bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How global are the Jurassic–Cretaceous unconformities?
Authors: Zorina Svetlana O. , Dzyuba Oksana S. , Shurygin Boris N. , Ruban Dmitry A.
Published: August 2008

The reality of the global‐scale sedimentation breaks remains controversial. A compilation of data on the Jurassic–Cretaceous unconformities in a number of regions with different tectonic settings and character of sedimentation, where new or updated stratigraphic frameworks are established, permits their correlation. Unconformities from three large reference regions, including North America, the Gulf of Mexico, and Western Europe, were also considered. The unconformities, which encompass the Jurassic‐Cretaceous, the Lower–Upper Cretaceous and the Cretaceous–Palaeogene transitions are of global extent. Other remarkable unconformities traced within many regions at the base of the Jurassic and at the Santonian–Campanian transition are not known from reference regions. A correlation of the Jurassic–Cretaceous global‐scale sedimentation breaks and eustatic curves is quite uncertain. Therefore, definition of global sequences will not be possible until eustatic changes are clarified. Activity of mantle plumes is among the likely causes of the documented unconformities.
Drug‐resistant TB and HIV in resource‐limited settings: what TB/HIV programmes can learn from each other
Authors: Colebunders R. , Worodria W. , Jones‐López E. , Joloba M. , Apers L. , Ellner J.
Published: August 2008

Although management of drug resistance in tuberculosis (TB) and HIV in poor settings is in its infancy, lessons learned from TB may be relevant to HIV and vice versa. The experience with HIV has shown that rapid scale‐up and lower drug pricing are achievable goals. The current prerequisites for obtaining drugs to treat multidrug‐resistant TB (MDR‐TB) may be too stringent given the immediacy of the MDR‐TB problem. We call for a more rapid roll‐out of treatment for MDR‐TB with fewer administrative encumbrances and a greater sense of urgency in national TB control programmes. On the other hand, antiretroviral roll‐out programmes should learn from the genesis of the MDR‐TB problem; laboratory monitoring should be enhanced and compliance optimized to avoid the acquisition of additional drug resistance in HIV.
Inter‐observer variation in paediatric clinical signs between different grades of staff examining children admitted to hospital in Tanzania
Authors: Nadjm B. , Jeffs B. , Mtove G. , Msuya W. , Mndeme L. , Mtei F. , Chonya S. , Reyburn H.
Published: August 2008

Background and Objective  Children are often admitted to district hospitals in Africa without an adequate record of clinical examination, a problem that could be reduced by greater involvement of nurses in their assessment. We aimed to ascertain whether hospital nurses in a district hospital could conduct paediatric examinations as reliably as clinical staff, when provided with a short structured training session.

Methods  Hospital nurses (HN), hospital clinical officers (HCO) and research clinical officers (RCO) repeated examinations on children admitted to the paediatric ward shortly after the first examination by an RCO. Kappa scores were used to compare the agreement on the presence or absence of basic clinical signs by different categories of staff.

Results  Among 439 paired examinations the agreement between RCOs on clinical signs was slightly higher than for HCOs or HNs; the mean (median) Kappa scores for all signs examined were 0.54 (0.57) for RCO–RCO, 0.49 (0.49) for RCO–HCO and 0.50 (0.49) for RCO–HN. Levels of agreement were lower if children were under the age of 18 months or if they cried during the examination.

Conclusions  Nurses with basic training appear to perform as well as clinically trained staff in eliciting essential signs in acutely ill children. Their role in the initial and ongoing assessment of these children should be reviewed in light of the critical shortages in clinically trained staff in African hospitals.
Haemoglobin adjustments to define anaemia
Authors: Sullivan Kevin M. , Mei Zuguo , Grummer‐Strawn Laurence , Parvanta Ibrahim
Published: August 2008

Objective  To provide researchers with an unambiguous definition of anaemia using haemoglobin.

Methods  Review of recommendations by expert groups and review of the literature.

Results  This report provides an unambiguous approach to haemoglobin adjustments to define anaemia using international criteria. When determining anaemia using haemoglobin, it is important to account for pregnancy, altitude, cigarette smoking, and possibly ethnicity after removing unlikely values. These haemoglobin adjustments are presented.

Conclusion  Recommendations for defining extreme haemoglobin values and for reporting anaemia and haemoglobin results are provided, and software programs to determine anaemia are described.
Meta‐analysis of determinants for pet ownership in 12 European birth cohorts on asthma and allergies: a GA2LEN initiative
Authors: Eller E. , Roll S. , Chen C.‐M. , Herbarth O. , Wichmann H.‐E. , Von Berg A. , Krämer U. , Mommers M. , Thijs C. , Wijga A. , Brunekreef B. , Fantini M. P. , Bravi F. , Forastiere F. , Porta D. , Sunyer J. , Torrent M. , Høst A. , Halken S. , Lødrup Carlsen K. C. , Carlsen K.‐H. , Wickman M. , Kull I. , Wahn U. , Willich S. N. , Lau S. , Keil T. , Heinrich J. ,   for the working group of GALEN – Work Package 1.5 ‘Birth Cohorts’
Published: August 2008

Background:  Studies on pet ownership as a risk or protective factor for asthma and allergy show inconsistent results. This may be on account of insufficient adjustment of confounding factors.

Aim:  The objective of this study was to describe determinants of cat and dog ownership in European families with and without allergies.

Methods:  Within the EU‐funded network of excellence GA2LEN, we performed meta‐analyses with data from 12 ongoing European birth cohort studies on asthma and allergy. Each of the birth cohort studies enrolled between 485 and 4089 children. Pet ownership, allergic status (asthma, allergic rhinitis, eczema) of parents and siblings, parental education, access to ground floor, and number of people living at home were assessed by questionnaires.

Results:  Among the 25 056 families from seven European countries cats (14.9%) were more common than dogs (12.0%). Allergic family history significantly reduced the odds to own a cat (adjusted combined random‐effect OR 0.91; 95% CI 0.85–0.99), or dog (0.90; 0.86–0.94). A higher parental educational level had even more pronounced effects on cat (0.84; 0.71–0.98), and dog ownership (0.61; 0.54–0.70). Elder siblings reduced the odds to own cats, but not dogs. Convenient ground access significantly increased the odds, whereas crowding at home was not associated with cat or dog ownership.

Conclusions:  The chances to own a cat or dog were significantly reduced in allergic families, in parents with a higher educational level, and in homes without convenient ground access. In addition to parental allergies, social and housing factors should be considered as potential confounders in studies on pet exposure and allergic diseases.
Symptoms to pollen and fruits early in life and allergic disease at 4 years of age
Authors: Mai X.‐M. , Neuman Å. , Östblom E. , Pershagen G. , Nordvall L. , Almqvist C. , Van Hage M. , Wickman M.
Published: August 2008

Background:  The predictive value of reported early symptoms to pollen or fruits on later allergic disease is unclear. Our aim is to evaluate if symptoms to pollen and/or to fruits early in life are associated with allergic disease and sensitization to pollen at 4 years.

Methods:  The study included 3619 children from the Barn (Children), Allergy, Milieu, Stockholm, Epidemiology project (BAMSE) birth cohort. Reported symptoms of wheeze, sneeze or rash to birch, grass or weed, symptoms (vomiting, diarrhea, rash, facial edema, sneeze, or wheeze) to fruits including tree‐nuts at 1 or 2 years of age, and definitions of asthma, rhinitis and eczema at 4 years were derived from questionnaire data. Sensitization to pollen allergens was defined as allergen‐specific IgE‐antibodies to any pollen (birch/timothy/mugwort) ≥0.35 kUA/l.

Results:  At 1 or 2 years of age, 6% of the children were reported to have pollen‐related symptoms, 6% had symptoms to fruits, and 1.4% to both pollen and fruits. Children with symptoms to both pollen and fruits at 1 or 2 years of age had an increased risk for sensitization to any pollen allergen at age 4 (ORadj = 4.4, 95% CI = 2.1–9.2). This group of children also had a substantially elevated risk for developing any allergic disease (asthma, rhinitis, or eczema) at 4 years irrespective of sensitization to pollen (ORadj = 8.6, 95% CI = 4.5–16.4).

Conclusions:  The prevalence of reported symptoms to pollen and fruits is very low in early childhood. However, children with early symptoms to both pollen and fruits appear to have a markedly elevated risk for allergic disease.
Generation of transgenic medaka using modified bacterial artificial chromosome
Authors: Nakamura Shuhei , Saito Daisuke , Tanaka Minoru
Published: August 2008

The availability of bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) offers a good genomic platform for a targeted integration of an exogenous gene by a homologous recombination system in Escherichia coli. In combination with microinjection technology, this system allows for the analysis of various aspects of biological phenomena occurring in vivo using Japanese medaka fish (Oryzias latipes). Here we describe a streamlined procedure for selecting BAC clones based on the medaka University of Tokyo genome browser (UTGB), followed by rapid modification with enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) or DsRed fragments for transgenic analysis in medaka. Experimental procedures for BAC DNA preparation, microinjection of medaka embryos and screening of resulting transgenic medaka carrying EGFP/DsRed modified BAC clones are also described.
Method for electroporation for the early chick embryo
Authors: Hatakeyama Jun , Shimamura Kenji
Published: August 2008

In vitrowhole‐embryo culture of chick embryos, originally invented by New, has been widely used for studies of early embryogenesis. Here, a method for electroporation using the New culture and its derivatives is described, to achieve misexpression of exogenous gene in a temporally and spatially controlled manner in gastrulating chick embryos. Detailed information for the devices and procedures, and some experimental examples are presented.
Animal models of NASH: Getting both pathology and metabolic context right
Authors: Larter Claire Z , Yeh Matthew M
Published: August 2008

Non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of referral to liver clinics, and its progressive form, non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), can lead to cirrhosis and end‐stage liver disease. The main risk factors for NAFLD/NASH are the metabolic abnormalities commonly observed in metabolic syndrome: insulin resistance, visceral obesity, dyslipidemia and altered adipokine profile. At present, the causes of progression from NAFLD to NASH remain poorly defined, and research in this area has been limited by the availability of suitable animal models of this disease. In the past, the main models used to investigate the pathogenesis of steatohepatitis have either failed to reproduce the full spectrum of liver pathology that characterizes human NASH, or the liver pathology has developed in a metabolic context that is not representative of the human condition. In the last few years, a number of models have been described in which the full spectrum of liver pathology develops in an appropriate metabolic context. In general, the underlying cause of metabolic defects in these models is chronic caloric overconsumption, also known as overnutrition. Overnutrition has been achieved in a number of different ways, including forced feeding, administration of high‐fat diets, the use of genetically hyperphagic animals, or a combination of these approaches. The purpose of the present review is to critique the liver pathology and metabolic abnormalities present in currently available animal models of NASH, with particular focus on models described in approximately the last 5 years.
NF–κB activation in renal tubular epithelial cells by oxalate stimulation
Authors: Tozawa Keiichi , Yasui Takahiro , Okada Atsushi , Hirose Masahito , Hamamoto Shuzo , Itoh Yasunori , Kohri Kenjiro
Published: August 2008

Objectives:  The transcription factor nuclear factor–κB (NF–κB) is involved in inflammatory and immune responses through the induction of various cytokines and growth factors. Recently, the coordinated action of NF–κB and activator protein‐1 was reported in osteopontin (OPN) expression. In the present study, we demonstrated that oxalate induces OPN expression by activating NF–κB in renal tubular cells. Furthermore, we investigated the inhibitory effect of N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine (NAC) on NF–κB activation in the human renal tubular cell line.

Methods:  All of the experiments were carried out using human kidney‐2 cells, which are human proximal tubular epithelial cells immortalized by transduction with the human papillomavirus 16E6/E7 gene. The time‐dependent extraction of total protein was performed after the uptake of 0.5 mM oxalate by the cells. The NF–κB activation and OPN expression were examined by western blotting and immunocytochemistry.

Results:  As a result of oxalate stimulation, the amount of p65 subunit in the nucleus increased significantly (P < 0.05), and NAC significantly inhibited the translocation of p65 into the nucleus (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:  These observations indicate that NAC can be used as a drug to prevent stone formation.
Does a previous end‐to‐end urethroplasty alter the results of redo end‐to‐end urethroplasty in patients with traumatic posterior urethral strictures?
Authors: Gupta Narmada P , Mishra Saurabh , Dogra Prem N , Hemal Ashok K , Seth Amlesh , Kumar Rajeev
Published: August 2008

Objectives:  To evaluate the success rate of redo anastomotic urethroplasty and to compare it with primary anastomotic urethroplasty.

Methods:  We compared 52 patients with post‐traumatic posterior urethral strictures (group 1, mean age 24.6 years, range 10–62) who had undergone redo urethroplasty with 66 patients (group 2, mean age 22.6, range 6–71) who had undergone primary anastomotic urethroplasty. Mean stricture length was 2.0 cm (1–4.5) and 2.5 cm (1.5–6), respectively. All of the patients in group 1 had a stricture located at the bulboprostatic anastomotic site. In group 2, 43 (65.2%) had a bulbomembranous stricture and 23 (34.8%) had a prostatomembranous stricture.

Results:  Mean operative time was 140 (100–240) and 90 min (75–200) in group 1 and 2, respectively. Mean blood loss was 180 (80–900) and 125 mL (50–700), respectively. Mean hospital stay was comparable (6.6 days vs 5.5 days) between the two groups. Mean follow up was 54 months (10–144) for group 1 and 62 months (12–122) for group 2. Corporal separation, inferior pubectomy, a transpubic approach and urethral rerouting were required in 22 (42.3%) and 12 (18.2%), 7 (13.5%) and 3 (4.5%), 12 (23%) and 5 (7.6%), 2 (3.8%) and nil patients in group 1 and 2, respectively. An excellent or acceptable outcome was achieved in 42 (80.8%) and 57 (86.4%), 8 (15.4%) and 7 (10.6%) patients, respectively. Two patients in each group failed.

Conclusions:  Previously failed end‐to‐end urethroplasty does not alter the success rate of redo end‐to‐end urethroplasty.
The association between metabolic syndrome and prostate‐specific antigen levels
Authors: Kim Yong‐June , Cho Yong‐Jin , Oh Jung‐Eun , Jeon Youn‐Soo , Lee Sang‐Cheol , Kim Wun‐Jae
Published: August 2008

Objectives:  Prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) levels are affected by many factors. Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a common metabolic disorder related to the increasing prevalence of obesity. The relationship between MS and PSA is currently unknown, however. The aim of this study was to examine whether PSA levels were affected by MS.

Methods:  We evaluated the association between MS and PSA in a group of 2007 men (aged 30 to 79 years) without prostate cancer who received a general health checkup. Men with abnormal digital rectal examination findings or PSA values higher than 3.0 ng/mL were considered abnormal and excluded from the study. MS was defined according to the modified National Cholesterol Education Program Third Adult Treatment Panel guidelines. Eligible men were classified according to the number of each component and the presence or absence of MS.

Results:  PSA levels, as a whole, were inversely correlated with MS (P = 0.043). An increased number of MS components was significantly associated with linear decreasing trends of PSA levels (P‐trend < 0.001). When a multivariate analysis was performed with age and each MS, age (P < 0.001), abdominal obesity (P = 0.001), and an impaired fasting glucose level (P = 0.047) were strongly associated with PSA levels.

Conclusions:  MS is associated with decreased PSA levels. When determining whether to perform prostate biopsy as part of early prostate cancer detection, MS should be considered as a factor associated with reduced PSA in men presenting with marginal PSA levels.
Serum testosterone levels correlate with haemoglobin in middle‐aged and older men
Authors: Yeap B. B. , Beilin J. , Shi Z. , Knuiman M. W. , Olynyk J. K. , Bruce D. G. , Milward E. A.
Published: August 2008

Background: Lower testosterone levels are associated with anaemia in older men and women. The relation between testosterone and haemoglobin (Hb) in younger and middle‐aged men is less well defined. The aim of the study was to examine the association between testosterone and Hb levels in men spanning middle to older ages.

Methods: A cross‐sectional analysis of 492 men aged 30.7–94.5 years from the Busselton Health Survey, Western Australia, was carried out. Haemoglobin (Hb), early‐morning serum total testosterone and sex hormone‐binding globulin (SHBG) were measured. Free testosterone was calculated using mass action equations.

Results: Haemoglobin correlated to total and free testosterone concentrations (r= 0.13, P= 0.003 and r= 0.20, P < 0.001, respectively). Hb and SHBG were inversely correlated (r=−0.14, P= 0.001). Hb increased across lowest to highest quartiles of total testosterone (P= 0.02) and free testosterone (P < 0.001), but not SHBG. After adjusting for age, waist circumference, smoking status, alcohol consumption, renal function and ferritin, total testosterone was associated with Hb (β= 0.037, P= 0.003) as was free testosterone (β= 2.32, P < 0.001), whereas SHBG was not associated.

Conclusion: Testosterone concentration modulates Hb levels in community‐dwelling men across a wide age range. Further studies are needed to clarify implications of this association between testosterone and Hb in men.
Social support and symptoms of postpartum depression among new mothers in Eastern Turkey
Authors: Ege Emel , Timur Sermin , Zincir Handan , Geçkil Emine , Sunar‐Reeder Bulbin
Published: August 2008

Aim:  The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between symptoms of postpartum depression and social support in new mothers in a semi‐rural province (Malatya) of Eastern Turkey.

Methods:  This is a descriptive, cross‐sectional study. The study was conducted with a 12‐item Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) questionnaire, a 10‐item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) questionnaire, and a 16‐item demographic/obstetric questionnaire designed by the authors. 364 women who were between 6 to 48 weeks postpartum were included in the study.

Results:  Symptoms of postpartum depression were negatively correlated with social support (−0.39, P = 0.000). The frequency of the prevalence of symptoms of postpartum depression was 33.2%. The study showed that EPDS mean score was related to several factors, including age, woman's education, woman's occupation, socioeconomic status of family, spouse's education, number of years married, parity, planned pregnancy, method of delivery, knowledge of infant care, sharing of problems with a close person, past psychiatric history and family support during the postnatal period in an Eastern province of Turkey.

Conclusion:  Symptoms of postpartum depression were negatively correlated among Turkish women living in the Malatya province of Eastern Turkey and were associated with the level of social support. The prevalence of postpartum depression was higher than in the published reports regarding most regions of Turkey, with the exception of Northeastern Turkey.
Gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH)‐I regulation of interleukin (IL)‐1b and IL‐1 receptor antagonist expression in cultured human endometrial stromal cells
Authors: Raga Francisco , Casañ Eva M. , Bonilla‐Musoles Fernando
Published: August 2008

Aim:  Human endometrium is an active site of cytokine production and action. Among these cytokines, the interleukin‐1 (IL‐1) system seems to be relevant to the embryonic implantation process. We have previously reported the production of GnRH‐I by human blastocyst, as well as the presence of GnRH‐I receptor in human endometrium. This suggests a close interaction between the immune and endocrine systems through these cytokine mediators in embryonic implantation.

Methods:  To test the relevance of this interaction during embryonic implantation, we investigated GnRH‐I regulation of IL‐1b and IL‐1ra mRNA and protein expression in human endometrial stromal cells using quantitative competitive polymerase chain reaction and ELISA.

Results:  IL‐1b mRNA and protein expression in cultured human endometrial stromal cells was significantly enhanced by GnRH‐agonist in comparison to control groups. IL‐1ra mRNA and protein was significantly decreased by GnRH‐agonist in comparison to control groups. In contrast, the GnRH‐antagonist ablated the regulatory effects of GnRH agonist in 1b and IL‐1ra mRNA and protein levels in a dose‐dependent manner.

Conclusions:  In conclusion, these results suggest a possible close interaction between the immune and endocrine systems in human embryonic implantation through the classical neuropeptide hormone GnRH and its receptor.
Anxiety and prevalence of psychiatric disorders among patients awaiting surgery for suspected ovarian cancer
Authors: Sukegawa Akiko , Miyagi Etsuko , Asai‐Sato Mikiko , Saji Haruya , Sugiura Ken , Matsumura Takehiko , Kamijyo Atsushi , Hirayasu Yoshio , Okamoto Naoyuki , Hirahara Fumiki
Published: August 2008

Aim:  The goal of the current study was to determine the anxiety level and prevalence of psychiatric disorders among patients awaiting surgery for ovarian tumors. Also analyzed were the predictive factors for psychiatric disorders and changes after surgical diagnosis.

Methods:  Patients who underwent surgery for ovarian tumors were examined before and after surgery with the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview, the Spielberger State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Mausley Personality Inventory (MPI). Participants diagnosed with cancer were examined a third time after being given an explanation about whether or not adjuvant chemotherapy was required.

Results:  Twenty‐seven participants completed the study and were analyzed. Nine (33.3%) of these 27 participants were diagnosed as having adjustment disorder. There were no differences in the demographic data, STAI trait anxiety score and MPI score between the participants with or without adjustment disorder. At the pre‐surgical interview, the STAI state anxiety score of the participants was high (49.5 ± 10.30). After pathological examination of the tumors, it was found that 12 patients had cancer (malignant group) and 15 patients had a benign tumor (benign group). At pre‐surgery, the prevalence of adjustment disorder and the level of anxiety in the benign group were similar to those in the malignant group. There was a second surge of anxiety in patients who needed chemotherapy.

Conclusion:  The above findings demonstrate that patients with suspected ovarian cancer experience a high level of anxiety. Physicians should be aware of the risk of adjustment disorder in these patients. Additionally, ovarian cancer patients need psychological assessment during the course of treatment.
Safety of Trans Vaginal Mesh procedure: Retrospective study of 684 patients
Authors: Caquant Fréderic , Collinet Pierre , Debodinance Philippe , Berrocal Juan , Garbin Olivier , Rosenthal Claude , Clave Henri , Villet Richard , Jacquetin Bernard , Cosson Michel
Published: August 2008

Aim:  To study peri‐surgical complications after cure of genital prolapse by vaginal route using interposition of synthetic prostheses Gynemesh Prolene Soft (Gynecare) following the Trans Vaginal Mesh (TVM) technique.

Methods:  The present retrospective multicentered study comprised 684 patients who underwent surgery at seven French centers between October 2002 and December 2004. All patients had a genital prolapse ≥3 (C3/H3/E3/R3) according to International continence society (ICS) classification. According to each case, prosthetic interposition was total, or anterior only or posterior only. Patients were systematically seen 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months after surgery. Multivaried statistical analysis followed a model of logistic regression applied to each post‐surgical complication.

Results:  The mean age of patients was 63.5 years (30–94). The mean follow‐up period was 3.6 months. 84.3% of patients were post‐menopause, 24.3% had hysterectomy, 16.7% previous cure of prolapse, and 11.1% cure of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). During the procedure, hysterectomy was combined in 50.3% of cases, cervix amputation in 1.5%, and cure of SUI in 40.9%. 15.8% were treated for a cystocele only. 14.8% had only a rectocele +/− elytrocele and 69.4% had a prolapse touching both compartments, anterior and posterior. In peri‐surgical complications, (2%) were five bladder wounds (0.7%), one rectal wound (0.15%) and seven hemorrhages greater that 200 mL (1%). Among early post‐surgical complications (during the first month after surgery) (2.8%) were two pelvic abscesses (0.29%), 13 pelvic hematomas (1.9%), one pelvic cellulitis (0.15%), two vesicovaginal fistulas and one rectovaginal fistula (0.15%). Among late post‐surgical complications (33.6%) there were 77 granulomas or prosthetic expositions (11.3% [6.7% in the vaginal anterior wall, 2.1% in the vaginal posterior wall and 4.8% in the fornix]), 80 prosthetic retractions (11.7%), 36 relapse of prolapse (6.9%) and 37 SUI de novo (5.4%). Multivaried analysis shows that previous history of hysterectomy or placing of an isolated anterior prosthesis increase the risk of peri‐surgical complication; preserved uterus and isolated posterior prosthesis lessen the risk of granulomas and prosthetic retractions; and association of a Richter's intervention increases the rate of prosthetic retractions.

Conclusion:  Cure of genital prolapse with synthetic prostheses interposed by vaginal route is now reliable and can be reproduced with a low rate of peri‐ and early post‐surgical complications. However, our study shows a certain number of late post‐surgical complications after insertion of strengthening synthetic vaginal implants (prosthetic expositions and prosthetic retractions). These retrospective results will soon be compared to a prospective study.
Chromium supplementation enhances insulin signalling in skeletal muscle of obese KK/HlJ diabetic mice
Authors: Chen W.‐Y. , Chen C.‐J. , Liu C.‐H. , Mao F. C.
Published: August 2008

Aim:  Chromium is an essential nutrient required for glucose and lipid metabolism. Laboratory and clinical evidences indicate that chromium supplementation may improve insulin sensitivity by enhancing intracellular signalling. Considerable evidence suggests that serine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) at 307 residue (IRS1‐Ser307) inhibits insulin signalling and results in peripheral insulin resistance. Therefore, we investigated whether chromium‐associated insulin action was mediated by modulation of IRS1‐Ser307 phosphorylation.

Methods:  Male KK/HlJ mice (genetically obese and insulin resistant) were supplemented daily with chromium‐containing milk powder or placebo for 7 weeks. In analysing functionally characterized insulin resistance, the changes of blood biochemicals, inflammatory factors and insulin signalling molecules in skeletal muscle were analysed.

Results:  Using KK mice model, we demonstrated that daily supplementation of trivalent chromium‐containing milk powder reduced serum levels of glucose, insulin and triglycerides, and improved glucose and insulin tolerance. Mechanistic study showed that chromium supplementation activated postreceptor insulin signalling such as increasing IRS1, IRS1 tyrosine phosphorylation, p85α regulatory subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase and glucose transporter 4 expression, stimulating Akt activity, downregulating c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) activity and decreasing IRS1 ubiquitinization and insulin resistance‐associated IRS1 phosphorylation (IRS1‐Ser307) in skeletal muscle. In addition, chromium supplementation attenuated pro‐inflammatory cytokine expression in both blood circulation and skeletal muscle.

Conclusion:  Our data suggest that chromium‐containing milk powder supplementation can provide a beneficial effect in diabetic subjects by enhancing insulin signalling in skeletal muscle. The improvement in insulin signalling by chromium was associated with the decreased IRS1‐Ser307 phosphorylation, JNK activity and pro‐inflammatory cytokine production.
Cementless total ankle arthroplasty in diabetic neuropathic arthropathy
Authors: Lee K.‐B. , Cho S.‐G. , Seon J.‐K.
Published: August 2008

Background  Neuropathic arthropathy (Charcot joint) is a progressive degenerative disease of a joint that may lead to severe deformity and dysfunction and it is now recognized that diabetes is the leading cause of Charcot joint. When the ankle is involved and conservative treatment fails arthrodesis has commonly been performed, whereas arthroplasty has previously been considered to be contraindicated. A total ankle arthroplasty in Charcot ankle has not been previously reported.

Case report  We report the case of a 45‐year old, diabetic woman with unilateral Charcot ankle.

Conclusions  The woman successfully completed a rehabilitation programme and, 2 years after total ankle arthroplasty, achieved independence.
TWO CONCEPTIONS OF LIBERALISM: Theology, Creation, and Politics in the Thought of Immanuel Kant and Edmund Burke1
Authors: Insole Christopher J.
Published: August 2008

Constitutional liberal practices are capable of being normatively grounded by a number of different metaphysical positions. Kant provides one such grounding, in terms of the autonomously derived moral law. I argue that the work of Edmund Burke provides a resource for an alternative construal of constitutional liberalism, compatible with, and illumined by, a broadly Thomistic natural law worldview. I contrast Burke's treatment of the relationship between truth and cognition, prudence and rights, with that of his contemporary, Kant. We find that in each case where Kant's system is constructed from the first principle of autonomy, Burke's thought is oriented toward an end that is not of our making. Readings of Burke as a natural law thinker are currently out of fashion among Burke commentators; without relying, for the main thesis, on historical claims about Burke's “Thomism,” I nonetheless explore and challenge some of the assumptions that underlie the current orthodoxy.
KIERKEGAARD ON PATIENCE AND THE TEMPORALITY OF THE SELF: The Virtues of a Being in Time
Authors: Rudd Anthony
Published: August 2008

This paper examines Kierkegaard's discussion of patience in some of hisUpbuilding Discourses, and its connection with his understanding of the nature of selfhood as it appears both in theDiscoursesand inThe Sickness unto Death. That understanding stresses that selfhood is not simply given, but is a task to be achieved—although a task that can only be achieved by the self that is formed in the process of undertaking it. For Kierkegaard, an account of the self that recognizes its essential temporality must give a crucial role to patience as a virtue necessary for the formation and maintenance of personal identity. However, although the self is essentially temporal for Kierkegaard, it is also essentially such as to participate in eternity, and this complexity and tension in his concept of the self gives his understanding of patience a particular character—one that presents an important challenge to some of the dominant assumptions of recent and contemporary philosophy in both the analytic and the continental traditions.
PRESENTISM: THROUGH THICK AND THIN
Authors: HESTEVOLD H. SCOTT
Published: August 2008

Abstract: Presentism is the view that whatever exists presently exists. Without defending Presentism, I argue first that Presentists should be Time‐Free Presentists – Presentists whose views do not imply that there exist irreducible times. Second, I argue that Presentists should accept Limited Thick Presentism, the view that ‘the present’ has some extension and is thereby neither durationlessly thin nor unlimitedly ‘thick’. Third, before addressing several objections to Limited Time‐Free Thick Presentism [LTFTP], I argue that defenders of LTFTP should accept that ‘temporal becoming’ involves an overlapping succession of present entities, not a ‘skipping’ from one set of present entities to the next discrete set.
COMPOSITION AS A SECONDARY QUALITY
Authors: KRIEGEL URIAH
Published: August 2008

Abstract: The ‘special composition question’ is this: given objects O1, . . . , On, under what conditions is there an object O, such that O1, . . . , On compose O? This paper explores a heterodox answer to this question, one that casts composition as a secondary quality. According to the approach I want to consider, there is an O that O1, . . . , On compose (roughly) just in case a normal intuiter would, under normal conditions, intuit that there is.
Ascertaining The Corporate Objective: An Entity Maximisation and Sustainability Model
Authors: Keay Andrew
Published: August 2008

Public companies play crucial roles in today's world, and it has been acknowledged that ascertaining the objective of such companies is a critical issue. However, there remains great uncertainty as to what that objective should be. This article examines the two predominant theories of the corporate objective, namely the shareholder primacy and stakeholder theories. This is followed by an explanation of and the case for a new model, the entity maximisation and sustainability model. This model focuses on the company as a separate legal entity and maintains that the objective of the company is to maximise the wealth of the entity as an entity and, at the same time, to ensure that the company is sustained financially.
Police Shootings and the Role of Tort
Authors: Palmer Phil , Steele Jenny
Published: August 2008

In Ashley v Chief Constable of Sussex, the House of Lords ruled that a civil claim in trespass to the person may be sustained against an individual police officer in respect of a fatal shooting, in circumstances where the officer had already been acquitted in criminal proceedings and where liability to compensate in respect of all losses had been conceded. Two members of the majority clearly ruled that trespass torts may have a vindicatory purpose which survives a concession of liability to compensate, thus deepening the connection between tort, and the protection of fundamental rights, and suggesting an intriguing distinction between the functions of civil and criminal law.
A study on plucked hair as a substrate for direct immunofluorescence in pemphigus vulgaris
Authors: Daneshpazhooh M , Asgari M , Naraghi ZS , Barzgar MR , Akhyani M , Balighi K , Chams‐Davatchi C
Published: August 2008

Background  It has recently been demonstrated in a study on 15 patients that plucked hair can be used as a substrate for direct immunofluorescence (DIF) in pemphigus.

Objective  Our aim was to assess the sensitivity of DIF on plucked hairs in pemphigus vulgaris (PV) patients with positive DIF of oral mucosa.

Methods  One hundred and ten new PV patients were enrolled in the study. They all showed the typical clinical and histological findings as well as positive DIF of the oral mucosa, diagnostic for PV. Approximately 30 hairs were obtained in the same way as for the trichogram. The hairs with their outer root sheaths (ORS) were processed for DIF in order to detect immunoglobulin G and C3.

Results  Immunodeposits favouring PV were demonstrated in the ORS of 100 cases showing a sensitivity of 91%.

Conclusion  Regarding the relatively high sensitivity of DIF on plucked hair in PV patients with positive oral mucosal DIF in our study, it seems that hair plucking is a suitable alternative to the more invasive techniques of skin or mucosal biopsy for obtaining specimens for DIF in PV.

Conflicts of interest

None declared
Aging and electrocortical response to error feedback during a spatial learning task
Authors: Mathewson Karen J. , Dywan Jane , Snyder Peter J. , Tays William J. , Segalowitz Sidney J.
Published: August 2008

Event‐related potentials were collected as older and younger adults responded to error feedback in an adaptation of the Groton Maze Learning Test, an age‐sensitive measure of spatial learning and executive skills expected to maximally involve anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Older adults made more errors and produced smaller feedback‐related negativities (FRNs) than young controls. LORETA source localization revealed that, for young adults, neural activation associated with the FRN was focused in ACC and was stronger to negative feedback. Older adults responded with less intense and less differentiated ACC activation, but FRN amplitudes did relate to error rate for the most difficult mazes. The feedback P3 was sensitive to negative feedback but played no role in the prediction of error for either group. These data reflect the selective age‐related decline of ACC response but also its continued contribution to performance monitoring in aging.
Modelling the benefits of American Mink Mustela vison management options for terns in west Scotland
Authors: RATCLIFFE NORMAN , CRAIK CLIVE , HELYAR ALICE , ROY SUGOTO , SCOTT MARTIN
Published: August 2008

American Mink Mustela vison is a semi‐aquatic predator that has invaded the west coast of Scotland and many of its associated islands. We developed a GIS model of their potential range based on their dispersal abilities and habitat use, which revealed that most islands in west Scotland are accessible to Mink, and that these host a large proportion of the region's Common Sterna hirundo and Arctic Terns S. paradisaea. Mink are predators on tern eggs and chicks, and statistical modelling of long‐term productivity data demonstrated that unprotected sites within their range have an average productivity of 0.33 chicks per pair, whereas that at sites where Mink were trapped was 253% higher. We assessed the benefits of current Mink control projects for terns in the Western Isles and the remainder of west Scotland using a population modelling approach. This showed that both projects delivered considerable benefits for Common Terns, because a large proportion of their numbers were within the area of the control programmes and in sites that would be accessible to Mink if no control were in operation. For Arctic Terns, the benefits were less clear, as a larger proportion of their numbers were outside the control areas, and many of these were in sites isolated from, or unsuitable for, Mink. We discuss the implications of these findings for future strategic planning of Mink management in west Scotland.
Using inter‐colony variation in demographic parameters to assess the impact of skua predation on seabird populations
Authors: VOTIER STEPHEN C. , HEUBECK MARTIN , FURNESS ROBERT W.
Published: August 2008

Large skuas and gulls are top predators in marine ecosystems, feeding on shoaling fish, fishery discards and facultatively on smaller seabirds. As generalist predators they may have deleterious impacts on prey populations of seabirds, particularly when alternative foods are scarce. Declines in discards and lipid‐rich shoaling fish may result in these large scavenging birds turning to prey on seabirds to meet their nutritional needs, yet we know relatively little about seabird predator–prey dynamics. Declines in Black‐legged Kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla in the UK are attributed to reductions in Sandeel Ammodytes marinus availability, but may also be due to predation by Great Skuas Stercorarius skua in some parts of their range. We investigate whether variation in two demographic parameters (breeding success and population growth rate) of Kittiwake colonies across Shetland are explained by skua population density at increasing spatial scales (rings with radii of 0–5, 5–10, 10–15, 15–20, 20–25 and 25–30 km) and Kittiwake population density. These explanatory variables do not explain a significant amount of the variation in annual population growth rate (lambda), but our estimate of population change is highly conservative and we cannot exclude the possibility of type II errors. Kittiwake breeding success is positively correlated with Sandeel availability and negatively correlated with the number of Kittiwakes at the focal colony. Having controlled for these effects the number of Great Skuas also has an influence on breeding success, being negatively correlated at the scale of 5–10 and 20–25 km, but positively correlated at the scale of 10–15 km. In addition, analysis of Kittiwake populations subdivided into exposed or protected cliffs reveals that exposed sub‐colonies declined more steeply than protected ones – presumably as a function of differences in susceptibility to Skua predation. We propose that comparing differences in demographic rates may be useful in unravelling seabird predator–prey dynamics, but only where there is a comprehensive demographic dataset, where it is possible to correct for confounding factors such as food availability, and information on habitat–predation interactions.
Nest predation of Common Pheasants Phasianus colchicus
Authors: DRAYCOTT ROGER A. H. , HOODLESS ANDREW N. , WOODBURN MAUREEN I. A. , SAGE RUFUS B.
Published: August 2008

The Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus is currently the most abundant, widespread and economically important gamebird in Europe. The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust has undertaken several recent studies of Pheasant breeding ecology to improve the management of this species. Although predation is often the most important cause of nest failure in declining ground‐nesting birds in agricultural landscapes, the causes of predation and the identity of predators are often unknown. In this paper, we analyse data from approximately 450 nests of radiotagged hen Pheasants collected from six sites between 1990 and 2003 and present results on the fate and survival rates of Pheasant nests in relation to habitat, predation control and other covariates. Survival rates during the laying stage and incubation stage were 28 and 37%, respectively, and overall nest survival was 10%. Nest predation rates were significantly lower on two sites where intensive predation control was undertaken than on four sites with only low levels of predation control. Red Foxes Vulpes vulpes and corvids were the most important nest predators, accounting for at least half of all predation events. We assess these results in the context of other ground‐nesting farmland birds.
Investigating the effects of predator removal and habitat management on nest success and breeding population size of a farmland passerine: a case study
Authors: WHITE PATRICK J. C. , STOATE CHRIS , SZCZUR JOHN , NORRIS KEN
Published: August 2008

Passerines are especially vulnerable to predation at the pre‐independence stage. Although the role of nest success in British farmland passerine declines is contentious, improvement in nest success through sympathetic management could play a role in their reversal. Because habitat is known to interact with predation, management options for mitigation will need to consider effects of nest predation. We present results from an observational study of a population of Common Blackbird Turdus merula on a farm which has experienced a range of agri‐environment and game‐management options, including a period with nest predator control, as a case study to address some of these issues. We used an information theoretic model comparison procedure to look for evidence of interactions between habitat and nest predation, and then asked whether habitat management and nest predator abundances could explain population trends at the site through their effects on nest success. Interactions were detected between measures of predator abundance and habitat variables, and these varied with nest stage – habitat within the vicinity of the nest appeared to be important at the egg stage, and nest‐placement characteristics were important at the nestling stage. Although predator control appeared to have a positive influence on Blackbird breeding population size, the non‐experimental set‐up meant we could not eliminate other potential explanations. Variation in breeding population size did not appear to be influenced by variation in nest success alone. Our study demonstrates that observational data can only go so far in detection of such effects, and we discuss how it might be taken further. Agri‐environment and game‐management techniques are likely to influence nest predation pressure on farmland passerines, but the patterns, mechanisms and importance to population processes remain not wholly understood.
A peptide inhibitor of c‐Jun promotes wound healing in a mouse full‐thickness burn model
Authors: Giles Natalie , Rea Suzanne , Beer Trevor , Wood Fiona M. , Fear Mark W.
Published: August 2008

Significant damage to tissue surrounding burn injuries occurs after the removal of the thermal source. This damage is caused by a combination of both necrotic and apoptotic cell death in the zone of stasis. Preserving the zone of stasis can reduce the wound size and thereby improve wound healing. We tested whether a peptide previously identified to inhibit necrotic and apoptotic cell death in neurons through c‐Jun inhibition could enhance wound healing. We first tested the effects of this peptide on a keratinocyte and fibroblast cell line in culture. The peptide promoted proliferation of keratinocytes but had no effect on fibroblast proliferation, while the peptide also inhibited ultraviolet‐induced apoptosis of keratinocytes. We finally tested the peptide in vivo, using a mouse model of burn injury. Wounds that were treated with the peptide reepithelialized faster than controls, while cell death surrounding the wound site was markedly reduced 24 hours postinjury, suggesting that the prevention of apoptosis as well as the proliferative effects of this peptide contribute to the wound healing process. Our data implicate c‐Jun in multiple processes during wound repair and demonstrate that treatment of burn injuries using inhibitors of c‐Jun dimerization at the time of injury can promote wound healing.