bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chronic Corneal Edema in Aged Ranch Mink
Authors: Hadlow W. J.
Published: January 2017

Chronic corneal edema occurred in 53% of 116 ranch mink ( Mustela vison) 8 to 11 years old. Most were royal pastel females, the main group at risk. Bilateral in 46 of 66 affected mink studied, the edema evolved over a month or so until the cornea became opaque, diffusely pale blue-gray or white, and greatly thickened. The swollen cornea did not become ulcerated, pigmented, or vascularized, even after it had been severely edematous for a year or two. The edema supervened as a consequence of spontaneous deterioration of the corneal endothelium. Attenuation and loss of the endothelial monolayer were the most common light microscopic changes. Other changes included discrete excrescences (guttata) along the posterior surface of the thickened Descemet's membrane and a subendothelial fibrillar or fibrocellular layer (posterior collagenous layer) often apposed to the excrescences. Likened to the primary endothelial dystrophies of man and the dog, this endothelial disorder of mink is regarded as an abiotrophic degeneration with its own distinguishing features in this species.
Attaching and Effacing Bacteria in the Intestines of Calves and Cats with Diarrhea
Authors: Pospischil A. , Mainil J. G. , Baljer G. , Moon H. W.
Published: January 2017

Histopathologic and electron microscopic examination of intestines of three calves and two cats revealed attaching effacing bacteria characteristic of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) in ileum, cecum, and colon. The attaching effacing bacteria in one of the calves contained bacteriophages, and an E. coli isolate from that calf was shown to produce Shiga-like toxin. These findings contribute to emerging evidence that attaching effacing intestinal bacteria are globally distributed pathogens in a variety of host species and that bacteriophage-mediated production of Shiga-like toxin is related to the virulence of such bacteria.
Spastic Syndrome in a Holstein Bull: A Histologic Study
Authors: Wells G. A. H. , Hawkins S. A. C. , O'Toole D. T. , Done S. H. , Duffell S. J. , Bradley R. , Hebert C. N.
Published: January 2017

A 4-year-old Canadian holstein bull developed the spastic syndrome, an episodic but progressive disorder causing pelvic limb muscular spasms. A post-mortem study, including morphometry of skeletal muscles and teased peripheral nerve fibers of the pelvic limb, revealed mild type II skeletal muscle fiber atrophy and minimal, focal segmental demyelination with remyelination, and axonal degeneration in peripheral nerves. Such alterations are probably incidental or age-associated. Idiopathic muscular cramps is the most probable explanation of the clinical disease and is consistent with the absence of significant morphologic pathologic lesions.
Pulmonary Eosinophilia and Granulomatous Pulmonary Arteritis Induced in Rats by Intravenous Sephadex
Authors: Sorden S. D. , Lemanske R. F. , Castleman W. L.
Published: January 2017

Airway eosinophilia has been proposed as a major pathogenetic event in bronchial asthma and airway hyperresponsiveness. Intravenous injection of Sephadex G200 in rats induces pulmonary and blood eosinophilia and alters pulmonary responsiveness to 5-hydroxytryptamine. To characterize the early pulmonary inflammatory responses following Sephadex administration, and to determine the timing of the onset of pulmonary eosinophilia relative to blood eosinophilia, Sprague-Dawley rats were injected intravenously with Sephadex G200 beads. Lungs and other tissues were examined by light and transmission electron microscopy at 4, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours after injection. Blood eosinophil counts were determined at 0, 24, and 96 hours after injection. Sephadex beads were trapped initially in small caliber muscular pulmonary arteries associated with terminal bronchioles and in intra-acinar locations. There was marked infiltration of eosinophils and macrophages around the beads and into arterial walls and edematous periarterial and peribronchiolar connective tissue as early as 4 hours after injection. Periarterial-peribronchiolar eosinophil aggregates peaked in density at 24 and 48 hours. Macrophages and multinucleated cells dominated the inflammatory cell responses in arteries immediately surrounding partially degraded Sephadex beads from 24 to 96 hours. Bone marrow eosinophilopoiesis and blood eosinophilia were not detected until 96 hours. We conclude that Sephadex induces pulmonary eosinophilia prior to blood eosinophilia and suggest that Sephadex may induce pulmonary release of one or more eosinophil chemotactic substance(s). This model may prove useful in the study of factors that influence eosinophil migration into the lung in various disease states.
The Effects of Phenylbutazone on the Morphology and Prostaglandin Concentrations of the Pyloric Mucosa of the Equine Stomach
Authors: Meschter C. L. , Gilbert M. , Krook L. , Maylin G. , Corradino R.
Published: January 2017

Phenylbutazone, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug known to produce gastric ulcers, was administered intravenously (13.46 mg/kg body weight) daily to 12 horses. Horses were euthanatized daily after 24,48,72, and 96 hours following the initial injection. Eight untreated horses served as controls. Small multifocal pyloric erosions were seen after 24 hours and then progressed in severity over time. The erosions were characterized by sloughing of the surface epithelium, subepithelial bleb formation, necrosis of the lamina propria, degeneration of the walls of subsurface capillaries, and microthrombosis of the capillaries of the pyloric mucosa. Large numbers of neutrophils with abundant fibrin and cellular debris were present at the erosion sites. Eroded pyloric mucosa and adjacent macroscopically intact mucosa were examined ultrastructurally. In both the mac-roscopically eroded mucosa and multifocally in the adjacent macroscopically uneroded mucosa, there was cellular swelling of the endothelium, pericytes, and smooth muscle cells of arterioles. In capillaries and post-capillary venules, the endothelium ranged from swollen to lysed and necrotic. Extensive extravasation of erythrocytes and edema were seen. These lesions were not seen in the control horses. Phenylbutazone produces a microvascular injury that is associated with the formation of pyloric erosions in horses.

The pyloric mucosa of six horses was assayed for prostacyclin and prostaglandin E2 at 48 and 96 hours following the initial injection. There was no statistically significant difference between prostaglandin concentrations in the mucosa of control and treated horses. It was concluded that there was little correlation between pyloric mucosal prostaglandin concentrations and pyloric erosions after 48 hours.
Septicemia in Vaccinated and Nonvaccinated Turkeys Inoculated with Pasteurella multocida Serotype A:3,4
Authors: Prantner M. M. , Harmon B. G. , Glisson J. R. , Mahaffey E. A.
Published: January 2017

Sixty-four, 10-week-old turkeys were inoculated with a highly virulent field isolate (86–1913) of Pasteurella multocida serotype A:3,4 by an oculo-nasal-oral route. Inoculated turkeys were examined at 4, 8, 16, 20, and 24 hours post-inoculation for bacteremia and histologic lesions. Bacteremia was detected in one of six turkeys 8 hours after inoculation and in four of six turkey poults at 16 hours post-inoculation. Pasteurella multocida was isolated from the spleens of two turkeys at 8 hours and from the spleens of all six poults 16 hours after inoculation. Peak concentrations of P. multocida reached 10° colony forming units per ml of blood. At 4 to 8 hours post-inoculation, isolate 86–1913 produced a fibrinopurulent bronchopneumonia followed by severe pulmonary necrosis, pleuritis, vasculitis; and, at 16 to 24 hours post-inoculation numerous extracellular bacteria were observed. Hepatic lesions included focal heterophil aggregates 8 hours after inoculation; these progressed to hepatic necrosis. Numerous extracellular bacteria within sinusoids were present 16 to 24 hours after inoculation. At 16 to 24 hours post-inoculation, there was degeneration of periarteriolar reticular cells in the spleen; these cells progressed to coalescing coagulative splenic necrosis with extracellular bacterial colonies. A second group of 41, 10–week-old turkeys, previously vaccinated with the Clemson University strain of P. multocida serotype A:3,4, were challenged with isolate 86-1913. When compared to the nonvaccinated group, vaccination with the Clemson University strain resulted in significantly fewer vaccinated turkeys with bacteremia. Although histologic lesion scores were not significantly different for vaccinated and nonvaccinated turkeys, the vaccinated turkeys had a significantly lower mortality rate. These findings suggest that respiratory infection of susceptible turkeys with virulent P. multocida serotype A:3,4 is followed by septicemic disease characterized by progressive bacteremia with massive tissue necrosis and extracellular bacterial replication in vascular and tissue spaces. In addition, vaccination may reduce mortality rates by lowering the incidence of bacteremia.
Potentiation of Platelet Responses In Vitro by Feline Infectious Peritonitis Virus
Authors: Boudreaux M. K. , Weiss R. C. , Toivio-Kinnucan M. , Spano J. S.
Published: January 2017

The effect of feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) on platelet aggregation and 14C-serotonin release induced by threshold levels of four agonists (adenosine diphosphate [ADP], collagen, arachidonic acid, and epinephrine) was examined in vitro in ten specific-pathogen-free cats. Purified suspensions of FIPV added to stirred platelet suspensions (virus to platelet ratio equal to 1:320) 1 minute prior to the addition of agonist potentiated the ADP-induced aggregation response by greater than 100% in seven cats. Platelet 14C-serotonin release was increased by greater than 100% in four cats. Collagen-induced platelet aggregation was enhanced in ten cats while collagen-induced 14C-serotonin release was enhanced in eight cats. Potentiation of arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation was observed in three cats, two of which demonstrated enhanced platelet 14C-serotonin release. Although epinephrine-induced platelet aggregation was enhanced in five cats, the samples displayed only fine microaggregates. Enhanced 14C-serotonin release from platelets in response to epinephrine was not demonstrated. Interaction with the outer platelet membrane and internalization of viral particles within the surface-connected open canalicular system were demonstrated by electron microscopy within 5 minutes of the addition of virus to platelet suspensions with or without added agonists. Decreasing the virus concentration by ten- or one hundred-fold abolished the potentiating effect observed previously, while increasing the concentration tenfold resulted in direct platelet activation in the absence of agonist. Although the specific mechanism of FIPV-induced platelet responses in vitro was not established, the ability of virus to directly activate platelets and the rapid potentiation of responses observed at lower virus concentrations suggested that virus-mediated ion fluxes across platelet membranes were involved.
Enhanced Platelet Reactivity in Cats Experimentally Infected with Feline Infectious Peritonitis Virus
Authors: Boudreaux M. K. , Weiss R. C. , Toivio-Kinnucan M. , Cox N. , Spano J. S.
Published: January 2017

Platelet function was evaluated in six specific-pathogen-free cats prior to and following intraperitoneal inoculation with feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV). By 4 days post-inoculation, platelet samples from five of six cats responded with irreversible platelet aggregation to threshold concentrations of adenosine diphosphate (ADP). This was accompanied by enhanced platelet 14C-serotonin release (>10%) in two cats. Compared to one of six baseline samples, five of five post-inoculation samples exhibited microaggregate formation in response to 20 μml;M epinephrine. Enhanced platelet 14C-serotonin release did not accompany these responses. Enhanced platelet responses to ADP and epinephrine were also observed on day 11 post-inoculation and day 16 (when one cat died) or 21 (the end of the study). Platelet 14C-serotonin release in response to 20 μml;M epinephrine increased markedly in three of five cats on day 21. Enhanced collagen-induced platelet responses were not demonstrated. Although the mechanism for the enhanced platelet responses observed on day 4 was unknown, a direct effect of the virus on platelets, mononuclear inflammatory cells, and endothelial cells must be considered.
Music listening evokes implicit affiliation
Authors: Vuoskoski Jonna K. , Clarke Eric F. , DeNora Tia
Published: January 2017

Recent empirical evidence suggests that – like other synchronized, collective actions – making music together with others fosters affiliation and pro-social behaviour. However, it is not yet known whether these effects are limited to active, interpersonal musical participation, or whether solitary music listening can also produce similar effects. This study examines the hypothesis that listening to music from a specific culture can evoke implicit affiliation towards members of that culture more generally. Furthermore, we hypothesized that listeners with high trait empathy would be more susceptible to the effects. Sixty-one participants listened to a track of either Indian or West African popular music, and subsequently completed an Implicit Association Test measuring implicit preference for Indian versus West African people. A significant interaction effect revealed that listeners with high trait empathy were more likely to display an implicit preference for the ethnic group to whose music they were exposed. We argue that music has particular attributes that may foster affective and motor resonance in listeners.
The breakdown of Galileo’s Roman network: Crisis and community, ca. 1633
Authors: Findlen Paula , Marcus Hannah
Published: January 2017

Rome has long been central to the story of Galileo’s life and scientific work. Through an analysis of the metadata of Galileo’s surviving letters, combined with a close reading of the letters themselves, we discuss how Galileo used correspondence to build a Roman network. Galileo initially assembled this network around the members of the Lincean Academy, a few carefully nurtured relationships with important ecclesiastics, and the expertise of well positioned Tuscan diplomats in the Eternal City. However, an analysis of Galileo’s correspondence in the aftermath of the trial of 1633 provides us with a unique opportunity to interrogate how his altered circumstances transformed his social relations. Forced to confront the limitations on his activities imposed by Catholic censure and house arrest, Galileo experienced the effects of these restrictions in his relationships with others and especially in his plans for publication. In the years following 1633, Galileo turned his epistolary attention north to the Veneto and to Paris in order to publish his Two New Sciences. While Galileo’s Lincean network and papal contacts in Rome were defunct after 1633, we see how Rome remained important to him as the site of a number of Roman disciples who would continue his intellectual project long after his own death.
The missing, the martyred and the disappeared: Global networks, technical intensification and the end of human rights genetics
Authors: Smith Lindsay A
Published: January 2017

In 1984, a group of Argentine students, trained by US academics, formed the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team to apply the latest scientific techniques to the excavation of mass graves and identification of the dead, and to work toward transitional justice. This inaugurated a new era in global forensic science, as groups of scientists in the Global South worked outside of and often against local governments to document war crimes in post-conflict settings. After 2001, however, with the inauguration of the war on terror following the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, global forensic science was again remade through US and European investment to increase preparedness in the face of potential terrorist attacks. In this paper, I trace this shift from human rights to humanitarian forensics through a focus on three moments in the history of post-conflict identification science. Through a close attention to the material semiotic networks of forensic science in post-conflict settings, I examine the shifting ground between non-governmental human rights forensics and an emerging security- and disaster-focused identification grounded in global law enforcement. I argue that these transformations are aligned with a scientific shift towards mechanized, routinized, and corporate-owned DNA identification and a legal privileging of the right to truth circumscribed by narrow articulations of kinship and the body.
Scientists as citizens and knowers in the detection of deforestation in the Amazon
Authors: Monteiro Marko , Rajão Raoni
Published: January 2017

This paper examines how scientists deal with tensions emerging from their role as providers of objective knowledge and as citizens concerned with how their research influences policy and politics in Brazil. This is accomplished through an ethnographic account of scientists using remote sensing technology, of their knowledge-making activities and of the broader socio-political controversies that permeate the detection of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. Strategies for mitigating uncertainty are central aspects of the knowledge practices analyzed, bringing controversies ‘external’ to the laboratory ‘into’ the lab, making these boundaries conceptually problematic. In particular, the anticipation of alternative interpretations of rainforest cover is a crucial way that scientists bring the world into the lab, helping to shed light on how scientists, usually seen and analyzed as isolated, are in fact often in constant dialogue with the broader political controversies related to their work. These insights help question the idea that the monitoring of deforestation through remote sensing is a form of secluded research, drawing a more complex picture of the dual role of scientists as knowledge producers and concerned citizens.
Non Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (Type 2) Secondary Failure. Metformin-Glibenclamide Treatment
Authors: Guagnano M.T. , Pace-Palitti V. , Manigrasso M.R. , Merlitti D. , Parra H.M. Soto , Sensi S.
Published: January 2017

The goal of sulphonylurea (S) treatment in Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM - type 2 diabetes) subjects should be to obtain a satisfactory glycaemic control (fasting glycaemic levels < 140 mg%). The loss of an adequate blood glucose control after an initial variable period of S is known as secondary failure (SF). The number of SF are extremely variable among different trials for many reasons, some of which are patient-related: increased food intake, weight gain, non-compliance, poor physical activity, stress, diseases and/or impaired pancreatic beta cell function, desensitization after S chronic therapy, reduced absorption, concomitant therapies.

Many therapeutic strategies have been proposed to achieve an adequate metabolic control in type 2 diabetes patients: switch to intensive insulin therapy and subsequent return to S therapy; association with insulin; association with sulphonylureas plus biguanides. The association biguanides and S, in particular glibenclamide plus metformin, is now widely used by diabetologists in SF since glibenclamide improves insulin secretion while metformin exerts its antidiabetic effect by different mechanisms.
Cyclosporin A-Induced Autoimmunity in the Rat: Central versus Peripheral Tolerance
Authors: Damoiseaux J.G.M.C.
Published: January 2017

Cyclosporin A-induced autoimmunity (CsA-AI) is a thymus dependent and T cell-mediated autoimmune disease that is readily induced in rodents (1, 2) and also occurs in humans (3). Induction of CsA-AI requires total body X-irradiation, rescue with syngeneic or autologous bone marrow, and subsequent cyclosporin A (CsA) administration for about 4 weeks (4). Because the induction protocol involves bone marrow transplantation (BMT), CsA-AI is also referred to as syngeneic or autoimmune graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) (5). The CsA-AI model is being studied for three reasons. Firstly, the animal model, and in particular the chronic phase of the disease, has been reported to have several macroscopic and histopathologic similarities with human scleroderma (6,7). Secondly, CsA-AI is clinically and experimentally examined for its graft- versus-tumour potential against lympho-hematopoietic malignancies as well as metastatic breast cancer (8). And thirdly, CsA-AI has been very informative in terms of T cell development and tolerance induction, including central as well as peripheral control of autoreactivity (9, 10).

In the present review, a summary of the characteristics of CsA-AI will be given. Next, the supposed mechanism of CsA for interference with central tolerance induction will be presented. Finally, the role of peripheral tolerance, and in particular dominant T cell tolerance as mediated by regulatory T cells, will be discussed in relation to induction of CsA-AI as well as to strain-related resistance to CsA-AI.
Topical Cyclosporin in the Treatment of Dermatologic Diseases
Authors: Feliciani C. , Tulli A.
Published: January 2017

In spite of the drug's toxicity, cyclosporine A (CsA) is largely used in several diseases, including dermatological pathologies, with beneficial results. In dermatology cyclosporin-A reduces the severity of psoriasis symptoms, Bechet's disease, pyoderma gangrenosum, blistering disorders, aftous stomatitis, lichen planus, atopic dermatitis, alopecia and allergic contact dermatitis.
Monocyte Chemotactic Protein - 1 in a Randomized Placebo-Controlled Study of Canine Plasmacytic-Lymphocytic Colitis
Authors: Rallis T.S. , Frydas S. , Soubasis N. , Adamama-Moraitou K.K. , Tontis D.
Published: January 2017

The purpose of this study was to determine serum and colonic monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) concentration in dogs with plasmacytic-lymphocytic (PL) colitis, as well as to demonstrate if the concentration of MCP-1 may be an accurate diagnostic and prognostic marker for PL colitis in dogs receiving three different therapeutic protocols. Serum and colonic MCP-1 concentration were measured in 18 dogs with PL colitis and in 6 controls. Dogs with PL colitis were randomly divided in 3 groups and for a period of 30 days received the following: Group 1, sulfasalazine, prednisone and placebo; Group 2, placebo and Ω3/Ω6 fatty acids, and Group 3, sulfasalazine, prednisone and Ω3/Ω6 fatty acids. Colonic and serum MCP-1 concentration were determined at the beginning and at the end of this period. Serum MCP-1 concentrations at the beginning were not significantly increased in dogs with PL colitis compared to the controls. On the contrary, colonic tissue MCP-1 concentrations at the beginning were significantly increased in the same dogs compared to the controls. Moreover, the colonic tissue MCP-1 concentration in the dogs of group 3 was significantly decreased (P<0.001) at the end of the experiment. The same observations were obtained from dogs of groups 1 and 2, in which the colonic MCP-1 concentration also significantly decreased (P<0.01). These data demonstrate that in canine PL colitis, colonic MCP-1 concentration is increased in comparison to those of controls and suggest that the colonic MCP-1 concentration may aid in the diagnosis of canine PL colitis.
Cetirizine, a Second-Generation H1 Antagonist, Modulates Rantes and MCP-1 Levels in Allergic Rhinitis
Authors: Bruno G. , Andreozzi P. , Graf U. , Tega F. , Santangelo G. , Barucco M. , Bruno A. , Bracchitta S.
Published: January 2017

Chemokines and their receptors are involved in several allergic diseases. We measured RANTES and MCP-1 levels in sera of allergic rhinitis patients, and we also evaluated the effect of cetirizine, a second-generation H1 antagonist, on these chemoattractant proteins.

15 subjects were studied (10 males and 5 females; mean age: 26.7 years). They were suffering from perennial or seasonal allergic rhinitis induced by Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (8 patients) or by grasses (7 patients). RANTES and MCP-1 serum levels were detected with an enzyme immunoassay before and after two weeks of treatment with 10 mg of cetirizine daily, and again after two weeks of washout. Baseline serum levels of RANTES and MCP-1 chemokines were significantly higher (p < 0.02 and p = 0.007, respectively) in allergic patients than in the healthy control group. Cetirizine resulted in a significant decrease in RANTES (p < 0.02) and MCP-1 (p = 0.003) versus baseline values. There is an increase in RANTES and MCP-1 in allergic rhinitis, which is counteracted by cetirizine.
Serum Procalcitonin, Adenosine Deaminase and its Isoenzymes in the Aetiological Diagnosis of Pneumonia in Children
Authors: Hatzistilianou M. , Hitoglou S. , Gougoustamou D. , Rekliti A. , Tzouvelekis G. , Nanas C.H. , Catriu D. , Kotsis A.
Published: January 2017

A prospective study was undertaken to assess the usefulness of leukocyte count, serum C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and the activities of total adenosine deaminase (tADA) and its isoenzymes ADA1 and ADA2, in the aetiological diagnosis of pneumonia in children. The study included three groups. Group A consisted of 23 children with bacterial pneumonia, group B50 children with viral and mycoplasmal pneumonia and group C46 healthy children. On the first day of admission in the clinic, blood samples were collected before the start of antimicrobial treatment, for culture, serological tests, leukocyte count and for the determination of CRP and PCT levels, as well as tADA activity and its isoenzymes ADA1 and ADA2. According to our results, the mean leukocyte count and the mean concentrations of PCT and CRP were significantly higher in the children of group A than those in groups B and C. The admission serum PCT concentration has a higher sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value for bacterial pneumonia than either CRP or the leukocyte count. The mean serum tADA, ADA1 and ADA2 activity in children of group A was not significantly different from those in group C, while the difference between groups B and C was statistically significant.

In conclusion, we found that CRP is a good marker for screening various infectious diseases, but it cannot be used to distinguish between bacterial and viral infections. Serum PCT measurement might be a useful tool for the physician for the aetiological diagnosis of pneumonia in children. Measurements of serum tADA and ADA2 activity may provide useful additional diagnostic information on the aetiology of pneumonia so that appropriate antibiotic therapy can be given promptly.

Further studies with larger patients groups are required to confirm our results.
Reverse Transcriptase Mutations in HIV-1 Infected Patients Treated with Two Nucleoside Analogues: The Smart Study
Authors: Gianotti N. , Setti M. , Manconi P.E. , Leoncini F. , Chiodo F. , Minoli L. , Moroni M. , Angarano G. , Mazzotta F. , Carosi G. , Antonelli G. , Lazzarin A.
Published: January 2017

Resistance to nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) was studied in 527 HIV-1-infected patients, 342 responder and 185 non-responder to two NRTIs. Responders were followed for one year to assess the incidence of clinical failure. The prevalence of the 215Y/F substitution was higher among non-responder, compared to responder patients (33.7% vs. 17%, P = 0.0005), whereas the prevalence of the 184V and of the 70R mutations was comparable between these two groups. The 74V substitution was never observed and the 75T mutation was detected in only two subjects non-responder to a stavudine including regimen. Reduced susceptibility to didanosine or stavudine was infrequent. Reduced susceptibility to zidovudine was observed in 25% of individuals failing a zidovudine including regimen, whereas reduced susceptibility to lamivudine was detected in all subjects failing a lamivudine including regimen. In the prospective analysis, patients with undetectable viral load at enrollment had a lower incidence of failure rate over one year compared to those with detectable HIV-RNA at entry (P < 0.0001). A detectable viral load at enrollment was the only independent variable that predicted clinical failure over one year (P < 0.0001).
Nasal Immunotherapy is Effective in the Treatment of Rhinitis Due to Mite Allergy. A Double Blind Placebo-Controlled Study with Rhinological Evaluations
Authors: Passàli D. , Bellussi L. , Passàli G.C. , Passàli F. M.
Published: January 2017

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the efficacy of intranasal hyposensitizing therapy in perennial rhinitis. 36 patients suffering from perennial allergic rhinitis (Dermatophagoides-sensitive) underwent a double blind placebo-controlled trial for a period of 8 months. The efficacy of nasal immunotherapy was evaluated by collecting symptoms score and evaluating objective rhinological parameters (nasal resistance, cross areas and volumes, mucociliary clearance times, specific nasal provocation threshold). A significant improvement (p0,01) of symptom score of active against placebo group was observed after treatment. Also objective nasal parameters (total nasal resistances, mucociliary clearance, C-notch area, and provocative threshold) significantly (p0,01) improved after treatment. Adverse local reactions were rare and did not interfere with the protocol. The results underline the efficacy and quickness of local nasal immunotherapy in the treatment of perennial allergic rhinitis documented by the improvement of subjective and objective parameters.
Effectiveness of Montelukast versus Budesonide on Quality of Life and Bronchial Reactivity in Subjects with Mild-Persistent Asthma
Authors: Riccioni G. , Ballone E. , D'Orazio N. , Sensi S. , di Nicola M. , di Mascio R. , Santilli F. , Guagnano MT , Della Vecchia R.
Published: January 2017

Insufficient data exist to evaluate the comparative effects of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) versus leukotriene receptor antagonist (LTRA) on airway inflammation and quality of life (QoL). The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of montelukast compared to budesonide at different doses on QoL and bronchial reactivity in mild-asthmatic adult patients.

45 subjects with bronchial asthma were randomly assigned to a different treatment and divided in 3 treatment groups: A: 400 μg of budesonide twice a day; B: 10 mg of montelukast daily; C: 10 mg of montelukast daily plus 400 μg of budesonide twice a day. At the beginning of the study and at the end of the treatment period (16 weeks) all patients underwent complete clinical evaluation, pulmonary function testing and methacholine challenge test (MCHt).

In group A the increase from baseline was 153.4%, in group C was 133.2%, and in group B 247.7%, the latter increase being statistically significant compared to that in the other 2 groups (p< 0.005 Wilcoxon test). In all domains the improvement in quality of life in the group treated with montelukast (group B) was significantly greater than that in the group treated with both medications (group C): in particular, the improvement was consistent in the symptoms (p< 0.01) and emotions (p< 0.01) domains, and weaker in the physical activity (p< 0.05). A similar difference was observed between group B and A, but only in the symptoms (p<0.01), emotions (p<0.01), and environmental stimuli domains (p<0.05).

The personal perception of their own disease is important for a correct therapeutic management of asthma. In order to optimize the treatment, a complete adherence of the patient to the treatment itself is required, to be achieved through simplification of therapeutic schedule and easy administration of medications. Montelukast may be considered a valid alternative in the treatment of mild-persistent asthma, both for the clinical and functional benefits and for the great advantage of the once-daily dosage, which consistently improves the compliance with the chronic treatment of the disease.
Influence and Experimental Alcohol Administration on Serum Immunoglobulin Levels: Contrasting Effects on Ige and other Immunoglobulin Classes
Authors: Alonso M. , Gomez-Rial J. , Gude F. , Vidal C. , Gonzalez-Quintela A.
Published: January 2017

In humans, alcoholic liver disease is associated with hypergammaglobulinemia, particularly with high serum concentrations of IgA. Furthermore, alcohol consumption is associated with high concentrations of IgE and low concentrations of IgG. However, there is little experimental evidence to corroborate these observational findings. The objective of the present study was to investigate the potential short-term effects of alcohol administration on serum immunoglobulin concentrations in mice, and the potential influence of sex and strain on these effects. Eight mouse groups were defined by strain (Swiss vs C57BL/6), sex (male vs female), and experimental procedure (alcohol administration vs control diet). Alcohol was administered in a semi-liquid diet (6.5% v/v); control animals received an isocaloric semi-liquid diet. Immunoglobulin concentrations (IgE, IgA, IgM, IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b, and IgG3) were measured at baseline and weekly thereafter for 4 weeks. Serum Th1 (interferon-gamma) and Th2 (IL-4 and IL-13) cytokines were measured at week 4. We found significant variations in baseline immunoglobulin concentrations depending upon mouse sex and strain. Alcohol administration was quickly followed by an increase in serum IgE concentrations in all experimental groups. IgE increase was correlated with serum IL-13 increase. In contrast, alcohol administration was not associated with significant changes in serum IgA and IgM concentration, and appeared to decrease IgG subclass concentrations. Alcohol effects on immunoglobulin concentrations were independent of mouse strain and sex. In conclusion, alcohol administration in mice had contrasting effects on IgE and other immunoglobulin classes. This experimental evidence confirms observational results in humans.
Berberine Reduces Leukocyte Adhesion to Lps-Stimulated Endothelial Cells and Vcam-1 Expression Both In Vivo and In Vitro
Authors: Wu Y-H. , Chuang S-Y , Hong W-C. , Lai Y-J. , Chang G-J. , Pang J-H.S.
Published: January 2017

Leukocyte adhesion to endothelium plays a critical initiating role in inflammation. Berberine, an anti-inflammatory natural compound, is known to attenuate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lung injury and improve survival of endotoxemic animals with mechanism not fully clarified. This study investigated the effects of berberine on the LPS-induced leukocyte-endothelial cell adhesion both in vivo and in vitro. We first established an animal model to observe the in vivo LPS-induced adhesion of leukocytes to the endothelium of venules in the lung tissue dose-dependently. Pretreatment of LPS-stimulated rats with berberine for 1 h reduced the leukocyte-endothelium adhesion and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) expression in lung. Pretreatment of LPS-stimulated vascular endothelial cells with berberine also dose-dependently decreased the number of adhered THP-1 cells and VCAM-1 expression at both RNA and protein levels. Berberine was further confirmed to inhibit the nuclear translocation and DNA binding activity of LPS-activated nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B). These data demonstrated an additional molecular mechanism for the profound anti-inflammatory effect of berberine.
A Case and Periocular Contact Dermatitis Caused by Cypress Allergy
Authors: Tammaro A. , Cortesi G. , Abruzzese C. , Narcisi A. , De Marco G. , Parisella F.R. , Persechino S.
Published: January 2017

Airborne contact dermatitis is a dermatological disease manifesting predominantly on the face, neck and arms, which is caused by volatile substances which settle on exposed skin. Although the diagnosis is not difficult, the finding of causative allergens and the exclusion of differential diagnoses are still lacking by the treating dermatologists.
Amoxicillin and Clavulanic Acid Vs Ceftazidime in the Surgical Extraction of Impacted Third Molar: A Comparative Study
Authors: Sisalli U. , Lalli C. , Carone L. , Maida S. , Manzoli L. , Serra E. , Dolci M.
Published: January 2017

The objective of this work is to compare the effectiveness and the side effects of two different drugs, amoxicillin and clavulanic acid vs ceftazidime, used as antibiotic prophylaxis in the surgical extraction of third molars and to demonstrate that the use of second choice antibiotic has no significant advantages in comparison with a first choice antibiotic. One hundred and seven patients with impacted third molar were selected and divided into two groups: amoxicillin and clavulanic acid were administered to group 1 and ceftazidime to group 2 for five days after surgery and we observed the postoperative period. The statistical analysis showed no differences between the two groups which lead to the conclusion that there is no indication to routinely administrate intramuscular second-choice antibiotic prophylactic therapy (ceftazidime) in case of surgical extraction of the third molar.
Vav1 Haploinsufficiency in a Common Variable Immunodeficiency Patient with Defective T-Cell Function
Authors: Capitani N. , Ariani F. , Amedei A. , Pezzicoli A. , Matucci A. , Vultaggio A. , Troilo A. , Renieri A. , Baldari C.T. , D'Elios M.M.
Published: January 2017

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a primary immune disorder characterized by impaired antibody production, which is in many instances secondary to defective T cell function (T-CVID). We previously identified a subset of T-CVID patients characterized by defective expression of Vav1, a guanine nucleotide exchanger which couples the T-cell antigen receptor to reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. Here we have addressed the possibility that an intrinsic defect in the Vav1 gene might underlie the reduction in Vav protein observed in T cells from these patients. We report the identification in one T-CVID patient of a heterozygous deletion in Vav1. The gene deletion, spanning exons 2–27, accounts for the reduction in Vav1 mRNA and protein in T cells from this patient. The disease-related pedigree of this patient suggests a de novo origin of the Vav1 deletion. The findings highlights Vav1 as an autosomal dominant disease gene associated with CVID with defective T-cell function.
Genetic Defects of Phagocyte Nadph Oxidase Activity and Activation
Authors: Bellavite P. , Bazzoni Flavia , Scolaro G. , Poli G. , Dusi S. , Cassatella M. A.
Published: January 2017

NADPH oxidase is the key enzyme of the free radical-generating oxidative matabolism of phagocytes. Work from our and other's laboratories has recently established that the oxidase is not a single molecular entity, but it is a multicomponent system including a NADPH-binding protein, a flavoprotein, a b-type cytochrome and other unidentified factors. A working model of the molecular nature and of the activation mechanism of phagocyte NADPH oxidase is here proposed. This model is suitable for the study and the classification of the molecular pathology of the oxidase system. The various genetic defects of the NADPH oxidase, that are the cause of chronic granulomatous disease, (CGD) are here presented and discussed.
Does Offering Microsavings Make Sense for Microfinance Institutions?
Authors: Bergsma Kelley
Published: January 2017

Within the past decade, two trends have emerged in the global microfinance industry. First, there has been a recent emphasis on financial sustainability. At the same time, microfinance institutions (MFIs) have begun to offer microsavings deposit services to their clients. Could there be a link between these two trends? As MFIs offer savings deposits, do they achieve greater financial sustainability? David Hulme (2008) asserts that Grameen Bank became more financially sustainable after it changed its business model to include microsavings. However, Hulme observes that Grameen Bank also moved away from its poorest clients when it made the shift to savings. This paper explores, as MFIs have switched to offering savings, whether or not MFIs have achieved greater financial sustainability and whether or not they have moved away from their poorest clients. The data examined were collected from the financial statements of Opportunity International MFIs. The results indicate that Opportunity International MFIs that offer microsavings are more financially sustainable than those that do not. Moreover, there is no significant evidence that, by offering microsavings, Opportunity International MFIs have abandoned their poorest clients. Opportunity International MFIs could provide a model of how microfinance institutions can improve their financial sustainability without compromising their core mission to serve the poor.
Patient Satisfaction Improves With Delayed Primary Closure of Dehiscence
Authors: Nuveen Erik J. , Paek Philip Y. , Nuveen John P.
Published: January 2017

In 2014, nearly 15.1 million people chose to undergo elective cosmetic procedures. Cosmetic surgical procedures all involve risks, compromises, and complications. Regardless of a physician’s efforts to limit complications, spontaneous wound opening or wound dehiscence remains one of the most common to occur. Cosmetic surgery, perhaps more than any other subspecialty of medicine, walks a precarious balance of tension in effort to reduce laxity and elevate ptotic tissues. Historically, dehiscence with wound exposure more than 6.0 hours after spontaneous wound opening is managed conservatively with proper cleansing and dressing changes, with or without empiric antibiotics. Our research sought to determine whether delayed primary closure of a cosmetic wound dehiscence is a safe and viable option to improve patient care and satisfaction. A retrospective case evaluation, patients survey, and statistical evaluation revealed improved satisfaction with delayed primary closure of dehiscent wounds.
Assessing The Human Development Index Through the Structure of Welfare
Authors: Cohen Erik H.
Published: January 2017

In this study, we assess the validity of the United Nations' Human Development Index (HDI), a multi-faceted indicator of national welfare. For this purpose, the HDI is introduced into a previously published typology of welfare indicators (Cohen, E. H. 2000). The HDI appears to be a well-balanced indicator of welfare, close to the semantic center of the structure. However, it is somewhat more strongly correlated with the education and population rates regions of the structure than with the production and media regions. Human Development Index (HDI), Welfare, Smallest Space Analysis (SSA), External variables.
De La Portee Des Recits De Vie Dans L'Analyse Des Processus Globaux
Authors: Veith Blandine
Published: January 2017

The Impact of Life Histories in the Analysis of Global Processes: This article shows the far-reaching impact of research based on the collection of life histories. While the compiling and comparison of life histories, item by item, allows us to construct typologies, the analysis of internal coherence of each life history and the comparison of individual and collective logics permits us to truely treate the complexity of social phenomena and related certain seemingly contradictory processes. To establish the scientific validity of such a procedure, researchers have experimented with different approaches: discourse form analysis, identifying biographical indicators and events, cross comprehension of life histories with other materials, preceding a qualitative survey with a quantitative survey, crossing life histories between each other at the collective membership leve, contextualizing them by situating them within monographies. Life Histories, Comparing Life Histories, Biographical Events, Calenders, Qualitative Research.
Integration and Differentiation in International Sociology: Clustering of ISA Research Committees
Authors: Splichal Slavko , Ferligoj Anuska , Mlinar Zdravko
Published: January 2017

The growing differentiation within the International Sociological Association (ISA) requires different forms of integration among Research Committees (RCs). The aim of this paper is to reveal some patterns of integrational versus differentiational activities and produce an organizational and conceptual typology of RCs. The problem is approached by different clustering methods: Ward's hierarchical clustering, local optimization methods and hierarchical clustering with relational constraints for different types of Connectivity between units in clusters. International Sociological Association, Sociological Specialization, Classification Analysis, Typological Analysis, Classification with Constraints.
Complementarite Methodologique Des Approches Quantitative Et Qualitative De La Recherche Dans Le Champ De La Toxicomanie
Authors: Ingold France Rudolph , Ingold Sylvie
Published: January 2017

Methodological complementarity of quantitative and qualitative research approaches in the study of toxicology. With the intention of showing the complementarity of quantitative and qualitative methods, this article presents three studies done in Paris and the Paris region between 1980 and 1986 in the domaine of toxicology. The first study analyzes 793 questionnaires of first requests of assistance made to specialized institutions, complemented by an ethnographic analysis. The second study analyzes 224 questionnaires and many non-directive interviews with imprisoned drug users. The last study concerns statistics of deaths attributed to the use of drugs. Quantitative Methodes, Qualitative Méthodes, Methodological Complementarity, Toxicology.
Crime in the Republic of Ireland: A Suitable Case for Social Analysis
Authors: O'Mahony Paul
Published: January 2017

This article argues that there has been a lack of critical, theoretically-based analysis of Irish criminal justice. It focuses on three areas that require further theoretically grounded analysis: the relationship between social deprivation and crime, white-collar crime, and the role of the media with respect to crime. It concludes with a possible framework for future social science research on crime in Ireland.
Burning Churches and Victim Surveys: The Myth of Northern Ireland as Low-Crime Society
Authors: Brogden Mike
Published: January 2017

This paper challenges common portrayals of Northern Ireland as a low-crime society. Such portrayals are often based on victim surveys and other positivist criminological approaches. The paper proposes that much criminality may he concealed by social and political characteristics of northern Irish society. These characteristics mean that current frameworks for measuring crime, such as victim surveys or police reports, are inappropriate as are comparisons of the north of Ireland with other societies.
Normality and Power: Desire and Reality for Students with Disabilities in Mainstream Schools
Authors: Kenny Mairin , Shevlin Michael
Published: January 2017

The move to integrated schooling for students with disabilities, begun in the 1960s, initially focused on meeting ‘special needs’ within the mainstream, without consideration of overall system change. Recent policy documents promote respect for diversity but integration remains weighted towards ‘accommodating’ minority needs within an increasingly strained old discourse of normality that serves the interests of the dominant majority and informs school policy and practice in Ireland. An exploratory research project called ‘Hidden Voices’ aimed to register for the first time how young Irish people with disabilities read their experience of mainstream second level schooling. This paper presents findings on two interrelated aspects of their experience – mobility and peer relations. It will emerge that constructs of normality that inform schools’ built environment profoundly distort the school experience, social and academic, of students with disabilities. A new paradigm of normality is called for.