bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of home blood pressure measurement on long-term BP control.
Authors: Stahl S M , Kelley C R , Neill P J , Grim C E , Mamlin J
Published: November 2008

This research reports level of blood pressure control and ability to maintain newly discovered hypertensives in a municipal hospital setting by use of family- and self-monitored home blood pressure units. Three hundred ninety-six patients were randomized into family- and self-monitored blood pressure groups and a control group. Findings indicate that the use of either self- or family-read cuffs is effective in the first six months of treatment in lowering blood pressures. The data are suggestive of a beneficial effect of the use of cuffs for up to 18 months; however, with additional time in the study, no differences in the level of blood pressure control could be demonstrated between groups. The use of family-monitored blood pressure cuffs produces a lower drop-out rate than does the use of no cuff. The effect on drop outs is substantial for the first year of treatment, but beyond 12 months, the family-read cuff is also more effective than no cuff in reducing drop outs.
Reliability of two measures of life stress among outpatients at a Veterans Hospital.
Authors: Bailey G A , Koepsell T D , Belcher D W
Published: November 2008

To measure test-retest reliability, 38 Veterans Administration clinic patients completed a modification of the Sarason Life Experience Survey (LES) twice within several weeks. Summary scores were found to be more reliable than scores on individual questions. Patients attending the Mental Hygiene Clinic responded less reliably than other patients. The "stress ladder"--a simple summary score measure--was found to be the most reliable measure of all.
Survey of health department-based environmental epidemiology programs.
Authors: Lapham S C , Castle S P
Published: November 2008

A survey of state epidemiologists in all 50 states and New York City was conducted between October 1982 and January 1983 to determine which states had existing programs in environmental epidemiology. We identified 29 environmental epidemiology programs with at least one full-time state-funded staff member. The most common areas of responsibility included investigations of indoor air pollution (96 per cent), exposures to toxic or hazardous substances (93 per cent), and pesticide exposures (93 per cent).
Validity of the Spanish surname infant mortality rate as a health status indicator for the Mexican American population.
Authors: Selby M L , Lee E S , Tuttle D M , Loe H D
Published: November 2008

This study assessed the validity of the Spanish surname infant mortality rate as an index of urban Mexican American health status. Neonatal, postneonatal, and risk-factor-specific mortality rates were computed from linked birth and infant death records of the 1974-75 Harris County, Texas, cohort of 68,584 for Spanish surname White, non-Spanish surname White, and Black single live births. Infants of Mexican-born immigrants were distinguished from those of other Spanish surname parents by parental nativity information on birth records. Infants of Mexican immigrants had paradoxically low mortality rates for high birth order, high maternal age, and delayed or absent prenatal care; only infants weighing less than 1500 gm showed expected high rates. Findings suggested loss of infant death data compatible with migration and under-registration of deaths. The Spanish surname infant mortality rate may be spuriously low and does not appear to be a valid indicator of Mexican American health status even in an urban, non-border area considered to have excellent birth and death registration.
Vehicular carbon monoxide screening: identification in a cross-cultural setting of a substantial public health risk factor.
Authors: Williams R L
Published: November 2008

A community program of screening and education for prevention of vehicular carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning among a high-risk population in a cross-cultural setting is presented. The program was developed after two infant deaths in separate incidents of vehicular CO poisoning. The results of the screening show 18.6 per cent of vehicles exceeding the Environmental Protection Agency eight-hour standard for CO exposure, and 2.6 per cent exceeding the one-hour standard. Extension of such programs to other high-risk populations is recommended.
Epidemiology of urinary tract infection: I. Diaphragm use and sexual intercourse.
Authors: Foxman B , Frerichs R R
Published: November 2008

In the present case-control study of college-aged women, we examined the associations of sexual intercourse and diaphragm use with primary and secondary urinary tract infection (UTI), and measured the treatment and functional costs of primary, secondary, and recurrent UTI. All of the cases but only half of the controls had engaged in sexual intercourse during the past four weeks. When compared to using oral contraceptives, diaphragm use was associated with both first attack UTI (when compared with controls) and second attack UTI (when compared to women with primary UTI) even after controlling for frequency of sexual intercourse (Primary UTI: RRMH = 3.5; 95% CI: 0.9, 13.0; Secondary UTI: RRMH = 2.2; 95% CI: 0.3, 15.4). Women with all types of UTI reported 6.1 symptom days, 2.4 restricted-activity days, 1.6 office visits and laboratory tests, and spent $62 for treatment of UTI, based on prices of a subsidized student health service.
Health status of survivors of cardiac arrest and of myocardial infarction controls.
Authors: Bergner L , Hallstrom A P , Bergner M , Eisenberg M S , Cobb L A
Published: November 2008

We interviewed 308 survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and matched controls who had suffered a myocardial infarction. The Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) scores of controls were somewhat lower (better) than those of cases, but responses of cases and controls to additional questions about stair climbing, irritability and mood were virtually identical. Half as many (18 per cent) controls as cases (38 per cent) reported poorer memory function; nevertheless, 63 per cent of cases and 79 per cent of controls who had been working outside the home at the time of the event were employed at the time of the interview.
The effectiveness of smoking cessation methods for smokers in public health maternity clinics: a randomized trial.
Authors: Windsor R A , Cutter G , Morris J , Reese Y , Manzella B , Bartlett E E , Samuelson C , Spanos D
Published: November 2008

Little insight is available in the literature on how best to assist the pregnant smoker in public health maternity clinics to quit during pregnancy. A randomized pretest/posttest experiment was used to evaluate the effectiveness of two different self-help cessation methods. Three hundred and nine pregnant women from three public health maternity clinics were assigned randomly to one of three groups with one-third assigned to each: a control group; a group receiving the American Lung Association's Freedom From Smoking Manual; and those receiving A Pregnant Woman's Self-Help Guide to Quit Smoking. Using a saliva thiocyanate (SCN) and behavioral report at mid-pregnancy and end of pregnancy to confirm cessation or reduction, 2 per cent in the control group quit and 7 per cent reduced their SCN levels substantially. Of the women assigned to the ALA method, 6 per cent quit and 14 per cent reduced their SCN levels substantially. Of the women who used the Guide, 14 per cent quit and 17 per cent reduced their SCN levels substantially. Results of this trial indicate that health education methods tailored to the pregnant smoker are more effective in changing smoking behavior than the standard clinic information and advice to quit and/or the use of smoking cessation methods not tailored to the needs of the pregnant smoker.
Health practices and incident disability among the elderly.
Authors: Branch L G
Published: November 2008

This investigation examines the relationships between certain personal health practices and point-incident physical limitations over a five-year period among initially physically robust elders living in the communities. Slowed down physical activities (for elderly women) and a history of cigarette smoking (for elderly men) achieved associations with subsequent physical limitations; no firm associations between current lifestyle practices and onset of disability could be demonstrated.
The centralization of operations and access to treatment: total hip replacement in Manitoba.
Authors: Roos N P , Lyttle D
Published: November 2008

The impact of centralized facilities on access to care was tested by studying total hip arthroplasty in the Province of Manitoba, Canada. Data from the Manitoba Health Services Commission, which insures costs of all medical services in the Province, show that the availability of this surgical procedure has increased steadily over the 1973-78 period at a rate similar to that elsewhere in North America. Although Manitoba's population is geographically dispersed, specialized orthopedic services are concentrated in two urban centers. No important difference in access to care for this condition was found between urban center residents and residents distant from the surgical facilities.
Insuring preventive dental care: are sealants included?
Authors: Glasrud P H
Published: November 2008

Lack of third-party reimbursement for pit and fissure sealants has been cited as a barrier preventing increased adoption rates. The extent to which commercial insurance companies and Blue Cross/Blue Shield Associations provide reimbursement for dental sealants is examined with data from a telephone survey. Results indicate that the majority of such third-party payers did not provide reimbursement for sealants.
The Edgecombe County High Blood Pressure Control Program: III. Social support, social stressors, and treatment dropout.
Authors: Williams C A , Beresford S A , James S A , LaCroix A Z , Strogatz D S , Wagner E H , Kleinbaum D G , Cutchin L M , Ibrahim M A
Published: November 2008

In a hypertension prevalence survey of a stratified random sample of 1,000 households, 2,030 adults (aged 18 years and over) were interviewed and information on psychosocial variables collected. Among 359 hypertensives, there was a consistent relationship between indicators of difficulty in the social environment and dropout from treatment in women. Compared to those who remained in treatment, women who dropped out can be characterized as having less social support on the job, having less perceived spouse approval (if married), having a lower level of perceived access to supportive resources, and being more likely to report feeling pushed most or all of the time if they are homemakers. Relationships between indicators of social support and dropout from treatment in men were found only with support on the job, and for White men, with perceived friend approval.
Improving frequency and proficiency of breast self-examination: effectiveness of an education program.
Authors: Mamon J A , Zapka J G
Published: November 2008

A randomized trial to improve breast self-examination (BSE) performance among college-age women was developed and results evaluated at a large public university. The major intervention was a BSE group education session conducted in classroom and workshop settings. The pre-intervention and six-months-after experimental-control comparisons show that: current performance of BSE increased by 26 per cent, bi-monthly or more often BSE performance increased by 29 per cent, and performance proficiency improved by 22 per cent. A change index, adjusting for each group's level on these three measures at pre-intervention, showed higher levels of change; 57 per cent, 36 per cent, and 28 per cent, respectively. A significantly larger proportion of women in the experimental group discussed BSE with others than women in the control groups. The "talked to" mothers, compared to the "not talked to" mothers performed BSE more regularly, in more positions, and spent more time on the examination. The results from this study suggest that properly targeted educational programs can significantly improve early detection behaviors in women. In addition, the evaluation protocol defined proficiency measures and validated measurement tools. Subsequent studies need to examine the relation of proficiency measures to detection of abnormality and subsequent effect on morbidity and mortality, so that the debate about BSE efficacy can be scientifically addressed.
The elderly's private insurance coverage of nursing home care.
Authors: Cafferata G L
Published: November 2008

About 40 per cent of Medicare beneficiaries had private insurance coverage of skilled nursing facilities (SNF) in 1977. Data from the 1977 National Medical Care Expenditure Survey show that among such persons, about 85 per cent had full coverage of Medicare's Part A copayments for days 21-100 but only 15.7 per cent had maximum coverage of at least 365 days of care or a benefit of $100,000 or more. The most comprehensive benefits are found among persons with middle or high incomes; more generous first-dollar coverage is found in the North Central and South regions, and more generous maximums in the West.
Motor vehicle related injury on the bridges between Montreal and the South Shore of the St. Lawrence River, 1978-1982.
Authors: Brown B P , Salmi L R , Lecours S , Battista R N
Published: November 2008

The injury experience related to motor vehicle crashes on four bridges and one tunnel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from 1978 to 1982, are described. Particular attention is given to the Jacques Cartier Bridge, publicly perceived as being excessively dangerous. Data from the Quebec Automobile Insurance Board and police reports confirm an excess of deaths (19/34; rate ratio = 4.5) and severe injuries (69/109; rate ratio = 6.2) on the Jacques Cartier Bridge, and the association of 74 per cent of the fatalities and 64 per cent of the severe-injury cases on this bridge with a single curve. Crashes follow a consistent pattern; vehicles fail to negotiate the curve and strike vehicles moving in the opposite direction. The demonstrated association between crashes and design factors provides a basis for identifying effective remedial and preventive measures.
A prospective study of swimming-related illness. I. Swimming-associated health risk.
Authors: Seyfried P L , Tobin R S , Brown N E , Ness P F
Published: November 2008

During the summer of 1980, both swimmers and nonswimmers were enlisted in a prospective epidemiological study to determine the relationship between swimming, water quality, and the incidence of illness. Results of 4,537 telephone follow-up interviews showed that crude morbidity rates were 69.6 per 1,000 swimmers versus 29.5 per 1,000 nonswimmers. Swimmers experienced respiratory ailments most frequently, followed by gastrointestinal, eye, ear, skin, and allergenic symptoms, respectively.
Smallpox and biological warfare: the case for abandoning vaccination of military personnel.
Authors: Capps L , Vermund S H , Johnsen C
Published: November 2008

Smallpox was officially declared eradicated from the world in 1980. Earlier, in 1972, over 50 nations signed the Biological Weapons Convention renouncing this entire category of weapons. Despite this international agreement, both the United States and the Soviet Union continue to vaccinate their military troops against smallpox, thus implying that each fears the other might still use it in biological warfare. Vaccination is not a harmless procedure, and vaccinia infections continue to be reported in troops and their contacts. Negotiating an end to the vaccination of troops would be a final step in ending the fear of smallpox.
Occupationally related illness reported to a regional poison control center.
Authors: Blanc P D , Olson K R
Published: November 2008

The San Francisco Bay Area Regional Poison Control Center studied 189 cases of toxic workplace exposure occurring over a six-month period in the belief that Regional Poison Control Center reporting could be a useful surveillance measure for occupational disease. Dermatitis was a relatively uncommon occurrence, but systemic complaints were frequent, a pattern differing from that seen in standard occupational surveillance programs. As compared to chemically caused illness detected through a statewide physician reporting program in California, increases in proportional frequencies of certain industrial chemical causes were observed. A matching strategy utilizing the physician reporting system identified only 15.9 per cent of poison control center cases that appear to have been otherwise detected through established surveillance. A nationwide system of Regional Poison Control Centers already exists with a computerized data base in place. This study indicates that these centers could be utilized as a supplementary system for acute occupational illness related to chemical exposures.
Asbestos disease screening by non-specialists: results of an evaluation.
Authors: Zoloth S , Michaels D , Lacher M , Nagin D , Drucker E
Published: November 2008

We performed a medical audit of an asbestos disease screening program offered to New York City sheet metal workers by a corporate medical service. The screening program purported to evaluate the health status of workers exposed to asbestos in the past and present during construction and renovation of commercial buildings. Using current Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations as a benchmark, medical records for more than 800 workers who took the examination between 1982-83 were reviewed; x-ray interpretations of the staff radiologist were compared with the interpretations of specialists in occupational lung diseases. The audit found inadequate record-keeping procedures, a lack of a comprehensive occupational history, poor notification and absence of any form of health education. Further, there was an extreme lack of concordance between the staff radiologist and the specialist readers in the interpretation of x-rays (kappa = .14 for pleural disease and .26 for asbestosis). To an increasing extent, occupational clinical services are being provided by corporate medical groups; such groups may not be familiar with occupational health problems.
Adolescents and AIDS: a survey of knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about AIDS in San Francisco.
Authors: DiClemente R J , Zorn J , Temoshok L
Published: November 2008

To assess adolescents' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about AIDS in San Francisco, data were obtained from 1,326 adolescents. There was marked variability in knowledge across informational items, particularly about the precautionary measures to be taken during sexual intercourse which may reduce the risk of infection. We conclude that development and implementation of school health education programs on AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases are needed in this population.
Reproductive mortality in two developing countries.
Authors: Fortney J A , Susanti I , Gadalla S , Saleh S , Rogers S M , Potts M
Published: November 2008

Reproductive mortality includes mortality attributable to pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, childbirth and its sequelae, and contraception. Reproductive mortality has been estimated for the United Kingdom, the United States, and for states of the US. However, it has not previously been measured for developing countries, where maternal mortality often remains distressingly high. This paper reports on data from one governorate of Egypt, where reproductive mortality was 46 per 100,000 married women ages 15-49 (2.2 per cent of this was attributable to contraception), and one province of Indonesia, where reproductive mortality was 70 per 100,000 (of which 1.4 per cent was due to contraception). In both locations, complications of pregnancy and childbirth were a leading cause of death in the age group studied (the first cause in Indonesia, second in Egypt). Contraceptive prevalence was 24 per cent of married women ages 15-49 in Egypt and 48 per cent of this age group in Indonesia.
Accuracy of consumer performed in-home tests for early pregnancy detection.
Authors: Doshi M L
Published: November 2008

We investigated the accuracy of the in-home pregnancy test in early pregnancy detection. A total of 109 women volunteered to perform their own pregnancy test using one of three brands. Kit accuracy ranged from 45.7 per cent to 89.1 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval), differing from the 97.4 per cent average of manufacturer claims. Sensitivity was calculated at 56 per cent, while specificity was 83 per cent. Predictive value of a negative result was 56 per cent and the predictive value of a positive test was 83 per cent.
Evaluation of smoking prohibition policy in a health maintenance organization.
Authors: Rosenstock I M , Stergachis A , Heaney C
Published: November 2008

Four months after Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound adopted a policy prohibiting smoking in its 35 facilities, we assessed attitudes and behavior of a sample of 447 employees. Results indicated that 85 per cent of employees approved of the decision to go smoke-free, the rate of reported smoking decreased, and a large proportion of non-smokers believed that their own and co-workers' work performance had improved. Suggestions for successful implementation of future programs are provided.
Seizures in public places in New York City.
Authors: Neugebauer R , Oppenheimer G , Susser M
Published: November 2008

The frequency of police aid to persons experiencing seizures in public in New York City in 1977 was examined as an index of uncontrolled seizure disorders, and as a pointer to variations in seizure frequencies by age, sex, and ethnicity. The overall rate of assistance to persons with public seizures was 5.4 per 10,000 person years. For Blacks the rate was more than double that for Whites and "Hispanics" (10, 4.7, and 4 per 10,000 person years, respectively). Males were assisted about 2.5 times more often than females (8.2 vs 3.3 per 10,000 person years). Among Black males, young adults and those of late middle age had the most pronounced excess over White males of the same ages (26.1 and 23.1 vs 7.8 and 4.0, respectively, per 10,000 person years). These variations underscore an unmet need for medical care for seizures that is especially marked in particular ethnic, sex, and age groups.
Accidental firearm fatalities in North Carolina, 1976-80.
Authors: Morrow P L , Hudson P
Published: November 2008

All accidental gunshot fatalities in North Carolina were reviewed for the years 1976-80. There were 210 cases, of which 94 were self-inflicted and 116 were inflicted by others. Young white males predominated as victims, 31 per cent under the age of 15. Sixty-five per cent of the accidents occurred in the home and 18 per cent occurred in rural, "hunting" locations. Forty-one per cent of the cases involved shotguns, 39 per cent involved handguns, and 16 per cent, rifles. Sixteen per cent of the accidents involved children playing with guns and 14 per cent involved dropped or mishandled weapons. During the same period, there were 2,553 suicides and 2,509 homicides by firearm. Gunshot fatalities are an important American public health problem.
Amebic infections in asymptomatic homosexual men, lack of evidence of invasive disease.
Authors: Sorvillo F J , Strassburg M A , Seidel J , Visvesvara G S , Mori K , Todd A , Portigal L , Finn M , Agee B A
Published: November 2008

A survey for enteric infections in 140 asymptomatic homosexual men who attended a community clinic revealed a high prevalence of infection with Entamoeba histolytica (27.1 per cent) and Giardia lamblia (15.7 per cent). In contrast, the prevalence of elevated indirect hemagglutination (IHA) titers (greater than or equal to 1:128), which indicate invasive amebiasis, was low (5.7 per cent). Our findings suggest that only a limited amount of invasive amebic disease is occurring in this group of homosexual men.
PRESENCE OF A SPORE-BEARING ÆROBIC GAS-FORMING BACILLUS IN BALTIMORE CITY DRINKING WATER
Authors: Ewing C. Leroy
Published: November 2008

In a paper that has the additional merit of brevity Mr. Ewing goes direct to his point, tells what he has seen and suggests that weather may be related to results.
THE HEALTH OFFICER AND THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAW
Authors: Craster Charles V.
Published: November 2008

“Health officers need the wisdom of a Solomon, the patience of a Job, and the shrewdness of a Sherlock Holmes,” said one of them out of his own experience. Dr. Craster here supports this idea in part and presents some of the intricacies of health administration.
Use of Bioluminescent Imaging to Assay the Transplantation of Immortalized Human Fetal Hepatocytes into Mice
Authors: Choi Moon Seok , Catana Andreea M. , Wu Jian , Kim Young Seok , Yoon Sang Jeong , Borowsky Alexander D. , Gambhir Sanjiv S. , Gupta Sanjeev , Zern Mark A.
Published: November 2008

Noninvasive serial monitoring of the fate of transplanted cells would be invaluable to evaluate the potential therapeutic use of human hepatocyte transplantation. Therefore, we assessed the feasibility of bioluminescent imaging using double or triple fusion lentiviral vectors in a NOD-SCID mouse model transplanted with immortalized human fetal hepatocytes. Lentiviral vectors driven by the CMV promoter were constructed carrying reporter genes: firefly luciferase and green fluorescence protein with or without herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase. Human fetal hepatocytes immortalized by telomerase reconstitution (FH-hTERT) were successfully transduced with either of these fusion vectors. Two million stably transduced cells selected by fluorescence-activated cell sorting were injected into the spleens of NOD-SCID mice pre-treated with methylcholanthrene and monocrotaline. The transplanted mice were serially imaged with a bioluminescence charged-coupled device camera after D-luciferin injection. Bioluminescence signal intensity was highest on day 3 (6.10 ± 2.02 × 105 p/s/cm2/sr, mean ± SEM), but decreased to 2.26 ± 1.54 × 105 and 7.47 ± 3.09 × 104 p/s/cm2/sr on day 7 and 10, respectively (p = 0.001). ELISA for human albumin in mice sera showed that levels were similar to those of control mice on day 2 (3.25 ± 0.92 vs. 2.84 ± 0.59 ng/ml, mean ± SEM), peaked at 18.04 ±3.11 ng/ml on day 7, and decreased to 8.93 ± 1.40 and 3.54 ± 0.87 ng/ml on day 14 and 21, respectively (p = 0.02). Real-time quantitative RT-PCR showed gene expression levels of human albumin, α1-antitrypsin, and transferrin in mouse liver were 60.7 ± 6.5%, 26.0 ± 1.4%, and 156.8 ± 62.4% of those of primary human adult hepatocytes, respectively, and immunohistochemistry revealed cells with human albumin and α1-antitrypsin expression in the mouse liver. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that bioluminescent imaging appears to be a sensitive, noninvasive modality for serial monitoring of transplanted hepatic stem cells.
Trait impulsivity in a forensic inpatient sample: An evaluation of the barratt impulsiveness scale
Authors: Haden Sara C. , Shiva Andrew
Published: November 2008

Impulsivity is a fundamental component of psychopathology and an essential trait to consider when working with forensic populations. Nevertheless, impulsivity has not been widely studied in psychiatric forensic patients. The current study evaluated the use of a self‐report measure of impulsivity, the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS‐11), in a sample of 425 male forensic psychiatric inpatients with varying degrees of psychopathology and criminality. Patients also completed a measure of psychopathology, the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI). Descriptive information and psychometric properties of the BIS‐11 are presented. The primary findings were elevated Nonplanning versus Motor and Attentional Impulsiveness, and strong associations between impulsiveness and various psychopathologies. Using principal component analysis, the factor structure of the BIS‐11 was also evaluated. Results failed to support the previously identified factor structure of impulsivity. The meaning of the revised scales and utility of the BIS‐11 in this population is discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis and Structural and Physicochemical Characterization of {[Rh2(μ‐OOCCH3)2(dmbpy)2][BF4]}n Molecular Wire
Authors: Rak Magdalena , Pruchnik Florian P. , Ciunik Leszek Z. , Lafolet Frédéric , Chardon‐Noblat Sylvie , Deronzier Alain
Published: November 2008

Dinuclear RhII compounds [Rh2(μ‐OOCCH3)2(dmbpy)2(H2O)2](CH3COO)2 (1) and [Rh2(μ‐OOCCH3)2(dmbpy)2(H2O)2](BF4)2·2.5H2O (2) (dmbpy = 4,4′‐dimethyl‐2,2′‐bipyridine) were synthesized and characterized with spectroscopic methods. The structure of complex 2 was determined by using X‐ray crystallography. The rhodium atoms in compound 2 have distorted octahedral coordination with O and N atoms in equatorial positions and a Rh atom and a H2O molecule in axial coordination sites. Reduction of compound 2 with aqueous alcohols leads to the formation of the molecular wire {[Rh2(μ‐OOCCH3)2(dmbpy)2][BF4]}n·2nH2O (3) containing a [Rh2]3+ core. Compound 3 shows strong antiferromagnetic properties, J = –780 cm–1 and μ = 0.128–1.349 B.M. in the range 1.8–300 K. The electrochemistry of compound 2 in acetonitrile was investigated. Complex 2 is irreversibly oxidized to a RhIII compound at Epa = 1.5 V and reduced to a wire with a [Rh4]6+ core at E1/2 = –0.87 V showing the same properties as those of the product obtained during chemical reduction.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)
Homotopy analysis method for fully developed MHD micropolar fluid flow between vertical porous plates
Authors: Abdulaziz O. , Noor N. F. M. , Hashim I.
Published: November 2008

In this paper, the fully developed natural convection of MHD micropolar fluid flow between two vertical porous plates is considered. The coupled system of non‐linear differential equations governing the flow is solved analytically by the homotopy analysis method (HAM). The HAM contains an auxiliary parameter ℏ, which provides us with a simple way to adjust and control the convergence region and rate of convergence of the series solution. Velocity, microrotation and temperature profiles are presented for several values of the Hartmann number and the micropolar parameter. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pro‐poor payments for environmental services: Challenges for the government and administrative agencies in Vietnam
Authors: Thuy Pham Thu , Ha Hoang Minh , Campbell Bruce M.
Published: November 2008

Governments and administrative agencies are likely to play critical roles in determining the success or failure of payments for environmental services (PES) that are directed at the poor. Using Vietnam as a case study, this article explores the roles, progress and likely impact of the government and the administration in the design and implementation of pro‐poor PES. The article focuses on the extent to which it is possible to address the high transaction costs involved and the issue of insecure land tenure, as two major constraints to pro‐poor PES. The discussion is based on a literature review, open‐ended interviews, and a stakeholder workshop. Although pro‐poor PES are welcomed by the government, their implementation is difficult because of overlapping structures and functions, critical gaps in PES policies and a limited understanding of them by decision makers, the private sector and communities. Multi‐sectoral approaches and further studies to support policy development and capacity building at the local level are necessary to develop pro‐poor PES. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Posterior nasal septal abscess in a healthy adult patient
Authors: George A , Smith W K , Kumar S , Pfleiderer A G
Published: November 2008

Objective:

We report an extremely rare case of bilateral posterior nasal septal abscess in an otherwise healthy adult patient.

Method:

Case report and a review of the world literature concerning atraumatic nasal septal abscess and its management.

Results:

The development of an atraumatic nasal septal abscess is rare, but it has been reported in association with acute sinusitis, in patients with poor immunity and in children. The presentation, clinical course and treatment are discussed in the presented patient.

Conclusion:

To our knowledge, this is the first report in the world literature of a bilateral posterior septal abscess associated with acute sinusitis in an otherwise healthy adult.
Short‐hairpin‐RNA‐mediated silencing of fucosyltransferase 8 in Chinese‐hamster ovary cells for the production of antibodies with enhanced antibody immune effector function
Authors: Beuger Vincent , Künkele Klaus‐Peter , Koll Hans , Gärtner Achim , Bähner Monika , Burtscher Helmut , Klein Christian
Published: November 2008

Antibody‐producing Chinese‐hamster ovary cells (CHO‐DG44) were converted into cells producing antibodies with strongly enhanced ADCC (antibody‐dependent cellular cytotoxicity) by knocking down FuT8 (α‐1,6‐fucosyltransferase or fucosyltransferase 8) via constitutive expression of shRNA (short‐hairpin RNA) against FuT8. After the introduction of a FuT8 shRNA expression plasmid under the control of a U6 promoter, CHO‐DG44 clones with less than 5% residual FuT8 mRNA expression were isolated by selection for neomycin resistance, followed by low affinity nerve growth factor receptor enrichment and selection for LCA [Lens culinaris (culinary lentil) agglutinin] resistance. The CHO‐DG44 clones identified produced highly afucosylated anti‐[IGF‐1R (insulin‐like‐growth‐factor‐1 receptor)] antibodies (up to 88%) that exhibited considerably enhanced ADCC compared with anti‐IGF‐1R wild‐type antibodies produced by parental CHO cells. At the same time, antibody productivity was not significantly decreased. Analysis of stability showed that the clones obtained may be suitable for up‐scaling, since low residual levels of FuT8 mRNA and production of afucosylated antibodies were maintained for at least 4 weeks.
MY01, a class XIV myosin, affects developmentally‐regulated elimination of the macronucleus during conjugation of Tetrahymena thermophila
Authors: Garcés Jonathan , Hosein Roland E. , Gavin Ray H.
Published: November 2008

Background information. Nuclear dimorphism is characteristic of ciliated protozoa. A transcriptionally‐active macronucleus co‐exists with a transcriptionally‐silent micronucleus, which is activated only at conjugation. During conjugation, each conjugant develops two new genetically matched macronuclei and micronuclei, and the pre‐existing macronucleus is eliminated. Elimination of the pre‐existing macronucleus during conjugation is an apoptotic‐like process. The macronucleus becomes highly condensed, DNA laddering occurs, caspase activity increases, acidic enzymes accumulate within the nucleoplasm, and the nucleus shrinks in size. The current study focused on the involvement of actin and myosin in nuclear events of conjugation. A myosin knockout strain was mated with wild‐type, and the nuclear events were monitored with confocal microscopy.

Results. Early nuclear events, including development of new macronuclei and micronuclei, appeared qualitatively normal in knockout conjugants. Completion of nuclear condensation and acidification in the pre‐existing macronucleus was blocked in 44% of knockout conjugants. Knockout conjugants that failed to fully achieve nuclear condensation and acidification did not eliminate the pre‐existing macronucleus. In control experiments, blockage of chromatin condensation, nuclear acidification, and macronuclear elimination was never observed in wild‐type conjugants.

Conclusions. Perturbation of either DNA fragmentation, chromatin condensation or nuclear acidification can lead to blockage of apoptotic‐like elimination of the macronucleus in MYO1‐knockout conjugants. Consistent with the known motor function of myosins and the involvement of Myo1 in vesicle trafficking in Tetrahymena, we argue that Myo1 could specifically affect condensation of chromatin and acidification of the nucleus through direct interaction with chromatin and through Myo1‐dependent vesicle trafficking to the nucleus.
Body sizes, activity times, food habits and reproduction of brown tree snakes (Boiga irregularis) (Serpentes:Colubridae) from tropical north Queensland, Australia
Authors: Trembath D. F. , Fearn S.
Published: November 2008

Brown tree snakes (Boiga irregularis) are medium to large colubrid snakes that are relatively common within the eastern and northern parts of tropical Australia. An invasive population on Guam in the western Pacific has resulted in B. irregularis being one of the most studied snakes on earth. However, no field studies have ever been conducted on Australian populations. During a seven-year period we collected data on 265 field-caught specimens in north Queensland. These snakes were from three populations and provided data on body sizes, activity times, food habits and reproduction. B. irregularis were found to attain larger body sizes in the Wet Tropics populations than in the Townsville and Magnetic Island populations. More snakes were encountered during the wet and warm season than during the dry and cool season. Sexual size dimorphism was not detected in any population. The diet included a wide range of vertebrates. Reproductive data were scant from the populations examined.
Oral Toxicity and Bacterial Mutagenicity Studies with a Spunbond Polyethylene and Polyethylene Terephthalate Polymer Fabric
Authors: Merski Jerome A. , Johnson William D. , Muzzio Miguel , Lyang Nei-Long , Gaworski Charles L.
Published: November 2008

Spunbond, nonwoven fabrics consisting of polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate, which meet food contact requirements, may be used as pouch materials for products containing food and/or flavor ingredients that are held in the mouth. In these situations ingestion may occur, resulting in exposure to the fabric and potentially antimony, a catalyst used in polyethylene terephthalate. To assess potential adverse effects when such a material is ingested, a 13week dietary study in Sprague-Dawley CD rats and a Salmonella reverse mutation assay were conducted. Ground fabric was dosed at target concentrations of 0.5%, 2.5%, and 5% in the dietary study. Antimony trioxide in the polyethylene terephthalate was used to determine the test material concentration in the diet and was also assessed for bioavailability. Detectable levels of antimony were found in 2/20 blood samples of control rats, and in 20/20 high-dose group rats. No toxicologically relevant treatment related effects were observed in any of end points evaluated in the feeding study. In the mutagenicity assay, ground fabric was extracted in phosphate buffered saline or dimethysulfoxide and tested in Salmonella strains TA98, TA100, TA102, TA1535, and TA1537 with and without S9 activation. No mutagenic response was observed at any dose level tested. These results demonstrate that repeated daily ingestion of a spunbond, nonwoven polymer fabric consisting of polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate for up to 13 weeks is well tolerated in rats, with no apparent target-organ toxicity at dietary levels up to 5%, and that fabric extracts are not mutagenic in a bacterial reverse mutation assay.
Preclinical Safety and Pharmacology of an Anti-Human Interleukin-13 Monoclonal Antibody in Normal Macaques and in Macaques with Allergic Asthma
Authors: Martin Pauline L. , Fisher Dusti , Glass William , O’Neil Karyn , Das Anuk , Martin Elise C. , Li Li
Published: November 2008

Interleukin-13 (IL-13) plays a central role in chronic airway diseases, including asthma. These studies were conducted to evaluate the safety of administration of a human anti-IL-13 monoclonal antibody (mAb) to normal macaques and in macaques with allergic asthma. In addition, serum and bronchioalveolar lavage fluid were collected from allergic cynomolgus macaques in order to identify potential surrogate markers of IL-13 pharmacology that could be useful for subsequent clinical trials. In vitro studies demonstrated that the anti-IL-13 mAb inhibited the pharmacological actions of both human and cynomolgus macaque IL-13. Allergic macaques were treated systemically with 10 mg/kg anti-IL-13 mAb 1 day prior to inhaled Ascaris suum antigen challenge. Normal macaques were dosed intravenously with anti-IL-13 once per week for 3 weeks at doses of 10 or 50 mg/kg. Treatment of macaques with the anti-IL-13 mAb was not associated with any toxicologically significant findings. A slight treatment-related but nonadverse decrease in platelet counts was observed in both the normal and allergic macaques. In allergic macaques, the anti-IL-13 mAb treatment did not affect lung function, lung eosinophilia, or serum or BAL immunoglobulin E (IgE) concentrations but did produce a reduction in BAL and serum eotaxin concentrations ( p < .05) at 6 h post antigen challenge. This study shows that administration of an anti-IL-13 mAb was well tolerated in both normal and allergic asthmatic macaques and that serum eotaxin concentrations may be a useful early in vivo marker for evaluating IL-13 inhibition in patients with asthma.
Studies of the Toxicological Potential of Capsinoids: II. A 26-Week Daily Gavage Dosing Toxicity Study of CH-19 Sweet Extract in Rats
Authors: Kodama Terutaka , Watanabe Eri , Masuyama Takeshi , Tsubuku Shoji , Otabe Akira , Mochizuki Masahiro , Bernard Bruce K.
Published: November 2008

A 26-week oral toxicity study of capsinoids-containing CH-19 Sweet extract was conducted in Sprague-Dawley rats (20 males and 20 females per group) at 6 weeks of age. The test substance was administered by gavage for 26 weeks at dose levels of 0 (vehicle), 1.25, 2.5, and 5.0 ml/kg/day. The concentration of capsinoids in the CH-19 Sweet extract employed was 71.25 to 73.15 mg/ml, resulting in dose levels of capsinoids of 89.06 to 91.44, 178.13 to 182.88, and 356.25 to 365.75 mg/kg, respectively. Adverse test article–related changes were only observed in males, not in females, and within the males, only at the high dose (5.0 ml/kg). Within that group (high-dose males), increases were observed in the numbers of segmented neutrophils, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities, liver weights, and in the incidence and severity of hepatocellular focal necrosis. No test substance–related changes were detected in clinical signs, body weight, food consumption, water intake, ophthalmology, or urinalysis. No adverse test article–related changes were observed in low- or mid-dose males or in females at any dose. Based on the results of this chronic gavage study, the target organ was the liver and the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) for CH-19 Sweet extract in the rat was 2.5 ml/kg/day in males and 5.0 ml/kg/day in females (178.13 to 182.88 mg/kg and 356.25 to 365.75 mg/kg as capsinoids, respectively).
Studies of the Toxicological Potential of Capsinoids: III. A Two-Generation Reproduction Study of CH-19 Sweet Extract in Rats
Authors: Kodama Terutaka , Watanabe Eri , Masuyama Takeshi , Tsubuku Shoji , Otabe Akira , Katsumata Yoshihiro , Bernard Bruce K.
Published: November 2008

CH-19 Sweet extract, containing 66.5 to 75.05 mg/ml capsinoids, was administered once daily by gavage, to two generations of male and female Sprague-Dawley rats, at dose levels of 0 (vehicle), 1.25, 2.5, and 5.0 ml/kg/day (83.13 to 93.81,166.25 to 187.63, and 332.50 to 375.25 mg/kg as capsinoids, respectively) in order to determine its potential reproductive effects. In the first generation (F0) males and females, there were no test substance–related deaths, toxic changes, gross pathological findings, or adverse findings in clinical signs, body weight, or food consumption. There were no test substance–related effects on estrous cycles, copulation index, days required for copulation, fertility index, number of implantations, gestation period, number of liveborn pups, delivery index, stillbirth index, livebirth index, or lactation or nursing. In the second generation (F1), there were no test substance–related changes observed in clinical signs, body weights, sex ratios at birth, external abnormalities, differences in survival at any point from birth to weaning, and no deaths after weaning. There were no changes suggestive of adverse test substance–induced effects on body weight, food consumption, or external differentiation after birth, and there was no test substance–related damage on sensory/reflex functions. As with the first generation, there were no test substance–related effects on reproductive indices, in the offspring, no untoward effects on development, viability during the lactation period, body weight, external differentiation, or sensory/reflex functions, and there were no gross morphological abnormalities. Based on these results, the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of CH-19 Sweet extract on the reproductive function and growth of offspring in this two generation study was judged to be 5.0 ml/kg/day (332.50 to 375.25 mg/kg as capsinoids).
How Reciprocal was the Business–Government Relationship? The Wedge of Competition in Early Industrializing Japan
Authors: Staden Peter von
Published: November 2008

The literature on early industrializing Japan characterizes the business–government relationship in antithetical terms of “cooperation” or “independence.” The first position advances that interaction between these actors is largely covert and mutually beneficial and the second characterizes business as ever chary of government interference. These positions have been brought under the framework of “Reciprocal Consent” where government accords business control of industry while retaining its jurisdictional remit. It is argued that this arrangement observed in Japan's energy industry emerged because government was not a financial stakeholder. By contrast, in the iron and steel industry under study here, government was the primary stakeholder. The Shingikai or Councils of Deliberation records show that in the early development of this industry, economics played a central role in shaping the business–government relationship and setting the limits of “reciprocity”.
A phenomenological model for the collective landing of bird flocks
Authors: Daruka István
Published: November 2008

A three-dimensional phenomenological model was developed to describe the collective landing of bird flocks. The employed individual based model included the landscape (as an external field) and a continuous internal variableG, to characterize the landing intent of the birds. The birds' interaction with the landscape was coupled adaptively to their landing intent. During the flight, a sharp crossover is observed in the dynamics of the landing intent, i.e. from the initial, non-landing state (smallG) to the landing state (largeG) that was terminated by the landing of the flock. In the model, the landing process appears to be a highly concerted, collective motion of the birds, in agreement with the field observations.
Two cases of subungual melanoma in situ
Authors: IMAKADO Sumihisa , SATO Hiroyuki , HAMADA Kazutoshi
Published: November 2008

Melanonychia, which is characterized by brown or black pigmentation within the nail plate, includes heterogeneous conditions such as pigmented nevus, subungual melanoma and lentigo. We treated two cases of subungual melanoma in situ. One case was a 58‐year‐old woman who suffered from a malignant melanoma in situ of the left third fingernail, who had also suffered from melanonychia of the fingers for more than 30 years. She had a past history of carcinoma of the uterine cervix. The other patient was a 42‐year‐old man, who suffered from a malignant melanoma in situ of the right fifth fingernail. He had a past history of carcinoma of the stomach for which he had undergone surgery 2 years earlier. Both cases were accompanied by Hutchinson's sign on the fingertip skin, and the presence of this sign led to the correct diagnosis of subungual melanoma in situ. Judging from previously reported cases, it is unlikely that patients with malignant melanoma have an increased risk of carcinoma of the uterine cervix or of the stomach.