bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Radiofrequency Ablation of Complex Fractionated Atrial Electrograms (CFAE): Preferential Sites of Acute Termination and Regularization in Paroxysmal and Persistent Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: SCHMITT CLAUS , ESTNER HEIDI , HECHER BIRGIT , LUIK ARMIN , KOLB CHRISTOF , KARCH MARTIN , NDREPEPA GJIN , ZRENNER BERNHARD , HESSLING GABRIELE , DEISENHOFER ISABEL
Published: August 2007

Introduction: Complex fractionated atrial electrograms (CFAE) have been described as a new target for ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF). This prospective study evaluates the acute effects of CFAE ablation in patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF and analyzes the preferential anatomic sites where these effects occur.

Methods and Results: Ablation of CFAE was performed in 66 symptomatic patients (mean age of 58 ± 12 years) with paroxysmal (n = 36) or persistent AF (n = 30). Termination or regularization of AF during ablation of CFAE was achieved in 56 of 66 patients (84%), with termination in 28 of 66 patients (42%) and regularization of AF in 28 of 66 patients (42%). Ablation of CFAE showed no effect in 10 of 66 patients (16%). Termination of AF occurred at 53 sites and AF regularization at 81 sites. The preferential sites of AF termination or regularization were found around the pulmonary veins (termination n = 15; regularization n = 22), at the anterior wall (termination n = 14; regularization n = 19) and at the interatrial septum (termination n = 8; regularization n = 17).

Conclusion: Termination or regularization of AF was achieved acutely in 84% of patients by ablation of CFAE. The preferential sites of AF termination or regularization were found around the pulmonary veins, at the anterior wall of the LA and at the interatrial septum. These findings may have implications for future ablation concepts.
Novel Electrode Design for Potentially Painless Internal Defibrillation Also Allows for Successful External Defibrillation
Authors: JAYANTI VENKU , ZVIMAN MENEKHEM M. , NAZARIAN SAMAN , HALPERIN HENRY R. , BERGER RONALD D.
Published: August 2007

Background: Implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) save lives, but the defibrillation shocks delivered by these devices produce substantial pain, presumably due to skeletal muscle activation. In this study, we tested an electrode system composed of epicardial panels designed to shield skeletal muscles from internal defibrillation, but allow penetration of an external electric field to enable external defibrillation when required.

Methods and Results: Eleven adult mongrel dogs were studied under general anesthesia. Internal defibrillation threshold (DFT) and shock‐induced skeletal muscle force at various biphasic shock strengths were compared between two electrode configurations: (1) a transvenous coil placed in the right ventricle (RV) as cathode and a dummy can placed subcutaneously in the left infraclavicular fossa as anode (control configuration) and (2) RV coil as cathode and the multielectrode epicardial sock with the panels connected together as anode (sock‐connected). External DFT was also tested with these electrode configurations, as well as with the epicardial sock present, but with panels disconnected from each other (sock‐disconnected). Internal DFT was higher with sock‐connected than control (24 ± 7 J vs. 16 ± 6 J, P < 0.02), but muscle contraction force at DFT was greatly reduced (1.3 ± 1.3 kg vs. 10.6 ± 2.2 kg, P < 0.0001). External defibrillation was never successful, even at 360 J, with sock‐connected, while always possible with sock‐disconnected.

Conclusion: Internal defibrillation with greatly reduced skeletal muscle stimulation can be achieved using a novel electrode system that also preserves the ability to externally defibrillate when required. This system may provide a means for painless ICD therapy.
Price and yield effects of spill‐overs in international agricultural research: evidence from ICRISAT and Australia
Authors: Brennan John P. , Bantilan M.C.S.
Published: August 2007

International agricultural research aimed at improving productivity in developing countries also has spill‐over effects on developed countries. Research that affects the supply of commodities is also likely to affect the world price of tradeable commodities. In this paper, the effects of spill‐overs to Australia from successful cost‐reducing research into sorghum and chickpeas at die International Crops Research Institute for the Semi‐Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) aimed at developing countries are assessed. Genetic materials developed and distributed through ICRISAT are used in Australia to increase productivity. The price‐reducing effects of successful research are incorporated into the analysis of spill‐over impacts on productivity. The net effects on welfare for producers and consumers of sorghum and chickpeas in Australia and the Rest of the World (ROW) are identified. The consequences of the impacts are discussed and the implications for further funding of international agricultural research are also discussed.
Technical efficiency and CO2abatement policies in the Dutch glasshouse industry
Authors: Lansink Alfons Oude
Published: August 2007

This paper develops a short‐run microeconomic simulation model of the Dutch glasshouse industry in order to investigate the relation between technical efficiency and marginal abatement costs of CO2emission. The model is also used to determine the effects of an emission tax and systems of tradable and non‐tradable quota for groups of firms with different rates of technical efficiency. The results show that marginal abatement costs are very responsive to changes in technical efficiency. Furthermore, it is found that firms with a low technical efficiency are faced with a higher profit reduction under different abatement policies than firms with a high technical efficiency.
Productivity growth in pre‐ 1990 Mongolian agriculture: spiralling disaster or emerging success?
Authors: Bayarsaihan T. , Coelli T.J.
Published: August 2007

The reasons for the spectacular collapse of so many centrally‐planned economies are a source of ongoing debate. In this paper, we use detailed farm‐level data to measure total factor productivity (TFP) changes in Mongolian grain and potato farming during the 14‐year period immediately preceding the 1990 economic reforms. We measure TFP growth using stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) methods. Our results indicate quite poor overall performance, with an average annual TFP change of – 1.7% in grain and 0.8% in potatoes, over the 14‐year period. However, the pattern of TFP growth changed substantially during this period, with TFP growth exceeding 7% per year in the latter half of this period. This suggests that the new policies of improved education, greater management autonomy, and improved incentives, which were introduced in final two planning periods in the 1980s, were beginning to have a significant influence upon the performance of Mongolian crop farming.
On export rivalry and the greening of agriculture–the role of eco‐labels
Authors: Basu Arnab K. , Chau Nancy H. , Grote Ulrike
Published: August 2007

Why do some countries have eco‐labelling programs and others do not? In this paper, we provide both theoretical arguments and empirical evidence suggesting that the answer to this question can shed new light on three questions that have taken center‐stage in the trade and environment debate: (i) does trade exacerbate the exploitation of the environment; (ii) are countries competing in export markets engaged in a race to the bottom in environmental performance; and (iii) do market‐based environmental instruments benefit the rich and hurt the poor?
A household hedonic model of rice traits: economic values from farmers in West Africa
Authors: Dalton Timothy J.
Published: August 2007

New crop varieties often have been promoted in developing countries based upon superior yield vis‐a‐vis locally available varieties. This research presents a hedonic price model for upland rice by drawing upon the input characteristics and consumer good characteristics model literature. Model specification tests determine that a combination of production and consumption characteristics best explains the willingness to pay for new upland rice varieties. The household model specification determined that five traits explain the willingness to pay for new rice varieties: plant cycle length, plant height, grain colour, elongation/ swelling and tenderness. Yield was not a significant explanatory variable of the willingness to pay for seed. The implications of this model are two‐fold. First, varietal development and promotion must include post‐harvest characteristics in addition to production traits when determining which varieties to promote for official release. Secondly, non‐yield production characteristics such as plant height and cycle length are significant factors in producer's assessments of the value of a new variety. Overall, this paper provides an alternative explanation for limited adoption of modern upland rice varieties in West Africa: varietal evaluation programs have focused too narrowly on yield evaluation and have not promoted varieties with superior non‐yield characteristics than locally available varieties.
The economic determinants of cereal crop diversity on farms in the Ethiopian highlands
Authors: Benin S. , Smale M. , Pender J. , Gebremedhin B. , Ehui S.
Published: August 2007

In less favoured areas such as the highlands of Ethiopia, farmers manage risk through land allocation to crops and varieties since they cannot depend on market mechanisms to cope. They also grow traditional varieties that are genetically diverse and have potential social value. Supporting the maintenance of crop and variety diversity in such locations can address both the current needs of farmers and future needs of society, though it entails numerous policy challenges. We estimate a model of crop and variety choice in a theoretical framework of the farm household model to compare the determinants of crop and variety diversity, revealing some of these policy considerations. Farm physical features and household characteristics such as wealth and labour stocks have large and significant effects on both the diversity among and within cereal crops, varying among crops. Policies designed to encourage variety diversity in one cereal crop may have opposing effects in another crop. Trade‐offs between development‐related factors and diversity in this resource‐poor system are not evident, however. Market‐related variables and population density have ambiguous effects. Education positively influences cereal crop diversity. Growing modern varieties of maize or wheat does not detract from the richness or evenness of these cereals on household farms.
Farm size and the determinants of productive efficiency in the Brazilian Center‐West
Authors: Helfand Steven M. , Levine Edward S.
Published: August 2007

This paper explores the determinants of technical efficiency, and the relationship between farm size and efficiency, in the Center‐West of Brazil. This is the region where agricultural production and total factor productivity have grown the fastest since 1970. It is also a region characterised by unusually large farms. Technical efficiency is studied with Data Envelopment Analysis and county level data disaggregated by farm size and type of land tenure. The efficiency measure is regressed on a set of explanatory variables which includes farm size, type of land tenure, composition of output, access to institutions and indicators of technology and input usage. The relationship between farm size and efficiency is found to be non‐linear, with efficiency first falling and then rising with size. Type of land tenure, access to institutions and markets, and modern inputs are found to be important determinants of the differences in efficiency across farms.
May the pro‐poor impacts of trade liberalisation vanish because of imperfect information?⋆
Authors: Boussard J. M. , Gérard F. , Piketty M. G. , Christensen A. K. , Voituriez T.
Published: August 2007

In this paper, we try to evaluate changes in welfare gains and their distribution due to trade liberalisation when imperfect information is considered. The results of two versions of a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, using the GTAP database and representing goods as well as capital flows, are compared. In the first version, a standard world CGE approach is followed. In the second version, we included risk aversion, imperfect information and production lag in the agricultural sector. After a brief description of the two versions, changes in welfare, represented by the income of two types of household (middlelow and middle‐high) in three regions (Europe, United States, Rest of the World) after agricultural trade liberalisation are presented. Theoretical and political consequences of the results are discussed.
Measuring market integration in the presence of transaction costs–a threshold vector error correction approach
Authors: Meyer Jochen
Published: August 2007

Applied econometric analyses of market integration based on price data alone have been criticised because they neglect the role of transaction costs. To meet this objection, threshold vector error correction models are used. Threshold models can account for the effects of transaction costs in price transmission without directly relying upon information about these costs, which are often unavailable. It is argued that threshold models that are based on two thresholds provide results that are economically more intuitive than those obtained from one‐threshold models. However, to this point no adequate econometric test is available for threshold significance in a two‐threshold model; such tests are only available for the one‐threshold model. In this paper a restricted two‐threshold model is developed in which the significance of the thresholds can be tested. This model is therefore amenable to economic interpretation and statistical inference. The model is used to estimate market integration in the European pig market.
Analysis of the Colorado potato beetle protection system in Finland
Authors: Heikkilä Jaakko , Peltola Jukka
Published: August 2007

Invasive species, including plants, insects and other pests, are a serious threat to agricultural production and to the environment in general. Finland has traditionally had a favourable situation concerning invasives, partly due to its isolated geographical location. The situation may now be changing and one of the currently increasing threats is the Colorado potato beetle (CPB). Finland has designed a CPB protection policy incorporating a protected zone, which is commonly used to deal with invasive plant pests in other European countries. Within this zone, the randomly occurring CPB invasions are collectively fended off, to prevent the establishment of a permanent pest population and to minimise potential damage. This paper evaluates the economics of the current protection programme, comparing this to a hypothetical situation in which the current pre‐emptive policy is abandoned and control relies on producers' individual reactive protection measures. The annual random pest invasions are modelled in a static stochastic framework. To date the pest has not been able to establish a permanent population in Finland. According to our analysis, the currently exercised pre‐emptive policy is the cost‐efficient choice at this point. The relatively low expected invasion magnitude is one of the key factors supporting the efficiency of the current system. Another reason is the fairly small damage incurred. However, when the invasions become larger and more frequent or the pest strains more cold‐resistant, the future situation may change.
Height and body mass index in young adulthood and risk of schizophrenia: a longitudinal study of 1 347 520 Swedish men
Authors: Zammit S. , Rasmussen F. , Farahmand B. , Gunnell D. , Lewis G. , Tynelius P. , Brobert G. P.
Published: August 2007

Objective:  Measures of body size reflect genetic and environmental influences on growth and energy balance. Associations between such measures and risk of schizophrenia have been inconsistent.

Method:  This is a population‐based cohort study of 1 347 520 men born in Sweden from 1952 to 1982, with height and body mass index (BMI) data available from conscription records. The Swedish National Hospital Discharge Register was used to identify subjects diagnosed with schizophrenia from 1970 to 2000.

Results:  Subjects with lower BMI and shorter height had an increased risk of developing schizophrenia. Underweight subjects had an approximately 30% increase in risk compared with normal BMI subjects (adjusted HR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.20–1.42). Tall subjects had an approximately 15% reduction in risk compared with short subjects (adjusted HR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.80–0.92).

Conclusion:  Both height and BMI in early adulthood are strongly and inversely associated with risk of schizophrenia. We discuss these findings in relation to possible genetic and nutritional causal mechanisms.
Impact of supportive periodontal therapy and implant surface roughness on implant outcome in patients with a history of periodontitis
Authors: Quirynen Marc , Abarca Marcelo , Van Assche Nele , Nevins Myron , Van Steenberghe Daniel
Published: August 2007

Objective: This review searched for a relationship between susceptibility to periodontitis and peri‐implantitis, with implant outcome as the primary outcome variable and supportive periodontal therapy (SPT) and implant surface roughness as confounding factors.

Material and Methods: It is based on a MEDLINE search up to June 2006. Only 16 fulfilled the selection criteria. The heterogeneity of the studies (e.g. periodontal status, SPT, prosthetic design, …) rendered a meta‐analysis impossible.

The impact of a history of periodontitis on early implant loss was negligible. Only five papers reported sub‐data for patients with different degrees of periodontitis. Four out of five papers indicate a higher incidence of late implant loss and/or marginal bone loss in patients with a history of periodontitis. This difference was most obvious for very rough implants (three papers), and/or when SPT was not organized (one paper). Other confounding factors were often neglected. Another 10 papers only reported the outcome of implants in patients with a history of periodontitis. In case of SPT and when avoiding roughened surfaces, late implant loss remained below 3%, and marginal bone loss remained low.

Conclusions: These results seem to indicate that periodontally compromised patients can be successfully treated with minimally/moderately rough implants, in the presence of SPT.
Accuracy of implant placement based on pre‐surgical planning of three‐dimensional cone‐beam images: a pilot study
Authors: Van Assche N. , Van Steenberghe D. , Guerrero M. E. , Hirsch E. , Schutyser F. , Quirynen M. , Jacobs R.
Published: August 2007

Aim: To evaluate the precision of transfer of a computer‐based three‐dimensional (3D) planning, using re‐formatted cone‐beam images, for oral implant placement in partially edentulous jaws.

Material and Methods: Four formalin‐fixed cadaver jaws were imaged in a 3D Accuitomo FPD® cone‐beam computed tomography (CT). Data were used to produce an accurate implant planning with a transfer to surgery by means of stereolithographic drill guides. Pre‐operative cone‐beam CT images were subsequently matched with post‐operative ones to calculate the deviation between planned and installed implants.

Results: Placed implants (length: 10–15 mm) showed an average angular deviation of 2° (SD: 0.8, range: 0.7–4.0°) as compared with the planning, while the mean linear deviation was 1.1 mm (SD: 0.7 mm, range 0.3–2.3 mm) at the hex and 2.0 mm (SD: 0.7 mm, range 0.7–2.4 mm) at the tip.

Conclusions: Cone‐beam images could be used for implant planning, taking into account a maximal 4° angular and 2.4 mm linear deviation at the apical tip.
Efficacy of sub‐antimicrobial dose doxycycline in post‐menopausal women: clinical outcomes
Authors: Reinhardt Richard A. , Stoner Julie A. , Golub Lorne M. , Wolff Mark S. , Lee His‐Ming , Meinberg Trudy A. , Lynch James C. , Ryan Maria E. , Sorsa Timo , Payne Jeffrey B.
Published: August 2007

Aims: To determine the clinical efficacy of a 2‐year continuous sub‐antimicrobial dose doxycycline (SDD; 20 mg bid) in post‐menopausal, osteopenic, oestrogen‐deficient women on periodontal maintenance.

Materials and Methods: One‐hundred and twenty‐eight subjects were randomized to SDD (n=64) or placebo (n=64). Clinical measurements were performed at posterior interproximal sites at baseline and every 6 months during this 2‐year randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled clinical trial with adjunctive, no‐cost 3–4‐month periodontal maintenance. Statistical analyses of secondary outcomes from this clinical trial used Generalized Estimating Equations in primarily intent‐to‐treat analyses.

Results: For the placebo group, 3.4% of the sites showed improvement in clinical attachment levels (CAL) and 2.7% had progressive loss in CAL; for the SDD group, 5.0% of the sites showed an improvement in CAL and 2.2% had progressive loss in CAL. This difference (2.1% of sites) was more favourable in the SDD group than in the placebo [odds ratio (OR)=0.81%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.67–0.97, p=0.03] in these well‐maintained patients, whereas probing depths, bleeding on probing and supragingival plaque did not differ significantly between groups (p>0.2). However, in exploratory subgroup analysis of non‐smokers, SDD showed reduced bleeding versus placebo (27%versus 33%; p=0.05). In protocol‐adherent subjects, the odds of bleeding were 34% lower for SDD (p=0.05).

Conclusions: Analyses of secondary outcomes of this clinical trial indicated that SDD may be of benefit in reducing progressive attachment loss in post‐menopausal females; additional research is needed to confirm these findings.

Protocol registered at ClinicalTrials.gov. Identifier:NCT00066027
Subantimicrobial dose doxycycline effects on alveolar bone loss in post‐menopausal women
Authors: Payne Jeffrey B. , Stoner Julie A. , Nummikoski Pirkka V. , Reinhardt Richard A. , Goren Arthur D. , Wolff Mark S. , Lee Hsi‐ming , Lynch James C. , Valente Robert , Golub Lorne M.
Published: August 2007

Aim: Determine the efficacy of 2‐year continuous subantimicrobial dose doxycycline (SDD; 20 mg bid) on alveolar bone in post‐menopausal osteopenic, oestrogen‐deficient women undergoing periodontal maintenance in a 2‐year double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, randomized clinical trial.

Material and Methods: One‐hundred and twenty‐eight subjects randomized to SDD or placebo (n=64 each). Posterior vertical bite wings taken at baseline, 1 and 2 years for alveolar bone density (ABD), using radiographic absorptiometry (RA) and computer‐assisted densitometric image analysis (CADIA), and alveolar bone height (ABH). Statistical analyses utilized generalized estimating equations; primary analyses were intent to treat (ITT). Results are presented as SDD versus placebo.

Results: Under ITT, there was no statistically significant effect of SDD on ABD loss (RA: p=0.8; CADIA: p=0.2) or ABH loss (p=0.2). Most sites (81–95%) were inactive. For subgroup analyses, mean CADIA was higher with SDD for non‐smokers (p=0.05) and baseline probing depths 5 mm (p=0.003). SDD was associated with 29% lower odds of more progressive ABH loss in women >5 years post‐menopausal (p=0.05) and 36% lower among protocol‐adherent subjects (p=0.03).

Conclusions: In post‐menopausal osteopenic women with periodontitis, SDD did not differ overall from placebo. Based on exploratory subgroup analyses, additional research is needed to determine the usefulness of SDD in non‐smokers, subjects >5 years post‐menopausal and in deeper pockets. Protocol registered at ClinicalTrials.gov. Identifier: NCT00066027
Inflammatory mediator release following bone grafting in humans: a pilot study
Authors: Preston Rhonda D. , Meinberg Trudy A. , Payne Jeffrey B. , Schmid Marian J. , Lee Hsi‐Ming , Golub Lorne M. , Marx David B. , Reinhardt Richard A.
Published: August 2007

Aim: The aim of this pilot study was to track markers of periodontal inflammation and bone resorption associated with decalcified freeze‐dried bone allografts.

Material and Methods: Eleven subjects completed standardized treatment of intrabony defects 3 mm with allografts. Gingival crevicular fluid was collected from the defect site and an adjacent interproximal site within the surgical field at baseline, 2, 4, and 8 weeks post‐operatively, and analysed for biochemical markers of inflammation/bone resorption. Probing depth, recession, bleeding on probing, plaque, and 6‐month radiographic bone height change were measured.

Results: Both prostaglandin E2 (p=0.007) and bone‐specific type 1 collagen (p=0.01) increased in crevicular fluid after 2 weeks in the bone graft sites. Matrix metalloproteinase‐9 levels remained constant over time. There were positive correlations between prostaglandin levels during the first 8 weeks and bone height change over 6 months.

Conclusions: Periodontal bone grafts stimulate an inflammatory response during the first 2 weeks post‐operatively, and the potential negative effects of inhibiting prostaglandins post‐operatively should be investigated further.
Reported methodological quality of split‐mouth studies
Authors: Lesaffre Emmanuel , Garcia Zattera Maria‐José , Redmond Carol , Huber Heidi , Needleman Ian ,   on behalf of the ISCB Subcommittee on Dentistry
Published: August 2007

Background/Aim: Hujoel & Moulton previously questioned the reported quality of split‐mouth studies. Since then, there has been little enquiry into the methodology of this study design. The aim was to conduct a systematic review of the reported methodology of clinical studies using a split‐mouth design published in dental journals over a 1‐year period (2004).

Material and Methods: An extension of the CONSORT guidelines for cluster‐randomized designs was used to evaluate quality. We evaluated the methods used and quality of reporting split‐mouth studies.

Results: Thirty‐four studies were eligible for this review. The results showed that many papers lack essential qualities of good reporting, e.g. five of 34 papers gave the rationale for choosing a split‐mouth design, 19 of 34 (56%) used appropriate analytical statistical methods and only one of 34 presented an appropriate sample size calculation. Of the five studies that used survival analysis, none of them used a paired approach.

Conclusions: Despite some progress in statistical analysis, if the reporting of studies represents the actual methodology of the trial, this review has identified important aspects of split‐mouth study design and analysis that would benefit from development.
Immediate post‐operative effects of different periodontal treatment modalities on oral health‐related quality of life: a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Ozcelik Onur , Haytac M. Cenk , Seydaoglu Gulsah
Published: August 2007

Aim: Oral health‐related quality of life (OHQoL) characterizes a person's perception of how oral health influences an individual's life quality. The aim of this study is to investigate how the treatment modalities may affect the immediate post‐operative quality of life of patients with periodontitis.

Materials and Methods: Sixty psychologically and socio‐demographically matched periodontitis patients were randomly divided into three groups [20 non‐surgical (NS), 20 surgical (SG), 20 surgical plus enamel matrix protein derivative (S+EMD)]. The OHQoL was assessed with two patient‐centred outcome measures [Oral Health Impact Profile‐14 (OHIP‐14) and General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI)] in the post‐operative period of 1 week.

Results: Whereas there were no differences of OHQoL at the baseline, the patients treated by surgery had reported that they had experienced a worse OHQoL compared with the NS and S+EMD groups both in the OHIP‐14 and GOHA indexes (p=0.001).

Conclusions: The results of this study clearly indicated that patient perceptions on the immediate post‐operative period were significantly better in the NS and S+EMD groups when compared with the SG group. These findings need to be confirmed in further studies with larger populations.
Cigarette smoking and periodontal disease among 32‐year‐olds: a prospective study of a representative birth cohort
Authors: Thomson W. Murray , Broadbent Jonathan M. , Welch David , Beck James D. , Poulton Richie
Published: August 2007

Background: Smoking is recognized as the primary behavioural risk factor for periodontal attachment loss (AL), but confirmatory data from prospective cohort studies are scarce.

Aim: To quantify the association between cigarette smoking patterns and AL by age 32.

Methods: Periodontal examinations were conducted at ages 26 and 32 in a longstanding prospective study of a birth cohort born in Dunedin (New Zealand) in 1972/1973. Longitudinal categorization of smoking exposure was undertaken using data collected at ages 15, 18, 21, 26 and 32.

Results: Complete data were available for 810 individuals of whom 48.9% had ever smoked (31.5% were current smokers). Compared with never‐smokers, long‐term smokers (and other age‐32 smokers) had very high odds ratios (ORs of 7.1 and 5.7, respectively) for having 1 +sites with 5 +mm AL, and were more likely to be incident cases after age 26 (ORs of 5.2 and 3.2, respectively). Two‐thirds of new cases after age 26 were attributable to smoking. There were no significant differences in periodontal health between never‐smokers and those who had quit smoking after age 26.

Conclusions: Current and long‐term smoking in young adults is detrimental to periodontal health, but smoking cessation may be associated with a relatively rapid improvement in the periodontium.
Elastic tissue damage in cephalic acquired cutis laxa
Authors: De Almeida Hiram Larangeira , Wolter Manfred , De Farias Márcia Vargas , De Castro Luis Antônio Suita
Published: August 2007

Cutis laxa is a rare condition characterized by diminished elastic tissue. We report the histological changes from a 22‐year‐old male patient, who presented since 4 years hanging and inelastic facial skin, giving him an older appearance. The palpebral, preauricular and submandibular skin obtained after a facelift were examined. Conventional light microscopy with hematoxylin‐eosin staining showed perivascular lymphocytic infiltrates and crossed‐over collagen fibers. With Weigert staining, a lessening of elastic fibers with fragmentation, shortening and clumping was seen. The oxytalanic fibers in the papillary dermis were also affected, ranging from absence or reduction to flattening with clumping of the fibers, giving an irregular contour to the basal membrane zone. These findings were more intense in the palpebral skin. Transmission electronic microscopy showed reduction of the elastic fibers, a granular degeneration of the elastic tissue was found and collagen fibers were normal. Similar to light microscopy, at the ultrastructural level, the basal membrane has an irregular contour.
Terbinafine‐induced dermatomyositis: a case report and literature review of drug‐induced dermatomyositis
Authors: Magro Cynthia M. , Schaefer Jochen T. , Waldman James , Knight Deborah , Seilstad Kay , Hearne Deane
Published: August 2007

Dermatomyositis, a connective tissue disease syndrome where antibodies to the endothelium of the microvasculature of the skin, muscle and lung are implicated in lesional propagation, is characterized by photodistributed erythema, heliotrope rash, Gottron’s papules, muscle weakness and interstitial pulmonary fibrosis. Endotheliotropic viruses and underlying neoplasia are among the inciting triggers. Uncommon drugs, namely the lipid‐lowering agents, have been implicated in dermatomyositis. The patient, a 57‐year‐old man, developed a photodistributed rash and muscle weakness following treatment with the antifungal medication, terbinafine. A skin biopsy was performed, showing an atrophying interface dermatitis with pandermal mucinosis and striking vasculopathic changes including endothelial cell necrosis with denudement and basement membrane zone reduplication. Ultrastructural studies confirmed the presence of endothelial cell injury. Direct immunofluorescent testing showed prominent staining of C5b‐9 along the dermal‐epidermal junction and within the vasculature. Western blot studies showed strong seroreactivity of his serum to an endothelial‐based protein weighing 45,000, a common target described in other microvascular injury‐based syndromes. We have shown a temporal association between use of terbinafine and the development of dermatomyositis. The exact basis remains speculative. One potential hypothesis is based on the fact that terbinafine, the active agent in terbinafine, triggers apoptosis of human endothelial cells in culture. Enhanced endothelial cell apoptosis results in the displacement of various cellular antigens creating a state of neoantigenicity; its attendant sequelae is held to be one of anti‐endothelial cell antibody formation, a defining pathogenetic event in the evolution of dermatomyositis. The second may be because of the effects of the drug on the promotion of an interferon‐rich T‐helper‐1‐dominant cytokine milieu.
Transverse sectioning of the scalp (Headington technique) in the 19th century
Authors: Flotte Thomas J.
Published: August 2007

Abstract:  A review of the history of microscopy shows a period of intense amateur as well as professional interest in light microscopy in the 19th century. In order to accommodate these activities, there developed a group of people who prepared high quality microscopic slides. These slides covered a range of specimens including diatoms, insects, plants, rocks as well as animal and human tissues. Two slides of human scalp that were prepared in the latter half of the 19th century recently became available. They were processed to show both vertically and transversely sectioned skin. The slide of transversely sectioned skin contained two levels, one in the subcutis and the other in the mid‐dermis. These slides are very similar to the slides that are prepared today for the evaluation of alopecia. It is interesting that slide preparers of the 19th century were using methods similar to those that were pioneered by Dr Headington but not for the evaluation of hair diseases. Rather they came to a similar method of preparation to maximally display the normal morphology of the hair of the scalp.
Collision tumor composed of Merkel cell carcinoma and lentigo maligna melanoma
Authors: Forman Seth B. , Vidmar Dennis A. , Ferringer Tammie C.
Published: August 2007

We report the case of an immunocompetent 79‐year‐old white man with a history of melanoma in situ on the back with a collision tumor composed of a Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) and lentigo maligna melanoma on the left cheek. The cells of the MCC expressed cytokeratin 20 (CK 20) in a diffuse cytoplasmic pattern, AE1 and AE3 in a perinuclear dot‐like pattern and diffusely with neuron‐specific enolase. The tumor cells of the MCC failed to express thyroid transcription factor‐1. The atypical melanocytes of lentigo maligna melanoma expressed Melan‐A and S‐100. At the same visit, a lentigo maligna was diagnosed by excisional biopsy on the right cheek. The variability in expression of CK 20, AE1 and AE3 in MCC are reviewed. Prior reports of MCC in collision with non‐melanoma skin cancers are reviewed. Additionally, the role of immunosuppression in the development of MCC is considered.
Cranial fasciitis of childhood: a case report and review of literature
Authors: Hussein Mahmoud R.
Published: August 2007

Cranial fasciitis is a rare reactive, non‐tumoral lesion (pseudosarcoma) that develops in childhood. It is a subset of nodular fasciitis that preferentially involves the scalps of children. This report presents a case of 24‐month‐old boy with a previous history of head trauma. A firm nodule, showing rapid growth over 1‐month period, was seen at the occipital region. Computerized tomography showed the absence of erosion of the skull bones. The mass was completely excised with ample safety margin. Histologically, the growth was composed of mitotically active spindle‐shaped cells embedded in a myxoid matrix. The lesional cells were immunoreactive for smooth muscle actin and the diagnosis of cranial fasciitis was established. No evidence of recurrence was seen 18 months after the diagnosis. This report describes the salient features of the case and discusses the relevant literature. It stresses the fact that cranial fasciitis is a rare lesion that must be included in the differential diagnosis of pediatric skull tumors. It also emphasizes that the correct diagnosis of these lesions is needed to avoid unnecessary surgery and radiotherapy.
Immunolabeling pattern of cytokeratin 19 expression may distinguish sebaceous tumors from basal cell carcinomas
Authors: Heyl Jennifer , Mehregan Darius
Published: August 2007

Background:  Distinction between sebaceous tumors and basal cell carcinomas can often pose diagnostic problems. Recent work with the antibody to cytokeratin 19 (CK 19) has shown that this marker has high specificity for undifferentiated basaloid cells. Our aim was to evaluate the use of CK 19 staining patterns in differentiating between sebaceous tumors and basal cell carcinomas. The sebaceous tumors that were examined in this study included sebaceous adenomas, sebaceous epitheliomas (sebaceomas) and sebaceous carcinomas.

Methods:  Thirty‐seven cases including 5 sebaceous adenomas, 16 sebaceous epitheliomas, 6 sebaceous carcinomas and 14 basal cell carcinomas (7 being of the morpheaform type and 7 nodular basal cell carcinomas) were tested with a monoclonal mouse antibody to human CK 19.

Results:  CK 19 was focally positive in 1/5 (20%) sebaceous adenomas, 8/16 (50%) of sebaceous epitheliomas and 1/6 (17%) of sebaceous carcinomas. Strongly positive expression of CK 19 was not seen in any of the sebaceous adenoma, sebaceous epithelioma or sebaceous carcinoma specimens. CK 19 was found to be strongly positive in 9/14 (64%) and focally positive in 2/14 (14%) of basal cell carcinomas.

Conclusion:  CK 19 expression can be helpful in differentiating sebaceous tumors (including sebaceous adenomas, sebaceous epitheliomas and sebaceous carcinomas) from basal cell carcinomas and may be a useful adjunct when these entities are included in the differential diagnosis.
The morphologic spectrum of primary cutaneous anaplastic large T‐cell lymphoma: a histopathologic study on 66 biopsy specimens from 47 patients with report of rare variants
Authors: Massone Cesare , El‐Shabrawi‐Caelen Laila , Kerl Helmut , Cerroni Lorenzo
Published: August 2007

Background:  Primary cutaneous anaplastic large T‐cell lymphoma (PCALCL) is a well‐defined entity with prognostic differences from the nodal counterpart [nodal anaplastic large cell lymphoma (NALCL)]. Several histological variants of NALCL have been characterized (common, lymphohistiocytic and small cell). However, studies on morphological variants of PCALCLs are lacking.

Methods:  We analyzed retrospectively the clinicopathologic features of 66 biopsies from 47 patients (M : F = 27 : 20; median age: 53 years; mean age: 51.8 years; range: 14–82) with PCALCL, in order to better characterize the spectrum of this unusual neoplasm.

Results:  The ‘common variant’ was the most frequent (40.4%). In contrast to NALCL, in PCALCL, marked reactive infiltrates are more commonly present. In fact, 26 cases were classified as ‘inflammatory type’ (15 cases) and ‘lymphohistiocytic’ (11 cases). Concerning the predominant cell morphology, large anaplastic cells (33%) were almost as frequent as large pleomorphic (36%) and small to medium‐sized cells (26%). We reported for the first time in the skin 2 rare cases with the predominance of large cells with a ‘signet‐ring’‐like appearance. Epidermotropism and presence of eosinophils were found in a proportion of cases in all PCALCL variants.

Conclusions:  PCALCL is characterized by variable histopathological presentations and a broad cytomorphologic spectrum.
Collagen‐rich variant of benign epithelioid peripheral nerve sheath tumor of the skin
Authors: Jokinen Chris H. , Wolgamot Gregory M. , Argenyi Zsolt B.
Published: August 2007

Schwannoma and neurofibroma account for the majority of cutaneous benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors and usually pose little diagnostic difficulty in their classic forms. In rare instances, however, benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors may display epithelioid morphology and lack otherwise usual features of schwannoma or neurofibroma, making classification difficult. These unusual changes may prompt consideration of other benign neoplasms or a malignancy. Benign epithelioid peripheral nerve sheath tumor (BEPNST) is a somewhat non‐specific term recently proposed to describe these neoplasms of imprecise histogenesis. Also diagnostically challenging, rare BEPNST with unusual arrangements of extracellular collagen have been described and reported as neuroblastoma‐like schwannoma and collagenous spherulosis. We report a unique case of cutaneous BEPNST with a peculiar arrangement of abundant extracellular collagen, different than the previously observed patterns. Specifically, the neoplastic cells in this tumor were nearly obscured by the collagen, which formed large nodules and compressed the majority of the few remaining tumor cells to the periphery of the lesion. This excessive collagen production emphasizes the importance of adequate sampling to ensure a correct diagnosis.
Evidence for differential photic regulation of pineal melatonin synthesis in teleosts
Authors: Migaud H. , Davie A. , Martinez Chavez C. C. , Al‐Khamees S.
Published: August 2007

Abstract:  The aim of this study was to compare the circadian control of melatonin production in teleosts. To do so, the effects of ophthalmectomy on circulating melatonin rhythms were studied along with ex vivo pineal culture in six different teleosts. Results strongly suggested that the circadian control of melatonin production could have dramatically changed with at least three different systems being present in teleosts when one considers the photic regulation of pineal melatonin production. First, salmonids presented a decentralized system in which the pineal gland responds directly to light independently of the eyes. Then, in seabass and cod both the eyes and the pineal gland are required to sustain full night‐time melatonin production. Finally, a third type of circadian control of melatonin production is proposed in tilapia and catfish in which the pineal gland would not be light sensitive (or only slightly) and required the eyes to perceive light and inhibit melatonin synthesis. Further studies (anatomical, ultrastructural, retinal projections) are needed to confirm these results. Ex vivo experiments indirectly confirmed these results, as while the pineal gland responded normally to day–night rhythms in salmonids, seabass and cod, only very low levels were obtained at night in tilapia and no melatonin could be measured from isolated pineal glands in catfish. Together, these findings suggest that mechanisms involved in the perception of light and the transduction of this signal through the circadian axis has changed in teleosts possibly as a reflection of the photic environment in which they have evolved in.
Effects of maternal strain on ethanol responses in reciprocal F1 C57BL/6J and DBA/2J hybrid mice
Authors: Gabriel K. I. , Cunningham C. L.
Published: August 2007

Variations in maternal behavior, either occurring naturally or in response to experimental manipulations, have been shown to exert long‐lasting consequences on offspring behavior and physiology. Despite previous research examining the effects of developmental manipulations on drug‐related phenotypes, few studies have specifically investigated the influence of strain‐based differences in maternal behavior on drug responses in mice. The current experiments used reciprocal F1 hybrids of two inbred mouse strains (i.e. DBA/2J and C57BL/6J) that differ in both ethanol (EtOH) responses and maternal behavior to assess the effects of maternal environment on EtOH‐related phenotypes. Male and female DBA/2J and C57BL/6J mice and their reciprocal F1 hybrids reared by either DBA/2J or C57BL/6J dams were tested in adulthood for EtOH intake (choice, forced), EtOH‐induced hypothermia, EtOH‐induced activity and EtOH‐induced conditioned place preference (CPP). C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice showed differences on all EtOH responses. Consistent with previous reports that maternal strain can influence EtOH intake, F1 hybrids reared by C57BL/6J dams consumed more EtOH during forced exposure than did F1 hybrids reared by DBA/2J dams. Maternal strain also influenced EtOH‐induced hypothermic responses in F1 hybrids, producing differences in hybrid mice that paralleled those of the inbred strains. In contrast, maternal strain did not influence EtOH‐induced activity or CPP in hybrid mice. The current findings indicate that maternal environment may contribute to variance in EtOH‐induced hypothermia and EtOH intake, although effects on EtOH intake appear to be dependent upon the type of EtOH exposure.
The brain 5‐HT1A receptor gene expression in hibernation
Authors: Naumenko V. S. , Tkachev S. E. , Kulikov A. V. , Semenova T. P. , Amerhanov Z. G. , Smirnova N. P. , Popova N. K.
Published: August 2007

Hibernation is a unique physiological state characterized by profound reversible sleep‐like state, depression in body temperature and metabolism. The serotonin 5‐hydroxytryptamine1A (5‐HT1A) receptor gene sequence in typical seasonal hibernator, ground squirrel (Spermophilus undulatus), was specified. It was found that the fragment encoding the fifth transmembrane domain showed 93.6% of homology with the analogous fragment of the mouse and rat genes and displayed 88.5% homology with the human 5‐HT1A receptor gene. Using primers designed on the basis of obtained sequence, the expression of 5‐HT1A receptor gene in the brain regions in active, entering into hibernation, hibernating and coming out of hibernation ground squirrels was investigated. Significant structure‐specific changes were revealed in the 5‐HT1A messenger RNA (mRNA) level in entry into hibernation and in arousal. An increase in the 5‐HT1A gene expression was found in the hippocampus during the prehibernation period and in ground squirrels coming out of hibernation, thus confirming the idea of the hippocampus trigger role in the hibernation. Significant decrease in 5‐HT1A receptor mRNA level in the midbrain was found in animals coming out of hibernation. There was no considerable changes in 5‐HT1A receptor mRNA level in different stages of sleep–wake cycle in the frontal cortex. Despite drastically decreased body temperature in hibernating animals (about 37°C in active and 4–5°C in hibernation), 5‐HT1A receptor mRNA level in all examined brain regions remained relatively high, suggesting the essential role of this 5‐HT receptor subtype in the regulation of hibernation and associated hypothermia.
Response to James K. A. Smith, Lois Malcolm and Gerard Loughlin
Authors: Hart David Bentley
Published: August 2007

This article possesses no continuous argument of its own, but consists in a series of replies to observations made by J. K. A. Smith, L. Malcolm, and G. Loughlin regarding my book The Beauty of the Infinite. Thus it addresses a great number of topics, often only tenuously related to one another, and in an order dictated by the pieces to which it responds. Certain themes, however, can be identified as dominant: the capacity of natural reason to discover spiritual truths, the proper rhetoric of evangelical persuasion, the ontological premises that inform (and perhaps justify) that rhetoric, the place of aesthetics within theological reasoning, the role of divine law within Christian ethics, the need for Christian rhetoric adequately to encompass the reality of suffering and loss, the Christian metaphysics of being, the nature of Christian hope, the value of ‘tragic theology’ and the Christian metaphysics of evil.