bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cardiac stem cells delivered intravascularly traverse the vessel barrier, regenerate infarcted myocardium, and improve cardiac function
Authors: Dawn Buddhadeb , Stein Adam B. , Urbanek Konrad , Rota Marcello , Whang Brian , Rastaldo Raffaella , Torella Daniele , Tang Xian-Liang , Rezazadeh Arash , Kajstura Jan , Leri Annarosa , Hunt Greg , Varma Jai , Prabhu Sumanth D. , Anversa Piero , Bolli Roberto
Published: February 2005

The ability of cardiac stem cells (CSCs) to promote myocardial repair under clinically relevant conditions (i.e., when delivered intravascularly after reperfusion) is unknown. Thus, rats were subjected to a 90-min coronary occlusion; at 4 h after reperfusion, CSCs were delivered to the coronary arteries via a catheter positioned into the aortic root. Echocardiographic analysis showed that injection of CSCs attenuated the increase in left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic dimensions and impairment in LV systolic performance at 5 weeks after myocardial infarction. Pathologic analysis showed that treated hearts exhibited a smaller increase in LV chamber diameter and volume and a higher wall thickness-to-chamber radius ratio and LV mass-to-chamber volume ratio. CSCs induced myocardial regeneration, decreasing infarct size by 29%. A diploid DNA content and only two chromosomes 12 were found in new cardiomyocytes, indicating that cell fusion did not contribute to tissue reconstitution. In conclusion, intravascular injection of CSCs after reperfusion limits infarct size, attenuates LV remodeling, and ameliorates LV function. This study demonstrates that CSCs are effective when delivered in a clinically relevant manner, a clear prerequisite for clinical translation, and that these beneficial effects are independent of cell fusion. The results establish CSCs as candidates for cardiac regeneration and support an approach in which the heart's own stem cells could be collected, expanded, and stored for subsequent therapeutic repair.
Termites assess wood size by using vibration signals
Authors: Evans Theodore A. , Lai Joseph C. S. , Toledano Emilie , McDowall Lee , Rakotonarivo Sandrine , Lenz Michael
Published: February 2005

Contrary to the common perception that termites are indiscriminant eaters, termites choose their food carefully; however, the methods by which they choose food are not well understood. Using choice experiments and recordings of termites feeding on wooden blocks of different sizes, we show that worker drywood termites (
Cryptotermes domesticus
) use the resonant frequency of a block of wood to assess its size. Drywood termites showed differences in their response to vibration recordings of termites compared with artificially generated signals, suggesting that they can discriminate the source of vibration. Furthermore, fewer workers matured into neotenic reproductives when recorded termite signals were played, suggesting that vibration signals play an important role in termite communication.
The International Competition Network: Prospects and Limits on the Road towards International Competition Governance
Authors: Budzinski Oliver
Published: February 2005

The establishment of the International Competition Network (ICN) opens up a new avenue towards an international competition policy regime. This article describes the underlying transmission mechanisms and governance modes of the ICN and connects them to the insights of modern economic theory. Based on the results, the prospects and limits of the ICN concerning conflict resolution, procedural efficiency, political economy fit and the conflicting areas of harmonization and decentralism of rules and policies are derived. It is shown that the ICN offers considerable merits, such as increasing procedural efficiency and facilitating consensus building. However, some problems of international competition governance, such as the focus on national interests and the scope for substantial conflict, are unlikely to be resolved within the ICN. Additionally, the attitude of the ICN towards future harmonization or preserving of institutional diversity remains unclear.
Between the Global and the Local: A Comparison of the German and UK Clothing Industry
Authors: Lane Christel , Probert Jocelyn
Published: February 2005

This study of the UK and German clothing industries analyses firms' competitive strategy and the competencies they have developed to implement it. It makes evident how competencies shape market position and how both then impact on the degree of network power firms can develop. The analysis sheds new light on the triangle of power relations between co-ordinating firms, suppliers and retailers and reveals the sources of power. It is demonstrated that, even in the study of global production networks, the domestic institutional embeddedness of firms still matters and that firms originating from different ‘varieties of capitalism’ behave in divergent ways. Lastly, it is shown that firms have relationships at multiple geographical levels, combining their insertion in global production networks with sometimes pronounced dependence on domestic retail customers.
Regulatory Myopia and Public Health: ‘Tough’ Tobacco Control?
Authors: Nye David
Published: February 2005

The regulation of products which affect public health has become an increasingly salient issue and it has often been argued that ‘regulatory capture’, where regulators are too ‘close’ to the industry they are regulating leads to ineffective regulation. The present extended review seeks to explore this topic with respect to the tobacco industry. It analyses a memoir by David Kessler the Commissioner of the (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from 1990 to 1997, a period in which he sought to put the US tobacco industry under FDA regulation. The article considers the case mounted by the FDA and shows why it failed. Nevertheless Kessler's work can be seen as a model for public health regulators in seeking to subject a ‘deadly’ industry to effective regulation. However, another important dimension of such regulation is the intellectual framework used and Kessler's approach reflects limitations in contemporary tobacco regulation.
An orderly inactivation of intracellular retention signals controls surface expression of the T cell antigen receptor
Authors: Delgado Pilar , Alarcón Balbino
Published: February 2005

Exit from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an important checkpoint for proper assembly of multimeric plasma membrane receptors. The six subunits of the T cell receptor (TCR; TCRα, TCRβ, CD3γ, CD3δ, CD3ε, and CD3ζ) are each endowed with ER retention/retrieval signals, and regulation of its targeting to the plasma membrane is therefore especially intriguing. We have studied the importance of the distinct ER retention signals at different stages of TCR intracellular assembly. To this end, we have characterized first the presence of ER retention signals in CD3γ. Despite the presence of multiple ER retention signals in CD3γ, εγ dimers reach the cell surface when the single CD3ε ER retention signal is deleted. Furthermore, inclusion of this CD3ε mutant promoted plasma membrane expression of incomplete αβγε and αβδε complexes without CD3ζ. It therefore appears that the CD3ε ER retention signal is dominant and that it is only overridden upon the incorporation of CD3ζ. We propose that the stepwise assembly of the TCR complex guarantees that all assembly intermediates have at least one functional ER retention signal and that only a full signaling-competent TCR complex is expressed on the cell surface.
Role of ChemR23 in directing the migration of myeloid and plasmacytoid dendritic cells to lymphoid organs and inflamed skin
Authors: Vermi William , Riboldi Elena , Wittamer Valerie , Gentili Francesca , Luini Walter , Marrelli Simona , Vecchi Annunciata , Franssen Jean-Denis , Communi David , Massardi Luisa , Sironi Marina , Mantovani Alberto , Parmentier Marc , Facchetti Fabio , Sozzani Silvano
Published: February 2005

Chemerin is a chemotactic agent that was recently identified as the ligand of ChemR23, a serpentine receptor expressed by activated macrophages and monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs). This paper shows that blood plasmacytoid and myeloid DCs express functional ChemR23. Recombinant chemerin induced the transmigration of plasmacytoid and myeloid DCs across an endothelial cell monolayer. In secondary lymphoid organs (lymph nodes and tonsils), ChemR23 is expressed by CD123+ plasmacytoid DCs and by CD1a+ DC-SIGN+ DCs in the interfollicular T cell area. ChemR23+ DCs were also observed in dermis from normal skin, whereas Langerhans cells were negative. Chemerin expression was selectively detected on the luminal side of high endothelial venules in secondary lymphoid organs and in dermal endothelial vessels of lupus erythematosus skin lesions. Chemerin+ endothelial cells were surrounded by ChemR23+ plasmacytoid DCs. Thus, ChemR23 is expressed and functional in plasmacytoid DCs, a property shared only by CXCR4 among chemotactic receptors. This finding, together with the selective expression of the cognate ligand on the luminal side of high endothelial venules and inflamed endothelium, suggests a key role of the ChemR23/chemerin axis in directing plasmacytoid DC trafficking.
Ets-1, a functional cofactor of T-bet, is essential for Th1 inflammatory responses
Authors: Grenningloh Roland , Kang Bok Yun , Ho I-Cheng
Published: February 2005

To mount an effective type 1 immune response, type 1 T helper (Th1) cells must produce inflammatory cytokines and simultaneously suppress the expression of antiinflammatory cytokines. How these two processes are coordinately regulated at the molecular level is still unclear. In this paper, we show that the proto-oncogene E26 transformation–specific-1 (Ets-1) is necessary for T-bet to promote interferon-γ production and that Ets-1 is essential for mounting effective Th1 inflammatory responses in vivo. In addition, Ets-1–deficient Th1 cells also produce a very high level of interleukin 10. Thus, Ets-1 plays a crucial and unique role in the reciprocal regulation of inflammatory and antiinflammatory Th responses.
T cell receptor engagement by peptide–MHC ligands induces a conformational change in the CD3 complex of thymocytes
Authors: Gil Diana , Schrum Adam G. , Alarcón Balbino , Palmer Ed
Published: February 2005

The T cell receptor (TCR) can recognize a variety of cognate peptide/major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) ligands and translate their affinity into distinct cellular responses. To achieve this, the nonsignaling αβ heterodimer communicates ligand recognition to the CD3 signaling subunits by an unknown mechanism. In thymocytes, we found that both positive- and negative-selecting pMHC ligands expose a cryptic epitope in the CD3 complex upon TCR engagement. This conformational change is induced in vivo and requires the expression of cognate MHC. We conclude that TCR engagement with a cognate pMHC ligand induces a conformational change in the CD3 complex of thymocytes and propose that this marks an initial event during thymic selection that signals the recognition of self-antigen.
Twisting tails exposed
Authors: Levin Susan E. , Weiss Arthur
Published: February 2005

The mechanism by which the ligand occupancy state of the T cell receptor complex is converted into intracellular signaling information has been a controversial topic. Although the majority of structural studies argue against a conformational change, recent studies support the possibility for such a change within the CD3 components of the TCR complex. In this commentary, the evidence for TCR conformational change is reviewed and potential mechanisms for its initiation are explored.
Selecting B cells and plasma cells to memory
Authors: Dörner Thomas , Radbruch Andreas
Published: February 2005

Humoral immunity appears to be based on immunological memory provided by memory plasma cells, which secrete protective antibodies, and memory B cells, which react to antigen challenge by differentiating into plasma cells. How these differentiation pathways relate to each other, how cells are selected into these memory populations, and how these populations are maintained remains enigmatic.
Selection for plasmid post–segregational killing depends on multiple infection: evidence for the selection of more virulent parasites through parasite–level competition
Authors: Cooper T. F. , Heinemann J. A.
Published: February 2005

Is the virulence of parasites an outcome of optimized infection? Virulence has often been considered an inevitable consequence of parasite reproduction when the cost incurred by the parasite in reducing the fitness of its current host is offset by increased infection of new hosts. More recent models have focused on how competition occurring between parasites during co–infection might effect selection of virulence. For example, if co–infection was common, parasites with higher intrinsic growth rates might be selected, even at the expense of being optimally adapted to infect new hosts. If growth rate is positively correlated with virulence, then competition would select increased virulence. We tested these models using a plasmid–encoded virulence determinant. The virulence determinant did not contribute to the plasmid's reproduction within or between hosts. Despite this, virulent plasmids were more successful than avirulent derivatives during selection in an environment allowing within–host competition. To explain these findings we propose and test a model in which virulent parasites are selected by reducing the reproduction of competitors.
Crystal Structures of Alfalfa Caffeoyl Coenzyme A 3-O-Methyltransferase
Authors: Ferrer Jean-Luc , Zubieta Chloe , Dixon Richard A. , Noel Joseph P.
Published: February 2005

Caffeoyl coenzyme A 3-O-methyltransferases (CCoAOMTs) are S-adenosyl-l-methionine-dependent O-methyltransferases (OMTs) involved in lignin biosynthesis. Plant CCoAOMTs belong to a distinct family of OMTs, more closely related to the mammalian catechol OMTs than to other plant OMTs. The crystal structure of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) CCoAOMT in complex with the reaction products S-adenosine-l-homocysteine and feruloyl/sinapoyl CoAs presented here belong to a structurally and mechanistically distinct family of plant small molecule OMTs. These structures provide a new understanding of the substrate preferences and the catalytic mechanism accompanying CCoAOMT-mediated O-methylation of CoA-linked phenylpropanoid substrates.
The Regulation of Anion Loading to the Maize Root Xylem
Authors: Gilliham Matthew , Tester Mark
Published: February 2005

The regulation of anion loading to the shoot in maize (Zea mays) was investigated via an electrophysiological characterization of ion conductances in protoplasts isolated from the root stele. Two distinct anion conductances were identified. In protoplasts from well-watered plants, Z. mays xylem-parenchyma quickly-activating anion conductance (Zm-X-QUAC) was the most prevalent conductance and is likely to load the majority of NO3  − and Cl− ions to the xylem in nonstressed conditions. Z. mays xylem-parenchyma inwardly-rectifying anion conductance was found at a lower frequency in protoplasts from well-watered plants than Zm-X-QUAC, was much smaller in magnitude in all observed conditions, and is unlikely to be such a major pathway for anion loading into the xylem. Activity of Z. mays xylem-parenchyma inwardly-rectifying anion conductance increased following a water stress prior to protoplast isolation, but the activity of the putative major anion-loading pathway, Zm-X-QUAC, decreased. Addition of abscisic acid (ABA) to protoplasts from well-watered plants also inhibited Zm-X-QUAC activity within minutes, as did a high free Ca2+concentration in the pipette. ABA was also seen to activate a Ca2+-permeable conductance (Z. mays xylem-parenchyma hyperpolarization activated cation conductance) in protoplasts from well-watered plants. It is postulated that the inhibition of anion loading into the xylem (an important response to a water stress) due to down-regulation of Zm-X-QUAC activity is mediated by an ABA-mediated rise in free cytosolic Ca2+.
Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes Involved in the Secondary Cell Wall Biogenesis in Hybrid Aspen
Authors: Aspeborg Henrik , Schrader Jarmo , Coutinho Pedro M. , Stam Mark , Kallas Åsa , Djerbi Soraya , Nilsson Peter , Denman Stuart , Amini Bahram , Sterky Fredrik , Master Emma , Sandberg Göran , Mellerowicz Ewa , Sundberg Björn , Henrissat Bernard , Teeri Tuula T.
Published: February 2005

Wood formation is a fundamental biological process with significant economic interest. While lignin biosynthesis is currently relatively well understood, the pathways leading to the synthesis of the key structural carbohydrates in wood fibers remain obscure. We have used a functional genomics approach to identify enzymes involved in carbohydrate biosynthesis and remodeling during xylem development in the hybrid aspen Populus tremula × tremuloides. Microarrays containing cDNA clones from different tissue-specific libraries were hybridized with probes obtained from narrow tissue sections prepared by cryosectioning of the developing xylem. Bioinformatic analyses using the sensitive tools developed for carbohydrate-active enzymes allowed the identification of 25 xylem-specific glycosyltransferases belonging to the Carbohydrate-Active EnZYme families GT2, GT8, GT14, GT31, GT43, GT47, and GT61 and nine glycosidases (or transglycosidases) belonging to the Carbohydrate-Active EnZYme families GH9, GH10, GH16, GH17, GH19, GH28, GH35, and GH51. While no genes encoding either polysaccharide lyases or carbohydrate esterases were found among the secondary wall-specific genes, one putative O-acetyltransferase was identified. These wood-specific enzyme genes constitute a valuable resource for future development of engineered fibers with improved performance in different applications.
Evolutionary ecology of communication signals that induce aggregative behaviour
Authors: Wertheim Bregje
Published: February 2005

Communication signals inducing aggregative behaviour profoundly affect a variety of ecological interactions, partly because they can be exploited by every member of the foodweb. To develop an evolutionary argument for the use of signals inducing aggregative behaviour in animals, the intricate role of aggregation pheromones in the ecology of Drosophila is discussed as a case study. Costs and benefits for the use of aggregation pheromone depend largely on the local characteristics of the environment, they involve various multitrophic interactions, and payoffs and penalties are density dependent. Plasticity in the use of pheromone is predicted and indeed found. For every ecological system, informational cues accompany food web interactions, and this affects the optimal strategy for individuals in their release of and response to such cues.
Long food chains are in general chaotic
Authors: Gross Thilo , Ebenhöh Wolfgang , Feudel Ulrike
Published: February 2005

The question whether chaos exists in nature is much debated. In this paper we prove that chaotic parameter regions exist generically in food chains of length greater than three. While nonchaotic dynamics is also possible, the presence of chaotic parameter regions indicates that chaotic dynamics is likely. We show that the chaotic regions survive even at high exponents of closure. Our results have been obtained using a general food chain model that describes a large class of different food chains. The existence of chaos in models of such generality can be deduced from the presence of certain bifurcations of higher codimension.
Nutrient limitation and botanical diversity in wetlands: can fertilisation raise species richness?
Authors: Güsewell Sabine , Bailey Kathleen M. , Roem Wilma J. , Bedford Barbara L.
Published: February 2005

The ‘resource balance hypothesis’ proposes that the species richness of grassland vegetation is potentially highest when the N:P ratio of plant tissues is 10–15 (co‐limitation), so that species richness could be raised by fertilisation with N or P at sites with lower or higher N:P ratios, respectively. Here we use data from field surveys in Swiss, Dutch and American fens or wet grasslands to analyse what changes in N:P ratios might produce noticeable changes in species richness. Plant species numbers, above‐ground biomass, tissue N and P concentrations and soil pH were recorded in plots of 0.06–4 m2. In each data set, plots with intermediate tissue N:P ratios (6–20) were on average most species‐rich, but N:P ratios explained only 5–37% of the variation in species richness. Moreover, these effects were partially confounded with those of vegetation biomass and/or soil pH. The unique effects of N:P ratios (excluding those shared with biomass and pH) explained 11–17% of variation in species richness. The relationship between species richness and N:P ratios was asymmetric: plots with high N:P ratios were more species‐poor than those with low N:P ratios. This was paralleled by a smaller species pool size at high N:P ratios (estimated from species numbers in multiple records), suggesting that fewer species are adapted to P‐limited conditions than to N‐limited conditions. According to these data, species richness in wetlands may possibly be raised by P‐fertilisation when the initial N:P ratio of the vegetation is well above 20, but this option is not recommended for nature conservation as it might promote common species at the expense of rare ones.
Plant persistence traits in fire‐prone ecosystems of the Mediterranean basin: a phylogenetic approach
Authors: Pausas J. G. , Verdú M.
Published: February 2005

The two main fire response traits found in the Mediterranean basin are the resprouting capacity (R) and the propagule‐persistence capacity (P). Previous studies suggested that these two traits might be correlated. In this paper we first test whether R and P have evolved independently. Then, we ask if the correlation occurs because (a) one trait is not the target of selection but it is genetically linked to the other trait which is the one under selection pressure (indirect selection), or (b) because different evolutionary responses to the same selective pressure are acting in parallel on populations at different genetic starting points (parallel selection). Finally, we test to what extent resprouting is associated with some vegetative and reproductive traits.

To answer these questions we used a traits database for the eastern Iberian Peninsula and we assembled the phylogenetic tree on the basis of published information. The results indicate that the two traits are negatively associated and support the parallel selection scenario in which changes in R precedes changes in P. The phylogenetic–informed associations of resprouting with other traits (plant height, age at maturity) support the existence of allocation tradeoffs.

The results are consistent with the biogeographical history of the Mediterranean basin flora where most of lineages already resprouted to persist after a disturbance during the Tertiary, thus making it improbable that an additional costly persistence strategy would evolve under the Quaternary climatic conditions.
Toward a stoichiometric framework for evolutionary biology
Authors: Kay Adam D. , Ashton Isabel W. , Gorokhova Elena , Kerkhoff Andrew J. , Liess Antonia , Litchman Elena
Published: February 2005

Ecological stoichiometry, the study of the balance of energy and materials in living systems, may serve as a useful synthetic framework for evolutionary biology. Here, we review recent work that illustrates the power of a stoichiometric approach to evolution across multiple scales, and then point to important open questions that may chart the way forward in this new field. At the molecular level, stoichiometry links hereditary changes in the molecular composition of organisms to key phenotypic functions. At the level of evolutionary ecology, a simultaneous focus on the energetic and material underpinnings of evolutionary tradeoffs and transactions highlights the relationship between the cost of resource acquisition and the functional consequences of biochemical composition. At the macroevolutionary level, a stoichiometric perspective can better operationalize models of adaptive radiation and escalation, and elucidate links between evolutionary innovation and the development of global biogeochemical cycles. Because ecological stoichiometry focuses on the interaction of energetic and multiple material currencies, it should provide new opportunities for coupling evolutionary dynamics across scales from genomes to the biosphere.
Are you what you eat? Physiological constraints on organismal stoichiometry in an elementally imbalanced world
Authors: Frost Paul C. , Evans‐White Michelle A. , Finkel Zoe V. , Jensen Thomas C. , Matzek Virginia
Published: February 2005

The relative supply of energy and elements available to organisms in the environment has strong effects on their physiology, which, in turn, can alter important ecological processes. Here we consider how resource imbalances affect three basic physiological processes common to all organisms: elemental uptake, incorporation, and release. We review recent research that addresses these core issues (uptake, incorporation, and release) as they relate to elemental homeostasis in autotrophs and heterotrophs. Our review shows the importance that organism elemental homeostasis plays in determining the types of physiological processes used to acquire, assemble, store, and release biogenic elements, which are found in widely varying ratios in the environment. Future research should examine the degree to which organisms assess their internal nutritional composition and that of their food sources within a multiple elemental and biochemical context. Also, scientists should explore if and how the stoichiometry of cellular and molecular responses underlying nutrient (elemental and biochemical) acquisition, incorporation, and release depends on the nutritional composition of food resources. These types of queries will further improve our understanding of the physiological processing of primary elements involved in growth, reproduction, and maintenance of organisms.
A conceptual framework for ecosystem stoichiometry: balancing resource supply and demand
Authors: Schade John D. , Espeleta Javier F. , Klausmeier Christopher A. , McGroddy Megan E. , Thomas Steven A. , Zhang Lixia
Published: February 2005

The development of ecological stoichiometry has centered on organisms and their interactions, with less emphasis on the meaning or value of a comprehensive ecosystem stoichiometry at larger scales. Here we develop a conceptual framework that relates internal processes and exogenous factors in spatially‐ and temporally‐linked ecosystems. This framework emerges from a functional view of ecosystem stoichiometry rooted in understanding the causes and consequences of relative stoichiometric balance, defined as the balance between ratios of resource supply and demand. We begin by modifying a graphical model based on resource ratio competition theory that relates resource supply and demand to ecosystem processes. This approach identified mechanisms, or stoichiometric schemes, through which ecosystems respond to variable resource supply. We expand this view by considering the effects of exogenous factors other then resource supply that comprise a stoichiometric template that influences stoichiometric balance within ecosystems. We then describe a number of examples of patterns in organismal stoichiometry in several types of ecosystems that illustrate stoichiometric schemes and factors that impinge directly on stoichiometric patterns. Next, we conduct an initial analysis of the stoichiometric effects of spatial linkages between ecosystems, and how those relate to boundary dynamics and hot spot development. We conclude by outlining research directions that will significantly advance our understanding of stoichiometric constraints on ecosystem structure and function.
Short‐term effects of alcohol‐based disinfectant and detergent on skin irritation
Authors: Pedersen Line Kynemund , Held Elisabeth , Johansen Jeanne Duus , Agner Tove
Published: February 2005

The most important risk factor for occupational contact dermatitis in hospital personnel is the exposure to irritants such as water, detergents and alcohol‐based solutions. This study was undertaken to evaluate the short‐term effects of repeated exposure to an alcohol‐based disinfectant, to a detergent and to an alcohol‐based disinfectant/detergent alternately. The hardening effect in preirritated skin after a 4‐week interval was also evaluated. Detergent, disinfectant and disinfectant/detergent alternately were applied daily every 15 min for 6 h for 2 days to the flexor upper arms and forearms of 15 volunteers. A control area was included. After 4 weeks, a sodium lauryl sulfate patch was applied to each area. Irritant reactions were quantified by visual score, transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and skin colour at baseline, D3, D8, D35 and D37. As evaluated by clinical assessment, detergent caused more redness of the skin than both disinfectant applied alone and disinfectant/detergent alternately at D3 and D8, P < 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively. An increased irritant response for detergent as compared to disinfectant alone and disinfectant/detergent was confirmed by TEWL and colour evaluations, P = 0.001 and P = 0.001 and P = 0.006 and P = 0.009, respectively. No hardening effect in preirritated skin was found after a 4‐week interval. In conclusion, hand disinfection with alcohol‐based disinfectant or alternate use of disinfectant/detergent causes less skin irritation than hand disinfection with a detergent. This study evaluated the short‐term effects of disinfectant and detergent exposure only, and more long‐term studies are necessary before recommendations can be made.
Allergic contact dermatitis from salicyl alcohol and salicylaldehyde in aspen bark (Populus tremula)
Authors: Aalto‐Korte Kristiina , Välimaa Jarmo , Henriks‐Eckerman Maj‐Len , Jolanki Riitta
Published: February 2005

Salicyl alcohol or 2‐methylolphenol is a well‐known allergen in phenol‐formaldehyde resins and a strong sensitizer in guinea pigs. There is 1 previous report of allergic contact dermatitis from salicyl alcohol in aspen bark. We describe a second case with concomitant allergy to salicylaldehyde. An elk researcher who had handled leaves from various trees presented with eczema of the hands, face, flexures, trunk and extremities. Patch testing showed sensitivity to salicyl alcohol, salicylaldehyde, balsam of Peru (Myroxylon pereirae resin), aspen wood dust and an extract prepared from the bark of aspen (Populus tremula). Weaker reactions were observed to bark extracts of rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), tea‐leaved willow (Salix phylicifolia) and goat willow (Salix caprea). We analysed salicyl alcohol and salicylaldehyde in the bark extracts and found the 2 chemicals in equal amounts, about 0.9 µg/mg in aspen bark and in lower concentrations in rowan and the willows. We did not find either of the chemicals in the test substance of balsam of Peru (Myroxylon pereirae). Besides salicyl alcohol, salicylaldehyde is also recommended to be used to screen for contact allergy to aspen. Both of these chemicals should be tested in forest workers in areas where aspen is growing.
Airborne chemicals cause respiratory symptoms in individuals with contact allergy
Authors: Elberling J. , Linneberg A. , Mosbech H. , Dirksen A. , Menné T. , Nielsen N. H. , Madsen F. , Frølund L. , Johansen J. Duus
Published: February 2005

Exposure to fragrance chemicals causes various eye and airway symptoms. Individuals with perfume contact allergy report these symptoms more frequently than individuals with nickel allergy or no contact allergies. However, the associations between contact allergy and respiratory symptoms elicited by airborne chemicals other than perfumes are unclear. The study aimed to investigate the association between eye and airway symptoms elicited by airborne chemicals (other than perfumes) and contact allergy in a population‐based sample. A questionnaire on respiratory symptoms was posted, in 2002, to 1189 individuals who participated in 1997/1998 in a Danish population‐based study of allergic diseases. Questions about eye and airway symptoms elicited by different airborne chemicals and airborne proteins were included in the questionnaire. Data from the questionnaire were compared with data on patch testing and prick testing. Having at least 1 positive patch test (adjusted odds ratio 1.7, 95% CI 1.2–2.5) was associated with the symptoms, and the odds ratio increased with the number of positive patch tests (P‐value for test for trend <0.05). Bronchial hyperreactivity, female sex and psychological vulnerability were independently associated with symptoms, but no association was found between prick test reactivity to proteins and the symptoms elicited by airborne chemicals.
Childbearing in U.S. Military Hospitals: Dimensions of Care Affecting Women's Perceptions of Quality and Satisfaction
Authors: Harriott Erica M. , Williams Thomas V. , Peterson And Michael R.
Published: February 2005

Abstract:  Background: The U.S. Department of Defense provides medical services for approximately 9.1 million beneficiaries, one‐half of whom are women. Information is lacking about how well the military health system has adopted patient‐centered approaches for promoting individual choice and preference in a bureaucratically structured military hospital. The purpose of this study was to examine women's evaluations of maternity care with respect to decision‐making, confidence, trust in health care providers, and treatment within the military hospital. Methods: The Department of Defense Inpatient Childbirth Survey was mailed to a simple stratified random sample of beneficiaries who received maternity care at a military hospital between July 1 and September 30, 2001. Data for 11 dimensions of women's care and experiences were examined from self‐reported assessments of 2,124 respondents who gave birth at one of 44 military hospitals. A multiple logistic regression model was estimated to determine which dimensions of care predicted beneficiaries’ likelihood to recommend the military hospital to family and friends. Result: Less than 50 percent of respondents would recommend the military hospital to family and friends. Significantly associated with women's willingness to recommend their specific military hospital to others were courtesy and availability of staff, confidence and trust in provider, treatment with respect and dignity, information and education, physical comfort, involvement of friends and family, continuity and transition, and involvement in decision‐making. Conclusions: In a military population, obstetric patients who are treated with respect, courtesy, and dignity, are involved in decisions about their care, and have established trusting relationships with their practitioners are significantly more likely to recommend the military hospital to others. It is important for military health care leaders to establish a proactive program of patient‐centered maternity care. Continuous care, education, support services, and a multidisciplinary approach should be integrated to retain and recapture obstetric patients who are served in military hospitals in the United States.
High Parity and Adverse Birth Outcomes: Exploring the Maze
Authors: Aliyu Muktar H. , Jolly Pauline E. , Ehiri John E. , Salihu Hamisu M.
Published: February 2005

Abstract: Background:Despite extensive literature on the topic, it is uncertain if grand (para ≥ 5) and great grand (para ≥ 10) multiparity are associated with adverse birth outcomes. We critically evaluate the evidence for and against the existence of adverse maternal and/or fetal outcomes in high parity women.Methods:An electronic search of MEDLINE and other bibliographic databases (Current Contents, EMBASE, and CAB) was conducted, and all relevant articles in English language were retrieved.Results:Findings on the association between high parity and maternal‐fetal birth outcomes are not consistent. Although the older literature tends to suggest that multiparity is a risk factor for negative birth outcomes, more recent reports are not supportive. Comparison across studies was further complicated by confounding factors like maternal age, socioeconomic status, and levels of prenatal care, as well as by variations in study designs and in the definition of parity itself. Furthermore, most studies that examined women of extreme parity (para ≥ 10) were handicapped by inadequate power.Conclusions:After accounting for quality, culture, and degrees of associations, the preponderance of evidence seems to point to possible existence of heightened risk for certain medical complications and placental pathologies among women of extreme parity. The literature also provides reasonable evidence for a higher‐than‐expected likelihood for occurrence of fetal macrosomia with advanced parity.
Factors That Influence Women's Decisions About Whether to Participate in Research: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Baker Lisa , Lavender Tina , Tincello Douglas
Published: February 2005

Abstract:  Background: Women are increasingly being asked to consider participating in medical research. We sought to investigate views of women who participated in and declined to participate in a study that was part of a program of maternity care research. Methods: An exploratory study using focus group interviews and semistructured interviews was conducted. A purposive sample of 17 postnatal women who had participated in research, from a hospital in the North West of England, were interviewed. An open coding mechanism to identify emergent themes was used for the analysis of data. Results: Of women who had not declined to participate in any research, the following themes were identified: altruism versus self‐protection, enhanced versus inferior care, professional guidance versus self‐direction, and welcome versus unacceptable methodology. Of women who had participated in some research but declined to participate in other research, the following themes were identified: feeling disempowered by the process, inability to believe equipoise existed, and practical inconvenience. Conclusions: These findings suggest that although health care researchers adopt an individualistic approach to care, they may fail to adopt a similar approach within research. What is important and acceptable to women needs to be ascertained to develop appropriate research strategies. This plan will ensure that research is carried out to the highest ethical standard, which may increase recruitment rates.
Impact of Body Mass Index on Markers of Left Ventricular Thickness and Mass Calculation: Results of a Pilot Analysis
Authors: Krishnan Ranjini , Becker Richard J. , Beighley Lisa M. , López‐Candales Angel
Published: February 2005

Specific correlations between body mass index (BMI) and left ventricular (LV) thickness have been conflicting. Accordingly, we investigated if a particular correlation exists between BMI and echocardiographic markers of ventricular function. Methods: A total of 122 patients, referred for routine transthoracic echocardiography, were included in this prospective pilot study using a 3:1 randomization approach. Patient demographics were obtained using a questionnaire. Results: Group I consisted of 80 obese (BMI was >30 kg/m2), Group II of 16 overweight (BMI between 26 and 29 kg/m2), and Group III of 26 normal BMI (BMI < 25 kg/m2) individuals. No difference was found in left ventricular wall thickness, LV end‐systolic cavity dimension, fractional shortening (FS), or pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) among the groups. However, mean LV end‐diastolic cavity dimension was greater in Group I (5.0 ± 0.9 cm) than Group II (4.6 ± 0.8 cm) or Group III (4.4 ± 0.9 cm; P < 0.006). LV mass indexed to height2.7 was also significantly larger in Group I (61 ± 21) when compared to Group III (48 ± 19; P < 0.001). Finally, left atrial diameter (4.3 ± 0.7 cm) was also larger (3.8 ± 0.6 and 3.6 ± 0.7, respectively; P < 0.00001).Discussion: We found no correlation between BMI and LV wall thickness, FS, or PASP despite the high prevalence of diabetes and hypertension in obese individuals. However, obese individuals had an increased LV end‐diastolic cavity dimension, LV mass/height2.7, and left atrial diameter. These findings could represent early markers in the sequence of cardiac events occurring with obesity. A larger prospective study is needed to further define the sequence of cardiac abnormalities occurring with increasing BMI.
The Doppler‐Derived Myocardial Performance Index Is Determined by Both Left Ventricular Systolic and Diastolic Function as Well as by Afterload and Left Ventricular Mass
Authors: Lind Lars , Andrén Bertil , Ärnlöv Johan
Published: February 2005

Objectives: To investigate if the newly developed Doppler‐derived myocardial performance index (MPI, also denoted TEI‐index) is associated with variables reflecting both left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function, as well as variables reflecting preload, afterload, and LV geometry. Material: An echocardiographic examination including Doppler was carried out in 446 men aged 70 in a population‐based survey (the ULSAM‐study, Uppsala Longitudinal Study of Adult Men). Results: In multiple regression analysis, MPI was independently associated with ejection fraction (P < 0.001), E/A ratio (P < 0.001), total peripheral resistance index (P < 0.001), stroke volume to pulse pressure ratio (P < 0.02), stroke index (P < 0.01), and LV mass (P < 0.04), but not with heart rate or blood pressure. Conclusion: The echocardiographically determined myocardial performance index is determined by both LV systolic and diastolic function as well as by afterload and left ventricular mass.
Elevated Brain Natriuretic Peptide and Troponin I in a Woman with Generalized Weakness and Chest Pain
Authors: Simpson Joanne , López‐Candales Angel
Published: February 2005

We report the case of a female patient emergently transferred to our institution with the presumptive diagnosis of myocardial infarction in heart failure given the constellation of symptoms and abnormal laboratory cardiac markers on presentation. However, on closer examination, prior to instituting an invasive cardiac work‐up, pulmonary embolism was instead strongly considered to explain a common etiology. Therefore, an echocardiogram was promptly obtained, which revealed the presence of McConnell's sign. This noninvasive imaging modality proved to be critical in the prompt recognition and management of this patient. We reviewed the literature regarding the use of echocardiography and the clinical significance of abnormal cardiac markers in patients presenting pulmonary embolism.
Evaluation of Left Ventricular Function in Cardiomyopathic Mice by Tissue Doppler and Color M‐Mode Doppler Echocardiography
Authors: Tsujita Yasuyuki , Kato Takahiro , Sussman Mark A.
Published: February 2005

Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and color M‐mode Doppler flow propagation velocity (Vp) are used to assess cardiac function in humans, but the feasibility and applicability of these measurements to murine cardiomyopathic models of heart failure remain unclear. Left ventricular (LV) function was measured by TDI and Vp among mice exhibiting severe dilated cardiomyopathy (TOT), pressure‐overload hypertrophy (TAC), and normal controls (NTG). Transmitral flow pattern in TACs and TOTs showed a restrictive filling pattern, but early diastolic mitral annulus velocity was comparable among the three studied groups. Propagation velocity in an anesthetized state was comparable in all three groups. However, while Vp increased in all three groups in the conscious state, the increase in NTGs was statistically greater than in TACs and TOTs. Collectively, results indicate that color M‐mode Doppler echocardiography can be used to assess LV function in mice. Furthermore, Vp is depressed by anesthesia, a complication that can lead to misinterpretation of LV function in normal hearts.
Valve Morphology in Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome: Echocardiographic Features
Authors: Qaddoura Fatema , Connolly Heidi , Grogan Martha , Orszulak Tom A. , Schaff Hartzell V. , Chandrasekaran Krishnaswamy , Click Roger L.
Published: February 2005

Primary antiphospholipid antibody (PAP) syndrome can present with a variety of clinical manifestations including cardiac valvular lesions. Prior reports of the valvular lesions associated with PAP have been nonspecific. The purpose of this paper is to present four cases of patients with documented PAP and demonstrate the characteristic transesophageal echocardiographic features. The primary feature is focal, symmetrical, nodular thickening at the leaflet's coaptation points.
Knowing Is Half the Battle
Authors: Johns Michael , Schmader Toni , Martens Andy
Published: February 2005

We tested whether informing women about stereotype threat is a useful intervention to improve their performance in a threatening testing situation. Men and women completed difficult math problems described either as a problem-solving task or as a math test. In a third (teaching-intervention) condition, the test was also described as a math test, but participants were additionally informed that stereotype threat could interfere with women's math performance. Results showed that women performed worse than men when the problems were described as a math test (and stereotype threat was not discussed), but did not differ from men in the problem-solving condition or in the condition in which they learned about stereotype threat. For women, attributing anxiety to gender stereotypes was associated with lower performance in the math-test condition but improved performance in the teaching-intervention condition. The results suggest that teaching about stereotype threat might offer a practical means of reducing its detrimental effects.
The Consequences of Race for Police Officers' Responses to Criminal Suspects
Authors: Plant E. Ashby , Peruche B. Michelle
Published: February 2005

The current work examined police officers' decisions to shoot Black and White criminal suspects in a computer simulation. Responses to the simulation revealed that upon initial exposure to the program, the officers were more likely to mistakenly shoot unarmed Black compared with unarmed White suspects. However, after extensive training with the program, in which the race of the suspect was unrelated to the presence of a weapon, the officers were able to eliminate this bias. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the elimination of racial biases and the training of police officers.
Remembering a Location Makes the Eyes Curve Away
Authors: Theeuwes Jan , Olivers Christian N.L. , Chizk Christopher L.
Published: February 2005

Working memory is a system that keeps limited information on-line for immediate access by cognitive processes. This type of active maintenance is important for everyday life activities. The present study shows that maintaining a location in spatial working memory affects the trajectories of saccadic eye movements toward visual targets, as the eyes deviate away from the remembered location. This finding provides direct evidence for a strong overlap between spatial working memory and the eye movement system. We argue that curvature is the result of the need to inhibit memory-based eye movement activity in the superior colliculus, in order to allow an accurate saccade to the visual target. Whereas previous research has shown that the eyes may deviate away from visually presented stimuli that need to be ignored, we show that the eyes also curve away from remembered stimuli.