bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acute renal failure in a pediatric kidney allograft recipient treated with intravenous immunoglobulin for parvovirus B19 induced pure red cell aplasia
Authors: Subtirelu Mihail M. , Flynn Joseph T. , Schechner Richard S. , Pullman James M. , Feuerstein Dianne , Rio Marcela Del
Published: October 2005

Abstract:  Infection with parvovirus B19 (PV‐B19) after solid organ transplantation may cause pure red cell aplasia (PRCA). Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) may be of benefit in clearing the infection. Acute renal failure is a known adverse effect of IVIg administration. A 14‐yr‐old male received a cadaveric renal transplant. Three weeks after surgery he developed symptomatic anemia (hemoglobin 4.5 g/dL, reticulocyte count 0.2%). Anti‐PV‐B19 IgM and IgG titers, which had been negative pretransplant, were positive. He received two IVIg infusions as treatment for the PV‐B19 infection. Four days after the IVIg infusions he developed non‐oliguric acute renal failure (ARF) with a rise in serum creatinine from 1 to 1.8 mg/dL. Allograft biopsy showed changes consistent with an osmotic load. Anemia and the renal failure resolved after transfusions and IVIg. PV‐B19 infection in immunosuppressed transplant recipients is associated with significant morbidity and may respond to IVIg therapy. High sucrose IVIg preparations may be associated with renal failure in renal allograft recipients. Adding PV‐B19 testing of the donor and recipient to the standard pretransplant evaluation may be beneficial in diagnosing and managing a potential infection. If IVIg is to be used it may be safer to use a sucrose‐free IVIg preparation.
Pharmacokinetics of enteric‐coated mycophenolate sodium in stable pediatric renal transplant recipients
Authors: Ettenger Robert , Bartosh Sharon , Choi Les , Zhu Wei , Niederberger Werner , Campestrini Joelle , Bastien Marie‐Claude , Schmouder Robert
Published: October 2005

Abstract:  This study aims to characterize the pharmacokinetics of mycophenolic acid (MPA) and its glucuronide metabolite (mycophenolic acid 7‐O‐glucuronide, MPAG) following single oral administration of enteric‐coated mycophenolate sodium (EC‐MPS, myfortic®) at an approximate dose level of 450 mg/m2 body surface area (BSA) to 25 stable renal transplant recipients (aged 5–16 yr), and to evaluate the safety and tolerability of EC‐MPS in this pediatric population. Patients had been maintained on a cyclosporine emulsion, Neoral®‐based immunosuppressive regimen for at least 3 months and had received their first or second renal transplant more than 6 months prior to entry into the study. After a brief lag phase (tlag 0.75 h), MPA was rapidly absorbed (tmax 2.5 h) and rapidly converted to MPAG (tmax 3.25 h), with relatively high plasma concentrations of MPAG (Cmax 67.7 μg/mL) compared with MPA (Cmax 36.3 μg/mL). The elimination half‐life for MPAG was slightly longer than for MPA (approximately 13 h vs. 8.5 h), and the apparent oral clearance of MPA was approximately 0.2 L/h/kg. The pharmacokinetics of MPA or MPAG were not affected by age, body weight or BSA, within the study population. The pharmacokinetic results for pediatric patients are comparable with those obtained previously in adults, although exposure based on AUC0−∞ was approximately 23% higher, and this finding may be a result of dosing on the basis of BSA, rather than body weight. The recommended dose of EC‐MPS in pediatric patients is 400–450 mg/m2 twice daily or, alternatively, approximately 10–14 mg/kg twice daily when used in combination with cyclosporine microemulsion.
Lung transplantation: Literature review 2003–2004
Authors: Faro Albert , Visner Gary A.
Published: October 2005

Abstract:  This is the second review in a series providing summaries of the recent medical literature in the field of pediatric transplantation. In this review we summarize important articles in the field of pediatric lung transplantation that were published in 2003 and 2004. This review is intended to be comprehensive, but not exhaustive.
Comparison between effects of cyclosporine and tacrolimus on glomerular filtration rate in pediatric post‐orthotopic liver transplant patients
Authors: Loo Ray Mun , Ariyarajah Vignendra , Oh Christina , Shen Liang , Aw Marion M. , Prabhakaran K.
Published: October 2005

Abstract: Tacrolimus (FK506) and cyclosporine, synonymous with immunosuppressive therapy in organ transplantation, are not spared of potential adverse effects such as nephrotoxicity. We retrospectively compared their effects on cGFR in a post‐OLT pediatric population. cGFRs of 32 patients from the LTUNUHS either on tacrolimus (group 1) or cyclosporine (group 2) from pretransplantation, transplantation and 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 months post‐transplantation were compared. 95% CI and p‐values were calculated for comparison with p < 0.05 considered significant. Longitudinal data analysis revealed no significant cGFR difference between groups 1 and 2 (p = 0.154). However, there was a significant difference in cGFR with time after transplantation (p < 0.0001). The mean difference score between both treatment groups was 277.92 (95% CI = 88.13–643.97). The survival rate post‐OLT was 84.4%. In this retrospective sex‐matched case controlled study of LTUNUHS patients, there was no difference between tacrolimus and cyclosporine on renal function. However, there was significant difference in cGFR with time post‐OLT (p < 0.0001). The reason for this observation could be multifactorial.
Transplantation proteomics
Authors: Traum Avram Z. , Schachter Asher D.
Published: October 2005

Abstract:  The field of proteomics is developing at a rapid pace in the post‐genome era. Translational proteomics investigations aim to apply a combination of established methods and new technologies to learn about protein expression profiles predictive of clinical events, therapeutic response, and underlying mechanisms. However, in contrast to genetic studies and in parallel with gene expression studies, the dynamic nature of the proteome in conjunction with the challenges of accounting for post‐translational modifications requires the translational proteomics investigator to understand the strengths and limitations of proteomics approaches. In this review, we provide an overview of proteomics approaches and techniques, and proteomics informatics for clinical transplantation investigators. We also review recent publications pertaining to transplantation proteomics, and discuss the implications and utility of urine proteomics for non‐invasive investigation of transplant outcomes.
Stabilizing the stabilizer: group psychoeducation enhances the stability of serum lithium levels
Authors: Colom F , Vieta E , Sánchez‐Moreno J , Martínez‐Arán A , Reinares M , Goikolea JM , Scott J
Published: October 2005

Objective:  To determine the effect on the serum lithium levels of a psychoeducational program in patients with bipolar disorder.

Method:  This is a subanalysis of data obtained from a larger study on the efficacy of group psychoeducation in the prophylaxis of recurrences in bipolar disorders. Data on plasma lithium levels were obtained at five time points: baseline, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. Serum lithium levels of patients who had received psychoeduction (psychoeducated) (N = 49) and non‐psychoeducated patients (N = 44) were compared.

Results:  Mean serum lithium levels were significantly higher and more stable for the psychoeducation group.

Conclusions:  As changes in serum lithium level may be a powerful predictor of recurrence for bipolar patients, the addition of group psychoeducation to standard pharmacological treatment may be beneficial to optimize serum lithium levels and, thereby improve outcome.
A positron emission tomography study of the effects of treatment with valproate on brain 5‐HT2A receptors in acute mania
Authors: Yatham Lakshmi N , Liddle Peter F , Lam Raymond W , Adam Michael J , Solomons Kevin , Chinnapalli Manjunath , Ruth Thomas J
Published: October 2005

Objective:  To examine the effects of treatment with valproate on brain 5‐HT2A receptors in acute manic patients using positron emission tomography (PET) and [18F]‐setoperone.

Methods:  Patients with DSM‐IV bipolar I disorder–manic episode were recruited. Patients were drug free or drug naïve at the time of baseline PET scan. All patients were treated with valproate and one patient received lithium in addition to valproate for 3–5 weeks following which they had a post‐treatment PET scan. The effect of treatment on brain 5‐HT2A receptor binding was determined using statistical parametric mapping (SPM) and region of interest (ROI) analyses. Of the 12 manic patients recruited, seven patients had both baseline and post‐treatment PET scans.

Results:  All seven patients improved with treatment and were in remission at the time of the second PET scan. Both SPM and ROI analyses showed that treatment with mood stabilizers had no significant effect on brain 5‐HT2A receptor binding in manic patients.

Conclusion:  This study suggests that changes in brain 5‐HT2A receptors are not involved in the antimanic effects of mood stabilizers however, we cannot exclude the possibility of 5‐HT2A receptor involvement in down‐stream signaling pathways.
An emotional Stroop functional MRI study of euthymic bipolar disorder
Authors: Malhi Gin S , Lagopoulos Jim , Sachdev Perminder S , Ivanovski Belinda , Shnier Ron
Published: October 2005

Objective:  To identify the brain regions associated with emotional processing in euthymic bipolar patients.

Methods:  The study examined 12 euthymic bipolar patients using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while performing an emotional Stroop (eStroop) task. The task comprised emotionally valent and neutral words presented in alternating blocks that was designed to implicitly induce affect. In conjunction with fMRI, galvanic skin responses (GSR) were measured to monitor arousal.

Results:  Euthymic bipolar patients had diminished activation in response to the affective stimuli in both cortical and subcortical brain regions when compared with healthy subjects. In particular, patients had less activation in the left ventral prefrontal cortex suggesting a potential trait deficit. Patients were slower to react than healthy controls, but did not differ with respect to accuracy.

Conclusions:  Euthymic bipolar patients are perhaps constrained in their ability to engage affective processing. Diminished ventral prefrontal cortex activation corroborates previous reports of a potential trait deficit, suggesting that ‘all is not well in euthymia’, although the effects of medication cannot be overlooked.
Blood inventory management in the type and screen era
Authors: Pereira A.
Published: October 2005

Background and Objective  Previous models on the management of hospital blood inventories have mostly dealt with the optimization of variables related to the assigned, cross‐matched inventory. Because the type and screen (T&S) procedure allows blood banks to manage surgical reserves with only unassigned inventories, it becomes necessary to gain insight into the factors that determine the efficiency of this kind of blood inventory.

Study Design  Stochastic model that simulates the routine operation of a hospital blood bank inventory over a finite number of days was used. Factors that were analysed for their influence on outdate and shortage rates included the mean (MEAN) and variation (CVAR) in daily transfusion, the remaining shelf life of blood units shipped from the blood supplier (RSL) and the number of days between consecutive shipments (INT).

Results  Outdate and shortage rates grew exponentially with CVAR, an effect that could be partially counterbalanced by increasing RSL. The variables, MEAN and INT, had little influence on the inventory, provided that blood stocks shipped from the supplier are targeted at the expected average demand for transfusion and RSL is greater than INT.

Conclusions  In hospitals that do not hold cross‐matched inventories, CVAR is the major parameter in determining the blood inventory performance. Hospitals with large CVAR must be supplied with young red blood cell (RBC) units, whereas hospitals with smaller CVAR perform well with older stocks. These results advocate for using each hospital's CVAR as the leader parameter in regional optimization policies based on recycling blood units among participating hospitals.
Experience with gabapentin for neuropathic pain in adolescents: report of five cases
Authors: BUTKOVIC DIANA , TOLJAN SANJA , MIHOVILOVIC‐NOVAK BEATA
Published: October 2005

Gabapentin is an antiepileptic drug indicated for the treatment of partial seizures in children. Many studies have proved its analgesic action in the treatment of neuropathic pain in adults and we have noticed an analgesic action of gabapentin in neuropathic pain in children. Five patients treated in the Children's Hospital Pain Control Service for intractable neuropathic pain were included in gabapentin treatment. Four were cancer patients and one suffered from neuropathic pain in the neck (C3). The visual analog scale (VAS) scores of pain were compared before and during treatment with gabapentin. We noticed a rapid improvement, in 1 week, of our patients’ VAS scores (from 9 or 10 to 4 or 3) with minimal adverse effects. In the follow‐up period of 6 months we gradually reduced the dose of gabapentin. Our findings are that gabapentin should be included earlier in the treatment of neuropathic pain in adolescents, because it rapidly improves analgesia and has minimal side effects.
Use of dexmedetomidine in awake craniotomy in adolescents: report of two cases
Authors: EVERETT LUCINDA L. , VAN ROOYEN INGE F. , WARNER MOLLY H. , SHURTLEFF HILLARY A. , SANETO RUSSELL P. , OJEMANN JEFFREY G.
Published: October 2005

Awake craniotomy is a key tool in resection of lesions near critical functional regions, particularly the speech area. Craniotomy with an awake portion for mapping may be performed in carefully selected adolescents and preteenaged children. A number of different regimens may be used for sedation and anesthesia in these cases. We describe two adolescent patients in whom awake craniotomy was performed using an intravenous anesthesia technique with dexmedetomidine and without need for airway instrumentation.
Postoperative morphine consumption in children with sickle‐cell disease
Authors: CRAWFORD MARK W. , GALTON SETH , NASER BASEM
Published: October 2005

Background : Effective pain control is a primary goal in the perioperative management of patients with sickle‐cell disease. To understand analgesic requirements better, the authors compared postoperative morphine consumption and pain scores in sickle and nonsickle children who had undergone laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Methods : We reviewed the medical records of all sickle and nonsickle children referred to the Acute Pain Service of a tertiary care teaching hospital for patient‐controlled analgesia (PCA) following laparoscopic cholecystectomy from 1996 to 2003. Data collected included postoperative morphine consumption, visual analogue pain scores, and perioperative outcome.

Results : Total postoperative morphine consumption in sickle children (n = 12) (1.58 ± 0.78 mg·kg−1) was more than double when compared with nonsickle children (n = 10) (0.65 ± 0.32 mg·kg−1) (P < 0.005). Duration of PCA use among sickle children (51 ± 25 h) was more than double when compared with nonsickle children (21 ± 11 h) (P < 0.005). Sickle patients had greater pain scores in the initial 24 h after surgery (P < 0.05) and used more adjuvant analgesics (P < 0.05). Duration of postoperative hospital stay was 3.4 ± 1.6 days and 1.5 ± 0.5 days for sickle and nonsickle children, respectively (P < 0.005).

Conclusions : Sickle children self‐administered more than double the amount of morphine, reported more intense pain, and remained hospitalized for more than twice as long as nonsickle children undergoing the same surgical procedure. These findings probably have a multifactorial origin, and might be attributable in part to alterations in pain perception, opioid pharmacokinetics, opioid tolerance, and psychosocial variables.
Video assisted fiberoptic intubation for temporomandibular ankylosis
Authors: KUNDRA PANKAJ , VASUDEVAN A. , RAVISHANKAR M.
Published: October 2005

In the era of fiberoptics, securing of the airway under general anesthesia in small children with temporomandibular joint ankylosis without a flexible pediatric fiberoptic endoscope requires considerable skill. We describe the use of an adult flexible fiberoptic laryngoscope with a video camera system to visualize the glottis from one nostril while the tracheal tube was passed from the other nostril.
Ascomycete communities in the rhizosphere of field‐grown wheat are not affected by introductions of genetically modified Pseudomonas putida WCS358r
Authors: Viebahn Mareike , Doornbos Rogier , Wernars Karel , Van Loon Leendert C. , Smit Eric , Bakker Peter A. H. M.
Published: October 2005

A long‐term field experiment (1999–2002) was conducted to monitor effects on the indigenous microflora of Pseudomonas putida WCS358r and two transgenic derivatives constitutively producing phenazine‐1‐carboxylic acid (PCA) or 2,4‐diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG). The strains were introduced as seed coating on wheat into the same field plots each year. Rhizosphere populations of ascomycetes were analysed using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). To evaluate the significance of changes caused by the genetically modified microorganisms (GMMs), they were compared with effects caused by a crop rotation from wheat to potato. In the first year, only the combination of both GMMs caused a significant shift in the ascomycete community. After the repeated introductions this effect was no longer evident. However, cropping potato significantly affected the ascomycete community. This effect persisted into the next year when wheat was grown. Clone libraries were constructed from samples taken in 1999 and 2000, and sequence analysis indicated ascomycetes of common genera to be present. Most species occurred in low frequencies, distributed almost evenly in all treatments. However, in 1999 Microdochium occurred in relatively high frequencies, whereas in the following year no Microdochium species were detected. On the other hand, Fusarium‐like organisms were low in 1999, and increased in 2000. Both the DGGE and the sequence analysis revealed that repeated introduction of P. putida WCS358r had no major effects on the ascomycete community in the wheat rhizosphere, but demonstrated a persistent difference between the rhizospheres of potato and wheat.
Comparative in situ analysis of ipdC–gfpmut3 promoter fusions of Azospirillum brasilense strains Sp7 and Sp245
Authors: Rothballer Michael , Schmid Michael , Fekete Agnes , Hartmann Anton
Published: October 2005

Inoculation of wheat roots with Azospirillum brasilense results in an increase of plant growth and yield, which is proposed to be mainly due to the bacterial production of indole‐3‐acetic acid in the rhizosphere. Field inoculation experiments had revealed more consistent plant growth stimulation using A. brasilense strain Sp245 as compared with the strain Sp7. Therefore, the in situ expression of the key gene ipdC (indole‐3‐pyruvate decarboxylase) was examined in these two strains. Within the ipdC promoter of strain Sp245 a region of 150 bases was identified, which was missing in strain Sp7. Thus, three different translational ipdC promoter fusions with gfpmut3 were constructed on plasmid level: the first contained the part of the Sp245 promoter region homologous to strain Sp7, the second was bearing the complete promoter region of Sp245 including the specific insertion and the third comprised the Sp7 promoter region. By comparing the fluorescence levels of these constructs after growth on mineral medium with and without inducing amino acids, it could be demonstrated that ipdC expression in A. brasilense Sp245 was subject to a stricter control compared with strain Sp7. Microscopic detection of these reporter strains colonizing the rhizoplane documented for the first time an in situ expression of ipdC.
Occurrence and distribution of endobacteria in the plant‐associated mycelium of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor S238N
Authors: Bertaux J. , Schmid M. , Hutzler P. , Hartmann A. , Garbaye J. , Frey‐Klett P.
Published: October 2005

Fluorescence in situ hybridization, associated with confocal laser scanning microscopy or epifluorescence microscopy with deconvolution system, has allowed the detection of a community of intracellular bacteria in non‐axenic samples of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor S238N. The endobacteria, mainly α‐proteobacteria, were present in more than half of the samples, which consisted of ectomycorrhizae, fungal mats and fruit bodies, collected in the glasshouse or in the forest. Acridine orange staining suggests that the endobacteria inhabit both live and dead fungal cells. The role of these endobacteria remains to be clarified.
Diversity of N‐acyl homoserine lactone‐producing and ‐degrading bacteria in soil and tobacco rhizosphere
Authors: D’Angelo‐Picard Cathy , Faure Denis , Penot Isabelle , Dessaux Yves
Published: October 2005

In Gram‐negative bacteria, quorum‐sensing (QS) communication is mostly mediated by N‐acyl homoserine lactones (N‐AHSL). The diversity of bacterial populations that produce or inactivate the N‐AHSL signal in soil and tobacco rhizosphere was investigated by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of amplified 16S DNA and DNA sequencing. Such analysis indicated the occurrence of N‐AHSL‐producing strains among the α‐, β‐ and γ‐proteobacteria, including genera known to produce N‐AHSL (Rhizobium, Sinorhizobium and Pseudomonas) and novel genera with no previously identified N‐AHSL‐producing isolates (Variovorax, Sphingomonas and Massilia). The diversity of N‐AHSL signals was also investigated in relation to the genetic diversity of the isolates. However, N‐AHSL‐degrading strains isolated from soil samples belonged to the Bacillus genus, while strains isolated from tobacco rhizospheres belonged to both the Bacillus genus and to the α subgroup of proteobacteria, suggesting that diversity of N‐AHSL‐degrading strains may be modulated by the presence of the tobacco plant. Among these rhizospheric isolates, novel N‐AHSL‐degrading genera have been identified (Sphingomonas and Bosea). As the first simultaneous analysis of both N‐AHSL‐degrading and ‐producing bacterial communities in a complex environment, this study revealed the coexistence of bacterial isolates, belonging to the same genus or species that may produce or degrade N‐AHSL.
Azospirillum brasilense does not affect population structure of specific rhizobacterial communities of inoculated maize (Zea mays)
Authors: Herschkovitz Yoav , Lerner Anat , Davidov Yaacov , Okon Yaacov , Jurkevitch Edouard
Published: October 2005

Positive response of plant species to plant growth‐promoting rhizobacteria have led to an increased interest in their use as bacterial inoculants. However, the introduction of exogenous bacteria into natural ecosystems may perturb bacterial populations within the microbial community and lead to the disruption of indigenous populations performing key functional roles. In this study the effect of Azospirillum brasilense inoculation on maize (Zea mays) rhizosphere Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, α‐Proteobacteria, Pseudomonas and Bdellovibrio spp. was assessed using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) approach in conjunction with group‐specific primers. The DGGE fingerprints analysis revealed that the introduction of A. brasilense did not alter or disrupt the microbial system at the group‐specific level. However, some communities such as the α‐Proteobacteria and Bdellovibrio were influenced by plant age while the other bacterial groups remained unaffected. Based on these as well as previous data, it can be inferred that inoculation with A. brasilense does not perturb the natural bacterial populations investigated.
Plasmid‐associated genes in the model micro‐symbiont Sinorhizobium meliloti 1021 affect the growth and development of young rice seedlings
Authors: Perrine Francine M. , Hocart Charles H. , Hynes Michael F. , Rolfe Barry G.
Published: October 2005

Sinorhizobium meliloti strain 1021 and its closely related strain Rm2011 inhibit rice seedling (Oryza sativa L. cv. Pelde) growth and development under certain rice‐growing conditions. Experiments showed that inoculation of seedlings with approximately less than 10 cells of 1021 was sufficient to cause this inhibition. By using a series of plasmid‐cured and plasmid‐deleted derivatives of Rm2011, it was found that interactions between genes encoded on pSymA, and possibly pSymB, of Rm2011, affected rice growth and development by affecting both/either the plant and/or the bacteria. Further studies found that genes potentially related to indole‐3‐acetic acid (IAA) synthesis and nitrate metabolism, encoded on pSymA, were involved in rice growth inhibition in Sm1021‐ and Sm2011‐treated rice seedlings. We conclude that the rice growth inhibition by S. meliloti Sm1021 is pSymA‐associated and is induced by environmental nitrate.
A molecular biological protocol to distinguish potentially human pathogenic Stenotrophomonas maltophilia from plant‐associated Stenotrophomonas rhizophila
Authors: Ribbeck‐Busch Kathrin , Roder Anja , Hasse Dirk , De Boer Wietse , Martínez José Luis , Hagemann Martin , Berg Gabriele
Published: October 2005

In recent years, the importance of the Gram‐negative bacterium Stenotrophomonas as an opportunistic pathogen as well as in biotechnology has increased. The aim of the present study was to develop new methods for distinguishing between strains closely related to the potentially human pathogenic Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and those closely related to the plant‐associated Stenotrophomonas rhizophila. To accomplish this, 58 strains were characterized by 16S rDNA sequencing and amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA), and the occurrence of specific functional genes. Based on 16S rDNA sequences, an ARDRA protocol was developed which allowed differentiation between strains of the S. maltophilia and the S. rhizophila group. As it was known that only salt‐treated cells of S. rhizophila were able to synthesize the compatible solute glucosylglycerol (GG), the ggpS gene responsible for GG synthesis was used for differentiation between both species and it was confirmed that it only occurred in S. rhizophila strains. As a further genetic marker the smeD gene, which is part of the genes coding for the multidrug efflux pump SmeDEF from S. maltophilia, was used. Based on the results we propose a combination of fingerprinting techniques using the 16S rDNA and the functional genes ggpS and smeD to distinguish both Stenotrophomonas species.
The nodPQ genes in Azospirillum brasilense Sp7 are involved in sulfation of lipopolysaccharides
Authors: Vanbleu Els , Choudhury Biswa P. , Carlson Russell W. , Vanderleyden Jos
Published: October 2005

Here we report on the presence of sulfated lipopolysaccharide molecules in Azospirillum brasilense, a plant growth‐promoting rhizosphere bacterium. Chemical analysis provided structural data on the O‐antigen composition and demonstrated the possible involvement of the nodPQ genes in O‐antigen sulfation.
REUSE OF SAMPLES: ETHICAL ISSUES ENCOUNTERED BY TWO INSTITUTIONAL ETHICS REVIEW COMMITTEES IN KENYA1
Authors: LANGAT SIMON K.
Published: October 2005

There is growing concern about the reuse and exportation of biological materials (human tissues) for use in research worldwide. Most discussions about samples have taken place in developed countries, where genetic manipulation techniques have greatly advanced in recent years. There is very little discussion in developing countries, although collaborative research with institutions from developed countries is on the increase. The study sought to identify and describe ethical issues arising in the storage, reuse and exportation of samples in a developing country. Research protocols presented to two Ethics Review Committees in Kenya during a period of two years were reviewed. A record was made of the protocol title, sample collected, request for storage, reuse or exportation and whether or not subject consent was sought. The findings indicated that about 25% out of the 388 protocols sought permission for reuse and only half of those actually informed subjects of the contemplated re‐use. Less than 20% requested storage and again, about half of them sought consent from subjects. There is an indication that investigators do not see the need to seek consent for storage, reuse and exportation of samples. It is proposed that these issues should be addressed through policy interventions at both the national and global levels.
The Domestic Origins of Depoliticisation in the Area of British Economic Policy
Authors: Buller Jim , Flinders Matthew
Published: October 2005

This article seeks to build on Peter Burnham's analysis of New Labour's depoliticisation statecraft as set out in an earlier volume of this journal. While Burnham provides a convincing account of how this new governing strategy differed from earlier ‘politicised’ methods of governance, we know less about why such change took place. Burnham makes a start by suggesting that developments in the international financial system go some way to explaining this shift. The main argument of this article is that this account of change needs to be supplemented by a focus on domestic factors. It is asserted below that politicised strategies failed in part because state managers governed within a strategically selective context which penalised the deployment of more activist and discretionary policy instruments in industrial affairs. Instead, this context was more favourable to the depoliticisation techniques which have emerged in the 1980s and the 1990s.
Not All ‘Second-Order’ Contests are the Same: Turnout and Party Choice at the Concurrent 2004 Local and European Parliament Elections in England
Authors: Rallings Colin , Thrasher Michael
Published: October 2005

The European Parliament elections in June 2004 coincided with local elections in many parts of England. In four regions of the country these elections were conducted entirely by postal ballots; in four other regions traditional methods of polling were used. Overall turnout was higher where all-postal voting was in place, but having local in addition to European elections made an independent and significant contribution to the level of electoral participation in all postal and non-postal regions alike. The pattern of party choice at the two types of contest also varied considerably. The three major political parties together took a much larger share of the overall vote at the local than at the European elections, and each independently ‘lost’ a sizeable number of its local votes to smaller parties. Aggregate level analysis suggests that voters assess the importance of electoral contests along a continuum and, in Britain in 2004 at least, treated local elections as less ‘second-order’ than pan-European ones.
Taxation, warfare, and the early fourteenth century ‘crisis’ in the north: Cumberland lay subsidies, 1332–13481
Authors: BRIGGS CHRIS
Published: October 2005

Recent research into the impact of Anglo‐Scottish conflict on northern England's economy has become increasingly sophisticated, using local estate accounts to enhance understanding of the role of war in the 'crisis' of the early fourteenth century. Yet taxation data also remains an important source on these issues, not least because of its wide geographical coverage. Using a rich series of lay subsidy documents for Cumberland, this article concludes that the direct impact of Scottish raids was only one of several determinants of economic fortunes. More significantly, reconstructing the process of taxation shows that non‐violent resistance to state levies was as responsible as war damage for a decline in revenue from the county.
Slave prices, the African slave trade, and productivity in the Caribbean, 1674–18071
Authors: ELTIS DAVID , LEWIS FRANK D. , RICHARDSON DAVID
Published: October 2005

We draw wide‐ranging implications about slave productivity change by making use of newly collected data on the prices paid for nearly 230,000 slaves as they arrived in the Americas from Africa between 1674 and 1807. Prices for the product that most slaves were destined to produce‐sugar‐are also available. Together the comprehensive series allow us to derive annual measures of average slave productivity and to compare productivity trends across different sectors of the Caribbean. Average productivity rose throughout the Caribbean, and the pattern of average productivity change across regions was similar, indicating an open slave market. These averages mask sharp differences in the growth of demand for slaves among regions, as reflected by their slave populations. Between 1700 and 1790 the increase in demand ranged from 90 per cent in Barbados to 600 per cent in Jamaica and Cuba; while total factor productivity overall may have doubled. The slave trade accommodated the rising demand. It also served to offset population attrition among the slaves.
Explaining the ‘take‐off’ of the Catalan cotton industry1
Authors: THOMSON J. K. J.
Published: October 2005

Cotton was central to Catalan industrialization and, within cotton, progress in spinning and weaving, originating in the late eighteenth century, provided the cutting edge in the industry's modernization. This article tests the current orthodoxy concerning the timing and causes of this breakthrough. It does so by first evaluating what were external influences on the success‐government policy, the elasticity of supply of spun yarn (a potential disincentive) and of raw cotton‐and then providing an analytical narrative of the advance first in hand and then mechanical spinning. On this basis a conclusion is reached that government policy was more advantageous to the development than posited in the current orthodoxy, that elasticity in the supply of spun yarn slowed the transition and that, though growing availability of American cotton eased the transition, the key to the development is to be found within the Catalan economy, experiencing a 'Smithian'‐type growth process in the eighteenth century, within which industrialization of cotton was nearly the last achievement before Spain's severe 'old régime crisis' curtailed economic opportunity.
The standard of living in Latin America during the twentieth century1
Authors: ASTORGA PABLO , BERGES AME R. , FITZGERALD VALPY
Published: October 2005

New and consistent series for Latin American real incomes, life expectancy and adult literacy over the twentieth century reveal that living standards rose most rapidly between the 1930s and 1970s, a period characterised by increased state intervention and reduced trade openness. Within the region, Brazil and Mexico advanced most over the century as a whole despite the early start made by Argentina and Chile, although convergence between larger countries was accompanied by divergence from smaller ones. There was no sustained narrowing of the income gap with the US at all between 1900 and 2000 but some convergence in living standards due to improved life expectancy. Our new estimates of regional per capita income also permit a clearer comparison with both Europe and Asia. The major advances in living standards achieved in the middle decades of the century were closely related to early industrialization, rapid urbanization, and the extension of primary health and education. Subsequent economic volatility and fiscal fragility limited further increases in living standards, undermining social consensus on development strategy.
Headache Children with Temporomandibular Disorders have Several Types of Pain and other Symptoms
Authors: Liljeström M-R , Le Bell Y , Anttila P , Aromaa M , Jämsä T , Metsähonkala L , Helenius H , Viander S , Jäppilä E , Alanen P , Sillanpää M
Published: October 2005

The aim was to investigate the association between temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and overall muscle tenderness, depressive symptoms, sleep difficulties, headache frequency and related symptoms in children with primary headache in comparison with controls. Based on an unselected population sample of 1135 Finnish schoolchildren classified according to the type of headache at age 12, altogether 297 children aged 13-14 from different headache groups and healthy controls were randomly selected for an interview and clinical examinations. Children with migraine had more TMD signs than children with nonmigrainous headaches or healthy controls. High TMD total scores were associated with palpation tenderness in other parts of the body and with frequent headache attacks. We conclude that children with overall headache, migraine in particular, and high total TMD scores showed an increased overall tenderness to muscle palpation and multiply manifested hypersensitivity pain.
Lack of Association between the 3092 T°C Clock Gene Polymorphism and Cluster Headache
Authors: Rainero I , Rivoiro C , Gallone S , Valfrè W , Ferrero M , Angilella G , Rubino E , De Martino P , Savi L , Lo Giudice R , Pinessi L
Published: October 2005

Recent studies suggested that genetic factors play a role in cluster headache (CH). However, the type and the number of genes involved in the disease are still unclear. We performed an association study in a cohort of Italian CH patients to evaluate whether a particular allele or genotype of the Clock gene would modify the occurrence and the clinical features of the disease. One hundred and seven CH patients, diagnosed according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd Edition, (ICHD-II) criteria, and 210 healthy age, sex and ethnicity-matched controls were genotyped for the 3092 T°C Clock gene polymorphism (also known as 3111 T°C). Phenotype and allele frequencies were similarly distributed in CH patients and controls. The clinical features of the disease were not significantly influenced by different genotypes. In conclusion, our study suggests that the 3092 T°C polymorphism of the Clock gene is unlikely to play an important role in cluster headache.
Strain Measurement in a Shape Memory Alloy with Strain Gauges
Authors: Prabhakaran R. , Galloway T. L.
Published: October 2005

Abstract:  The recovery of shape due to temperature‐induced martensite to austenite phase transformation in shape memory alloys (SMA), such as nickel titanium alloys, has been investigated and utilised in applications for many years. One of the problems in incorporating SMA in host materials, such as composites, is the poor bonding characteristics of the SMA. A closely related problem in experiments is the measurement of strains in SMA specimens; as thin wires have been used in many of the experimental investigations, strains have been deduced from length measurements. In the current work, electrical resistance strain gauges have been bonded on SMA strips. Tensile strains up to 8% during tensile loading as well as compressive strains during strain recovery due to subsequent heating have been measured. Strains determined by other methods, such as extensometer and length measurements, are also reported and compared. The major contribution of this work is the successful bonding of strain gauges on SMA and the measurement of large strains (up to 8%).
StressProbe – A New Non‐contacting Stress Measurement Technique
Authors: Dover W. D. , Karé R. F. , Brennan F. P.
Published: October 2005

Abstract:  A new non‐contacting stress measurement technique, the StressProbe, based on the piezomagnetic effect has recently come into service. It utilises inducing and sensing coils that are arranged so that an almost linear response to stress is possible. Theoretical work already reported has shown that it can be used for measurement of residual stress, dead loads and cyclic stress. In general, a calibration is needed for the interpretation of StressProbe measurements and this may be obtained from a simple three‐point bend or axial load tests. For some metals, the StressProbe response shows hysteresis during a static load–unload test. For these metals, it has been found that using a demagnetisation cycle between each measurement eliminates most of the hysteresis loop. For continuous cyclic loading, this behaviour does not occur.
Monitoring Falls in Cohort Studies of Community‐Dwelling Older People: Effect of the Recall Interval
Authors: Ganz David A. , Higashi Takahiro , Rubenstein Laurence Z.
Published: October 2005

Objectives: To determine whether the interval over which patients are asked to remember their falls affects fall reporting.

Design: Systematic literature review.

Setting: Community.

Participants: Individuals being monitored for falls in prospective studies that asked participants to recall falls over varying intervals.

Measurements: Sensitivity and specificity of retrospective recall compared with a criterion‐standard prospective assessment using some form of ongoing fall monitoring.

Results: Six studies met the inclusion criteria. Recall of falls in the previous year was specific (specificity 91–95%) but less sensitive (sensitivity 80–89%) than the criterion standard of ongoing prospective collection of fall data using fall calendars or postcards. Patients with injurious falls were more likely to recall their falls. Lower Mini‐Mental State Examination score was associated with poorer recall of falls in the one study addressing this issue.

Conclusion: Whenever accurate data on all falls are critical, such as with interventions to decrease the rate of falls, researchers should gather information on falls every week or every month from study participants. The optimal method of fall monitoring—postcard, calendar, diary, telephone, or some combination of these—remains unknown.
Learning from nudity: lessons from the nude phenotype
Authors: Mecklenburg Lars , Tychsen Birte , Paus Ralf
Published: October 2005

Abstract:  In mice, rats, and humans, loss of function of Foxn1, a member of the winged helix/forkhead family of transcription factors, leads to macroscopic nudity and an inborn dysgenesis of the thymus. Nude (Foxn1nu/Foxn1nu) mice develop largely normal hair follicles and produce hair shafts. However, presumably because of a lack of certain hair keratins, the hair shafts that are generated twist and coil in the hair follicle infundibulum, which becomes dilated. Since hair shafts fail to penetrate the epidermis, macroscopic nudity results and generates the – grossly misleading – impression that nude mice are hairless. Here, we provide an overview of what is known on the role of Foxn1 in mammalian skin biology, its expression patterns in the hair follicle, its influence on hair follicle function, and onychocyte differentiation. We focus on the mechanisms and signaling pathways by which Foxn1 modulates keratinocyte differentiation in the hair follicle and nail apparatus and summarize the current knowledge on the molecular and functional consequences of a loss of function of the Foxn1 protein in skin. Foxn1 target genes, gene regulation of Foxn, and pharmacological manipulation of the nude phenotype (e.g. by cyclosporine A, KGF, and vitamin D3) are discussed, and important open questions as well as promising research strategies in Foxn1 biology are defined. Taken together, this review aims at delineating why enhanced research efforts in this comparatively neglected field of investigative dermatology promise important new insights into the controls of epithelial differentiation in mammalian skin.
Cloning and sequencing of the cynomolgus monkey prostate specific antigen cDNA
Authors: Marshall Deborah J. , Rudnick Kelly A. , Lu Jin , Snyder Linda A.
Published: October 2005

Background Prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) is an invaluable tumor marker for the detection of early prostate cancer, and can be a target for active immunotherapy of prostate cancer. We wanted to assess the usefulness of the cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis) as a relevant animal model to evaluate PSA‐specific therapies.

Methods RNA was isolated from the prostate of cynomolgus monkeys, and PSA gene products were amplified by reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction using primers from conserved regions of human and rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) PSA genes. These amplified products were then sequenced.

Results The cynomolgus PSA amino acid sequence is 89.7% identical to the human PSA gene, and 99.2% identical to the rhesus PSA amino acid sequence. Like the human and rhesus PSA genes, an open‐reading frame of 261 amino acids was identified for the cynomolgus gene. Expression of the cynomolgus PSA gene appears to be restricted to the prostate, as it is in humans.

Conclusions The high identity between human and cynomolgus PSA sequences suggests that the cynomolgus monkey should be studied further for its potential as a large animal model to evaluate PSA‐specific therapies.
Comparison of BMP‐2 and ‐4 for rat mandibular bone regeneration at various doses1
Authors: Arosarena O , Collins W
Published: October 2005

Structured Abstract

Authors –  Arosarena O, Collins W

Objective –  To compare mandibular bone regeneration with bone morphogenetic proteins‐2 and ‐4 (BMP‐2 and ‐4) at varying doses.

Study Design –  Defects were created in the left hemi‐mandibles of 82 Sprague–Dawley rats. The defects were filled with a hyaluronic acid polymer loaded with 0.01, 0.1, 1, or 10 μg of BMP‐2 or ‐4. Control groups consisted of animals with unfilled defects, or with defects filled with the hyaluronic acid sponges loaded with growth factor dilution buffer. Animals were killed after 8 weeks, and the hemi‐mandibles were analyzed histologically using stereologic techniques.

Results –  Mandibles implanted with carriers containing 10 μg of BMP‐2 or ‐4 differed significantly from controls in terms of new bone area (p = 0.01 and p = 0.0001, respectively). Marrow space development occurred in a dose‐dependent fashion (p < 0.0001 for both growth factors), and this effect was more pronounced for BMP‐2 at larger doses (p < 0.0001 at 1 and 10 μg doses). New bone areas and volumes did not differ significantly between the growth factors. While defects implanted with BMP‐4 tended to have thicker cortical bone and more trabecular bone, at least partial defect bridging was achieved in a greater number of defects implanted with BMP‐2 (47%) than with BMP‐4 (35%).

Conclusion –  Although similar areas and volumes of new bone were induced with BMP‐2 and ‐4, differences were noted in the quality of bone generated with each growth factor. The results indicate a threshold dose for acute administration between 1 and 10 μg BMP‐2 for bony union in this model, and ≥10 μg for BMP‐4.

Significance –  These findings suggest that differences in bone growth factor osteogenic potential deserve further study and may have an impact on the translation of osteoinductive protein therapy into clinical practice.
Current concepts in periodontal bioengineering
Authors: Taba M , Jin Q , Sugai JV , Giannobile WV
Published: October 2005

Authors –  Taba Jr M, Jin Q, Sugai JV, Giannobile WV

Repair of tooth supporting alveolar bone defects caused by periodontal and peri‐implant tissue destruction is a major goal of reconstructive therapy. Oral and craniofacial tissue engineering has been achieved with limited success by the utilization of a variety of approaches such as cell‐occlusive barrier membranes, bone substitutes and autogenous block grafting techniques. Signaling molecules such as growth factors have been used to restore lost tooth support because of damage by periodontal disease or trauma. This paper will review emerging periodontal therapies in the areas of materials science, growth factor biology and cell/gene therapy. Several different polymer delivery systems that aid in the targeting of proteins, genes and cells to periodontal and peri‐implant defects will be highlighted. Results from preclinical and clinical trials will be reviewed using the topical application of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP‐2 and BMP‐7) and platelet‐derived growth factor‐BB (PDGF) for periodontal and peri‐implant regeneration. The paper concludes with recent research on the use of ex vivo and in vivo gene delivery strategies via gene therapy vectors encoding growth promoting and inhibiting molecules (PDGF, BMP, noggin and others) to regenerate periodontal structures including bone, periodontal ligament and cementum.