bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Urinary 2-Thiothiazolidine-4-Carboxylic Acid (TTCA) as the Major Urinary Marker of Carbon Disulfide Vapor Exposure in Rats
Authors: Cox Clinton , Que Hee Shane S. , Lynch Dennis W.
Published: September 2013

Male Sprague-Dawley rats ( 200-250 g; 60 per exposure group) were exposed to carbon disulfide (CS2) air concentrations of 0, 50, 150, and 500 ppm(vlv) for 6 hrlday, 5 days/week over six months. Following the exposures, nine rats from each exposure group had four sets of cumulated urines collected (between 0-8, 8-16, 16-24, and 24-48 hr). The urinary parameters measured were: 2-thiothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (TTCA), total thioethers (TE), and the compounds responsive to the iodine-azide (IA) test. Urinary TTCA elimination obeyed pseudo-first-order, one-compartment model kinetics of half-time (t0.5) 5.2 +/- 0.3 hr up to 16 hr of collection. The elimination of TE within 16 hr had a t 0.5 of 8.5 +/- 0.6 hr. TTCA, IA, and TE were correlated highly in the first 16 hr. After 16 hr, the to.5 for TE lengthened to 13. 1 hr. At CS2 concentrations of 50, 150, and 500 ppm, the respective t 0.5 for IA-responsive compounds were 12.6, 6.1, and 4.4 hr. TTCA had the highest correlation coefficient and p-valuerelative to CS2 exposure concentration, and also was the most sensitive, precise, and selective urinary marker.
Behavioral Effects of Prenatal and Adult Exposure To Toxic Chemicals Found in Lake Ontario Fish: Two Methodological Approaches
Authors: Daly Helen , Darvill Thomas , Lonky Edward , Reihman Jacqueline , Sargent David
Published: September 2013

Two research approaches are described that were used to determine behavioral changes following a diet of Lake Ontario fish. Approach 1 involved the correlational method, in which human subjects voluntarily ate contaminated Lake Ontario fish. Demographic information, data on the amount of Lake Ontario fish consumed, and control variables were obtained during an interview. Respondents' behavior, as well as the behavior of their children, then was measured. Because subjects were not assigned randomly to eat or not eat Lake Ontario fish, other variables that might have influenced both consumption of fish and behavior had to be considered. Therefore, confounding variables were measured and their influence controlled for using statistical techniques. Approach 2 involved the experimental method using laboratory rats, where subjects were assigned randomly to receive a diet of environmentally contaminated Lake Ontario salmon, relatively uncontaminated Pacific Ocean salmon, or no salmon. Since the rats fed Lake Ontario salmon behaved differently than the other two groups on nine tasks, it was concluded that the contaminants in Lake Ontario salmon caused behavioral changes. Random assignment of subjects to groups eliminated competing explanations. If similar behavioral (e.g., emotional or cognitive) results were obtained using the two approaches, then the results utilizing rats probably could be generalized to humans, and the correlational results found in humans probably were due to a cause and effect relationship.
Suggested New Directions for Research for the Second Phase of Health Canada's Great Lakes Health Effects Program: Conclusions From a Workshop
Authors: Hussain Moe
Published: September 2013

Health Canada sponsored a workshop on March 1-3, 1994, in Aylmer, Québec. The objectives of the workshop were to present the research findings of the department's five-year Great Lakes Health Effects program, to identify key conclusions from the research, and to define future research priorities. About one hundred researchers from various disciplines such as monitoring, exposure, general toxicology, carcinogenesis, mutagenesis, reproduction, teratology, neurotoxicology, immunotoxicology, risk perception, and environmental sociology participated in the workshop. Future objectives, to be achieved by the year 2000, were recommended by the participants for the second phase of the Great Lakes program. These included: obtaining additional monitoring data on fish, wildlife, wild birds' eggs, water, and sediment for the "critical" contaminants in the Great Lakes; establishing a human tissue bank to assess trends in the levels of such contaminants in humans; using models to assess human exposure to these contaminants from various biota; identifying groups that are highly exposed to the chemicals in the Great Lakes; identifying individuals who are overly sensitive to chemicals in the Great Lakes; increasing research on the influence of environmental contaminants on male fertility; continuing work on mixtures of the critical contaminants as well as on individual contaminants; and increasing research on the changes in public perception, values, attitudes, and behavior as a consequence of environmental pollution.
Selected Analytical Methods Used At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for Measuring Environmental Pollutants in Serum
Authors: Burse Virlyn W. , Patterson Donald G. , Brock John W. , Needham Larry L.
Published: September 2013

Blood serum is one of the more viable matrices used in assessing exposure to persistent environmental contaminants or their metabolites, especially those that are lipophilic. Analytic methods currently in use for this matrix usually involve liquid/liquid extraction followed by adsorption chromatography as a cleanup step, and low- or high-resolution gas chromatography with either electron-capture or mass spectrometric detection. The traditional analytic methods are labor intensive, have low sample throughput, and use excessive amounts of solvents and reagents. Two analytic approaches that address the requirements of modern laboratories more effectively are: 1) solid-phase extraction (SPE), used to analyze serum for several classes of compounds of environmental concern (e.g., polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs], persistent pesticides, dioxins, furans, and coplanar polychlorinated biphenyls [CPCBs]), and 2) fast chromatography with a two-dimensional gas chromatographic system, which can be used in the determinative step for these types of analytes.
Michigan's Fisheater Cohorts: a Prospective History of Exposure
Authors: Humphrey Harold E.B. , Budd Marvin L.
Published: September 2013

Interest in environmental contaminants and their effect on human health emerged as a primary focus in the 1970s following the discovery of significant levels of mercury, dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane (DDT), and polychlorinated bihpenyls (PCBs) in recreationally caught Great Lakes fish. In response to these findings, the Michigan Department of Public Health, in 1971, initiated a series of "fisheater" cohort studies. These studies continue to be conducted today.

The evolution of human exposure assessment by serum PCB determination parallels the evolution of more precise and sensitive analytical laboratory procedures over the past 25 years. Early work quantitated PCB with Aroclor 1254 standards. By 1980, the Webb and McCall packed-column method (Webb and McCall, 1972, 1973), which quantitates total PCB with Aroclor 1016 and 1260 standards, had gained the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) approval and became the accepted method. This method was used in the 1978-1980 Michigan Great Lakes Fisheater Study, the first sizable study of this kind in the nation. The study confirmed that fisheaters had significantly more exposure (median 21.4 ppb vs 6.6 ppb) than controls. Toxicology studies have indicated the need to quantitate individual PCB congeners, in order to correlate exposure with possible toxicological and health outcomes. Today, capillary column gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry are used to search for trace components of the total PCB dose (Mullen et al., 1984). Because of the legacy of the earlier analytical data, Michigan also continues to conduct packed-column analysis for longitudinalcomparisons. The Michigan fisheater study database and registry provide a significantly exposed and historic foundation for research testing health outcome hypotheses.
Environmental Contaminants and Reproductive Abnormalities in Wildlife: Implications for Public Health?
Authors: Guillette Louis J. , Guillette Elizabeth A.
Published: September 2013

At the onset of the industrial age, environmental contaminants began to pose a major threat to the health of wildlife. That threat appears to continue today. In the last three decades, the focus of our concern on the health consequences of environmental pollution has been on lethal, carcinogenic, and/or extreme teratogenic manifestations. Evidence from a number of sources suggests that another mechanism, endocrine-disruption, also must be examined. There is excellent laboratory and field evidence that man-made chemicals (xenochemicals) released into the environment act as hormones or antihormones. They act as endocrine-disrupting contaminants (EDCs). The release of EDCs occurred in the past and continues today.

The development of the reproductive system is vulnerable to perturbation by EDCs. Wildlife studies demonstrate that both sexes are affected and experience modifications of gonadal and reproductive tract development or functioning and abnormal synthesis or metabolism of hormones. A number of abnormalities seen in the reproductive system of various wildlife species correlate with similar abnormalities described as rising in human populations. We suggest that wildlife are excellent sentinels of ecosystem health. Data from these wildlife studies present models and methodologies for examining human health.
Exposure Measurement Needs for Hazardous Waste Sites: Two Case Studies
Authors: Georgopoulos Panos G. , Lioy Paul J.
Published: September 2013

The science of exposure assessment has been expanding both its theoretical and experimental bases over the past two years. Recent theoretical work published by the authors in the Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology (Volume 4, Number 3, 1994) has defined a multistep process to couple measurement data with mathematical models of exposure and dose. The present manuscript discusses the need for improving the measurement of exposure in order to reduce uncertainties in the potential risk and, eventually, the occurrences of health outcomes in the community environment. The discussion focuses on hazardous waste sites and how improving or routinely introducing exposure measurements to the remedial investigation can lead to a better understanding of how the potential population can get exposed via single or multiple activities. This information can help to better understand the need for specific remediation actions and selection of the types of models that can be used to predict exposure for a large population and to estimate the reduction in postremediation exposure for a local population (National Research Council, 1991).
Breast-Feeding Exposure of Infants To Cadmium, Lead, and Mercury: a Public Health Viewpoint
Authors: Abadin Henry G. , Hibbs Beth F. , Pohl Hana R.
Published: September 2013

The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the public health implications of exposure via breast milk to cadmium, lead, and mercury for nursing infants and to provide health-based guidance. Daily intakes were calculated and compared with guidance values used for public health assessments at hazardous waste sites. Cadmium, lead, and mercury under normal conditions are found in breast milk at concentration ranges of < 1 μg/L, 2-5 μg/L, and 1.4-1.7 μg/L, respectively. Women exposed environmentally or occupationally can have higher levels in their breast milk. Concentrations of about 5 μg/L (cadmium), 20 μg/L (lead), and 3.5 μg/L (mercury) appear to be adequate screening levels. Many factors affect both the distribution of cadmium, lead, and mercury in breast milk and the health consequences to an infant. It is not clear what additional impact low-level exposure via breast milk may have on an infant born with a body burden to one of these metals. There is sufficient evidence to make the case that contaminated breast milk is a source of potential risk to infants in certain populations. Prevention strategies that include behavior modification and proper nutrition should be communicated to women at risk. Identification and elimination of exposure pathways and a critical analysis of the benefits of breast feeding versus heavy metal exposure are needed on a site-specific or individual basis. Research is required to better understand the impact of low-level exposure to heavy metals via breast milk. Breastfeeding should be encouraged under most circumstances.
Minimizing Cancer Risk Using Molecular Techniques: a Review
Authors: Vojdani Aristo , Ghoneum Mamdooh , Choppa Paul
Published: September 2013

This review article summarizes molecular markers that can signal enhanced risk of cancer and provide clinicians with these clues in order to attempt the use of natural and synthetic compounds to intervene in the early precancerous stages of carcinogenesis before invasive disease begins.

With an aim such as this in mind, we have begun to apply molecular techniques based on many research articles to look for biomarkers capable of signaling a greater risk of cancer. It is possible to attain relatively quick answers by monitoring selected signs and damage in the body which provide the environment for abnormal cell growth and differentiation. These molecular techniques aim to uncover critical precancerous events taking place inside the body and identify measurable biologic flags signaling their occurrence.

For years now, scientists have understood that the onset of cancer is a gradual, step wise process that may unfold over the course of decades, rather than a single, fixed event that can be dated in a pathologist's report. Carcinogenesis usually encompasses the prolonged accumulation of injuries at several different biological levels and includes both genetic and biochemical changes in cells. At each of these levels there is an opportunity for intervention—a chance to prevent, slow or even halt the gradual march of healthy cells toward malignancy.

It is estimated that 75% of cancers are induced by chemicals; thus, if exposure to chemicals is avoided, cancer can be prevented.

Also, depending on the individual's genetic background, the ability to metabolize chemicals is different among the population. This means that, "you and I can be exposed to exactly the same amount of a chemical, " yet our response will differ because we metabolize carcinogens differently due to different rates of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) repair, apoptosis, and mitosis or different levels of Phase I and Phase II detoxification enzymes. This, along with a more or less efficient immune system, may promote tumor formation or destroy a cancer cell at its earliest stage of development.

Therefore, measurement of the biologic markers such as DNA and protein adducts, DNA damage, programmed cell death, DNA repair system, mitosis, gene activation, levels of antioxidants and efficient immune function described in this chapter and summarized in Figures 2 and 10, are biological clues indicating that the body has been assaulted by toxic (or cancer-causing) agents. This early identification of biomarkers for special vulnerability to the effects of chemicals and detection of selected signs of precancerous damage in the body may culminate preventive measures and the saving of lives.
Two New Cases of Liver Angiosarcoma: History and Perspectives of Liver Angiosarcoma Among Plastic Industry Workers
Authors: Hozo Izet , Andelinovi Šimun , Ljuti Dragan , Bojic Lovre , Miri Dinko , Giunio Lovel
Published: September 2013

In this report of two new cases of liver angiosarcoma (ASL) among plastic industry workers, the authors present the history and perspectives of this problem. The first cases of ASL have been registered since 1974, and in 1984, the European register of angiosarcoma was founded. In this register, 11 cases of ASL and one case of haemangiopericytoma have been registeredfrom Croatia, all from a single plastics plant near Split.

Two new cases ofASL (in retired autoclave cleaners, who were exposed to a concentration of 500-1000 ppm vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) during the working process) in the same plant are presented. They were detected with combined techniques ofASL detection, and both are still alive. The diagnoses have been histologically confirmed: one of them was surgically treated with segmental liver resection. The appearance of new cases of ASL confirms the perspective presented in the last report by the same authors.
Benzene—a Review of the Literature from a Health Effects Perspective
Authors: Gist Ginger L. , Burg Jeanne R.
Published: September 2013

A literature review of the impact on human health of exposure to benzene was conducted. Special emphasis in this report is given to the health effects reported in excess of national norms by participants in the Benzene Subregistry of the National Exposure Registry— people having documented exposure to benzene through the use of benzene-contaminated water for domestic purposes. The health effects reported in excess (p ≤.01) by some or all of the sex and age groups studied were diabetes, kidney disease, respiratory allergies, skin rashes, and urinary tract disorders; anemia was also increased for females, but not significantly so.
Maternal Consumption of Lake Ontario Salmon in Rats Produces Behavioral Changes in the Offspring
Authors: Daly Helen B. , Stewart Paul W. , Lunkenheimer Lura , Sargent David
Published: September 2013

The current study assessed the effects of maternal, paternal, or combined parental consumption of Lake Ontario salmon in rats on the behavior of their offspring. Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were put on a 30 day diet of either ground rat chow containing 30% Lake Ontario salmon (LAKE) or 30% Pacific Ocean salmon (OCEAN). These females were then mated with adult male rats similarly exposed (LAKE or OCEAN). An additional control group of males and females who were fed ground rat chow (MASH) only were also mated. These pairing combinations resulted in five offspring groups: LAKE-LAKE, LAKE-OCEAN, OCEAN-LAKE, OCEAN-OCEAN, MASH-MASH. When the offspring reached 80 days of age, they were tested for reactivity to frustrative nonreward using runway successive negative contrast, which has been repeatedly shown to be increased in adult rats fed Ontario salmon. Consistent with previous work, results showed that the behavior of the OCEAN-OCEAN rats did not differ from the MASH- MASH group, indicating that a salmon diet per se does not cause behavioral change. However, the offspring of dams who consumed Lake Ontario salmon (LAKE-LAKE and OCEAN-LAKE) showed an increased depression effect relative to controls. There was little evidence of a paternal effect. A follow-up experiment employed cross-fostering to determine the relative contribution of pre- and/or postnatal exposure to Lake Ontario salmon consumption on offspring behavior. Rat pups were cross-fostered to or from dams who consumed Lake Ontario salmon during gestation and parturition. Results from two separate replications indicated that prenatal (LAKE to OCEAN) exposure alone or postnatal (OCEAN to LAKE) exposure alone produced a large increase in successive negative contrast relative to controls (OCEAN to OCEAN). These data are strong evidence of behavioral changes produced by maternal consumption of Lake Ontario salmon in the offspring rat. Further, they indicate that either prenatal or postnatal exposure alone is sufficient to produce behavioral changes in the offspring.
Interactions of Persistent Environmental Organohalogens With the Thyroid Hormone System: Mechanisms and Possible Consequences for Animal and Human Health
Authors: Brouwer Abraham , Morse Dennis C. , Lans Martine C. , Gerlienke Schuur A. , Murk Albertinka J. , Klasson-Wehler Eva , Bergman Åke , Visser Theo J.
Published: September 2013

Several classes of environmental contaminants have been claimed or suggested to possess endocrine-disrupting potency, which may result in reproductive problems and developmental disorders. In this paper the focus is on the multiple and interactive mechanisms of interference of persistent polyhalogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (PHAHs) and their metabolites with the thyroid hormone system. Evidence suggests that pure congeners or mixtures of PHAHs directly interfere with the thyroid gland; with thyroid hormone metabolizing enzymes, such as uridine-diphosphate-glucuronyl transferases (UGTs), iodothyronine deiodinases (IDs), and sulfotransferases (SULTs) in liver and brain; and with the plasma transport system of thyroid hormones in experimentalanimals and their offspring. Changes in thyroid hormone levels in conjunction with high PHAH exposure was also observed in captive as well as free ranging wildlife species and in humans. Maternal exposure to PHAHs during pregnancy resulted in a considerable fetal transfer of hydroxylated PHAHs, which are known to compete with thyroxine (T4) for plasma transthyretin (TTR) binding sites, and thus may be transported to the fetus with those carrier proteins that normally mediate the delivery of T4 to the fetus. Concomitant changes in thyroid hormone concentrations in plasma and in brain tissue were observed in fetal and neonatal stages of development, when sufficient thyroid hormone levels are essential for normal brain development. Alterations in structural and functional neurochemical parameters, such as glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), synaptophysin, calcineurin, and serotonergic neurotransmitters, were observed in the same offspring up to postnatal day 90. In addition, some changes in locomotor and cognitive indices of behavior were observed in rat offspring, following in utero and lactational exposure to PHAHs. Alterations in thyroid hormone levels and subtle changes in neurobehavioral performance were also observed in human infants exposed in utero and through lactation to relatively high levels of PHAHs. Overall these studies indicate that persistent PHAHs can disrupt the thyroid hormone system at a multitude of interaction sites, which may have a profound impact on normal brain development in experimental animals, wildlife species, and human infants.
Serum Levels of Several Organochlorine Pesticides in Farmers Correspond With Dietary Exposure and Local Use History
Authors: Brock John W. , Melnyk Lisa J. , Caudill Samuel P. , Needham Larry L. , Bond Andrew E.
Published: September 2013

In response to reported increased cancer risks among farmers, the Agricultural Health Study (AHS) was designed to examine health outcomes and environmental exposures among farm families in the United States. In the pilot phase of the AHS, food, beverage, air, dermal, dust, surface wipe, and biological specimens (blood and urine) were collected and analyzed for six farm families in two states (IA and NC). In addition, questionnaires were administered to examine previous pesticide use. This paper reports the organochlorine pesticide results of the serum and dietary analyses as well as questionnaire results from the pilot exposure study of farmers and their families. Note, no organochlorine pesticides were reported as currently being applied to the study farms.

In all human serum samples examined, typical U.S. population levels were found for the majority of the pesticides. In addition, human serum levels of organochlorine pesticides showed no significant daily or seasonal variation. However, serum trans-nonachlor levels were found to be higher in people living on the two farms in North Carolina than
A Risk Assessment Perspective On the Neurobehavioral Toxicity of Endocrine Disruptors
Authors: Weiss Bernard
Published: September 2013

Agents that alter the functional properties of endocrine systems pervade the environment. Their full implications for public health and ecological integrity, however, may not be captured by labels such as "disruptor" because their actions ramify in so many directions. The process by which we describe and evaluate such actions, risk assessment, is also the means by which society judges their significance. It determines the allocation of resources to their investigation and, potentially, control. A full, formal, risk assessment endeavor, in the detail applied to cancer evaluation, still awaits application to endocrine disruptors, however. It will not be as transparent a process because, unlike the conventional risk model based on carcinogens, identification of a chemical as an endocrine disruptor, as is true of neurobehavioral toxicants in general, will not trigger a virtually automatic sequence of policy steps. The primary distinction between cancer and endocrine disruptors and neurotoxicants is the plethora of possible endpoints by which toxicity can be expressed. Cancer is a unitary index. Adverse consequences f lowing from exposure to endocrine disruptors can take an almost infinite variety of forms, including neurobehavioral outcomes. In their most troubling manifestations, these emerge as disorders of early development. They can range from deviant patterns of male copulatory behavior to impaired cognitive function. Each of these indices, in turn, exhibits multiple dimensions. Moreover, some aftermaths, as with cancer, might emerge only after long latencies. Different stages of the life cycle following developmental exposure will manifest different outcomes as a consequence. Some adverse effects may arise for the first time in advanced age because it is a period of declining compensatory margins. These multiple facets of neurobehavioral toxicity, and, by extension, their coupling to endocrine disruptors, imply a risk assessment process that corresponds, in many ways, to the global views adopted by ecotoxicologists.
Design and development of a low-cost, electricity-generating cooking Score-Stove™
Authors: Chen BM , Riley PH , Abakr YA , Pullen K , Hann DB , Johnson CM
Published: September 2013

A design of the thermo-acoustic engine to combustion interface of an electrically generating clean cookstove is presented. Social surveys carried out by the SCORE project have indicated that adding electrical generation to a clean cookstove should increase their uptake considerably above the current 8% level (outside China) as electricity is perceived as high value and so wanted by the communities. This work discusses the development process, using elements of the formal design methodology BS 7000 to design a mass-producible, easy-to-manufacture, low-cost cooking stove that uses a thermo-acoustic engine to produce electricity whilst cooking. The iterative design process is discussed with analyses made of predicted cost and performance at each iteration and compared with the targets set from social surveys. With currently available technology and suitable investment in tooling and production facilities, estimated production costs are £100. An independent audit by engineers and cost estimators from a large international blue chip company made a prediction of £150. At this stage of the design, this is considered a quite good correlation. Proposals for bringing this cost down to £60 are made. To obtain lower costs would require more research. SCORE market evaluations indicate that at the upper-cost target of £60 (2007 prices), 60 million people would afford the stove. A wood-burning Score-Stove™2 prototype successfully developed 22.7 W of electricity based on the presented planar thermo-acoustic engine design, indicating that the new Score-Stove™2 design may have the potential, when manufactured in volume, to meet the social and cooking requirements of rural people in developing countries.
High protein diets and renal disease – is there a relationship in people with type 2 diabetes?
Authors: Parry-Strong Amber , Leikis Murray , Krebs Jeremy D
Published: September 2013

Diabetic kidney disease is the greatest cause of kidney disease worldwide and a cause of significant morbidity and mortality – in New Zealand it accounts for more than 50% of patients receiving renal dialysis. Diet and lifestyle modification are recognised as the cornerstones of management of type 2 diabetes. Dietary interventions to aid weight loss and improve glycaemic control typically increase total energy intake from protein by about 10%. The effects of increased protein intake on kidney function and progression of kidney disease in type 2 diabetes has not been established. Evaluation of the literature reviewed here suggests that there is some evidence for the benefit of treating existing nephropathy with protein restriction, but no evidence that increasing protein intake in patients with microalbuminuria accelerates diabetic nephropathy, or causes it in those with normal renal function. Substituting chicken, fish and vegetable protein sources for red meat may be helpful, while retaining a focus on other aspects of a healthy diet, such as high fibre, will ensure that potential risks are minimized.
Decalepis hamiltonii Inhibits Tumor Progression and Metastasis by Regulating the Inflammatory Mediators and Nuclear Factor κB Subunits
Authors: Shathish Kittappa , Guruvayoorappan Chandrasekharan
Published: September 2013

Metastasis is an extremely complex process that is a major problem in the management of cancer. In the present study, we had evaluated the antimetastatic activity of Decalepis hamiltonii using B16F-10 melanoma-induced experimental lung metastasis in a C57BL/6 mice model. D hamiltonii treatment significantly ( P < .01) inhibited lung tumor nodule formation and reduced the lung collagen hydroxyproline, hexosamine, and uronic acid levels. Similarly serum sialic acid and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase levels were also significantly inhibited after D hamiltonii treatment. The levels of proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, granulocyte monocyte colony-stimulating factor, and IL-2 in the serum of these animals were significantly altered after D hamiltonii treatment. The serum NO level was also found to be significantly decreased after D hamiltonii treatment. This decreased NO level after D hamiltonii treatment was also accompanied by decreased inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression. The study reveals that D hamiltonii treatment could alter proinflammatory cytokine production and could inhibit the activation and nuclear translocation of p65 and p50 subunits of nuclear factor κB in B16F-10 cells.
Unchanging Incidence of Hip Fracture in Southeastern Norway
Authors: Polesie Sam , Sigurdsen Ulf , Bjørgul Kristian
Published: September 2013

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to ascertain trends in the incidence of hip fracture in southeastern Norway by comparing the hip fracture incidence for the years 2008 to 2010 to that of a study from 1998 to 2003 in the same area.

Methods:

We determined the number of hip fractures for the geographical area of Ostfold county, and the age- and gender-specific incidence per 100 000, with 95% confidence intervals, was calculated. Use of bisphosphonates was determined by extracting data from public databases.

Results:

The hip fracture incidence for men aged 50 to 74 and older than 75 years was 120 (100-141) and 1305 (1237-1372) in the latest time period, 1998-2003, whereas the incidence for the previous period, 2008-2010, was 124 (103-146) for men aged 50 to 75 and 1333 (1189-1476) for men older than 75 years. For women of 50 to 74 years, the incidence was 184 (158-209), and for women older than 75 years, it was 2523 (2428-2618). In the first time period, the corresponding incidence was 228 (200-257) for women aged 50 to 74 and 2330 (2189-2471) for women older than 75 years. As the 95% confidence intervals overlap in all the comparisons, it indicates the the incidence did not significantly differ between the time periods. Bisphosphonate use did not exceed 2% in any age group for men. For women, the highest rate of bisphosphonate use was 12.6% in the 85- to 89-year groups.

Conclusion:

We cannot confirm reports of decreasing incidence of hip fracture
Literacy and Music in Early Childhood
Authors: Tomlinson Michelle M.
Published: September 2013

This review of literature examines relevant research that supports new ways of viewing children as active transmitters of culture in situated learning contexts, where case studies explore children’s redesign of semiotic modes of music and verbal linguistics. Some recent research discussed in this article supports the premise that cognitive abilities of children in early learning settings may be transformed through embodied ways of representing prior knowledge. Young children have been observed enriching prior knowledge during interactions in music invention, using the gestural mode to interpret rhythmic and melodic motifs, structure and phrasing through movement to music, or extending these elements of music (audio mode) in invented song or instrumental play. In engaging literacy tasks, they co-construct texts by drawing on semiotic resources of visual symbols and spatial design elements in written linguistic modes. This cognitive structuring is also revealed in the underlying patterns found in their embodied music invention. How knowledge is represented is crucial to children’s apprehension of knowledge through co-construction. It enables their selection of media and mode for redesign, to promote their understanding of concepts and facilitate problem solving. Multimodal redesign in young children’s music and verbal linguistics is explored as a rich source for communicating meaning and developing higher thinking.
Standing Behind and Listening to Native Hawaiian Students in the Transition Process
Authors: Yamamoto Kathryn K. , Black Rhonda S.
Published: September 2013

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to describe how culture, disability, and prospective first-generation college student status influenced the transition decisions of five native Hawaiian students with specific learning disabilities who attended a Hawaiian-focused charter school. Students had strong ties to their history and culture which influenced all facets of their lives including their decisions about the future. Accessing postsecondary education (PSE) was viewed as a means to employment that would enable them to support their family members. The lack of economic, social, and cultural capital may present a larger barrier to accessing PSE than disability. Implications for personnel who are tasked with developing and maintaining culturally appropriate curricula and programs for students are discussed.
Partial Testicular Torsion and Torsion-Detorsion Syndrome
Authors: Patel Nayana U. , Drose Julia A. , Russ Paul
Published: September 2013

Testicular torsion (TT) is a common cause of acute scrotal pain in young men and accounts for as many as 26% of cases of acute scrotum. Accurate diagnosis and differentiation of TT from acute epididymo-orchitis is essential because TT is treated surgically and epididymitis with or without orchitis is treated medically. Distinguishing TT from epididymo-orchitis is generally a clinical dilemma. Sonography remains the best imaging modality for these entities, but the sonographic findings can be complex and can mimic complicated epididymo-orchitis when dealing with partial TT and torsion-detorsion syndrome. This case report illustrates the complex sonography findings of surgically proven partial TT with torsion-detorsion syndrome.
Understanding MYC-driven aggressive B-cell lymphomas: pathogenesis and classification
Authors: Ott German , Rosenwald Andreas , Campo Elias
Published: September 2013

MYC is a potent oncogene initially identified as the target of the t(8;14)(q24;q32) chromosome translocation in Burkitt lymphoma. MYC gene alterations have been identified in other mature B-cell neoplasms that are usually associated with an aggressive clinical behavior. Most of these tumors originate in cells that do not normally express MYC protein. The oncogenic events leading to MYC up-regulation seem to overcome the inhibitory effect of physiological repressors such as BCL6 or BLIMP1. Aggressive lymphomas frequently carry additional oncogenic alterations that cooperate with MYC dysregulation, likely counteracting its proapoptotic function. The development of FISH probes and new reliable antibodies have facilitated the study of MYC gene alterations and protein expression in large series of patients, providing new clinical and biological perspectives regarding MYC dysregulation in aggressive lymphomas. MYC gene alterations in large B-cell lymphomas are frequently associated with BCL2 or BCL6 translocations conferring a very aggressive behavior. Conversely, MYC protein up-regulation may occur in tumors without apparent gene alterations, and its association with BCL2 overexpression also confers a poor prognosis. In this review, we integrate all of this new information and discuss perspectives, challenges, and open questions for the diagnosis and management of patients with MYC-driven aggressive B-cell lymphomas.
Transitions between Andean and Amazonian centers of endemism in the radiation of some arboreal rodents
Authors: Upham Nathan S , Ojala-Barbour Reed , Brito M Jorge , Velazco Paúl M , Patterson Bruce D
Published: September 2013

Background

The tropical Andes and Amazon are among the richest regions of endemism for mammals, and each has given rise to extensive in situ radiations. Various animal lineages have radiated ex situ after colonizing one of these regions from the other: Amazonian clades of dendrobatid frogs and passerine birds may have Andean ancestry, and transitions from the Amazon to Andes may be even more common. To examine biogeographic transitions between these regions, we investigated the evolutionary history of three clades of rodents in the family Echimyidae: bamboo rats (Dactylomys-Olallamys-Kannabateomys), spiny tree-rats (Mesomys-Lonchothrix), and brush-tailed rats (Isothrix). Each clade is distributed in both the Andes and Amazonia, and is more diverse in the lowlands. We used two mitochondrial (cyt-
b and 12S) and three nuclear (GHR, vWF, and RAG1) markers to reconstruct their phylogenetic relationships. Tree topologies and ancestral geographic ranges were then used to determine whether Andean forms were basal to or derived from lowland radiations.

Results

Four biogeographic transitions are identified among the generic radiations. The bamboo rat clade unambiguously originated in the Amazon ca. 9 Ma, followed by either one early transition to the Andes (Olallamys) and a later move to the Amazon (Dactylomys), or two later shifts to the Andes (one in each genus). The Andean species of both Dactylomys and Isothrix are sister to their lowland species, raising the possibility that highland forms colonized the Amazon Basin. However, uncertainty in their reconstructed ancestral ranges obscures the origin of these transitions. The lone Andean species of Mesomys is confidently nested within the lowland radiation, thereby indicating an Amazon-to-Andes transition ca. 2 Ma.

Conclusions

Differences in the timing of these biogeographic transitions do not appear to explain the different polarities of these trees. Instead, even within the radiation of a single family, both Andean and Amazonian centers of endemism appear enriched by lineages that originated in the other region. Our survey of other South American lineages suggests a pattern of reciprocal exchange between these regions—among mammals, birds, amphibians, and insects we found no fewer than 87 transitions between the Andes and Amazon from Miocene-Pleistocene. Because no clear trend emerges between the timing and polarity of transitions, or in their relative frequency, we suggest that reciprocal exchange between tropical highland and lowland faunas in South America has been a continual process since ca. 12 Ma.
Hepatitis C virus itself is a causal risk factor for chronic kidney disease beyond traditional risk factors: a 6-year nationwide cohort study across Taiwan
Authors: Chen Yi-Chun , Chiou Wen-Yen , Hung Shih-Kai , Su Yu-Chieh , Hwang Shang-Jyh
Published: September 2013

Background

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and chronic kidney disease (CKD) have high prevalences in Taiwan and worldwide, but the role of HCV infection in causing CKD remains uncertain. This cohort study aimed to explore this association.

Methods

This nationwide cohort study examined the association of HCV with CKD by analysis of sampled claims data from Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database from 1998 to 2004. ICD-9 diagnosis codes were used to identify diseases. We extracted data of 3182 subjects who had newly identified HCV infection and no traditional CKD risk factors and data of randomly selected 12728 matched HCV-uninfected control subjects. Each subject was tracked for 6 years from the index date to identify incident CKD cases. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to determine the risk of CKD in the HCV-infected and control groups.

Results

The mean follow-up durations were 5.88 years and 5.92 years for the HCV-infected and control groups, respectively. Among the sample of 15910 subjects, 251 subjects (1.6%) developed CKD during the 6-year follow-up period, 64 subjects (2.0%) from the HCV-infected group and 187 subjects (1.5%) from the control group. The incidence rate of CKD was significantly higher in the HCV-infected group than in the control group (3.42 vs. 2.48 per 1000 person-years, p = 0.02). Multivariate analysis indicated that the HCV-infected group had significantly greater risk for CKD (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.75, 95% CI: 1.25-2.43, p = 0.0009). This relationship also held for a comparison of HCV-infected and HCV-uninfected subjects who were younger than 70 years and had none of traditional CKD risk factors.

Conclusions

HCV infection is associated with increased risk for CKD beyond the well-known traditional CKD risk factors. HCV patients should be informed of their increased risk for development of CKD and should be more closely monitored.
Repeatability of intraocular pressure measurements with Icare PRO rebound, Tono-Pen AVIA, and Goldmann tonometers in sitting and reclining positions
Authors: Schweier Caterina , Hanson James VM , Funk Jens , Töteberg-Harms Marc
Published: September 2013

Background

Icare PRO (ICP) is a new Rebound tonometer that is able to measure intraocular pressure (IOP) in both sitting and reclining positions. In this study, the gold standard Goldmann tonometer (GAT) was compared to ICP and Tono-Pen AVIA (TPA). Hypothesis was that repeatability of GAT is superior to ICP and TPA.

Methods

36 eyes of 36 healthy caucasian individuals, 13 male and 26 females, 17 right and 19 left eyes have been included in this prospective, randomized, cross-sectional study. The study was conducted at a single site (Dept. of Ophthalmology, UniversityHospital Zurich, Switzerland). Primary outcome measures were Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and coefficients of variation (COV) and test-retest repeatability as visualized by Bland-Altman analysis. Secondary outcome measures were IOP in sitting (GAT, ICP and TPA) and in reclining (ICP and TPA) position.

Results

Mean IOP measured by GAT was 14.9±3.5 mmHg. Mean IOP measured by ICP was 15.6±3.1 mmHg (with TPA 14.8±2.7 mmHg) in sitting and 16.5±3.5 mmHg (with TPA 17.0±3.0 mmHg) in reclining positions. COVs ranged from 2.9% (GAT) to 6.9% (ICP reclining) and ICCs from 0.819 (ICP reclining) to 0.972 (GAT).

Conclusions

Repeatability is good with all three devices. GAT has higher repeatability compared to the two tested hand-held devices with lowest COVs and highest ICCs. IOP was higher in the reclining compared to the sitting position.

Trial registration

The study was registered to the Clinical Trials Register of the US National Institute of Health, NCT01325324.
Intimate partner violence against women during and after pregnancy: a cross-sectional study in Mumbai slums
Authors: Das Sushmita , Bapat Ujwala , Shah More Neena , Alcock Glyn , Joshi Wasundhara , Pantvaidya Shanti , Osrin David
Published: September 2013

Background

At least one-third of women in India experience intimate partner violence (IPV) at some point in adulthood. Our objectives were to describe the prevalence of IPV during pregnancy and after delivery in an urban slum setting, to review its social determinants, and to explore its effects on maternal and newborn health.

Methods

We did a cross-sectional study nested within the data collection system for a concurrent trial. Through urban community surveillance, we identified births in 48 slum areas and interviewed mothers ~6 weeks later. After collecting information on demographic characteristics, socioeconomic indicators, and maternal and newborn care, we asked their opinions on the justifiability of IPV and on their experience of it in the last 12 months.

Results

Of 2139 respondents, 35% (748) said that violence was justifiable if a woman disrespected her in-laws or argued with her husband, failed to provide good food, housework and childcare, or went out without permission. 318 (15%, 95% CI 13, 16%) reported IPV in the year that included pregnancy and the postpartum period. Physical IPV was reported by 247 (12%, 95% CI 10, 13%), sexual IPV by 35 (2%, 95% CI 1, 2%), and emotional IPV by 167 (8%, 95% CI 7, 9). 219 (69%) women said that the likelihood of IPV was either unaffected by or increased during maternity. IPV was more likely to be reported by women from poorer families and when husbands used alcohol. Although 18% of women who had suffered physical IPV sought clinical care for their injuries, seeking help from organizations outside the family to address IPV itself was rare. Women who reported IPV were more likely to have reported illness during pregnancy and use of modern methods of family planning. They were more than twice as likely to say that there were situations in which violence was justifiable (odds ratio 2.6, 95% CI 1.7, 3.4).

Conclusions

One in seven women suffered IPV during or shortly after pregnancy. The elements of the violent milieu are mutually reinforcing and need to be taken into account collectively in responding to both individual cases and framing public health initiatives.
The influence of statin-fibrate combination therapy on lipids profile and apolipoprotein A5 in patients with acute coronary syndrome
Authors: Li Xiang-ping , Gong Hai-rong , Huang Xian-sheng , Huang Wen-yu , Zhao Shui-ping
Published: September 2013

Background

Statin-fibrate combination therapy has been used to treat patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) complicated by elevated triglycerides (TG) and decreased high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of the combination therapy on lipids profile and apolipoprotein A5 (apoA5) level in patients with ACS.

Methods

One hundred and four patients with ACS were recruited and randomly assigned into two groups: one was statin group (n = 52), given atorvastatin (20 mg QN) or other statins with equivalent dosages; the other was combination group (n = 52), given the same dose of statin plus bezafibrate (200 mg BID). Follow-up visits were scheduled at the end of 6 and 12 weeks post treatment. Serum apoA5 levels were determined using a commercial available ELISA kit.

Results

(1) Compared with that of statin monotherapy, statin-bezafibrate combination treatment not only resulted in a significant reduction of TG, TC and LDL-C levels, (all p < 0.05), but also led to increases in HDL-C and apoA5 levels (p < 0.05).

(2) The percentage changes of TC, TG, LDL-C and apoA5 levels in both groups were even bigger at 12 weeks after treatment than that at 6 weeks (all p < 0.05). Similarly, the rates of achieving lipid-control target were higher in statin-bezafibrate combination treatment group than those in statin monotherapy group (all p < 0.05).

(3) Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that the pre-treatment apoA5 level was positively correlated with TG (r = 0.359, p = 0.009). However, a negative correlation was observed between apoA5 and TG (r = -0.329, p = 0.017) after 12 weeks treatment.

Conclusions

Statin and fibrate combination therapy is more effective than statin alone in achieving a comprehensive lipid control for ACS patients. Serum apoA5 elevation after statin and fibrate combination treatment could be due to the synergistic effect of both drugs on hypertriglyceridemia control.