bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Porosity–permeability relationships in Miocene carbonate platforms and slopes seaward of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia (ODP Leg 194, Marion Plateau)
Authors: EHRENBERG STEPHEN N. , EBERLI GREGOR P. , BAECHLE GREGOR
Published: November 2006

This paper reports a series of 700 porosity–permeability analyses and supporting petrographic and sedimentologic descriptions from Early to Late Miocene carbonate strata cored on the Marion Plateau, offshore from north‐eastern Australia, during Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 194. The samples analysed are not only mainly coarse bioclastic limestones and dolomitized equivalents from platform‐top facies, but also include 79 plugs from deeper‐water slope to hemipelagic drift facies. Outstanding characteristics of this data set are the wide ranges of porosity and permeability in both limestones and dolostones, the large degree of short‐range heterogeneity typical of these strata, and the better porosity–permeability correlation of dolostones than limestones. The platforms have experienced widely varying calcite cementation, dolomitization and dissolution but show little clear evidence of meteoric diagenesis, suggesting that subaerial exposure may have played little role in porosity–permeability evolution. Permeability‐for‐given‐porosity is controlled by grain size and calcite cement content in grainstones and by occurrence of larger shelter pores and vugs in mud‐rich samples. Dolomitization tends to reduce the variation of permeability‐for‐given‐porosity by recrystallizing mud matrix to form intercrystalline macroporosity that connects vugs and moulds to become integrated with the effective pore system. As a result, there are no differences in permeability–porosity trends for different dolostone textures, whether dominated by intercrystalline, vuggy, or preserved intergranular pore types. Two platform‐top sites separated by only 5 km display a major lateral variation in dolostone porosity–permeability characteristics within the youngest dolostone units. This difference is interpreted as reflecting a relatively ‘windward’ (current‐facing) setting of the site with the overall higher permeability‐for‐given‐porosity (Site 1199) that led to less muddy depositional facies, greater cementation, and lesser grain dissolution. Pore‐geometry parameters measured by petrographic image analysis confirm that the ‘windward’ dolostones have pores that are both larger and less intricate than dolostones comprising the more current‐protected location.
Zircon and whole‐rock Nd‐Pb isotopic provenance of Middle and Upper Ordovician siliciclastic rocks, Argentine Precordillera
Authors: GLEASON JAMES D. , FINNEY STANLEY C. , PERALTA SILVIO H. , GEHRELS GEORGE E. , MARSAGLIA KATHLEEN M.
Published: November 2006

Graptolite‐bearing Middle and Upper Ordovician siliciclastic facies of the Argentine Precordillera fold‐thrust belt record the disintegration of a long‐lived Cambro‐Mid Ordovician carbonate platform into a series of tectonically partitioned basins. A combination of stratigraphic, petrographic, U‐Pb detrital zircon, and Nd‐Pb whole‐rock isotopic data provide evidence for a variety of clastic sediment sources. Four Upper Ordovician quartzo‐lithic sandstones collected in the eastern and central Precordillera yield complex U‐Pb zircon age spectra dominated by 1·05–1·10 Ga zircons, secondary populations of 1·22, 1·30, and 1·46 Ga, rare 2·2 and 1·8 Ga zircons, and a minor population (<2%) of concordant zircons in the 600–700 Ma range. Archaean‐age grains comprise <1% of all zircons analysed from these rocks. In contrast, a feldspathic arenite from the Middle Ordovician Estancia San Isidro Formation of the central Precordillera has two well‐defined peaks at 1·41 and 1·43 Ga, with no grains in the 600–1200 Ma range and none older than 1·70 Ga. The zircon age spectrum in this unit is similar to that of a Middle Cambrian quartz arenite from the La Laja Formation, suggesting that local basement rocks were a regional source of ca 1·4 Ga detrital zircons in the Precordillera Terrane from the Cambrian onwards. The lack of grains younger than 600 Ma in Upper Ordovician units reinforces petrographic data indicating that Ordovician volcanic arc sources did not supply significant material directly to these sedimentary basins. Nd isotopic data (n = 32) for Middle and Upper Ordovician graptolitic shales from six localities define a poorly mixed signal [ɛNd(450 Ma) = −9·6 to −4·5] that becomes more regionally homogenized in Upper Ordovician rocks (−6·2 ± 1·0; TDM = 1·51 ± 0·15 Ga; n = 17), a trend reinforced by the U‐Pb detrital zircon data. It is concluded that proximal, recycled orogenic sources dominated the siliciclastic sediment supply for these basins, consistent with rapid unroofing of the Precordillera Terrane platform succession and basement starting in Mid Ordovician time. Common Pb data for Middle and Upper Ordovician shales from the western and eastern Precordillera (n = 15) provide evidence for a minor (<30%) component that was likely derived from a high‐μ (U/Pb) terrane.
The influence of salt withdrawal subsidence on palaeosol maturity and cyclic fluvial deposition in the Upper Triassic Chinle Formation: Castle Valley, Utah
Authors: PROCHNOW SHANE J. , ATCHLEY STACY C. , BOUCHER THOMAS E. , NORDT LEE C. , HUDEC MICHAEL R.
Published: November 2006

Integrated fluvial sequence stratigraphic and palaeosol analysis can be used to better reconstruct depositional systems, but these approaches have not been combined to examine halokinetic minibasins. This study characterizes the temporal and spatial patterns of lithofacies and palaeosols in a sequence stratigraphic framework to reconstruct a model of minibasin evolution and identify halokinetic influences on fluvial deposition. This research documents fluvial cycles and stratigraphic hierarchy, palaeosol maturity and apparent sediment accumulation rates in the Chinle Formation within the Big Bend minibasin. This study also uses palaeosols to help identify fluvial aggradational cycle (FAC) sets. The Chinle is divided into two hectometre‐scale (102 m) fluvial sequences, six decametre‐scale (101 m) FAC sets, and variable numbers of metre‐scale FACs depending on proximity to the minibasin. Ten pedotypes representing 225 palaeosol profiles are recognized. The pedotypes include palaeosols similar to modern Entisols, Inceptisols, Aridisols, Vertisols and Alfisols. A maturity index (1–5) is assigned to each pedotype to assess its variability in palaeosol development. Estimated palaeosol development time is used to approximate apparent sediment accumulation rates. Increased subsidence resulted in a greater number and thicker FACs, thicker FAC sets and fluvial sequence sections, and lithofacies associations reflecting more rapid sedimentation along the minibasin axis. Palaeocurrent indicators converge towards the minibasin axis and indicate that it formed and drifted through time. Relative palaeosol maturity is inversely related to stratal thickness, and decreases towards the minibasin where episodic burial by fluvial sediment was more frequent. Metre‐scale FACs are most abundant towards the minibasin axis, and locally have Entisols and Inceptisols developed upon their upper boundaries reflecting increased sediment accumulation rates. Areas outside the minibasin are characterized by fewer FACs that are associated with more mature palaeosols. Palaeosol‐derived apparent sediment accumulation rates are as much as two orders of magnitude greater within the minibasin than in marginal areas. The combined stratigraphic, palaeocurrent and palaeosol evidence is used to develop a model for the evolution of the Big Bend minibasin that illustrates the halokinetic affect on fluvial and landscape processes.
A point‐sourced calciclastic submarine fan complex (Eocene Anotz Formation, western Pyrenees): facies architecture, evolution and controlling factors
Authors: PAYROS AITOR , PUJALTE VICTORIANO , ORUE‐ETXEBARRIA XABIER
Published: November 2006

A complete transect of a fossil carbonate ramp slope has been reconstructed using outcrop data from the Lower‐Middle Eocene Anotz Formation in the western Pyrenees. The Anotz Formation contains four calciclastic (mostly bioclastic) members encased within hemipelagic marl/limestone alternations, each calciclastic member representing a submarine fan system. Individual fans are composed of a gullied upper slope, a leveed feeder channel, a channelized lobe area, an unconfined lobe zone and a peripheral lobe fringe that grades downcurrent into basinal deposits. Quantitative data on the dimensions and degree of lateral continuity and vertical connectivity of the Anotz calciclastic fan elements are presented. These data provide information for a better understanding of the intrinsic nature of calciclastic submarine fans and to model their reservoir potential. The long‐term evolution of the Anotz carbonate slope was generally progradational, as evidenced by the four discrete episodes of calciclastic‐fan development. The location of the fans was controlled by the synsedimentary tectonic activity of the Pamplona fault, which created a slope valley along which the reworked shallow‐water calciclastic sediments were funnelled. In addition, episodic basinward tilting of the shallow‐water carbonate ramp, linked to the development of the South Pyrenean foreland basin, switched on and off the process of calciclastic resedimentation and determined the growth or abandonment of the fan systems.
Stylolites, porosity, depositional texture, and silicates in chalk facies sediments. Ontong Java Plateau – Gorm and Tyra fields, North Sea
Authors: FABRICIUS IDA L. , BORRE MAI K.
Published: November 2006

Comparison of chalk on the Ontong Java Plateau and chalk in the Central North Sea indicates that, whereas pressure dissolution is controlled by effective burial stress, pore‐filling cementation is controlled by temperature. Effective burial stress is caused by the weight of all overlying water and sediments as counteracted by the pressure in the pore fluid, so the regional overpressure in the Central North Sea is one reason why the two localities have different relationships between temperature and effective burial stress. In the chalk of the Ontong Java Plateau the onset of calcite‐silicate pressure dissolution around 490 m below sea floor (bsf) corresponds to an interval of waning porosity‐decline, and even the occurrence of proper stylolites from 830 m bsf is accompanied by only minor porosity reduction. Because opal is present, the pore‐water is relatively rich in Si which through the formation of Ca–silica complexes causes an apparent super‐saturation of Ca and retards cementation. The onset of massive pore‐filling cementation at 1100 m bsf may be controlled by the temperature‐dependent transition from opal‐CT to quartz. In the stylolite‐bearing chalk of two wells in the Gorm and Tyra fields, the nannofossil matrix shows recrystallization but only minor pore‐filling cement, whereas microfossils are cemented. Cementation in Gorm and Tyra is thus partial and has apparently not been retarded by opal‐controlled pore‐water. A possible explanation is that, due to the relatively high temperature, silica has equilibrated to quartz before the onset of pressure dissolution and thus, in this case, dissolution and precipitation of calcite have no lag. This temperature versus effective burial stress induced difference in diagenetic history is of particular relevance when exploring for hydrocarbons in normally pressured chalk, while most experience has been accumulated in the over‐pressured chalk of the central North Sea.
Immunosuppressive standards in simultaneous kidney–pancreas transplantation
Authors: Schmied B.M. , Müller S.A. , Mehrabi A. , Welsch Th , Büchler M.W. , Zeier M. , Schmidt J
Published: November 2006

Abstract: Simultaneous pancreas–kidney transplantation is an established procedure for patients with type I diabetes and end‐stage renal disease. Continuous advances in the operation techniques with consequent reduction of perioperative morbidity and mortality and the introduction of modern immunosuppressive agents improved not only patients but also graft survival and significantly decreased rejection episodes of both kidney and pancreas grafts. Availability of a variety of new immunosuppressants in the clinical routine and increasing experience of the transplant specialists allowed further developments of therapeutic schemes with application of induction and maintenance immunosuppressive protocols. In this article, we summarize the current status of immunosuppressive regimens in simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplantation.
Hepatitis C virus re‐infection: new perspectives
Authors: Sprinzl Martin F , Otto Gerd , Galle Peter R , Schuchmann Marcus
Published: November 2006

Abstract:  Hepatitis C virus (HCV) re‐infection of the liver graft has been recognized to be one of the most important factors that determines prognosis and outcome after liver transplantation in HCV‐positive patients. Graft loss due to recurrent HCV re‐cirrhosis and subsequent hepatic decompensation, which is the predominant cause of death among transplant recipients, reflects the prognostic significance of HCV re‐infection. Despite better overall outcome after liver transplantation, the prognosis of HCV‐infected patients has not improved during the last two decades. Recent data suggest that increased liver donor age and intensified immunosuppression of transplant patients are the most important contributors to this situation. Other prognostic factors need further confirmation to stratify risk constellations. As HCV cirrhosis has also become the leading indication for orthotopic liver transplantation, the therapeutic management of HCV re‐infection is a central issue of liver transplantation. The antiviral approaches based on interferon (IFN) alpha and ribavirin combinations are still hampered by high toxicity and low efficacy. Sustained viral response rates are still as low as approximately 10–30% and further prospective clinical trials are mandatory to identify the best time point and schedule of antiviral treatment in transplant patients.
OAS1 gene haplotype confers susceptibility to multiple sclerosis
Authors: Fedetz M. , Matesanz F. , Caro‐Maldonado A. , Fernandez O. , Tamayo J. A. , Guerrero M. , Delgado C. , López‐Guerrero J. A. , Alcina A.
Published: November 2006

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with genetic susceptibility and unknown environmental triggers, possible viral infections, but the specific etiological mechanism that subsequently develops into an inflammatory/autoimmune cascade of events is poorly understood. Recently, genetic variants of 2′,5′‐ oligoadenylate synthetase 1 (OAS1) gene, a critical enzyme involved in innate antivirus response, have been associated with differential enzyme activity and type 1 diabetes in both case–control and family studies. We hypothesized that polymorphisms in the OAS1 gene could influence the susceptibility to MS. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a case–control study of 333 patients with MS and 424 healthy controls and genotyped two OAS1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) by restriction fragment length polymorphism method: rs 10774671, A/G SNP altering the splicing site at the seventh exon, and rs 3741981, a nonsynonymous (Ser162Gly) A/G SNP in the third exon. Haplotype but not single‐marker analysis revealed an association of the haplotype created by the G allele at rs 10774671 and the A allele at rs 3741981 with the susceptibility to MS (P value = 8.8 × 10−5). Subjects carrying this haplotype had an increased risk of MS comparing with those not carrying it (odds ratio = 4.7, 95% confidence interval 2.1–10.9). Our findings indicate that the OAS1 gene polymorphisms may confer susceptibility to MS or serve as markers of functional variants and suggest that OAS1 activity is involved in the etiology of the disease. Future studies in a larger sample and association analysis with functional variants will clarify the role of the OAS1 gene in the susceptibility to MS.
The LRC haplotype project: a resource for killer immunoglobulin‐like receptor‐linked association studies
Authors: Horton R. , Coggill P. , Miretti M. M. , Sambrook J. G. , Traherne J. A. , Ward R. , Sims S. , Palmer S. , Sehra H. , Harrow J. , Rogers J. , Carrington M. , Trowsdale J. , Beck S.
Published: November 2006

There is increasing evidence for epistatic interactions between gene products (e.g. KIR) encoded within the Leukocyte Receptor Complex (LRC) with those (e.g. HLA) of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC), resulting in susceptibility to disease. Identification of such associations at the DNA level requires comprehensive knowledge of the genetic variation and haplotype structure of the underlying loci. The LRC haplotype project aims to provide this knowledge by sequencing common LRC haplotypes.
The detection and significance of minimal residual disease in acute and chronic leukemia
Authors: Chung N.‐G. , Buxhofer‐Ausch V. , Radich J. P.
Published: November 2006

Minimal residual disease (MRD) can be detected in many patients with leukemia who have achieved complete remission as defined by conventional pathology examination. The detection of MRD, be it by flow cytometry or by polymerase chain reaction assays, has now been found to be associated with subsequent relapses in most leukemia subtypes, either following chemotherapy or following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. These assays are now increasingly used in clinical trial design to optimize therapy and provide a novel way to assess treatment efficacy.
Effects of high‐level dietary B‐vitamins on performance, body composition and tissue vitamin contents of growing/finishing pigs
Authors: Böhmer B. M. , Roth‐Maier D. A.
Published: November 2006

Forty‐eight growing pigs were randomly assigned to five dietary groups and penned individually. They received a diet based on barley, wheat, corn and soya bean meal according to requirement. The experimental groups were supplemented with 400% or 800% of vitamins B2, B6 and pantothenic acid, or 400% or 800% of biotin, while all other vitamins were administered according to requirement. Growth performance, carcass characteristics, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and content of vitamins in blood, liver and muscles were recorded. Growth performance showed no influence of supplementation, while backfat thickness in the group with 800% B2/B6/pantothenic acid was significantly higher. Content of B2 in blood, liver and muscle was similar in all groups. Content of B6 in blood and liver showed significant differences according to supplementation. The content of vitamin B6 in muscle in the experimental groups was significantly higher than that in the control group. The content of pantothenic acid in blood and muscle in the experimental groups was significantly higher, while in liver all groups were significantly influenced by the supplementation level. Biotin content in liver showed no influence, but the content in plasma was significantly higher in the experimental groups and the content in muscle was significantly higher according to supplementation. The activity of AST showed no significant influence of the dietary vitamin level, but it was obviously decreased in the groups supplemented with biotin. The findings indicate that the dietary supplementation of vitamin B2, B6, pantothenic acid and biotin could not improve performance, but the contents in blood, liver and muscle.
Effect of betaine on growth hormone pulsatile secretion and serum metabolites in finishing pigs
Authors: Huang Q‐C. , Xu Z‐R. , Han X‐Y. , Li W‐F.
Published: November 2006

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary betaine (0%, 0.125%) on growth performance, growth hormone (GH) pulsatile secretion and serum metabolites in crossbred finishing pigs. Three replications of eight pigs (four barrows and four gilts) were used for each treatment, and blood samples for the determination of GH pulsatile secretion were collected every 15 min for 3 h. The results showed that betaine supplementation resulted in 5.45% (p < 0.05) increase in average daily gain, whereas average daily feed intake and feed to gain ratio were not affected. Serum basal GH level, mean GH level and GH pulse amplitude were elevated by 41.79% (p < 0.01), 48.98% (p < 0.01) and 35.05% (p < 0.05), respectively, with betaine treatment, but GH pulse frequency and pulse duration remained unchanged (p > 0.05). Serum urea nitrogen concentration in pigs fed betaine was 21.58% lower than that of controls (p < 0.01), whereas total protein level was significantly increased with betaine supplementation (p < 0.05). The study suggests that betaine could promote growth by enhancing GH secretion in finishing pigs.
Influence of different calcium contents in diets supplemented with anionic salts on bone metabolism in periparturient dairy cows
Authors: Liesegang A. , Chiappi C. , Risteli J. , Kessler J. , Hess H. D.
Published: November 2006

At the initiation of lactation, Ca homeostatic mechanisms have to react to a tremendous increase in demand for Ca. Mobilization of Ca from bone and increased absorption from the gastrointestinal tract are required to re‐establish homeostasis. It has been shown that dietary anions play an important role in the prevention of milk fever by mobilizing Ca from bone and by increasing Ca absorption in the GI tract. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of different Ca contents in diets supplemented with anionic salts on bone metabolism of dairy cows. Twenty‐four holstein cows (housed inside, second to fourth lactation) without a milk fever history were divided into four groups (A, B, C, D). Each group was fed a different diet which was given from day 263 of gestation till the day of parturition. Group A and B received a low calcium diet (4 g/kg DM) whereas group C and D received a high Ca diet (8 g/kg DM). In addition group B and D received anionic salts. The DCAD was calculated with the formula: DCAD (mEq/kg DM) = (0.2 Ca2++0.16 Mg2++Na++K+) − (Cl−+0.6 S2−+0.65 P3−). Blood and urine samples were collected on days 256, 270 and 277 of gestation, on the day of parturition as well as the following 5 days and on days 9, 14 and 19 after parturition. Serum Ca, P, Mg, ICTP, OC, VITD, PTH and urinary pH were analysed. The bone resorption marker ICTP showed a significant increase after parturition in all the groups. On the contrary, the bone formation marker OC decreased after parturition in all the groups. The VITD concentrations in group D and the urinary pH in group B were significantly lower compared to the other groups (p < 0.05). The Ca concentrations tended to be higher in group B around parturition than in all the other groups. No significant influence of the four different diets on all the other parameters could be shown. In conclusion, this data showed that the addition of anions and the different Ca contents had no significant influence on bone resorption and bone formation markers. This may be because of the fact that the dietary cation–anion balance was not low enough (DCAD – group A: 181 mEq/kg DM, group B: −48 mEq/kg DM, group C: 210 mEq/kg DM and group D: 28 mEq/kg DM) to induce a metabolic acidosis with all its positive effects on calcium metabolism.
Local injection of a sustained‐release antiandrogen formulation into a target prostatic site: an experimental study
Authors: Goya Nobuyuki , Gotanda Kotaro , Sasaki Takako , Okada Mami , Tomizawa Yasuko , Toma Hiroshi
Published: November 2006

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy of one intraprostatic injection with sustained‐release chlormadinone acetate (CMA‐SR) in rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

CMA, a steroidal antiandrogen, was enclosed in microcapsules for sustained‐release (CMA‐SR). Forty‐eight rats were divided into group A (intraprostatic CMA‐SR 8 mg/kg, one injection), group B (as A but with 25 mg/kg), group C (intraprostatic, vehicle only) and group D (subcutaneous, s.c., CMA 10 mg/kg once daily for 4 weeks). Prostate weight, body weight and plasma testosterone levels were measured for up to 4 weeks.

RESULTS

After a s.c. injection with CMA‐SR, residual CMA at the s.c. injection site decreased with time. The injected prostate lobe weighed significantly (P < 0.05) less than the contralateral lobe in groups A and B, and significantly (P < 0.05) less in groups A and B than in group C. Both prostate lobes in group D were significantly (P < 0.05) smaller than in group C (P < 0.05). Plasma testosterone levels were significantly lower in group D than in group C (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The sustained release of CMA after one intraprostatic injection persistently decreased the weight of the target prostate. This new concept of antiandrogen therapy might therefore be effective in man, with fewer systemic adverse reactions.
Cisplatin, methotrexate and bleomycin for treating advanced penile carcinoma
Authors: Hakenberg Oliver W. , Nippgen Johannes B.W. , Froehner Michael , Zastrow Stefan , Wirth Manfred P.
Published: November 2006

OBJECTIVE

To retrospectively evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of chemotherapy with cisplatinum, methotrexate and bleomycin (CMB) in the adjuvant and palliative setting, and its effect on survival in patients with locally advanced or metastatic penile carcinoma, which carries a very poor prognosis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Thirteen patients (mean age 54 years) with radically resected local and nodal disease (eight), metastatic disease (two) or metastatic recurrence (three) had chemotherapy with CMB between February 1996 and July 2003. In all, 45 treatment courses were given, with a mean (range) of 3.5 (2–6) courses per patient.

RESULTS

Three of the eight patients with adjuvant treatment showed no evidence of disease after a mean (range) of 54 (41–76) months, while four in this group died from disease progression after a mean of 11 (5–20) months, and one died from treatment‐related toxicity. All five patients with metastatic disease died from disease progression after three had shown temporary signs of regression.

CONCLUSIONS

Chemotherapy with CMB had little effect on metastatic penile cancer and responses were transient. However, patients with minimal disease after radical local and lymphatic resection seemed to benefit from adjuvant therapy, but the toxicity was high and carried a risk of death.
Impact of surgical margin status on long‐term cancer control after radical prostatectomy
Authors: Orvieto Marcelo A. , Alsikafi Nejd F. , Shalhav Arieh L. , Laven Brett A. , Steinberg Gary D. , Zagaja Gregory P. , Brendler Charles B.
Published: November 2006

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether previously described technical modifications that significantly decreased the positive surgical margin (PSM) rate have translated into improved long‐term cancer control, as SM status is generally recognized as an independent risk factor for biochemical recurrence (BR) after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP), and is the only factor that can be modified by surgical technique.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between March 1994 and December 2004, 996 consecutive patients had RRP as the sole treatment for clinically localized prostate cancer. The surgery was done by one surgeon (C.B.B.) and the data were prospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

The overall PSM rate was 8.8%; the PSM rate by pathological stage was 1.7%, 24.2% and 27.1% for men with pT2, pT3a and pT3b disease, respectively (P < 0.001). In all, 968 of 996 (97.2%) patients were available for the follow‐up (mean 6.4 years); 69 of 883 (7.8%) with negative SMs (NSMs) developed BR, vs 29 of 85 (34%) with PSMs (P < 0.001). The actuarial 5‐ and 10‐year biochemical disease‐free survival was 92.1% and 89.6%, and 70.6% and 59.9%, for patients with NSM and PSM, respectively (P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, PSM, pathological stage and Gleason grade were the strongest predictors of BR (P < 0.001). The preoperative prostate‐specific antigen level, and clinical stage T1c and T2a disease were not associated with recurrence. The hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) for BR in patients with PSMs was 3.27 (2.1–5.1).

CONCLUSIONS

RRP including the previously described surgical modifications not only decreased the PSM rate but also resulted in excellent long‐term cancer control. The importance of meticulous surgical technique in RRP cannot be overemphasised.
Correlation between ultrasonographic bladder measurements and urodynamic findings in children with recurrent urinary tract infection
Authors: Yeung Chung‐Kwong , Sreedhar Biji , Leung Yee‐Fong V. , Sit Kam‐Yee F.
Published: November 2006

Authors from Hong Kong evaluated the role of ultrasonographically measured bladder variables in assessing bladder dysfunction in children with UTI. In a relatively large study, they confirmed the finding that the bladder volume and wall thickness index is a sensitive method for diagnosing bladder dysfunction in children.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the role of bladder variables measured by ultrasonography (US) in assessing bladder dysfunction in children with urinary tract infections (UTIs).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Children presenting with recurrent UTI (with or with no vesico‐ureteric reflux) were prospectively recruited. At entry, each patient had US and both natural‐ filling (NFC) and conventional‐filling (CFC) cystometry. Bladder volume and wall thickness index (BVWI) was calculated, and based on US studies and the bladder pattern on US, were classified as thick (BVWI <70), normal (70–130) and thin (>130) as previously reported. The criteria for diagnosing urodynamic patterns included normal, overactive and hypocontractile, as reported previously. The correlation between the US measured variables and urodynamic findings were then evaluated. Sixty‐one children (38 boys and 23 girls; mean age 4.82 years, range 1–11) were selected for further evaluation.

RESULTS

Of the 61 children, 16 had a normal BVWI, 36 a ‘thick’ value and nine ‘thin’. When the BVWI was correlated with the urodynamic findings, 14 of 16 with a normal BVWI had a normal bladder pattern, whereas 92% of the patients with a BVWI of <70 had overactive bladder (P < 0.001). Among children with a BVWI of >130, six of nine had a hypocontractile pattern. The mean (sd) bladder capacity (on CFC) compared to that expected for age was significantly lower, at 56.7 (32.3)% in ‘thick’ bladders, vs children with normal and thin bladders, at 91.3 (23.8)% and 98.7 (31.8)%, respectively (P < 0.001). A high voiding detrusor pressure was significantly associated with children who had a thick bladder rather than normal or thin bladder (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This study further confirmed that the BVWI is a sensitive tool for diagnosing bladder dysfunction in children, and it can be used as a reliable guide for the appropriate choice of further invasive urodynamic studies.
Biochemical markers of bone turnover in patients with localized and metastasized prostate cancer
Authors: Hegele Axel , Wahl Hans Günther , Varga Zoltan , Sevinc Selim , Koliva Liseta , Schrader Andres Jan , Hofmann Rainer , Olbert Peter
Published: November 2006

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate and compare the value of several markers of bone turnover in different stages of prostate cancer, as bone metastases are a common feature in this disease, and for assessing bone metastases both bone formation and bone resorption markers are diagnostic.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The prospective study included 219 men, i.e. 129 undergoing radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) and 25 with bone metastases due to prostate cancer, and 65 with benign urological disorders who served as controls. Before any treatment the concentrations of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteocalcin, serum C‐terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (S‐CTX) and tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase type 5b (TRACP5b) were determined.

RESULTS

Men undergoing RRP were divided into those with lymph node‐negative, localized (pT3, 101) and lymph node‐positive (28) disease, after histological examination. The controls had the lowest marker levels while patients with bone metastases due to prostate cancer had the highest levels, with significance for ALP, osteocalcin and TRACP5b. Patients with lymph node‐positive cancer had significantly high serum levels of TRACP5b and ALP but not for osteocalcin and S‐CTX.

CONCLUSIONS

Bone turnover markers represent a new diagnostic tool in prostate cancer; the present data show that both bone resorption and bone formation are crucial for detecting bone metastases in prostate cancer. The value of bone turnover markers in high‐risk patients should be evaluated in a longitudinal study.
Ureteric replacement with Meckel’s diverticulum
Authors: Adams Judith , Djakovic Nenad , Gilfrich Christian , Pfitzenmaier Jesco , Buse Stefan , Haferkamp Axel , Hohenfellner Markus
Published: November 2006

Authors from Germany describe the rather inventive use of Meckel’s diverticulum as a substitute for the ureter when a ureteric replacement is required. I thought that this paper would be of general interest to our readers, who may need to use this technique when presented with such a problem in their practice.

OBJECTIVE

To report on four patients with obstruction of the upper urinary tract due to severe ureteric strictures at different levels, in whom a Meckel’s diverticulum was used for ureteric replacement.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The patients were aged 3–64 years at the time of operation. In every patient, a Meckel’s diverticulum was used to bridge a ureteric defect after recurrent reconstructive procedures.

RESULTS

The mean (range) follow‐up was 36 (12–69) months. There were no surgical complications, apart from mucus production in one case and renal function was normal in all patients after surgery. In one case, the invaginated Meckel’s diverticulum was used for reflux protection.

CONCLUSIONS

A Meckel’s diverticulum, if present, appears to be an ideal intestinal substitute for a ureteric defect. The advantages of its use are its unique blood supply, its mobility, and its minimization of functional bowel length resection.
Transcriptome analysis reveals season‐specific rbcS gene expression profiles in diploid perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)
Authors: Sathish Puthigae , Withana Nimali , Biswas Margaret , Bryant Catherine , Templeton Kerry , Al‐Wahb Muhannad , Smith‐Espinoza Claudia , Roche John R. , Elborough Kieran M. , Phillips Jonathan R.
Published: November 2006

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) is a major grass species used for forage and turf throughout the world, and gains by conventional breeding have reached a plateau. Perennial ryegrass is an outcrossing, self‐incompatible diploid (2n = 2x = 14) with a relatively large genome (4067 Mbp/diploid genome; Evans, G.M., Rees, H., Snell, C.L. and Sun, S. (1972) The relation between nuclear DNA amount and the duration of the mitotic cycle. Chrom. Today, 3, 24–31). Using tissues sourced from active pastures during the peak of the autumn, winter, spring and summer seasons, we analysed the ryegrass transcriptome employing a Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE™) protocol, with the dual goals of understanding the seasonal changes in perennial ryegrass gene expression and enhancing our ability to select genes for genetic manipulation. A total of 159 002 14‐mer SAGE™ tags was sequenced and mapped to the perennial ryegrass DNA database, comprising methyl‐filtered (GeneThresher®) and expressed sequence tag (EST) sequences. The analysis of 14 559 unique SAGE™ tags, which were present more than once in our SAGE™ library, revealed 964, 1331, 346 and 131 exclusive transcripts to autumn, winter, spring and summer, respectively. Intriguingly, our analysis of the SAGE™ tags revealed season‐specific expression profiles for the small subunit of ribulose‐1,5‐bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco), LprbcS. The transcript level for LprbcS was highest in spring, and then decreased gradually between summer and winter. Five different copies of LprbcS were revealed in ryegrass, with one possibly producing splice variant transcripts. Two highly expressed LprbcS genes were reported, one of which was not active in autumn. Another LprbcS gene showed an inverse expression profile to the autumn inactive LprbcS in a manner to compensate the expression level.
The additive value of second opinion teleconsulting in the management of patients with challenging inflammatory, neoplastic skin diseases: a best practice model in dermatology?
Authors: Lozzi GP , Soyer HP , Massone C , Micantonio T , Kraenke B , Fargnoli MC , Fink‐Puches R , Binder B , Di Stefani A , Hofmann‐Wellenhof R , Peris K
Published: November 2006

Background  Telemedicine is the practice of healthcare using interactive processes of communication to facilitate healthcare delivery, including diagnosis, consultation and treatment, as well as education and transfer of medical data. The aim of teledermatology, just as telemedicine, is to promote best practice procedures and to improve the consistency and competence of health care.

Aim  To investigate the diagnostic additive value of second opinion teleconsulting in patients with challenging dermatoses, among dermatologists working in two different dermatology departments.

Setting  Thirty‐three cases of patients with challenging inflammatory and neoplastic skin diseases at the University of L’Aquila Department of Dermatology were sent for teleconsultation to the Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Graz, Austria.

Methods  All cases were selected in the outpatient service in L’Aquila. After face‐to‐face consultation with a local colleague had been completed, images were sent using a store‐and‐forward (SAF)‐based system (http://www.telederm.org) to Graz. Histopathological examination together with follow‐up of the patient represents the diagnostic gold standard for this study.

Results  Telediagnosis was correct in 26 of 33 (78.8%) cases. Sixteen of 33 cases (48.5%) had already been diagnosed face‐to‐face by at least one of the two dermatologists in L’Aquila. In 10 of 33 cases (30.3%), the correct diagnosis was made in teleconsultation only.

Conclusions  Second opinion teleconsulting may represent an additive value in the diagnosis of numerous challenging inflammatory and neoplastic skin diseases. It may be particularly useful as a best practice model for smaller departments in order to discuss and/or to confirm diagnoses and also for the management of patients with unusual difficult dermatoses.
Ingroup Rejection Among Women: The Role of Personal Inadequacy
Authors: Cowan Gloria , Ullman Jodie B.
Published: November 2006

We examined predictors and outcomes of women's hostility toward other women. Based on a projection model, we hypothesized and tested the theory via structural equation modeling that women's sense of personal inadequacy, the tendency to stereotype, and general anger would predict hostility toward women, and hostility toward women would predict blaming victims of violence and poor relationships with a female friend. Participants were 464 college women with an average age of 28.08. All measures were pencil and paper. Women's hostility toward women served as an intervening variable between a personal sense of inadequacy, tendency to stereotype, blaming women victims of violence, and intimacy with one's best female friend.
New therapies for chronic hepatitis B infection
Authors: Chang T. T. , Jia Jidong D. , Omata Masao , Yoon S. K.
Published: November 2006

Abstract: Conventional pharmacotherapeutic approaches to the management of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are compromised by drug resistance and a failure to achieve sustained HBV DNA suppression. Low rates of seroconversion to hepatitis B e antigen‐negative status and loss of hepatitis B surface antigen, as well as the potential for the development of adverse effects, are additional problems. Two agents, entecavir and the pegylated interferon (peginterferon) α‐2a, have recently been added to the therapeutic armamentarium for the management of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Data from clinical trials indicate that these newly licensed drugs may offer advantages over conventional treatments such as lamivudine and, possibly, adefovir. In addition, several novel agents in late‐stage clinical development, specifically telbivudine and clevudine, have also shown encouraging results in patients with CHB infection. This review summarizes the current clinical experience with these new agents, focusing on data in Asian populations, and discusses the implications of the data for CHB management.
Chronic hepatitis B: treatment alert
Authors:   ACT‐HBV Asia‐Pacific Steering Committee Members
Published: November 2006

Abstract: Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a serious global health concern, particularly in the Asia‐Pacific region. New information on the clinical management of CHB is emerging rapidly, requiring that physicians be alerted to updated treatment recommendations. The ACT‐HBV Asia‐Pacific Steering Committee members, composed of experts in hepatitis B from throughout the Asia‐Pacific region, reviewed and discussed new clinical data as reported in the literature or presented at recent international congresses, and recommended that physicians be alerted to updated treatment recommendations. Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)‐positive patients with HBV DNA levels of ≥20 000 IU/ml (≥105 copies/ml) and elevated alanine aminotransferase levels should be considered for treatment. It is suggested that HBV DNA≥2000 IU/ml (≥104 copies/ml) is the more appropriate threshold for the treatment of HBeAg‐negative patients. Lamivudine, adefovir dipivoxil, interferon α‐2b, thymosin α‐1, and, most recently, entecavir, and pegylated interferon α‐2a are licensed for the management of CHB. The treatment recommendations from the 2005 Asian‐Pacific Consensus Statement on the Management of Chronic Hepatitis B have been updated to incorporate these new therapeutic options. A summary of treatment recommendations for special patient populations is also included.
Management of chronic hepatitis B in challenging patient populations
Authors: Dore Gregory J. , Guan Richard , Wasim Jafri S. M. , Sarin Shiv V. , Keeffe Emmet B.
Published: November 2006

Abstract: Clinicians face many challenges in striving to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Some of the most urgent issues relate to preventing or reducing the development of antiviral resistance that may arise during oral antiviral therapy. In addition, the management of special populations, including patients with normal alanine aminotransferase levels, children and adolescents, women planning pregnancy or already pregnant, patients undergoing chemotherapy or other forms of immunosuppression, patients with HBV and human immunodeficiency virus coinfection, and those undergoing liver transplantation, present further challenges. This concise review examines recent findings on the efficacy of antiviral therapy in these special patient groups.
Oxidized eclogites and garnet‐blueschists from Oman: P–T path modelling in the NCFMASHO system
Authors: WARREN C. J. , WATERS D. J.
Published: November 2006

Eclogites and garnet‐blueschists exposed at the deepest structural levels of the Oman Mountains in north‐eastern Saih Hatat, Oman, indicate that the Arabian continental margin was subducted and subsequently exhumed. The peak metamorphic pressure has been a matter of debate for over a decade, with initial thermobarometric estimates, based on garnet–clinopyroxene–phengite barometry and the presence of radial cracks around quartz inclusions in garnet, yielding values in excess of 20 kbar; these estimates have been questioned by some researchers. The high‐pressure minerals (glaucophane, omphacite and epidote) contain significant amounts of ferric iron, previously postulated to displace the stability fields of the eclogite and blueschist assemblages to less extreme conditions. In the present study, we have calculated phase diagrams and pseudosections in the model system NCFMASHO, using the program thermocalc and the thermodynamic database of Holland and Powell, which incorporates data for Fe3+‐bearing end‐members. It is found that the phase compositions and modal abundances for typical bulk compositions are matched successfully at 520 ± 15 °C and 20 ± 1.6 kbar for the eclogites and 510–530 °C and 17–20 kbar for the garnet blueschists. These results support the original high‐pressure estimates for the eclogites, and indicate that crossitic amphibole and aegirine‐rich pyroxene do not necessarily reflect lower pressure conditions. The data set and activity models are applicable to other oxidized high (and ultra‐high) pressure mineral assemblages.
Prevalence of Influenza Vaccination and Correlates of Intention to Be Vaccinated Among Hong Kong Chinese
Authors: Mok Esther , Yeung Shuk Hing , Chan Moon Fai
Published: November 2006

ABSTRACT
Objectives: To explore influenza vaccination rates and investigate correlates of intention to be vaccinated among adults attending a Hong Kong outpatient clinic.

Design: Descriptive cross‐sectional survey.

Sample: Convenience sample of adults attending outpatient clinic (452 participants).

Method: Self‐administered written questionnaire including socio‐demographic items, health items, influenza vaccination history, and questions based on the Health Belief Model and Predisposing, Reinforcing, and Enabling Causes in Educational Diagnosis and Evaluation framework.

Results: The response rate was 78.9%. Of the participants, 27% had been vaccinated in the past year; 51% reported intention to be vaccinated this year. Intention to be vaccinated did not vary according to gender, marital status, occupation, or household income. In adjusted logistic regression analysis, intention to be vaccinated was significantly associated with chronic disease, having received the flu shot in the previous year, perceived susceptibility (“I am likely to get the flu if I do not get a yearly flu shot”), and reinforcing factors (“My family encouraged me to get a flu shot last year” and “My doctor encouraged me to get a flu shot last year”).

Conclusions: The government can successfully promote vaccination by educating the public about susceptibility to flu and the benefits of vaccination, by publicizing locations where vaccinations are available, and by having family and physicians encourage patients to be vaccinated.
Determinants of Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Canadian Inuit Adolescent Populations
Authors: Steenbeek Audrey , Tyndall Mark , Rothenberg Richard , Sheps Samuel
Published: November 2006

ABSTRACT
The health status of Canadian Inuit is considerably lower than that of their ancestors. The introduction of previously unknown diseases (e.g., tuberculosis), substance abuse (e.g., alcohol), and Western customs have permanently altered this population. As a result of Western assimilation, many Inuit have distanced themselves from their land and severed their ancestral ties. Consequently, many are now mired in a state of widespread poverty and malnutrition and have severe health problems (e.g., addictions) and communicable diseases, such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The purpose of this case report is to provide an overview of the STI crisis that exists among Canadian Inuit. More specifically, this case study is intended to assist public health nurses working in Inuit communities in understanding how certain determinants (e.g., Westernization, culture) may influence STI transmission among Inuit youth and, how to incorporate these determinants into nursing practice. Inuit adolescents have been subjected to intense acculturation pressures that do not exist for other adolescent populations. These pressures are creating problems for youth in their transition from childhood and adulthood; they also impact on the struggle to establish their own identity, caught between two opposing cultures: their native culture and the wider Canadian one.