bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationship between ambient temperature and heat flux in the scrotal skin
Authors: Song G.‐S. , Seo J. T.
Published: July 2009

Excessive scrotal heating or cooling may lead to the cessation of spermatogenesis. Data regarding heat exchange rates in scrotal skin can be used to control testicular temperature within the appropriate range. Heat flux (HF) in the scrotal skin surface is generated based on the surrounding environment. This study aims to elucidate the HF of scrotal skin by varying ambient temperature. Twenty college students including seven varicoceles volunteered as the subjects (mean age: 22.95 ± SD 1.96 years; height: 175.00 ± 5.17 cm; weight: 68.40 ± 8.65 kg; body mass index: 22.28 ± 2.15), and participated in the experiments from September 11 to October 4, 2006. The environmental temperature was controlled at 20 °C and 25 °C in the first and second experiment respectively. The HF and skin temperature on both sides of the scrotal surface were measured for 60 min in the environmental chamber. The results revealed that the HF was 87.64 ± 12.69 W/m2 and 78.91 ± 12.09 W/m2 in the left and right side of the scrotum respectively. The scrotal skin temperature (SST) was 30.28 ± 0.75 °C and 30.24 ± 0.62 °C on the left and right side of the scrotum in the 20 °C environment respectively. In the 25 °C environment the HF was 53.54 ± 8.86 W/m2 and 45.25 ± 8.32 W/m2, and the SST was 32.29 ± 0.61 °C and 32.07 ± 0.36 °C on the left and right side of the scrotum respectively. The cooling source power to decrease testicular temperature is suggested at 290 W/m2. This suggested value could be adopted a cooling device as clinical therapy for a heat stress patient to decrease testicular temperature affecting spermatogenesis.
Turmeric (Curcuma longa) a natural source of edible yellow colour
Authors: Joshi Priyanka , Jain Shashi , Sharma Vimal
Published: July 2009

Curcuma longa, L. an important natural sources of yellow colour was successfully extracted with acetone, ethanol and propanol. The liquid colour was developed from concentrated oleoresin (50 mL) by addition of 10 mL of polysorbate. The resultant liquid colour was water‐soluble. The powder colour was prepared by crystallisation of concentrated oleoresin. The best quality of crystals (dry) was formed with petroleum ether. The result of physico‐chemical properties revealed that liquid colour was soluble in all water‐based medium while crystallised colour was fat‐soluble on heating. Both liquid and crystal colour retained >80% of their colour for 6 months. It was concluded that yellow colour in liquid and crystal form could be developed from turmeric with acceptable physico‐chemical properties. Both colour can be used in food products and had good market potential.
A critical evaluation of different methods for the determination of areas of endemism and biotic elements: an Alpine study
Authors: Casazza Gabriele , Minuto Luigi
Published: July 2009

Aim  The main aim of this study was to compare different methods for the determination of both areas of endemism (AoEs) and biotic elements by analysing all the endemic plant species of a region, using our own data on the distribution of such taxa in the Maritime and Ligurian Alps. Our other goals were to use indicator species analysis (INDVAL) to identify and compare the species significantly associated with the AoEs detected by cluster analysis and parsimony analysis of endemicity (PAE), to compare these species with the results obtained by biotic element analysis, and to discuss the biogeographical meaning of the results obtained by all three methods.

Location  Maritime and Ligurian Alps, bordering north‐western Italy and south‐eastern France.

Methods  A presence/absence matrix of 36 endemic plant species was analysed using cluster analysis, PAE and biotic element analysis. INDVAL was used to compare the results obtained using these three methods.

Results  In an area such as the Maritime and Ligurian Alps, where the present distribution pattern of endemic taxa mainly reflects the influence of ecological factors, PAE and cluster analysis defined comparable AoEs characterized by the species that constituted the biotic elements. However, the biotic element analysis and AoE approaches revealed different relationships between the area/taxa congruence and the congruence among taxa ranges.

Main conclusions  The combined use of different methods seems to be useful for a complete description of the distribution patterns of taxa in a study area. INDVAL should be considered as a useful tool in biogeographical analysis for various reasons. It provides an objective criterion for dendrogram pruning based on the association rate between areas and taxon ranges. Because it identifies the strongest indicator species of each geographic unit, it allows comparison of the results of PAE and cluster analysis with those of biotic element analysis. Finally, INDVAL provides the rate of exclusivity and the rate of occupancy of each taxon in a given area.
Use of Folk Remedies among Families of Children Hospitalised in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Li‐Li , Huang Li‐Chi , Lin Shu‐Chuan , Smith Marlaine , Liu Shwu‐Jiuan
Published: July 2009

Aims.  To describe the attitudes toward and the use of folk remedies among caregivers of children who were hospitalised in Taiwan.

Background.  Parents incorporate folk remedies into the care of sick children in many cultures, including Taiwan. Twelve common folk remedies are commonly used in the Taiwanese culture for the care of sick children.

Design.  The study employed a descriptive, exploratory design using survey methods. Participants were 92 caregivers (parents) whose children were hospitalised for at least three days in a hospital in the middle district of Taiwan.

Results.  Sixty per cent of the participants used some form of folk remedies in the care of their hospitalised children. The most frequently used remedies were: spirit‐calling (63%); carrying a cross or incense bag (47%), praying a Buddhist mantra (36%). There was a positive relationship between a positive attitude towards folk remedies and current use with children (p < 0·05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that parents’ previous experience of using folk remedies (odds ratio = 0·272, p = 0·037), and parents’ knowledge of the care of disease (odds ratio = 18·044, p = 0·015) were the strongest predictors of use of folk remedies. Almost three‐fourths (73%) of all participants expected that health care providers would respect and not interfere with their use of folk remedies; 72% of parents stated that they would not tell healthcare providers about the use of folk remedies.

Conclusions.  The majority of the parents of hospitalised children in Taiwan can be expected to use folk remedies for the purpose of psychological and spiritual support during child hospitalised.

Relevance to clinical practice.  Healthcare providers need to be aware of the folk remedies used within various cultural groups so that culturally appropriate and safe care can be provided for the child and family.
An educational intervention to improve women’s ability to cope with childbirth
Authors: Ip Wan‐Yim , Tang Catherine SK , Goggins William B
Published: July 2009

Aim and objective. To test the effectiveness of an efficacy‐enhancing educational intervention to promote women’s self‐efficacy for childbirth and coping ability in reducing anxiety and pain during labour.

Background. The evidence of the effective application of the self‐efficacy theory in health‐promoting interventions has been well established. Little effort has been made by health professionals to integrate self‐efficacy theory into childbirth care.

Design. Randomised controlled trial.

Methods. An efficacy‐enhancing educational intervention based on Bandura’s self‐efficacy theory was evaluated. The eligible Chinese first‐time pregnant women were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 60) or a control group (n = 73). The experimental group received two 90‐minute sessions of the educational programme in between the 33rd–35th weeks of pregnancy. Follow‐up assessments on outcome measures were conducted within 48 hours after delivery. The short form of the Chinese Childbirth Self‐Efficacy Inventory was used to measure maternal self‐efficacy prior to labour. Evaluation of pain and anxiety during the three stages of labour and performance of coping behaviour during labour were measured by the Visual Analogue Scale and Childbirth Coping Behaviour Scale respectively.

Results. The experimental group was significantly more likely than the control group to demonstrate higher levels of self‐efficacy for childbirth (p < 0·0001), lower perceived anxiety (p < 0·001, early stage andp = 0·02, middle stage) and pain (p < 0·01, early stage andp = 0·01, middle stage) and greater performance of coping behaviour during labour (p < 0·01).

Conclusions. The educational intervention based on Bandura’s self‐efficacy theory is effective in promoting pregnant women’s self‐efficacy for childbirth and reducing their perceived pain and anxiety in the first two stages of labour.

Relevance to clinical practice. Relief of pain and anxiety is an important issue for both women and childbirth health professionals. The efficacy‐enhancing educational intervention should be further developed and integrated into childbirth educational interventions for promoting women’s coping ability during childbirth.
The meaning of feeling well in people with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury
Authors: Jumisko Eija , Lexell Jan , Söderberg Siv
Published: July 2009

Aim.  The aim of this study was to elucidate the meaning of feeling well for people with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury.

Background.  Considerable attention has been given to research consequences, quality of life and satisfaction with life in people with traumatic brain injury. Most studies reveal negative aspects of living with traumatic brain injury. Knowledge that provides an understanding of the meaning of feeling well for people with a traumatic brain injury entails the possibility that they could receive support to feel well, despite their injury.

Design.  This study used a qualitative research approach, as the aim was to elucidate meaning.

Methods.  Data were collected through qualitative research interviews with two women and six men with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury who had lived with the injury for between 7–15 years. A phenomenological hermeneutic method was used to interpret the data.

Results.  The meaning of feeling well for people with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury was that the initially unfamiliar life with traumatic brain injury became familiar. This included finding strength, regaining control over everyday life, being close to someone and being good enough. People with traumatic brain injury felt well when they became reconciled with the circumstances of their life and created a new entity in that life, in which their complete health had been lost.

Relevance to clinical practice.  This study helps professionals to enhance their understanding and awareness of the possibilities for people with moderate or severe traumatic brain injury to feel well. The study showed that people with traumatic brain injury needed a lot of strength to achieve this. Professionals can help them to feel well by getting to know them and thus find ways to support the person’s feeling of wellbeing.
Garment needs of pregnant women based on content analysis of in‐depth interviews
Authors: Ho Simone SM , Yu Winnie WM , Lao Terence T , Chow Daniel HK , Chung Joanne WY , Li Yi
Published: July 2009

Aims.  This study aims to identify the needs, concerns and problems of pregnant women when using maternity support garments.

Background.  Maternity support belt is regarded as helpful in reducing low back pain during pregnancy. However, several garment‐related problems exist which might lead to poor adherence behaviour undermining the benefit of garment therapy.

Design.  A qualitative exploratory study.

Methods.  Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 10 pregnant Chinese women who experienced low back pain during pregnancy. All the interviews followed an interview guide and different maternity support garments were shown to the participants as a method of tangible objects to stimulate responses. Content analysis was used to analyse the data.

Results.  The results showed that 60% of pregnant women discontinued using maternity support garments due to excessive heat, perceived ineffectiveness, itchiness, excessive pressure around the abdomen and inconvenience of adjustment. The content analysis generated five main themes of needs including effective function, safety, skin comfort, ease to put on and take off and aesthetics of maternity support garments.

Discussion.  The findings of the five main themes of needs were largely consistent with previous studies examining medical garments for overall satisfaction and compliance. The results revealed that women’s physiological and psychological changes during pregnancy influenced their clothing preferences on both functional and aesthetical values.

Conclusions.  Maternity support garments are convenient and easily‐accessible therapy to manage LBP during pregnancy and are frequently recommended and worn by pregnant women. However, inappropriate choice of garment therapy not only led to ineffectiveness but also undesirable effects. The key findings of the five main themes of garment needs in pregnant women will facilitate healthcare professionals in providing evidence‐based advice to assist patients in the selection of an appropriate and optimal maternity support garment.

Relevance to clinical practice.  These recommendations in the clinical practice will assist patients in making well informed treatment decisions and ultimately improve the quality of care.
Staff attitudes towards institutionalised dementia residents
Authors: Kada Sundaran , Nygaard Harald A , Mukesh Bickol N , Geitung Jonn T
Published: July 2009

Aim.  To explore the attitudes of staff caring for institutionalised dementia residents and the variables associated with these attitudes.

Methods.  Fourteen nursing homes and one hospital‐based geriatric ward in Bergen, Norway were surveyed, using the translation of an Approach to Dementia Questionnaire. The study population (n = 291) was a mixture of registered nurses, auxiliary nurses, nursing assistants and non‐trained aides.

Design.  Survey.

Results.  Significant differences in hope and person‐centred attitudes were identified in this study. Nursing assistants, compared with registered nurses (p = 0·02), had significantly lower hope attitudes· Staff over 50 years of age reported significantly lower hope attitudes (p = 0·01) than those under 40 years of age. Staff with 10 and fewer years of work experience reported significantly lower hope attitudes (p = 0·02) than those with more than 10 years of experience. Nurses with specialised training in geriatrics, psychiatry or dementia care had significantly higher hope attitudes, compared with nurses without any special training (p = 0·04). The person‐centred attitude was lower among participants who were over 50 years old, compared with their counterparts under the age of 40 (p ≤ 0·01).

Discussion.  Education, age, work experience, care unit size and specialised training are associated with differences in attitudes. We recommend that employers be proactive in encouraging and facilitating staff development by offering further training that aims to impart more positive attitudes.

Relevance to clinical practice.  Improvements in staff competency levels will be more important in the future, as a result of the forecasted increase in the percentage of the population who will suffer from dementia and reside in nursing homes.
Enhanced frugivory on invasive Silene latifolia in its native range due to increased oviposition
Authors: Elzinga Jelmer A. , Bernasconi Giorgina
Published: July 2009

1.  Why some species become invasive is a timely question in ecology. Most hypotheses assume that changed ecological interactions, especially enemy release, allow species to become invasive. This paper investigates how the release from a specialist frugivore may lead to relaxed selection on avoidance and defence strategies in an invasive plant.

2.
 Silene latifolia was introduced from Europe to North America where its main enemies are absent. Reintroduced North American plants suffer greater damage than European plants by their specialist frugivore Hadena bicruris, which lays eggs in flowers. However, the mechanism is unclear: increased oviposition preference, decreased defence leading to higher egg and larval survival, or a closer phenological match.

3.  We exposed plants from European and North American populations to this enemy by allowing natural oviposition and also by manually adding eggs. We recorded reproductive traits potentially associated with interactions with the seed predator and monitored the different stages of fruit attack (oviposition, larval growth and survival) to study the relative roles of increased attractiveness versus decreased defence.

4.  North American plants received significantly more eggs (40.2 ± 2.1 eggs per plant) than European plants (28.4 ± 3.0 eggs per plant) and natural fruit predation was twice as high on North American than on European plants. Oviposition preference rates for North American over European plants persisted also after variation in flower size and phenology were accounted for.

5.  European and North American plants did not differ significantly in larval survival, larval mass at emergence or in the rate of defensive fruit abscission, indicating that greater susceptibility of plants from the introduced range to the seed predator is largely due to an increased preference for oviposition rather than to changes in palatability or defence after oviposition.

6.
 Synthesis. Our results are consistent with the idea that introduced plants may evolve after introduction, if evolutionary constraints such as those imposed by plant–frugivore interactions, are broken down in the invasive range. For S. latifolia, release from its native predator H. bicruris may have allowed evolution of increased attractiveness to pollinators without the burden of attracting the frugivore.
Melanomacrophages in three species of free‐ranging sharks from the northwestern Atlantic, the blue shark Prionacae glauca (L.), the shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrhinchus Rafinesque, and the thresher, Alopias vulpinus (Bonnaterre)
Authors: Borucinska J D , Kotran K , Shackett M , Barker T
Published: July 2009

The melanomacrophage aggregates or cells (MMC) are commonly used as biomarkers of exposure to pollution in fish, albeit their numbers and morphological characteristics can be influenced not only by environmental toxins but also by a range of physiological parameters and pathological conditions. Accordingly, before we can use MMC as biomarkers in any fish species, their normal, ‘background’ characteristics have to be established in apparently healthy fish. The knowledge of MMC in sharks is minimal. The aim of this study was to characterize MMC from 51 free‐ranging, large pelagic sharks from the northwestern Atlantic, including shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrhinchus, thresher, Alopias vulpinus and blue shark, Prionacae glauca. The rationale of this study was twofold. First, because, sharks have life histories predisposing them to the accumulation of environmental toxins they constitute good sentinel species of the health of the global marine ecosystem. Second, because many shark populations are in decline or threatened by extinction, we need to expand our understanding of their health status in order to develop appropriate protective measures. All sharks were collected by sports fishing gear between June and August in 2007. Their health condition was assessed by necropsy, morphometrics, and by microscopic examination of gonads, livers, spleens and kidneys. Routine, haematoxylin and eosin and/or Pearl’s reagent‐stained paraffin embedded sections were studied by light microscopy. Our results provide the first data on the morphometric and morphological characteristics of MMC in viscera of apparently healthy free‐ranging sharks from the northwestern Atlantic.
The relationship between subjective appetite sensations, markers of inflammation and appetite in dialysis patients
Authors: Zabel R. , Ash S. , King N. , Bauer J.
Published: July 2009

Background:  Poor appetite is a marker of morbidity and mortality in haemodialysis patients, making it an important area for research. Visual analogue scales (VAS) can capture a range of subjective sensations related to appetite (such as hunger, desire to eat or fullness), but have not been commonly used to measure appetite in dialysis patients. The present study aimed to explore the association between retrospective ratings of appetite using VAS and a range of clinical variables, as well as biomarkers of appetite in haemodialysis patients.

Methods:  Twenty‐eight haemodialysis patients [mean age 61 ± 17 years, 50% male, median dialysis vintage 19.5 (4–101) months] rated their appetite using VAS for hunger, fullness and desire to eat and a five‐point categorical scale measuring general appetite. Blood levels of the appetite peptides leptin, ghrelin and peptide YY were also measured.

Results:  Hunger ratings measured by VAS were significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with a range of clinical, nutritional and inflammatory markers: age (r = −0.376), co‐morbidities, (r = −0.380) Patient‐Generated Subjective Global Assessment score (r = −0.451), weight (r = −0.375), fat‐free mass (r = −0.435), C‐reactive protein (r = −0.383) and intercellular adhesion molecule (r = −0.387). There was a consistent relationship between VAS and appetite on a five‐point categorical scale for questions of hunger, and a similar trend for desire to eat, but not for fullness. Neither method for measuring subjective appetite correlated with appetite peptides.

Conclusions:  Retrospective ratings of hunger on a VAS are associated with a range of clinical variables and further studies are warranted to support their use as a method for measuring appetite in dialysis patients.
Short‐term treatment of a resilient appliance in TMD pain patients: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: NILSSON H. , LIMCHAICHANA N. , NILNER M. , EKBERG E. C.
Published: July 2009

Summary  To investigate the short‐term efficacy of a resilient appliance in patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) suffering from pain, a randomized, controlled trial was performed in 80 recruited TMD pain patients. They were randomly allocated to one of two groups: treatment with a resilient appliance or treatment with a hard, palatal, non‐occluding appliance. The primary treatment outcome measure was judged positive when patients’ TMD pain at worst, according to the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), decreased by at least 30%. One additional treatment outcome was reduction of characteristic pain intensity. Number needed to treat was measured on the basis of primary treatment outcome at 10 weeks. At baseline, patient characteristics and TMD pain did not differ between the groups. There were no significant differences between groups regarding a 30% reduction in VAS‐reported TMD pain at worst at 10 weeks’ follow‐up; 61% in the treatment group and 46% in the control group. After 6 and 10 weeks of treatment, CPI decreased in both groups. Number needed to treat was 9·1 for both the resilient and the control appliance therapy during 10 weeks. There was no statistically significant difference between the resilient appliance and the non‐occluding control appliance in reducing TMD pain from a short‐term perspective.
The effect of maternal smoking during pregnancy on intellectual disabilities among 8‐year‐old children
Authors: Braun Joe M. , Daniels Julie L. , Kalkbrenner Amy , Zimmerman Judith , Nicholas Joyce S.
Published: July 2009

Prenatal tobacco smoke exposure has been implicated as a risk factor for cognitive deficits in children. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between prenatal tobacco smoke exposure and diagnosis of intellectual disabilities (ID) among 8‐year‐old children living in Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina and Utah. In 2002 and 2004, 965 ID case children were identified through a surveillance network and compared with the population of children born in the surveillance region during the same period (n = 104 607). Prenatal tobacco smoke exposure was determined from birth certificates. We estimated the effect of prenatal tobacco smoke exposure (none, <10, 10–19 and ≥20 cigarettes per day) on ID using logistic regression.

Generally, the risk of ID was mildly elevated among children whose mothers smoked ≥20 cigarettes per day during pregnancy [RR 1.34; 95% (confidence interval) CI 0.96, 1.87] after adjustment for maternal education, maternal race, maternal age, marital status, child sex, birth year and study site. However, the effect of exposure to ≥20 cigarettes per day significantly differed for males [RR 1.77, 95% CI 1.20, 2.62] compared with females [RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.44, 1.50]. Supplemental analyses reveal substantial confounding of this relationship by socio‐economic indicators. A differential effect of tobacco smoke exposure on the risk of ID is suggested for males and females and deserves further investigation; however, the interpretation is tempered by the potential for residual confounding.
Microstructural white matter changes in euthymic bipolar patients: a whole‐brain diffusion tensor imaging study
Authors: Wessa Michèle , Houenou Josselin , Leboyer Marion , Chanraud Sandra , Poupon Cyril , Martinot Jean‐Luc , Paillère‐Martinot Marie‐Laure
Published: July 2009

Objectives:  Brain structures of a distributed ventral‐limbic and dorsal brain network have been associated with altered mood states and emotion regulation in affective disorders. So far, diffusion tensor imaging studies in bipolar patients have focused on frontal/prefrontal brain regions and found alterations in white matter integrity in manic, depressed, and euthymic bipolar patients, observed as changes in fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity. To extend previous findings, we investigated whole‐brain modifications in white matter integrity in euthymic bipolar patients with minimal manic and depressive symptoms.

Methods:  Twenty‐two patients with a DSM‐IV‐TR diagnosis of bipolar I and II disorder in remission, with no lifetime or present comorbidities of substance abuse, and 21 sex‐ and age‐matched healthy controls underwent diffusion tensor imaging with diffusion gradients applied along 41 directions. Fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity group differences were explored using two voxel‐based, whole‐brain analyses that differ in their normalization approaches.

Results:  Fractional anisotropy was significantly increased in bipolar patients relative to healthy controls in medial frontal, precentral, inferior parietal, and occipital white matter. No group differences in mean diffusivity were found.

Conclusions:  The result of increased fractional anisotropy in euthymic bipolar patients in the present study suggests increased directional coherence of white matter fibers in bipolar patients during remission.
Effects of elevated CO2 on grain yield and quality of wheat: results from a 3‐year free‐air CO2 enrichment experiment
Authors: Högy P. , Wieser H. , Köhler P. , Schwadorf K. , Breuer J. , Franzaring J. , Muntifering R. , Fangmeier A.
Published: July 2009

Spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. TRISO) was grown for three consecutive seasons in a free‐air carbon dioxide (CO2) enrichment (FACE) field experiment in order to examine the effects on crop yield and grain quality. CO2 enrichment promoted aboveground biomass (+11.8%) and grain yield (+10.4%). However, adverse effects were predominantly observed on wholegrain quality characteristics. Although the thousand‐grain weight remained unchanged, size distribution was significantly shifted towards smaller grains, which may directly relate to lower market value. Total grain protein concentration decreased significantly by 7.4% under elevated CO2, and protein and amino acid composition were altered. Corresponding to the decline in grain protein concentration, CO2 enrichment resulted in an overall decrease in amino acid concentrations, with greater reductions in non‐essential than essential amino acids. Minerals such as potassium, molybdenum and lead increased, while manganese, iron, cadmium and silicon decreased, suggesting that adjustments of agricultural practices may be required to retain current grain quality standards. The concentration of fructose and fructan, as well as amounts per area of total and individual non‐structural carbohydrates, except for starch, significantly increased in the grain. The same holds true for the amount of lipids. With regard to mixing and rheological properties of the flour, a significant increase in gluten resistance under elevated CO2 was observed. CO2 enrichment obviously affected grain quality characteristics that are important for consumer nutrition and health, and for industrial processing and marketing, which have to date received little attention.
Development of Y‐chromosome‐Specific SCAR Markers Conserved in Taurine, Zebu and Bubaline Cattle
Authors: Alves BCA , Hossepian de Lima VFM , Moreira‐Filho CA
Published: July 2009

Contents

Sex pre‐selection of bovine offsprings has commercial relevance for cattle breeders and several methods have been used for embryo sex determination. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has proven to be a reliable procedure for accomplishing embryo sexing. To date, most of the PCR‐specific primers are derived from the few single‐copy Y‐chromosome‐specific gene sequences already identified in bovines. Their detection demands higher amounts of embryonic genomic material or a nested amplification reaction. In order to circumvent this, limitation we searched for new male‐specific sequences potentially useful in embryo sexing using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) assay reproducibility problems can be overcome by its conversion into Sequence Characterized Amplified Region (SCAR) markers. In this work, we describe the identification of two bovine male‐specific markers (OPC16323 and OPF101168) by means of RAPD. These markers were successfully converted into SCARs (OPC16726 and OPF10984) using two pairs of specific primers.Furthermore, inverse PCR (iPCR) methodology was successfully applied to elongate OPC16323 marker in 159% (from 323 to 837 bp). Both markers are shown to be highly conserved (similarity ≥95%) among bovine zebu and taurine cattle; OPC16323 is also highly similar to a bubaline Y‐chromosome‐specific sequence. The primers derived from the two Y‐chromosome‐specific conserved sequences described in this article showed 100% accuracy when used for identifying male and female bovine genomic DNA, thereby proving their potential usefulness for bovine embryo sexing.
Anastomotic leakage after anterior resection for rectal cancer: risk factors
Authors: Bertelsen C. A. , Andreasen A. H. , Jørgensen T. , Harling H. ,   on behalf of the Danish Colorectal Cancer Group
Published: July 2009

Objective  The study aimed to identify risk factors for clinical anastomotic leakage (AL) after anterior resection for rectal cancer in a consecutive national cohort.

Method  All patients with an initial first diagnosis of colorectal adenocarcinoma were prospectively registered in a national database. The register included 1495 patients who had had a curative anterior resection between May 2001 and December 2004. The association of a number of patient‐ and procedure‐related factors with clinical AL after anterior resection was analysed in a cohort design.

Results  Anastomotic leakages occurred in 163 (11%) patients. In a multivariate analysis, the risk of AL was significantly increased in patients with tumours located below 10 cm from the anal verge if no faecal diversion was undertaken (OR 5.37 5 cm (tumour level from anal verge), 95% CI 2.10–13.7, OR 3.57 7 cm, CI 1.81–7.07 and OR 1.96 10 cm, CI 1.22–3.10), in male patients (OR 2.36, CI 1.18–4.71), in smokers (OR 1.88, CI 1.02–3.46), and perioperative bleeding (OR 1.05 for intervals of 100 ml blood loss, CI 1.02–1.07).

Conclusion  Anastomotic leakage after anterior resection for low rectal tumours is related to the level, male gender, smoking and perioperative bleeding. Faecal diversion is advisable after total mesorectal excision of low rectal tumours in order to prevent AL.
Physiological, psychological and behavioural characteristics of men and women with faecal incontinence
Authors: Maeda Y. , Vaizey C. J. , Hollington P. , Stern J. , Kamm M. A.
Published: July 2009

Background  The factors leading to faecal incontinence in males are less well understood than those in females. In this prospective study we aimed to compare the physiological, anatomical, psychological and behavioural characteristics of male and female patients presenting with symptoms of faecal incontinence.

Method  One hundred and nine patients presenting with symptoms of faecal incontinence were studied. They underwent anorectal physiological studies, endoanal ultrasonography, and completed a St Mark’s Incontinence Score, a locally developed pad questionnaire, a bowel symptom questionnaire, the Short Form 36 (SF‐36) Health Survey questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Inventory.

Results  Thirty‐four men (mean age 59 years, SD 14 years, range 33–80) and 75 women (mean age 55 years, SD 15 years, range 21–86) participated in the study. Twenty‐one patients (38% of men and 11% of women) had normal manometry and endoanal ultrasonography. There was no significant difference in the resting pressures of men compared with women, but men had significantly higher squeeze pressures. Rectal capacity was significantly higher in men but anal and rectal electrosensitivities were the same. Men placed a tissue at the anus more commonly than women while women were more likely to use a pad and to carry a spare pair of underwear around with them. Psychological profiles were very similar in the two sexes.

Conclusions  Nearly 40% of men with faecal incontinence report it in the absence of a definable functional or structural sphincter abnormality. There are differences in physiological characteristics and coping behaviours of men and women with faecal incontinence.
Growth pattern in the muscular layer reflects the biological behaviour of colorectal cancer
Authors: Ueno H. , Hase K. , Hashiguchi Y. , Ishiguro M. , Kajiwara Y. , Shimazaki H. , Mochizuki H.
Published: July 2009

Objective  To determine the clinical value of evaluating the cancer morphology in muscularis propria (MP) for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients.

Method  A total of 994 patients with advanced CRC were reviewed in terms of two distinctive growth patterns in the MP: (i) horizontal spread between the circular and longitudinal muscle layers (H‐spread) and (ii) ‘streaming’ spread between the muscle bundles of the circular muscle layer (S‐spread).

Results  The incidence of H‐spread (n = 153) and S‐spread (n = 150) showed a positive correlation with tumour‐node‐metastasis (TNM) stage and both exerted a negative impact on postoperative survival. Adverse morphology in the MP (H‐spread and/or S‐spread) was consistent with a high grade of vascular invasion and budding in the extramural layer, as also with unfavourable fibrotic stromas in the reactive fibrous zone; the 5‐year survival rate in patients with such features was 64.2%, which was lower than that in those without (86.5%, P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that adverse morphology was an independent prognostic determinant, along with T‐ and N ‐stage. As the mode of H‐spread, perineural invasion in the myenteric plexus was found to be predominant over lymphatic spread on the basis of S100 and CD34 immunostaining, but neural cell adhesion molecule expression, whether on cancer cells or on neural cells, was not significant for this growth pattern.

Conclusion  A particular group of CRCs ingeniously utilizes the thin space between muscle fascicles for development in the MP. Although the biological mechanism remains unknown, this distinctive growth pattern could be a useful indicator to identify CRC patients at high risk of recurrence.
Ligneous conjunctivitis in a plasminogen‐deficient dog: clinical management and 2‐year follow‐up
Authors: Torres María‐Dolores , Leiva Marta , Tabar María‐Dolores , Naranjo Carolina , Pastor Josep , Peña Teresa
Published: July 2009

A 1‐year‐old‐female Yorkshire Terrier was referred to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (VTH‐UAB) (Spain) with a 6‐month history of unilateral chronic proliferative conjunctivitis and intermittent vomiting and cough. Several medical and surgical treatment efforts to manage conjunctival lesions had resulted in no improvement of the clinical signs. Complete general and ophthalmic examinations revealed several proliferative ‘wood‐like’ masses in the conjunctiva, oral cavity and an interscapular subcutaneous nodule. Conjunctival and buccal biopsies were performed as diagnostic procedures. A diagnosis of ligneous conjunctivitis was made on the basis of histopathology findings and clinical presentation. The only biochemical abnormalities found were severe proteinuria and low plasminogen activity in plasma. No other analytical abnormalities were observed. Topical treatment with heparin and anti‐inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs have controlled the ophthalmological clinical signs. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of a dog with plasminogen deficiency and ligneous conjunctivitis with a long survival period and 2‐year follow‐up.
Outbreak of ocular disease associated with naturally‐acquired canine herpesvirus‐1 infection in a closed domestic dog colony
Authors: Ledbetter Eric C. , Kim Sung G. , Dubovi Edward J.
Published: July 2009

Objective To describe clinical and virological findings of an outbreak of ocular disease attributed to naturally‐acquired primary canine herpesvirus‐1 (CHV‐1) infection in a closed domestic dog colony.

Animals studied Twenty‐seven 10‐ to 16‐week‐old laboratory Beagles.

Procedure Complete ophthalmic examinations were performed and ocular samples collected for CHV‐1 polymerase chain reaction and virus isolation.

Results The prevalence of ocular morbidity was 100% in examined dogs. Lesions were restricted to the ocular surface and included bilateral conjunctivitis (100% of dogs); punctate, dendritic, or geographic ulcerative keratitis (26% of dogs); and non‐ulcerative keratitis (19% of dogs). Conjunctival petechiae were detected in 22% of dogs. Punctate and dendritic corneal ulcers were frequently organized into discrete groups or linear arrangements. Non‐ulcerative keratitis appeared clinically as a perilimbal ring of superficial corneal vascularization and leukocyte infiltration. CHV‐1 was detected in ocular samples by polymerase chain reaction or virus isolation in all dogs sampled.

Conclusions In susceptible populations of domestic dogs, CHV‐1 may be associated with outbreaks of highly contagious ocular infection in the absence of concurrent overt systemic disease. This naturally‐acquired outbreak of CHV‐1 infection provides an opportunity to report the spectrum and prevalence of ocular lesions associated with primary ocular CHV‐1 infection in dogs. Conjunctivitis was the most frequent ocular lesion detected. Ulcerative and non‐ulcerative keratitis were less prevalent and of variable clinical appearance. Dendritic ulcerative keratitis, a classic and relatively specific ocular lesion associated with alphaherpesvirus infection, was detected in < 20% of dogs.
Robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy in men aged ≥70 years
Authors: Greco Kristin A. , Meeks Joshua J. , Wu Simon , Nadler Robert B.
Published: July 2009

OBJECTIVES

To assess the outcomes of elderly men with prostate cancer treated with robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP), because more healthy elderly men will present with localized prostate cancer and many will seek surgical treatment as the population ages.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between 2005 and 2008, 203 men had RARP performed by one surgeon; patients were categorized into two groups based on their age (≥70 vs <70 years). All data were recorded prospectively in an institutional approved database.

RESULTS

Of the 203 men, 23 (11%) were aged ≥70 years; the older men had similar baseline characteristics as younger men, and had characteristics during and after surgery comparable to those in younger men. The pathological RARP Gleason grade was significantly greater in older men. Surgical complications were not significantly different between the groups. Continence rates were significantly lower in older men at 6 months after surgery, but returned to levels equivalent to those in younger men within 12 months after surgery. Older patients took significantly longer to be capable of driving after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

The outcomes of RARP in elderly men are largely comparable to those in younger men, with the exception of higher pathological Gleason grade, a transient delay in return of continence, and taking longer to return to driving after surgery. Advanced chronological age should not be a contraindication for RARP in patients with clinically localized prostate cancer, but expectations should be managed preoperatively.
Dicoumarol enhances doxorubicin‐induced cytotoxicity in p53 wild‐type urothelial cancer cells through p38 activation
Authors: Matsui Yoshiyuki , Watanabe Jun , Ding Sentai , Nishizawa Koji , Kajita Yoichiro , Ichioka Kentaro , Saito Ryoichi , Kobayashi Takashi , Ogawa Osamu , Nishiyama Hiroyuki
Published: July 2009

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effectiveness of a combined treatment of 3–30‐methylene‐bis[4‐hydroxycoumarin] (dicoumarol) with doxorubicin for the treatment of urothelial cancer, as doxorubicin is a common chemotherapeutic agent but its therapeutic efficacy is limited.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The synergistic effect of dicoumarol with chemotherapeutic agents such as cisplatin, doxorubicin and paclitaxel was evaluated in RT112 urothelial cancer cells. Then, dicoumarol‐mediated enhancement of doxorubicin‐induced cytotoxicity was screened in urothelial cancer cell lines with different p53 statuses or RT112 stable transfectants with a dominant‐negative mutant of p53 (p53DN). To clarify the importance of the modification of p53 function by dicoumarol to enhance doxorubicin toxicity, the change in the p53‐p21 pathway and mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK)‐mitochondria pathway by the combined treatment were elucidated by Western blot analysis. Finally, the effect of p21 knockdown in the susceptibility to doxorubicin was examined with RT112 stable transfectants with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) of p21.

RESULTS

Dicoumarol significantly increased the susceptibility of RT112 cells to cisplatin and doxorubicin, but not to paclitaxel in RT112 cells. Dicoumarol (100 µm) also enhanced the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin in other bladder cancer cell lines with wild‐type p53 (wt‐p53; three times in 253J and 13 times in KK47), but not in those with mutant‐type p53 (TCCsup, J82 and EJ) or in RT112 p53DN. The combined treatment with dicoumarol suppressed p53/p21 induction by doxorubicin and resulted in sequential p38 MAPK activation, myeloid cell leukaemia 1 suppression and caspase cleavage. The synergistic effect of doxorubicin/dicoumarol was suppressed by the p38 MAPK inhibitor SB202190 and, furthermore, p21 knockdown with shRNA transfection made RT112 cells six times more susceptible to doxorubicin with p38 MAPK activation.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that concomitant use of dicoumarol could enhance the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin in urothelial cancer cells with wt‐p53 through the p53/p21/p38 MAPK pathways. This combined treatment may provide a new therapeutic option to overcome chemoresistance in bladder cancer.
Pelvic‐floor imaging using three‐dimensional ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging in the long term follow‐up of the bladder‐exstrophy‐epispadias complex
Authors: Ebert Anne K. , Falkert Andreas , Brandl Roland , Hirschfelder Horst , Koller Michael , Rösch Wolfgang H.
Published: July 2009

Study Type – Therapy (case control) Level of Evidence 3b

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether established pelvic floor variables can be used to predict the risk of uterine prolapse after surgery and to compare two different operative strategies, pelvic adaptation with functional reconstruction and an open pelvis with urinary diversion, as a congenital bony pelvis and pelvic floor defect predisposes females with bladder‐exstrophy‐epispadias complex (BEEC) to uterine prolapse.

PATIENTS, SUBJECTS AND METHODS

We conducted a cross‐sectional study using perineal three‐dimensional ultrasonography (3D‐US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to describe pelvic floor anatomy in 19 women with BEEC (mean age 27.3 years) and five controls, with the outcome evaluated by a semi‐structured interview. The analysis of 3D‐US and MRI was conducted by two independent investigators.

RESULTS

Of the 19 women with BEEC, 13 initially had a functional bladder reconstruction, six a urinary diversion with removal of the exstrophic bladder, and 12 women had closure of the pelvis either by traction bandage or osteotomy, and in the other seven the symphysis was not approximated. Four patients had a complete and one a mild uterine prolapse. After a mean follow‐up of 24 years, the mean symphyseal diastasis was 4.5 cm after symphyseal approximation, 9.0 cm without symphyseal approximation in BEEC and 0.49 cm in controls. The mean levator hiatus was 4.9 cm on 3D‐US and 4.1 cm on MRI after symphyseal approximation, 5.9 and 7.6 cm without symphyseal approximation and 4.2 and 3.2 cm in controls, respectively. The respective mean levator angle was 86.6° and 87.3° after symphyseal approximation, 104.1° and 101.3° without and 71.3° and 45.5 in controls. Prolapse was statistically significantly more common in patients with no symphyseal approximation.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study showing that perineal 3D‐US is useful for pelvic floor imaging in BEEC. Established pelvic floor variables might be useful for predicting the risk of pelvic organ prolapse in BEEC.
Checks and Balances on Political Budget Cycles: Cross‐Country Evidence
Authors: Streb Jorge M. , Lema Daniel , Torrens Gustavo
Published: July 2009

Previous empirical work on political budget cycles (PBCs) implicitly assumes the executive has full discretion over fiscal policy. Instead, we ask what happens when legislative checks and balances limit executive discretion. We find that legislative checks and balances moderate PBCs in countries with high compliance with the law. More effective checks and balances help to explain why cycles are weaker in developed countries and in established democracies. When the discretional component of executive power is isolated, there are significant cycles in all democracies.
Iron in obesity. An ancient micronutrient for a modern disease
Authors: Zafon C. , Lecube A. , Simó R.
Published: July 2009

Iron is a necessary constituent of several macromolecules involved in cell metabolism, but, at the same time, it could be a potentially dangerous element. For this reason iron balance must be finely regulated. At present, obesity has been recognized as a worldwide public health problem. Excess body fat is associated with increased all‐cause mortality and increased risk for several medical morbidities. Many studies have shown that obesity might increase the risk of iron deficiency but, at the same time, obese subjects exhibit high serum ferritin levels. Recent studies seem to indicate that obesity is associated with iron deficiency although the aetiology appears to be multifactorial and includes (i) A decrease in iron food intake; (ii) An impairment of intestinal iron uptake and iron release from stores because of an overexpression of hepcidin and (iii) Inadequate iron bioavailability because of inflammation. In addition, abnormal ferritin concentrations can be explained by chronic inflammation rather than by iron overload. The aim of the present article is to review current knowledge of iron and obesity.