overall, the median (range) time from TUR to RC was 1.8 (0.3–11.6) months. The interval to RC analysed as a continuous or categorical variable was not associated with extravesical or nodal disease, lymph node metastases, disease recurrence, overall or cancer‐specific survival. The results were similar in the subgroup of 320 patients (54%) with clinically muscle‐invasive disease.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that a reasonable delay from the last TUR to RC is not independently associated with stage progression or with decreased recurrence‐free or disease‐specific survival. These findings might have important implications for trial design in the ongoing evaluation of neoadjuvant regimens. Nevertheless, we see no reason to advocate anything less than the timely consideration of definitive treatment for patients with high‐risk bladder cancer.
ARE CHINESE STOCK MARKETS INCREASING INTEGRATION WITH OTHER MARKETS IN THE GREATER CHINA REGION AND OTHER MAJOR MARKETS?
Authors: TIAN GARY GANG
Published: September 2007

This paper investigates the cointegrating and long‐term causal relationships between the Shanghai A and B‐share market, and between these two markets and the Hong Kong, the Taiwanese, the Japanese and the US market of two sub periods between July 1993 and March 2007. On the basis of a new Granger non‐causality test procedure developed by Toda‐Yamamoto (1995) and Johansen's (1988) cointegration test, my results suggest that a long‐term equilibrium relationship measured by cointegration has been merged between the Chinese A‐share market and the other markets in greater China region as well as the US market during the post‐crisis period which covers the period since Chinese A‐share market was opened to the Qualified Foreign Institutional Investors (QFII) in 2002. I also found that the Shanghai A‐share market uni‐directionally Granger‐causes the other regional markets after the Asian financial crisis, while the A‐share market and Hong Kong H‐share market have had a significant feedback relationship since then. However, I found no evidence there has been cointegrating relationship between Shanghai B‐share market and any other market ever since the B‐share market was opened to the local retail investors in 2001.
BUSINESS CYCLE TRENDS, CYCLES AND GROWTH REVISITED: WITH APPLICATIONS TO G7 ECONOMIES*
Authors: WANG PEIJIE , WANG PING
Published: September 2007

This paper examines the behaviour of G7 economies and decomposes their GDP into trend and cycle components using the Kalman filter. The general model of the paper encompasses a number of alternative specifications about trend growth, therefore accommodating diverse views on growth. The business cycle characteristics of G7 economies are then discussed, compared and deliberated in this framework. The empirical results overwhelmingly favor a mean‐reverting stochastic process for the growth rate, the general and unrestricted specification of the paper, across G7 countries, though the restrictions are statistically rejected in less than half of the cases. Further reflection on the properties of cycles makes the specifications and the results of this study more reasonable in capturing the characteristics of GDP series, and contributes to solving the controversies in model specifications in some previous studies.
Organizational‐Level Gender Dissimilarity and Employee Commitment
Authors: Lee Hyun‐Jung , Peccei Riccardo
Published: September 2007

This study explores the extent to which gender dissimilarity in the workplace affects employees' commitment to their organization, using data from the British (1998) Workplace Employee Relations Survey. The results showed that the effects of organizational‐level gender dissimilarity on organizational commitment were more complex than has commonly been assumed in the literature. The relationship between organizational‐level gender dissimilarity and employee commitment was U‐shaped for women whereas it was not significant for men. The relationship was moderated by the respondents' status as measured by their level of pay. For men, the relationship between gender dissimilarity and commitment was negative for high‐paid individuals but not for low‐paid ones, while for women the U‐shaped relationship was weaker for high‐paid individuals than for low‐paid individuals.
Invisible epidemic
Authors: Tulgan Bruce
Published: September 2007

Are organizations suffering because they are undermanaged?Bruce Tulgan says they are and believes that each manager needs to learn once more that it's okay to be a boss – as long as the job's done right.
The development of the neural crest in the human
Authors: O’Rahilly Ronan , Müller Fabiola
Published: September 2007

The first systematic account of the neural crest in the human has been prepared after an investigation of 185 serially sectioned staged embryos, aided by graphic reconstructions. As many as fourteen named topographical subdivisions of the crest were identified and eight of them give origin to ganglia (Table 2). Significant findings in the human include the following. (1) An indication of mesencephalic neural crest is discernible already at stage 9, and trigeminal, facial, and postotic components can be detected at stage 10. (2) Crest was not observed at the level of diencephalon 2. Although pre‐otic crest from the neural folds is at first continuous (stage 10), crest‐free zones are soon observable (stage 11) in Rh.1, 3, and 5. (3) Emigration of cranial neural crest from the neural folds at the neurosomatic junction begins before closure of the rostral neuropore, and later crest cells do not accumulate above the neural tube. (4) The trigeminal, facial, glossopharyngeal and vagal ganglia, which develop from crest that emigrates before the neural folds have fused, continue to receive contributions from the roof plate of the neural tube after fusion of the folds. (5) The nasal crest and the terminalis‐vomeronasal complex are the last components of the cranial crest to appear (at stage 13) and they persist longer. (6) The optic, mesencephalic, isthmic, accessory, and hypoglossal crest do not form ganglia. Cervical ganglion 1 is separated early from the neural crest and is not a Froriep ganglion. (7) The cranial ganglia derived from neural crest show a specific relationship to individual neuromeres, and rhombomeres are better landmarks than the otic primordium, which descends during stages 9–14. (8) Epipharyngeal placodes of the pharyngeal arches contribute to cranial ganglia, although that of arch 1 is not typical. (9) The neural crest from rhombomeres 6 and 7 that migrates to pharyngeal arch 3 and from there rostrad to the truncus arteriosus at stage 12 is identified here, for the first time in the human, as the cardiac crest. (10) The hypoglossal crest provides cells that accompany those of myotomes 1–4 and form the hypoglossal cell cord at stages 13 and 14. (11) The occipital crest, which is related to somites 1–4 in the human, differs from the spinal mainly in that it does not develop ganglia. (12) The occipital and spinal portions of the crest migrate dorsoventrad and appear to traverse the sclerotomes before the differentiation into loose and dense zones in the latter. (13) Embryonic examples of synophthalmia and anencephaly are cited to emphasize the role of the neural crest in the development of cranial ganglia and the skull.
Plant invasion across space and time: factors affecting nonindigenous species success during four stages of invasion
Authors: Theoharides Kathleen A. , Dukes Jeffrey S.
Published: September 2007

Contents

Summary
256

I.
Introduction
257

II.
Stages of invasion
260

III.
A case for the four‐stage framework: forecasting the response of nonindigenous plant species to climate change
268

IV.
Conclusion
268

Acknowledgements
269

References
269
Soil properties in organic olive groves compared with that in natural areas in a mountainous landscape in southern Spain
Authors: ÁLvarez S. , Soriano M. A. , Landa B. B. , Gómez J. A.
Published: September 2007

This study evaluates soil properties in organically managed olive groves and natural zones in a mountainous area of Andalusia, Spain. Two soil types (Eutric Regosol and Eutric Cambisol) and the most common soil management methods (tillage and two intensities of grazing) were studied. Both soil types in the groves had values not much lower than those in the natural areas. Average (±SE) values in the groves were 1.58 ± 0.71% for organic carbon, 323 ± 98 g kg−1for macroaggregate stability, 1.11 ± 0.16 g cm−3for bulk density, 3.5 ± 1.6 mm h−1for saturated hydraulic conductivity and 1209 ± 716 mg CO2 kg−1for soil respiration. Overall, these values tended to be lower in the tilled compared with that in the grazed groves. The average phosphorus soil content (5.83 ± 5.22 mg kg−1) was low for olive production and within adequate ranges for N (0.12 ± 0.05%) and K (142 ± 81 mg kg−1). Soil erosion was high in the tilled groves (35.5 ± 18.2 t ha−1 year−1) with soil loss correlating with indicators of soil degradation such as organic carbon content and water stable macroaggregates. In the grazed groves, soil loss was moderate with no clear indications of soil degradation. Overall, there was significant farm‐to‐farm variability within the same soil and land management systems. Olive production had a moderate effect on soil degradation compared with natural areas and olive cultivation could be sustained in future if cover crop soil management replaced tillage, especially in the most sloping areas.
WHITE LUMPS IN FIFTH‐ TO SEVENTEENTH‐CENTURY AD MORTARS FROM NORTHERN ITALY
Authors: BRUNI S. , CARIATI F. , FERMO P. , CAIRATI P. , ALESSANDRINI G. , TONIOLO L.
Published: September 2007

Ancient mortars from northern Italy, dating from the fifth to the seventeenth century AD, were examined in order to formulate an hypothesis regarding the origin of the white lumps often observed in these mortars and in other samples of the same geographical provenance. Various characterization techniques were employed, including scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray powder diffraction and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and micro‐FTIR spectroscopy.
IN VITRO DECOMPOSITION OF BONE COLLAGEN BY SOIL BACTERIA: THE IMPLICATIONS FOR STABLE ISOTOPE ANALYSIS IN ARCHAEOMETRY*
Authors: BALZER A. , GLEIXNER G. , GRUPE G. , SCHMIDT H.‐L. , SCHRAMM S. , TURBAN‐JUST S.
Published: September 2007

To understand biogenic collagen type I decomposition and to establish how diagenesis may bias archaeometric data, modern mammalian bone was inoculated with a selection of ubiquitous soil bacteria. The presence of exogenous microbial biomass in the inoculated specimens was then checked microscopically prior to collagen extraction. The experimentally degraded bone collagen showed altered amino acid compositions, attributable to the selective breakdown of certain amino acids by the bacteria. While both the bulk collagen extract and the single amino acids exhibited shifts to more negative δ13 C‐values, enrichment was recorded for general δ13 N, and a depletion trend relative to unaltered collagen was observed for individual amino acid δ13 N. One explanation for the enrichment of the global δ15N‐values is cleavage of peptide bonds, which leaves 15 N within the substrate, while the change of 13C is mostly due to the altered amino acid composition. On the other hand, possible repolymerization of cleavage products under experimental conditions may also be responsible for the depletion trend of individual amino acid δ13C‐ and δ15 N‐values. This paper discusses the results as a basis for the development of a method for the reconstruction of the isotopic abundance of the original collagen, using the amino acid composition of the degraded product, the contribution of individual amino acids to its global δ‐values and of isotope discriminations implied in the microbial decomposition.
TRACE ELEMENT GEOCHEMISTRY OF NATIVE COPPER FROM THE WHITE PINE MINE, MICHIGAN (USA): IMPLICATIONS FOR SOURCING ARTEFACTS*
Authors: MAUK J. L. , HANCOCK R. G. V.
Published: September 2007

Eighty‐five samples of native copper from the White Pine mine in upper Michigan were analysed by neutron activation to document geochemical variability within a single locality. Silver, sodium, antimony and scandium contents vary by two orders of magnitude, whereas arsenic values vary by three orders of magnitude. This variability reinforces the need for provenance studies of artefacts to examine sufficient samples to test for heterogeneity within the source area. The White Pine suite contains some of the most impure native copper that has been analysed to date. Arsenic and silver values of these impure samples overlap with those of European coppers, but consideration of several elements can still distinguish native copper from European copper.