bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
School violence, school differences and school discourses
Authors: Watkins Chris , Mauthner Melanie , Hewitt Roger , Epstein Debbie , Leonard Diana
Published: March 2007

This article highlights one strand of a study which investigated the concept of the violence‐resilient school. In six inner‐city secondary schools, data on violent incidents in school and violent crime in the neighbourhood were gathered, and compared with school practices to minimise violence, accessed through interviews. Some degree of association between the patterns of behaviour and school practices was found: schools with a wider range of well‐connected practices seemed to have less difficult behaviour. Interviews also showed that the different schools had different organisational discourses for construing school violence, its possible causes and the possible solutions. Differences in practices are best understood in connection with differences in these discourses. Some of the features of school discourses are outlined, including their range, their core metaphor and their silences. The authors suggest that organisational discourse is an important concept in explaining school effects and school differences, and that improvement attempts could have clearer regard to this concept.
Literature‐informed, one‐turn action research: three cases and a commentary
Authors: Cain Tim , Holmes Melanie , Larrett Alison , Mattock Joanna
Published: March 2007

Although action research is a common feature of courses of initial teacher training, the evidence as to its efficacy, in encouraging reflection among trainees, is mixed. This article discusses cases of action research assignments carried out by three trainees into their own practice in relation to (a) behaviour management, (b) monitoring and assessing, and (c) pupil‐centred education. The assignments are analysed using Bloom et al's. (1964) typology of thinking skills, Handal & Lauvas's (1987) model of reflective practice, and typologies of action research by Noffke (1997) and Rearick and Feldman (1999). They are positioned as cases of ‘literature‐informed, one‐turn’ action research; a concept which is discussed in relation to other concepts of action research.
Unsettling boundaries in making a space for research
Authors: Edwards Richard , Fowler Zoe
Published: March 2007

In engaging in research we draw upon and develop meanings and concepts that help to frame what we do, how we do it and the meaning we make of it. In the process of framing, we exclude other possibilities from our research practices. To do research, then, is to engage in the fashioning of conceptual boundaries. This article explores the dilemmas of boundary‐making in the context of a research project aimed at exploring the border literacy practices of students in UK further education, those boundary‐crossing practices which relate to the everyday and more formal demands of the curriculum. This discussion is related to wider debates in the social sciences on the significance of boundaries and borders and their powerful effects on identities and actions.
Secondary modern schools: are their pupils disadvantaged?
Authors: Levaçić Rosalind , Marsh Alan J.
Published: March 2007

There are still 10 English local educational authorities (LEAs) that are wholly selective and a further 10 with some grammar and secondary modern schools. This article examines the academic performance of pupils in secondary modern schools and the funding of these schools using national data sets matching pupils' performance at Key Stage 2 and General Certificate of Education (GCSE) as well as data on funding from Section 52 statements. Students in secondary modern schools gained one less grade on average than equivalent students in comprehensive schools while grammar school pupils obtained five grades more. After taking account of the cost factors and grant entitlements that influence funding per pupil, secondary modern schools in the years 2000/01–2002/03 were funded around £80 less per pupil while grammar school pupils received over £100 more per pupil compared to comprehensive schools. Secondary modern schools were more likely to be in financial deficit than comprehensive and particularly grammar schools. Thus, students are academically disadvantaged by attending secondary modern schools, which in most selective LEAs do not receive sufficient additional funding to offset the depressing effects on attainment of the increased social segregation arising from a selective system.
Denying the sexual subject: schools' regulation of student sexuality
Authors: Allen Louisa
Published: March 2007

This article examines some of the discourses and practices through which schools produce and regulate student sexual identities. It suggests that schools' ‘official culture’ can be seen as a discursive strategy which identifies a preferred student subject that is ‘non‐sexual’. This preference is communicated through the contradictory nature of discourses and practices which constitute ‘official school culture’ around student sexuality. These discourses work to simultaneously acknowledge student sexuality and position young people as ‘childlike’. Through the tension created by these contradictory positionings, schools can be seen to undermine the kind of sexual agency that young people might access to support their sexual well‐being. It is concluded that schools' deployment of discourses around sexuality produces student sexual positionings that may in fact dilute sexuality education's ‘effectiveness’ (in terms of the production of sexually responsible citizens).
Fantasies of teaching: handling the paradoxes inherent in models of practice
Authors: Hanley Una
Published: March 2007

This article seeks to contrast two constructions of teachers and teaching in England. The first construction is to be found in government documentation, which privileges a technical‐rational approach. The second is to be found in film and advertising for the profession, where the teacher is represented as an altruistic and charismatic subject. In their contrasting ways, both these constructions can be regarded as fantasies for teaching held by the government and wider society, which the teacher has to deal with. The article examines both constructions and the tensions that have been created by their presence in Teacher Training Agency ‘texts’, by drawing on data from trainee interviews as well as examples from the media which give rise to these disparate fantasies. Employing psychoanalytic theory, the article seeks to examine the ways in which teachers and trainees are faced with the paradox of fulfilling both seemingly contrasting fantasies while in the meantime the Government works to annex personally felt fantasies into its codes. It is suggested that trainees need to be educated into these tensions and that practitioners overall need to maintain their fantasies for teaching as well as accommodating these codes.
Morphometry of the Respiratory Tract: Avoiding the Sampling, Size, Orientation, and Reference Traps
Authors: Hyde Dallas M. , Tyler Nancy K. , Plopper Charles G.
Published: March 2007

The extrapolation to humans of studies of infectious or toxic agents injurious to the respiratory system using animal models assumes comparability in the structure and function of animal models and humans. Measurement of conducting airways and parenchyma yields quantitative data for parameters like volume, surface area, length, cell number and cell size. Over the past few decades, there has been an evolution of rigorous uniform sampling designs of stereology that ensure unbiased estimates of number, length, surface area, and volume. This approach has been termed ‘design-based’ stereology because of the reliance on sampling design rather than geometric model-based stereology that makes assumptions. The aim of this paper is to define new design-based stereological approaches for the direct estimation of anatomical structures and epithelial, interstitial and endothelial cells of specific regions of the lung independent of the sampling, size, orientation and reference traps. An example is provided using wildtype and transgenic mice expressing transforming growth factor-α to show the importance of the reference trap in stereologic estimates of postnatal lung growth.
Overview of the Molecular Carcinogenesis of Mouse Lung Tumor Models of Human Lung Cancer
Authors: Wakamatsu Nobuko , devereux Theodora R. , Hong Hue-Hua L. , Sills Robert C.
Published: March 2007

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide, and the need to develop better diagnostic techniques and therapies is urgent. Mouse models have been utilized for studying carcinogenesis of human lung cancers, and many of the major genetic alterations detected in human lung cancers have also been identified in mouse lung tumors. The importance of mouse models for understanding human lung carcinogenic processes and in developing early diagnostic techniques, preventive measures and therapies cannot be overstated. In this report, the major known molecular alterations in lung tumorigenesis of mice are reviewed and compared to those in humans.
Lung Fibrotic Responses to Particle Exposure
Authors: Bonner James C.
Published: March 2007

Particles generated from numerous anthropogenic sources have the potential to cause or exacerbate lung diseases, including asthma, bronchitis, and COPD. Fibrotic reactions are a component of all of these pulmonary diseases, and involve the progressive deposition of collagen by pulmonary fibroblasts. The reactivity, toxicity, and fibrogenic potential of particles in the lung depends on a variety of factors including particle size, surface area, and composition. Smaller particles, particularly in the nanosized range, have more toxic and fibrogenic capacity due to a higher surface-to-mass ratio and greater oxidant-generating potential. Composition is also an important determinant in the fibrotic response to particles. Transition metals, bacterial lipopolysaccaride, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are some of the toxic components of particles that activate intracellular signaling pathways that culminate in the production of profibrotic cytokines and growth factors.
Cystic Fibrosis and Other Respiratory Diseases of Impaired Mucus Clearance
Authors: Livraghi Alessandra , Randell Scott H.
Published: March 2007

Exposed to a diverse array of potentially noxious agents, the respiratory tract is protected by a highly developed innate defense system. Physiologically regulated epithelial ion and water transport coordinated with mucin secretion, beating cilia, and cough results in continuous flow of fluid and mucus over airway surfaces toward the larynx. This cleansing action is the initial and perhaps most quantitatively important innate defense mechanism. Repeated lung infections and eventual respiratory insufficiency characteristic of human cystic fibrosis (CF) and primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) illustrate the consequences of impaired mucus clearance. Altered mucus clearance likely contributes to the initiation, progression, and chronicity of other airway diseases characterized by inflammation and mucous secretory cell hyper/metaplasia that afflict millions worldwide, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This review concisely discusses the pathophysiology of human diseases characterized by genetic defects that impair mucus clearance. It then explores animal models in which components of the mucus clearance system have been disrupted. These models firmly establish the importance of mucus clearance for respiratory health, and will help elucidate disease mechanisms and therapeutic strategies in CF, PCD and COPD.
Comparative Pathology of Environmental Lung Disease: An Overview
Authors: Green Francis H. Y. , Vallyathan Val , Hahn Fletcher F.
Published: March 2007

Environmental factors play a major role in a majority of lung diseases. Asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, and many interstitial lung diseases are influenced or caused by environmental factors. Animals and humans may respond differently to the same agent, and a study of the comparative pathology between the two is useful for optimizing animal models of environmental lung disease and for evaluating their predictive value in carcinogenicity studies. This overview describes the most common nonneoplastic pathologic pulmonary responses to inhaled environmental agents in the human and contrasts them with the responses observed in rats exposed to the same agents. We show both similarities and difference in response to the same agents; furthermore, both species have unique responses to some agents (for example, progressive massive fibrosis in the human and proliferative squamous lesions in the rat). Quantitative analysis of the grades of response to three environmental particulate dusts revealed differences between the 2 species at the cellular level. Specifically, acute intra-alveolar inflammation, alveolar epithelial hyperplasia, and alveolar lipoproteinosis were all greater in rats than in humans exposed to the same agents. These differences may account for differences between the 2 species in carcinogenic response to nonfibrous particulates.
Spontaneous Renal Tubular Hyperplastic and Neoplastic Lesions in Three Sprague-Dawley Rats from a 90-Day Toxicity Study
Authors: Hall William C. , Elder Bruce , Walker Cheryl Lyn , Cai Sheng-Li , Peters David G. , Goodman Dawn G. , Ulland Borge M. , Borzelleca Joseph F.
Published: March 2007

Multiple renal tubular cell adenomas and atypical tubular hyperplasia were diagnosed in 2 high-dose and 1 mid-dose female Sprague–Dawley (Crl:CD®(SD)IGS BR) rats from a 90-day toxicity study of an amino acid found in green tea. The tumors were bilateral multicentric adenomas accompanied by atypical foci of renal tubular hyperplasia in both kidneys of the 3 animals. Toxic tubular changes that typically accompany renal carcinogenesis were not seen in any of the other animals of the study, suggesting rather, an underlying germline mutation of a tumor suppressor gene in these three rats. The histological appearance of these tumors and short latency was reminiscent of the spontaneous lesions reported to arise in Sprague–Dawley rats in the Nihon rat model. Nihon rats develop kidney tumors as a result of a spontaneous mutation in the rat homologue of the Birt-Hogg-Dubé gene ( Bhd). Frozen samples of liver from two tumor-bearing rats were assayed for germline alterations in the Bhd gene. The entire coding region (exons 3–13) of the Bhd gene was sequenced, and a guanine (nt106G) to adenine (nt106A) polymorphism was detected resulting in a glycine to arginine (G36R) substitution in both tumor-bearing animals. In the study animals, the frequency of the A-allele (adenine) was determined to be 27% (19/70). Interestingly, rats obtained from two other sources (n = 17) only carried the nt106G-allele, consistent with the published rat sequence for this gene. Genetic fingerprinting of microsatellite loci indicated that the rats had a shared genetic background. Laser capture microdissection (LCM) of the tumor cells demonstrated a loss of heterozygosity in the Bhd gene in neoplastic cells of one of the two animals. Taken together, these data suggest that the tumors observed in these animals arose spontaneously as a result of a shared genetic susceptibility leading to the development of renal tubular neoplasms.
Renal Proximal Tubule Segment-Specific Nephrotoxicity: An Overview on Biomarkers and Histopathology
Authors: Cristofori Patrizia , Zanetti Edoardo , Fregona Dolores , Piaia Alessandro , Trevisan Andrea
Published: March 2007

The correspondence between histopathological findings and segment-specific biomarkers was investigated in rats treated with segment-specific nephrotoxicants. Male Wistar rats were treated with a single injection of K2Cr2O7 (25 mg/kg sc in saline), cis-Pt (10 mg/kg ip in buffered MSO) or HCBD (100 mg/kg ip in corn oil). Twenty-four and 48 hours after treatment, the rats were sacrificed and the kidneys were drawn for histopathological and biochemical evaluation, i.e., GS activity in renal cortex and PAH uptake in renal cortical slices. Histopathological findings show that cis-Pt and HCBD cause diffuse necrosis of S3 segment of proximal tubules in the outer stripe of outer medulla, respectively. On the contrary, K2Cr2O7 damages exclusively S1–S2 segments, inducing vacuolization at 24 hr and diffuse necrosis at 48 hr after treatment. GS activity in renal tissue is significantly decreased after HCBD and cis-Pt, but not K2Cr2O7 treatment. In contrast, PAH uptake is significantly reduced by K2Cr2O7, but not by cis-Pt or HCBD treatment (even if HCBD causes a slight decrease 48 hr after treatment). The evidence of this study confirms the high specificity of GS activity as marker of S3 segment injury, that PAH uptake is prevalently active in the S1–S2 segments, and that there is complete correspondence among segment-specific nephrotoxicants, biomarkers of segment-specific damage, and histopathological findings.
Aurintricarboxylic Acid Inhibits Protein Synthesis Independent, Sanguinarine-Induced Apoptosis and Oncosis
Authors: Hallock Sarathi , Tang Shou-Ching , Buja L. Maximilian , Trump Benjamin F. , Liepins Andrejs , Weerasinghe Priya
Published: March 2007

Sanguinarine, a benzophenanthridine alkaloid, has anticancer potential through induction of cell death. We previously demonstrated that sanguinarine treatment at a low concentration (1.5 μg/ml) induced apoptosis in K562 human erythroleukemia cells, and a high concentration (12.5 μg/ml) induced the morphology of blister formation or oncosis-blister cell death (BCD). Treatment of cells at an intermediate sanguinarine concentration (6.25 μg/ml) induced diffuse swelling or oncosis-diffuse cell swelling (DCS). To assess the underlying mechanism of sanguinarine-induced apoptosis and oncosis-BCD in K562 cells, we studied their response to pre-treatment with two chemical compounds: aurintricarboxylic acid (ATA) and cycloheximide (CHX). The pretreatment effects of both chemical compounds on apoptosis and oncosis-BCD were evaluated by measuring multiple parameters using quantitative morphology, electron microscopy, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) end-labeling and annexin-V-binding. ATA, a DNA endonuclease inhibitor, efficiently prevented DNA nicking and inhibited apoptosis almost completely and oncosis-BCD by about 40%, while CHX, a protein synthesis inhibitor, failed to inhibit both apoptosis and oncosis-BCD. These results demonstrate, first, the importance of endonuclease in sanguinarine-induced apoptosis and to some extent in oncosis-BCD and, second, that this inhibition does not require de novo protein synthesis.
Molecular Pathological Evaluation of Clusterin in a Rat Model of Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction as a Possible Biomarker of Nephrotoxicity
Authors: Ishii Aiko , Sakai Yukiko , Nakamura Atsushi
Published: March 2007

In the present study, to determine the validity of considering clusterin as a possible biomarker of nephrotoxicity, the expression and distribution of clusterin in the rat UUO kidney were investigated. Real-time RT-PCR revealed an immediate increase in the clusterin mRNA level in the kidney, within 6 hours after UUO, and also maintenance of the mRNA expression level from day-1 to day-3 was 60-fold higher in the UUO kidney than in the sham kidney. ISH analysis revealed clusterin mRNA signals in the UUO renal tubular epithelium, whereas no signal was observed in the sham kidney. Detection of clusterin-α and -β was conducted using the subtype-specific antibodies, by both of western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Although clusterin-α was predominant in the UUO urine, only faint signals were noted at the brush border of the tubular epithelium or intraductal. On the other hand, strong signals of clusterin-β were detected in the UUO kidney homogenate, and the molecule was localized in the renal tubular epithelium. These results suggest that clusterin was translated in the renal tubular epithelium after de novo expression induced by renal injury. Thus, detection of clusterin mRNA and clusterin-β in the kidney or clusterin-α in the urine may be useful for predicting nephrotoxicity.
Histopathology of Rainbow Trout Exposed to Sublethal Concentrations of Methiocarb or Endosulfan
Authors: Altinok Ilhan , Capkin Erol
Published: March 2007

Liver, spleen, trunk kidney, gills, and brain of rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss) were examined histologically after exposure to different concentrations of methiocarb (2.5 and 3.75 mg/L) or endosulfan (0.6 and 1.3 μg/L) for 21 days. Histological recovery was also studied by maintaining the pesticide-exposed fish in a freshwater system for an additional 30 d. Lesions were not evident in liver, kidney, spleen, or brain of fish exposed to either concentration of methiocarb for 21 d. Lesions were observed in gills, liver, spleen, and trunk kidney (but not brain) of rainbow trout exposed to either concentration of endosulfan. There was no concentration-related effect observed on the histopathological lesions. After 30 days of recovery, fish had no histological lesions in gills, kidney, spleen, liver, or brain. Therefore all the changes observed during exposure were reversible.
Human Heart Glutamate Receptors—Implications for Toxicology, Food Safety, and Drug Discovery
Authors: Gill Santokh , Veinot John , Kavanagh Meghan , Pulido Olga
Published: March 2007

Excitatory amino acids (EAAs) mediate their effects through the glutamate receptors (GluRs) in the brain. GluRs play an important role in the treatment of a variety of neuropsychiatric conditions and are central to the neurotoxicity of EAAs such as domoic and kainic acid. Unstained histological preparations of human heart tissues were used for the histopathological assessment, the anatomical identification of specific cardiac structures and the presence of the GluRs. Immunohistochemical stains with the biomarkers protein gene product (PGP 9.5) and the neurofilaments (NF 160 and NF 200) were used to identify neural structures and the components of the conducting system. Several subtypes of GluRs were differentially expressed and each had a specific distribution. In contrast to nonhuman primates, GluRs are more widely expressed in humans, where the working myocardium and the wall of blood vessels stained for GluRs. The immunolabelling was observed within the specialized structures of the conducting system, intramural nerves, and ganglia cells. These receptors may be involved in important cardiac functions such as contraction, rhythm, coronary circulation, and thus may be implicated in the pathobiology of some cardiac disease. The GluRs in the heart could be targets for the effects of excitatory compounds and is therefore an important consideration for the safety evaluation of foods and therapeutic products.
Magnetic resonance elastography of the human brain: a preliminary study
Authors: Xu L. , Lin Y. , Xi Z. N. , Shen H. , Gao P. Y.
Published: March 2007

Purpose: To study the application of magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) in the human brain.

Material and Methods: An external force actuator was developed, which produced propagating shear waves in brain tissue. A modified phase-contrast gradient-echo sequence was developed. The propagating shear waves within the brain were directly imaged. The wave images were processed to obtain the elasticity image. Shear waves at 100 Hz, 150 Hz, and 200 Hz were applied.

Results: The propagating shear waves in the brain were visualized on wave images. The elasticity image revealed the difference in tissue elasticity between gray and white matter of the brain.

Conclusion: MRE could be an imaging technique for assessing the elasticity of brain tissue.
Balloon kyphoplasty for the treatment of pathological fractures in the thoracic and lumbar spine caused by metastasis: one-year follow-up
Authors: Pflugmacher R. , Beth P. , Schroeder R.-J. , Schaser K.-D. , Melcher I.
Published: March 2007

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of balloon kyphoplasty in patients with fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine caused by metastatic disease.

Material and Methods: 64 balloon kyphoplasty procedures were performed in 31 patients (18 females and 13 males with bone metastasis), 28 of whom were followed up over a period of 1 year. Symptomatic levels were identified by clinical presentation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), radiographs, and computed tomography (CT). In the prospective 1-year follow-up, visual analog scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Score were documented. Radiographs were performed pre- and postoperatively, and at 3, 6, and 12 months. Vertebral height and kyphotic deformity were measured to assess restoration of the sagittal alignment.

Results: The median pain scores (VAS) decreased significantly ( P<0.05) from pre- to post-treatment, as did the Oswestry Disability Score ( P<0.05). Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) cement leakage was detected in eight of 64 vertebral bodies (12.5%), but did not have any clinical relevance. During 1-year follow-up, balloon kyphoplasty stabilized vertebral height and prevented further kyphotic deformity.

Conclusion: Balloon kyphoplasty is an effective, minimally invasive procedure for the stabilization of pathological vertebral fractures caused by osteolytic lesions of vertebral bodies due to metastatic disease. It gives a statistically significant reduction of pain and prevents further kyphotic deformity of the spine.
Percutaneous radiologic gastrostomy with a simplified gastropexy technique under ultrasonographic and fluoroscopic guidance: experience in 154 patients
Authors: Lorentzen T. , Nolsøe C. P. , Adamsen S.
Published: March 2007

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of percutaneous radiologic gastrostomy (PRG) under ultrasonographic (US) and fluoroscopic guidance using a simplified gastropexy technique.

Material and Methods: One hundred and fifty-four (154) patients (mean age 73, range 22–93 years) were referred for PRG. Indication for PRG was neurologic disease, head/neck cancer, and other disease in 73%, 15%, and 12%, respectively. Initially, the stomach was filled with 300–500 cm3 of tap water via a nasogastric tube. The fluid-filled stomach was punctured under US guidance. A guidewire and a single T-fastener were introduced. Under fluoroscopic guidance, the tract was dilated over the guidewire until a 16F dilator with a peel-away sheath could be introduced. During dilatation, the external suture string to the T-fastener was held tight to fixate the gastric wall. A 14F balloon-retained gastrostomy tube was introduced and inflated. The T-fastener was then released, and the gastrostomy tube was retracted gently to affix the gastric wall to the abdominal wall (tube gastropexy). Technical success was assured by aspiration of gastric fluid and fluoroscopically by injection of a water-soluble contrast medium.

Results: The primary technical success rate was 98%. At 30-day follow-up, 3.2% had major complications and 14% minor complications. Three patients (1.9%) died of complications related to the procedure. Thirteen cases (8%) of simple tube displacement without other complications occurred.

Conclusion: PRG guided by US and fluoroscopy is a relatively safe technique with a high success rate, provided the stomach can be properly distended with fluid. However, tube gastropexy alone does not seem to protect against early dislodgement.
Reliability of the evaluation of multidetector computed tomography images from the scanner's console in high-energy blunt-trauma patients
Authors: Ahvenjärvi L. , Niinimäki J. , Halonen J. , Tervonen O. , Ojala R.
Published: March 2007

Purpose: To evaluate the reliability of a structured 5-min evaluation of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) images from the scanner's console in high-energy trauma patients.

Material and Methods: Forty patients were scanned with four-slice MDCT using a standardized trauma protocol. Image evaluation covered the thorax, abdomen, and pelvis. The radiologist scrolled axial images on the scanner's console using three different window settings (lung, soft tissue, and bone) and performed a prospective structured evaluation of the traumatic lesions. The findings were compared to the final radiological diagnosis of the MDCT data made on a PACS workstation, the operative findings, and the clinical follow-up.

Results: Evaluation from the scanner's console enabled the diagnosis of all potential life-threatening injuries, the sensitivity for all injuries being 60% and specificity 98%.

Conclusion: A PACS workstation is needed for the final diagnosis of all injuries, but this rapid screening method can reliably detect all injuries that require instant care.
Benign adenomyoepithelioma of the breast: imaging findings mimicking malignancy and histopathological features
Authors: Ruiz-Delgado M. L. , López-Ruiz J. A. , Eizaguirre B. , Saiz A. , Astigarraga E. , Fernández-Temprano Z.
Published: March 2007

Adenomyoepithelioma of the breast is a rare neoplasm. We present a case of a benign adenomyoepithelioma of the breast in an asymptomatic 60-year-old woman. This report illustrates the mammogram, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance appearances of this unusual lesion, with histopathological correlation.
Bronchial to coronary artery fistulas: an important sign of silent coronary artery disease and potential complication during bronchial artery embolization
Authors: Peynircioglu B. , Ergun O. , Hazirolan T. , Cil B. E. , Aytemir K.
Published: March 2007

Coronary artery fistulas are rare and usually asymptomatic congenital anomalies generally diagnosed incidentally during coronary angiographies. Herein, we present a case of bronchial to coronary artery fistula which was diagnosed incidentally during bronchial artery embolization. Embolization was performed successfully without complication, and an underlying important coronary artery stenosis was subsequently found by coronary computed tomography angiography.
Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism: interobserver agreement among radiologists with varied levels of experience
Authors: Ghanima W. , Nielssen B. E. , Holmen L. O. , Witwit A. , Al-Ashtari A. , Sandset P. M.
Published: March 2007

Purpose: To assess the interobserver variability of radiologists with varied levels of experience in the interpretation of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) pulmonary angiographies.

Material and Methods: Review of CT pulmonary angiographies performed on patients included in a diagnostic study evaluating a decision-based algorithm for diagnosing pulmonary embolism (PE). Five radiologists, three board-certified general radiologists and two radiology trainees with 2 years' experience, participated in the study.

Results: According to the consensus reading, PE was present in 91 (31%) and absent in 194 (67%) patients, while in five patients (1.7%) the interpretations were regarded as equivocal. The per-patient agreement on the diagnosis of PE achieved by each of the four readers compared to the consensus reading was very good (κ range 0.85–0.92), but peripheral emboli were missed in four to six patients by three of four observers. The agreement on the most proximal level of PE (per-proximal level) assessed by mean κ value was 0.83 (κ range 0.68–0.91) for the detection of proximal emboli, 0.61 for segmental emboli (κ range 0.40–0.80), and 0.38 for emboli in the subsegmental vessels (κ range 0.0–0.89).

Conclusion: The overall agreement on the diagnosis of PE by MDCT for general radiologists and radiology trainees is very good, and we therefore believe that the initial management of patients with suspected PE could be based on the preliminary assessment performed by on-call radiologists with 2 years of experience.
An unusual cause of epigastric pain: infected giant liver hemangioma
Authors: Pinkernelle J. , Neumann U. , Lopez Hänninen E.
Published: March 2007

A 64-year-old woman was admitted to our surgical emergency department suffering from epigastric pain and fever persisting for a period of 5 weeks, and, upon admission, she presented with massively elevated C-reactive protein. Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a giant hemangioma of the liver with an intralesional central mass, which was documented by diameter progression of the central mass on follow-up CT. After liver resection, the diagnosis was an abscess in a giant liver hemangioma.
Magnetic resonance imaging with liver-specific contrast agent in primary amyloidosis and intrahepatic cholestasis
Authors: MØller J. M. , Santoni-Rugiu E. , Chabanova E. , Løgager V. , Hansen A. B. , Thomsen H. S.
Published: March 2007

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in hepatic amyloidosis are not well defined. Here, we report on a patient with renal failure caused by primary amyloidosis (AL type) who developed jaundice. Ultrasound and computed tomography were normal except for some ascites. MRI with oral manganese-containing contrast agent revealed several focal areas without contrast uptake in the hepatocytes and no bile secretion after 8 hours. No extrahepatic bile obstructions were found. Liver biopsy showed severe intraportal, vascular, and parenchymal amyloidosis causing severe cholestasis and atrophy of hepatocytes.
Radiological evaluation of covered self-expandable metallic stents used for palliation in patients with malignant esophageal strictures
Authors: Neyaz Z. , Srivastava Deep N. , Thulkar S. , Bandhu S. , Gamanagatti S. , Julka P. K. , Chattopadhyaya T. K.
Published: March 2007

Purpose: To study the role of self-expandable metallic stents in malignant esophageal strictures in terms of patency, improved dysphagia score, and possible associated complications.

Material and Methods: Twenty-two patients with inoperable carcinoma of the esophagus underwent stent placement. Four different varieties of covered stents were used. Stenting was performed under fluoroscopic guidance and local pharyngeal anesthesia. During follow-up, patients were examined clinically and radiologically to assess the effectiveness of stents in relieving dysphagia, to check the stent position, patency, and possible complications.

Results: Fluoroscopic placement of the stent was successful and well tolerated in all patients without any serious complications. Accurate stent placement was possible in 95% of cases. The mean dysphagia score prior to stenting was 3.5 and poststent 1.2, with an improvement of 2.3 degrees. In two patients with associated fistulas, complete closure was seen after stent insertion. There was poor stent expansion in three patients. Significant tumor overgrowth occurred in two patients, and a second overlapping stent was deployed in one case. Three patients developed food impaction, which needed endoscopic removal of impacted food in two cases.

Conclusion: Fluoroscopic placement of self-expandable metallic stents is a safe and effective method of palliating severe dysphagia and fistulas in patients with inoperable esophageal carcinoma. However, complications such as tumor overgrowth and food impaction may require reintervention after stent placement.
Investigation of the effect of exhaust particles on ocular blood flow in highway toll collectors using color doppler ultrasonography
Authors: Erdogmus B. , Yazici B. , Onder H. I. , Bilgin C. , Tugay A. , Buyukkaya R.
Published: March 2007

Purpose: To investigate the effect of exhaust particles on orbital blood flow velocity of the ophthalmic artery, central retinal artery, and posterior ciliary artery by color Doppler ultrasonography in highway toll collectors.

Material and Methods: Color Doppler imaging was used to measure the peak-systolic and end-diastolic flow velocities and resistivity indices of the ophthalmic artery, central retinal artery, and posterior ciliary artery in 20 toll collectors and 20 controls.

Results: Both the peak-systolic and the end-diastolic flow velocities were decreased in the ophthalmic artery, central retinal artery, and posterior ciliary artery, and the resistivity index was increased in the central retinal artery in toll collectors when compared with control groups. Results were considered statistically significant if P<0.05.

Conclusion: It was determined that the effect of exhaust particles reduced ocular blood flow velocity in toll collectors as measured by color duplex Doppler ultrasonography.
International Collaboration under Threat: A Field Study in Kabul
Authors: Dechesne Mark , Van Den Berg Coen , Soeters Joseph
Published: March 2007

This report examines Dutch military personnel's attitudes toward international cooperation, while these attitudes were expressed under threatening (during the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan) or nonthreatening circumstances (in Europe). Findings indicate that concerns about death were significantly more present in Afghanistan relative to Europe, and in Afghanistan, concerns about death were found to be negatively correlated with willingness to collaborate internationally. These findings provide support for terror management processes in vivo, and have a number of important implications for international policy.
Explaining Limited Conflicts
Authors: Kilgour D. Marc , Zagare Frank C.
Published: March 2007

This report uses a generic two-stage escalation model to ask whether and when limited conflicts can occur. There are two players in the model: Challenger and Defender. Challenger can either initiate a conflict or not. If Challenger initiates, Defender can concede, respond-in-kind, or escalate. If Defender does not concede, Challenger can escalate. The process continues until one side concedes or both escalate.

Limited conflicts do not occur in our model when information is complete or when Defender's threat to respond-in-kind is seen to be completely noncredible. They are also extremely unlikely when Defender is seen strictly to prefer a response-in-kind to immediate capitulation when challenged. Limited conflicts are most probable under a Constrained Limited-Response Equilibrium (CLRE). Constrained Limited-Response Equilibria only occur when there is uncertainty about Defender's willingness to respond-in-kind to an initiation. The conditions associated with the existence of a CLRE and the other equilibria of the model are illustrated, both graphically and via a numerical example. Typically, under a CLRE, Challenger initiates and Defender concedes. From time to time, however, Challenger misjudges Defender's intentions and is surprised by a limited response. At this point, Defender chooses not to escalate the conflict because it concludes that Defender will counter-escalate and an all-out conflict will occur. Real-life examples of this process include the Gulf War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Fashoda Crisis of 1898, and the Korean crisis of 1950.
Australian Framework for the Commercialisation of University Scientific Research
Authors: Collier Alan
Published: March 2007

Australia spends proportionally more on university R&D, particularly when compared with business expenditure on R&D, than almost any other advanced economy, which suggests that creating the right environment to encourage the commercialisation of Australian university research results is vital if Australia is to obtain the best economic results from its investment. In this paper a meta‐analysis is used to review literature from various sources available on the broad environment in which university research commercialisation is conducted in Australia in order to identify the key components of the environment and where change may encourage or promote better commercialisation outcomes.
Imaging stress‐ and cue‐induced drug and alcohol craving: association with relapse and clinical implications
Authors: SINHA RAJITA , LI C.‐S. R.
Published: March 2007

Stress‐ and drug‐related cues are major factors contributing to high rates of relapse in addictive disorders. Brain imaging studies have begun to identify neural correlates of stress and drug cue‐induced craving states. Findings indicate considerable overlap in neural circuits involved in processing stress and drug cues with activity in the corticostriatal limbic circuitry underlying both affective and reward processing. More recent efforts have begun to identify the relationships between neural activity during stress and drug cue exposure and drug relapse outcomes. Findings suggest medial prefrontal, anterior and posterior cingulate, striatal and posterior insula regions to be associated with relapse outcomes. Altered function in these brain regions is associated with stress‐induced and drug cue‐induced craving states and an increased susceptibility to relapse. Such alterations can serve as markers to identify relapse propensity and a more severe course of addiction. Efficacy of pharmacological and behavioral treatments that specifically target stress and cue‐induced craving and arousal responses may also be assessed via alterations in these brain correlates.
Neurocognitive and neuroimaging evidence of behavioural dysregulation in human drug addiction: implications for diagnosis, treatment and prevention
Authors: YÜCEL MURAT , LUBMAN DAN I.
Published: March 2007

Neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies have generated a wealth of data demonstrating structural and functional brain changes, as well as cognitive deficits in drug addicted populations. Despite this, it is often difficult to make generalisations or conclusive statements about the neuropsychological and neurobiological correlates of chronic drug use given variations in the nature or extent of deficits observed within or across different classes of drugs. In this review, we focus specifically on the evidence for impairments in prefrontally‐mediated cognitive functions that underlie behavioural regulation, namely decision making and inhibitory control. We argue that impairments in these specific domains, which are often compounded by an earlier initiation of drug use, polydrug abuse, comorbid psychiatric conditions, previous head injury, and acute withdrawal effects can serve to increase the risk for making decisions that are impulsive, focussed on short‐terms gains and lack inhibitory control. We further argue that these impairments of prefrontal functioning may underpin the compulsive and ‘loss‐of‐control’ pattern of drug‐seeking and drug‐taking that is characteristic of drug addiction. Finally, we consider the implications of these findings for diagnosis, treatment and prevention, suggesting that a comprehensive understanding of the nature and extent of these cognitive deficits should form a core part of the conceptualization and focus of effective treatment.
Pre‐operative screening for excessive alcohol consumption among patients scheduled for elective surgery
Authors: SHOURIE SWATI , CONIGRAVE KATHERINE M. , PROUDE ELIZABETH M. , WARD JEANETTE E. , WUTZKE SONIA E. , HABER PAUL S.
Published: March 2007

Pre‐operative intervention for excessive alcohol consumption among patients scheduled for elective surgery has been shown to reduce complications of surgery. However, successful intervention depends upon an effective and practical screening procedure. This study examines current screening practices for excessive alcohol consumption amongst patients scheduled for elective surgery in general hospitals. It also examines the appropriateness of potential sites and staff for pre‐operative screening. Forms used routinely to assess alcohol consumption in the pre‐admission clinics (PAC) of eight Sydney hospitals were examined. In addition, the appropriateness of six staff categories (surgeons, surgeons' secretaries, junior medical officer, anaesthetists, nurses and a research assistant) and of two sites (surgeons' office and PAC) in conducting additional screening was assessed at two hospitals. Outcomes included observed advantages and disadvantages of sites and personnel, and number of cases with excessive drinking identified. There was duplication in information collected routinely on alcohol use in the PACs in eight Sydney Hospitals. Questions on alcohol consumption in patient self‐completion forms were not validated. The PAC provided for efficient screening but time to surgery was typically too short for successful intervention in many cases. A validated tool and efficient screening procedure is required to detect excessive drinking before elective surgery. Patients often present to the PAC too close to the time of surgery for any change in drinking to reverse alcohol's effects. The role of the referring general practitioner and of printed advice from the surgeon in preparing patients for surgery needs further investigation.
Poppy seed tea and opiate abuse in New Zealand
Authors: BRAYE KLARE , HARWOOD THOMAS , INDER RACHEL , BEASLEY RICHARD , ROBINSON GEOFFREY
Published: March 2007

The opium poppy Papaver somniferum contains an array of opiates. There is a variety of methods of preparation that can be used by people with opiate dependence, with patterns of use determined by numerous factors including cost, safety, potency and legal status. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency and nature of poppy seed tea (PST) use by opiate‐dependent patients in the form of a written questionnaire. The study took place at the Community Alcohol and Drug Clinic, Wellington, New Zealand, and comprised 24 opiate‐dependent patients attending the clinic. A total of 11 of 24 (46%) patients reported having used PST. In five patients currently using PST it represented the major source of opiates, and two had managed to withdraw from use of other opiates with regular PST use. Patients reported a median onset of action of 15 minures and an effect lasting a median of 24 hours. The major limitation of PST use was the foul taste. PST is used commonly by opiate‐dependent patients attending an alcohol and drug clinic in New Zealand. The use of PST as the major source of opiates could be considered favourably within ‘harm reduction’ philosophies, because of its low cost, legal availability and oral route of administration. Conversely, there is the potential for PST to act as a ‘gateway drug’ by inducing opioid dependence and introducing people to the culture of drug abuse.
Buprenorphine supply by community pharmacists in Victoria, Australia: perceptions, experiences and key issues identified
Authors: NIELSEN SUZANNE , DIETZE PAUL , DUNLOP ADRIAN , MUHLEISEN PETER , LEE NICOLE , TAYLOR DAVID
Published: March 2007

Buprenorphine is dispensed primarily in community pharmacies in Victoria, with buprenorphine prescribing expanding nationally. The aim of this paper was to examine issues that affect the delivery of buprenorphine in the community setting. A cross‐sectional survey was conducted of 282 pharmacies participating in the methadone and buprenorphine programme across Victoria. Dispensing pharmacists completed the survey, designed to canvass issues around buprenorphine diversion and other issues related to the programme. Themes from the results indicated that there was concern from the majority of pharmacies with the issue of the supervision of buprenorphine and diversion of dispensed doses. The rate of suspected diversion was 1.5 times per 100 doses per month or 33 times per 100 clients per month. Seventy‐four per cent of pharmacists indicated that this was a negative aspect of buprenorphine treatment. Frequency of suspected and confirmed diversion was associated with the number of pharmacy clients. Pharmacists' perceptions of issues related to buprenorphine appeared to affect opinions of buprenorphine clients and the buprenorphine programme more generally. Pharmacists believe that a significant level of diversion is occurring. This finding warrants serious attention, particularly in light of the increasing use of buprenorphine nationally and internationally.