bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The upregulation of receptor activator NF‐κB ligand expression by interleukin‐1α and Porphyromonas endodontalis in human osteoblastic cells
Authors: Chen S.‐C. , Huang F.‐M. , Lee S.‐S. , Li M.‐Z. , Chang Y.‐C.
Published: March 2009

Aim  To investigate the receptor activator of nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB) ligand (RANKL) in osteoblastic cells stimulated with inflammatory mediators.

Methodology  The expression of RANKL in human osteoblastic cell line U2OS stimulated by pro‐inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)‐1α and black‐pigmented bacteria Porphyromonas endodontalis was investigated by Western blot and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The significance of the results obtained from control and treated groups was statistically analysed by the paired Student’s t‐test.

Results  IL‐1α was found to upregulate RANKL production in U2OS cells (P < 0.05). Investigations of the time dependence of RANKL expression in IL‐1α‐treated cells revealed a rapid accumulation of RANKL protein after 1 h of exposure; it remained elevated throughout the 24‐h incubation period shown by Western blot and ELISA. In addition, P. endodontalis also increased RANKL expression in U2OS cells after 4‐h incubation period demonstrated by Western blot and ELISA (P < 0.05).

Conclusions  IL‐1α and P. endodontalis may be involved in developing apical periodontitis through the stimulation of RANKL production.
Providing psychosocial and physical rehabilitation advice for patients with burns
Authors: Reeve Jeanne , James Frances , McNeill Rob
Published: March 2009

Title.  Providing psychosocial and physical rehabilitation advice for patients with burns.

Aim.  This paper is a report of a study evaluating the perceived skills of nursing and allied healthcare professionals in providing psychosocial and physical rehabilitation advice, including the effect of years of burn injury experience.

Background.  Recovery from burn injuries is a complex mix of physical and psychosocial rehabilitation, yet research in the UK has demonstrated that healthcare professionals feel more competent at giving advice to patients on issues of physical rehabilitation than psychosocial rehabilitation.

Methods.  This was a replication study with a cross‐sectional design. A questionnaire survey was conducted with a convenience sample of healthcare professionals in a large urban hospital with specialist burn and plastic services in New Zealand. The data were collected in 2005.

Results.  Consistent with the UK results, New Zealand healthcare professionals rated their skills in advising patients about physical items of burn rehabilitation higher than their skills for psychosocial items. Years of experience working with burns was related to greater perceived skill in advising patients on physical rehabilitation. In contrast, no relationship between years of experience and perceived skill in the provision of psychosocial rehabilitation advice was found.

Conclusion.  Strategies to enhance effective staff/patient communication should form an integral part of staff education. The psychosocial needs of patients must be incorporated as an essential part of such strategies.
Protocolized vs. non‐protocolized weaning for reducing the duration of mechanical ventilation in critically ill adult patients: Cochrane review protocol
Authors: Blackwood Bronagh , Alderdice Fiona , Burns Karen E.A. , Cardwell Chris R. , Lavery Gavin G. , O’Halloran Peter
Published: March 2009

Title.  Protocolized vs. non‐protocolized weaning for reducing the duration of mechanical ventilation in critically ill adult patients: Cochrane review protocol.

Aim.  This paper is a report of the protocol for a review to identify, critically appraise and synthesize the best current evidence supporting the use of weaning protocols compared to non‐protocolized practice in liberating patients from mechanical ventilation.

Background.  Patients experiencing difficulty in weaning require a longer hospital stay and have higher morbidity and mortality. Consequently, efforts to reduce weaning time are desirable to reduce the duration of ventilation and related complications. Standardized weaning protocols are safe and effective in reducing the time spent on mechanical ventilation. Notwithstanding, the evidence supporting their use in practice is inconsistent. The discordant results of studies may reflect the fact that protocols vary in composition and are implemented in different environments by various healthcare providers.

Design.  The objectives of this review are to compare the total duration of mechanical ventilation between patients weaned using protocols vs. non‐protocolized practice; to ascertain differences between protocolized and non‐protocolized weaning with regards to mortality, adverse events, quality of life, weaning duration, ICU and hospital stay; and to explore variation in outcomes by the type of ICU, the type of protocol and approach to delivering the protocol. We will search the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library), MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, ISI Web of Science and LILACS. In addition, we will endeavour to identify unpublished data and contact first authors of studies included in the review to obtain information on unpublished studies or work in progress.

Conclusion.  This review will provide much needed direction for healthcare professionals in intensive care in terms of both research and practice.
Common candidate gene variants are associated with QT interval duration in the general population
Authors: Marjamaa A. , Newton‐Cheh C. , Porthan K. , Reunanen A. , Lahermo P. , Väänänen H. , Jula A. , Karanko H. , Swan H. , Toivonen L. , Nieminen M. S. , Viitasalo M. , Peltonen L. , Oikarinen L. , Palotie A. , Kontula K. , Salomaa V.
Published: March 2009

Objectives.  QT interval prolongation is associated with increased risk of sudden cardiac death at the population level. As 30–40% of the QT‐interval variability is heritable, we tested the association of common LQTS and NOS1AP gene variants with QT interval in a Finnish population‐based sample.

Methods.  We genotyped 12 common LQTS and NOS1AP genetic variants in Health 2000, an epidemiological sample of 5043 Finnish individuals, using Sequenom MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry. ECG parameters were measured from digital 12‐lead ECGs and QT intervals were adjusted for age, gender and heart rate with a nomogram (Nc) method derived from the present study population.

Results.  The KCNE1 D85N minor allele (frequency 1.4%) was associated with a 10.5 ms (SE 1.6) or 0.57 SD prolongation of the adjusted QTNc interval (P = 3.6 × 10−11) in gender‐pooled analysis. In agreement with previous studies, we replicated the association with QTNc interval with minor alleles of KCNH2 intronic SNP rs3807375 [1.6 ms (SE 0.4) or 0.08 SD, P = 4.7 × 10−5], KCNH2 K897T [−2.6 ms (SE 0.5) or −0.14 SD, P = 2.1 × 10−7] and NOSA1P variants including rs2880058 [4.0 ms (SE 0.4) or 0.22 SD, P = 3.2 × 10−24] under additive models.

Conclusions.  We demonstrate that each additional copy of the KCNE1 D85N minor allele is associated with a considerable 10.5 ms prolongation of the age‐, gender‐ and heart rate‐adjusted QT interval and could thus modulate repolarization‐related arrhythmia susceptibility at the population level. In addition, we robustly confirm the previous findings that three independent KCNH2 and NOSA1P variants are associated with adjusted QT interval.
The positive and negative health effects of alcohol‐ and the public health implications
Authors: Grønbæk M.
Published: March 2009

In this paper, the negative and the positive effects of alcohol on health are reviewed. It is first of all established facts that a high alcohol intake implies an increased risk of a large number of health outcomes, such as dementia, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, cirrhosis, upper digestive tract cancer and alcohol dependency. Second, it is justified that alcohol has beneficial effects for some individuals, especially with regard to prevention of thrombosis of the heart. The public health relevance of these results is considered. The sensible drinking limits, used in both the UK and Denmark, of a maximum of 21 drinks per week for men and 14 drinks per week for women seem valid. A broader public health message of the beneficial effects of alcohol does not seem to be of interest in Western societies, where only a very small fraction of the population are non drinkers and may have very good reasons therefore.
Gender‐specific selection in utero among contemporary human birth cohorts
Authors: Catalano Ralph , Ahern Jennifer , Bruckner Tim , Anderson Elizabeth , Saxton Katherine
Published: March 2009

Much literature argues that natural selection has conserved mechanisms by which stressed females cull frail males in utero. This argument implies that males from low sex ratio birth cohorts should, on average, live longer than those from high sex ratio cohorts. Research reports such associations but these tests use completed lifespan as the outcome and, therefore, must end with cohorts born in 1913 because too many males survive from more contemporary cohorts to determine average lifespan. The empirical literature does not, therefore, address whether selection affects male mortality in contemporary cohorts. We apply time‐series methods to monthly cohorts born in California between 1989 and 2003 to measure the association between the ratio of male to female live births and infant mortality, controlling for all forms of autocorrelation that induce spurious correlations.

Consistent with theories of selection in utero, we find a positive correlation between cohort sex ratio and male infant mortality. The results suggest that natural selection conserved the stress mechanism in females to end the gestation of relatively less fit males and that this mechanism manifests itself in contemporary human societies.
Virus‐induced gene silencing reveals the involvement of ethylene‐, salicylic acid‐ and mitogen‐activated protein kinase‐related defense pathways in the resistance of tomato to bacterial wilt
Authors: Chen Yong‐Yi , Lin Yu‐Mei , Chao To‐Chun , Wang Jaw‐Fen , Liu An‐Chi , Ho Fang‐I , Cheng Chiu‐Ping
Published: March 2009

Bacterial wilt (BW), caused by Ralstonia solanacearum, is a devastating vascular disease of tomato worldwide. However, information on tomato's defense mechanism against infection by this soil‐borne bacterium is limited. In this study, virus‐induced gene silencing (VIGS) was employed to decipher signaling pathways involved in the resistance of tomato to this pathogen. Defined sequence fragments derived from a group of genes known or predicted to be involved in ethylene (ET) and salicylic acid (SA) signaling transduction pathways and mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades were subjected to VIGS in ‘Hawaii 7996′, a tomato cultivar with stable resistance to BW, and their effect on resistance was determined. The results indicated that silencing of ACO1/3, EIN2, ERF3, NPR1, TGA2.2, TGA1a, MKK2, MPK1/2 and MPK3 caused significant increase in bacterial proliferation in stembases and/or mid‐stems. Partial wilting symptoms appeared on plants in which TGA2.2, TGA2.1a, MKK2 and MPK1/2 were silenced. These results suggested that ET‐, SA‐ and MAPK‐related defense signaling pathways are involved in the resistance of tomato to BW. This is the first report elucidating the multiple layers of defense governing the resistance of tomato to BW. The results are discussed to enlighten an important and complex interaction between tomato and a soil‐borne vascular pathogen.
An evaluation of four candidate genes for use in selection programmes aimed at increased intramuscular fat in Duroc swine
Authors: Schwab C.R. , Mote B.E. , Du Z.‐Q. , Amoako R. , Baas T.J. , Rothschild M.F.
Published: March 2009

Summary A sufficient level of intramuscular fat (IMF) is needed to enhance consumer acceptance of pork products, and is currently receiving greater attention within swine genetic improvement programmes. An examination of previously described and novel genetic variants within candidate genes for IMF deposition was performed to evaluate potential use of genetic markers in marker‐assisted selection (MAS). Biological candidate genes implicated to play a role in adipogenesis were investigated within two different lines of purebred Duroc pigs. These included MC4R, FABP3, DLK1, and TCF7L2. Significant variation in IMF within the control line was described by the MC4R genotype and a novel BsrfI single nucleotide polymorphism within the FABP3 gene. Genetic markers for DLK1 and TCF7L2 evaluated in this population are not currently recommended for selection in Duroc swine. Existence of MC4R and FABP3 mutations may be useful markers in MAS aimed at IMF improvement, provided that gene effects are segregating and the presence of an association is detected within the population. However, additional work to confirm the use of the investigated genetic markers in selection programmes is needed.
Accumulation of Defence Response‐related and Unique Expressed Sequence Tags during the Incompatible Interaction in theOryza sativa–Magnaporthe oryzaePathosystem
Authors: Dixit Rekha , Bhargava Ashutosh , Dalal Vivek , Plaha Prikshit , Singh Nagendera K. , Sharma Tilak R.
Published: March 2009

Resistance gene‐dependent accumulation of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) was studied in a blast resistant, Oryzasativassp.indicacv. Tetep after challenge inoculation with an incompatible race ofMagnaporthe oryzae. The nucleotide sequence of 287 randomly selected cDNA clones from the rice cDNA library constructed from the RNA isolated after challenge inoculation of the host was obtained and submitted in NCBI Genbank (Accession Nos.DN475717–DN475431). Of these, 184 (63%) ESTs were highly representative of the rice transcriptomes. A set of 178 unique transcripts was identified after assembly of 287 ESTs into unigenes. These unigenes were categorized into 17 functional groups. Analysis of this EST library illustrated a broad functional representation. Twenty‐one unigenes were identified as putative homologues of the genes that were up regulated during host–pathogen interaction. Similarity search of 178 unigenes with NCBI database of 14 plants unigenes showed similarity ranging from 29–100%. The unigenes obtained in this study were physically located on the pseudomolecules of rice genome. This information can be used for determining the arrays of genes being expressed duringOryza sativa–M. oryzaeinteractions, which will be helpful in understanding the molecular basis of disease resistance.
Significance of lymphatic invasion and cancer invasion‐related proteins on lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer
Authors: Kamata Itaru , Ishikawa Yukio , Akishima‐Fukasawa Yuri , Ito Kinji , Akasaka Yoshikiyo , Uzuki Miwa , Fujimoto Ai , Morita Hiroshi , Tamai Seiichi , Maehara Tadaaki , Ogata Kentaro , Shimokawa Reiko , Igarashi Yoshinori , Miki Kazumasa , Ishii Toshiharu
Published: March 2009

Background and Aims:  Cancer invasion and metastasis are critical events for patient prognosis; however, the most important step in the whole process of lymph node (LN) metastasis in gastric cancer remains obscure. In this study, the significance of cancer cell behaviors, such as cell detachment, stromal invasion and lymphatic invasion on regional LN metastasis in gastric cancer was investigated by comprehensive immunohistochemistry.

Methods:  A total of 210 cases with gastric cancer were selected. These consisted of 105 cases with regional LN metastasis (LN[+] group) and 105 cases without LN metastasis (LN[–] group). Both groups exhibited the same depth of invasion. Cancer tissues were subjected to immunohistochemistry with antibodies against claudin‐3, claudin‐4, β‐catenin, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐1, and MMP‐2, as well as endothelial markers of lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor‐1 and von Willebrand factor for the objective discrimination between lymphatics and blood vessels. The expression of each protein as well as the histopathological parameters were compared between LN(+) and LN(−) groups.

Results:  Along with lymphatic invasion by cancer cells and gross tumor size, MMP‐1 expression in cancer cells at the invasive front of the primary tumor was a significant, independent predictor of LN metastasis. The expression of claudins and β‐catenin was associated with the histopathological type of cancer, but not with LN status.

Conclusion:  Among the cancer invasion‐related proteins examined, MMP‐1 plays a vital role in LN metastasis of gastric cancer. Tumor size, lymphatic invasion and MMP‐1 expression level at the invasive front were the predictive factors of LN metastasis of gastric cancer.
The impact of individual differences on e‐learning system satisfaction: A contingency approach
Authors: Lu Hsi‐Peng , Chiou Ming‐Jen
Published: March 2009

This study investigated the impact of contingent variables on the relationship between four predictors and students' satisfaction with e‐learning. Five hundred and twenty‐two university students from 10 intact classes engaging in online instruction were asked to answer questionnaires about their learning styles, perceptions of the quality of the proposed predictors and satisfaction with e‐learning systems. The results of analysis of variance and structural equation modelling analyses showed that two contingent variables, gender and job status, significantly influenced the perceptions of predictors and students' satisfaction with the e‐learning system. This study also found a statistically significant moderating effect of two contingent variables, student job status and learning styles, on the relationship between predictors and e‐learning system satisfaction. The results suggest that a serious consideration of contingent variables is crucial for improving e‐learning system satisfaction. The implications of these results for the management of e‐learning systems are discussed.
Ambiguous Allure: The Value–Pragmatics Model of Ethical Decision Making
Authors: WATSON GEORGE W. , BERKLEY ROBYN A. , PAPAMARCOS STEVEN D.
Published: March 2009

Research in organizational ethics emphasizes those dispositional factors that are expected to foster positive ethical behavior. We seek to contribute to this literature by including personal values that are in contention with moral outcomes. Specifically, we combine the values of hedonism and power with benevolence and universalism. Our underlying premise of this value–pragmatics model is that nonmoral, as well as moral, dispositional characteristics simultaneously influence ethical decision making. We further contribute to the existing research by investigating how these contending values interact with situational factors, such as performance rewards and punishments for unethical conduct. We administer an experiment to subjects (N = 177) and analyze their decisions regarding the likelihood they would act unethically. Results indicate that both morally relevant and nonmoral variables have direct effects on these decisions, and that nonmoral as well as moral values interact with situational factors to significantly influence decisions. Implications for practice and research are discussed.
Food Prices and Obesity: Evidence and Policy Implications for Taxes and Subsidies
Authors: POWELL LISA M. , CHALOUPKA FRANK J.
Published: March 2009

Context:Pricing policies have been posited as potential policy instruments to address the increasing prevalence of obesity. This article examines whether altering the cost of unhealthy, energy‐dense foods, compared with healthy, less‐dense foods through the use of fiscal pricing (tax or subsidy) policy instruments would, in fact, change food consumption patterns and overall diet enough to significantly reduce individuals' weight outcomes.

Methods:This article examined empirical evidence regarding the food and restaurant price sensitivity of weight outcomes based on a literature search to identify peer‐reviewed English‐language articles published between 1990 and 2008. Studies were identified from the Medline, PubMed, Econlit, and PAIS databases. The fifteen search combinations used the termsobesity,body mass index, andBMIeach in combination with the termsprice,prices,tax,taxation, andsubsidy.

Findings:The studies reviewed showed that when statistically significant associations were found between food and restaurant prices (taxes) and weight outcomes, the effects were generally small in magnitude, although in some cases they were larger for low–socioeconomic status (SES) populations and for those at risk for overweight or obesity.

Conclusions:The limited existing evidence suggests that small taxes or subsidies are not likely to produce significant changes in BMI or obesity prevalence but that nontrivial pricing interventions may have some measurable effects on Americans' weight outcomes, particularly for children and adolescents, low‐SES populations, and those most at risk for overweight. Additional research is needed to be able to draw strong policy conclusions regarding the effectiveness of fiscal‐pricing interventions aimed at reducing obesity.
The Perils of Ignoring History: Big Tobacco Played Dirty and Millions Died. How Similar Is Big Food?
Authors: BROWNELL KELLY D. , WARNER KENNETH E.
Published: March 2009

Context:In 1954 the tobacco industry paid to publish the “Frank Statement to Cigarette Smokers” in hundreds of U.S. newspapers. It stated that the public's health was the industry's concern above all others and promised a variety of good‐faith changes. What followed were decades of deceit and actions that cost millions of lives. In the hope that the food history will be written differently, this article both highlights important lessons that can be learned from the tobacco experience and recommends actions for the food industry.

Methods:A review and analysis of empirical and historical evidence pertaining to tobacco and food industry practices, messages, and strategies to influence public opinion, legislation and regulation, litigation, and the conduct of science.

Findings:The tobacco industry had a playbook, a script, that emphasized personal responsibility, paying scientists who delivered research that instilled doubt, criticizing the “junk” science that found harms associated with smoking, making self‐regulatory pledges, lobbying with massive resources to stifle government action, introducing “safer” products, and simultaneously manipulating and denying both the addictive nature of their products and their marketing to children. The script of the food industry is both similar to and different from the tobacco industry script.

Conclusions:Food is obviously different from tobacco, and the food industry differs from tobacco companies in important ways, but there also are significant similarities in the actions that these industries have taken in response to concern that their products cause harm. Because obesity is now a major global problem, the world cannot afford a repeat of the tobacco history, in which industry talks about the moral high ground but does not occupy it.
Club goods and inefficient institutions: why Danzig and Lübeck failed in the early modern period
Authors: LINDBERG ERIK
Published: March 2009

This article uses club theory to explain why two major medieval commercial centres declined in the early modern period. Lübeck and Danzig illuminate the difficulties experienced by old‐style European towns where early modern guilds (and other privileged ‘corporations’) had a lot of political influence in making the transition to the new style of north‐west European cities such as Amsterdam and Hamburg. The article refutes theories proposing that the special privileges awarded to a merchant elite enhanced economic growth; instead, it is argued that those privileges gave rise to ‘club goods’ that were beneficial only to a small number of merchants and were provided at the expense of society at large, resulting in economic decline.
Anxiety and depression in children and adolescents with spinal cord injuries
Authors: ANDERSON CAROLINE J , KELLY ERIN H , KLAAS SARA J , RUSSELL HEATHER , DAHARSH ERICA , VOGEL LAWRENCE C
Published: March 2009

Aim  To determine the levels of anxiety and depression in young people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) and their associated factors and outcomes.

Method  Children and adolescents aged 7 to 17 years at interview who had sustained SCI at least 1 year before the study were assessed using the Children’s Depression Inventory, the Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale, the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, the Children’s Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment, and a demographic questionnaire designed for the study.

Results  The 118 participants (61 males, 57 females) had a mean age of 12 years 4 months, SD 3y 1mo, range 7‐17y. Mean age at injury was 5 years 11 months, SD 4y 11m, range 0‐16y; 89 participants (75%) had paraplegia and 29 (25%) had tetraplegia. Fifty‐seven (52%) had complete injuries and 52 (48%) had incomplete injuries according to the American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale. Thirteen participants (13%) reported significant symptoms of anxiety, and seven (6%) reported significant levels of depression, which were comparable to the normative population. Age, race, and sex were not associated with anxiety or depression, but participants with shorter duration of injury were more likely to be anxious, and those with less functional independence were more likely to be depressed. Only one dimension of participation was associated with anxiety and depression, but all aspects of quality of life were decreased among those with anxiety or depression.

Interpretation  The levels of anxiety and depression in young people with SCI are comparable to the normative range. When anxiety and depression occur they are associated with reduced levels of quality of life.
Research priorities in urinary incontinence: results from citizens’ juries
Authors: Herbison P , Hay‐Smith J , Paterson H , Ellis G , Wilson D
Published: March 2009

Objective  The objective of this study was to elicit research ideas, priorities and outcome measures from women who suffer from urinary incontinence.

Design  Citizens’ juries gather participants together for a combination of education and deliberation on a specific topic. The juries were held in November 2007.

Setting  Women living in the community with urinary incontinence.

Sample  Purposively selected responders to public advertisements in Dunedin, New Zealand, were grouped into two juries dependent on whether stress urinary incontinence or urge urinary incontinence was the predominant problem.

Methods  The juries had a day of education in incontinence and research‐related issues, with a half day for deliberation and reporting.

Main outcome measures  Ideas for areas where research may help the lives of women with incontinence in priority order and how best to measure the outcome of that research.

Results  The juries identified five main areas for incontinence research with only minor differences depending on which jury. These are, in priority order, making seeking help easier, making day‐to‐day life more manageable, finding out total costs, more knowledge about causes and the effects of lifestyle. Quality of life was considered by far the most important outcome.

Conclusions  Citizens’ juries are able to come up with ideas for research and prioritise these. Research in the areas suggested would be likely to improve the lives of women with urinary incontinence and may lead to a different mix of research projects than is currently the case.
Conservation and Aid: Designing More Effective Investments in Natural Resource Governance Reform
Authors: NELSON FRED
Published: March 2009

Abstract: Biodiversity conservation outcomes are closely related to the rules and institutions governing resource use. Creating local incentives for conservation through more secure resource tenure is central to conservation outcomes on private and communal lands, where the preponderance of biodiversity occurs. Conservation efforts in sub‐Saharan Africa are therefore centrally concerned with governance dynamics and institutional reform processes, such as the decentralization of property rights, and how best to achieve such reforms. Traditional mechanisms for financing conservation efforts in Africa rely heavily on funds channeled through multilateral and bilateral aid agencies. The history of development aid highlights a range of constraints these aid agencies face in terms of working toward more effective resource governance arrangements and promoting reforms. Government aid agencies possess incentives for promoting large‐scale and short‐term projects that maximize expenditure volumes and tend to define issues in technical rather than political terms. The history of development aid suggests that these and other characteristics of aid agencies impedes their ability to influence governance reform processes and that aid funding may discourage the adoption of reforms. Greater emphasis in African conservation financing needs to be placed on flexible, small‐scale investments aligned to local interests and constituencies that prioritize innovation, learning, and experimentation. Additionally, more research is required that explores the linkages between conservation funding, donor decision‐making processes, and governance reforms.
Neurochemistry and epileptology
Authors: Van Rijn Clementina , Meinardi Harry
Published: March 2009

This paper gives an account of the global evolution of (neuro‐)chemistry in epileptology with an emphasis on the role of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), which declared in its constitution a mission “to make the epilepsy‐problem the object of special study and to make practical use of the results of such study.” AsEpilepsiais the scientific journal of the ILAE, the review emphasizes papers published in the journal.
Drug treatment of epilepsy in the century of the ILAE: The first 50 years, 1909–1958
Authors: Shorvon Simon D.
Published: March 2009

This paper provides a review of the drug treatment of epilepsy from 1909, the year of the foundation of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), to 1958. It was during this period that modern approaches to the medicinal therapy of epilepsy were formulated and many new drugs were introduced. Of these, both phenytoin and phenobarbital continue to be widely used today. This was the period when scientific screening was also introduced into drug discovery. The leading figures in the ILAE played an important role in guiding the evolution of the treatment of epilepsy during this period.
Drug treatment of epilepsy in the century of the ILAE: The second 50 years, 1959–2009
Authors: Shorvon Simon D.
Published: March 2009

The drug therapy of epilepsy evolved enormously in this 50 year period. Advances in therapeutics included the incorporation of pharmacokinetics into clinical practice, enormous advances in neurochemistry, a trend to antiepileptic drug monotherapy, better drug assessment, better understanding of therapeutic outcomes, and the recognition of the large epilepsy treatment gap in many countries. An unprecedented range of new drugs was introduced in this period. Before 1989, these included carbamazepine, valproate, ethosuximide, and the benzodiazepines. Since 1989, 13 more new drugs have been licensed and marketed and there are others in the pipeline. The International League Against Epilepsy and its leading figures have played an important role in these developments. In this period, too, there has been a rapid expansion in research and development within the pharmaceutical industry and a rise in the value of the antiepileptic drug market. In parallel, governmental regulation of pharmaceuticals has greatly increased. To what extent the overall prognosis of epilepsy has improved as a result of these activities is an interesting and perplexing question.
Epilepsy Surgery: Historical Highlights 1909–2009
Authors: Feindel William , Leblanc Richard , De Almeida Antonio Nogueira
Published: March 2009

This review focuses on some historical highlights of the surgery of epilepsy, beginning with the reports of Horsley, Krause, and Cushing to which appeared in 1909, the year that The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) was inaugurated. We then outline key contributions from Europe and North America, and examine particularly the evolution of our understanding of temporal lobe seizures, which have now become the most common form of epilepsy amenable to surgical cure.
Chronic Atrophic Gastritis and Metachronous Gastric Cancer in Japanese Alcoholic Men With Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Yokoyama Akira , Omori Tai , Yokoyama Tetsuji , Kawakubo Hirofumi , Mori Shuka , Matsui Toshifumi , Maruyama Katsuya
Published: March 2009

Background:  The risk of metachronous gastric cancer is high in Japanese with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), especially in alcoholic men, suggesting a common background underlying the gastric and esophageal cancers.

Methods:  Endoscopic follow‐up ranging from 7 to 160 months (median, 47 months) after the initial diagnosis was performed in 99 Japanese gastric‐cancer‐free alcoholic men (56.8 ± 6.4 years) with esophageal SCC detected by an endoscopic screening examination. Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) assessed by the serum pepsinogen test and Helicobacter pylori status was compared between 90 of the 99 esophageal SCC cases and 180 age‐matched Japanese gastric‐ and esophageal‐cancer‐free alcoholic men.

Results:  The serum pepsinogen test showed a higher seroprevalence of severe CAG among the cases than among the age‐matched controls (35.4% vs. 14.2% for H. pylori‐seropositive, 71.4% vs. 7.7% for H. pylori‐indeterminate, and 17.1% vs. 9.8% for H. pylori‐negative, respectively; H. pylori status‐adjusted p = 0.0008), whereas their H. pylori status was similar. The accelerated progression of severe CAG observed in the Japanese alcoholic men with esophageal SCC suggests the existence of common mechanisms by which both esophageal SCC and H. pylori‐related severe CAG develop in this population. Metachronous gastric adenocarcinoma was diagnosed in 11 of the 99 gastric‐cancer‐free patients, and the cumulative rate of metachronous gastric cancer within 5 years was estimated to be 15% according to the Kaplan–Meier method. The age‐adjusted hazard ratios were 7.87 (95% confidence interval: 1.43 to 43.46) and 4.84 (1.16 to 20.21), respectively, in the patients with severe CAG in comparison with those without CAG and those without severe CAG. Inactive heterozygous aldehyde dehydrogenase‐2, a very strong risk factor for esophageal SCC in the alcoholics, was not associated with an increased risk of metachronous gastric cancer.

Conclusions:  Accelerated development of severe CAG at least partially explained the very high frequency of development of metachronous gastric cancer in this population.
Comparison between the BACTEC 9240 and the Pall eBDS system for detection of bacterial platelet concentrate contamination
Authors: Savini Vincenzo , Balbinot Andrea , Giancola Raffaella , Quaglietta Annamaria , Accorsi Patrizia , D'Antonio Domenico , Iacone Antonio
Published: March 2009

BACKGROUND: Only two commercially available automated systems have been cleared by the FDA for screening of bacterial contamination in platelet (PLT) products. These are the Pall eBDS (Pall Corp.), based on measurement of oxygen consumption by contaminant organisms, and the BacT/ALERT (bioMérieux), revealing increasing carbon dioxide concentration due to bacterial growth.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: The authors compared the performance of the Pall eBDS with the BACTEC 9240 (bioMérieux) in detecting PLT contamination. Serial dilutions of 10 bacterial species frequently associated with PLT contamination were prepared in an apheresis PLT unit per organism. Units were from single donors. After 30 minutes from seeding PLT units, a volume of suspension achieving a final bacterial concentration of 1 to 10 colony‐forming units/mL for each unit was inoculated in two Pall bags and a BACTEC bottle, and the same was done after 24 hours from seeding. Measurements were performed at 24 and 30 hours.

RESULTS: Significant differences between the two instruments were only found when screening PLT units after 24 hours from seeding. The Pall system showed a higher sensitivity than BACTEC 9240, because it revealed 97 and 98% of positive samples at 24 and 30 hours of incubation, respectively, whereas the second detected 86 and 90% of contaminated products. Significance was lost after 35‐hour incubation with the BACTEC 9240.

CONCLUSIONS: By comparing the two instruments, their performances were found to be comparable; the Pall system appeared as a more suitable method when using 24 to 30 hours as times for readings, but the significant difference was lost after 35‐hour incubation.
Shaping the Architecture of the U.S. Information and Communication Technology Architecture: A Political Economic Analysis1
Authors: Cowhey Peter F. , Aronson Jonathan D. , Richards John
Published: March 2009

How did political economy help shape the revolution in telecommunications and computer networking? We offer three arguments concerning the impact of political economy and policy on the architecture of the U.S. information and communication technology infrastructure. First, it tilted toward an architectural principle of “modularity” that influenced the paths of both the telecom equipment, computer equipment and software, and computer networking markets. Second, it created multiple network infrastructures for telecommunications when other countries either tried to retain a monopoly infrastructure or limit the number of competitors. Third, it propelled a particular architecture for computing (intelligence at the edge of the network) and the full realization of the potential benefits of the Internet. The particular policy mix for competition matters, and this policy mix reflects fundamentals of political economy.
Anxiety, Remembering, and Agency: Biocultural Insights for Understanding Sasaks' Responses to Illness
Authors: Hay M. Cameron
Published: March 2009

AbstractJampiare potent, rotely memorized formulae that are central to medical practice among the Sasak of Indonesia. When someone is ill, people respond by seeking jampi. The more anxiety surrounds the illness, the more fervently jampi are sought. This article offers a biocultural analysis of jampi, tacking between (1) ethnographic descriptions of how jampi are transmitted, recalled, and used and (2) neuropsychological evidence regarding memory, anxiety, and agency. This biocultural approach highlights the central importance of anxiety for enabling the cultural reliance on jampi through its facilitation of memorization, recall, and social action. I conclude by suggesting that through examining the importance of anxiety ethnographically we may gain insight into the embodied experiences and social and healing practices surrounding illness. [memory, emotion, agency, anxiety, illness, Indonesia]
Description of the Rare Marine Ciliate, Uronychia multicirrus Song, 1997 (Ciliophora; Euplotida) based on Morphology, Morphogenesis and SS rRNA Gene Sequence
Authors: SHEN ZHUO , SHAO CHEN , GAO SHAN , LIN XIAOFENG , LI JIQIU , HU XIAOZHONG , SONG WEIBO
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACT. A population of the marine euplotid ciliate, Uronychia multicirrus Song 1997, found in the littoral zone of the Daya Bay, Guangdong, South China, was investigated using live observation and protargol impregnation method. This species is diagnosed by possessing a long row of ventral cirri, which has never been seen in all other known congeners. Divisional process, described based on protargol‐impregnated specimens, is typical of the genus regarding its general pattern: (1) the oral primordia in both proter and opisthe develop de novo in two subcortical pouches, while the UM‐anlage forms de novo (i.e. does not develop from the oral primordium); (2) five frontoventral‐transverse (FVT)‐cirral anlagen develop in a primary‐mode on the cell surface, and almost all the cirri are derived from the FVT‐anlagen, except the first frontal cirri, which are formed de novo in both dividers; (3) the species characteristic ventral row derives from the right‐most FVT‐anlage; (4) the parental structures do not take part in the construction of the marginal anlagen, and (5) the caudal cirri originate in the right‐most two dorsal kineties in a multi‐segmentation mode. The small subunit rRNA gene of U. multicirrus (GenBank accession number: EU267929) is 1,773 bp and differs by 0.9–1.41% from its closely related congeners.
Promoting Anthropological Knowledge from the Global South
Authors: Rothstein Fran
Published: March 2009

Fran Rothstein is contributing editor for the AAA Commission on World Anthropologies column in Anthropology News.
An Association‐Wide Ethics Discussion
Authors: Plemmons Dena , Barker Alex
Published: March 2009

Lisa Frink is contributing editor of “Ethical Currents”, the AAA Committee on Ethics column in Anthropology News.
Rhabdomyolysis and brain ischemic stroke in a heroin‐dependent male under methadone maintenance therapy
Authors: Hsu W.‐Y. , Chiu N.‐Y. , Liao Y.‐C.
Published: March 2009

Objective:  There are several complications associated with heroin abuse, some of which are life‐threatening. Methadone may aggravate this problem.

Method:  A clinical case description.

Results:  A 33‐year‐old man presented with rhabdomyolysis and cerebral ischemic stroke after intravenous heroin. He had used heroin since age 20, and had used 150 mg methadone daily for 6 months. He was found unconsciousness at home and was sent to our hospital. In the ER, his opiate level was 4497 ng/ml. In the ICU, we found rhabdomyolysis, acute renal failure and acute respiratory failure. After transfer to an internal ward, we noted aphasia and weakness of his left limbs. After MRI, we found cerebral ischemic infarction.

Conclusion:  Those using methadone and heroin simultaneously may increase risk of rhabdomyolysis and ischemic stroke. Patients under methadone maintenance therapy should be warned regarding these serious adverse events. Hypotheses of heroin‐related rhabdomyolysis and stroke in heroin abusers are discussed.
Bone repair and augmentation using block of sintered bovine‐derived anorganic bone graft in cranial bone defect model
Authors: Cestari Tania Mary , Granjeiro José Mauro , De Assis Gerson Francisco , Garlet Gustavo Pompermaier , Taga Rumio
Published: March 2009

Objective: To histomorphometrically investigate the repair of critical size defects (CSDs) and bone augmentation in cranial walls using block of sintered bovine‐derived anorganic bone (sBDAB) graft.

Material and methods: Forty guinea‐pigs were divided into test (n=20) and CSD control (n=20) groups. In each animal, a full‐thickness bone defect with 9.5 mm diameter was made in the frontal bone. The defects were filled with an sBDAB block soaked in blood in the test group and with blood clot in the CSD control group. The skulls were collected at 0 h (n=2) and 30, 90 and 180 days (n=6/group and period) postoperatively. The volume density and total volume of newly formed bone, sBDAB, blood vessels and connective tissue, vertical thickness of removed bone plug, sBDAB block and graft area were evaluated.

Results: The vertical thickness of the adapted sBDAB block was 3.8 times higher than that of the removed bone plug and did not show significant difference between periods, filling in average 29.8% of the total graft region. The sBDAB block exhibited complete osseointegration with the borders of the defect at 90 days. At 90 and 180 days, the vertical thickness of the graft was 279% in the average, and the total volume of bone augmentation was, respectively, 78.8% and 148.5% higher compared with the removed bone plug. The defects of the CDS control group showed limited osteogenesis and filling by connective tissue plus tegument.

Conclusion: The sBDAB block can be used to promote repair of CSDs and bone augmentation in the craniomaxillofacial region, due to its good osteoconductive and slow resorptive properties.
Differential cytokine expressions affect the severity of peri‐implant disease
Authors: Duarte Poliana Mendes , De Mendonça Adriana Cutrim , Máximo Maria Beatriz Braz , Santos Vanessa Renata , Bastos Marta Ferreira , Nociti Júnior Francisco Humberto
Published: March 2009

Objective: This study assessed gene expression by quantitative polymerase chain reaction of inflammatory‐ [interleukin (IL)‐12, tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), IL‐4, and IL‐10] and osteoclastogenesis‐related factors [receptor activator of NF‐κB ligand (RANKL) and osteoprotegerin (OPG)] in sites exhibiting different severities of peri‐implant disease.

Material and methods: Peri‐implant soft tissue biopsies (n=48) were harvested from healthy implant (HI), mucositis (MC), initial peri‐implantitis (IP) and severe peri‐implantitis (SP) sites.

Results: IL‐12 and TNF‐α mRNA levels were higher in SP, followed by IP and MC (P <0.05). IL‐4 was higher in HI, followed by MC, SP and IP (P <0.05). IL‐10 was the lowest in HI, while no differences were detected among the diseased groups (P>0.05). OPG mRNA levels were higher in HI, followed by IP, SP and MC, whereas RANKL was increased as the peri‐implantitis severity increased (P<0.05). The highest OPG/RANKL ratio was observed in HI and the lowest in SP (P<0.01).

Conclusion: These findings suggest that expressions of inflammatory‐ and osteoclastogenesis‐related factors may play an important role in the onset and severity of the peri‐implant diseases.
The roles of IL‐17A in inflammatory immune responses and host defense against pathogens
Authors: Iwakura Yoichiro , Nakae Susumu , Saijo Shinobu , Ishigame Harumichi
Published: March 2009

Summary: T‐helper 17 (Th17) cells are a newly discovered CD4+ helper T‐cell subset that produces interleukin‐17A (IL‐17A) and IL‐17F. IL‐17A plays important roles in allergic responses such as delayed‐type hypersensitivity, contact hypersensitivity, and allergic airway inflammation. IL‐17A promotes inflammation by inducing various proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, recruiting neutrophils, enhancing antibody production, and activating T cells. IL‐17A expression is also augmented in autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Using mouse models of these diseases, we found that IL‐17A plays a central role in their development. IL‐6 is required for the development of Th17 cells and tumor necrosis factor functions downstream of IL‐17A during the effector phase. IL‐1 is important both for developing Th17 cells and eliciting inflammation. Th17 cells, like Th1 and Th2 cells, are involved in host defense against infections, but the contribution of these Th subsets to defense mechanisms differs among pathogens. The roles of IL‐17F remain largely unknown. In this review, we introduce how IL‐17A/IL‐17F are involved in inflammatory immune responses and host defense mechanisms and discuss their relationship with other cytokines in the development of inflammatory and infectious diseases.
The interleukin‐1 receptor/Toll‐like receptor superfamily: 10 years of progress
Authors: O'Neill Luke A. J.
Published: March 2009

Summary: The interleukin‐1 receptor (IL‐1R)/Toll‐like receptor (TLR) superfamily was first defined in 1998 as a family of proteins that contain the Toll‐IL‐1 receptor domain. At that time, there were a number of orphan receptors in the IL‐1R branch, and the TLRs had yet to be shown to be key innate immune receptors that sense microbial products. We now know a great deal more about this superfamily, with the description of novel IL‐1 family members such as IL‐1F6 signaling via IL‐1Rrp2 and IL33 signaling via ST2. Remarkable progress has been made in our understanding of the functions of the TLRs, leading to a renaissance of interest in innate immunity. The importance of IL‐1 is also being rediscovered, with the observation that Nalp3 is a key regulator of caspase‐1, the enzyme that processes pro‐IL‐1β into the mature cytokine. This area has therefore proved very fruitful in terms of improving our knowledge of the molecular basis for innate immunity and inflammation, and we can anticipate further discoveries in the coming years.