bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gynaecological malignancies in pregnancy: A review
Authors: Oehler Martin K. , Wain Gerard V. , Brand Alison
Published: November 2003

Gynaecological malignancies frequently occur in women of reproductive age and are estimated to complicate approximately one in 1000 pregnancies. The incidence of gynaecological malignancies during pregnancy is expected to rise as more women delay childbearing into their later reproductive years, and maternal age is the most powerful predictor of cancer risk. Pregnancy‐associated malignancies present significant challenges as a result of the conflict between optimal maternal therapy and fetal well‐being. The lack of prospective randomised treatment studies has prevented the development of clinical guidelines for most of the issues complicating the management. In the present review, recent diagnostic and treatment strategies for cervical, ovarian, vulvar and endometrial carcinomas during pregnancy are presented.
Punch planting, flame weeding and stale seedbed for weed control in row crops
Authors: Rasmussen J
Published: November 2003

Punch planting is introduced as a new method to reduce weeds within rows in organically grown crops. In this method a hole is punched in the soil, and a seed is dropped into it, without seedbed preparation and soil disturbance outside the hole. In 2 years, punch planting with flame weeding, normal planting with flame weeding and normal planting without flame weeding were compared in fodder beet for five planting dates. Each planting date represented a lag‐period since establishment of the stale seedbed. Over all planting times and years, punch planting with flame weeding reduced intra‐row weed densities by 30% at the two to four leaf stage of fodder beet compared with normal drilling with flame weeding. Punch planting with flame weeding also reduced intra‐row weed densities by 50% compared with normal drilling without flame weeding. In general, there was no improved performance of punch planting with flame weeding over years by later planting, but delayed planting reduced intra‐row weed densities significantly. Over 2 years, 240 day degrees Celsius (4 weeks) planting delay reduced intra‐row weed densities in the range of 68–86% depending on plant establishment procedure. Punch planting with flame weeding offers a promising method of weed control in organic farming.
Olive processing wastes for weed control
Authors: Boz Ö , Doğan M N , Albay F
Published: November 2003

The herbicidal effect of olive processing wastes (OPW) on some weed species in wheat, maize and sunflower was investigated in the Aegean region of Turkey. In trials with maize and sunflower, OPW was applied as an air‐dried solid form at 3 and 4.5 kg m−2. It provided an effectiveness level on Portulaca oleracea of 63–98%. In trials with wheat, OPW was applied as solid and liquid forms, each at two different doses, namely 4.5 and 6 kg m−2 (solid), and 5 and 10 L m−2 (liquid). Solid OPW provided a reduction in total weed coverage of 75% and 81% at doses of 4.5 and 6 kg m−2, respectively. The weed coverage reduction by liquid OPW was 39% and 62% with 5 and 10 L m−2, respectively. Apart from 12–26% reduction of the number of germinating seeds, OPW showed no toxic effects on maize and sunflower. Wheat was affected in the initial stages but no adverse effect was detected at harvest. It can be concluded that the herbicidal effect of OPW may be considered as an alternative to chemical weed control in some important summer crops (maize and sunflower) and for most of the weeds in winter wheat.
Relationship between clinical parameters and cytokine profiles in inflamed gingival tissue and serum samples from patients with chronic periodontitis
Authors: Górska Renata , Gregorek Hanna , Kowalski Jan , Laskus‐Perendyk Agnieszka , Syczewska Małgorzata , Madaliński Kazimierz
Published: November 2003

Objective:  The purpose of the present study was to assess the relation between clinical parameters and concentrations of the key (IL‐1β, TNF‐α, IL‐2, IFN‐γ, IL‐4, IL‐10) cytokines, important in the initiation and progression of periodontal diseases, within inflamed gingival tissues and serum samples from patients with severe chronic periodontitis.

Material and Methods:  Twenty‐five patients with severe chronic periodontitis, who had sites with probing depths (PD) >5 mm, and 25 periodontally healthy persons were included in the study. Clinical examinations including PD, clinical attachment loss, plaque index, and bleeding index were performed before periodontal treatment. Gingival tissue biopsies were collected from one active site of each patient and from healthy individuals, and blood samples were withdrawn on the day of tissue biopsy. The concentrations of cytokines were determined by an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, and the relationship between their profiles in situ and in circulation with clinical parameters was analysed.

Results:  The concentrations of IL‐1β, TNF‐α, IL‐2, IFN‐γ were, on average, significantly higher in serum samples and gingival tissue biopsies from periodontitis patients than in healthy controls. However, serum samples from both groups showed high individual variability of cytokine profiles, and no association between cytokine concentrations and clinical parameters of periodontitis was found. On the contrary, the levels of IL‐4 and IL‐10 in both kinds of samples obtained from patients and controls were generally low or even undetectable, and remained, on average, on the same level. However, the frequency of IL‐4 (88% positive samples) and IL‐10 (72%) was much higher in healthy gingival tissues. High concentrations of TNF‐α, IFN‐γ and IL‐2 and, especially, a high ratio of IL‐1β/IL‐10 and TNF‐α/IL‐4 found in tissue biopsies from periodontitis patients, strongly correlated with the severity of periodontitis.

Conclusion:  These results indicate that high variability of cytokine concentrations and low frequency of their detection in serum samples from periodontitis patients make these determinations useless for the detection of disease presence and/or its severity. In contrast, high absolute levels of IL‐1β, TNF‐α, IL‐2 and IFN‐γ and, especially their high ratios to IL‐4 and IL‐10 found in inflamed tissue biopsies, were closely associated with periodontal disease severity.
Signs of carotid calcification from dental panoramic radiographs are in agreement with Doppler sonography results
Authors: Ravon Nicolas A. , Hollender Lars G. , Mcdonald Vanessa , Persson G. Rutger
Published: November 2003

Background: Duplex ultrasonography (DS) is a frequently used noninvasive method for assessing carotid artery stenosis. The level of agreement between panoramic radiographs (PMX) findings of radiopacities in the area of C3–C4 and DS results has not been established.

Aims: (1) to examine the level of agreement between DS results and PMX signs of carotid calcification and (2) to evaluate the association between periodontitis and DS results.

Material and methods: Eighty‐three subjects who had received a DS assessment at the University of Washington Medical Center within 36 months volunteered for a periodontal examination, including assessments of probing pocket depth (PPD), attachment level (PAL), evidence of bleeding on probing and bone loss from PMX. Two examiners independently analyzed the radiographs for evidence of carotid calcifications. The distance between the cemento‐enamel junction (CEJ) to bone level (BL) CEJ–BL was used to assess alveolar bone loss as a criteria for periodontitis.

Results: Twenty‐nine subjects (34.9%) presented with positive DS readings. The Mantel–Haentszel common odds ratio estimate for a positive DS score and periodontitis (>30% of teeth with distance CEJ–BL4.0 mm) was 38.4 (95% CI: 10.6–138.7, p<0.0001). For nonsmokers only (n=72) the odds ratio was 43.0 (95% CI: 16.7–1178.0, p<0.0001). Evidence of bleeding on probing was 16% of sites both in the DS‐positive and ‐negative subjects. Subjects with a positive DS result had significantly more teeth with clinical evidence of attachment loss5.0 mm (p<0.001). The odds ratio of having periodontitis (CEJ–BL4.0 mm at 30% of the teeth) and medical records confirmed diagnosis of either a stroke or an infarct or both was 7.8 (95% CI: 2.6–23.8, p<0.001).

Conclusions: Subjects with positive DS readings of the carotid arteries due to calcified arterial plaque are accurately detected by means of conventional PMX. The likelihood of being DS positive and having radiographic evidence of periodontitis is high. A dose–response relationship between the extent of carotid calcification and severity of periodontitis was demonstrated, supporting the hypothesis of an association between periodontitis and cardiovascular diseases.
Korean mothers’ psychosocial adjustment to their children's cancer
Authors: Han Hae‐Ra
Published: November 2003

Background.  During the course of adjustment to their child's illness and medical treatment, parents of children with cancer may experience numerous challenges and difficulties. Although parental adjustment has been a research topic for many years, little research has been conducted among families in different cultures and countries.

Aim.  To identify factors that influence maternal psychosocial adjustment to childhood cancer using a new cultural group: Korean.

Methods.  A sample of 200 Korean mothers of children with cancer was included in the study. Guided by the double ABCX model of family adjustment and adaptation, a series of variables (i.e. maternal stress, coping, social support and selected illness‐related and demographic questions) were examined for their relationships with maternal psychosocial adjustment to childhood cancer.

Results.  Using a hierarchical multiple regression, we found perceived level of stress, coping, social support, and time since diagnosis to be significant correlates of maternal psychosocial adjustment. Stress accounted for most (50%) of the total variance explained (56%) in maternal adjustment.

Conclusion.  The results suggest that the stress‐coping framework may be appropriate in explaining maternal responses to childhood cancer across cultures.
Caring for dying people in hospital
Authors: Hopkinson Jane B. , Hallett Christine E. , Luker Karen A.
Published: November 2003

Background.  Fifty‐four per cent of people who die in England and Wales do so in hospital. Evidence suggests that care delivered to dying people in hospital does not match up to the ideal of a good death. These studies have provided organizational and structural explanations of nurses’ behaviour that support argument for change at the macro level, in order to improve the quality of care delivered to dying people. There has been little study of the perceptions of nurses working in acute medical settings in relation to their experience of caring for dying people. Therefore, there is little evidence on which to base supportive strategies at the level of individual nurses.

Aim.  In this study we set out to develop an understanding of care for dying people in hospital, from the perspective of newly qualified staff nurses in the UK. The purpose was to build a theory of how nurses might be helped to deliver quality care to dying people in hospital.

Methods.  This paper is based on an exploratory study underpinned by phenomenological philosophy. In‐depth interviews were conducted with 28 newly qualified nurses, focusing on their experiences of caring for dying people on medical wards in two acute hospitals in England in 1999. The interview transcripts were interpreted using a phenomenological approach.

Findings.  The findings presented in this paper relate to commonalities found to underlie study participants’ perceptions of their experiences. All the nurses’ stories were found to be built around six essences – the personal ideal, the actual, the unknown, the alone, tension and anti‐tension. These essences, and the relationships between them, were used to build a model of the experience of caring for dying people in hospital.

Limitations.  This descriptive study of the experience of individual nurses does not examine the wider social context. It attempts to complement existing sociological theory of death and dying.

Conclusion.  The study revealed how a group of newly qualified nurses experienced caring for dying people. We theorize that the model developed has utility as a tool for gaining understanding of the experience of caring for dying people. It is assumed that nurses, through using this model to find explanations for their emotions and behaviours, may gain emotional support that might have a positive impact on the quality of care delivered to dying people in hospital.
Jürgen Habermas's Theory of Cosmopolitanism
Authors: Fine Robert , Smith Will
Published: November 2003

In this paper we explore the sustained and multifaceted attempt of Jürgen Habermas to reconstruct Kant's theory of cosmopolitan right for our own times. In a series of articles written in the post‐1989 period, Habermas has argued that the challenge posed both by the catastrophes of the twentieth century, and by social forces of globalization, has given new impetus to the idea of cosmopolitan justice that Kant first expressed. He recognizes that today we cannot simply repeat Kant's eighteenth‐century vision: that if we are to grapple with the complexities of present‐day problems, it is necessary to iron out certain inconsistencies in Kant's thinking, radicalize it where its break from the old order of nation‐states is incomplete, socialize it so as to draw out the connections between perpetual peace and social justice, and modernize it so as to comprehend the “differences both in global situation and conceptual framework that now separate us from him.”1 His basic intuition, however, is that Kant's idea of cosmopolitan right is as relevant to our times as it was to Kant's own. If it was Kant's achievement to formulate the idea of cosmopolitanism in a modern philosophical form, Habermas takes up the challenge posed by Karl‐Otto Apel: to “think with Kant against Kant” in reconstructing this idea. What follows is a critical assessment of Habermas's response to this challenge. We focus here on the dilemmas he faces in grounding his normative commitment to cosmopolitan politics and in reconciling his cosmopolitanism with the national framework in which he developed his ideas of constitutional patriotism and deliberative democracy.
Successful treatment of urgent bleeding in von Willebrand disease with factor VIII/VWF concentrate (Humate‐P®): use of the ristocetin cofactor assay (VWF:RCo) to measure potency and to guide therapy
Authors: Gill J. Cox , Ewenstein B. M. , Thompson A. R. , Mueller‐Velten G. , Schwartz B. A. ,   for the Humate‐P Study Group
Published: November 2003

Summary.  This prospective, open‐label, non‐randomized study evaluated the safety and efficacy of factor VIII (FVIII)/von Willebrand Factor (VWF) concentrate (Humate‐P®) using treatment regimens based on VWF:ristocetin cofactor (VWF:RCo) activity in patients with von Willebrand Disease (VWD) in (i) urgent bleeding episodes, or (ii) in patients undergoing urgent and necessary surgery. This article summarizes the results of treatment for the 33 patients with 53 urgent bleeding events. The median loading dose of FVIII/VWF concentrate was 67.0 international units per kilogram (IU kg−1) VWF:RCo (range 25.7–143.2 IU kg−1), and the median daily maintenance dose per infusion was 74.0 IU kg−1 (range 16.4–182.9 IU kg−1) for a median duration of 2 days (range 1–34 days). The overall efficacy (achievement of haemostasis) of FVIII/VWF concentrate was rated as excellent/good for 98% of the urgent bleeding events. No unexpected treatment‐related adverse events or serious drug‐related adverse events (AEs) were observed. This study supports the safety and efficacy of Humate‐P® administered in doses calculated in VWF:RCo units for the treatment of urgent bleeding episodes in patients with VWD.
Iliopsoas haemorrhage in patients with bleeding disorders – experience from one centre
Authors: Ashrani A. A. , Osip J. , Christie B. , Key N. S.
Published: November 2003

Summary.  Iliopsoas haemorrhage in patients with bleeding disorders is a potentially life‐threatening condition, with significantly associated morbidity. Despite its clinical importance, little has been published on the frequency, complications or outcomes of this entity since the advent of modern therapies for haemophilia. In a retrospective review of 297 patients with bleeding disorders followed at our centre, we identified 46 episodes of iliopsoas haemorrhage in 31 patients. Patients presented primarily with thigh, hip and/or groin pain, and frequently had flexion hip contracture, femoral nerve paresthesia, and >2 g dL−1 haemoglobin drop. The duration of symptoms prior to seeking medical attention was 3.8 ± 4 days. Nineteen of 155 patients (12.3%) with haemophilia A had 28 episodes of iliopsoas bleed; 52.6% of these patients had severe haemophilia. Of these 19 patients with haemophilia A who had iliopsoas haemorrhage, seven (36.8%) had an inhibitor to factor VIII (FVIII), and accounted for one‐half of the bleeding episodes. Nine of 66 patients (13.6%) with haemophilia B had 15 episodes of iliopsoas haemorrhage; 22.2% of these patients had severe haemophilia, including one patient with an inhibitor to FIX who had two iliopsoas bleeds. The mean duration of therapy was 18.7 ± 11.9 days, and the duration of hospitalization was 12.3 ± 9.1 days. The length of hospital stay was significantly longer in patients with inhibitors, when compared with patients without inhibitors (19.1 ± 5.8 days vs. 7.6 ± 7.8 days; P < 0.0001) with higher factor consumption, although the total duration of therapy was not significantly different. Patients with inhibitors were over‐represented in the cohort of haemophiliacs with iliopsoas bleed. Patients with inhibitors who had iliopsoas bleeds remained hospitalized longer, although the duration of therapy was the same as patients with no inhibitors. There was a low frequency of recurrent bleed (2.8%).
Determination of the breakpoint and molecular diagnosis of a common α‐thalassaemia‐1 deletion in the Indian population
Authors: Shaji R. V. , Eunice S. E. , Baidya S. , Srivastava A. , Chandy M.
Published: November 2003

Summary.  The previously described South African type α‐thalassaemia‐1 mutation was identified in Indian HbH patients using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) strategy. A multiplex PCR assay was devised to detect heterozygotes and homozygotes. This α‐thalassaemia‐1 mutation was found to be the commonest determinant causing HbH disease in this population. In one family this mutation was found in combination with a novel splice donor mutation α2 IVS I‐1 (G→A). Characterization of the breakpoint junction sequence revealed, in addition to a 23 kb deletion, that there was an addition of ∼160 bp bridging the breakpoints. Similar to other deletions in the α‐globin gene cluster, there is an Alu repeat‐mediated mechanism for the origin of the deletion.
Circulating CD20 and CD52 in patients with non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma or Hodgkin's disease
Authors: Giles Francis J. , Vose Julie M. , Do Kim‐Anh , Johnson Marcella M. , Manshouri Taghi , Bociek Gregory , Bierman Philip J. , O'Brien Susan M. , Keating Michael J. , Kantarjian Hagop M , Armitage James O. , Albitar Maher
Published: November 2003

Summary. The cell surface proteins CD20 and CD52 differ significantly in their structures and are expressed on the majority of B cells. Both circulating CD20 (cCD20) and circulating CD52 (cCD52) have been recently documented in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. A retrospective study to establish whether cCD20 and/or cCD52 were detectable in patients with lymphoma, and the clinical associations of these soluble antigens if detected, was conducted. cCD20 and cCD52 levels were analysed in a cohort of 65 patients with non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and 37 with Hodgkin's disease (HD). Patients with NHL had elevated pretherapy levels of cCD20 and cCD52 compared with normal individuals. Patients with HD had significantly lower than normal pretherapy levels of both cCD20 and cCD52. cCD20 levels were marginally elevated post‐therapy in NHL patients while in patients with HD, cCD20 levels remained significantly lower than normal after therapy. Serum cCD52 levels became significantly lower than normal post‐therapy in NHL patients, and remained significantly lower than normal in HD patients. No predictive effects were found for pretherapy or post‐therapy levels of cCD52 on survival for either cohort of patients. Post‐therapy cCD20 levels independently highly correlated with survival in patients with NHL. Prospective evaluation will be required to establish if cCD20 and cCD52 may be used as biomarkers in the diagnosis, prognostic categorization, and monitoring of the clinical course in patients with lymphoma. The clinical significance of circulating antigen in patients receiving monoclonal antibody therapy directed against CD20 and/or CD52 warrants study.
Residual goitre in the postiodization phase: iodine status, thiocyanate exposure and autoimmunity
Authors: Marwaha R. K. , Tandon Nikhil , Gupta Nandita , Karak A. K. , Verma K. , Kochupillai N.
Published: November 2003

objective  This study was done to assess goitre prevalence, thyroid functional status and cause of residual goitre among school children in the postsalt iodization phase in India.

design  A cross‐sectional study in which, 14 762 school children in the age group of 6–18 years, from different States and Union territories of India, were evaluated for goitre prevalence, urinary iodine and thiocyanate excretion, functional status of the thyroid as well as serological and cytopathological markers for thyroid autoimmunity.

measurements  Urinary iodine (wet ashing method), urinary thiocyanate (colourimetric method), serum thyroxine [in‐house radioimmunoassay (RIA)], serum TSH (IRMA), antithyroid microsomal and antithyroglobulin antibodies (haemagglutination method) were estimated. Fine‐needle aspiration cytology was performed in all goitrous subjects giving consent.

results  The overall goitre prevalence was 23% (27·1% girls; 17·8% boys, P < 0·001). Subjects belonging to poor socio‐economic strata had significantly higher goitre prevalence. Median urinary iodine excretion (UIE) in goitrous subjects (2·53 µmol/l) was significantly higher than in controls (2·24 µmol/l; P < 0·001). Levels of UIE observed among goitrous subjects showed no relationship with the presence or absence of thyroid dysfunction or with thyroid antibody status. High titres (≥ 1 : 1600) of TMA were present more often in goitrous subjects (6·08%) than nongoitrous controls (0·34%; P < 0·001) and in girls (7·3%) than boys (2·35%; P < 0·001). TMA positivity were significantly more among goitrous subjects with thyroid dysfunction than in euthyroid subjects. Significantly higher median urinary thiocyanate (USCN) excretion was observed in goitrous subjects (0·75 mg/dl) compared to controls (0·64 mg/dl; P < 0·001) and goitrous girls compared to goitrous boys. USCN excretion of goitrous subjects and controls showed no relationship with functional or thyroid antibody status in various groups.

conclusions  Persistent, albeit reduced prevalence of goitre, despite adequate iodine prophylaxis, suggests existence of additional factors in goitrogenesis in India. Thyroid autoimmunity can explain only a part of the goitre prevalence. The role of goitrogens in residual goitre prevalence is brought forth.
Fibrous bodies are associated with lower GH production and decreased expression of E‐cadherin in GH‐producing pituitary adenomas
Authors: Nishioka Hiroshi , Haraoka Jo , Akada Kiyohiro
Published: November 2003

objective  A retrospective study was conducted in order to elucidate the clinicopathological significance of fibrous bodies, a hallmark of the sparsely granulated variant of GH‐producing pituitary adenomas.

methods  A total of 37 acromegalic patients, 14 men and 23 women, with pure GH adenomas were studied. Immunohistochemistry was performed with antibodies specific for cytokeratin 8 and 18 (CAM5·2), GH, prolactin and E‐cadherin. The tumour volume was estimated with high‐resolution magnetic resonance imaging.

results  The percentages of adenoma cells with dot‐like immunoreactivity for CAM5·2, fibrous bodies, were variable, ranging continuously from 0 to 100%. An increased percentage was associated with a lower basal GH level per unit tumour volume, a lower GH response to a bromocriptine suppression test, decreased immunoreactivities for GH and prolactin, and a decreased expression of E‐cadherin immunoreactivity.

conclusion  GH adenomas could not be distinctly separated into those with or without fibrous bodies. Decreased expression of E‐cadherin may be involved in formation of fibrous bodies and result in lower GH production.
Comparison of dietary fat and fatty acid intake estimated by the duplicate diet collection technique and estimated dietary records
Authors: Brady L. M. , Lesauvage S. V. M. , Saini N. , Williams C. M. , Lovegrove J. A.
Published: November 2003

Introduction  A high saturated fatty acid intake is a well recognized risk factor for coronary heart disease development. More recently a high intake of n‐6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in combination with a low intake of the long chain n‐3 PUFA, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid has also been implicated as an important risk factor.

Aim  To compare total dietary fat and fatty acid intake measured by chemical analysis of duplicate diets with nutritional database analysis of estimated dietary records, collected over the same 3‐day study period.

Methods  Total fat was analysed using soxhlet extraction and subsequently the individual fatty acid content of the diet was determined by gas chromatography. Estimated dietary records were analysed using a nutrient database which was supplemented with a selection of dishes commonly consumed by study participants.

Results  Bland & Altman statistical analysis demonstrated a lack of agreement between the two dietary assessment techniques for determining dietary fat and fatty acid intake.

Conclusion  The lack of agreement observed between dietary evaluation techniques may be attributed to inadequacies in either or both assessment techniques. This study highlights the difficulties that may be encountered when attempting to accurately evaluate dietary fat intake among the population.
Stochastic simulation of the spread of race‐specific and race‐nonspecific aerial fungal pathogens in cultivar mixtures
Authors: Xu X.‐M. , Ridout M. S.
Published: November 2003

The spread of race‐specific and ‐nonspecific fungal pathogens in cultivar mixtures over space and time was simulated using an individual‐based, spatially explicit stochastic model. The spatial spread of disease was simulated using a half‐Cauchy distribution. The effects of five simulation variables on the effectiveness of cultivar mixtures in reducing disease development were investigated. These simulation variables were the sporulation rate, the median spore dispersal distance, the probabilities of cross‐infection among hosts and pathogen races, the proportion of host plants that were completely susceptible (or, in the case of race‐specific pathogens, the numbers of mixture components) and the spatial arrangement of the mixture components. Disease dynamics were summarized by the rate parameters of logistic equations and by the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) of incidence and severity. The potential reduction in disease development in cultivar mixtures, compared with pure cultures, was considerable. Mixtures were more effective in reducing race‐specific pathogens than race‐nonspecific pathogens. For both types of pathogen, most variation in logit‐transformed mixture efficacy was due to the main effects of the simulation variables. For race‐nonspecific pathogens, the performance of mixtures was influenced mainly by the proportion of plants that were susceptible and by the spatial arrangement of the two mixture components. For race‐specific pathogens, the performance of mixtures was determined mainly by the number and the spatial arrangement of mixture components. The smaller the homogeneous genotype area, the greater the mixture efficacy. Higher sporulation rate decreased mixture efficacy. Planting the mixture components in square blocks was more effective in reducing disease than planting in strips. For race‐nonspecific pathogens, increasing the proportion of susceptible plants decreased the mixture efficacy. For race‐specific pathogens, disease in mixtures decreased with increasing numbers of mixture components. The effect on the mixture efficacy of increasing cross‐infection probability from 0 to 0.25 was generally small. For the AUDPC‐based efficacy of disease severity, the effects of median spore dispersal distance were also very large: the shorter the median spore dispersal distance, the less effective the mixture.
Ammonia cleaves polypeptides at asparagine proline bonds
Authors: Tarelli E. , Corran P.H.
Published: November 2003

Abstract:  Polypeptides that contain the sequence Asn‐Pro undergo complete cleavage at this amide bond with ammonia. One cleavage product possesses Pro as the new amino terminus and the other Asn or isoAsn as the new C‐terminus, the formation of the latter probably arising by way of a cyclic succinimide intermediate. Other Asn‐X bonds where X = Tyr, Gln, Ile, Glu, Ala, Gly, Asn or Phe did not exhibit any peptide bond cleavage, whereas when X = Leu, Thr and Ser partial cleavage was observed. Asn residues not involved in chain‐cleavage underwent deamidation to Asp as shown by MALDI‐ToF mass spectrometry (MS) analysis. The partial conversion of in‐chain Asp residues to isoAsp under the reaction conditions was inferred from RP‐HPLC and MS analysis of reaction mixtures.
Influence of Yohimbine and Atipamezole on Haemodynamics and ECG after Lumbosacral Subarachnoid Administration of Medetomidine in Goats
Authors: Kinjavdekar P. , Amarpal G. R. S. , Pawde A. M. , Aithal H. P. , Gupta O. P.
Published: November 2003

Effects of intravenous yohimbine and atipamezole on haemodynamics and electrocardiogram (ECG) were studied after lumbosacral subarachnoid administration of medetomidine in eight goats. All goats received lumbosacral subarachnoid medetomidine at a dosage of 0.01 mg/kg followed by yohimbine (0.25 mg/kg) or atipamezole (0.005 mg/kg) intravenously 45 min after administration of medetomidine, in a randomized crossover design, in right lateral recumbency keeping a gap of 1 week between each trial. Heart rate, respiratory rate, rectal temperature, mean arterial pressure (MAP), mean central venous pressure (MCVP) and ECG were determined. Goats were observed for sedation and urination. All goats showed sedation and depression after medetomidine administration became alert within 2–5 min after reversal. Bradycardia and bradypnoea were the consistent findings after medetomidine injection. Tachycardia and tachypnoea were recorded within 2–5 min after reversal in both groups. A decrease in MAP and an increase in MCVP were seen after medetomidine administration in both groups. Effects of yohimbine and atipamezole on the reversal of MAP and MCVP were more or less the same and statistically non‐significant (P > 0.05) in all animals. The ECG changes were non‐significant (P > 0.05) in both groups. It is concluded that in the given dose rates both yohimbine (0.25 mg/kg) and atipamezole (0.005 mg/kg) produced equal reversal of the sedation, CNS depression, cardiopulmonary and ECG changes induced by subarachnoid administration of medetomidine in goats indicating that most of the actions of medetomidine were mediated via activation ofα2‐adrenergic receptors.
Revalidation of description of constipation in terms of recall bias and visual scale analog questionnaire
Authors: PAMUK ÖMER NURİ , PAMUK GÜLSÜM EMEL , ÇELİK AYKUT FERHAT
Published: November 2003

Background and Aim:  The present study was designed to identify a cut‐off value to define subjective and relatively objective criteria of constipation using the visual scale analog questionnaire (VSAQ) in healthy subjects. In addition, the importance of recall bias when evaluating constipation was investigated by repeating the questionnaire and ensuring the subjects maintained diaries.

Methods:  Seven hundred and sixty healthy hospital personnel were questioned by means of a standard questionnaire. Subjects were initially asked if they were constipated (self‐reported) and their daily defecation frequencies. Severity of the parameters of constipation, the consistency of defecation in the form of hard stools, straining and incomplete evacuation were also investigated using a VSAQ (0–10). Subjects were asked to complete a standard form about their daily bowel habits in the subsequent 7 days (diary). At the end of this series, the questionnaire forms completed at the beginning were readministered. Using the criteria of functional constipation, the prevalence of self‐reported, symptom‐based (≥2 criteria) and diary‐based (≥2 criteria in the diary) were defined.

Results:  Of the subjects, 48.5% (369/760) completed diaries regarding their bowel habits and completed the questionnaire for the second time (198 female, 171 male; mean age 31.6 ± 7.1 years). According to only interrogation, 29.8% of subjects reported that they were constipated; however, this number increased to 39.6% when symptom‐based constipation (≥2 criteria) was considered. Significant agreement was observed between the results of self‐reported constipation in form I and II, and symptom‐based and diary‐based constipation (concordance = 77.7–98.6%, k = 0.47–0.97). Furthermore, 98.1% of the subjects who reported that they were not constipated scored 3 on the VSAQ; conversely, 91.8% who accepted being constipated scored >3 for the same question. A total of 76.1% subjects who had symptom‐based constipation scored 3 on the VSAQ, 97.3% of those who had <2 criteria scored 3. When asked ‘Are you constipated?’ 1.2% of subjects with none of the criteria for diary‐based constipation, and 10.7% of subjects who had one criteria scored >3 on the VSAQ. Also, 91.8% of those with three criteria and 100% of those with four criteria had a score >3 on the VSAQ for the same question.

Conclusions:  The prevalence of constipation in the questionnaire form based on self‐reported, symptom‐based and diary‐based criteria were highly compatible with the result obtained on readministration. Recall bias was negligibly low. Also, the present results suggest that the diagnosis of constipation is more accurate when >2 criteria are present. In addition, the VSAQ seems to be sensitive enough to differentiate subjects with constipation from those without, when a score of 3 has been chosen as the cut‐off value for discrimination. However, this sensitivity was less in the group who stated they were constipated.
Prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome in young adult Malaysians: A survey among medical students
Authors: TAN YAN‐MEI , GOH KHEAN L , MUHIDAYAH RAJA , OOI CHEE L , SALEM OMAR
Published: November 2003

Background and Aims:  Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional bowel disease in the West. Information on the prevalence of IBS in the Asian population is relatively scanty. The aims of the present study were to determine the prevalence of IBS and to assess the symptom subgroups based on the predominant bowel habit in a young adult population of Asian origin.

Methods:  Basic demographic data and symptoms of IBS using the Rome I criteria were sought using a questionnaire administered to all apparently healthy students in a medical school. Other questions asked related to alcohol intake, smoking, chili consumption, dietary fiber intake, and to psychological and psychosomatic symptoms of anxiety, depression, insomnia, headache, and backache. The health‐care seeking behavior of the subjects was also analyzed.

Results:  Of the 610 questionnaires administered, 533 complete responses were received (response rate of 87.4%). The responders comprised 229 men (43.0%) and 304 (57.0%) women with a mean age of 22 ± 1.8 years. The ethnic distribution was Malays 278 (52.2%), Chinese 179 (33.6%), Indians 46 (8.6%), and others 30 (5.6%). Eighty‐four (15.8%) reported symptoms consistent with the diagnosis of IBS, predominantly women. Sixty‐five (77.4%) and six (7.1%) were of the constipation‐predominant and diarrhea‐predominant IBS subgroups, respectively. Thirteen (15.5%) subjects fell into the non‐specific IBS subgroup. The self‐reported psychological and psychosomatic symptoms of anxiety (P = 0.02), depression (P = 0.002), insomnia (P = 0.006), headache (P = 0.04), and backache (P = 0.006) were encountered more frequently in the subjects with IBS. Only 13.1% of the IBS group had consulted their health‐care practitioner, and 20.2% reported self‐medication.

Conclusions:  Symptoms supportive of the diagnosis of IBS were common among young Malaysians, with a prevalence rate of 15.8%. There were significantly more women with IBS than men. Within the IBS population, the majority (77.4%) was of the constipation‐predominant IBS subgroup. A significantly higher prevalence of psychological and psychosomatic symptoms was found in individuals with IBS. Only a minority sought medical advice for their symptoms.
Measuring the effectiveness of the national Mental Health Triage Scale in an emergency department
Authors: Happell Brenda , Summers Monica , Pinikahana Jaya
Published: November 2003

ABSTRACT:  The mainstreaming process has significantly altered the means of access to mental health services in Australia. Increasingly people seeking mental health care present at general hospital emergency departments. The triage system, which has proven effective for prioritizing physical illness and injury, has proven problematic when applied to mental health‐related problems. This paper presents the results of a study undertaken in the emergency department of a Victorian public hospital. The Mental Health Triage Scale was introduced and used independently by triage nurses and the psychiatric nurse consultants employed in the department. Following a 3‐month period, the two sets of triage scores for psychiatric presentations (n = 137) were compared. The findings suggest that triage nurses are rating clients experiencing mental health problems as in more urgent need of care than their psychiatric nursing counterparts. This suggests that the introduction of the guidelines alone is insufficient, and that education is required for more effective use of the tool.
Fighting over the Forests: Environmental Conflict and Decision‐making Capacity in Forest Planning Processes
Authors: Hillier Jean
Published: November 2003

This paper tells a story of environmental conflict and the attempted political resolution of issues of planning for native forests in Western Australia. It refers to the Western Australian Regional Forest Agreement and Draft Forest Management Plan processes to demonstrate how a range of actors utilise vari‐ous discourses and network relations in attempts to influence governmental decision‐making capacity. Adapting elements of a model of capacity‐building for environmental decision‐making, the paper indicates how traditional exclusionary decision networks serve to inhibit decision capacity, whilst more inclusive processes may be more likely to cope with challenges of reconciling multiple values and decision‐making for managing the forests in the interests of society as a whole.
Issues and Opportunities in Planning and Managing Nature‐based Tourism in the Central Coast Region of Western Australia
Authors: Priskin Julianna
Published: November 2003

Research reported here identified planning and management issues relating to integrated development of nature‐based tourism in the Central Coast Region of Western Australia. Stakeholder views were gauged through a workshop involving 45 people and a series of interviews. The workshop was also designed to stimulate interest in the establishment of a regionally, integrated tourism group to address any issues identified. Participants included members of the tourism industry, the community, and representatives of government and non‐government organisations. Seven individuals participated in interviews, including the chief executive officers of the local authorities and regional development commissions.

The results indicate that the regional tourism industry is fragmented and uncoordinated, which is hindering regional development. Implementation of regional tourism planning is virtually non‐existent in the Central Coast, due to the lack of a regional tourism policy. Management of tourism resources is restricted by limited coordination between industry and government, and especially by inadequate resource provision to local authorities and land management agencies.

An outcome of the workshop was the formation of a regionally integrated tourism group, the Turquoise Coast Sustainable Development Steering Committee, to implement recommendations arising from the workshop. However, the group has met with limited successes to date, owing to a range of political and sectoral issues beyond the scope of tourism planning. The research highlights difficulties in implementing collaborative tourism planning initiatives at the regional scale.
The Impact of Personal Characteristics of People with Intellectual and Developmental Disability on Self‐determination and Autonomous Functioning
Authors: Wehmeyer Michael L. , Garner Nancy W.
Published: November 2003

Background  Many people assume that the presence of an intellectual disability precludes a person from becoming self‐determined. Recent research, however, has suggested that the environments in which people live, learn, work or play may play a more important role in promoting self‐determination then do personal characteristics of the person, including level of intelligence.

Methods  This study examined the self‐determination and autonomous functioning of 301 adults with intellectual disability or a developmental disability without concomitant intellectual impairments (e.g. persons with cerebral palsy, epilepsy and spina bifida) as a function of personal characteristics of individuals.

Results  Intellectual capacity was not a significant contributor to either self‐determination or autonomous functioning for this group. Opportunities to make choices, however, contributed significantly and positively to greater self‐determination and autonomy. Intelligence scores did, however, predict whether the person worked or lived in more or less restrictive settings, though for the latter, both self‐determination and autonomous functioning also contributed significantly.

Conclusions  These findings are discussed with regard to the role of personal characteristics, particularly intelligence level, in promoting self‐determination and more positive adult outcomes.
The Evolution of the Human Self: Tracing the Natural History of Self‐Awareness
Authors: Leary Mark R. , Buttermore Nicole R.
Published: November 2003

Previous discussions of the evolution of the self have diverged greatly in their estimates of the date at which the capacity for self‐thought emerged, the factors that led self‐reflection to evolve, and the nature of the evidence offered to support these disparate conclusions. Beginning with the assumption that human self‐awareness involves a set of distinct cognitive abilities that evolved at different times to solve different adaptive problems, we trace the evolution of self‐awareness from the common ancestor of humans and apes to the beginnings of culture, drawing upon paleontological, anthropological, biological, and psychological evidence. These data converge to suggest that that modern self‐thought appeared just prior to the Middle‐Upper Paleolithic transition, approximately 60,000 years ago.Recto running head: Evolution of the Self.
Structure trees and species trees: what they say about morphological development and evolution
Authors: Geeta R.
Published: November 2003

The evolutionary history of morphological structures generally is equated with that of the taxa that carry them. It is argued here that, analogous to genes, developmental genetic pathways underlying morphological structures may be subject to developmental evolutionary changes that result, for instance, in duplication (serial homology analogous to gene duplication and paralogy). Entities that undergo evolution are expected to be related to each other as a tree. Just as with molecular evolution, “structure trees” and species trees sometimes may be incongruent, with implications for morphological homology concepts. Detection of structure trees through morphological evolutionary analyses may point to an entity that is maintained through evolution, possibly in part because it is a developmentally integrated structure (“individualized”). This idea is illustrated in a morphological evolutionary analysis of leaf primordia. These analyses suggest that leaf primordia in monocots and close relatives are related to each other as a tree and, therefore, are developmentally integrated, evolving entities. Among monocot primordia this tree structure breaks down, and it is concluded that there is no entity, the “monocot leaf primordium.” However, one group of primordia is identified within monocots that have uniform characteristics and that are well represented by model species maize and rice. Such analyses of structure trees can facilitate the extrapolation and interpretation of results from molecular developmental and other comparative studies.
Intense Tai Chi Exercise Training and Fall Occurrences in Older, Transitionally Frail Adults: A Randomized, Controlled Trial
Authors: Wolf Steven L. , Sattin Richard W. , Kutner Michael , O'Grady Michael , Greenspan Arlene I. , Gregor Robert J.
Published: November 2003

Objectives: To determine whether an intense tai chi (TC) exercise program could reduce the risk of falls more than a wellness education (WE) program in older adults meeting criteria for transitioning to frailty.

Design: Randomized, controlled trial of 48 weeks duration.

Setting: Twenty congregate living facilities in the greater Atlanta area.

Participants: Sample of 291 women and 20 men aged 70 to 97.

Measurements: Demographics, time to first fall and all subsequent falls, functional measures, Sickness Impact Profile, Centers for Epidemiologic Studies—Depression Scale, Activities‐specific Balance Confidence Scale, Falls Efficacy Scales, and adherence to interventions.

Results: The risk ratio (RR) of falling was not statistically different in the TC group and the WE group (RR=0.75, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.52–1.08), P=.13). Over the 48 weeks of intervention, 46% (n=132) of the participants did not fall; the percentage of participants that fell at least once was 47.6% for the TC group and 60.3% for the WE group.

Conclusion: TC did not reduce the RR of falling in transitionally frail, older adults, but the direction of effect observed in this study, together with positive findings seen previously in more‐robust older adults, suggests that TC may be clinically important and should be evaluated further in this high‐risk population.