bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Changes in exhaled nitric oxide after ingestion of L‐arginine in children: A pilot study
Authors: Abuzayan Ibrahim , Turner Stephen W.
Published: February 2010

Rationale

Exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) may be a useful biomarker for asthma and is derived from enzymatic activity on the amino acid L‐arginine. The aim of the present pilot study was to study the effect of L‐arginine ingestion on FENO and also NO production in the proximal and distal airways.

Methods

Asthmatic and control children were enrolled and phenotyped by skin prick reactivity and spirometry. FENO was measured before and after ingestion of 0.2 g/kg L‐arginine. Proximal and distal NO production (J'awNO and CANO) were derived using the method of Tsoukias.

Results

Twenty children were recruited, 11 steroid‐treated asthmatics, 1 steroid‐naïve asthmatic, and 8 healthy controls. The median baseline FENO before L‐arginine administration was 31 ppb (interquartile range, IQR, 15, 61). At baseline, the median J'awNO was 1000 nl/sec (IQR 650, 2880) and the median CANO was 2.3 ppb (IQR 1.8, 4.5). FENO rose by an average of 5.5 ppb [95% CI 3.5, 7.5] (P < 0.001) 60 min after ingestion of L‐arginine and 1.5 ppb [95% CI −0.9, 4.0] (P = 0.188) after 120 min. One hour after L‐arginine ingestion, J'awNO did not change but CANO rose by an average of 2.6 ppb [95% CI 0.5, 4.7], P = 0.020.

Conclusion

The rise in FENO after dietary exposure to L‐arginine is modest, transient, and of little or no clinical significance. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2010; 45:236–240. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Candidate biomarkers in exosome‐like vesicles purified from rat and mouse urine samples
Authors: Conde‐Vancells Javier , Rodriguez‐Suarez Eva , Gonzalez Esperanza , Berisa Agustin , Gil David , Embade Nieves , Valle Mikel , Luka Zigmund , Elortza Felix , Wagner Conrad , Lu Shelly C. , Mato Jose M. , Falcon‐Perez Juan M.
Published: February 2010

Purpose: There is a compelling clinical imperative to identify discerning molecular biomarkers of hepatic disease in order to inform the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment.

Experimental design: We have investigated the proteome of urinary vesicles present in urine samples obtained from experimental models for the study of liver injury, as an approach for identifying potential biomarkers for hepatic disease.

Results: The biochemical and proteomic characterization of highly purified exosome‐like urinary vesicles has identified 28 proteins previously unreported in these vesicles, and many that have been previously associated with diseases, such as the prion‐related protein. Furthermore, in urine samples from D‐galactosamine‐treated rats, a well‐characterized experimental model for acute liver injury, we have detected a severe reduction in some proteins that normally are clearly detected in urinary vesicles. Finally, differential protein content on urinary vesicles from a mouse model for chronic liver injury has been also identified.

Conclusions and clinical relevance: Our results argue positively that urinary vesicles could be a source for identifying non‐invasive biomarkers of liver injury. We proposed some proteins such as Cd26, Cd81, Slc3A1 and Cd10 that have been found to be differentially expressed in urinary vesicles from some of the analyzed models as potential biomarkers for liver injury.
Sub‐proteome approach to the knowledge of liver
Authors: Falcón‐Pérez Juan M. , Lu Shelly C. , Mato José M.
Published: February 2010

In the recent years, global proteomics approaches have been widely used to characterize a number of tissue proteomes including plasma and liver; however, the elevated complexity of these samples in combination with the high abundance of some specific proteins make the study of the lowest abundant proteins difficult. This review is focused on different strategies that have been developed to extend the proteome focused on these two tissues, as, for example, the analysis of sub‐cellular proteomes. In this regard, two special kind of extracellular vesicles – exosomes and membrane plasma shedding vesicles – are emerging as excellent biological source both to extend the liver and plasma proteomes and to be applied in the discovery of non‐invasive liver‐specific disease biomarkers.
Immunoglobulins are the major glycoproteins involved in the modifications of total serum N‐glycome in cirrhotic patients
Authors: Klein André , Carre Yoann , Louvet Alexandre , Michalski Jean‐Claude , Morelle Willy
Published: February 2010

Purpose: N‐glycosylation modifications in human serum glycoproteins have been described in hepatic cirrhosis. To identify the glycoproteins carrying these modifications and to determine their influences in the modification of the total serum N‐glycome (TSNG) in cirrhotic patients, we have performed the glycosylation analysis of immunoglobulins, transferrin, 1 antitrypsin and haptoglobin of patients who have developed cirrhosis.

Experimental design: The glycosylation analysis of immunoglobulins G, transferrin, 1 antitrypsin and haptoglobin of 14 patients who have developed cirrhosis and 11 healthy controls was performed using strategies based on MS, 2‐DE and affinity chromatography.

Results: We demonstrated that the N‐glycosylation of both hepatic and plasma cell secreted glycoproteins is modified, and that the major modifications of TSNG are carried by immunoglobulins A and G.

Conclusions and clinical Relevance: The search for glycomic biomarkers used as an alternative to liver biopsy for the assessment of fibrosis in chronic liver disease is extremely important. Variations in the glycosylation of immunoglobulins are responsible for the main modifications affecting the TSNG and effector properties of the Fc of these molecules, and certainly contribute to the pathophysiology of fibrosis.
Comprehensive human urine standards for comparability and standardization in clinical proteome analysis
Authors: Mischak Harald , Kolch Walter , Aivaliotis Michalis , Bouyssié David , Court Magali , Dihazi Hassan , Dihazi Gry H. , Franke Julia , Garin Jérôme , de Peredo Anne Gonzalez , Iphöfer Alexander , Jänsch Lothar , Lacroix Chrystelle , Makridakis Manousos , Masselon Christophe , Metzger Jochen , Monsarrat Bernard , Mrug Michal , Norling Martin , Novak Jan , Pich Andreas , Pitt Andrew , Bongcam‐Rudloff Erik , Siwy Justyna , Suzuki Hitoshi , Thongboonkerd Visith , Wang Li‐Shun , Zoidakis Jérôme , Zürbig Petra , Schanstra Joost P. , Vlahou Antonia
Published: February 2010

Purpose: Urine proteomics is emerging as a powerful tool for biomarker discovery. The purpose of this study is the development of a well‐characterized “real life” sample that can be used as reference standard in urine clinical proteomics studies.

Experimental design: We report on the generation of male and female urine samples that are extensively characterized by different platforms and methods (CE‐MS, LC‐MS, LC‐MS/MS, 1‐D gel analysis in combination with nano‐LC MS/MS (using LTQ‐FT ultra), and 2‐DE‐MS) for their proteome and peptidome. In several cases analysis involved a definition of the actual biochemical entities, i.e. proteins/peptides associated with molecular mass and detected PTMs and the relative abundance of these compounds.

Results: The combination of different technologies allowed coverage of a wide mass range revealing the advantages and complementarities of the different technologies. Application of these samples in “inter‐laboratory” and “inter‐platform” data comparison is also demonstrated.

Conclusions and clinical relevance: These well‐characterized urine samples are freely available upon request to enable data comparison especially in the context of biomarker discovery and validation studies. It is also expected that they will provide the basis for the comprehensive characterization of the urinary proteome.
Concrete chips and soggy semolina: the contested spaces of the school dinner hall
Authors: Metcalfe Alan , Owen Jenny , Dryden Caroline , Shipton Geraldine
Published: February 2010

Recent years have seen a renewed popular interest in school meals, following criticism that they lacked adequate nutritional value. Underlying this is an apparent concern with civilising children: feeding them the right types of food will ensure they are properly shaped and disciplined, becoming competent social actors. Current discourses often suggest a picture of two distinct and competing sets of actors: one (the state) has power to impose its will and the other (children and families) are subject to this or can at best resist, in a context in which nutrition is one of the means by which civility is inculcated. In this article, we examine the involvement of multiple social actors in three aspects of the school meals system. First, we consider the rational, bureaucratic, McDonaldised process by which the state and other powerful actors seek to shape meal provisioning; second, we discuss the ways in which school meals are served and organised ‘on the ground’ by catering staff and dinner ladies; and third, we examine how children use food and the spaces provided to manage relationships. We conclude by arguing that the power relations embedded in these practices go beyond the ‘orthodoxy’ of domination and resistance: first, they are tempered by subtle practices of supplementation and amelioration, and second, there are always gaps and tensions within and between concepts and practices of civility. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Phase diagram of the NdFe1–xRhx AsO superconductor
Authors: Shi H. Y. , Wang X. L. , Xia T.‐L. , Zhang Q. M. , Wang X. Q. , Zhao T.‐S.
Published: February 2010

Polycrystalline samples with a nominal composition of NdFe1–xRhx AsO (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.25) were synthesized using a solid state reaction method. Bulk superconductivity with a maximum TC = 13 K is observed in the x = 0.1 sample. A temperature–composition phase diagram is established for the NdFe1–xRhx AsO system based on the electrical resistivity and magnetization measurements. A first‐order‐like transition from an antiferromagnetic state to the superconducting state at a critical Rh‐doping point xC ≈ 0.045 is observed in the present phase diagram. The value for the upper critical field μ0Hc2(0) is estimated to be about 26 T for the x = 0.10 sample by using the Werthamer–Helfand–Hohenberg theory. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Engineering Design for Six Sigma—a systematic approach
Authors: Hasenkamp Torben
Published: February 2010

While the concept of engineering design is well established and clearly defined, Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) is a relatively new concept aiming at Six Sigma performance by improved design activity. There are different engineering design models available in the literature which characterize design stages and thereby describe how engineering design activity can be systematized. The actual connection of DFSS with the more established contents of engineering design activity has been less emphasized in the literature. By reviewing the existing literature this paper clarifies the contributions of DFSS to the different stages of a systematic engineering design process. First engineering design models available in the literature are presented and the choice for one systematic design process is motivated. This process is then used as a reference for where and how DFSS contributions can take place. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quantum fidelity for analyzing atoms and fragments in molecule: Application to similarity, chirality, and aromaticity
Authors: Luzanov Anatoliy V.
Published: February 2010

Quantum information theory is applied to formulate a new technique for dealing with molecular similarity problems. In this technique, the so‐called quantum fidelity appears to be a counterpart of the conventional similarity measure due to Carbo (Carbo, R.; Leyda, L.; Arnau, M. Int J Quantum Chem 1980, 17, 1185). We define many‐body spin‐free density matrices for atoms and fragments in molecule, and compute corresponding fidelity measures for molecular subsystems. It allows us to treat the problem from the beginning within a many‐electron setting. The approach is employed for analyzing similarity between free atoms and atoms in molecule. A new chirality index, as based on the fidelity between molecule and its mirror image, is suggested to be an approximately additive nonnegative quantity. We also examine a local aromaticity by computing the fidelity measures for benzenoid fragments in polyaromatic hydrocarbons. A detailed study of the proposed indices is reported at the ab initio or semiempirical levels. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011
Amino acid δ13C analysis of hair proteins and bone collagen using liquid chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry: paleodietary implications from intra‐individual comparisons
Authors: Raghavan Maanasa , McCullagh James S. O. , Lynnerup Niels , Hedges Robert E. M.
Published: February 2010

We report a novel method for the chromatographic separation and measurement of stable carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) of individual amino acids in hair proteins and bone collagen using the LC‐IsoLink system, which interfaces liquid chromatography (LC) with isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). This paper provides baseline separation of 15 and 13 of the 18 amino acids in bone collagen and hair proteins, respectively. We also describe an approach to analysing small hair samples for compound‐specific analysis of segmental hair sections.

The LC/IRMS method is applied in a historical context by the δ13C analysis of hair proteins and bone collagen recovered from six individuals from Uummannaq in Greenland. The analysis of hair and bone amino acids from the same individual, compared for the first time in this study, is of importance in palaeodietary reconstruction. If hair proteins can be used as a proxy for bone collagen at the amino acid level, this validates compound‐specific isotope studies using hair as a model for palaeodietary reconstruction. Our results suggest that a small offset observed in the bulk δ13C values of the hair and bone samples may be attributed to two factors: (i) amino acid compositional differences between hair and bone proteins, and (ii) differential turnover rates of the tissues and the amino acid pools contributing to their synthesis. This application proposes that hair may be a useful complementary or alternative source of compound‐specific paleodietary information. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of surface hydroxyl concentration on the bonding and morphology of aminopropylsilane thin films on austenitic stainless steel
Authors: Jussila P. , Ali‐Löytty H. , Lahtonen K. , Hirsimäki M. , Valden M.
Published: February 2010

The adsorption of 3‐aminopropyltrimethoxysilane thin films on Fe18Cr7Mn3Ni (austenitic stainless steel) was investigated by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and inelastic electron background analysis. The bonding and morphology of the films were strongly dependent on the surface hydroxyl concentration, which was controlled by the oxidation pretreatment of the substrate. In particular, an aminopropylsilane (APS) monolayer with high degree of bonding to the substrate was obtained on an electrochemically passivated surface with very high hydroxyl concentration. On the other hand, the deposition of weakly bound APS clusters was observed on substrates having relatively low hydroxyl concentrations. The adsorption occurred initially via hydrogen bonding, whereas heating to 373 K resulted in the formation of covalent SiOM bonds at the silane/metal oxide interface. The results of this study provide insight into the interaction between silanes and stainless steels surfaces, and can be applied for functionalization of stainless steel materials in an extensive range of applications. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A new stopping rule for surveys
Authors: Wagner James , Raghunathan Trivellore E.
Published: February 2010

Non‐response is a problem for most surveys. In the sample design, non‐response is often dealt with by setting a target response rate and inflating the sample size so that the desired number of interviews is reached. The decision to stop data collection is based largely on meeting the target response rate. A recent article by Rao, Glickman, and Glynn (RGG) suggests rules for stopping that are based on the survey data collected for the current set of respondents. Two of their rules compare estimates from fully imputed data where the imputations are based on a subset of early responders to fully imputed data where the imputations are based on the combined set of early and late responders. If these two estimates are different, then late responders are changing the estimate of interest. The present article develops a new rule for when to stop collecting data in a sample survey. The rule attempts to use complete interview data as well as covariates available on non‐responders to determine when the probability that collecting additional data will change the survey estimate is sufficiently low to justify stopping data collection. The rule is compared with that of RGG using simulations and then is implemented using data from a real survey. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
m‐JGRIM: a novel middleware for Gridifying Java applications into mobile Grid services
Authors: Mateos Cristian , Zunino Alejandro , Campo Marcelo
Published: February 2010

The benefits of Grids for building massively distributed applications have been broadly acknowledged. However, the high complexity of developing Grid applications compromises the widespread adoption of the paradigm. In a previous paper (Future Gener. Comput. Syst. 2008; 24(2):99–118), we have described JGRIM, a method for easily ‘gridifying’ Java applications, based on non‐invasively injecting Grid functionality into ordinary code through Dependency Injection (DI). DI is similar to the Inversion of Control notion of object‐oriented frameworks and allows external services providing certain functionality to be injected into application components that require these services without affecting the components' implementation. In this paper, we briefly revisit JGRIM and present m‐JGRIM, a novel Java middleware that materializes JGRIM concepts by transforming ordinary applications into entities called Mobile Grid Services, i.e. gridified applications with mobile capabilities that live within a Grid. We also provide an evaluation of the performance of m‐JGRIM. Grid practitioners should find this paper useful in having an assessment of the practical benefits and costs of gridifying applications with the middleware, and a down‐to‐earth description of JGRIM, whose advantages for Grid‐enabling applications from a software engineering perspective have been already evaluated in (Future Gener. Comput. Syst. 2008; 24(2):99–118). Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Maternal cypermethrin exposure during lactation impairs testicular development and spermatogenesis in male mouse offspring
Authors: Wang Hua , Wang Su‐Fang , Ning Huan , Ji Yan‐Li , Zhang Cheng , Zhang Ying , Yu Tao , Ma Xing‐Hao , Zhao Xian‐Feng , Wang Qun , Liu Ping , Meng Xiu‐Hong , Xu De‐Xiang
Published: February 2010

Within the last decade, numerous epidemiological studies have demonstrated that endocrine disruptors are a possible cause for a decline in semen quality. Cypermethrin is a widely used pyrethroid insecticide, but little is known about its potentially adverse effects on male reproduction. In the present study, we investigated the effects of maternal cypermethrin exposure during lactation on testicular development and spermatogenesis in male offspring. Maternal mice were administered with cypermethrin (25 mg/kg) by gavage daily from postnatal day 0 (PND0) to PND21. Results showed that the weight of testes at PND21 was significantly decreased in pups whose mothers were exposed to cypermethrin during lactation. Maternal cypermethrin exposure during lactation markedly decreased the layers of spermatogenic cells, increased the inside diameter of seminiferous tubules, and disturbed the array of spermatogenic cells in testes of pups at PND21. In addition, maternal cypermethrin exposure during lactation markedly reduced mRNA and protein levels of testicular P450scc, a testosterone (T) synthetic enzyme. Correspondingly, the level of serum and testicular T at weaning was significantly decreased in pups whose mothers were exposed to cypermethrin during lactation. Although the expression of testicular T synthetic enzymes and serum and testicular T in adulthood had restored to control level, the decreased testicular weight and histological changes were irreversible. Importantly, the number of spermatozoa was significantly decreased in adult male offspring whose mothers were exposed to cypermethrin during lactation. In conclusion, maternal cypermethrin exposure during lactation permanently impairs testicular development and spermatogenesis in male offspring, whereas cypermethrin‐induced endocrine disruption is reversible. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 2011.
Umbilical cord cysts in the second and third trimesters: significance and prenatal approach
Authors: Zangen R. , Boldes R. , Yaffe H. , Schwed P. , Weiner Z.
Published: February 2010

Objectives

This study was carried out to determine the prognosis, and the clinical approach, in fetuses with umbilical cord cysts, during the second and third trimesters of gestation, according to our experience and data in the current literature.

Methods

We identified 10 fetuses with umbilical cord cysts that were diagnosed during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy at three referral centers. All underwent detailed ultrasound evaluation at the time of diagnosis and during follow‐up. Prenatal karyotype testing was offered to all women. A MEDLINE review of the literature published from 1980 to 2009 was carried out to identify previous studies and case reports of fetuses with umbilical cord cysts.

Results

In our series of 10 cases, significant additional abnormalities were observed in two during a detailed sonogram. In one case, trisomy 18 was diagnosed, leading to pregnancy termination, and in the other case a neonate with heart defects and a normal karyotype was born. These results differ from those reported in the literature, in which the association between second‐ and third‐trimester umbilical cord cysts and fetal anomalies ranged from 38 to 100%.

Conclusions

In our study, as in other publications, an association was found between the presence of second‐ and third‐trimester umbilical cord cysts and fetal anomalies. The strong association between second‐ and third‐trimester umbilical cord cysts and aneuploidy in the literature seems to be biased, mainly because of the tendency to report abnormal cases. When these findings are accompanied by additional sonographic abnormalities, the association with aneuploidy is clear and should be an indication for fetal karyotype testing. Copyright © 2010 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cervicovaginal fistula presenting during miscarriage
Authors: Grotegut C. A. , Moore N. L , Reddick K. L. , Canzoneri B. J. , Boyd B. K. , Brown H. L.
Published: February 2010

Cervicovaginal fistula is a recognized complication of induced mid‐trimester termination of pregnancy, but more recently it has also been recognized as representing a complication of prior cervical cerclage. We report the ultrasound findings of prolapse of the amniotic sac through a cervicovaginal fistula in a woman with prior cervical cerclage. A woman with cervical incompetence and prior failed McDonald cerclage presented for prophylactic Shirodkar cerclage. Before the procedure, transvaginal ultrasonography revealed a live intrauterine pregnancy at 14 weeks' gestation. Upon further ultrasound examination, the amniotic sac appeared to protrude through the posterior wall of the cervix into the vaginal vault. Pelvic examination verified prolapse of the amniotic sac through a cervicovaginal fistula. The patient underwent an uncomplicated dilatation and evacuation. Women with a history of cervical cerclage are at risk for the development of cervicovaginal fistula, the detection of which is important to prevent potential morbidity. Copyright © 2010 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reliability of fetal cardiac volumetry using spatiotemporal image correlation: assessment of in‐vivo and in‐vitro measurements
Authors: Uittenbogaard L. B. , Haak M. C. , Tromp C. H. N. , Terwee C. B. , Van Vugt J. M. G.
Published: February 2010

Objective

To assess the reliability of measurement of fetal cardiac ventricular volume, stroke volume, and ejection fraction with four‐dimensional ultrasound using spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC).

Methods

Volume datasets were collected from two sources: 24 from fetuses over a range of gestational ages and 12 from a miniature balloon model. Datasets were analyzed by three observers, repeatedly in 12 fetal datasets and all balloon datasets. Volume calculations were obtained by manually tracing multiple parallel slices (three‐dimensional (3D) slice method). Measurement error was assessed by calculating standard errors of measurement (SEM) and coefficients of variation (CV). Reliability was assessed by calculating interobserver and intraobserver intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC).

Results

Measurement errors of balloon volumes were small and reliability was good (SEM ≤ 0.07 mL, ICC 0.98–1.00). Fetal ventricle volume measurement error ranged from 0.09 to 0.20 mL and CV from 14.6 to 28.3%. Ventricular volume reliabilities for intra‐ and interobserver comparisons were greater than or equal to 0.94 and 0.75, respectively. Fetal stroke volume measurement error (SEM 0.17 mL), CV (21.9%) and reliability were measured (intraobserver ICC: left ventricle stroke volume (LVSV), 0.93 vs. right ventricle stroke volume (RVSV), 0.88; interobserver ICC: LVSV, 0.75 vs. RVSV, 0.86). The measurement error decreased with increasing operator experience. The reliability of ejection fraction calculations was poor (ICC < 0.7) for intra‐ and interobserver comparisons.

Conclusions

Volume measurements obtained with STIC and 3D slice methods using a balloon model were reliable. In the fetus, measurement errors decreased with increasing operator experience, and reliability was better for stroke volume than for ejection fraction. Copyright © 2010 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Tei index to assess fetal cardiac performance in fetuses at risk for fetal inflammatory response syndrome
Authors: Letti Müller A. L. , Barrios P. De M. , Kliemann L. M. , Valério E. G. , Gasnier R. , Magalhães J. A. De A.
Published: February 2010

Objectives

To examine, in patients with premature rupture of the amniotic membranes (PROM) at < 34 weeks of gestation, the relationship between fetal myocardial performance measured by the Tei index and fetal inflammatory response syndrome (FIRS).

Methods

A case–control study was conducted including 15 preterm PROM patients with gestational age between 24 and 33 weeks admitted to Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, and 15 controls with the same gestational age range. Fetal echocardiography with Doppler was performed at admission for the preterm PROM group, with serial examinations every 7–10 days thereafter until delivery, and at the time of inclusion in the control group. Flow velocity waveforms were obtained for the left ventricle, from which the Tei index was calculated. Placental histopathology and perinatal outcome were compared between the groups.

Results

The left ventricular Tei index was significantly greater in fetuses with preterm PROM compared with controls (0.63 ± 0.13 vs. 0.51 ± 0.10, P = 0.007). While there was no difference in isovolumetric times, the left ventricular ejection time was significantly shorter in the preterm PROM group (164 ± 17 ms vs. 184 ± 16 ms, P = 0.003). In the preterm PROM group, neonatal sepsis was diagnosed in 73.3%, and funisitis and chorionic vasculitis confirmed FIRS in 53.3%, compared with 6.7% for these three diagnoses in controls (P = 0.001).

Conclusions

These data provide further evidence that cardiac dysfunction is present in the setting of preterm PROM. The study of myocardial performance with the Tei index is a novel non‐invasive approach to assess cardiac function and monitor the fetus affected with FIRS. Copyright © 2010 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prophylactic Cholecystectomy in Midgut Carcinoid Patients
Authors: Norlén Olov , Hessman Ola , Stålberg Peter , Åkerström Göran , Hellman Per
Published: February 2010

Background

Patients with midgut carcinoid (MGC) tumors are commonly treated with somatostatin analogs. Adverse effects of these drugs include impairment of gallbladder function, formation of gallstones, and cholecystitis. Prophylactic cholecystectomy has been advocated, but data to support this recommendation are sparse. We have analyzed a cohort of 235 patients with MGC focusing on the risk for gallstone formation and complications thereof.

Methods

Forty‐eight of the 235 patients had been cholecystectomized before surgery for MGC. Of the remaining 187 patients, 144 were treated with somatostatin analogs. Eighteen of the 187 patients had their gall bladder removed during the primary carcinoid surgery.

Results

Twenty‐two of the 144 somatostatin–analog‐treated patients developed complications, such as gallbladder empyema (n = 1), cholangitis (n = 2), acute cholecystitis (n = 6), acute pancreatitis (n = 1) or acute pancreatitis and cholecystitis (n = 1), or biliary colic (n = 11). Ninety‐two of the 144 were examined during surgery, by computed tomography, or by ultrasound, most for reasons other than gallbladder‐related indications, and 63% (58/92) of these examinations revealed gallstones. Of the 43 patients not treated with somatostatin analogs, only 3 patients suffered from biliary colic and underwent cholecystectomy.

Conclusions

In our study the incidence of gallstone‐related complications seems to be higher than in the general population. We recommend that prophylactic cholecystectomy is liberally performed during laparotomy for MGC if patients are planned to undergo treatment with somatostatin analogs.
Five‐Year Follow‐up of a Randomized Clinical Trial of Unilateral Thyroid Lobectomy with or Without Postoperative Levothyroxine Treatment
Authors: Barczyński Marcin , Konturek Aleksander , Gołkowski Filip , Hubalewska‐Dydejczyk Alicja , Cichoń Stanisław , Nowak Wojciech
Published: February 2010

Background

The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of recurrent nodular goiter in the contralateral thyroid lobe among patients after unilateral thyroid lobectomy for unilateral multinodular goiter (MNG) receiving versus not receiving postoperative prophylactic levothyroxine (LT4) treatment.

Methods

From January 2000 through December 2003, 150 consenting patients underwent a unilateral thyroid lobectomy for unilateral MNG at our institution. They were randomized to two groups with 75 patients in each group. Patients in group A received prophylactic LT4 treatment postoperatively (dose range 75–125 μg/day to maintain thyroid‐stimulating hormone values below 1.0 mU/L), whereas patients in group B received no postoperative LT4 treatment. All the patients underwent ultrasonographic, cytologic, and biochemical follow‐up for at least 60 months postoperatively. The primary outcome was the prevalence of recurrent goiter in the contralateral thyroid lobe. The secondary outcome was the reoperation rate for recurrent goiter. The outcomes were stratified according to individual iodine metabolism status assessed by urinary iodine excretion.

Results

During the 5‐year follow‐up, among patients receiving vs. not receiving LT4, recurrent goiter within the contralateral thyroid lobe was found in 1.4% vs. 16.7% of patients, respectively (p = 0.001). Moreover, 1.4% vs. 8.3%, respectively, of patients receiving vs. not receiving LT4 required contralateral thyroid lobe surgery (p = 0.05). LT4 decreased the recurrence rate among iodine‐deficient patients (3.4% vs. 36%, respectively; p = 0.002) but not among iodine‐sufficient patients (0% vs. 6.4%, respectively; p = 0.09).

Conclusions

Prophylactic LT4 treatment significantly decreased the recurrence rate of nodular goiter in the contralateral thyroid lobe and the need for completion thyroidectomy, mostly among patients with iodine deficiency.
Recovery of functional enzyme from amyloid fibrils
Authors: Agócs Gergely , Solymosi Katalin , Varga Andrea , Módos Károly , Kellermayer Miklós , Závodszky Péter , Fidy Judit , Osváth Szabolcs
Published: February 2010

Amyloid deposits, which accumulate in numerous diseases, are the final stage of multi‐step protein conformational‐conversion and oligomerization processes. The underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood, and particularly little is known about the reverse reaction. Here we show that phosphoglycerate kinase amyloid fibrils can be converted back into native protein. We achieved recovery with 60% efficiency, which is comparable to the success rate of the unfolding‐refolding studies, and the recovered enzyme was folded, stable and fully active. The key intermediate stages in the recovery process are fibril disassembly and unfolding followed by spontaneous protein folding.
Inadequate identification of small‐for‐gestational‐age fetuses at an urban teaching hospital
Authors: Mattioli Kathleen Powell , Sanderson Maureen , Chauhan Suneet P.
Published: February 2010

Objective

To ascertain the likelihood of identifying small for gestational age (SGA) neonates prenatally (below the 10th percentile for gestational age).

Methods

On admission for delivery, the charts of singletons with reliable gestational age (GA) were reviewed to determine whether intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) was suspected, clinically or sonographically. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used with the accurate identification of SGA as the dependent variable and 13 independent variables.

Results

Over 10 months, 1502 pregnant women met the inclusion criteria and 16% of neonates were born SGA. Before delivery, only 10% (95% confidence interval 6%–14%) of newborns identified as SGA were detected, and 7% weighed below the 5th percentile. Multiple logistic regression analysis identified 4 factors that made a significant independent contribution to the detection of SGA: younger maternal age, size less than date, sonographic examination within 4 weeks of delivery, and a history of substance abuse.

Conclusions

Because we failed to identify 90% of SGA with fundal height measurements, the likelihood of detecting most growth‐restricted fetuses clinically is low. If other investigators confirm these findings, a paradigm shift is warranted to improve the detection of IUGR.
Testosterone membrane‐initiated action in breast cancer cells: Interaction with the androgen signaling pathway and EPOR
Authors: Pelekanou Vassiliki , Notas George , Sanidas Elias , Tsapis Andreas , Castanas Elias , Kampa Marilena
Published: February 2010

Membrane‐initiated androgen actions have now been acknowledged, even though a specific binding site has not been biochemically characterized yet. Recent data indicate that testosterone–BSA, a non‐permeable testosterone analog, can exert specific actions in breast cancer cell lines, including proper transcriptional effects, independent of the intracellular androgen sites. In the present work we explore the effects of testosterone–BSA in two specifically modified pathways, revealed by early trascriptome analysis, namely the non‐genotropic androgen signaling and the HIF1α pathway. We provide evidence that p38 MAPK and PI3K/Akt/NFκB and/or Rho/Actin pathways are directly involved in testosterone‐induced apoptosis, while the JNK/c‐JUN pathway is involved in membrane site‐initiated transcription. Furthermore we show that membrane‐acting androgens modify the transcription of the erythropoietin receptor (EPOR), leading to erythropoietin‐initiated actions. Interestingly, association of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) together with testosterone–BSA protects cells from apoptosis, through discrete signaling events. The effect of testosterone–BSA is exerted through the classical erythropoietin promoter, while rHuEPO decreases the transcription of EPOR acting on a newly identified regulatory/promoter region, upstream of its known promoter. These results suggest a new interaction of membrane‐acting androgen with EPOR and should be taken into account in the pharmaceutical manipulations of breast cancer patients.
Reconstruction of recent sea-level change using testate amoebae
Authors: Charman Dan J. , Gehrels W. Roland , Manning Clare , Sharma Charu
Published: February 2010

Proxy-based sea-level reconstructions place the instrumentally observed rates of recent sea-level rise in a longer term context by providing data that extend the instrumental sea-level record into past centuries. This paper presents the first sea-level reconstructions based on analyses of testate amoebae, to test their ability to produce high-precision reconstructions of past sea level. We present two reconstructions for the past 100"yr from sites in Maine (USA) and Nova Scotia (Canada) based on short cores from salt marshes, and modern training data from North America and the United Kingdom. These are compared with tide-gauge records and reconstructions based on foraminifera from the same cores. The reconstructions show good agreement with both the tide-gauge data and the foraminifera-based reconstructions. The UK data perform well in predicting known elevations of North American surface samples and produce sea-level reconstructions very similar to those based on the North American data, suggesting the methodology is robust across large geographical areas. We conclude that testate amoebae have the potential to provide robust, higher precision sea-level reconstructions for the past few centuries if modern transfer functions are improved and core sites are located within the main zone of testate amoebae occurrence on the salt marsh.
The Works of Archimedes
Authors: Archimedes
Published: February 2010

Archimedes was the greatest scientist of antiquity and one of the greatest of all time. This book is Volume I of the first authoritative translation of his works into English. It is also the first publication of a major ancient Greek mathematician to include a critical edition of the diagrams and the first translation into English of Eutocius' ancient commentary on Archimedes. Furthermore, it is the first work to offer recent evidence based on the Archimedes Palimpsest, the major source for Archimedes, lost between 1915 and 1998. A commentary on the translated text studies the cognitive practice assumed in writing and reading the work, and it is Reviel Netz's aim to recover the original function of the text as an act of communication. Particular attention is paid to the aesthetic dimension of Archimedes' writings. Taken as a whole, the commentary offers a groundbreaking approach to the study of mathematical texts.
Law and Colonial Cultures
Authors: Benton Lauren
Published: February 2010

Advances an interesting perspective in world history, arguing that institutions and culture - and not just the global economy - serve as important elements of international order. Focusing on colonial legal politics and the interrelation of local and indigenous cultural contests and institutional change, the book uses case studies to trace a shift in plural legal orders - from the multicentric law of early empires to the state-centered law of the colonial and postcolonial world. In the early modern world, the special legal status of cultural and religious others itself became an element of continuity across culturally diverse empires. In the nineteenth century, the state's assertion of a singular legal authority responded to repetitive legal conflicts - not simply to the imposition of Western models of governance. Indigenous subjects across time and in all settings were active in making, changing, and interpreting the law - and, by extension, in shaping the international order.
Soma in Biblical Theology
Authors: Gundry Robert H.
Published: February 2010

This addition to the well-known series of theological monographs deals with the use of the Greek work traditionally translated 'body' but recently as 'person', especially in certain parts of the writings of Paul. Theologians have argued that the translation as 'person' defines man as an indivisible whole and as a complex of relationships rather than an organization of substances. Against the trends of modern biblical theology, Dr Gundry seeks to show that soma always refers to the individual physical body and that it should be defined in substantive categories. Consequently, the theological importance of the body as individual physical substance is insured for life in this world and in the next. Neither antagonism between body and spirit nor the possible independence of full personhood from physical existence characterizes biblical anthropology.
Interpreting Ricardo
Authors: Peach Terry
Published: February 2010

David Ricardo was the leading political economist of the early nineteenth century. This book presents a reconstruction of the substance and evolution of Ricardo's thought on the interrelated topics of value, distribution and accumulation. It also provides a detailed summary of, and critical commentary on, the vast secondary literature. The author rejects Sraffa's influential 'corn model' interpretation of Ricardo's early writings; the alleged similarity between the work of Ricardo and Sraffa; the Hollander and Hicks view of Ricardo's treatment of wages; and the neoclassical interpretation of Marshall and others. He also addresses the role of Ricardo's labour theory of value in his analysis, and Marx's interpretation of it. Dr Peach argues that Ricardo's work has been persistently, and sometimes wilfully, misinterpreted, and that this can be remedied only through an attempt to understand Ricardo's writings in his terms, taking account of his objectives.
Vectors in Three-Dimensional Space
Authors: Chisholm J. S. R.
Published: February 2010

This book deals with vector algebra and analysis and with their application to three-dimensional geometry and the analysis of fields in three dimensions. While many treatments of the application of vectors have approached the fundamentals of the subject intuitively, assuming some prior knowledge of Euclidean and Cartesian geometry, Professor Chrisholm here bases the subject on the axioms of linear space algebra, which are fundamental to many branches of mathematics. While developing the properties of vectors from axioms, however, he continually emphasizes the geometrical interpretation of vector algebra in order to build up intuitive relations between the algebraic equations and geometrical concepts. Throughout, examples are used to illustrate the theory being developed; several sets of problems are incorporate in each chapter, and outline answers to many of these are given. Written primarily for undergraduate mathematicians in the early part of their courses, this lucidly written book will also appeal to mathematical physicists and to mathematically inclined engineers.
Higher Order Logic and Hardware Verification
Authors: Melham T. F.
Published: February 2010

This 1993 book shows how formal logic can be used to specify the behaviour of hardware designs and reason about their correctness. A primary theme of the book is the use of abstraction in hardware specification and verification. The author describes how certain fundamental abstraction mechanisms for hardware verification can be formalised in logic and used to express assertions about design correctness and the relative accuracy of models of hardware behaviour. His approach is pragmatic and driven by examples. He also includes an introduction to higher-order logic, which is a widely used formalism in this subject, and describes how that formalism is actually used for hardware verification. The book is based in part on the author's own research as well as on graduate teaching. Thus it can be used to accompany courses on hardware verification and as a resource for research workers.
Environmental Politics in Japan
Authors: Broadbent Jeffrey
Published: February 2010

After World War Two, Japan attained economic growth but suffered environmental disaster. In response to massive protest in the 1960s and 1970s, the Japanese government rapidly reduced the worst air and water pollution. Jeffrey Broadbent's case study of industrial growth and pollution in a rural Japanese prefecture explains this response while testing political, social movement and environmental theory. The state, conservative political party and big business pushed rampant growth until movements posed a political and disruptive challenge. Then, the elites passed some pollution control, but also demobilized local protest, quashed discontent, and prevented the formation of national environmental groups. Without the protest threat, business stymied other government pollution-control plans. The interaction of material, institutional and cultural factors, especially informal institutions, explained the dominance of actors and the pattern of outcomes. Through this syncretic lens in a non-Western setting, this study refines our theories of the state, protest movements, political process, and environmental problems.
The Political Economy of Central America since 1920
Authors: Bulmer-Thomas Victor
Published: February 2010

In this book Victor Bulmer-Thomas uses his previously unpublished estimates of the national accounts to explore economic and social development in the five Central American republics from 1920. He examines in detail variations in economic policy between countries which help to account for differences in performance. The major political developments are woven into the analysis and linked to changes in internal and external conditions. Growth under liberal oligarchic rule in the 1920s, heavily dependent on exports of coffee and bananas, was accompanied by modest reform programmes. The 1929 depression, which hit the region hard, undermined most of the reforms and ushered in a period of dictatorial rule in all republics except Costa Rica. The Second World War, particularly after the entry of the United States, at first strengthened the dictatorships, but ultimately produced challenges to rule by authoritarian caudillos. The social upheavals accompanying the post-war export-led boom forced governments in each republic to address the question of economic, social and political reform.
Stopping Times and Directed Processes
Authors: Edgar G. A. , Sucheston Louis
Published: February 2010

The notion of 'stopping times' is a useful one in probability theory; it can be applied to both classical problems and fresh ones. This book presents this technique in the context of the directed set, stochastic processes indexed by directed sets, and many applications in probability, analysis and ergodic theory. Martingales and related processes are considered from several points of view. The book opens with a discussion of pointwise and stochastic convergence of processes, with concise proofs arising from the method of stochastic convergence. Later, the rewording of Vitali covering conditions in terms of stopping times clarifies connections with the theory of stochastic processes. Solutions are presented here for nearly all the open problems in the Krickeberg convergence theory for martingales and submartingales indexed by directed set. Another theme of the book is the unification of martingale and ergodic theorems.
A World of States of Affairs
Authors: Armstrong D. M.
Published: February 2010

In this important study D. M. Armstrong offers a comprehensive system of analytical metaphysics that synthesises but also develops his thinking over the last twenty years. Armstrong's analysis, which acknowledges the 'logical atomism' of Russell and Wittgenstein, makes facts (or states of affairs, as the author calls them) the fundamental constituents of the world, examining properties, relations, numbers, classes, possibility and necessity, dispositions, causes and laws. All these, it is argued, find their place and can be understood inside a scheme of states of affairs. This is a comprehensive and rigorously this-worldly account of the most general features of reality, argued from a distinctive philosophical perspective, and it will appeal to a wide readership in analytical philosophy.