bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Future of ORL-HNS and Associated Specialties Series Highlights of the development of ENT in the 20th century
Authors: Weir Neil
Published: November 2007

This paper heralds a series entitled The Future of ORL-HNS and Associated Specialties which the Journal will run through each issue of the year 2000.
Trigeminal neurinoma presenting with trismus
Authors: Sim R. J. , Beasley N. , Milford C. A.
Published: November 2007

We describe a patient with trigeminal neunnoma whose main presenting symptom was trismus. This has not previously been reported in the literature. We review the previously described symptoms and signs of trigeminal neurinoma.
The effect of botulinum toxin type A injection for intrinsic rhinitis
Authors: Kim Kyung-Su , Kim Sung-Shik , Yoon Joo-Heon , Han Jae Wook
Published: November 2007

Botulinum toxin type A (BTA) is known to inhibit the release of acetylcholine from cholinergic nerve endings. Owing to the characteristics of BTA, we thought that it could be used for the treatment of intrinsic rhinitis acting as an anticholinergic drug. In a double-blind placebo-controlled study four units of BTA were injected into the middle turbinate (two units) and inferior turbinate (two units) in each nasal cavity. Rhinorrhoea, nasal obstruction, and sneezing were recorded in a symptom diary on the basis of a scale of 5 and the number of paper tissues used per day was also recorded for 24 weeks. Rhinorrhoea was significantly diminished in severity (24.1–41.5 per cent reduction) and paper tissue use (54.3 per cent reduction) in the BTA group compared with the placebo group. This effect could be maintained for four weeks. Sneezing and nasal stuffiness were not affected by BTA. These results suggest that BTA can be used to treat rhinorrhoea in intrinsic rhinitis patients, however, the effective period is short.
Second primary cancer of the larynx in patients with lung cancer
Authors: Talmi Yoav P. , Bedrin Lev , Waller Alexander , Horowitz Zeev , Skurnik Yair , Adunski Abraham , Kronenberg Jona
Published: November 2007

Synchronous or metachronous second primary malignancies of the lung are sometimes encountered in patients with laryngeal cancer while the occurrence of a laryngeal second primary following cancer of the lung is rare.

A two-armed study was conducted. A prospective arm in which the larynges of 56 terminal lung cancer patients were examined, and a retrospective arm incorporating both a chart study of 126 terminal head and neck cancer patients (HNCP) and a computerized search of all hospital records of patients with laryngeal and lung cancers. No laryngeal malignancy was found in the lung cancer patients' group and no antedating pulmonary malignancy was recorded in the terminal HNCP. The computerized search of 1778 lung cancer patients and 213 laryngeal cancer patients also failed to demonstrate cases where the former preceded the latter.

In conclusion. No second primary of the larynx was found in lung cancer patients. These results compare with reports of large databases where cancer of the larynx was found in a negligible percentage of lung cancer survivors and theories explaining this are discussed.
Malignant otitis externa with optic neuritis
Authors: Bath A. P. , Rowe J. R. , Innes A. J.
Published: November 2007

Malignant otitis externa is a serious condition that presents difficulties in treatment, and also in monitoring its progress. A case of malignant otitis externa with optic neuritis is presented that remained refractory to standard treatment but was cured by adjuvant hyperbaric oxygen therapy. This is the only reported case that has survived this disease with optic neuritis. The usefulness of imaging techniques in this condition is discussed, as well as the ESR, in evaluating the effectiveness of treatment.
Ethmoid metastasis of endometrial carcinoma causing mucocoele of maxillary antrum
Authors: Scott A. , Raine M. , Stansbie J. M.
Published: November 2007

We report a case of an antral mucocoele secondary to the obstruction of its ostium by metastatic endometrial carcinoma. This is the first report of such a cause for a mucocoele, and for a metastasis from such a tumour in the head and neck.
DNA flow cytometry of acinic cell carcinomas of major salivary glands
Authors: El-Naggar Adel K. , Batsakis J. G. , Luna Mario A. , McLemore Donia , Byers R. M.
Published: November 2007

Fifteen acinic cell carcinomas from an equal number of patients were analysed for their DNA content and proliferative (S-phase) index by flow cytometry from archival tissues. Seven of the carcinomas manifested a diploid DNA content. None of the patients with diploid acinic cell carcinomas died of their carcinomas and none developed metastases in follow-up periods extending for 10 or more years. Four of eight patients with aneuploid acinic cell carcinomas have died because of their malignancies within a 10 year period after the first surgical removal of the carcinoma. Five of the eight patients exhibited metastases. Although the number of cases does not permit strong correlations between histopathological features, abnormalities in DNA content and outcome of patients, it was noted that carcinomas with prominent necrosis, tubulo ductal differentiation and ‘dedifferentiated’ areas displayed more aggressive biological courses.
Intranasal adhesions which recur despite splinting: an ominous sign?
Authors: Watson M. G. , Marshall H. F.
Published: November 2007

Intranasal adhesions are a common complication following nasal surgery. They may be prevented by the use of silastic splints, which are also a very effective treatment for established lesions. We report a patient where intranasal adhesions rapidly recurred despite the use of splints, who was found to be suffering from Wegener's granulomatosis.
Giant vertebro-basilar aneurysm: an unusual cerebello-pontine angle lesion
Authors: Kalavagunta Sudhakiran , Karkanevatos Apostolos , Swift Andrew C
Published: November 2007

Acoustic neuromas (vestibular schwannomas) comprise more than 90 per cent of all cerebello-pontine angle (CPA) lesions. We present a rare case of a giant vertebro-basilar aneurysm presenting as a CPA lesion. The general condition of the patient precluded the completion of the magnetic resonance (MR) sequences. The clinical and limited radiological results (T2 images alone, the features of which were not specific) initially did not lead to a specific diagnosis. To obtain further radiological information a computed tomography (CT) scan with contrast was performed and this revealed the lesion to be an aneurysm. The diagnostic difficulties and the treatment dilemmas of such a lesion are discussed. The importance of fine, axial, post-contrast CT arteriography with three-dimensional reconstruction, MR angiography and digital subtraction angiography are highlighted. The limitations of MR imaging in patients with CPA lesions are discussed.
A momentary assessment study of the reputed emotional phenotype associated with borderline personality disorder
Authors: Glaser J.-P. , Os J. Van , Mengelers R. , Myin-Germeys I.
Published: November 2007

Background

Stress is postulated to play an essential role in the expression of core borderline symptoms. However, the phenomenology of stress reactivity in borderline personality disorder remains unclear. The current study investigated the phenomenology of stress sensitivity in borderline personality disorder in the flow of daily life and compared this with stress sensitivity in patients suffering from psychotic disorders, a group so far known to report the largest reactivity to stress.

Method

A total of 44 borderline patients, 42 patients with psychotic disorder and 49 healthy controls were studied with the Experience Sampling Method (a structured diary technique assessing current context and mood in daily life) to assess: (1) appraised subjective stress related to daily events and activities; and (2) emotional reactivity conceptualized as changes in positive and negative affect.

Results

Multilevel regression analysis revealed that subjects with borderline personality disorder experienced significantly more emotional reactivity to daily life stress compared with both patients with psychosis and healthy controls, as evidenced by a larger increase in negative affect and a larger decrease in positive affect following stress.

Conclusion

These results are the first to ecologically validate the incorporation of stress reactive symptoms in the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. Borderline patients continually react stronger than patients with psychosis and healthy controls to small disturbances that continually happen in the natural flow of everyday life. Altered emotional stress reactivity may define borderline personality disorder.
A selected bibliography reflecting the GRM's concepts and trends
Authors: Geslin Yann , Teruggi Daniel
Published: November 2007

In order to understand through the original writings the evolution of ideas and technology in the history of GRM, a recommended bibliography is proposed here.
The technological era of ‘sound’: a challenge for musicology and a new range of social practices
Authors: Delalande François
Published: November 2007

The ‘technological revolution’ that took place in music during the twentieth century is equivalent to the revolution that took place between the twelfth and fourteenth century, which transformed musical notation into applications of technology related to creation. This second revolution, as well as the first one, concerns not only musical form, but also the social organisation related to music. The aesthetic of sound is the key factor (in all the genres of contemporary music), which is a major challenge for musical analysis. Society is reorganising itself, favouring the appropriation and amateur practices within musical creation. Musical research institutions – and particularly the GRM – develop new forms of collaboration with their audience and contribute to the constitution of a ‘horizontal’ society, based on exchange, in frank opposition with the ‘vertical’ society, based on a reduced number of producers and a large amount of consumers.
Nature and the GRM
Authors: Thomas Jean-Christophe
Published: November 2007

It is a habit to invoke Aristotle when dealing, within the arts, with ‘Nature’ – that the Man–Artist (and not only the musician) would be, he says, ‘inclined’ to imitate. It is true, the history of music clearly attests to the temptation and of the ‘pleasure’ (as Aristotle also says) found in mimesis. We know that very lately in history musique concrète gives a new perspective to this question as well as to other questions, and changes the deal: because the sound objects of the world, of the whole world – the ‘noises’ – that needed to be imitated, can now be easily captured through technology, almost in a photographic way, and then they can be gathered, kept, and finally be composed. Hopefully Pierre Schaeffer, its genial inventor, has, concerning the question of nature within new music, a position that tears him apart, which is paradoxical, uncomfortable, fundamental: that the nature that is so easily captured, he does not want to exhibit; to understand the lessons, the hidden musical lessons, he only wants to examine it. This almost heroic model will only be partially followed by the composers (concrète, electroacoustic, acousmatic, anecdotical composers) who have been working during the last sixty years in this passionate domain. At the end of this article, the sketch of a typology, based on musical examples, tries to clarify the way nature is dealt with, when it appears in musique concrète.
Forschung in der Medizin
Authors: Steurer  , Puhan
Published: November 2007

Forschung ist die systematische Suche nach neuen Erkenntnissen. In der Medizin kann man zwischen zwei Arten der Forschung unterscheiden, der grundlagenorientierten und der patientenorientierten Forschung. Der Ausgangspunkt jeder Forschung ist eine Frage. Die Forschungsfrage muss präzise formuliert werden und im Bereich der patientenorientierten Forschung die Antwort auf die Frage klinisch relevant sein. Die Forschungsfrage setzt sich zusammen aus der Beschreibung der Hauptbeziehung (Determinante und Zielgröße [Outcome]) und der Domäne in der diese Beziehung untersucht wird.
Studiendesigns
Authors: Eichler  , Bachmann
Published: November 2007

Das Methodendesign folgt dem Objektdesign. Die Fragestellung definiert das adäquateste Design. Manchmal ist dieses Design aus Effizienz- und Praktikabilitätsgründen nicht anwendbar. Die Forscher müssen dann die Konsequenzen von suboptimalen Voraussetzungen gegen das Risiko von Verzerrungen abwägen.
Kinder und Jugendliche als pflegende Angehörige: Wie sich pflegerische Hilfen auf ihr Leben auswirken können. Eine internationale Literaturstudie (1990–2006)
Authors: Metzing Sabine , Schnepp Wilfried
Published: November 2007

Kinder und Jugendliche, die mit chronisch kranken Eltern aufwachsen und zusätzlich in deren Pflege involviert sind, können in ihrer gesamten Entwicklung nachhaltig beeinträchtigt werden. Die vorliegende Literaturstudie ist Teil einer Studie, deren Ziel es ist, Grundlagen für spezifische Unterstützungsangebote für pflegende Kinder in Deutschland zu erarbeiten. In Publikationen der letzten 15 Jahre wurde Fragen nach Auswirkungen einer Pflegerolle auf Kinder sowie nach dem Erleben einer elterlichen Erkrankung nachgegangen. Pflegende Kinder erfahren sowohl negative als auch positive Auswirkungen im Zusammenhang mit ihrer Pflegerolle. Allerdings lässt sich schwer unterscheiden, welchen spezifischen Einfluss die Übernahme pflegerischer Tätigkeiten über die allgemeinen Wirkungen der elterlichen Erkrankung per se hinaus hat. Als positive Folgen werden ein gesteigertes Selbstwertgefühl, frühe Reife, Schaffung von Identität, eine besonders enge Beziehung zu den Eltern wie auch das Gefühl, gut auf das Leben vorbereitet zu sein, beschrieben. Negative Folgen werden für die gesamte körperliche, psychosoziale und schulische Entwicklung der Kinder sichtbar. Jedoch nicht jedes pflegende Kind erfährt negative Auswirkungen seiner Rolle, und nicht jedes Kind, das mit chronisch kranken Eltern aufwächst, nimmt zwangsläufig Schaden. Dennoch verweisen die Ergebnisse auf Handlungsbedarf, um Spätfolgen für Kinder zu verhindern. Bei der Planung von Hilfsangeboten gilt es, die gesamte Familie zu integrieren und neben der Unterstützung der Kinder auch die Eltern zu stabilisieren.
Pflegediagnose «Gefahr einer Pneumonie». Evaluierung und Vergleich evidenzbasierter und pflegepraktischer Interventionen
Authors: Haslinger-Baumann Elisabeth , Burns Evelin
Published: November 2007

In der Hauskrankenpflege, wo professionell agierende Krankenpflegepersonen weitgehend auf sich allein gestellt sind, müssen Interventionen dem aktuellen wissenschaftlichen Stand entsprechen. Ziel der vorgelegten Literaturanalyse ist es, die Interventionen der Pflegediagnose «Gefahr einer Pneumonie» wie sie in der Hauskrankenpflege eines österreichischen Anbieters verwendet werden, auf ihre wissenschaftliche Evidenz zu überprüfen und mit evidenzbasierten Pflegemethoden vergleichend zu bewerten. Anhand der Forschungsfrage: Inwieweit finden sich die Interventionen der Pflegediagnose «Gefahr einer Pneumonie» in der pflegewissenschaftlichen Literatur wieder, wurden vier Evidence-based Guidelines aus unterschiedlichen Datenbanken und Instituten anhand einer standardisierten Checkliste identifiziert. Ergebnis der Analyse ist, dass sich die meisten in der Pflegediagnose beschriebenen Interventionen in den Guidelines wieder finden. Zusätzliche Empfehlungen aus den Guidelines beziehen sich auf die Beratung und Anleitung zur RaucherInnenentwöhnung, beziehungsweise zur Grippe- bzw. Pneumokokkenimpfung, aber auch auf Einschätzungsinstrumenten bezüglich der Schwere der Pneumonie. Zusätzlich kommt der Intervention Mundpflege besondere Bedeutung bei der Pneumonieprophylaxe zu.
Die Auseinandersetzung um die Einführung des preußischen Krankenpflegeexamens von 1907 bei den katholischen Orden und der evangelischen Mutterhausdiakonie
Authors: Schweikardt Christoph
Published: November 2007

Nach einem Bundesratsbeschluss von 1906 führte Preußen 1907 ein freiwilliges staatliches Krankenpflegeexamen ein. Dadurch wurde die Krankenpflege zu einem staatlich anerkannten Beruf. Es war das Ziel des preußischen Kultusministeriums, auch die katholischen Orden und die evangelische Diakonie zur Annahme des Krankenpflegeexamens zu bewegen. Hierzu führte es 1907 Verhandlungen mit Georg Kardinal Kopp (1837–1914), dem Vertreter des preußischen Episkopats. Für die Annahme des Examens auf katholischer Seite war bereits zuvor der Boden bereitet worden. Katholische Geistliche und Ärzte hatten seit den 1890er Jahren eine Modernisierung der katholischen Krankenpflege gefordert. Für Kopp wiederum war es ein zentrales Anliegen, Tendenzen der Säkularisierung möglichst abzuwehren. Der erzielte Kompromiss zwischen preußischem Kultusministerium und Georg Kardinal Kopp sah vor, dass die staatliche Prüfung lediglich als Ergebniskontrolle ausgestaltet wurde, ohne die einjährige Ausbildungszeit durch Vorgaben zu strukturieren. Diese Einigung brachte das Präsidium der Kaiserswerther Generalkonferenz, die Vertretung der Diakonissenmutterhäuser, dazu, sich widerstrebend dem ausgehandelten Kompromiss anzuschließen. Die große Bedeutung weltanschaulicher Fragen in einem Prozess staatlicher Normierung trug dazu bei, dass staatsferne Institutionen große Eigenständigkeit bei der Durchführung der Krankenpflegeausbildung behielten und dafür staatlich anerkannt wurden.
Direct pore‐scale computation of material and transport properties for North Sea reservoir rocks
Authors: Øren P.‐E. , Bakke S. , Held R.
Published: November 2007

This work investigates two complex, heterogeneous sandstone lithofacies in a North Sea petroleum reservoir field. We compare samples acquired by X‐ray microtomography with numerically reconstructed lithofacies, obtained from a geological process based reconstruction technique. Effective material and transport properties of these digitized rocks, such as electrical resistivity, elastic moduli, fluid permeability, and magnetic resonance (NMR), are computed. The comparison largely reveals an excellent agreement of calculated effective properties between the actual and reconstructed pore structures. A dependence of the effective properties on the specific mineralogy could be investigated in case of the reconstructed rocks. Our results allow for an interpretation of trends in effective medium properties and facilitate the construction of cross‐property relations for the investigated lithofacies. The present study demonstrates the potential and feasibility of combining computer generated rocks with numerical calculations to derive material and transport properties for reservoir rocks.
Statistical comparison of WINDII auroral green line emission rate with DMSP/SSJ4 electron energy input for high and low solar flux years
Authors: Lee Y.‐S. , Shepherd G. G.
Published: November 2007

The atmospheric response to precipitating auroral electrons under varying conditions of solar illumination is investigated using a statistical approach with respect to magnetic local time (MLT), solar zenith angle (χ), and geomagnetic latitude (MLAT) in the northern high‐latitude region. Vertical profiles of daytime auroral O(1S) emission rate are obtained from UARS/WINDII measurements by removing the airglow components. These are compared with precipitating electron and proton input observed with DMSP‐F10 and ‐F12 SSJ4 from which total energy and average energy are obtained. In order to investigate the solar flux effect, 2 a of data are examined, 1993 (high solar flux) and 1996 (low solar flux). Total electron energy flux increases with increasing solar zenith angle from 40° to 160° so that the energy flux during nighttime is much greater than in the daytime. During the daytime (χ ≤ 90°) the auroral atmospheric response correlates well with electron energy input yielding auroral production rates of 1.2 and 1.6 kR erg−1 cm2 s, but this relation breaks down beyond χ = 90°. It is suspected that nighttime thin sheet auroral profiles are not correctly inverted for this limb‐viewing imager. A strong anticorrelation is found between the altitude of peak auroral volume emission rate and the average precipitating electron energy with slopes of 12.1 km keV−1 and 5.7 km keV−1 for 1993 and 1996, respectively. The dependence of auroral emission rate on solar illumination conditions is consistent with earlier work by Newell et al. (1996b) and others, but the clear dependence on solar zenith angle has not been demonstrated before.
Impact of monsoonal rains on spatial scaling patterns in water chemistry of a semiarid river network
Authors: Acuña Vicenç , Dahm Clifford N.
Published: November 2007

The chemical composition of surface waters of nine streams with drainage sizes ranging from 44 to 8900 km2 within a semiarid catchment in the southwestern United States was examined over the monsoonal season of 2006. Primary goals were to determine the impact of monsoonal rains on linkages between landscape cover features and water chemistry in a semiarid river network and to identify whether drainage size influences the temporal variability in water chemistry of streams. Landscape cover features (geology, soil, and vegetation types) were quantified for the subcatchment upstream of each study site and the riparian ecotone. Processes of binary mixing, dilution, and concentration were identified by end member mixing analysis (EMMA). Results showed that most chemical constituents corresponded to geological features at the basin scale, but other constituents (TSS and PO43−) corresponded more closely to riparian features. Importantly, statistical relationships between land cover and water chemistry differed between baseflow and monsoonal conditions, suggesting that seasonal changes in hydrologic routing and water sources (e.g., overland flow versus groundwater sources) have important consequences for stream chemistry. In contrast with mesic drainages, temporal variability in water chemistry increased with spatial scale. The variety of contributing water sources and the relative effect of dilution and concentration in each spatial scale may be underlying processes that explain differences across spatial scales. Observed patterns in the Gila basin suggest that climate variability interacts with hydrologic routing to influence spatial patterns of stream water chemistry in arid basins. Observations made here may be similar to other systems with strongly seasonal climate patterns, and the underlying determinants of stream chemistry change with drainage size.
A Perceptual Correlate of the Labial-Coronal Effect
Authors: Sato Marc , Vallée Nathalie , Schwartz Jean-Luc , Rousset Isabelle
Published: November 2007

Purpose

Statistical studies conducted in various languages on both infants and adults have revealed an intersyllabic preference for initiating words with a labial consonant–vowel–coronal consonant sequence. Speech motor constraints have been proposed to explain this so-calledlabial-coronal effect. This study was designed to test for a possible perceptual correlate of the labial-coronal effect in French adults.

Method

The authors examined the perceptual stabilities of repeatedly presented disyllabic sequences, involving either a labial-vowel–coronal-vowel (LC) or a coronal-vowel–labial-vowel (CL) phonological structure. With this aim, they exploited theverbal transformation effect,which refers to the perceptual changes experienced while listening to a speech form cycled in rapid and continuous repetition. Two experiments were carried out, involving either voiced or unvoiced plosive consonants.

Results

In both experiments, a greater stability and attractiveness was observed for LC stimuli, which suggests that in a (…)LCLC(…) flow, the listener could more naturally provide a segmentation into LC chunks.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that the labial-coronal effect also occurs in the course of online speech processing. This result is interpreted in relation with theories assuming a link between perception and action in the human speech processing system.
Vowel Acoustic Space Development in Children: A Synthesis of Acoustic and Anatomic Data
Authors: Vorperian Houri K. , Kent Ray D.
Published: November 2007

Purpose

This article integrates published acoustic data on the development of vowel production. Age specific data on formant frequencies are considered in the light of information on the development of the vocal tract (VT) to create an anatomic–acoustic description of the maturation of the vowel acoustic space for English.

Method

Literature searches identified 14 studies reporting data on vowel formant frequencies. Data on corner vowels are summarized graphically to show age- and sex- related changes in the area and shape of the traditional vowel quadrilateral.

Conclusions

Vowel development is expressed as follows: (a) establishment of a language-appropriate acoustic representation (e.g., F1–F2 quadrilateral or F1–F2–F3 space), (b) gradual reduction in formant frequencies and F1–F2 area with age, (c) reduction in formant-frequency variability, (d) emergence of male–female differences in formant frequency by age 4 years with more apparent differences by 8 years, (e) jumps in formant frequency at ages corresponding to growth spurts of the VT, and (f) a decline of f0after age 1 year, with the decline being more rapid during early childhood and adolescence. Questions remain about optimal procedures for VT normalization and the exact relationship between VT growth and formant frequencies. Comments are included on nasalization and vocal fundamental frequency as they relate to the development of vowel production.
Intonation Abilities of Children With Williams Syndrome: A Preliminary Investigation
Authors: Stojanovik Vesna , Setter Jane , van Ewijk Lizet
Published: November 2007

Purpose

The authors investigated expressive and receptive intonation abilities in children with Williams syndrome (WS) and the relation of these abilities to other linguistic abilities.

Method

Fourteen children with WS, 14 typically developing children matched to the WS group for receptive language (LA), and 15 typically developing children matched to the WS group for chronological age (CA) were compared on a range of receptive and expressive intonation tasks from the Profiling Elements of Prosodic Systems–Child version (PEPS-C) battery.

Results

The WS group performed similarly to the LA group on all intonation tasks apart from the long-item imitation task, on which the WS group scored significantly lower than the LA group. When compared with the CA group, the WS group was significantly poorer on all aspects of intonation. Whereas there were a number of significant correlations between the intonation and language measures in the control groups, in the WS group, there was only 1 significant correlation between a PEPS-C task and one of the language measures.

Conclusion

As a result of this study, the authors concluded that children with WS have expressive and receptive intonation abilities as expected for their level of language comprehension and that intonation and other linguistic abilities in WS are not strongly related.
Nobel chemistry prize honors career in surface science
Authors: Miller Johanna
Published: November 2007

Gerhard Ertl’s efforts did much to shape the way researchers study surface-catalyzed chemical reactions.
TOM: enhancement and extension of a tool suite for in silico approaches to multigenic hereditary disorders
Authors: Masotti Daniele , Nardini Christine , Rossi Simona , Bonora Elena , Romeo Giovanni , Volinia Stefano , Benini Luca
Published: November 2007

Summary: The study of complex hereditary diseases is a very challenging area of research. The expanding set of in silico approaches offers a flourishing ground for the acceleration of meaningful findings in this area by exploitation of rich and diverse sources of omic data. These approaches are cheap, flexible, extensible, often complementary and can continuously integrate new information and tests to improve the selection of genes responsible for hereditary diseases. Following this principle, we improved and extended our web-service TOM for the identification of candidate genes in the study of complex hereditary diseases.

Availability: Our tool is freely available online at http://www.micrel.deis.unibo.it/~tom/.

Contact:  daniele.masotti@unibo.it

Supplementary information: Manuals and sample data are available in the Help section of the tool's web page.
Sources of individual variation in plasma testosterone levels
Authors: Kempenaers Bart , Peters Anne , Foerster Katharina
Published: November 2007

The steroid hormone testosterone (T) plays a central role in the regulation of breeding in males, because many physiological, morphological and behavioural traits related to reproduction are T dependent. Moreover, in many seasonally breeding vertebrates, male plasma T levels typically show a pronounced peak during the breeding season. While such population-level patterns are fairly well worked out, the sources and the implications of the large variability in individual T levels within the seasonal cycle remain surprisingly little understood. Understanding the potential sources of individual variation in T levels is important for behavioural and evolutionary ecologists, for at least two reasons. First, in ‘honest signalling’ theory, T is hypothesized to play a critical role as the assumed factor that enforces honesty of the expression of sexually selected quality indicators. Second, T is often considered a key mediator of central life-history trade-offs, such as investment in survival versus reproduction or in mating versus parental care. Here, we discuss the patterns of within- and between-individual variation in male plasma T levels in free-living populations of birds. We argue that it is unclear whether this variability mainly reflects differences in underlying individual quality (intrinsic factors such as genetic or maternal effects) or in the environment (extrinsic factors including time of day, individual territorial status and past experience). Research in avian behavioural endocrinology has mainly focused on the effects of extrinsic factors, while other sources of variance are often ignored. We suggest that studies that use an integrative approach and investigate the relative importance of all potential sources of variation are essential for the interpretation of data on individual plasma T levels.
Meiotic drive and sex determination: molecular and cytological mechanisms of sex ratio adjustment in birds
Authors: Rutkowska Joanna , Badyaev Alexander V
Published: November 2007

Differences in relative fitness of male and female offspring across ecological and social environments should favour the evolution of sex-determining mechanisms that enable adjustment of brood sex ratio to the context of breeding. Despite the expectation that genetic sex determination should not produce consistent bias in primary sex ratios, extensive and adaptive modifications of offspring sex ratio in relation to social and physiological conditions during reproduction are often documented. Such discordance emphasizes the need for empirical investigation of the proximate mechanisms for modifying primary sex ratios, and suggests epigenetic effects on sex-determining mechanisms as the most likely candidates. Birds, in particular, are thought to have an unusually direct opportunity to modify offspring sex ratio because avian females are heterogametic and because the sex-determining division in avian meiosis occurs prior to ovulation and fertilization. However, despite evidence of strong epigenetic effects on sex determination in pre-ovulatory avian oocytes, the mechanisms behind such effects remain elusive. Our review of molecular and cytological mechanisms of avian meiosis uncovers a multitude of potential targets for selection on biased segregation of sex chromosomes, which may reflect the diversity of mechanisms and levels on which such selection operates in birds. Our findings indicate that pronounced differences between sex chromosomes in size, shape, size of protein bodies, alignment at the meiotic plate, microtubule attachment and epigenetic markings should commonly produce biased segregation of sex chromosomes as the default state, with secondary evolution of compensatory mechanisms necessary to maintain unbiased meiosis. We suggest that it is the epigenetic effects that modify such compensatory mechanisms that enable context-dependent and precise adjustment of primary sex ratio in birds. Furthermore, we highlight the features of avian meiosis that can be influenced by maternal hormones in response to environmental stimuli and may account for the precise and adaptive patterns of offspring sex ratio adjustment observed in some species.
Avoiding the Looming Latino/Hispanic Cardiovascular Health Crisis: A Call to Action
Authors: Davidson Jaime A. , Kannel William B. , Lopez‐Candales Angel , Morales Leo , Moreno Pedro R. , Ovalle Fernando , Rodriguez Carlos Jose , Rodbard Helena W. , Rosenson Robert S. , Stern Michael
Published: November 2007

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among the largest and fastest growing ethnic minority in the United States, Latinos/Hispanics. To review recent findings on the prevalence of CVD, CVD risk factors, and related illnesses in the US Latino/Hispanic population, an extensive PubMed and Internet literature search for studies published from January 1995 to July 2005 was conducted, using a combination of search terms. Data validity was assessed based on the quality of the source and a consensus of the authors on perceived validity. The review found limitations in current research as well as treatment methods and options for Latino/Hispanic persons at risk for developing CVD and related illnesses. Because of these limitations and the large public health concern, additional research is required to fully determine the best predictors of CVD and diabetes in Latino/Hispanic patients. A combined effort of health‐influencing and health‐governing bodies is needed on all levels to address the CVD problem in the Latino/Hispanic population.
Large Scale Urban Contaminant Transport Simulations With Miles
Authors: Patnaik Gopal , Boris Jay P. , Young Theodore R. , Grinstein Fernando F.
Published: November 2007

Airborne contaminant transport in cities presents challenging new requirements for computational fluid dynamics. The unsteady flow involves very complex geometry and insufficiently characterized boundary conditions, and yet the challenging and timely nature of the overall problem demands that the turbulence be included efficiently with an absolute minimum of extra memory and computing time requirements. This paper describes the monotone integrated large eddy simulation methodology used in NRL’s FAST3D-CT (CT is contaminant transport) simulation model for urban CT and focuses on critical validation issues that need to be addressed to achieve practical predictability. Progress in validation studies benchmarking with flow data from wind-tunnel urban model simulations and actual urban field studies are reported. Despite inherent physical uncertainties and current model tradeoffs, it is clearly possible to achieve some degree of reliable prediction.
Nonlinear viscoelastic response of dendritic (arborescent) polyisobutylenes in single- and reversing double-step shearing flows
Authors: Sui Changping , McKenna Gregory B. , Puskas Judit E.
Published: November 2007

Single-step and three types of reversing double-step experiments were conducted on concentrated solutions of a linear and two dendritic (hyperbranched or arborescent) polyisobutylenes (PIBs). The results in reversing double-step experiments further confirm our previous findings on polyethylene melts that the K-BKZ theory provides better predictions for long chain branched polymers than linear ones. The short chain branched material looks more like the linear material in the present experiments. Isochronal derivatives of the strain potential function (W1 and W2) were calculated from torque (T) and normal force (N) responses in single-step parallel plate experiments. The damping function was extracted from W1 and W2 for both linear and branched PIBs. The damping function of the linear PIB falls between two versions of the Doi–Edwards model. The arborescent PIB with longer branches and lower branching frequency shows weak damping behavior, which is a specific behavior for long chain branched polymers. The arborescent PIB with shorter branches, higher branching frequency and low entanglement density, on the other hand, exhibits the same damping behavior as that of the linear PIB, which is consistent with the findings in the reversing double-step experiments in which it behaves more like a linear polymer.
Injury rate and socioeconomic costs resulting from sports injuries in Flanders: data derived from sports insurance statistics 2003
Authors: Cumps E , Verhagen E , Annemans L , Meeusen R
Published: November 2007

Objective:

This study determines the injury rate (%) and the associated direct medical and indirect costs of sports injuries in Flanders.

Setting:

Epidemiological cohort designs and a human capital method were set up to measure respectively the medical direct and indirect cost of sports injuries.

Participants:

72 out of 82 Flemish sports federations participated.

Intervention:

Insurance statistics from 2003 were used to determine the overall rate of injury and injury localisations. Using these data, the medical direct cost and the impact sports injuries have on indirect costs were estimated. The indirect costs were determined by multiplying the days of absence from work with the daily cost resulting from a loss of production, being €200.

Main outcome:

The total direct medical cost extrapolated for the Flemish sports participants was €15 027 423, which amounted to 0.07% to 0.08% of the total budget spent on healthcare. The indirect cost extrapolated for the Flemish sports participants was €111 420 813, which is about 3.4% of the costs arising from absenteeism from work.

Results:

Of the 14 in-depth analysed sports, the rate of injury was highest in European team handball (8.96%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 8.95–8.96) and lowest in swimming (0.62%; 95% CI 0.62–0.62). The highest direct medical cost was found for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries (€1358 per injury) and the lowest for foot injuries (€52 per injury).

Conclusion:

The costs calculated in this study could become critical statistics in medical care debates. Data obtained here will enable a cost−benefit analysis of the impact of preventive measures to be made.
A hierarchical model for oxygen dynamics in streams
Authors: Garvey James E , Whiles Matt R , Streicher Dennis
Published: November 2007

Although oxygen frequently limits aquatic ecosystems, broad temporal-spatial oxygen dynamics in streams and consequences for aquatic life are poorly understood. In this perspective, we quantified dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations (mg·L–1) in six low-gradient streams in Illinois, USA, using semicontinuous data loggers at multiple sites during summer 2005 (a severe drought year) and summer 2006. We then interpreted these patterns in the context of known responses of stream organisms to DO. Daily median and minimum DO concentrations varied among sites, even within streams. Daily mean discharge (m3·s–1) explained as much as 63% of the variance in DO during both the drought and nondrought years, with increasing discharge (often concomitant with declining temperature) causing DO concentrations to increase in most large stream reaches and to decline in many small streams. Biological responses to this variation in DO are uncertain, although our review suggests that minimum daily concentrations within several of these streams may have been insufficient to sustain early life stages of aquatic organisms. We propose a hierarchical conceptual model for understanding DO within temperate streams, suggesting the following constraining factors in descending levels of organization: season, flow (and gradient) plus temperature, geomorphology, organic enrichment, and oxygen demand of macro-organisms.
Mapping barley genes to chromosome arms by transcript profiling of wheat–barley ditelosomic chromosome addition lines
Authors: Bilgic Hatice , Cho Seungho , Garvin David F. , Muehlbauer Gary J.
Published: November 2007

Wheat–barley disomic and ditelosomic chromosome addition lines have been used as genetic tools for a range of applications since their development in the 1980s. In the present study, we used the Affymetrix Barley1 GeneChip for comparative transcript analysis of the barley cultivar Betzes, the wheat cultivar Chinese Spring, and Chinese Spring – Betzes ditelosomic chromosome addition lines to physically map barley genes to their respective chromosome arm locations. We mapped 1257 barley genes to chromosome arms 1HS, 2HS, 2HL, 3HS, 3HL, 4HS, 4HL, 5HS, 5HL, 7HS, and 7HL based on their transcript levels in the ditelosomic addition lines. The number of genes assigned to individual chromosome arms ranged from 24 to 197. We validated the physical locations of the genes through comparison with our previous chromosome-based physical mapping, comparative in silico mapping with rice and wheat, and single feature polymorphism (SFP) analysis. We found our physical mapping of barley genes to chromosome arms to be consistent with our previous physical mapping to whole chromosomes. In silico comparative mapping of barley genes assigned to chromosome arms revealed that the average genomic synteny to wheat and rice chromosome arms was 63.2% and 65.5%, respectively. In the 1257 mapped genes, we identified SFPs in 924 genes between the appropriate ditelosomic line and Chinese Spring that supported physical map placements. We also identified a single small rearrangement event between rice chromosome 9 and barley chromosome 4H that accounts for the loss of synteny for several genes.
Inflammation, obesity, and fatty acid metabolism: influence ofn-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on factors contributing to metabolic syndrome
Authors: Robinson Lindsay E. , Buchholz Andrea C. , Mazurak Vera C.
Published: November 2007

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) comprises an array of metabolic risk factors including abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and glucose intolerance. Individuals with MetS are at elevated risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Central to the etiology of MetS is an interrelated triad comprising inflammation, abdominal obesity, and aberrations in fatty acid metabolism, coupled with the more recently recognized changes in metabolism during the postprandial period. We review herein preliminary evidence regarding the role of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in modulating each of the components of the triad of adiposity, inflammation, and fatty acid metabolism, with particular attention to the role of the postprandial period as a contributor to the pathophysiology of MetS.
Research that informs Canada’s physical activity guides: an introductionThis article is part of a supplement entitled Advancing physical activity measurement and guidelines in Canada: a scientific review and evidence-based foundation for the future of Canadian physical activity guidelines co-published by Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism and the Canadian Journal of Public Health. It may be cited as Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab. 32(Suppl. 2E) or as Can. J. Public Health 98(Suppl. 2).
Authors: Tremblay Mark S. , Shephard Roy J. , Brawley Lawrence R.
Published: November 2007

The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP), in partnership with Health Canada and others, released Canada’s first physical activity guide for adults in 1998, with specific versions for older adults in 1999 and for children and youth in 2002. Research in the physical activity sciences (e.g., basic science, behavioural assessment, dose–response relationships, epidemiology, health messaging, physical activity measurement) has advanced rapidly since these publications. A detailed review of relevant current research is thus required, to assess whether the existing guidelines and resulting guides need revision or renewal. This introductory paper provides a brief chronology of events leading to the preparation of this journal supplement, including a statement of purpose and an overview of organization and content. A brief discussion of the purpose of the physical activity guidelines and guides, intended biological, psychological, and behavioural outcomes, and the way in which guidelines relate to on-going measurement and surveillance is provided as a context for the papers that follow.
Acyl carrier protein: structure–function relationships in a conserved multifunctional protein family
Authors: Byers David M. , Gong Huansheng
Published: November 2007

Acyl carrier protein (ACP) is a universal and highly conserved carrier of acyl intermediates during fatty acid synthesis. In yeast and mammals, ACP exists as a separate domain within a large multifunctional fatty acid synthase polyprotein (type I FAS), whereas it is a small monomeric protein in bacteria and plastids (type II FAS). Bacterial ACPs are also acyl donors for synthesis of a variety of products, including endotoxin and acylated homoserine lactones involved in quorum sensing; the distinct and essential nature of these processes in growth and pathogenesis make ACP-dependent enzymes attractive antimicrobial drug targets. Additionally, ACP homologues are key components in the production of secondary metabolites such as polyketides and nonribosomal peptides. Many ACPs exhibit characteristic structural features of natively unfolded proteins in vitro, with a dynamic and flexible conformation dominated by 3 parallel α helices that enclose the thioester-linked acyl group attached to a phosphopantetheine prosthetic group. ACP conformation may also be influenced by divalent cations and interaction with partner enzymes through its “recognition” helix II, properties that are key to its ability to alternately sequester acyl groups and deliver them to the active sites of ACP-dependent enzymes. This review highlights recent progress in defining how the structural features of ACP are related to its multiple carrier roles in fatty acid metabolism.
Osmotic water permeability of rat intestinal brush border membrane vesicles: involvement of aquaporin-7 and aquaporin-8 and effect of metal ions
Authors: Tritto Simona , Gastaldi Giulia , Zelenin Sergey , Grazioli Monica , Orsenigo Maria Novella , Ventura Ulderico , Laforenza Umberto , Zelenina Marina
Published: November 2007

Water channels AQP7 and AQP8 may be involved in transcellular water movement in the small intestine. We show that both AQP7 and AQP8 mRNA are expressed in rat small intestine. Immunoblot and immunohistochemistry experiments demonstrate that AQP7 and AQP8 proteins are present in the apical brush border membrane of intestinal epithelial cells. We investigated the effect of several metals and pH on the osmotic water permeability (Pf) of brush border membrane vesicles (BBMVs) and of AQP7 and AQP8 expressed in a cell line. Hg2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+caused a significant decrease in the BBMV Pf, whereas Ni2+and Li+had no effect. AQP8-transfected cells showed a reduction in Pfin the presence of Hg2+and Cu2+, whereas AQP7-transfected cells were insensitive to all tested metals. The Pfof both BBMVs and cells transfected with AQP7 and AQP8 was not affected by pH changes within the physiological range, and the Pfof BBMVs alone was not affected by phlorizin or amiloride. Our results indicate that AQP7 and AQP8 may play a role in water movement via the apical domain of small intestine epithelial cells. AQP8 may contribute to the water-imbalance-related clinical symptoms apparent after ingestion of high doses of Hg2+and Cu2+.