bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Post-tonsillectomy morbidity statistics: are they underestimated?
Authors: Doshi J , Damadora M , Gregory S , Anari S
Published: March 2007

Background:

Post-tonsillectomy morbidity statistics are obtained when patients present to hospital with complications. The two common morbidities are pain and haemorrhage. Hospital-recorded morbidity rates may be an underestimation, as some patients are treated by general practitioners and are therefore not included in hospital audits.

Methods:

Prospective, cohort, questionnaire study to assess: the post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage rate (i.e. actual rate versus hospital recorded rate); and the number of patients with post-operative pain and/or bleeding who were treated with antibiotics by their general practitioner.

Results:

The response rate was 76 per cent (70/92). The actual rate of secondary haemorrhage was three times that noted in the hospital records (15.7vs5.7 per cent, respectively). Fifteen patients (21 per cent) required extra analgesia after discharge. General practitioners prescribed antibiotics for pain alone in six patients (11 per cent).

Conclusion:

The actual post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage rate is much higher than that recorded in hospital statistics. General practitioners differ in their treatment of post-tonsillectomy patients presenting with pain alone; some prescribe antibiotics in addition to analgesia.
THE COUPLE IN THE CAVE: Origin Iconography on a Ceramic Vessel from Los Naranjos, Honduras
Authors: Nielsen Jesper , Brady James E.
Published: March 2007

This article analyzes the iconography on a ceramic vessel collected from the site of Los Naranjos, Honduras, over 70 years ago by Danish archaeologist Jens Yde. The relatively more naturalistic representation of the scene on the vessel allows us to interpret the motifs called “dancing figures” as relating to a well-documented corpus of Mesoamerican origin mythology. We then turn our attention to the site of Los Naranjos and document the fact that the area of Lake Yojoa closely mirrors the idealized Mesoamerican landscape associated with the place of the earth's creation. Combining this insight with the depiction on the Yde vessel, we suggest that the Cave of Tauleve may have been considered the place of human creation or human emergence.
SOME INTERPRETATIONS OF THE HUITZILAPA SHAFT TOMB
Authors: López Mestas C. Lorenza , de la Vega Jorge Ramos
Published: March 2007

The site of Huitzilapa, located northwest of the Tequila volcano, in central Jalisco, is a médium-sized site of the Teuchitlan tradition. An unlooted shaft tomb discovered and excavated at Huitzilapa has provided the most detailed information to date on the funerary customs of the Late Formative period. This article evaluates the place of Huitzilapa in local and regional settlement patterns, updates our understanding of the shaft tomb tradition, and examines whether the Huitzilapa evidence supports the proposition of stratified societies in central Jalsico during the Late Formative period.
EL OPEÑO: Un antiguo cementerio en el occidente mesoamericano
Authors: Oliveros Morales J. Arturo
Published: March 2007

Este artículo resume los trabajos realizados en El Opeño, Michoacán (ca 1500–1200 B.C.), un sitio arqueológico del Formativo conocido desde 1940. Se trata de un cementerio concebido con arquitectura funeraria, que puede ser antecedente de esa secuencia de tumbas con diferentes diseños, continuada en la tradición tardía de las “tumbas de tiro.” Igual se resumen los objetos encontrados en esas construcciones, haciendo énfasis en la lapidaria hecha en jadeita, procedente de Guatemala, más las semejanzas de figurillas locales, puntas de obsidiana, y esculturas en forma de “U” (los yuguitos), localizados en sitios del altiplano central de México como Tlatilco o Tlapacoya.
AN INTERVIEW WITH COSTAS AZARIADIS
Authors: Durlauf Steven N.
Published: March 2007

Costas Azariadis was born in Athens, Greece, in 1943. He attended the National Technical University in Athens and received a degree in chemical engineering in 1969. He then attended Carnegie Mellon University, receiving an MBA in 1971 and his Ph.D. in 1975. His doctoral dissertation was advised by Edward Prescott and Robert Lucas. Azariadis's first academic appointment was as an assistant professor at Brown University between 1973 and 1977, after which he moved to the University of Pennsylvania. In 1992, he moved to UCLA. In addition, Azariadis spent two semesters at Hebrew University and Princeton and has held briefer visiting positions all over the world.
JOB FLOWS AND PRODUCTIVITY DYNAMICS: EVIDENCE FROM U.S. MANUFACTURING
Authors: WHEELER CHRISTOPHER H.
Published: March 2007

Through their influence on the cross-sectional distribution of productivity across firms and workers, job creation and destruction likely have an impact on the rate at which aggregate productivity changes over time. However, the nature of this effect is not, a priori, clear. Although a broad consensus has emerged suggesting that job destruction enhances productivity by eliminating inefficient production units, theories disagree with regard to the effect of job creation. If job flows represent the reallocation of labor from low- to high-productivity positions, job creation would boost productivity growth. If, instead, they represent changes in employment along a primarily low-skill dimension, the effect would be negative. This paper estimates the influence of job creation and destruction on total factor productivity (TFP) growth using annual data on four-digit U.S. manufacturing. As expected, the results reveal a positive association between job destruction and changes in TFP. Yet, they also indicate that job creation tends to have a negative effect on productivity growth.
Primary Cultures of Chick Osteocytes Retain Functional Gap Junctions
between Osteocytes and between Osteocytes and Osteoblasts
Authors: Kamioka Hiroshi , Ishihara Yoshihito , Ris Hans , Murshid Sakhr A. , Sugawara Yasuyo , Takano-Yamamoto Teruko , Lim Soo-Siang
Published: March 2007

The inaccessibility of osteocytes due to their embedment in the
calcified bone matrix in vivo has precluded direct demonstration
that osteocytes use gap junctions as a means of intercellular
communication. In this article, we report successfully isolating primary
cultures of osteocytes from chick calvaria, and, using anti-connexin 43
immunocytochemistry, demonstrate gap junction distribution to be
comparable to that found in vivo. Next, we demonstrate the
functionality of the gap junctions by (1) dye coupling studies that showed
the spread of microinjected Lucifer Yellow from osteoblast to osteocyte
and between adjacent osteocytes and (2) analysis of fluorescence
replacement after photobleaching (FRAP), in which photobleaching of cells
loaded with a membrane-permeable dye resulted in rapid recovery of
fluorescence into the photobleached osteocyte, within 5 min postbleaching.
This FRAP effect did not occur when cells were treated with a gap junction
blocker (18α-glycyrrhetinic acid), but replacement of fluorescence
into the photobleached cell resumed when it was removed. These studies
demonstrate that gap junctions are responsible for intercellular
communication between adjacent osteocytes and between osteoblasts and
osteocytes. This role is consistent with the ability of osteocytes to
respond to and transmit signals over long distances while embedded in a
calcified matrix.
Editorial
Authors: Lyman Charles E.
Published: March 2007

Our web submission system, Manuscript Central by ScholarOne, has been
in operation since September 1, 2006. The present issue of Microscopy
and Microanalysis contains the first paper to appear in print after
traversing this system electronically (see the paper by Fuseler et al.).
The time elapsed from submission to print publication was under seven
months. This is a significant improvement over the old paper-based methods
where a manuscript often took more than a year to appear in print.
Ice cloud properties in ice‐over‐water cloud systems using Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) visible and infrared scanner and TRMM Microwave Imager data
Authors: Minnis Patrick , Huang Jianping , Lin Bing , Yi Yuhong , Arduini Robert F. , Fan Tai‐Fang , Ayers J. Kirk , Mace Gerald G.
Published: March 2007

A multilayered cloud retrieval system (MCRS) is updated and used to estimate ice water path in maritime ice‐over‐water clouds using Visible and Infrared Scanner (VIRS) and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) measurements acquired over the Tropics between January and August 1998. Lookup tables of top‐of‐atmosphere 0.65‐μm reflectance are developed for ice‐over‐water cloud systems using radiative transfer calculations for various combinations of ice‐over‐water cloud layers. The liquid and ice water paths, LWP and IWP, respectively, are determined with the MCRS using these lookup tables with a combination of microwave (MW), visible (VIS), and infrared (IR) data. LWP, determined directly from the TMI MW data, is used to define the lower‐level cloud properties to select the proper lookup table. The properties of the upper‐level ice clouds, such as optical depth and effective size, are then derived using the Visible–Infrared Solar‐infrared Split‐Window technique (VISST), which matches the VIRS IR, 3.9 μm, and VIS data to the multilayer cloud lookup table reflectances and a set of emittance parameterizations. Initial comparisons with surface‐based radar retrievals suggest that this enhanced MCRS can significantly improve the accuracy and decrease the IWP in overlapped clouds by 42 and 13% compared to using the single‐layer VISST and an earlier simplified MW–VIS–IR (MVI) differencing method, respectively, for ice‐over‐water cloud systems. The tropical distribution of ice‐over‐water clouds is the same as derived earlier from combined TMI and VIRS data, but the new values of IWP and optical depth are slightly larger than the older MVI values and exceed those of single‐layered clouds by 7 and 11%, respectively. The mean IWP from the MCRS is 8–14% greater than that retrieved from radar retrievals of overlapped clouds over two surface sites, and the standard deviations of the differences are similar to those for single‐layered clouds. Examples of a method for applying the MCRS over land without MW data yield similar differences with the surface retrievals. By combining the MCRS with other techniques that focus primarily on optically thin cirrus over low water clouds, it will be possible to more fully assess the IWP in all conditions over ocean except for precipitating systems.
Energetic protons generated by ultrahigh contrast laser pulses interacting with ultrathin targets
Authors: Antici P. , Fuchs J. , d’Humières E. , Lefebvre E. , Borghesi M. , Brambrink E. , Cecchetti C. A. , Gaillard S. , Romagnani L. , Sentoku Y. , Toncian T. , Willi O. , Audebert P. , Pépin H.
Published: March 2007

A regime of laser acceleration of protons, which relies on the interaction of ultrahigh contrast laser pulses with ultrathin targets, has been validated using experiments and simulations. Proton beams were accelerated to a maximum energy of ∼7.3MeV from targets as thin as 30nm irradiated at 1018Wcm−2μm2 (1J, 320fs) with an estimated peak laser pulse to pedestal intensity contrast ratio of 1011. This represents nearly a tenfold increase in proton energy compared to the highest energies obtainable using non contrast enhanced pulses and thicker targets (>5μm) at the same intensity. To obtain similar proton energy with thicker targets and the same laser pulse duration, a much higher laser intensity (i.e., above 1019Wcm−2μm2) is required. The simulations are in close agreement with the experimental results, showing efficient electron heating compared to the case of thicker targets. Rapid target expansion, allowing laser absorption in density gradients, is key to enhanced electron heating and ion acceleration in ultrathin targets.
Heat capacity of pyrochlore Pr2Ru2O7
Authors: Tachibana Makoto , Kohama Yoshimitsu , Atake Tooru , Takayama-Muromachi Eiji
Published: March 2007

Heat capacity measurements have been performed from 0.4to200K in 0T and from 0.4to20K in magnetic fields up to 9T on the cubic pyrochlore compound Pr2Ru2O7. The long-range antiferromagnetic ordering of the Ru4+ moments is accompanied by a sharp λ-type anomaly at 162K. At lower temperatures, there are two anomalies in the 0T data that are associated with the crystal electric field levels of Pr3+. While the broad shoulder around 40K can be attributed to the excitations to the first-excited singlet state, the Schottky-like peak at 2.6K suggests that the ground-state doublet is split by the lowering of crystal field symmetry. Detailed analysis of the Schottky-like anomaly suggests continuous distribution of the splitting, implying the presence of disorder in Pr2Ru2O7.
New coarse-graining procedure for the dynamics of charged spherical nanoparticles in solution
Authors: Dahirel Vincent , Jardat Marie , Dufrêche Jean-François , Turq Pierre
Published: March 2007

A multiscale strategy based on the Brownian dynamics (BD) simulation method is presented here. It leads to an approximate but realistic reproduction of the dynamics of charged nanoparticles in suspension. This method is particularly suited to systems containing highly dissymmetric electrolytes with added salts, such as micellar suspensions or protein solutions. The coarse-graining procedure leads to a description where only the translational degrees of freedom of the nanoparticles are left, all the degrees of freedom related to the smallest solutes being rigorously averaged out. The authors’ contribution aims at quantitatively evaluating the influence of the eliminated forces on the dynamics of the nanoparticles. For this purpose, an effective diffusion coefficient has to be calculated. In practice, this effective diffusion coefficient is taken as an input of a coarse-grained simulation that uses the potential of mean force between nanoparticles. The procedure has been validated by the quantitative comparison between the coarse-grained calculations and BD simulations at the “microscopic” level of description (which explicitly include microions). For a model of aqueous solutions of 10-1 electrolyte with a 1-1 added salt, the agreement is found to be excellent. This new method allows us to compute the diffusion coefficients of nanoparticles with a computation time at least one order of magnitude lower than with explicit BD.
Electronic structures of organic/organic heterojunctions: From vacuum level alignment to Fermi level pinning
Authors: Tang J. X. , Lee C. S. , Lee S. T.
Published: March 2007

Electronic structures of organic/organic (O/O) heterojunctions have been studied by photoemission spectroscopy. We showed that vacuum level alignment is only valid for certain O/O heterojunctions rather than a general rule for organic junctions. The mode of energy level alignment is found to depend on the Fermi level position in the organic energy gap. In general, when the Fermi level is near the midgap position, vacuum level alignment at the O/O heterojunction is observed, whereas when the Fermi level is close to the edge of the lowest unoccupied or highest occupied molecular orbital level, Fermi level pinning accompanied by molecular orbital level bending is observed at the O/O heterojunction.
Influence of structural imperfection of Σ5 grain boundaries in bulk multicrystalline Si on their electrical activities
Authors: Kutsukake Kentaro , Usami Noritaka , Fujiwara Kozo , Nose Yoshitaro , Nakajima Kazuo
Published: March 2007

Bulk multicrystalline Si with {310} Σ5 grain boundaries (GBs) was grown by Bridgman growth method using seed crystals with artificially controlled configuration. The structure of the GBs was preserved in the epitaxial growth region without formation of more GBs. However, the GBs were revealed to contain small-angle deviation of ∼5º from the perfect Σ5 relative crystal orientation both in tilt and twist components due to the inaccuracy of the seed crystal arrangement. Such an unintentional misalignment was utilized to investigate the relationship between electrical activity and the deviation angle of {310} Σ5 GB. Electron beam-induced current measurement clarified that carrier recombination velocity at the {310} Σ5 GBs decreases with decreasing deviation angle and shows a minimum at the perfect Σ5 relationship. This tendency suggests that {310} Σ5 GB is electrically inactive, as well as Σ3 and Σ9 GBs.
Zinc phosphate chain length study under high hydrostatic pressure by Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Gauvin M. , Dassenoy F. , Minfray C. , Martin J. M. , Montagnac G. , Reynard B.
Published: March 2007

The aim of this study is to combine a diamond anvil cell with in-situ Raman spectroscopy to simulate and analyze the effect of pure pressure on the length of phosphate chains in an antiwear film formed in a tribological contact. In-situ Raman spectra of Zn2P2O7 glass, α-Zn3(PO4)2, and γ−Zn2P2O7 crystals submitted to high hydrostatic pressure up to 20 GPa were recorded. Evolution of Raman spectra as a function of pressure was studied in the characteristic high frequency range of PO4 tetrahedra molecular resonance (650−1300 cm−1). When exposed to high pressure, the structure of the sample becomes less ordered. Phase transitions in α-Zn3(PO4)2 structure are observed during compression from ambient pressure to 3 GPa. The length of the phosphate chains is conserved up to 20 GPa when samples are subjected to hydrostatic pressure.
On simulating scalar transport by mixing between Lagrangian particles
Authors: Klimenko A. Y.
Published: March 2007

Lagrangian particles with mixing can be used as direct numerical simulations (DNS), large eddy simulations (LES), or filtered density function (FDF) methods depending on conditions of the simulations. We estimate major parameters associated with the DNS, LES, and FDF regimes and demonstrate that, under certain conditions specified in the paper, simulations using different mixing models approach the DNS limit.
Reynolds number effect on the dissipation function in wall-bounded flows
Authors: Laadhari F.
Published: March 2007

The evolution with Reynolds number of the dissipation function, normalized by wall variables, is investigated using direct numerical simulation (DNS) databases for incompressible turbulent Poiseuille flow in a plane channel, at friction Reynolds numbers up to Reτ=2000. DNS results show that the mean part, directly dissipated by the mean flow, reaches a constant value while the turbulent part, converted into turbulent kinetic energy before being dissipated, follows a logarithmic law. This result shows that the logarithmic law of friction can be obtained without any assumption on the mean velocity distribution. The proposed law is in good agreement with experimental results in plane-channel and boundary layer flows.
Demagnetization of magnetically shielded rooms
Authors: Thiel F. , Schnabel A. , Knappe-Grüneberg S. , Stollfuß D. , Burghoff M.
Published: March 2007

Magnetically shielded rooms for specific high resolution physiological measurements exploiting the magnetic field, e.g., of the brain (dc-magnetoencephalograpy), low-field NMR, or magnetic marker monitoring, need to be reproducibly demagnetized to achieve reliable measurement conditions. We propose a theoretical, experimental, and instrumental base whereupon the parameters which affect the quality of the demagnetization process are described and how they have to be handled. It is demonstrated how conventional demagnetization equipment could be improved to achieve reproducible conditions. The interrelations between the residual field and the variability at the end of the demagnetization process are explained on the basis of the physics of ferromagnetism and our theoretical predictions are evaluated experimentally.
Development of a microlateral force sensor and its evaluation using lateral force microscopy
Authors: Ando Yasuhisa , Shiraishi Naoki
Published: March 2007

A microlateral force sensor (MLFS) was developed and evaluated using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The sensor was attached to a sensing table supported by a suspension system. The lateral motion of the sensing table was activated by a comb actuator. The driving voltage to the comb actuator was controlled to maintain a constant position of the sensing table by detecting the tunneling current at a detector, which consisted of two electrodes where the bias voltage was applied. An AFM was used to apply a lateral force to the sensing table of the sensor. When the probe of a cantilever was pressed against the sensing table and a raster scanning was conducted, the driving voltage of the comb actuator changed to compensate the friction force between the probe and sensing table. AFM measurements of an asperity array on the sensing table were conducted, and a lateral force microscopy image (LFM) was obtained from the change in driving voltage. The image by MLFS was very similar to the LFM image that was conventionally obtained from torsion of the cantilever. The LFM image strongly correlated with the gradient image calculated from the AFM topographic image. The force sensitivity of the MLFS was determined by comparing the LFM image obtained by using the MLFS with the tangential force derived from the gradient of the AFM image.
Winding of single-walled carbon nanotube ropes: An effective load transfer
Authors: Cheng Tung-Wen , Hsu Wen-Kuang
Published: March 2007

The strength of single-walled carbon nanotube ropes is enhanced by a factor of 6 via a winding procedure. A stepwise structure seen at a load-strain profile is explained based on an intermittent fracture mechanism.
Enhanced photoinduced birefringence in polymer-dye complexes: Hydrogen bonding makes a difference
Authors: Priimagi Arri , Kaivola Matti , Rodriguez Francisco J. , Kauranen Martti
Published: March 2007

The authors demonstrate that photoinduced birefringence in azo-dye-doped polymers is strongly enhanced by hydrogen bonding between the guest molecules and the polymer host. The primary mechanism behind the enhancement is the possibility to use high dye doping levels compared to conventional guest-host systems because dye aggregation is restrained by hydrogen bonding. Moreover, hydrogen bonding reduces the mobility of the guest molecules in the polymer host leading to a larger fraction of the induced birefringence to be preserved after the excitation light has been turned off.
Symmetry properties and anisotropic excitonic response for GaN films grown on semipolar (11−22)-, (10−11)-, and (10−13)-oriented GaN substrates
Authors: Gil Bernard
Published: March 2007

The author analyzes the optical properties of GaN homoepitaxies grown on semipolar (11−2x)- and (10−1x)-oriented GaN substrates. He works here in the specific cases of (11−22)-, (10−11)-, and (10−13)-orientations which currently deserve intense experimental activity. The author finds the optical anisotropy of the GaN films to be strictly ruled by the angle between the growth plane and the ⟨001⟩ direction of the GaN material.
Hydrogen peroxide treatment induced rectifying behavior of Au∕n-ZnO contact
Authors: Gu Q. L. , Ling C. C. , Chen X. D. , Cheng C. K. , Ng A. M. C. , Beling C. D. , Fung S. , Djurišić A. B. , Lu L. W. , Brauer G. , Ong H. C.
Published: March 2007

Conversion of the Au∕n-ZnO contact from Ohmic to rectifying with H2O2 pretreatment was studied systematically using I-V measurements, x-ray photoemission spectroscopy, positron annihilation spectroscopy, and deep level transient spectroscopy. H2O2 treatment did not affect the carbon surface contamination or the EC–0.31eV deep level, but it resulted in a significant decrease of the surface OH contamination and the formation of vacancy-type defects (Zn vacancy or vacancy cluster) close to the surface. The formation of a rectifying contact can be attributed to the reduced conductivity of the surface region due to the removal of OH and the formation of vacancy-type defects.
High-symmetry ZnS hepta- and tetrapods composed of assembled ZnS nanowire arrays
Authors: Shen G. Z. , Bando Y. , Hu J. Q. , Golberg D.
Published: March 2007

Sixfold symmetry heptapodlike and threefold symmetry tetrapodlike ZnS structures have been fabricated by thermal evaporation of a ZnS and SiO mixture source in N2 at 1300°C. Both the heptapods and tetrapods have been formed by the self-assembly of ZnS nanowires with the preferred (0001) orientations. Structures and morphologies of the obtained heptapods and tetrapods are thoroughly studied using x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Room-temperature photoluminescence spectra taken from the nanostructures show a strong green emission centered at 550nm.
Effect of interferon-γ treatment on the expression of interleukin-1β at the maternal - fetal interface of pregnant rats
Authors: Xia Hong-Fei , Sun Quan-Hong , Peng Jing-Pian
Published: March 2007

In the present study, the possible mechanisms by which interferon (IFN)-γ affects pregnancy were investigated using the cytokine network model. The IFN-γ-induced expression of interleukin (IL)-1β was examined using western blotting, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. The results showed that IFN-γ treatment significantly decreased the expression of uterine IL-1β protein during the preimplantation, post-implantation and mid-gestation periods. The expression of IL-1β protein was increased after IFN-γ treatment compared with the control group in late pregnancy. In the placenta, IL-1β protein levels were significantly increased after IFN-γ treatment in early and mid-pregnancy. In late pregnancy, IFN-γ treatment significantly decreased placental IL-1β protein levels. IL-1β was mainly expressed in the myometrium, uterine arteries, decidua basalis, trophospongium of the junctional layer and trophoblastic epithelium of the labyrinthine layers. IL-1β was mainly located in the cytoplasm of in vitro cultured endometrial stromal cells (ESCs). IFN-γ treatment did not affect the distribution of IL-1β, only the expression of IL-1β. The effects of IFN-γ on the proliferation of ESCs were determined using an MTS (a novel tetrazolium compound) assay. IFN-γ treatment inhibited the proliferation of ESCs and decreased the weight of the fetus and placenta. These results indicate that exogenous IFN-γ affects the expression of IL-1β and inhibits ESC proliferation.
Increases in apoptosis and declines in Bcl-XL protein characterise testicular regression in American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos)
Authors: Jenkins Luwanda K. , Ross Wallace L. , Young Kelly A.
Published: March 2007

The present study investigated the cellular changes observed during testicular regression in American crows. Testes from adults caught during the early (March), progressing (April), peak (early May), transitional (late May), and post- (June) breeding season were examined. Apoptosis was assessed by in situ terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labelling (TUNEL) and Bcl-XL protein immunolabelling. Testis mass increased two-fold from March to early May (P < 0.05), then declined 19-fold by June (P < 0.001) without corresponding changes in body mass (P > 0.05). Testicular activity, evaluated using a spermatogenic index, increased nearly two-fold from March to early May and declined nine-fold in June (P < 0.001). Seminiferous tubule diameter declined four-fold in June compared with earlier months (P < 0.001). In all testes, TUNEL-positive germ cells were detected at low levels, with the highest levels observed in late May (P < 0.001). In contrast, TUNEL-positive Sertoli cells were maintained at low levels in March–April and increased nine-fold in early May (P < 0.001). The Bcl-XL immunostaining was detected in Sertoli cells in March–early May; however, staining was most intense in March–April and substantially weaker by early May. These data suggest that the seasonal rise in testicular competence occurs slowly in American crows; however, testis function is terminated rapidly after the breeding season. Furthermore, it is likely that Sertoli cell apoptosis followed by massive germ cell loss is responsible for the rapid reduction in testis mass.
Identification of Sensory Blockade by Somatosensory and Pain-induced Evoked Potentials
Authors: Schmidt Gunter N. , Scharein Eckehard , Siegel Markus , Müller Jakob , Debener Stefan , Nitzschke Rainer , Engel Andreas , Bischoff Petra
Published: March 2007

Background

To date, the anesthesia-induced blockade of nociceptive inputs is insufficiently reflected by commercially available electroencephalographic depth-of-anesthesia monitors. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the potential of somatosensory (SSEP) and intracutaneous pain evoked (iSEP) potentials during remifentanil and propofol anesthesia as electroencephalographic indicators of the nociceptive blockade.

Methods

Ten healthy men were investigated in a double-blind crossover design during three sessions with remifentanil, propofol, and placebo administration. All dosages were increased in a step-by-step mode. SSEP and iSEP recordings were performed followed by subjective pain ratings and measurement of level of sedation (modified Observer's Assessment of Alertness and Sedation Scale). Changes from baseline in evoked potential components, pain ratings, and sedation scale were assessed by Bonferroni-Holms-corrected Wilcoxon tests.

Results

Pain ratings were significantly reduced by remifentanil. Sedation scale was significantly reduced by propofol. Early SSEP components were not affected by medication. The amplitudes of the long latency SSEP components increased significantly with remifentanil, decreased with propofol, and did not change with placebo. The amplitudes of long latency components of the iSEP decreased significantly with both remifentanil and propofol and did not change with placebo.

Conclusion

Long latency components of the SSEP are differently affected by remifentanil and propofol administration. Further studies are needed to clarify whether they can serve as a specific indicator of the nociceptive blockade during anesthesia.
Assessment of Competency in Anesthesiology
Authors: Tetzlaff John E. , Warltier David C.
Published: March 2007

Assessment of competency in traditional graduate medical education has been based on observation of clinical care and classroom teaching. In anesthesiology, this has been relatively easy because of the high volume of care provided by residents under the direct observation of faculty in the operating room. With the movement to create accountability for graduate medical education, there is pressure to move toward assessment of competency. The Outcome Project of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has mandated that residency programs teach six core competencies, create reliable tools to assess learning of the competencies, and use the data for program improvement. General approaches to assessment and how these approaches fit into the context of anesthesiology are highly relevant for academic physicians.
Neonatal Transient Eosinophilic Colitis Causes Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Early Infancy
Authors: Ohtsuka Yoshikazu , Shimizu Toshiaki , Shoji Hiromichi , Kudo Takahiro , Fujii Tohru , Wada Mariko , Sato Hiroaki , Aoyagi Yo , Haruna Hidenori , Nagata Satoru , Yamashiro Yuichiro
Published: March 2007

Background:

Lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGB), particularly in newborns, is of serious concern and requires urgent investigation and hospital care. Whereas allergic proctocolitis caused by food protein is a significant cause of LGB in infants with eosinophilia, there are several cases of diseases with symptoms similar to those of allergic proctocolitis but without an apparent allergic reaction influence.

Patients and Methods:

We examined 2 neonates using rectosigmoidoscopy who showed eosinophilia and experienced fresh LGB soon after birth and before their first feedings. Serum eosinic cationic protein (ECP) and platelet activating factor (PAF) levels were also examined in the second case to confirm the involvement of eosinophils for its pathogenesis.

Results:

Both patients were in a clinically stable condition, and their abdomens were soft. The results of their blood analyses, abdominal radiographs, and stool cultures were normal, but they had gross eosinophilia: the eosinophil counts were 9014/mm3 (patient 1) and 1955/mm3 (patient 2). Rectosigmoidoscopy with colonic mucosal biopsy revealed nodular lymphoid hyperplasia with a pale mucosal surface and massive oozing with diffuse eosinophilic infiltration in the lamina propria. In patient 2 the serum ECP and PAF levels were elevated to 123 μg/L (normal, <14.7) and 13.1 μmol/L/min (normal, <6). A few days after intravenous hydration therapy, LGB was no longer detected, and the serum ECP and PAF levels returned to normal.

Conclusions:

Inasmuch as these infants had LGB similar to allergic proctocolitis without any allergic reactions, we suggest that infiltrated eosinophils in the colonic mucosa could be involved in the pathogenesis of LGB in early infancy.
Early Central Catheter Infections May Contribute to Hepatic Fibrosis in Children Receiving Long‐term Parenteral Nutrition
Authors: Hermans Dominique , Talbotec Cécile , Lacaille Florence , Goulet Olivier , Ricour Claude , Colomb Virginie
Published: March 2007

Background:

Bacterial infections in infants constitute a risk factor for parenteral nutrition (PN)–related cholestasis. The possible role of infections in the development of liver fibrosis, the most severe long‐term complication, has yet to be documented. This study retrospectively compares the incidence of sepsis in children with and without severe liver fibrosis.

Patients and Methods:

Medical reports of 30 children in prolonged PN programs between March 1985 and March 2000 were reviewed. Starting at birth, the mean PN duration was 65 months (range, 8–150 months). According to the results of liver biopsy (LB), patients were split into 2 groups: group A (n = 16) with severe liver fibrosis (ie, septal fibrosis involving >50% of portal fields or cirrhosis) and group B (n = 14) with normal hepatic architecture or mild fibrosis (<50% of portal fields).

Results:

Duration of PN at the time of LB was shorter in group A (30.5 months; range, 8–96 months) than in group B (105 months; range, 37–150 months; P < 0.001). In group A the incidence of sepsis was significantly higher than in group B (3.2 ± 0.3/year vs 1.5 ± 0.2/year) and the first infection occurred earlier (group A, 1 month [range, 1–2 months]; group B, 4 months [range, 1–19 months]). By contrast, both groups were similar in terms of pregnancy duration, birth weight, age of PN onset, underlying diseases, mode of PN delivery, and number of cholestasis episodes.

Conclusions:

Incidence and early onset of infections may contribute to the development of liver fibrosis in cases of long‐term PN. New strategies are required in prevention and treatment of infections in children receiving PN.
Decreased Human Milk Concentration of Epidermal Growth Factor After Preterm Delivery of Intrauterine Growth‐restricted Newborns
Authors: Oslislo Anna , Czuba Zenon , Sławska Helena , Kaźmierczak Wojciech , Król Wojciech
Published: March 2007

Background and Aim:

The aim of the study was to compare epidermal growth factor (EGF) concentration in 81 colostrum samples collected from mothers of newborns in the following growth categories: preterm appropriate for gestational age (AGA), preterm small for gestational age (SGA), and full term (FT).

Results:

Significantly higher concentrations of EGF were found in the colostrum of mothers who delivered premature AGA infants at less than 32 weeks of gestation compared with mothers who delivered premature SGA babies at the same gestational age.

Conclusions:

We concluded that the maternal compensatory mechanism accelerating the development of immature breast‐fed infants may be disturbed when gestation is complicated by intrauterine growth retardation.
Wireless Capsule Endoscopy in the Pediatric Age Group: Experience and Complications
Authors: Moy Libia , Levine Jeremiah
Published: March 2007

Background:

The development of wireless capsule endoscopy (CE) provides a unique opportunity to visualize the entire small bowel in a minimally invasive manner. Studies in adult patients have demonstrated that the disposable capsule is well tolerated and highly effective, but few studies have been done in children. The aims of our study were to compare the diagnostic yield of CE and small bowel series in children being evaluated for possible small intestine disease and to determine the risk of developing an adverse event following capsule endoscopy.

Patients and Methods:

We retrospectively reviewed the records of all children who underwent CE at 1 institution between August 2002 and July 2005. Results of CE were compared with those of small bowel radiographic studies when available.

Results:

There were 46 CE studies from 45 patients, 28 male and 17 female, with a mean age of 14.9 ± 3.6 years and mean weight of 49.7 ± 17.5 kg. The indications for CE included unresponsive Crohn disease (n = 16), possible intestinal polyps (n = 11), unexplained iron deficiency anemia (n = 7), growth failure (n = 5), unresponsive ulcerative colitis (n = 3), persistent abdominal pain (n = 1), protein‐losing enteropathy (n = 1), and allergic enteropathy with occult gastrointestinal bleeding (n = 1). Of the 46 CE studies, 41 were completed and 5 were incomplete studies. Based on the CE, 9 patients were newly diagnosed with Crohn disease, 9 patients with Crohn disease were newly diagnosed with small bowel involvement, 8 patients had upper intestinal polyps, 1 patient had findings consistent with Ménétrièr disease, and 1 had a duodenal ulcer. Thirty‐three patients had small bowel series before CE: 24 studies were normal, 6 had abnormal thickening of the small bowel, 2 had polyps, and 1 patient had antral narrowing. All 9 patients with abnormal small bowel series had abnormal CE studies. Of the 24 patients with normal small bowel series, 20 had completed CE studies, and in 10 children, the study was abnormal. Nine of the 45 subjects had adverse events. Five patients had delayed passage from the stomach, with 2 needing endoscopic retrieval of the CE, and 4 had delayed passage from the small intestine (>5 days), with 2 requiring surgical removal, 1 responding to steroids, and the final patient requiring an ileocolic resection 2 months after the CE for an undiagnosed ileal stricture. The only significant association noted was that older patients were more likely to have intestinal retention.

Conclusions:

CE provides a valuable tool in the evaluation of pediatric patients for possible small bowel disease. However, the risk of developing complications appears to be greater in the pediatric population, with 20% of our patients having an adverse event.
Metabolic and Nutritional Profile of Obese Adolescents With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: de Piano Aline , Prado Wagner L , Caranti Danielle A , Siqueira Kãli O , Stella Sérgio G , Lofrano Mara , Tock Lian , Cristofalo Dejaldo MJ , Lederman Henrique , Tufik Sérgio , de Mello Marco Túlio , Dâmaso Ana R
Published: March 2007

Background:

The incidence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing due to its prevalence in obesity, diabetes, and insulin‐resistance syndrome. The best treatment protocol for NAFLD has not been determined. However, there is evidence that exercise and nutritional intervention can improve and prevent it. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the dietary and metabolic profiles of obese adolescents with NAFLD who participated in a multidisciplinary program.

Patients and Methods:

We studied 43 adolescents ages 15 to 19 years (17.18 ± 1.66 years) with a body mass index (BMI) ≥30, consisting of 30 patients without NAFLD (BMI = 35.80 ± 3.44 kg/m2) and 13 with NAFLD (BMI = 33.47 ± 2.34 kg/m2). The NAFLD diagnosis was determined by ultrasonography. Blood samples were collected to analyze glycemia, hepatic aminotransferase levels, and lipid profiles. Insulin resistance was measured by homeostasis model assessment insulin‐resistance index (HOMA‐IR). The analyses of baseline and postintervention food intake were made by a 3‐day inquiry.

Results:

At baseline conditions, the patients with NAFLD showed significant differences in body mass, BMI, and visceral and subcutaneous fat. Glucose and visceral and subcutaneous fat presented a significant reduction after treatment in patients with NAFLD. Analyzing the food intake, at baseline we observed a positive correlation between the visceral obesity and lipid consumption only in patients with NAFLD. We also observed significant decrease in energy and cholesterol consumption in patients with NAFLD after the multidisciplinary therapy.

Conclusions:

The intervention promoted a decrease in the prevalence of NAFLD, a significant decrease in visceral obesity, and improved HOMA‐IR, glycemia, and serum lipid levels that are risk factors for NAFLD. In summary, the multidisciplinary program is essential in the treatment and prevention of NAFLD.
Dynamic changes in the epigenomic state and nuclear organization of differentiating mouse embryonic stem cells
Authors: Kobayakawa Satoru , Miike Koichiro , Nakao Mitsuyoshi , Abe Kuniya
Published: March 2007

Changes in nuclear organization and the epigenetic state of the genome are important driving forces for developmental gene expression. However, a strategy that allows simultaneous visualization of the dynamics of the epigenomic state and nuclear structure has been lacking to date. We established an experimental system to observe global DNA methylation in living mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. The methylated DNA binding domain (MBD) and the nuclear localization signal (nls) sequence coding for human methyl CpG‐binding domain protein 1 (MBD1) were fused to the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) reporter gene, and ES cell lines carrying the construct (EGFP‐MBD‐nls) were established. The EGFP‐MBD‐nls protein was used to follow DNA methylation in situ under physiological conditions. We also monitored the formation and rearrangement of methylated heterochromatin using EGFP‐MBD‐nls. Pluripotent mouse ES cells showed unique nuclear organization in that methylated centromeric heterochromatin coalesced to form large clusters around the nucleoli. Upon differentiation, the organization of these heterochromatin clusters changed dramatically. Time‐lapse microscopy successfully captured a moment of dramatic change in chromosome positioning during the transition between two differentiation stages. Thus, this experimental system should facilitate studies focusing on relationships between nuclear organization, epigenetic status and cell differentiation.
Molecular characterization of angiomotin/JEAP family proteins: interaction with MUPP1/Patj and their endogenous properties
Authors: Sugihara‐Mizuno Yuko , Adachi Makoto , Kobayashi Yuka , Hamazaki Yoko , Nishimura Miyuki , Imai Toshio , Furuse Mikio , Tsukita Shoichiro
Published: March 2007

We have previously shown that MUPP1, which has an MRE domain and 13 PDZ domains, is expressed in epithelial cells and localize at tight junctions (TJs) and apical membranes. Using yeast two‐hybrid screening, we found here that MUPP1 interacts with angiomotin (Amot), JEAP/Amot‐like 1 and MASCOT/Amot‐like 2, which we refer to as Amot/JEAP family proteins. PDZ2 and ‐3 were responsible for MUPP1's interaction with Amot and MASCOT, whereas only PDZ3 was responsible for its interaction with JEAP. All the Amot/JEAP family proteins also interacted with Patj, a close relative of MUPP1. The C‐terminal PDZ‐binding motives of the Amot/JEAP family were required for these interactions. We successfully generated specific antibodies for these proteins and analyzed the endogenous molecular properties of the family in parallel. Immunofluorescence microscopy of cultured epithelial cells showed that in subcellular distribution, the Amot/JEAP family proteins were indistinguishable; they were apparent at TJs as well as apical membranes, and mostly co‐localized with MUPP1. They were also located at TJs in several mouse tissues, but each protein showed a distinct tissue distribution. In biochemical fractionation assays, the Amot/JEAP family behaved not as transmembrane but as peripheral membrane proteins. Unexpectedly, the PDZ‐binding motives were not necessarily required for their localization to TJs, and dominant negative MUPP1 or Patj did not affect the localization of Amot/JEAP family proteins, suggesting that the interaction with MUPP1/Patj is not necessarily responsible for their proper subcellular distribution.
Glycosylation and palmitoylation of Wnt‐3a are coupled to produce an active form of Wnt‐3a
Authors: Komekado Hideyuki , Yamamoto Hideki , Chiba Tsutomu , Kikuchi Akira
Published: March 2007

Wnt‐3a is a representative ligand that activates the β‐catenin‐dependent pathway in Wnt signaling and is modified with glycans and palmitate. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between glycosylation and lipidation of Wnt‐3a. Secretion of a Wnt‐3a mutant that lacks glycosylation (Wnt‐3a NQ) was impaired. Wnt‐3a C77A, which lacks palmitoylation at Cys77, was secreted with similar efficiency to wild‐type Wnt‐3a (Wnt‐3a WT), but did not induce the internalization of low‐density lipoprotein receptor‐related protein 6 (LRP6). Furthermore, removal of palmitate from Wnt‐3a suppressed the ability to bind to its receptors Frizzled8 and LRP6. Wnt‐3a C77A was glycosylated to an extent similar to Wnt‐3a WT, while Wnt‐3a NQ was not modified with palmitate. Expression of porcupine, which is a putative acyltransferase, enhanced palmitoylation of Wnt‐3a WT greatly, but that of Wnt‐3a NQ slightly. While Wnt‐3a WT was present in both the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi, Wnt‐3a NQ was located to the ER only. Furthermore, Wnt‐3a was not palmitoylated but was glycosylated in the cells treated with Brefeldin A, which inhibits transport of vesicles from the ER to the Golgi. These results indicate that glycosylation of Wnt‐3a precedes palmitoylation and that both modifications are necessary for secretion of an active Wnt‐3a.
Are ecosystem carbon inputs and outputs coupled at short time scales? A case study from adjacent pine and hardwood forests using impulse–response analysis
Authors: STOY PAUL C. , PALMROTH SARI , OISHI A. CHRISTOPHER , SIQUEIRA MARIO B. S. , JUANG JEHN‐YIH , NOVICK KIMBERLY A. , WARD ERIC J. , KATUL GABRIEL G. , OREN RAM
Published: March 2007

A number of recent studies have attributed a large proportion of soil respiration (Rsoil) to recently photoassimilated carbon (C). Time lags (τPR) associated with these pulses of photosynthesis and responses of Rsoil have been found on time scales of hours to weeks for different ecosystems, but most studies find evidence for τPR on the order of 1–5 d. We showed that such time scales are commensurate with CO2 diffusion time scales from the roots to the soil surface, and may thus be independent from photosynthetic pulses. To further quantify the role of physical (i.e. edaphic) and biological (i.e. vegetative) controls on such lags, we investigated τPR at adjacent planted pine (PP) and hardwood (HW) forest ecosystems over six and four measurement years, respectively, using both autocorrelation analysis on automated soil surface flux measurements and their lagged cross‐correlations with drivers for and surrogates of photosynthesis. Evidence for τPR on the order of 1–3 d was identified in both ecosystems and using both analyses, but this lag could not be attributed to recently photoassimilated C because the same analysis yielded comparable lags at HW during leaf‐off periods. Future efforts to model ecosystem C inputs and outputs in a pulse–response framework must combine measurements of transport in the physical and biological components of terrestrial ecosystems.