bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ARV Treatment and Time Allocation to Household Tasks: Evidence from Kenya
Authors: D’Adda Giovanna , Goldstein Markus , Zivin Joshua Graff , Nangami Mabel , Thirumurthy Harsha
Published: March 2009

Abstract:  Using longitudinal survey data collected over a period of two years, this paper examines the impact of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment on the time allocated to various household tasks by treated HIV‐positive patients and their household members. We study outcomes such as time devoted to housework, firewood and water collection, as well as care‐giving and care‐seeking. As treatment improves the health and productivity of patients, we find that female patients in particular are able to increase the amount of time they devote to water and firewood collection. This increased productivity of patients coupled with large decreases in the amount of time they spend seeking medical care leads to a reduced burden on children and other household members. We find evidence that boys and girls in treated patients’ households devote less time to housework and other chores. These results suggest that the provision of ARV treatment generates a wide variety of benefits to households in resource‐poor settings.
The influence of social interaction on meaning construction in a virtual community
Authors: Yang Yu‐Fen , Yeh Hui‐Chin , Wong Wing‐Kwong
Published: March 2009

As proposed by social constructive theorists, meaningful learning and individual development were achieved through social interaction. To foster social interaction among students, this study formed an online learning community in which they played multiple roles as writers, editors and commentators. In playing different roles, they read peers' texts, edited peers' errors, evaluated peer editors' corrections and finally reconstructed their own texts. Results of this study showed that the multiple roles they played allowed them to have opportunities to view their own texts from others' perspectives. Based on these perspectives, they were more willing to acquire information from and contribute information to peers. All of this extensive information acquisition and contribution resulted in meaning construction of texts as active students improved their final drafts in both local revision (grammatical correction) and global revision (the style, organisation and development of a text) after receiving and evaluating feedback from peer editors. Their final drafts were very different from those of passive students whose first and final drafts were almost the same despite some grammatical revisions. This study suggests that, rather than relying only on an examination of students' final drafts, there may be benefits in teachers encouraging students to actively participate in social interaction by reading peers' texts, editing peers' errors and evaluating peer editors' corrections during text revisions.
CONTINUITY OF UTILITY‐MAXIMIZATION WITH RESPECT TO PREFERENCES
Authors: Larsen Kasper
Published: March 2009

This paper provides an easily verifiable regularity condition under which the investor's utility maximizer depends continuously on the description of her preferences in a general incomplete financial setting. Specifically, we extend the setting of Jouini and Napp to include noise generated by a general continuous semi‐martingale and to the case where the market price of risk process is allowed to be a general adapted process satisfying a mild integrability condition. This extension allows us to obtain positive results for both the mean‐reversion model of Kim and Omberg and the stochastic volatility model of Heston. Finally, we provide an example set in Samuelson's complete financial model illustrating that without imposing additional regularity, the continuity property of the investor's optimizer can fail.
EXPLICIT SOLUTIONS OF CONSUMPTION‐INVESTMENT PROBLEMS IN FINANCIAL MARKETS WITH REGIME SWITCHING
Authors: Sotomayor Luz Rocío , Cadenillas Abel
Published: March 2009

We consider a consumption and investment problem where the market presents different regimes. An investor taking decisions continuously in time selects a consumption–investment policy to maximize his expected total discounted utility of consumption. The market coefficients and the investor's utility of consumption are dependent on the regime of the financial market, which is modeled by an observable finite‐state continuous‐time Markov chain. We obtain explicit optimal consumption and investment policies for specific HARA utility functions. We show that the optimal policy depends on the regime. We also make an economic analysis of the solutions, and show that for every investor the optimal proportion to allocate in the risky asset is greater in a “bull market” than in a “bear market.” This behavior is not affected by the investor's risk preferences. On the other hand, the optimal consumption to wealth ratio depends not only on the regime, but also on the investor's risk tolerance: high risk‐averse investors will consume relatively more in a “bull market” than in a “bear market,” and the opposite is true for low risk‐averse investors.
Obesity Metaphors: How Beliefs about the Causes of Obesity Affect Support for Public Policy
Authors: BARRY COLLEEN L. , BRESCOLL VICTORIA L. , BROWNELL KELLY D. , SCHLESINGER MARK
Published: March 2009

Context: Relatively little is known about the factors shaping public attitudes toward obesity as a policy concern. This study examines whether individuals' beliefs about the causes of obesity affect their support for policies aimed at stemming obesity rates. This article identifies a unique role of metaphor‐based beliefs, as distinct from conventional political attitudes, in explaining support for obesity policies.

Methods: This article used the Yale Rudd Center Public Opinion on Obesity Survey, a nationally representative web sample surveyed from the Knowledge Networks panel in 2006/07 (N = 1,009). The study examines how respondents' demographic and health characteristics, political attitudes, and agreement with seven obesity metaphors affect support for sixteen policies to reduce obesity rates.

Findings: Including obesity metaphors in regression models helps explain public support for policies to curb obesity beyond levels attributable solely to demographic, health, and political characteristics. The metaphors that people use to understand rising obesity rates are strong predictors of support for public policy, and their influence varies across different types of policy interventions.

Conclusions: Over the last five years, the United States has begun to grapple with the implications of dramatically escalating rates of obesity. Individuals use metaphors to better understand increasing rates of obesity, and obesity metaphors are independent and powerful predictors of support for public policies to curb obesity. Metaphorical reasoning also offers a potential framework for using strategic issue framing to shift support for obesity policies.
A Cross‐Sectional Prevalence Study of Ethnically Targeted and General Audience Outdoor Obesity‐Related Advertising
Authors: YANCEY ANTRONETTE K. , COLE BRIAN L. , BROWN ROCHELLE , WILLIAMS JEROME D. , HILLIER AMY , KLINE RANDOLPH S. , ASHE MARICE , GRIER SONYA A. , BACKMAN DESIREE , McCARTHY WILLIAM J.
Published: March 2009

Context: Commercial marketing is a critical but understudied element of the sociocultural environment influencing Americans' food and beverage preferences and purchases. This marketing also likely influences the utilization of goods and services related to physical activity and sedentary behavior. A growing literature documents the targeting of racial/ethnic and income groups in commercial advertisements in magazines, on billboards, and on television that may contribute to sociodemographic disparities in obesity and chronic disease risk and protective behaviors. This article examines whether African Americans, Latinos, and people living in low‐income neighborhoods are disproportionately exposed to advertisements for high‐calorie, low nutrient–dense foods and beverages and for sedentary entertainment and transportation and are relatively underexposed to advertising for nutritious foods and beverages and goods and services promoting physical activities.

Methods: Outdoor advertising density and content were compared in zip code areas selected to offer contrasts by area income and ethnicity in four cities: Los Angeles, Austin, New York City, and Philadelphia.

Findings: Large variations were observed in the amount, type, and value of advertising in the selected zip code areas. Living in an upper‐income neighborhood, regardless of its residents' predominant ethnicity, is generally protective against exposure to most types of obesity‐promoting outdoor advertising (food, fast food, sugary beverages, sedentary entertainment, and transportation). The density of advertising varied by zip code area race/ethnicity, with African American zip code areas having the highest advertising densities, Latino zip code areas having slightly lower densities, and white zip code areas having the lowest densities.

Conclusions: The potential health and economic implications of differential exposure to obesity‐related advertising are substantial. Although substantive legal questions remain about the government's ability to regulate advertising, the success of limiting tobacco advertising offers lessons for reducing the marketing contribution to the obesigenicity of urban environments.
The Politics of Obesity: A Current Assessment and Look Ahead
Authors: KERSH ROGAN
Published: March 2009

Context: The continuing rise in obesity rates across the United States has proved impervious to clinical treatment or public health exhortation, necessitating policy responses. Nearly a decade's worth of political debates may be hardening into an obesity issue regime, comprising established sets of cognitive frames, stakeholders, and policy options.

Methods: This article is a survey of reports on recently published studies.

Findings: Much of the political discussion regarding obesity is centered on two “frames,” personal‐responsibility and environmental, yielding very different sets of policy responses. While policy efforts at the federal level have resulted in little action to date, state and/or local solutions such as calorie menu labeling and the expansion of regulations to reduce unhealthy foods at school may have more impact.

Conclusions: Obesity politics is evolving toward a relatively stable state of equilibrium, which could make comprehensive reforms to limit rising obesity rates less feasible. Therefore, to achieve meaningful change, rapid‐response research identifying a set of promising reforms, combined with concerted lobbying action, will be necessary.
Material progress and the challenge of affluence in seventeenth‐century England
Authors: SLACK PAUL
Published: March 2009

In the later seventeenth century, material progress was first identified in England as a recent achievement with boundless future promise, and it was welcomed despite fears about the threats that it was perceived to present to national and personal well‐being. The article investigates the roots of that confidence, and finds them in political economy and other intellectual developments that shaped interpretations of changing standards of living. The civic and moral ‘challenge of affluence’ was fully recognized but never resolved. Progress was accepted, and had to be defended in war‐time, as the route to general happiness, ‘ease’, and plenty.
Clinical evaluation of four recombinant Treponema pallidum antigen‐based rapid diagnostic tests for syphilis
Authors: Li J , Zheng H‐Y , Wang L‐N , Liu Y‐X , Wang X‐F , Liu X‐R
Published: March 2009

Objective  To evaluate the sensitivity, specificity and feasibility of four rapid tests in the diagnosis of syphilis in sexually transmitted disease diagnosis and treatment centre of Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

Methods  Tests were performed on consecutive clinic attendees, using whole blood in the clinic, and whole blood and serum in the laboratory. The sensitivity and specificity of each test was evaluated, using a standard treponemal test (Treponema pallidum haemagglutination assay) as the gold standard.

Results  The results are as follows. Abbott Determine Syphilis TP test: for serum specimens, the sensitivity was 100% and specificity was 98.9%; for whole blood specimens, the sensitivity was 81.9% and specificity was 99.4%. SD Bioline Syphilis 3.0 test: for serum specimens, the sensitivity was 95.5% and specificity was 97.9%; for whole blood specimens, the sensitivity was 87.6% and specificity was 99.4%. VisiTect‐Syphilis test: for serum specimens, the sensitivity was 94.0% and specificity was 98.1%; for whole blood specimens, the sensitivity was 73.5% and specificity was 99.7%. Syphicheck‐WB test: for serum specimens, the sensitivity was 67.4% and specificity was 98.8%; for whole blood specimens, the sensitivity was 64.0% and specificity was 99.7%.

Conclusion  We therefore strongly believe that rapid serological tests for syphilis are an acceptable alternative to conventional laboratory tests. Since they do not require equipment or electricity, they could increase coverage of syphilis screening, and enable treatment to be given at the first clinic visit.

Conflicts of interest

None declared.
Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of dermatitis herpetiformis
Authors: Caproni M , Antiga E , Melani L , Fabbri P ,   The Italian Group for Cutaneous Immunopathology
Published: March 2009

Dermatitis herpetiformis is a rare disease that should be considered the cutaneous expression of a gluten‐sensitive enteropathy indistinguishable from celiac disease. Dermatitis herpetiformis is often misdiagnosed and to date no guidelines for the management of dermatitis herpetiformis have been published in Literature. The present guidelines have been prepared for dermatologists by the Group for Cutaneous Immunopathology of the Italian Society of Dermatology and Venereology. They reflect the best data available at the time of preparation and the clinical experience of the authors and the members of the Italian Group for Cutaneous Immunopathology. The diagnosis of dermatitis herpetiformis is established clinically, histologically, immunopathologically and serologically. A gluten‐free diet (GFD) is the treatment of choice for patients with dermatitis herpetiformis. Dapsone and/or other drugs should be used during the period until the GFD is effective. In conclusion, the present guidelines provide evidence‐based guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of dermatitis herpetiformis.

Conflicts of interest

None declared.
Mometasone furoate 0.1% and salicylic acid 5% vs. mometasone furoate 0.1% as sequential local therapy in psoriasis vulgaris
Authors: Tiplica G‐S , Salavastru CM
Published: March 2009

Background and objective  Treatment in psoriasis vulgaris continues to unmet needs in terms of efficacy, quality of life and costs. Patients with moderate forms of psoriasis are using topical corticosteroids as first‐line therapy and patients with severe forms also use this therapy. Optimization of this treatment is made by the use of combination drugs or by the sequential or rotational therapies. A multicentric clinical study was performed to measure the efficiency of mometasone furoate 0.1% and salicylic acid 5% and mometasone furoate 0.1% as sequential local therapy in psoriasis.

Methods  This was a randomized, multicentre trial with two patient groups receiving active treatment. The study group (N = 184) received mometasone furoate 0.1% and salicylic acid 5% for the first 7 days of treatment, and in the following 14 days, the patients used mometasone furoate 0.1%. The second group (N = 176) was treated with mometasone furoate 0.1% for 21 consecutive days. Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) score and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) were calculated.

Results  After the first week of treatment in the study group, the reduction of PASI score was 44%, statistically significant greater than the reduction of PASI score in the second group (37%). Quality of life estimated by DLQI indicated significant lower values in the first (study) group.

Conclusion  The sequential treatment mometasone furoate 0.1% and salicylic acid 5% followed by mometasone furoate 0.1% proves to be efficient, safe and an excellent option for the following sequence: in‐patient and out‐patient.

Conflict of Interest

None declared.
A constitutively active form of neurokinin 1 receptor and neurokinin 1 receptor‐mediated apoptosis in glioblastomas
Authors: Akazawa Toshimasa , Kwatra Shawn G. , Goldsmith Laura E. , Richardson Mark D. , Cox Elizabeth A. , Sampson John H. , Kwatra Madan M.
Published: March 2009

Previous studies have shown that neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1R) occurs naturally in human glioblastomas and its stimulation causes cell proliferation. In the present study we show that stimulation of NK1R in human U373 glioblastoma cells by substance P increases Akt phosphorylation by 2.5‐fold, with an EC50of 57 nM. Blockade of NK1R lowers basal phosphorylation of Akt, indicating the presence of a constitutively active form of NK1R; similar results are seen in U251 MG and DBTRG‐05 glioblastoma cells. Linkage of NK1R to Akt implicates NK1R in apoptosis of glioblastoma cells. Indeed, treatment of serum‐starved U373 cells with substance P reduces apoptosis by 53 ± 1% (p < 0.05), and treatment with NK1R antagonist L‐733,060 increases apoptosis by 64 ± 16% (p < 0.01). Further, the blockade of NK1R in human glioblastoma cells with L‐733,060 causes cleavage of Caspase‐3 and proteolysis of poly (ADP‐ribose) polymerase. Experiments designed to elucidate the mechanism of NK1R‐mediated Akt phosphorylation revealed total involvement of non‐receptor tyrosine kinase Src and phosphatidyl‐3‐kinase, a partial involvement of epidermal growth factor receptor, and no involvement of mitogen‐activated protein/extracellular signal‐related kinase. Taken together, the results of the present study indicate a key role for NK1R in glioblastoma apoptosis.
Interaction of catechol and non‐catechol substrates with externally or internally facing dopamine transporters
Authors: Liang Ying‐Jian , Zhen Juan , Chen Nianhang , Reith Maarten E. A.
Published: March 2009

Our previous work suggested that collapsing the Na+gradient and membrane potential converts the dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT) to an inward‐facing conformation with a different substrate binding profile. Here, DAT expressing human embryonic kidney 293 cells were permeabilized with digitonin, disrupting ion/voltage gradients and allowing passage of DAT substrates. The potency of p‐tyramine and other non‐catechols (d‐amphetamine, β‐phenethylamine, MPP+) in inhibiting cocaine analog binding to DAT in digitonin‐treated cells was markedly weakened to a level similar to that observed in cell‐free membranes. In contrast, the potency of DA and another catechol, norepinephrine, was not significantly changed by the same treatment, whereas epinephrine showed only a modest reduction. These findings suggest that catechol substrates interact symmetrically with both sides of DAT and non‐catechol substrates, favoring binding to outward‐facing transporter. In the cocaine analog binding assay, the mutant W84L displayed enhanced intrinsic binding affinity for substrates in interacting with both outward‐ and inward‐facing states; D313N showed wild‐type‐like symmetric binding; but D267L and E428Q showed an apparent improvement in the permeation pathway from the external face towards the substrate site. Thus, the structure of both substrate and transporter play a role in the sidedness and mode of interaction between them.
Role of the nitric oxide on diazoxide‐induced relaxation of the calf cardiac vein and coronary artery during cooling
Authors: Atalik K. E. , Kiliç M. , Doğan N.
Published: March 2009

The effects of cooling (to 28 °C) on the vasodilation induced by diazoxide (10−9–3 × 10−4 m) on carbachol‐pre‐contracted calf cardiac vein and coronary artery and the role of nitric oxide in these effects were analyzed. Diazoxide produced concentration‐dependent relaxation of calf cardiac vein and coronary artery rings pre‐contracted with carbachol (10−6 m). During cooling, the pIC50values, but not the maximal responses, to diazoxide were significantly lower than at 37 °C in both preparations. Cooling to 28 °C in the presence of NG‐nitro‐L‐arginine methyl ester (10−4 m) did not modify the effect of temperature both in cardiac vein and coronary artery. These results suggest that cooling‐induced changes of diazoxide in calf cardiac vein and coronary artery are independent of nitric oxide.
Modulation of antigen‐induced chronic fatigue in mouse model of water immersion stress by naringin, a polyphenolic antioxidant
Authors: Vij Garima , Gupta Amit , Chopra Kanwaljit
Published: March 2009

It is believed that physical stress, infection and oxidative stress are involved in the development of chronic fatigue syndrome. There is little evidence stating the beneficial role of nutritional supplements in chronic fatigue syndrome. Based on this, this study was designed to evaluate the effect of naringin, a natural polyphenol, in a mouse model of immunologically‐induced fatigue, wherein purified lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as well asBrucella abortus(BA) antigen was used as immunogens. The assessment of chronic fatigue syndrome was based on chronic water‐immersion stress test for 10 mins as well as measurement of hyperalgesia for 19 days. Immobility time and tail withdrawal latency as well as oxidative stress were taken as the markers of fatigue. Mice challenged with LPS or BA for 19 days showed significant increase in the immobility time, hyperalgesia and oxidative stress on 19th day. Serum tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) levels markedly increased with LPS or BA challenge. Concurrent treatment with naringin resulted in the significant decrease in the immobility time as well as hyperalgesia. There was significant attenuation of oxidative stress as well as in TNF‐α levels. Present findings strongly suggest the role of oxidative stress and immunological activation in the pathophysiology of chronic fatigue syndrome, and treatment with naringin can be a valuable option in chronic fatigue syndrome.
Eosinophils involved in fulminant hepatic failure are associated with high interleukin‐6 expression and absence of interleukin‐5 in liver and peripheral blood
Authors: Carlos Moraes dos Santos Damião , Da Silva Gomes Martinho José Manoel , Pacheco‐Moreira Lúcio Filgueiras , Carvalho Viana de Araújo Cristina , Caroli‐Bottino Adriana , Pannain Vera Lúcia , Soares Trinta Karen , Gandini Mariana , Da Costa Neves Patrícia Cristina , De Souza Matos Denise Cristina , Gonçalves Caputo Luzia Fátima , Pelajo‐Machado Marcelo , Alves Pinto Marcelo
Published: March 2009

Background/Aims: Although eosinophils are considered to play an important role in the pathogenesis of various parasitic, allergic and autoimmune digestive diseases, their role in fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) is unknown. Our contribution was to identify and quantify eosinophils and cytokine levels [interleukin (IL)‐6, IL‐5 and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)‐1α] in liver parenchyma and peripheral blood from FHF patients at pre‐ and post‐transplantation steps.

Methods: Histochemical methods were used to identify/quantify eosinophils in liver samples. Liver and plasma cytokine levels were quantified using immunofluorescence methods.

Results: Fulminant hepatic failure patients showed a high number of intrahepatic eosinophils concomitant with an increased expression of IL‐6, besides the IL‐6‐positive eosinophils associated with the lack of IL‐5. Also, an increased number of eosinophils and soluble IL‐6 and MIP‐1α with a low expression of IL‐5 in peripheral blood at the pretransplantation step was observed.

Conclusions: The increased number of intrahepatic eosinophils, besides the high production of IL‐6, may be involved in liver dysfunction. In addition, the low presence of IL‐5 in liver and peripheral blood may represent a particular pattern of eosinophil behaviour in human liver failure, which may also involve MIP‐1α. Further ex vivo studies are necessary to evaluate the specific role of eosinophils in FHF.
Presence of Thrombin‐Activatable Fibrinolysis Inhibitor in Helicobacter pylori‐Associated Gastroduodenal Disease
Authors: Ikeda Ayumi , Gabazza Esteban C. , Morser John , Imoto Ichiro , Kuroda Mikihito , D’Alessandro‐Gabazza Corina N. , Hara Kenichiro , Ruiz Daniel Boveda , Bernabe Paloma Gil , Katsurahara Masaki , Toda Masaaki , Kobayashi Yoshinao , Yano Yutaka , Sumida Yasuhiro , Suzuki Koji , Taguchi Osamu , Takei Yoshiyuki
Published: March 2009

Thrombin‐activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) plays a role in the regulation of coagulation and inflammation. In addition to inhibiting the fibrinolytic system, TAFI may also regulate the bradykinin and complement systems. We hypothesized that TAFI also plays a role in defense mechanisms of the gastric mucosa during Helicobacter pylori infection. This study comprised 65 patients with gastroduodenal disorders: 41 patients with H. pylori infection, 13 without, and 11 patients with cured H. pylori infection. The gastric intramucosal concentrations of TAFI were measured by enzyme immunoassay. The gastric levels of TAFI and plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 were significantly increased in patients with H. pylori compared to those without infection or cured H. pylori. The presence of TAFI was detected in gastric mucosal epithelial cells. The concentration of TAFI was correlated with the degree of gastric mucosal atrophy, inflammation, and disease activity. These results show that TAFI is present in the gastric mucosa and that it may play a role in the pathogenesis of H. pylori infection‐associated gastroduodenal disorders.
Fur‐Independent Induction of Helicobacter pylori Flavodoxin‐Encoding Gene (fldA) Under Iron Starvation
Authors: Kwon Dong H. , Versalovic James
Published: March 2009

Background and Aims: Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with a variety of diseases including gastric cancer. Flavodoxin is an electron transfer protein containing a flavin mononucleotide prosthetic group and substituted an iron‐containing electron transfer protein under iron‐limiting conditions. H. pylori flavodoxin has been reported but its pathogenic role is unclear. The aim of this study is to understand a pathogenic role of H. pylori flavodoxin under iron‐limiting condition.

Methods: The flavodoxin‐encoding gene (fldA) was cloned from one of clinical H. pylori isolates (DU17) and its transcript was quantified by primer extension, Northern hybridization, and real‐time polymerase chain reaction in different concentrations of an iron chelator. The fldA transcript was also quantified in H. pylori ATCC 700392, lacking a ferric uptake regulatory (fur) protein.

Result: Nucleotide sequence of the fldA from H. pylori DU17 revealed a 492‐bp (164 amino acids) open reading frame with a deduced amino acid sequence having 97% identity to that from the complete genomic sequence of H. pylori 26695. The deduced promoter [–35, –10, and +1] of the fldA was 56‐bp upstream from the first codon of FldA. The fldA transcript (~0.55‐kb) was induced up to 14‐fold in both wild‐type and fur‐knocked‐out strains under iron‐limiting conditions, suggesting that the fldA induction is independent to the Fur protein.

Conclusion: The fldA gene may play an important role in iron starvation conditions.
Acrodermatitis Enteropathica‐Like Eruption in Metabolic Disorders: Acrodermatitis Dysmetabolica Is Proposed as a Better Term
Authors: Tabanlıoğlu Duru , Ersoy‐Evans Sibel , Karaduman Ayşen
Published: March 2009

Abstract:  Background: Acrodermatitis acidemica is a recently proposed term for the rash that is similar to acrodermatitis enteropathica, which is encountered in organic acidemias. However, acrodermatitis enteropathica‐like eruption may be seen in metabolic disorders other than organic acidemias. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical features of acrodermatitis enteropathica‐like eruption secondary to metabolic disorders. Methods: Clinical and demographic features of 12 patients with acrodermatitis enteropathica‐like eruption were prospectively evaluated between 2004 and 2006 in this single‐center study. Results: Among the 12 patients, underlying metabolic disorders included maple syrup urine disease (n = 5), methylmalonic acidemia (n = 3), phenylketonuria (n = 2), ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency (n = 1), and propionic acidemia (n = 1). Mean age at first presentation was 29.9 months. Mean duration of acrodermatitis enteropathica‐like eruption at the time of presentation was 25.2 days. The diaper area was involved in all presentations. Plasma zinc level was measured in 62.5% (n = 10) of the presentations and all had normal levels. All phenylketonuria cases had a low plasma phenylalanine level, and a low plasma isoleucine level was observed in the propionic acidemia case and all maple syrup urine disease cases. The rash responded dramatically to appropriate diet management in all cases. Conclusion: In this study, acrodermatitis enteropathica‐like eruption was noted in various metabolic disorders, including organic acidemias. We suggest that acrodermatitis dysmetabolica might be a better term for acrodermatitis enteropathica‐like eruption occurring secondary to metabolic disorders other than acquired zinc deficiency.
The Internationalization of Corporate R&D: A Review of the Evidence and Some Policy Implications for Home Countries1
Authors: Dunning John H. , Lundan Sarianna M.
Published: March 2009

A review of the existing evidence on the degree of internationalization of the innovative activities of multinational enterprises (MNEs) reveals three main trends. These are the continuing reliance of firms on the home country as a base for innovation, structural changes in MNEs toward more affiliate autonomy, and a small but growing presence of cross‐border innovative activities in a group of nontraditional host countries. We argue that these trends pose two interrelated policy challenges for home countries. First, governments need to ensure that the national innovation system enables domestic MNEs to engage in global knowledge sourcing in a way that is complementary to their activities in the home base. Second, the continued importance of publicly funded R&D to corporate innovation implies that home countries, along with MNEs, need to be actively engaged in the standard setting processes in global markets in order to shape an appropriability regime that allows for the effective capture of economic gains from innovation.
Evolutionary history suggests rapid differentiation in the yellow‐throated warbler Dendroica dominica
Authors: McKay Bailey D.
Published: March 2009

Molecular tools are reshaping many traditional paradigms concerning the timeframe of avian diversification in North America. Phylogeographic studies have become essential for guiding the emerging paradigms. However, the current pool of such studies tends not to be evenly dispersed across the landscape, which limits the generality of inferences. The southeastern United States is one region where the tempo and mode of recent avian diversification is poorly understood. One phylogeographic break in particular, the Tombigbee River discontinuity, divides eastern and western phylogroups in Alabama, and, though it is known to have influenced the phylogeographic patterns of some fish and reptiles, its role in promoting recent avian diversification is not well understood. Eastern and western morphological subspecies of the yellow‐throated warbler Dendroica dominica divide along the phylogeographic break created by the Tombigbee River discontinuity suggesting that this bird was also affected by this vicariance. To determine whether the phylogeographic patterns of the yellow‐throated warbler are consistent with this biogeographic barrier, I analyzed mitochondrial control region sequences of 109 yellow‐throated warblers from across the species’ range and, from a subset of these samples, sequences from a sex‐linked nuclear gene. Considerable variation was uncovered, but most of this variation was found within rather than among populations or subspecies. A shallow phylogenetic tree, star‐like haplotype network, and unimodal mismatch distribution all suggested a recent expansion. Coalescent modeling indicated that modern populations are derived from a single common ancestral population and that differences among subspecies in morphology, ecology, and migratory pathways are the result of recent and rapid evolution, possibly driven by selection.
Assessment of the blood supply to the lingual surface of the mandible for reduction of bleeding during implant surgery
Authors: Tagaya Atsuko , Matsuda Yukiko , Nakajima Koh , Seki Kenji , Okano Tomohiro
Published: March 2009

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of the foramina and their canals on the lingual surface of the mandible using computed tomography (CT), which was carried out for dental implant planning.

Material and methods: First, the visibility of the lingual canals of the CT image was verified by dissecting five cadavers. CT images of 200 patients, who had decided on implant treatment, were used in this study. The visibility of the foramina and their canals on the lingual surface of the mandible were assessed.

Results: The foramina were divided into two groups by the positions of the mandible, the medial lingual foramen and the lateral lingual foramen. At least one foramen was found in all patients. In the medial group, a higher level of mental spine was seen in 190 patients, the same level of mental spine was observed in 99 patients and a lower level of mental spine was observed in 114 patients. The lateral lingual foramina were found in 160/200 patients and 88/200 patients presented bilaterally. CT can predict the position and the size of the foramina and their canals on the lingual surface of the mandible. All the patients had more than one foramen in the middle of the lingual surface of the mandible on the CT image.

Conclusion: The frequency of the lingual foramina in the medial region was 100% and that in the lateral region was 80%. It would also be useful to emphasize the significant variation in the precise location of these lingual foramina, and that these can only be visualized presurgically with volumetric imaging modalities, such as CT or Cone beam 3D systems.
Use of a new cross‐linked collagen membrane for the treatment of dehiscence‐type defects at titanium implants: a prospective, randomized‐controlled double‐blinded clinical multicenter study
Authors: Becker Jürgen , Al‐Nawas Bilal , Klein Marcus O. , Schliephake Hennig , Terheyden Hendrik , Schwarz Frank
Published: March 2009

Objectives: The aim of the present randomized‐controlled double‐blinded clinical multicenter study was to assess the use of either a new cross‐linked (VN) or a native collagen membrane (BG) for the treatment of dehiscence‐type defects at titanium implants.

Material and methods: A total of n=54 patients were recruited in four German university clinics. According to a parallel‐groups design, dehiscence‐type defects at titanium implants were filled with a natural bone mineral and randomly assigned to either VN or BG. Submerged sites were allowed to heal for 4 months. Primary (e.g., changes in defect length –ΔDL, quality of newly formed tissue [0–4] – TQ) and secondary parameters (e.g., membrane exposure, tissue conditions at dehisced sites) were consecutively recorded.

Results: Four patients were excluded due to an early wound infection (VN:3; BG:1), and one patient was lost during follow‐up (VN). The mean ΔDL was 3.0 ± 2.5 mm in the VN, and 1.94 ± 2.13 mm in the BG group. The assessment of TQ revealed comparable mean values in both groups (VN: 3.05 ± 1.66, BG: 3.46 ± 1.48). A significant correlation between membrane exposure and inflammation of the adjacent soft tissue was observed in the VN group. In both groups, the mean DL and TQ values were not significantly different at either non‐exposed or exposed implant sites.

Conclusion: The results of the present study have indicated that VN supported bone regeneration on a level non‐inferior to BG. However, in case of a premature membrane exposure, cross‐linking might impair soft‐tissue healing or may even cause wound infections.
Guided tissue regeneration with bioabsorbable barriers III 10‐year results in infrabony defects
Authors: Pretzl Bernadette , Kim Ti‐Sun , Steinbrenner Harald , Dörfer Christof , Himmer Katrin , Eickholz Peter
Published: March 2009

Objective: Evaluation of the 10‐year results after GTR‐therapy of infrabony defects using two bioabsorbable barriers in a randomized‐controlled clinical trial.

Material and Methods: In 15 patients with periodontitis, 15 pairs of infrabony defects were treated. For each patient, one defect received a polydioxanon (test: T) and the other received a polylactide acetyltributyl citrate (control: C) barrier by random assignment. At baseline, 12 and 120 ± 6 months after surgery, the clinical parameters and standardized radiographs were obtained.

Results: Nine patients were available for the 120‐month re‐examinations. Twelve and 120 ± 6 months after therapy statistically significant (p0.004) vertical probing attachment level (PAL‐V) gain was found in both groups (T12: 3.9 ± 1.6 mm; T120: 2.4 ± 1.8 mm; C12: 4.0 ± 1.1 mm; C120: 2.4 ± 1.7 mm). From 12 to 120 months both groups experienced PAL‐V loss (T: 1.4 ± 1.5 mm, p=0.021; C: 1.6 ± 2.5 mm, p=0.09). After 120 month, two teeth were lost in the control group (one periapical lesion, and one due to unknown reason). The study failed to show statistically significant differences between both groups regarding PAL‐V gain 120 months after surgery.

Conclusions: PAL‐V gain achieved after GTR therapy in infrabony defects using both bioabsorbable barriers was stable after 10 years in 15 of 22 defects (68%).
The interleukin‐23 axis in intestinal inflammation
Authors: Ahern Philip P. , Izcue Ana , Maloy Kevin J. , Powrie Fiona
Published: March 2009

Summary: Immune responses in the intestine are tightly regulated to ensure host protective immunity in the absence of immune pathology. Interleukin‐23 (IL‐23) has recently been shown to be a key player in influencing the balance between tolerance and immunity in the intestine. Production of IL‐23 is enriched within the intestine and has been shown to orchestrate T‐cell‐dependent and T‐cell‐independent pathways of intestinal inflammation through effects on T‐helper 1 (Th1) and Th17‐associated cytokines. Furthermore, IL‐23 restrains regulatory T‐cell responses in the gut, favoring inflammation. Polymorphisms in the IL‐23 receptor have been associated with susceptibility to inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) in humans, pinpointing the IL‐23 axis as a key, conserved pathway in intestinal homeostasis. In addition to its role in dysregulated inflammatory responses, there is also evidence that IL‐23 and the Th17 axis mediate beneficial roles in host protective immunity and barrier function in the intestine. Here we discuss the dual roles of IL‐23 in intestinal immunity and how IL‐23 and downstream effector pathways may make novel targets for the treatment of IBD.
Prion protein library of recombinant constructs for structural biology
Authors: Hornemann Simone , Christen Barbara , von Schroetter Christine , Pérez Daniel R. , Wüthrich Kurt
Published: March 2009

A survey of plasmids for 51 prion protein constructs from bank vole, cat, cattle, chicken, dog, elk, ferret, frog, fugu, horse, human, pig, sheep, turtle, and wallaby, and for 113 mouse prion protein constructs and variants thereof, is presented. This includes information on the biochemistry of the recombinant proteins, in particular on successful and unsuccessful expression attempts. The plasmid library was generated during the past 12 years in the context of NMR structure determination and biophysical characterization of prion proteins in our laboratory. The plasmids are now available for general use, and are distributed free of charge to not‐for‐profit institutions.
Uroprotective Effects of Curcumin in Cyclophosphamide‐Induced Haemorrhagic Cystitis Paradigm
Authors: Arafa Hossam M. M.
Published: March 2009

Abstract:  The possible uroprotective effects of curcumin have been addressed in the current study. Haemorrhagic cystitis was induced by challenging male Swiss albino rats with a single dose of cyclophosphamide (150 mg/kg, i.p.). Curcumin (200 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered for 10 consecutive days followed by a single dose of cyclophosphamide. Haemorrhagic cystitis was well characterized morphologically and biochemically. The hallmark of this toxicity was marked congestion, oedema and extravasation in rat urinary bladder, as well as a marked desquamative damage to the urothelium and severe inflammation in the lamina propria. Leucocytic infiltration was also observed and determined by histopathological examination. Serum level of tumour necrosis factor‐alpha was notably elevated associated with apparent hypokalaemia and hyponatraemia. Bladder contents of adenosine triphosphate, reduced glutathione and glutathione‐S‐transferase activity were markedly reduced. Malondialdehyde level, myeloperoxidase activity and urinary nitrite‐nitrate levels, expressed as nitric oxide, were dramatically increased. Prior administration of curcumin ahead of cyclophosphamide challenge improved all the biochemical and histologic alterations induced by the cytotoxic drug. Based on these broad findings, it could be concluded that curcumin has proven uroprotective efficacy in this cyclophosphamide haemorrhagic cystitis model, possibly through modulating the release of inflammatory endocoids, namely tumour necrosis factor‐alpha and nitric oxide, improving the energy status and restoring the oxidant/antioxidant balance.
Comparative Evaluation of Adenosine Deaminase Activity in Cerebral Cortex and Hippocampus of Young and Adult Rats: Effect of Garlic Extract (Allium sativum L.) on Their Susceptibility to Heavy Metal Exposure
Authors: Bellé Luziane Potrich , De Bona Karine Santos , Abdalla Faida Husein , Pimentel Victor Camera , Pigatto Aline Schirmer , Moretto Maria Beatriz
Published: March 2009

Abstract:  Adenosine plays an important neuromodulatory role in the central nervous system, and adenosine deaminase is an important enzyme in the degradation of adenine nucleotides. Methylmercury is the most prevalent form of mercury found in the environment. Methylmercury neurotoxicity has been correlated to the production of reactive oxygen species. In this study, its potential pathogenic effects were investigated in vitro in cerebral cortex and hippocampus of rats. We first observed that adenosine deaminase activity was higher in young rat brains when compared to the 60‐day‐old rats and was higher in hippocampus when compared to the cortex. Methylmercury (0.1, 1.0, 20 µM) inhibited adenosine deaminase activity in 7‐ and 60‐day‐old rats in a concentration‐dependent manner. We have demonstrated that methylmercury‐induced inhibition was antagonized by garlic alcoholic extract, but sodium selenate did not alter enzyme activity. In addition, glutathione and dithiothreitol restored the methylmercury‐induced decrease of adenosine deaminase activity. These results demonstrated that there are age‐related changes in adenosine deaminase activity and that thiol agents may contribute to the maintenance of adenosine deaminase activity and may be important in the neuromodulation of adenosine. Garlic alcoholic extract may be effective in reducing the effect of methylmercury‐induced adenosine deaminase, which may be due to its sulphur‐containing compounds.
Effect of Yb, Gd, and Nd Substitution at the Sr Site on the Metal–Insulator Transition of the (Bi,Pb)‐2212 System
Authors: Biju Alikunju , Shabna Razia , Sarun Pallian Murikoli , Vinu Surendran , Syamaprasad Upendran
Published: March 2009

Resistivity measurements in the temperature range (64–300 K) were used to study the metal–insulator transition (MIT) driven by a change in the carrier concentration of the Bi1.7Pb0.4Sr2Ca1.1Cu2.1Oy [(Bi,Pb)‐2212] system. The carrier‐concentration is changed by substituting rare‐earth (RE) elements (Nd, Gd, and Yb) at the Sr site of (Bi,Pb)‐2212. Results show that at higher levels of RE substitution, MIT occurs in (Bi,Pb)‐2212, during which the resistivity becomes minimum at a particular temperature(Tmin) for a particular doping level. Below this temperature, resistivity increases with a decrease in the temperature and vice versa, showing an insulating and a metallic nature, respectively. This Tmin and the carrier concentration at which MIT occurs depend on the substituted RE.
The effects of human‐generated sound on fish
Authors: POPPER Arthur N. , HASTINGS Mardi C.
Published: March 2009

There is growing international concern about the effects of human‐generated sound on fish and other aquatic organisms. However, because of a striking paucity of well‐designed and controlled experimental data, very little is actually known about the effects of these sounds on fish. Findings suggest that human‐generated sounds, even from very high intensity sources, might have no effect in some cases or might result in effects that range from small and temporary shifts in behavior all the way to immediate death. At this point, however, it is nearly impossible to extrapolate from results with one sound source, one fish species, or even fish of one size to other sources, species, or fish sizes. The present paper briefly discusses the potential effects of sound on fish, describes some of the more recent well‐controlled experimental studies, and points out areas for future study that will be needed before a real understanding of the effects of sound on fish can be developed.
New chromosome counts in some species of Asteraceae from Iran
Authors: Chehregani Abdolkarim , Hajisadeghian Somayeh
Published: March 2009

Seven chromosome counts of six species from the family Asteraceae are reported. All taxa were collected from Hamedan province, Iran. One count is a new report (viz Inula aucheriana), three are not in accordance with previous counts (viz Senecio glaucus, Tanacetum chiliophyllum and Tanacetum polycephalum) and the others (viz Tripleurospermum disciforme, Tanacetum polycephalum, T. parthenium) are confirmations of very limited (one to eight records) previous data. Most of the studied taxa have the basic number x=9, but Senecio glaucus has x=10, with ploidy levels ranging from 2x to 8x. Both diploidy and triploidy were found in T. chiliophyllum and may be regarded as a sign of ongoing speciation.
EFFECT OF SURFACE ROUGHNESS ON THE FABRICATION OF ELECTROWETTING DISPLAY CELLS AND ITS ELECTRO-OPTIC SWITCHING BEHAVIOR
Authors: SURESHKUMAR PALANIVELU , KIM MIYOUNG , SONG EUN GYOUNG , LIM YOUNG JIN , LEE SEUNG HEE
Published: March 2009

Electrowetting is a new class of reflective display based on electric field controlled movement of oil/water interface across a hydrophobic layer. The focus of this paper is to fabricate electrowetting cells on a rough hydrophobic surface and to study its effect on kinetics of electrowetting. The surface roughening found effective in two ways in the design and operation of the electrowetting device: (i) It enhances the coating of photoresist (PR) on the hydrophobic surface, which is normally difficult due to low surface energy of Teflon and (ii) the roughness changes the contact angle of the liquid (oil), which in turn changes the electro-optic switching behavior of the device. The kinetics of optical switch was checked by calculating theoretically the white area fraction (WA%), which is a measure of optical switching in electrowetting display by changing the roughness of the hydrophobic surface. The present study showed that the optical performance found to increase with the increase of roughness of the hydrophobic surface.