bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adverse drug reactions causing hospitalization can be monitored from computerized medical records and thereby indicate the quality of drug utilization
Authors: von Euler Mia , Eliasson Erik , Öhlén Gunnar , Bergman Ulf
Published: September 2005

Purpose

To use computerized medical records to study the frequency of adverse drug reactions (ADR) as a cause for acute admission to a university hospital.

Methods

Computerized medical records in 168 consecutively acutely admitted cases to a short‐term internal medicine ward at a university hospital were retrospectively evaluated to see if an ADR could have caused the admission.

Results

In 18 cases (11%), an ADR was judged to be the reason for acute admission to the hospital. Augmented pharmacological effects (type A reactions) accounted for 89% of the cases. An additional eight cases (5%) were intentional intoxications with prescription drugs. ADR‐associated hospital admissions were age‐related (average age 72 compared to 65 in patients admitted for other reasons) and also associated with poly‐pharmacy (8.3 drugs compared to 5.2). The ADR was considered to arise from a drug–drug interaction in four cases (22%). Although all ADRs fulfilled the criteria for mandatory reporting, none of them were reported to the Swedish Adverse Drug Reactions Advisory Committee (SADRAC).

Conclusions

The observed frequency of ADR‐related acute hospital admissions in this pilot study is similar to earlier reported data from Sweden and abroad. Almost all of these reactions were known pharmacological (type A) reactions and many therefore theoretically preventable. In contrast to many prospective and costly studies, this retrospective analysis of computerized medical records offered a simple method that can be used in routine health care and also serve as an indicator of the quality of drug use. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Specific ionic conduction in poly[oligo (oxyethylene glycol) methacrylate] (PMEO)–Li salt complexes under high‐pressure CO2
Authors: Tominaga Yoichi , Hirahara Shingo , Asai Shigeo , Sumita Masao
Published: September 2005

We measured the ionic conductivity of amorphous poly[oligo (oxyethylene glycol) methacrylate] (PMEO)–lithium salt complexes under a CO2 pressure varying from 0.1 to 20 MPa. The pressure dependence of the conductivity was positive, and the conductivity was higher than that under an inert gas such as N2. The ion‐conductive behavior has been modeled using both the Vogel–Tammann–Fulcher (VTF) equation and activation volume theory. The calculated parameters of the VTF equation show that CO2 that had permeated into the PMEO matrix acts as solvent molecules to dissolve ions and lower the glass transition temperature at high pressures. The ionic conduction in PMEO complexes under high‐pressure CO2 was scarcely related to the VTF parameters and activation volume equations. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 3151–3158, 2005
The role of physical and psychological symptoms in desire for death: a study of terminally ill cancer patients
Authors: Mystakidou Kyriaki , Parpa Efi , Katsouda Emmanuela , Galanos Antonis , Vlahos Lambros
Published: September 2005

The current study assessed the attitudes of the desire for hastened death in terminally ill cancer patients and whether these are determined by their physical and psychological symptoms. The final sample consisted of 106 terminally ill cancer patients attending a Palliative Care Unit, in University of Athens, Greece, between June and October 2004. Significant associations were found between the desire for hastened death (D.H.D.) and ‘pain’ (r=0.469, p<0.005), ‘fatigue’ (r=0.591, p<0.0005), ‘loss of appetite’ (r=0.622, p<0.0005) and ‘feeling sad’ (r=0.635, p<0.0005). Statistically significant associations were also found between Schedule of Attitudes towards Hastened Death (SAHD) scores, age (r=0.300, p=0.002) and ECOG (p<0.0005). Twenty‐six percent of the patients reported high D.H.D. while 41% reported moderate desire. In the prediction of SHAD the contribution of ‘pain’ (p=0.011), ‘lack of appetite’ (p=0.012) and ‘sadness’ (p=0.011) is high (42% of variance).

Further findings suggest that D.H.D. is significantly related to ‘feeling sad’, ‘lack of appetite’, ‘pain’ and ‘fatigue’ after controlling for age, gender and performance status according to ECOG in terminally ill cancer patients. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Operational discipline in the workplace
Authors: Klein James A.
Published: September 2005

The purpose of this paper is to review the development, application, and continuous improvement of operational discipline programs at DuPont. DuPont defines operational discipline as a deeply rooted dedication and commitment by each member of the organization to carry out each task the right way, each time. Operational discipline reflects the strength of an organization's safety culture in making environmental health and safety (EHS) systems effective and in providing tangible results for preventing injuries and incidents. In addition, a high level of operational discipline typically contributes to improved business performance through higher productivity, higher quality, reduced waste, and lower costs. Eleven characteristics are used to help evaluate and drive continuous improvement of operational discipline by self‐assessments, audits, and incident investigations. © 2005 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2005
Chirality index, molecular overlay and biological activity of diastereoisomeric mosquito repellents
Authors: Natarajan Ramanathan , Basak Subhash C , Balaban Alexandru T , Klun Jerome A , Schmidt Walter F
Published: September 2005

Both 1‐methylisopropyl 2‐(2‐hydroxyethyl)piperidine‐1‐carboxylate, (Picaridin®) and cyclohex‐3‐enyl 2‐methylpiperidin‐1‐yl ketone (AI3‐37220; 220) have two asymmetric centers, and the four diastereoisomers of each compound are known to have differing degrees of mosquito‐repellent activity according to quantitative behavioral assays conducted at the United States Department of Agriculture. Computational chemistry was used to identify the structural and configurational basis for repellent activity. Molecular overlay of the optimized geometries of the lowest energy conformers of the diastereoisomers was investigated to elucidate the role of chiral centers in 220 and Picaridin. It was found that the presence of a chiral carbon alpha to the nitrogen with the S configuration in the piperidine ring is essential to the three‐dimensional arrangement of the atoms of the pharmacophore for effective repellent activity. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry
Kinetics of carbon precipitation and re‐solution in low Si‐content silicon iron
Authors: Walz F. , Wakisaka T. , Kronmüller H.
Published: September 2005

In low Si‐charged silicon iron (Fe + 0.1%Si) the kinetics of carbon diffusion, precipitation and redissolution have been carefully studied by means of the magnetic after‐effect (MAE) within the temperature range 200 K < Ta < 1100 K. The activation parameters of respective processes have been determined by means of least squares fitting the experimental data. In the presence of substitutionally alloyed Si, the C‐Richter MAE gives rise to two Debye‐type relaxation peaks – resulting from elementary steps of carbon diffusion combined with reorientation in the (i) unperturbed and (ii) Si‐modified Fe matrix – situated near 265 K and 320 K, with activation enthalpies, Qi, of 0.84 eV and 1.08 eV. Two‐stage carbon precipitation, obeying first order kinetics, occurs, intensively, near 390 K with the elementary C diffusion enthalpy of 0.84 eV and, rather weakly, near 540 K with an enthalpy of 1.18 eV. The resulting precipitates are discussed in terms of partly intra‐grain deposited iron carbide phases (Fe3C) and, mainly, grain‐boundary determined C trapping. Decomposition of these precipitates occurring, again, in two stages – situated near 740 K and 950 K, with activation enthalpies of 1.72 and 2.02 eV – leads to a restitution of the state of maximum interstitially dissolved C in the matrix. Of practical importance for silicon steel fabrication is the observation that, after complete C precipitation (Ta . 580 K), the material can be kept in a state of minimum dissolved carbon content – and hence of minimum ac‐losses – by not allowing it to warm up above Ta ≤ 650 K. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Structural characteristics of gels prepared from sonohydrolysis and conventional hydrolysis of TEOS: an emphasis on the mass fractal as determined from the pore size distribution
Authors: Vollet D. R. , Torres R. R. , Donatti D. A. , Ibañez Ruiz A.
Published: September 2005

Silica gels were preparated from fixed proportion mixtures of tetraethoxysilane, water and hydrocloric acid, using either ultrasound stimulation (US) or conventional method (CO) in the hydrolysis step of the process. Wet gels were obtained with the same silica volume concentration and density. According to small‐angle X‐ray scattering, the structure of the wet gels can be described as mass fractal structures with mass fractal dimension D = 2.20 in a length scale ξ = 7.9 nm, in the case of wet gels US, and D = 2.26 in a length scale ξ = 6.9 nm, in the case of wet gels CO. The mass fractal characteristics of the wet gels US and CO account for the different structures evolved in the drying of the gels US and CO in the obtaining of xerogels and aerogels. The pore structure of the dried gels was studied by nitrogen adsorption as a function of the temperature. Aerogels (US and CO) present high porosity with pore size distribution (PSD) curves in the mesopore region while xerogels (US and CO) present minor porosity with PSD curves mainly in the micropore region. The dried gels US (aerogels and xerogels) generally present pore volume and specific surface area greater than the dried gels CO. The mass fractal structure of the aerogels has been studied from an approach based on the PSD curves exclusively. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Quantum chemical study of leaving group activation in T. vivax nucleoside hydrolase
Authors: Loverix Stefan , Versees Wim , Steyaert Jan , Geerlings Paul
Published: September 2005

General acid catalysis is a powerful and widely used strategy in enzymatic nucleophilic displacement reactions. However, in the nucleoside hydrolase of the parasite Trypanosoma vivax, crystallographic and mutagenesis studies failed to identify a general acid. The only groups in the vicinity of the leaving group that contribute to catalysis are (i) the indole side chain of Trp260, and (ii) the 5′‐group of the substrate's ribose moiety. The x‐ray structure of the slow Asp10Ala mutant of nucleoside hydrolase with the substrate inosine bound in the active site displays a face‐to‐face aromatic stacking interaction between Trp260 and the purine base of the substrate, as well as a peculiar C4′‐endo ribose pucker that allows the 5′‐OH group to accept an intramolecular hydrogen bond from the C8 of the purine. The first interaction (aromatic stacking) has been shown to raise the pKa of the leaving purine. Here, we present a DFT study showing that the 5′‐OH group of ribose fulfills a similar role, rather than stabilizing the oxocarbenium‐like transition state. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2006
Water: How to evaluate its contribution in protein–ligand interactions
Authors: Cozzini Pietro , Fornabaio Micaela , Mozzarelli Andrea , Spyrakis Francesca , Kellogg Glen E. , Abraham Donald J.
Published: September 2005

Water can be considered the most important molecule in living systems. It can play a variety of roles: (a) the solvent of most biological molecules, (b) substrate and product of enzyme catalysis, (c) a building block of macromolecules, or (d) functioning as a “lubricant” via the formation of networks linking distant residues. In particular, protein–protein, protein–nucleic acid, and protein–ligand recognition are water dependent via both enthalpic and entropic contributions. We present a computational approach based on the natural force field Hydropathic INTeractions (HINT) that incorporates atomic LogPoctanol/water data, to evaluate the strength of the interaction between water molecules and protein, as well as the contribution of water molecules bridging protein and ligand to the free energy of binding. We describe the rules for characterizing the binding/energetic roles of water molecules located at ligand binding sites. As an example, results from a set of 23 HIV‐1 protease ligand complexes are described. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2006
Characterization of gingerol‐related compounds in ginger rhizome (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) by high‐performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry
Authors: Jiang Hongliang , Sólyom Anikó M. , Timmermann Barbara N. , Gang David R.
Published: September 2005

This study sought to determine the utility of liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI‐MS/MS) coupled with diode array detection in identifying gingerol‐related compounds from crude extracts of ginger rhizome. The fragmentation behaviors of compounds in both (−)‐ and (+)ESI‐MS/MS were used to infer and confirm the chemical structures of several groups of compounds, including the gingerols, methylgingerols, gingerol acetates, shogaols, paradols, gingerdiols, mono‐ and diacetyl gingerdiols, and dehydrogingerdiones. Diode array detection at different wavelengths was used to confirm MS/MS‐based identification. In total, 31 gingerol‐related compounds were identified from the methanolic crude extracts of fresh ginger rhizome in this study. Three of these compounds were found to be new compounds. This study demonstrated that LC/ESI‐MS/MS is a powerful on‐line tool for identification of gingerol‐related compounds, especially for thermally labile compounds that cannot be readily detected by GC/MS analysis. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inferences on the mean of zero‐inflated lognormal data: the generalized variable approach
Authors: Tian Lili
Published: September 2005

This paper considers the problems of confidence interval estimation and hypothesis testing for the mean of zero‐inflated lognormal data. We present an unified novel approach based on the concepts of generalized test variables and generalized pivotal quantities. Simulation results demonstrate that the coverage accuracy of proposed confidence intervals and the type I error control of the proposed exact tests are satisfactory. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A new approach to sample size calculation for reference interval studies
Authors: Jennen‐Steinmetz C. , Wellek S.
Published: September 2005

A new criterion is proposed for determining the sample size required for a study performed for the purpose of establishing reference intervals. The basic idea behind the criterion is to compare the empirical coverage (i.e. the probability content) of the reference region obtained from the sample with its target value (e.g. 95 per cent) and to set suitable limits δ1, δ2 to the difference between both quantities which must not be exceeded with sufficiently large probability β (e.g. β=90 per cent). For the most frequently used parametric and distribution‐free methods of estimating univariate reference limits, implicit formulae are derived relating the sample size to the design parameters δ1, δ2 and β. For symmetric specification of (δ1, δ2), explicit approximation formulae for the computation of n are given. Exact values obtained by means of suitable numerical techniques are presented in a set of tables covering specifications of δ1, δ2 and β which can be recommended for real applications. The tables can be used both for one‐ and two‐sided reference intervals. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The role of dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DP IV, CD26) in T cell activation and multiple sclerosis
Authors: Reinhold Dirk , Kähne Thilo , Steinbrecher Andreas , Gerber Annegret , Preller Vera , Gornickel Bettina , Wrenger Sabine , Ansorge Siegfried , Brocke Stefan
Published: September 2005

The ectoenzyme dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DP IV; E.C. 3.4.14.5; CD26) plays a crucial role in T cell activation, representing a new type of costimulatory T cell structure. Effectors of DP IV‐like activity, including naturally occurring and specific synthetic inhibitors, suppress DNA synthesis as well as cytokine production (IL‐2, IL‐10, IL‐12, IFN‐γ) of stimulated T cells. These effects are in part caused by the immunosuppressive cytokine TGF‐β1, leading to blockade of the cell cycle at the restriction point G1/S via p27kip. At the same time, DP IV inhibitors provoke tyrosine phosphorylation and p38 MAP kinase activation. Elevated numbers of CD26+T cells were observed in patients with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or multiple sclerosis (MS). The expression of DP IV/CD26 in resting T cell clones derived from patients with MS was found to be 3‐ to 4‐fold higher than on resting peripheral blood T cells from healthy persons. In myelin‐specific T cells from MS patients, DP IV inhibitors suppress DNA synthesis, as well as IFN‐γ, IL‐4 and TNF‐α production. Moreover, in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a well characterized CD4+T cell‐mediated autoimmune disease leading to CNS inflammation and demyelinization, administration of a DP IV/CD26 inhibitor prevents clinical and neuropathological signs of EAE and suppresses ongoing disease. This review summarizes evidence for the role of DP IV enzyme activity in regulation of T cell activation, outlines signal transduction mechanisms used or affected by this enzyme and provides support for the concept of a novel peptidase‐based immunosuppressive approach to treat autoimmune diseases like MS.
On the Existence and Uniqueness of JML Estimates for the Partial Credit Model
Authors: Bertoli-Barsotti Lucio
Published: September 2005

A necessary and sufficient condition is given in this paper for the existence and uniqueness of the maximum likelihood (the so-called joint maximum likelihood) estimate of the parameters of the Partial Credit Model. This condition is stated in terms of a structural property of the pattern of the data matrix that can be easily verified on the basis of a simple iterative procedure. The result is proved by using an argument of Haberman (1977).
Causal Inferences with Group Based Trajectory Models
Authors: Haviland Amelia M. , Nagin Daniel S.
Published: September 2005

A central theme of research on human development and psychopathology is whether a therapeutic intervention or a turning-point event, such as a family break-up, alters the trajectory of the behavior under study. This paper lays out and applies a method for using observational longitudinal data to make more confident causal inferences about the impact of such events on developmental trajectories. The method draws upon two distinct lines of research: work on the use of finite mixture modeling to analyze developmental trajectories and work on propensity scores. The essence of the method is to use the posterior probabilities of trajectory group membership from a finite mixture modeling framework, to create balance on lagged outcomes and other covariates established prior to t for the purpose of inferring the impact of first-time treatment at t on the outcome of interest. The approach is demonstrated with an analysis of the impact of gang membership on violent delinquency based on data from a large longitudinal study conducted in Montreal.
Are parental health habits transmitted to their children? An eight year longitudinal study of physical activity in adolescents and their parents
Authors: Anderssen Norman , Wold Bente , Torsheim Torbj⊘rn
Published: September 2005

Parents are believed to play a role in influencing their children's health behaviours. This longitudinal study of two generations (parents and their children) examined associations between parents’ self‐reported leisure‐time physical activity changes and the self‐reported physical activity changes of their offspring in a sample of 557 adolescents over an 8 year period (from 13 to 21 years of age). The results revealed only weak and non‐existent associations between changes in parents’ physical activity and changes in adolescent physical activity from 13 to 21 years of age. The findings did not support the hypothesis that adolescents’ leisure‐time physical activity covaried with their parents’ leisure‐time physical activity over time. This may mean that parental physical activity is not transmitted to their children to the degree that is often believed.
Friendship group identification, multidimensional self‐concept, and experience of developmental tasks in adolescence
Authors: Tarrant Mark , MacKenzie Liam , Hewitt Lisa A
Published: September 2005

This study applied a social identity perspective to the study of adolescent self‐concept and social development. British adolescents aged 14–15 years () completed a questionnaire which asked them to: (i) rate their degree of identification with a school‐based friendship group; (ii) complete a measure of multi‐dimensional self‐concept; and (iii) report their experiences of a variety of personal, relational and socio‐institutional (e.g., achieving economic independence) developmental tasks. Compared to low identifiers, participants who were highly identified with a friendship group reported highest levels of self‐esteem; and these differences were most marked in non‐academic domains of self. High identifiers also displayed higher levels of general self‐esteem and reported more positive experiences of personal and relational developmental tasks. The discussion focuses on the potential benefits to understanding of social developmental processes that can be derived from a consideration of adolescents’ subjective appraisals of their peer relations.
Activation of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐α and ‐γ in auricular tissue from heart failure patients
Authors: Gómez‐Garre Dulcenombre , Herraíz Marta , González‐Rubio Ma Luisa , Bernal Rosa , Aragoncillo Paloma , Carbonell Amparo , Rufilanchas Juan José , Fernández‐Cruz Arturo
Published: September 2005

Objective:

Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptors (PPARs), key transcriptional regulators of lipid and energy metabolism in cardiomyocytes, have recently been proposed to modulate cardiovascular pathophysiological responses in experimental models. However, there is little information about the functional activity of PPARs in human heart failure.

Aims:

To investigate PPAR‐α and ‐γ expression and activity, and the association with ET‐1 production and fibrosis, in cardiac biopsies from patients with end‐stage heart failure due to ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) in comparison and from non‐failing donor hearts. All samples were obtained during cardiac transplantation.

Methods and results:

Morphological analysis (by Masson trichrome and image analysis) did not detect fibrosis in the left atrium from non‐failing donors (NFLA) or from ICM patients (FLA). However, left ventricles from failing hearts (FLV) contained a greater number of fibrotic areas (NFLA: 3.21±1.15, FLA: 1.63±0.83, FLV: 14.5±3.45%; n=9, P<0.05). By RT‐PCR, preproET‐1 expression was similar in the non‐failing and failing atrium but was significantly higher in the ventricles from failing hearts (NFLA: 1.00±0.06, FLA: 1.08±0.11, FLV: 1.74±0.19; n=9, P<0.05). PPAR‐α and PPAP‐γ mRNA (by RT‐PCR) and protein (by Western blot) levels were higher in the ventricles from failing hearts compared with the atrium from failing and non‐failing hearts. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that PPAR‐α and PPAP‐γ were not activated in the ventricles (NFLA: 1.00±0.11, FLA: 1.89±0.24, FLV: 0.95±0.07; n=9, P<0.05).

Conclusions:

These data suggest that PPAR‐α and PPAP‐γ are selectively activated in the atria from ICM patients and might be functionally important in the maintenance of atrial morphology.
Role of β1‐ and α2c‐adrenergic receptor polymorphisms and their combination in heart failure: A case‐control study
Authors: Metra Marco , Zani Claudia , Covolo Loredana , Nodari Savina , Pezzali Natalia , Gelatti Umberto , Donato Francesco , Nardi Giuseppe , Cas Livio Dei
Published: September 2005

Background:

Adrenergic activation has a central role in the development of HF. The function of the β1‐ and the α2C‐adrenergic receptors is influenced by gene polymorphisms: the β1Arg389 variant is associated with increased β1‐receptor sensitivity and the α2C‐receptor Del322–325 variant is associated with decreased α2C receptor function and increased norepinephrine release. We hypothesised that these polymorphisms could influence the prevalence of heart failure.

Methods:

The role of the β1‐ and α2C‐adrenergic receptor gene polymorphisms as risk factors for heart failure (HF) was assessed in an Italian white Caucasian population using a case‐control study design. Genomic DNA was analysed by polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR‐RLFP).

Results:

We compared 260 Caucasian patients with HF and 230 normal subjects. The β1Arg389 allele was frequent both in the patients with HF (69%) and in the normal subjects (73%). The α2CDel322–325 variant was rare in both groups (9% and 8%, respectively). Patients homozygotes for either the β1Arg389 or the α2CDel322–325 alleles had no increased risk of HF (odds ratio [OR], 0.8; 95%CI: 0.5—1.2 and OR, 0.8; 95% CI: 0.4—1.8, respectively). Patients homozygotes for both the β1Arg389 and the α2CDel322–325 alleles had no increased risk of HF as well (OR: 0.6; 95% CI: 0.2—2.1).

Conclusions:

β1‐ARs and α2C‐ARs polymorphisms are not associated with an increased risk of HF in an Italian white Caucasian population.
Independent and incremental prognostic value of endogenous ouabain in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy
Authors: Pitzalis Maria Vittoria , Hamlyn John M. , Messaggio Elisabetta , Iacoviello Massimo , Forleo Cinzia , Romito Roberta , de Tommasi Elisabetta , Rizzon Paolo , Bianchi Giuseppe , Manunta Paolo
Published: September 2005

Increased circulating levels of endogenous ouabain (EO) have been observed in some heart failure patients, but their long term clinical significance is unknown. This study investigated the prognostic value of EO for worsening heart failure among 140 optimally treated patients (age 50±14 years; 104 male; NYHA class 1.9±0.7) with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. Plasma EO was determined by RIA and by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, values were linearly correlated (r=0.89) in regression analysis. During follow‐up (13±5 months), heart failure progression was defined as worsening clinical condition leading to one or more of the following: sustained increase in conventional therapies, hospitalization, cardiac transplant, or death. NYHA functional class, age, LVEF, peak VO2and plasma levels of EO were predictive for heart failure progression. Heart failure worsened 1.5 fold (HR: 1.005; 95% CI: 1.001—1.007;p<0.01) for each 100 pmol/L increase in plasma EO. Moreover, those patients with higher plasma EO values had an odds ratio of 5.417 (95% CI: 2.044—14.355;p<0.001) for heart failure progression. Following multivariate analysis, LVEF, NYHA class and plasma EO remained significantly linked with clinical events. This study provides the first evidence that circulating EO is a novel, independent and incremental marker that predicts the progression of heart failure.
Statistical model for characterizing epistatic control of triploid endosperm triggered by maternal and offspring QTLs
Authors: CUI YUEHUA , WU RONGLING
Published: September 2005

To study the effects of maternal and endosperm quantitative trait locus (QTL) interaction on endosperm development, we derive a two-stage hierarchical statistical model within the maximum-likelihood context, implemented with an expectation-maximization algorithm. A model incorporating both maternal and offspring marker information can improve the accuracy and precision of genetic mapping. Extensive simulations under different sampling strategies, heritability levels and gene action modes were performed to investigate the statistical properties of the model. The QTL location and parameters are better estimated when two QTLs are located at different intervals than when they are located at the same interval. Also, the additive effect of the offspring QTLs is better estimated than the additive effect of the maternal QTLs. The implications of our model for agricultural and evolutionary genetic research are discussed.
Neutral mutation as the source of genetic variation in life history traits
Authors: BRČIĆ-KOSTIĆ KRUNOSLAV
Published: September 2005

The mechanism underlying the maintenance of adaptive genetic variation is a long-standing question in evolutionary genetics. There are two concepts (mutation–selection balance and balancing selection) which are based on the phenotypic differences between alleles. Mutation – selection balance and balancing selection cannot properly explain the process of gene substitution, i.e. the molecular evolution of quantitative trait loci affecting fitness. I assume that such loci have non-essential functions (small effects on fitness), and that they have the potential to evolve into new functions and acquire new adaptations. Here I show that a high amount of neutral polymorphism at these loci can exist in real populations. Consistent with this, I propose a hypothesis for the maintenance of genetic variation in life history traits which can be efficient for the fixation of alleles with very small selective advantage. The hypothesis is based on neutral polymorphism at quantitative trait loci and both neutral and adaptive gene substitutions. The model of neutral – adaptive conversion (NAC) assumes that neutral alleles are not neutral indefinitely, and that in specific and very rare situations phenotypic (relative fitness) differences between them can appear. In this paper I focus on NAC due to phenotypic plasticity of neutral alleles. The important evolutionary consequence of NAC could be the increased adaptive potential of a population. Loci responsible for adaptation should be fast evolving genes with minimally discernible phenotypic effects, and the recent discovery of genes with such characteristics implicates them as suitable candidates for loci involved in adaptation.
Genetic variation for expression of the sex determination pathway genes in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: TARONE AARON M. , NASSER YASEEN M. , NUZHDIN SERGEY V.
Published: September 2005

Sequence polymorphisms result in phenotypic variation through the pathways of interacting genes and their products. We focused on transcript-level variation in the splicing pathway for sex determination – a model network defining downstream morphological characters that are dimorphic between males and females. Expression of Sex lethal, transformer, transformer2, doublesex, intersex and hermaphrodite was assayed with quantitative RT-PCR in 0- to 1-day-old adult males and females of 36 Drosophila melanogaster inbred lines. Abundant genetic variation in the transcript levels was found for all genes. Sex-specific splices had high concentrations in the appropriate sex. In the other sex, low but detectable concentrations were also observed. Abundances of splices strongly co-varied between sexes among genotypes, with little genetic variation strictly limited to one sex. The level of sexually dimorphic Yolk protein1 expression – an immediate downstream target of the pathway – was modelled as the target phenotype of the upstream sex determination pathway. Substantial genetic variation in this phenotype in males was explained by leaky splicing of female-specific transcripts. If higher transcript levels of the appropriate isoform of sex determination genes are beneficial in a sex, then stronger leakiness of the inappropriate transcript might be deleterious, perhaps contributing to the fitness trade-offs previously observed between the sexes.
bourgeois bohemians in china? neo-tribes and the urban imaginary
Authors: wang jing
Published: September 2005

this article treats an understudied subject in popular culture studies: the mutual feed between lifestyle cultures and marketing through an examination of the bobo fever in urban china. how did an imaginary class of “bourgeois bohemians” emerge in a country where the bourgeois base is statistically small and where the bohemian equation is non-existent? to shed light on this pop-culture-turned-marketing-fad syndrome, the article introduces the concept of the “neo-tribes” and maps the pathways that link style cultures to consumer segmentation. a couple of critical questions arise from this exercise. first, is the separability of taste from class symptomatic of a “chinese leap of faith”? and secondly, is the hottest market segment today – the “neo-neo-tribes” – preparing us to address the convergence of a global youth culture?
chinese cinema in the age of advertisement: the filmmaker as a cultural broker
Authors: braester yomi
Published: September 2005

the article looks at a model of filmmaking that has emerged since the rise of “cultural economy” in the mid-1990s. directors have collaborated with real estate developers and other entrepreneurs and become cultural brokers. they use the prestige, access and popular appeal of the cinema to establish a stronger connection between film and market forces. as filmmakers become trendsetters, their films aim not only at box office success but also at shaping economic agendas and visual experience, social networks and the aesthetic environment. filmmaking as cultural brokering has been practised by directors as disparate as the market-oriented feng xiaogang, the neorealist ning ying and the documentary producer wu wenguang.
china on the catwalk: between economic success and nationalist anxiety
Authors: finnane antonia
Published: September 2005

in the post-mao era china competed successfully for a place in the international trade in textiles and apparel, but its economic success has not been matched by recognition of chinese fashion design on the world stage. one reason for this lies in the obstacles posed by the existing hierarchy of fashion capitals, which has proved notoriously difficult to subvert. shanghai may mean fashion in china, but unlike paris, it does not mean that to the world at large. yet the chinese fashion industry is also bedevilled by problems of its own. a high degree of national self-consciousness on the world stage is evident in international fashion shows featuring rather predictable pastiches of chinese culture. it may be the case that state-sponsored nationalism militates against both a more interesting approach to cultural heritage on the part of designers and a more receptive climate for chinese fashion on international catwalks.
popular music and youth in urban china: the dakou generation
Authors: de kloet jeroen
Published: September 2005

the import of illegal, cut cds from the west (dakou cds) in the mid-1990s marked the revitalization of chinese rock culture. this article analyses the rise of dakou culture in the context of the interrelated processes of globalization and marketization of chinese culture. contrary to accounts that proclaim the crisis or death of chinese rock, this article describes the re-emergence of rock since the mid-1990s. it presents an overview on three different scenes, part of the dakou culture among chinese youth. the fashionable bands are inspired by a cosmopolitan aspiration, the underground bands signify the return of the political and the urban folk singers express a nostalgic longing. all three scenes attest to the current diversity of popular music cultures in china, and are interpreted as sonic tactics employed by chinese youth to carve out their own space amidst an increasingly commercialized and globalized society.
reggae on the silk road: the globalization of uyghur pop
Authors: harris rachel
Published: September 2005

in this article i take examples of popular music recordings released in the xinjiang uyghur autonomous region during the 1990s and first few years of the 21st century, in order to illustrate the global flows of sounds and meanings which influence uyghur pop. the disseminatory power of “micro media” (cheap cassettes, vcds) facilitates the global movement of both musical sounds and political ideas. i argue, using examples of uyghur reggae and uyghur belly dancing, that these sounds and meanings are radically adapted and re-signified in the construction of uyghur identity and cultural politics, in a complex interplay between the global, national and local, and between tradition and modernity. i discuss the gendered expression of uyghur nationalism in popular song through the iconic figure of the weeping mother, demonstrating the ability of expressive culture (here music) to reveal underlying or underpinning political trends.
Prevalence of, and risk factors for, HSV-2 antibodies in sexually transmitted disease patients, healthy pregnant females, blood donors and medical students in Tanzania and Norway
Authors: NILSEN A. , MWAKAGILE D. , MARSDEN H. , LANGELAND N. , MATRE R. , HAARR L.
Published: September 2005

The prevalence of specific HSV-2 antibodies was studied in Tanzanian and Norwegian sexually transmitted disease (STD) patients (1095) and non-STD patients (488). Correlates to demographic and behavioural factors were evaluated. Seropositivity was determined by the non-commercial peptide-55 enzyme-linked immunoassay. The prevalence of HSV-2 antibodies was 70% in Tanzanian and 17% in Norwegian STD patients, 35% in Tanzanian blood donors and pregnant women, and 4, 7 and 14% in Norwegian medical students, blood donors and pregnant women respectively. A higher HSV-2 prevalence was associated with female sex, increasing age, previous STDs, history of genital HSV infection, coitarchal age (age at first intercourse) <15 years and HIV seropositivity. Compared to previous data, the prevalence of HSV-2 antibodies in Tanzanian STD patients has increased remarkably. In Norwegian STD patients our results are consistent with, or lower than, the prevalence previously reported in Western Europe. Demographic rather than behavioural factors were associated with higher prevalence of HSV-2 antibodies in STD patients.
Prevalence of IgG diphtheria antitoxin in blood donors in Rio de Janeiro
Authors: DAMASCO P. V. , PIMENTA F. P. , FILARDY A. A. , BRITO S. M. , ANDRADE A. F. B. , LOPES G. S. , HIRATA R. , MATTOS-GUARALDI A. L.
Published: September 2005

The lack of information on the immunity of adults in Brazil against diphtheria prompted us to analyse sera from 234 blood donors aged 18–61 years (30·3% females and 69·7% males). IgG diphtheria antitoxin levels determined by means of an ELISA, validated by toxin neutralization test in Vero cells, showed that 30·7% (95% CI 25·0–37·1) of the population was fully protected ([ges ]1 IU/ml). The highest percentage of subjects fully protected was in the 31–40 years age group. Most of the subjects with uncertain or no protection (<1 IU/ml) were found in the 18–30 years age group (43·8%, OR 2·18, P=0·01). Antitoxin levels were not influenced by the increase in age. Males were more protected than females (80·5%, OR 0·44, P=0·01). The prevalence of 30% of individuals fully protected against diphtheria in blood donors in Rio de Janeiro supports the fact that immunity to diphtheria among healthy Brazilian adults is inadequate. To avoid diphtheria epidemics in the future the immunity among adults should be raised in the coming years.
Age-specific seroprevalence to an immunodominant Cryptosporidium sporozoite antigen in a Brazilian population
Authors: COX M. J. , ELWIN K. , MASSAD E. , AZEVEDO R. S.
Published: September 2005

The seroepidemiology of Cryptosporidium infection was investigated in a representative sample of a normal population in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil using a recombinant form of the immunodominant 27-kDa sporozoite antigen. IgG seropositivity was low in infants following loss of maternal antibody but quickly increased to ~60% by 5 years, then 80% by the age of 10 years, after which prevalence remained constant. The broad range of antibody concentrations is consistent with previous reports that the IgG response to C. parvum is short-lived. There is also evidence that average antibody concentrations increase with age. Results suggest that the recombinant antigen may be a more sensitive method of measuring seroprevalence than the native antigen in Western blot. Although cross-sectional studies can provide an insight into the epidemiology of C. parvum in normal populations, further studies investigating the dynamics of the humoral immune responses to Cryptosporidium and the use of serology in epidemiological studies are required.
Influence of age and carriage status on salivary IgA to Neisseria meningitidis
Authors: HORTON R. E. , STUART J. , CHRISTENSEN H. , BORROW R. , GUTHRIE T. , DAVENPORT V. , FINN A. , The ALSPAC Study Team  , WILLIAMS N. A. , HEYDERMAN R. S.
Published: September 2005

Asymptomatic carriage of Neisseria meningitidis is common (5–35% of individuals) while the incidence of invasive meningococcal disease is fairly low (<1–5 per 100000 per annum in Europe). Naturally acquired protective immunity may account for this difference. In this study, we investigated the relationship between anti-meningococcal salivary IgA and age and carriage. We showed that salivary IgA to a range of meningococcal antigens increased successively with age with some specificity for commonly circulating serosubtypes. In a group of 258 students 37 (14%) of whom were carriers of N. meningitidis serogroup B, higher levels of specific IgA were associated with carriage. Stratified analysis revealed a positive relationship between smoking and specific anti-N. meningitidis IgA independent of current carriage, weighted odds ratio (OR) 4·1 (95% CI 1·1–18) and OR 3·8 (95% CI 0·96–16) for reference strains B:1:P1.14 and B:4:P1.5,4 respectively. These data implicate IgA as a factor in host defence from meningococcal invasion, although the precise mechanisms remain uncertain.
A case-control study of domestic kitchen microbiology and sporadic Salmonella infection
Authors: PARRY S. M. , SLADER J. , HUMPHREY T. , HOLMES B. , GUILDEA Z. , PALMER S. R.
Published: September 2005

The microbiology of domestic kitchens in the homes of subjects who had suffered sporadic Salmonella infection (cases) was compared with control domestic kitchens. Case and control dishcloths and refrigerator swabs were examined for the presence of Salmonella spp., total Enterobacteriaceae counts and total aerobic colony counts. Salmonella spp. were isolated from both case and control dishcloths and refrigerators but there were no significant differences between the two groups. Colony counts were similar in case and control dishcloths and refrigerator swabs. There was no relationship between the total counts and presence of Salmonella. There was no evidence that cases of Salmonella infection were more likely to have kitchens which were contaminated with these bacteria or have higher bacterial counts than controls. Total bacterial counts were poor indicators of Salmonella contamination of the domestic kitchen environment. Further factors which could not be identified by a study of this design may increase risk of Salmonella food poisoning. These factors may include individual susceptibility of the patient. Alternatively, sporadic cases of Salmonella food poisoning may arise from food prepared outside the home.
Frozen chicken nuggets and strips and eggs are leading risk factors for Salmonella Heidelberg infections in Canada
Authors: CURRIE A. , MACDOUGALL L. , ARAMINI J. , GAULIN C. , AHMED R. , ISAACS S.
Published: September 2005

A case-control study was conducted from 1 January to 31 May 2003 to identify risk factors for S. Heidelberg infection in Canada. Controls were pair-matched by age group and telephone exchange to 95 cases. Exposures in the 7 days before illness/interview were assessed using multivariate conditional logistic regression. Consumption of home-prepared chicken nuggets and/or strips [matched odds ratio (mOR) 4·0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·4–13·8], and undercooked eggs (mOR 7·5, 95% CI 1·5–75·5) increased the risk of illness. Exposure to a farm setting lowered the risk (mOR 0·22, 95% CI 0·03–1·00). The population-attributable fraction associated with chicken nuggets/strips was 34% and with undercooked eggs was 16%. One-third of study participants did not perceive, handle or prepare chicken nuggets and strips as high-risk products, although the majority of the products on the Canadian market are raw. These findings have prompted changes in product-labelling policy and consumer education.
Aetiologies and risk factors for neonatal sepsis and pneumonia mortality among Alaskan infants
Authors: GESSNER B. D. , CASTRODALE L. , SORIANO-GABARRO M.
Published: September 2005

We evaluated all fatal neonatal sepsis and pneumonia cases occurring in Alaska during 1992–2000. Risk factors were evaluated using a database of all births occurring during the study period. Of 32 cases, group B streptococcus (GBS) was isolated from 21% (all <7 days of age), Candida spp. from 19% (all >7 days of age), non-GBS Gram-positive bacteria from 50% (53% <7 days of age), and Gram-negative infections from 38% (58% <7 days of age). Infants born at <37 weeks gestation accounted for 72% of cases and had an increased risk of GBS [rate ratio (RR) 9·1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2·0–41] and non-GBS (RR 40, 95% CI 16–101) disease. Neonatal sepsis mortality has become an outcome concentrated among pre-term infants. Aetiologies include GBS during the early neonatal period, Candida spp. during the late neonatal period, and other bacteria during both periods.
Shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) infections in Finland during 1998–2002: a population-based surveillance study
Authors: EKLUND M. , NUORTI J. P. , RUUTU P. , SIITONEN A.
Published: September 2005

During 1998–2002, 124 microbiologically confirmed infections caused by shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) were reported in Finland. Of these, 25 (20%) were associated with recent foreign travel. Temporal, geographical and type distribution of the domestically acquired infections (n=99) caused by strains of serogroup O157 (n=52) and non-O157 (n=47) were analysed further. The median age of the patients was 6·8 years (range 0·2–73·1 years). Of the index cases within 26 families, 71% were <5 years old. Family-related infections accounted for 49%, sporadic infections 39%, and 11% were associated with three clusters. Only strains of serogroup O157 carrying eae and stx2 or its variants caused separate clusters. The incidence of STEC infections was at its highest (0·64/100000) in 1998. Since 1999 it has declined considerably (0·17/100000 in 2002). STEC infections occurred in 14 hospital districts, mostly (28%) in the Helsinki region. However, the incidence was highest (10·3) in northwest Finland.