bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CANONICAL FOLIATION ON A NULL HYPERSURFACE
Authors: NICOLÒ FRANCESCO
Published: December 2004

We prove the existence of a "canonical foliation" on a null incoming hypersurface. Here "canonical" denotes a foliation whose level function is a solution of a given nonlinear system of equations. The existence of this foliation is an important ingredient for the construction of asymptotically flat global Einstein spacetimes, with appropriate initial conditions.
IMPLODING CYLINDRICAL AND SPHERICAL SHOCK WAVES IN A NON-IDEAL MEDIUM
Authors: MADHUMITA G. , SHARMA V. D.
Published: December 2004

Converging shock waves in an almost ideal medium are considered. The kinematics of one-dimensional motion have been applied to construct an evolution equation for strong cylindrical and spherical shock waves propagating into a low density gas at rest. The approximate value of the similarity parameter obtained from there is compared with those derived from Whitham's Rule and the exact similarity solution at the instant of collapse of the shock wave. The above computation is carried out for different values of the parameter α, which depends on the internal volume of the gas molecules.
ASYMPTOTIC STABILITY OF NON-PLANAR RIEMANN SOLUTIONS FOR MULTI-D SYSTEMS OF CONSERVATION LAWS WITH SYMMETRIC NONLINEARITIES
Authors: FRID HERMANO
Published: December 2004

We study the asymptotic behavior of entropy solutions of the Cauchy problem for multi-dimensional systems of conservation laws of the form [Formula: see text], where the gα are real smooth functions defined in [0,+∞), and when the initial data are perturbations of two-state nonplanar Riemann data. Specifically, if R0(x) is such Riemann data and ψ∈L∞(ℝd)n satisfies ψ(Tx)→0 in [Formula: see text], as T→∞, then an entropy solution, u(x,t), of the Cauchy problem with u(x,0)=R0(x)+ψ(x) satisfies u(ξt,t)→R(ξ) in [Formula: see text], as t→∞, where R(x/t) turns out to be the unique self-similar entropy solution of the corresponding Riemann problem.
EVALUATION OF SELECTING INTERVAL VALUES OF INPUT VARIABLES IN CONNECTIONIST NETWORKS
Authors: CHIU DAVID K. Y. , BUCZYNSKI BOGDAN J.
Published: December 2004

Selecting parameters can be a powerful mechanism in constructing new evolving connectionist network. However, if a parameter contains partial information such that only some of the values are relevant and others are not, then a selection of the subset of relevant values is more appropriate. Considering the possible values of a parameter of a processing connectionist network as the outcomes of a variable, this research focuses on selecting interval values of the variable. It also considers the partitioning schemes used in generating the intervals from the outcomes of a variable. The goal of this work is to explore variable value selection and its effect in an evolving connectionist network. Using input variables in a backpropagation network, the proposed method evaluates its effect based on training of a dataset, and eliminates those intervals of the variable values that contribute negatively when processed by the network. When a value falls into an interval that has been selected and ignored, it is analogous to a network without processing the corresponding variable, and vice versa. Two approaches for interval partitioning are considered, based on equal-probability (or maximum entropy) and equal-width partitioning scheme. Comparing the best performing network with selection and the one without selection, the experimental results show that the best network with selection can produce better performance accuracy and smaller network size.
AN EMERGENCE OF GAME STRATEGY IN MULTIAGENT SYSTEMS
Authors: LACKO PETER , KVASNIČKA VLADIMÍR , POSPÍCHAL JIŘÍ
Published: December 2004

Emergence of game strategy in multiagent systems is studied. Symbolic and subsymbolic (neural network) approaches are compared. Symbolic approach is represented by a backtrack algorithm with specified search depth, whereas the subsymbolic approach is represented by feedforward neural networks that are adapted by reinforcement temporal difference TD(λ) technique. As a test game, we use simplified checkers. The problem is studied in the framework of multiagent system, where each agent is endowed with a neural network used for a classification of checkers positions. Three different strategies are used. The first strategy corresponds to a single agent that repeatedly plays games against MinMax version of a backtrack search method. The second strategy corresponds to single agents that are repeatedly playing a megatournament, where each agent plays two different games with all other agents, one game with white pieces and the other game with black pieces. After finishing each game, both agents modify their neural networks by reinforcement learning. The third strategy is an evolutionary modification of the second one. When a megatournament is finished, each agent is evaluated by a fitness, which reflects its success in the given megatournament (more successful agents have greater fitness). It is demonstrated that all these approaches lead to a population of agents very successfully playing checkers against a backtrack algorithm with the search depth 3.
EVOLVING EMOTIONS IN ANIMAL AND ROBOT
Authors: ARBIB MICHAEL A.
Published: December 2004

The article outlines an evolutionary account relating motivational systems to emotions and the cortical systems which elaborate them. It then addresses the issue of whether and how to characterise emotions in such a way that one might say that a robot has emotions even if they are not empathically linked to human emotions.
Hang on to Your Self: Of Bodies, Embodiment, and Selves
Authors: Wolputte Steven Van
Published: December 2004

▪ Abstract  During the past twenty years the human body evolved from a rather marginal social fact into a notion of central concern to current social and cultural anthropology. But recent studies question the idea of the body as a given physical entity. They focus on the experience or threat of finiteness, limitation, and vulnerability and also raise doubts regarding the individuality of the self: Instead they emphasize its fragmentary character and focus on the embodied uncertainties (such as hybridity or irony) of human existence. In three main sections (respectively, on the social body, embodiment, and subjectivity) this review eclectically explores an anthropological debate that also betrays a more generalized and rising concern in Western society with bodiliness and bodily appearance. From the discussion, the body emerges as a changing relationship that, at the same time, unfolds as an ethical horizon—and challenge—for the (un)making of self, identity, and belonging.
Political Economic Mosaics: Archaeology of the Last Two Millennia in Tropical Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Stahl Ann Brower
Published: December 2004

▪ Abstract  This review explores recent research that moves away from conventional preoccupations with origins and independent innovation in African Iron Age archaeology. Critiques of cultural evolutionary formulations and empirically robust case studies combine to shape new concerns with the following: the variable expressions of complexity in time and space; the mosaic quality of social, political economic, and technological landscapes; and the effects of global entanglements over the last millennium. Ongoing research in western and eastern Africa highlights the dynamism of political economic arrangements over the last two millennia and reminds us that configurations enshrined in twentieth-century ethnography represent but a moment in the dynamic history of African societies.
New Technologies and Language Change: Toward an Anthropology of Linguistic Frontiers
Authors: Cook Susan E.
Published: December 2004

▪ Abstract  Research to date on the relationship between new communications technologies and language emphasizes linguistic and social differences between online and off-line interactions and the impact of global English on the non-English-speaking world. These studies conclude, for the most part, that computer-mediated communication reproduces the social, political, and economic relations that exist in the real world. Related areas of research, including ethnographies of global hip hop and studies of urban hybrid language varieties, offer important models for using anthropological approaches to advance our understanding of the interconnections and situated-ness, of language, new technologies, global media, and social change.
The Whole Person and Its Artifacts
Authors: Strathern Marilyn
Published: December 2004

▪ Abstract  The joint themes of this volume of the Annual Review of Anthropology, the body as a public surface and new technologies of communication, are also woven into the design of the new Wellcome Trust Gallery at the British Museum, inspiring the reflections of this chapter. In the museum setting, moreover, an interesting question of scale arises: how particular objects can point sometimes to very particular values and sometimes to very general ones. This museological paradox is explored here. Taking a cue from the Gallery's focus on well-being, we find a parallel in the contrast between particular medicines used for specific complaints and a more general demand made on medicine as a set of organized practices for promoting health. We also find ideas about the whole person. Attending to the whole person requires its own technology, its own artifacts. And looking at artifacts from different times and places compels us to ask, What kind of “whole” is being imagined? The question is posed with materials from early twentieth-century London, mid-century Papua, and turn-of-the-century biomedicine.
Inscribing the Body
Authors: Schildkrout Enid
Published: December 2004

▪ Abstract  Inscriptions on the body, especially tattoo, scarification, and body paint, have been part of ethnographic literature since before the birth of anthropology as a discipline. Anthropology's origins as the study of the exotic Other can be seen in the early descriptions of the body art of non-Western peoples. Anthropologists have generally focused on how the inscribed body serves as a marker of identity in terms of gender, age, and political status. More recently, scholars interested in this subject have looked also at issues of modernity, authenticity, and representation. The recent focus on the inscribed body responds to postmodern theory, the importance of body art in contemporary Western culture, reflections on the meaning of representations of the exotic, and an interest in the visible surface of the body as the interface between the individual and society. This article reviews recent literature in anthropology and related disciplines pertaining to the cultural construction of the inscribed body.
Talk and Interaction Among Children and the Co-Construction of Peer Groups and Peer Culture
Authors: Kyratzis Amy
Published: December 2004

▪ Abstract  According to recent interpretive approaches to the study of children's socialization, meaning creation is an active process by which children playfully transform and actively resist cultural categories, and where language is viewed as social action that helps shape reality ( Gaskins et al. 1992 ). Four ways in which children's peer talk establishes and maintains peer culture are considered: (a) how children elaborate games and codes (and ritualize the basis of inclusion in the peer group) through peer talk, (b) how conflict talk functions to elaborate peer culture, (c) how identities as peer group phenomena are talked into being through peer talk, and (d) how adult culture is resisted through peer talk. Agentive goals of children's peer culture, and the role of language in achieving them, are discussed in each section. I conclude that sociolinguistics gives researchers a way to think about social competence as sets of linguistic practices (e.g., positionings, voicings, participation framework manipulations) that children enact.
The Development of Psychopathy
Authors: Lynam Donald R. , Gudonis Lauren
Published: December 2004

In this review, we explore two aspects of the development of psychopathy. First, we examine what psychopathy looks like across time. Second, we ask where psychopathy comes from. Much recent empirical work supports the idea that psychopathy in childhood and adolescence looks much like psychopathy in adulthood. Research utilizing recently created juvenile psychopathy indices demonstrates that juvenile psychopathy can be assessed reliably and that the nomological network surrounding the construct is quite similar to the one around adult psychopathy. Juvenile psychopathy is robustly related to offending, other externalizing problems, low levels of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, and deficits in emotional processing and inhibition. Juvenile psychopathy is also relatively stable across adolescence. Much less research has examined from whence psychopathy comes, although several theories are reviewed. We close with a discussion of recent objections to the downward developmental extension of psychopathy to juveniles and some suggestions for additional research.
Patterns and Mechanisms of the Forest Carbon Cycle
Authors: Gower Stith T.
Published: December 2004

Forests are an important source for fiber and fuel for humans and contain the majority of the total terrestrial carbon (C). The amount of C stored in the vegetation and soil are strongly influenced by environmental constraints on annual C uptake and decomposition and time since disturbance. Increasing concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen deposition, and climate warming induced by greater greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations in the atmosphere influence C accumulation rates of forests, but their effects will likely differ in direction and magnitude among forest ecosystems. The net interactive effect of global change on the forest C cycle is poorly understood. The growing demand for wood fiber and fuel by humans and the ongoing anthropogenic perturbations of the climate have changed the natural disturbance regimes (i.e., frequency and intensity); these changes influence the net exchange of CO2between forests and the atmosphere. To date, the role of forest products in the global C cycle have largely been ignored, and important emissions associated with the production, transport, and utilization of the forest products have been excluded, leading to erroneous conclusions about net C storage in forest products.
JUST OIL? THE DISTRIBUTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACTS OF OIL PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION
Authors: O'Rourke Dara , Connolly Sarah
Published: December 2004

▪ Abstract  This review presents existing data and research on the global distribution of the impacts of oil production and consumption. The review describes and analyzes the environmental, social, and health impacts of oil extraction, transport, refining, and consumption, with a particular focus on the distribution of these burdens among socioeconomic and ethnic groups, communities, countries, and ecosystems. An environmental justice framework is used to analyze the processes influencing the distribution of harmful effects from oil production and use. A critical evaluation of current research and recommendations for future data collection and analysis on the distributional and procedural impacts of oil production and consumption conclude the review.
SEMILEPTONIC HYPERON DECAYS
Authors: Cabibbo Nicola , Swallow Earl C. , Winston Roland
Published: December 2004

▪ Abstract  We review the status of hyperon semileptonic decays. The central issue is the Vus element of the CKM matrix, for which we obtain Vus = 0.2250 ( 27 ). This value is similar in precision to the one derived from Kl3, but higher, and in better agreement with the unitarity requirement, |Vud|2 + |us|2 + |Vub|2 = 1. We find that the Cabibbo model gives an excellent fit to baryon–beta-decay form-factor data (χ2 = 2.96 for 3 degrees of freedom) with F + D = 1.2670 ± 0.0030, F − D = −0.341 ± 0.016, and no indication of flavor-SU(3)–breaking effects. We indicate the need for more experimental and theoretical work, both on hyperon beta decays and on Kl3 decays.
TESTS OF DISCRETE SYMMETRIES WITH CPLEAR
Authors: Bloch Philippe , Tauscher Ludwig
Published: December 2004

▪ Abstract  We discuss the neutral-kaon system and demonstrate the advantage of strangeness tagging as performed by the CPLEAR experiment. The main results of CPLEAR on tests of discrete symmetries are reviewed.
DIRECTREACTIONS WITHEXOTICNUCLEI
Authors: Hansen P.G. , Tostevin J.A.
Published: December 2004

▪ Abstract  The identification of direct-reaction processes and their subsequent exploitation for the spectroscopy of weak radioactive beams of exotic nuclei are important problems in modern nuclear physics. One- and two-nucleon knockout reactions, studied using intermediate-energy radioactive beams, have been shown to be powerful tools for this purpose. This article discusses the current status of such investigations and reviews what has been learned to date from the experiments and analyses of the past five years. The techniques are still in their formative stages, and the open questions and challenges are outlined.
DEVELOPMENTS AND APPLICATIONS OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE CCD AND CMOS IMAGING ARRAYS
Authors: Janesick James , Putnam Gloria
Published: December 2004

▪ Abstract  For over 20 years, charge-coupled devices (CCDs) have dominated most digital imaging applications and markets. Today, complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) arrays are displacing CCDs in some applications, and this trend is expected to continue. Low cost, low power, on-chip system integration, and high-speed operation are unique features that have generated interest in CMOS arrays. This paper reviews current CCD and CMOS sensor developments and related applications. We compare fundamental performance parameters common to these technologies and describe why the CCD is considered a mature technology, whereas CMOS arrays have significant room for growth. The paper presents custom CMOS pixel designs and related fabrication processes that address performance deficiencies of the CCD in high-performance applications. We discuss areas of development for future CCD and CMOS imagers. The paper also briefly reviews hybrid imaging arrays that combine the advantages of CCD and CMOS, producing better sensors than either technology alone can provide.
ESTABLISHMENT OF CP VIOLATION IN B DECAYS
Authors: Browder T.E. , Faccini R.
Published: December 2004

▪ Abstract  Until recently, CP violation had been observed only in kaon decays. In order to conclusively interpret CP violation and test whether it can be explained in the framework of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix, two asymmetric B factories, KEK-B and PEP-II, were constructed in the past decade. Recent measurements with the two detectors at these B factories clearly established large CP violation in neutral B mesons. We review the results and outline the prospects for future measurements.
Alterations in growth hormone receptor abundance regulate growth hormone signaling in murine obstructive cholestasis
Authors: Held Matthew A. , Cosme-Blanco Wilfredo , Difedele Lisa M. , Bonkowski Erin L. , Menon Ram K. , Denson Lee A.
Published: December 2004

Children with cholestatic liver diseases, in particular biliary atresia, may develop an acquired growth hormone (GH) resistance. This is characterized by normal GH secretion, reduced liver GH receptor (GHR) abundance, and reduced circulating insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I). Consequences include linear growth failure, reduced muscle mass, and increased perioperative morbidity and mortality. However, the molecular basis for altered GH signaling in liver and skeletal muscle in cholestatic liver disease is not known. We hypothesized that reduced IGF-I expression in obstructive cholestasis would be associated with downregulation of the GHR and impaired phosphorylation of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT5). Body composition was determined in C57BL/6J male mice after bile duct ligation (BDL) relative to pair-fed (PF) and ad libitum-fed controls. GHR, STAT5, Sp3, and IGF-I expression and/or DNA binding were assessed using immunoblots, electrophoretic mobility shift assays, and/or real time RT-PCR. Fat-free mass was reduced in PF mice relative to ad libitum-fed controls. BDL led to a further reduction in fat mass and fat-free mass relative to PF controls. TNF-α was increased in liver and skeletal muscle of BDL mice. This was associated with reduced GH-dependent STAT5 activation and IGF-I RNA expression. GHR expression was reduced in BDL mice; in liver, this was associated with reduced Sp3 binding to a GHR gene promoter cis element. Wasting in murine obstructive cholestasis is due to combined effects of reduced caloric intake and biliary obstruction. GH resistance due to downregulation of GHR expression may be attributed primarily to the obstructive cholestasis; therapies that specifically increase GHR expression may restore GH signaling in this setting.
Structural remodeling of mouse gracilis artery after chronic alteration in blood supply
Authors: Gruionu Gabriel , Hoying James B. , Pries Axel R. , Secomb Timothy W.
Published: December 2004

The goals of this study were to determine the time course and spatial dependence of structural diameter changes in the mouse gracilis artery after a redistribution of blood flow and to compare the observations with predictions of computational models for structural adaptation. Diameters were measured 1, 2, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 56 days after resection of one of the two blood supplies to the artery. Overall average diameter, normalized with respect to diameters in untreated vessels, increased slightly during the first 7 days, then increased more rapidly, reaching a peak around day 21, and then decreased. This transient increase in diameter was spatially nonuniform, being largest toward the point of resection. A previously developed theoretical model, in which diameter varies in response to stimuli derived from local metabolic and hemodynamic conditions, was extended to include effects of time-delayed remodeling stimuli in regions of reduced perfusion. Predictions of this model were consistent with observed diameter changes, including the transient increase in diameters near the point of resection, when a remodeling stimulus with a time delay of ∼7 days was included. The results suggest that delayed stimuli significantly influence the dynamic characteristics of vascular remodeling resulting from reduced blood supply.
Involvement of CB1-receptors and β-adrenoceptors in the regional hemodynamic responses to lipopolysaccharide infusion in conscious rats
Authors: Gardiner S. M. , March J. E. , Kemp P. A. , Bennett T.
Published: December 2004

A possible involvement of endocannabinoids in a chronic model of endotoxemia was assessed by measuring the regional (renal, mesenteric, hindquarters) hemodynamic responses to continuous 24-h LPS infusion (150 μg·kg−1·h−1) in conscious, male Sprague-Dawley rats, in the absence or presence of the cannabinoid (CB1) receptor antagonist AM-251 (3 mg/kg). AM-251 inhibited the tachycardic and hindquarters vasodilator effects of LPS, but did not influence the other hemodynamic changes. In subsequent experiments, it was shown that the tachycardic and hindquarters vasodilator effects of LPS were also inhibited by the nonselective β-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol. In addition, the late (at 24 h) hindquarters vasodilator effects of LPS were inhibited by the β2-adrenoceptor antagonist ICI-118551. Against the background of our previous work showing β-adrenoceptor involvement in the cardiovascular effects of exogenous cannabinoids, we conclude that AM-251 may have been inhibiting endocannabinoid-modulated, sympathoadrenal-mediated activation of vasodilator β-adrenoceptors in LPS-infused rats rather than suppressing a direct vasodilator action of endocannabinoids.
Reduced anorexic effects of insulin in obesity-prone rats fed a moderate-fat diet
Authors: Clegg Deborah J. , Benoit Stephen C. , Reed Jacquelyn A. , Woods Stephen C. , Dunn-Meynell Ambrose , Levin Barry E.
Published: December 2004

Rats prone to develop diet-induced obesity (DIO) have reduced central sensitivity to many metabolic and hormonal signals involved in energy homeostasis. High-fat diets produce similar defects in diet-resistant (DR) rats. To test the hypothesis that genotype and diet exposure would similarly affect central insulin signaling, we assessed the anorectic effects of 8 mU third ventricular (iv3t) insulin before and after 4 wk intake of a 31% fat, high-energy (HE) diet intake in outbred (OutB) rats. Rats were retrospectively designated as DR or DIO by their low or high weight gains on HE diet. Before the HE diet, iv3t insulin reduced 4-h and 24-h chow intake by 53% and 69% in DR rats but by only 17% and 27% in DIO rats, respectively. Also, the anorectic response to iv3t insulin in OutB rats was inversely correlated ( r = 0.72, P = 0.002) with subsequent 4-wk weight gain on the HE diet. Similarly, in selectively bred (SB) chow-fed DR rats, 8 mU iv3t insulin reduced 4-h and 24-h intake by 21% and 22%, respectively, but had no significant effect in SB DIO rats. Four-week HE diet intake reduced 4-h and 24-h insulin-induced anorexia by 45% in OutB DR rats and completely abolished it in SB DR rats. Reduced insulin responsiveness was unassociated with differences in arcuate nucleus insulin receptor mRNA expression between DIO and DR rats or between rats fed chow or HE diet. These data suggest that DIO rats have a preexisting reduction in central insulin signaling, which might contribute to their becoming obese on the HE diet. However, since the HE diet reduced central insulin sensitivity in DR rats but did not make them obese, it is likely that other brain areas are involved in insulin's anorectic action or that other pathways contribute to the development and maintenance of obesity.
Energy deficit without reducing dietary carbohydrate alters resting carbohydrate oxidation and fatty acid availability
Authors: Horowitz Jeffrey F. , Kaufman Amy E. , Fox Amanda K. , Harber Matthew P.
Published: December 2004

Reduced carbohydrate (CHO) availability after exercise has a potent influence on the regulation of substrate metabolism, but little is known about the impact of fat availability and/or energy deficit on fuel metabolism when dietary CHO availability is not reduced. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of a postexercise energy deficit, independent of CHO availability, on plasma substrate concentrations and substrate oxidation. Seven moderately trained men (peak oxygen uptake: 56 ± 2 ml·kg−1·min−1) performed exhaustive cycling exercise on two separate occasions. The two trials differed only by the meals ingested after exercise: 1) a high-fat diet designed to maintain energy balance or 2) a low-fat diet designed to elicit energy deficit. The CHO and protein contents of the diets were identical. The next morning, we measured plasma substrate and insulin concentrations and CHO oxidation, and we obtained muscle biopsies from the vastus lateralis for measurement of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK)-2 and PDK-4 mRNA expression by using RT-PCR. Despite identical blood glucose (5.0 ± 0.1 and 4.9 ± 0.1 mM) and insulin (7.9 ± 1.1 and 8.4 ± 0.9 μU/ml) concentrations, plasma fatty acid and glycerol concentrations were elevated three- to fourfold during energy deficit compared with energy balance and CHO oxidation was 40% lower ( P < 0.01) the morning after energy deficit compared with energy balance (328 ± 69 and 565 ± 89 μmol/min). The lower CHO oxidation was accompanied by a 7.3 ± 2.5-fold increase in PDK-4 mRNA expression after energy deficit ( P < 0.05), whereas PDK-2 mRNA was similar between the trials. In conclusion, energy deficit increases fatty acid availability, increases PDK-4 mRNA expression, and suppresses CHO oxidation even when dietary CHO content is not reduced.
One Case of Fetal and Neonatal Variable Thyroid Dysfunction in the Context of Graves’ Disease
Authors: Brand Françoise , Liégeois Philippe , Langer Bruno
Published: December 2004

Cases of maternal thyroid dysfunction are not always clearly identified during pregnancy. We report here the case of a 36-year-old patient with a history of treated Graves’ disease whose child successively presented with a hypo- and hyperthyroid dysfunction that was difficult to treat despite the administration of synthetic antithyroid drugs and β-blockers. The patient’s thyroid hormone levels were normal during pregnancy, while still secreting anti-TSH-receptor autoantibodies. With time, these antibodies went from an inhibiting to a stimulating activity. Fetal monitoring using only ultrasonography had been proposed to the patient. With such a follow-up associated with fetal blood sampling it would have been possible to treat already in utero the thyroid dysfunction. The management of such patients is not limited to the follow-up of the maternal thyroid hormones, but should also evaluate the activity of the anti-TSH-receptor autoantibodies around the 28th week of amenorrhea and their effect on fetal blood. Fetal and neonatal thyroid dysfunctions have a major impact, but they can be detected and treated in utero. The clinical, laboratory and ultrasound follow-up makes it possible to monitor patients who are at risk and to propose a therapeutic and obstetrical management.
Prenatal Diagnosis of Congenitally Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries
Authors: Kawamata Kazuya , Watanabe Ken , Chiba Yoshihide
Published: December 2004

Congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (CTGA) is an uncommon congenital cardiac anomaly. Prenatal sonographic diagnosis of CTGA is very difficult because the ventricular outflow tract may appear to arise correctly from the right and left ventricles. Few cases of CTGA diagnosed in utero have been reported. We report a case of CTGA with complete heart block, ventricular septal defect and pulmonary valve stenosis diagnosed at 30 weeks’ gestation after the mother was referred to our hospital because of persistent fetal bradycardia.
A Third Case of Cardiac Neoplasm in a Fetus with Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome: Epicardial Angiofibroma
Authors: Satgé Daniel , Vidalo Evelyne , Desfarges François , de Geeter Bernard
Published: December 2004

Objective: A personal observation of a 20-week-old fetus with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) presenting epicardial angiofibroma prompted us to evaluate cardiac neoplasms in this genetic condition. Method: We performed an autopsy and a histological evaluation of the fetus, and searched the literature for cardiac anomalies in BWS. Results: Although cardiac tumors are exceptional and although BWS is rare, we found two other cardiac neoplasms in infants with BWS, whereas no more than one was expected. Conclusion: Besides an excess of cardiac malformation, BWS seems to favor an excess of cardiac tumors, which may occur very early.
Transient Bowel Ischaemia of the Fetus
Authors: Ghi Tullio , Tani Giovanni , Carletti Angela , Basile Barbara , Rizzo Nicola , Pilu Gianluigi , Bovicelli Luciano
Published: December 2004

Objective: To discover the different underlying conditions in 2 fetuses suffering from temporary bowel ischaemia. Methods: Abnormal bowel findings were detected using antenatal sonography. Results: The abnormal bowel findings disappeared postnatally. Transient ischaemia of the fetal bowel due to different causes has been advocated antenatally to explain the abnormal findings. When a normal blood supply to the bowel has been restored, either in utero or after birth, the abnormal findings disappear. Conclusions: Whenever gut dilatation is detected in a fetus at risk of bowel ischaemia the possibility of a transient functional finding must be considered.
Culture of Cells from Maternal Circulation, in Conditions Favoring Fetal Endothelial Cell Expansion, Does Not Facilitate the Preferential Expansion of Circulating Fetal Cells
Authors: Gussin Hélène A. Elicha , Sharma Arun K. , Elias Sherman
Published: December 2004

Objectives: To establish optimal culture conditions for fetal endothelial cells, and determine whether these can be used for preferential expansion of fetal cells from maternal blood. Methods: Human adult microvascular and umbilical vein endothelial cells were cultured in the presence of colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1), placental growth factor (PlGF), and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). The effect of each cytokine was assessed. We expanded peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 18 pregnant women using the conditions most favorable to fetal cells; in specimens from women carrying male fetuses (n = 9), cell origin was determined by PCR (SRY locus). Results: The optimal concentrations of CSF-1, PlGF and TGF-β1 were 10, 100, and 5 ng/ml, respectively. PBMCs from maternal blood expanded in the presence or absence of the cytokines; PCR analysis showed no Y sequences in cultured maternal samples. Conclusion: Optimal concentrations of CSF-1, PlGF and TGF-β1 for preferential expansion of fetal endothelial cells were determined in model cultures. However, when these conditions were applied to maternal blood samples, no fetal cells could be detected based on PCR for SRY in women carrying male fetuses.
Prenatal Diagnosis of Isolated Foramen ovale Obstruction
Authors: Hagen A. , Albig M. , Schmitz L. , Hopp H. , van Baalen A. , Becker R. , Entezami M.
Published: December 2004

Premature obstruction of the foramen ovale is a rare but serious clinical entity. Obstruction can be associated with right ventricular failure, fetal hydrops, tricuspid regurgitation, left heart obstructive defects and supraventricular tachycardia. In most cases, the diagnosis is made at the postmortem examination. The etiology is unknown. We discuss 2 prenatal cases with the sole diagnosis of ventricular asymmetry. The right ventricle was dilated and hypertrophic, and the foramen ovale ballooned into the left atrium without color Doppler detection of right-to-left flow. After delivery, the infants had no hydrops or symptoms of cardiac or respiratory distress. Echocardiography demonstrated a structurally normal heart with increased right ventricle dimensions until the 7th day of life. Delivery should be induced if possible in cases of foramen ovale obstruction with signs of cardiac decompensation.
Prenatal Diagnosis and Management of Mainstem Bronchial Atresia
Authors: Keswani Sundeep G. , Crombleholme Timothy M. , Pawel Bruce R. , Johnson Mark P. , Flake Alan W. , Hedrick Holly L. , Howell Lori J. , Wilson R.Douglas , Davis George H. , Adzick N.Scott
Published: December 2004

The prenatal diagnosis, natural history and management of mainstem bronchial atresia have not been described previously. We report two cases of prenatally diagnosed proximal bronchial atresia. The first patient presented at 18 weeks with sonographic and MRI findings consistent with bronchial atresia with fetal hydrops. The mother developed the mirror syndrome and labor was induced. A non-viable fetus was delivered at 25 weeks. The second patient presented at 16 weeks gestation with evidence of an intrathoracic mass that was subsequently prenatally diagnosed as a right mainstem bronchial atresia. The right lung increased rapidly in size and was associated with the onset of fetal hydrops. At 24 weeks, fetal pneumonectomy was performed but the fetus expired intraoperatively due to cardiovascular collapse. Post-mortem findings in both cases confirmed the presence of an atretic mainstem bronchus with massive enlargement of the lung. Bronchial atresia involving the mainstem bronchus is associated with a poor prognosis.
Failed Orchiopexy
Authors: Ziylan Orhan , Oktar Tayfun , Korgalı Esat , Nane Ismet , Ander Haluk
Published: December 2004

Introduction: Failure after orchiopexy or cryptorchidism after inguinal surgery are not so rarely encountered conditions. Reoperative orchiopexies are technically demanding procedures. In our study, we aimed to examine the causes of failures and outcomes of reorchiopexies. Patients and Methods: Between 1993 and 2003, a total of 28 children who underwent reoperative orchiopexy were included into the study. Undescended testes was detected as unilateral in 24 and bilateral in 4 cases. The mean age of patients at the time of second operation was 6.8 years. The mean period of time between the first and the second operations was 3.2 (1–13 years) years. Results: The first operations were orchiopexies in all patients. After the first operations, 15 testes were found to be localized at the high scrotal position, 8 at the level of the external ring and 9 within the inguinal canal. Overall, reorchiopexies were performed on 32 testes in 28 patients. During the second operation, patent processus vaginalis was detected in 11 (34.4%), and unsuccessful hernia repair in 9 (28.1%) cases. After reorchiopexies, two testes with preoperative inguinal location could only be brought to high scrotal position and in another case orchiectomy was performed to an atrophic testis. Overall, after a mean follow-up period of 3.8 (1–7 years) years following the second operations, 29 (93.5%) testes were scrotal without evidence of atrophy. Conclusion: In our series, inadequate repair of inguinal hernia or patent processus vaginalis, as noted in 62.5% of the cases, was determined as an important factor leading to failure after surgical treatment of undescended testis. Adequate dissection and correction of inguinal hernia increase the success rate after orchiopexies.
Alternative Grafting Technique for Patients Unsuited to Heterotopic Transplantation due to Diseased Pelvic Conditions
Authors: Rodrigues Paulo , D’Império Márcio , Campagnari Mariana , Azevedo Luís A.R. , Campagnari João C. , van Bellen Bonno
Published: December 2004

Introduction: An alternative technique for kidney transplantation is presented for patients in whom the use of pelvic vessels is precluded. Patients and Methods: Of 482 cases of kidney or pancreas-kidney transplants, 4 were unsuited to heterotopic grafting, 1 due to multiple operations in the fossae and the 3 others due to extensive vascular occlusive disease. The patients were studied preoperatively by magnetic resonance angiography, which revealed extensive occlusive disease of the distal aorta and/or iliac vessels. Results: The patients received kidneys from living related donors as a third or second transplant opportunity in the orthotopic position (2 cases). Gross dissection of the aorta revealed a thickened wall, impeding direct anastomoses between the recipient’s arteries and the donated organ. After a termino-lateral Dacron graft to the aorta, all cases were stented for uretero-uretero anastomosis. Recovery with respect to the renal graft was uneventful for all cases. Conclusions: Alternative direct grafting from the aorta represents a viable and easy way to perform kidney transplants in patients unsuited to the heterotopic approach.
A Research on Asymptomatic Bacteriuria in 14- to 17-Year-Old Female Students
Authors: Öner Yaşar Ali , Ahangari Teimoor , Artinyan Elizabet , Öz Vecdet , Kocazeybek Bekir
Published: December 2004

Urinary tract infections, which are more common in women than in men, are especially seen in young asymptomatic females who don’t obey the general rules of hygiene. This research has been carried out on 14- to 17-year-old young females from several high schools, 966 specimens in total. 3.3% of them had bacteriuria and 75% of the isolated bacteria was Escherichia coli.
Comparative Antitumor Activity of 5-Fluorouracil and 5’-Deoxy-5-Fluorouridine in Combination with Interferon-α in Renal Cell Carcinoma Cell Lines
Authors: Ikemoto Shinichi , Sugimura Kazunobu , Yoshida Naomasa , Kuratsukuri Katsuyuki , Wada Seiji , Nakatani Tatsuya
Published: December 2004

Objectives: Although interferon-α (IFNα) and interleukin-2 are used in the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), the rate of efficacy is about 15% and not satisfactory. Therefore, a more effective treatment is being investigated. In this study, we examined the combined effects of IFNα and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) as well as 5-deoxy-5-fluorouridine (5′-DFUR), a produrg of 5-FU, in vitro. Materials and Methods: Four RCC cell lines (OCUU1, OCUU3, OCUU4, OCUU5) were established at our laboratory from RCC patients. OS-RC-2, RCC10RGB, TUHR14TKB, TUHR4TKB, A498 and Caki-1 were obtained from a commercial source. The sensitivity of the 10 RCC cell lines to 5-FU and 5′-DFUR was evaluated using MTT assay. The IC50 value for the cytostatics was expressed as the concentration at which growth was inhibited by 50% as compared with the control value. Thymidine phosphorylase (TP), the enzyme that converts 5′-DFUR into 5-FU and 5-FU into FdUMP, was estimated by ELISA. Results: When the 10 RCC cell lines were divided into the low TP expression group and high TP expression group at 2.0 U/ml protein, TP expression was not enhanced by IFNα in all 4 cell lines in the low TP expression group. Antitumor effects were not enhanced by IFNα in 3 out of 4 cell lines for 5-FU and in all 4 cell lines for 5′-DFUR. On the other hand, in the high TP expression group, TP expression was enhanced by IFNα in 5 out of 6 cell lines, and antitumor effects were enhanced by IFNα in 5 out of 6 cell lines for 5-FU and in all 6 cell lines for 5′-DFUR. In addition, there was a significant correlation between TP expression and sensitivity to 5-FU and 5′-DFUR in all RCC cell lines. Conclusions: These results suggested that TP may be useful as a predictive factor in combination therapy with IFNα and 5-FU or 5′-DFUR, which may be a promising treatment for advanced RCC.
Readjustable Transobturator Sling: A Novel Sling Procedure for Male Urinary Incontinence
Authors: Palma Paulo C.R. , Dambros Míriam , Thiel Marcelo , Romano Victor , Griguol Osvaldo , Riccetto Cássio L.Z. , Netto Jr. Nelson R.
Published: December 2004

Post-prostatectomy incontinence remains a significant problem for both patients and urologists. We report a case and the surgical technique of successful sling in the treatment of post-prostatectomy urinary incontinence. Sling surgery was performed on a 69-year-old male patient with severe urinary incontinence (6 pads/day) following radical prostatectomy. The procedure was conducted through the transobturator approach using a sling with a silicone foam pad to protect the urethra. At the 7-month follow-up the patient is using only 1 pad/day. We consider this operation an alternative to artificial urinary sphincter in cases of male sphincter incontinence.
Neuroendocrine Tumor in a Horseshoe Kidney
Authors: Motta Luigi , Candiano Giuseppe , Pepe Pietro , Panella Paolo , Galia Antonio , Aragona Francesco
Published: December 2004

Renal neuroendocrine tumors (NET) are rare neoplasms of unknown histogenesis. To the best of our knowledge, 40 such cases have been described, 11 of which arising in horseshoe kidneys (HSK). We report an additional case of a NET associated with a HSK occurring in a 45-year-old man. A clinicopathological review of the reported cases together with an updated follow-up of such tumors arising in HSK is provided. The present data show that NET associated with HSK present a better prognosis than those occurring in normal kidneys, even over long-term follow-up periods.
Safety and Efficacy of Fluticasone Propionate in the Topical Treatment of Skin Diseases
Authors: Roeder A. , Schaller M. , Schäfer-Korting M. , Korting H.C.
Published: December 2004

Fluticasone propionate – the first carbothioate corticosteroid – has been classified as a potent anti-inflammatory drug for dermatological use. It is available as 0.05% cream and 0.005% ointment formulations for the acute and maintenance treatment of patients with dermatological disorders such as atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and vitiligo. This glucocorticoid is characterized by high lipophilicity, high glucocorticoid receptor binding and activation, and a rapid metabolic turnover in skin. Although skin blanching following fluticasone propionate exceeds that of corticosteroids of medium strength, several clinical trials demonstrate a low potential for cutaneous and systemic side-effects, even in difficult-to-treat areas like the face, the eyelids and intertriginous areas. Even among paediatric patients with atopic dermatitis, fluticasone propionate proved to be safe and effective. These pharmacological and clinical properties are reflected by the high therapeutic index of this glucocorticoid.
Vitamin E Delivery to Human Skin by a Rinse-Off Product: Penetration of α-Tocopherol versus Wash-Out Effects of Skin Surface Lipids
Authors: Ekanayake-Mudiyanselage S. , Tavakkol A. , Polefka T.G. , Nabi Z. , Elsner P. , Thiele J.J.
Published: December 2004

α-Tocopherol, the major biologically active form of vitamin E, represents a frequently added lipophilic compound of skin care products. Despite its emerging use in rinse-off formulations, little is known on its efficacy with respect to its deposition or its antioxidant potential in human skin. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the single use of an α-tocopherol-enriched rinse-off product provides effective deposition of α-tocopherol on human stratum corneum. To test this, forearm skin of 13 volunteers was washed either with an α-tocopherol-enriched rinse-off product (test product, TP) or with an α-tocopherol-free vehicle control (control product, CP) (contralateral arm) using a standardized wash protocol. Thereafter, skin surface lipids were extracted with pure ethanol after the wash procedure as well as after 24 h. Additionally, one group of volunteers was subjected to irradiation of their forearms with low-dose UVA (8 J/cm2) prior to lipid extraction. Skin lipid extracts were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography using electrochemical detection for vitamin E and UV detection for squalene (SQ) and squalene monohydroperoxide. The results of this in vivo study demonstrated that (1) while CP treatment lowers, TP treatment strongly increases α-tocopherol levels of skin barrier lipids; (2) increased vitamin E deposition levels were maintained for a period of at least 24 h, and (3) TP treatment significantly inhibited photooxidation of SQ. In conclusion, the use of α-tocopherol-enriched rinse-off products may help to maintain the integrity of the skin barrier by providing protection against photooxidative stress at the level of skin surface lipids.
Cutaneous Estradiol Permeation, Penetration and Metabolism in Pig and Man
Authors: Mahmoud A. , Haberland A. , Dürrfeld M. , Heydeck D. , Wagner S. , Schäfer-Korting M.
Published: December 2004

Aim and Methods: Drug development in dermatotherapy and also development of transdermal therapeutic systems (TTS) demand high-predictive in vitro models to estimate drug levels in skin and systemic uptake. Here we compare three ready-to-use models, reconstructed human epidermis, split porcine skin and the perfused porcine forelimb. 17β-Estradiol (E2), which is highly metabolized by skin cells, serves as model drug since E2 application is of high relevance in hormone replacement therapy while topical E2 may promote wound healing. E2 TTS, gel and an ethanolic solution were investigated for cutaneous penetration, permeation and metabolism. Results: E2 TTS enabled an E2 uptake of 42.9% of the applied dose accompanied by a high percentage of E2 metabolism (30% of the penetrated dose) in the perfused porcine forelimb. In Franz cell experiments with reconstructed human epidermis and split porcine skin, the gel allowed an E2 uptake of 41.7 and 22.9% of the applied dose accompanied by a high E2 metabolism (42.6 and 28.6% of the penetrated dose). Due to toxic effects of the vehicle, this was not true with an ethanolic solution, then E2 permeation and metabolism were clearly diminished. Most importantly, the in vitro models proved to be predictive with respect to the E2/estrone ratio in female plasma under transdermal hormone replacement therapy. Conclusion: In vitro tests should reduce the need for both animal and human studies for cutaneous uptake and metabolism in the future.