bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patterns and trends in alcohol‐related hospitalizations in Victoria, Australia, 1987/88–1995/96
Authors: HANLIN KIRSTEN , JONAS HELEN , LASLETT ANNE‐MARIE , DIETZE PAUL , RUMBOLD GREG
Published: June 2007

The objective of this study was to examine patterns and yearly trends in alcohol‐related hospitalization rates during the period 1987/88–1995/96 for men and women living in metropolitan and rural/remote Victoria. Alcohol‐related hospitalizations were extracted from the Victorian Inpatient Minimum Dataset (VMD) for the years 1987/88–1995/96 (public hospitals) and 1993/94–1995/96 (private hospitals), and adjusted by the appropriate aetiological fractions. Sex‐specific age‐adjusted rates we expressed per 10000 residents/year. During 1993/94–1995/96, alcohol‐related hospitalizations comprised 1.0% of all Victorian hospitalizations (about 12000/year), with men accounting for over two‐thirds of alcohol‐related hospitalizations. Approximately half of the alcohol‐related hospitalizations were for disease conditions and the other half for external cause (injury) conditions. About 80% of all alcohol‐related hospitalizations were to public hospitals, with the exception of alcohol dependence (63% to private hospitals). Alcohol‐related hospitalization rates were generally higher for people living in rural/remote areas compared to urban areas. During 1987/88–1995/96, the age‐adjusted alcohol‐related hospitalization rates in public hospitals did not change significantly for disease conditions (14.8–14.7 for men and 6.3–6.4 for women) or female external cause conditions (6.7–6.1), but decreased for external cause conditions (18.4–15.5). In private hospitals during 1993/94–1995/96, the age‐adjusted alcohol‐related hospitalization rates for disease conditions decreased (5.4–4.1 for men and 3.7–3.0 for women) but increased for external cause conditions (1.8–2.4 for men and 1.0–1.2 for women). These patterns and time‐trends in Victorian alcohol‐related hospitalizations reflect a combination of alcohol‐related morbidity levels, hospital admission practices and patterns and levels of service provision. They suggest a potential need to focus on services and programmes in rural/remote Victoria.
Heart valve function: a biomechanical perspective
Authors: Sacks Michael S , Yoganathan Ajit P
Published: June 2007

Heart valves (HVs) are cardiac structures whose physiological function is to ensure directed blood flow through the heart over the cardiac cycle. While primarily passive structures that are driven by forces exerted by the surrounding blood and heart, this description does not adequately describe their elegant and complex biomechanical function. Moreover, they must replicate their cyclic function over an entire lifetime, with an estimated total functional demand of least 3×10
9
cycles. As in many physiological systems, one can approach HV biomechanics from a multi-length-scale approach, since mechanical stimuli occur and have biological impact at the organ, tissue and cellular scales. The present review focuses on the functional biomechanics of HVs. Specifically, we refer to the unique aspects of valvular function, and how the mechanical and mechanobiological behaviours of the constituent biological materials (e.g. extracellular matrix proteins and cells) achieve this remarkable feat. While we focus on the work from the authors' respective laboratories, the works of most investigators known to the authors have been included whenever appropriate. We conclude with a summary and underscore important future trends.
Assessment of the benefits of user involvement in health research from the Warwick Diabetes Care Research User Group: a qualitative case study
Authors: Lindenmeyer Antje , Hearnshaw Hilary , Sturt Jackie , Ormerod Ralph , Aitchison Geoff
Published: June 2007

Objective  To assess the benefits of involving health‐care users in diabetes research.

Design and participants  For this qualitative case study, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with researchers who had worked extensively with the group. During regular meetings of the Research User Group, members discussed their views of the group’s effectiveness as part of the meeting’s agenda. Interviews and discussions were transcribed, coded using N‐Vivo software and analysed using constant comparative methods.

Results  Involvement of users in research was generally seen as contributing to effective and meaningful research. However, the group should not be considered to be representative of the patient population or participants of future trials. An important contributor to the group’s success was its longstanding nature, enabling users to gain more insight into research and form constructive working relationships with researchers. The user‐led nature of the group asserted itself, especially, in the language used during group meetings. A partial shift of power from researchers to users was generally acknowledged. Users’ main contribution was their practical expertise in living with diabetes, but their involvement also helped researchers to remain connected to the ‘real world’ in which research would be applied. While the group’s work fulfilled established principles of consumer involvement in research, important contributions relying on personal interaction between users and researchers were hard to evaluate by process measures alone.

Conclusions  We demonstrated the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of this longstanding, experienced, lay‐led research advisory group. Its impact on research stems from the continuing interaction between researchers and users, and the general ethos of learning from each other in an on‐going process. Both process measures and qualitative interviews with stakeholders are needed to evaluate the contributions of service users to health research.
11. Identification and Estimation of Causal Effects with Time-Varying Treatments and Time-Varying Outcomes
Authors: Brand Jennie E. , Xie Yu
Published: June 2007

We develop an approach to identifying and estimating causal effects in longitudinal settings with time-varying treatments and time-varying outcomes. The classic potential outcome approach to causal inference generally involves two time periods: units of analysis are exposed to one of two possible values of the causal variable, treatment or control, at a given point in time, and values for an outcome are assessed some time subsequent to exposure. In this paper, we develop a potential outcome approach for longitudinal situations in which both exposure to treatment and the effects of treatment are time-varying. In this longitudinal setting, the research interest centers not on only two potential outcomes, but on a whole matrix of potential outcomes, requiring a complicated conceptualization of many potential counterfactuals. Motivated by sociological applications, we develop a simplification scheme—a weighted composite causal effect that allows identification and estimation of effects with a number of possible solutions. Our approach is illustrated via an analysis of the effects of disability on subsequent employment status using panel data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study.
From neuroanatomy to gene therapy: searching for new ways to manipulate the supraspinal endogenous pain modulatory system
Authors: Tavares I. , Lima D.
Published: June 2007

The endogenous pain modulatory system is a complex network of brain areas that control nociceptive transmission at the spinal cord by inhibitory and facilitatory actions. The balance between these actions ensures effective modulation of acute pain, while during chronic pain the pronociceptive effects appear to prevail. The mechanisms underlying this imbalance were studied as to the role of two medullary components of the pain modulatory system: the dorsal reticular nucleus and the caudal ventrolateral medulla, which function primarily as pronociceptive and antinociceptive centres, respectively. Both areas are connected with the spinal dorsal horn by closed reciprocal loops. In the spino‐dorsal reticular nucleus loop, the ascending branch is strongly inhibited by spinal GABAergic neurons, which may act as a buffering system of the dorsal reticular nucleus‐centred amplifying effect. In the spino‐caudal ventrolateral medulla loop, the ascending branch is under potent excitation of substance P (SP) released from primary afferents, which is likely to trigger the intense descending inhibition detected in acute pain. During chronic pain, the activity in the lateral reticular formation of the caudal ventrolateral medulla changes, so that the action of the caudal ventrolateral medulla upon SP‐responsive spinal neurons shifts from inhibitory to excitatory. The mechanisms of this modulatory shift are unknown but probably relate to the decresed expression of µ‐opioid, δ‐opioid and GABAB receptors. Normalizing receptor expression in the caudal ventrolateral medulla or controlling noci‐evoked activity at the dorsal reticular nucleus or caudal ventrolateral medulla by interfering with neurotransmitter release is now possible by the use of gene therapy, an approach that stands out as a unique tool to manipulate the supraspinal endogenous pain control system.
Pyloric tonsil as a novel gut‐associated lymphoepithelial organ of the chicken
Authors: Nagy Nándor , Oláh Imre
Published: June 2007

The pyloric tonsil is a novel peripheral lymphoepithelial organ of the gastrointestinal tract in the chicken. It forms a complete lymphoid ring at the beginning of the duodenum, where crypts of Lieberkühn are transformed to tonsillar crypts with lymphoepithelial lining. The oesophageal (described previously) and pyloric tonsils are characteristic of the chicken, while they are absent in mammals. The lymphoid system develops from the middle germ layer, the mesoderm, and forms connections with the ecto‐ and endoderm, namely the skin and gut, respectively. These connections are based on the lymphoepithelial lining of the crypts, and provide gates for environmental antigens. Recent findings, taken together with the literature, suggest that in birds the lymphoid system forms connections with the endoderm‐derived organs that are anatomically and histologically more extensive than the ectoderm‐derived ones, which may be explained by the absence of regional lymph nodes, and the less developed lymphoid circulation of the skin.
Using the Maslach Burnout Inventory among dentists: burnout measurement and trends
Authors: Te Brake J. H. M. , Bouman A. M. , Gorter R. C. , Hoogstraten J. , Eijkman M. A. J.
Published: June 2007

Abstract –  Objectives:  To extend our knowledge about the applicability of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) among dentists and to investigate trends in burnout risk among dental professionals.

Methods:  The structure of the MBI is examined among two independent, representative samples of dentists (n = 493 and 497, respectively). Moreover, results are compared to those of other independently‐practicing health professionals (i.e., general practitioners and physiotherapists). In addition, the percentage of dentists that are at risk for burnout are compared in samples from 1997, 2000, and 2001.

Results:  Correlations between the Emotional Exhaustion and Depersonalization subscales among dentists were higher than those found elsewhere. Additionally, a considerable increase in burnout risk was found since 1997.

Conclusions:  It was confirmed that the MBI can be considered a suitable instrument for use among dentists. It is argued that certain specific aspects of entrepreneur‐like occupations are reflected in deviating responses to the MBI. Given the clear increase in burnout risk found, this topic should remain under investigation among dentists.
Evolutionary Medicine
Authors: Trevathan Wenda R.
Published: June 2007

Biological anthropologists have been contributing to what is now referred to as evolutionary medicine for more than a half century, although the phrase itself began to be widely used only in the early 1990s. Three topics in which anthropological contributions have been especially significant include nutrition, reproductive health, and chronic disease. A major focus in nutrition and reproduction is the health consequences of evolved biology in the context of contemporary diets, lifestyles, and contraceptive practices seen in industrialized nations. Contributions from anthropology include efforts to assess and redefine the concept of “normal” in health indicators, emphasis on developmental processes in addition to proximate and ultimate forces affecting health, and enhancement of understanding of contemporary health disparities. Evolutionary medicine is a highly interdisciplinary field, and anthropologists have played important roles in directing attention not only to evolutionary processes but also to sociocultural and sociopolitical effects on human health.
Overview: Sixty Years in Anthropology
Authors: Barth Fredrik
Published: June 2007

My main efforts in anthropology have sought to unite ethnographic and theoretical work by using empirical findings as provocations to critique received theory and raise unasked questions. I have used generative modeling to identify the empirical processes that, in their aggregate, shape social and cultural forms. Much of my time has been spent in ethnographic field studies in the Middle East, New Guinea, Indonesia, and the Himalayas, as well as Norway. This review traces the reflections and opportunities that connect these activities.
The Beginning of Modern Infrared Astronomy
Authors: Low Frank J. , Rieke G.H. , Gehrz R.D.
Published: June 2007

I came to the attention of astronomers through inventing the low temperature bolometer at Texas Instruments. I was quickly drawn into pioneering infrared (IR) astronomy. I soon transferred to the National Radio Astronomy Observatory and then to the University of Arizona to make astronomy my focus. Parallel programs were getting under way at the California Institute of Technology, Cornell, the Universities of Minnesota and of California, San Diego. Although our methods were crude, discoveries were easy and exciting. I was involved in many of them because I could supply good detectors and invented a number of new techniques. Eventually, I supplied detector systems and instruments through founding of a small company. By the early 1970s, systematic IR astronomy was under way on many important problems that are still active research topics. This rapid success led to investments in large new telescopes and in the IRAS survey satellite.
Analysis of Time-Series Gene Expression Data: Methods, Challenges, and Opportunities
Authors: Androulakis I.P. , Yang E. , Almon R.R.
Published: June 2007

Monitoring the change in expression patterns over time provides the distinct possibility of unraveling the mechanistic drivers characterizing cellular responses. Gene arrays measuring the level of mRNA expression of thousands of genes simultaneously provide a method of high-throughput data collection necessary for obtaining the scope of data required for understanding the complexities of living organisms. Unraveling the coherent complex structures of transcriptional dynamics is the goal of a large family of computational methods aiming at upgrading the information content of time-course gene expression data. In this review, we summarize the qualitative characteristics of these approaches, discuss the main challenges that this type of complex data present, and, finally, explore the opportunities in the context of developing mechanistic models of cellular response.
Engineering Approaches to Biomanipulation
Authors: Desai Jaydev P. , Pillarisetti Anand , Brooks Ari D.
Published: June 2007

This article presents a review on the existing techniques for manipulating biological cells. Because biomanipulation involves a wide range of disciplines, from biology to engineering, we concentrate on some of the key methodologies that would result in an efficient biomanipulation system. Some of the key methodologies discussed in this article for cell manipulation relate to the use of magnetics, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)-based approaches, optics, electric field, and mechanical techniques. Recent advances in engineering have allowed researchers worldwide to address the problems arising from conventional manipulation techniques. This paper assimilates significance and limitations of biomanipulation techniques described in the literature.
The Structure and Function of the Endothelial Glycocalyx Layer
Authors: Weinbaum Sheldon , Tarbell John M. , Damiano Edward R.
Published: June 2007

Over the past decade, since it was first observed in vivo, there has been an explosion in interest in the thin (∼500 nm), gel-like endothelial glycocalyx layer (EGL) that coats the luminal surface of blood vessels. In this review, we examine the mechanical and biochemical properties of the EGL and the latest studies on the interactions of this layer with red and white blood cells. This includes its deformation owing to fluid shear stress, its penetration by leukocyte microvilli, and its restorative response after the passage of a white cell in a tightly fitting capillary. We also examine recently discovered functions of the EGL in modulating the oncotic forces that regulate the exchange of water in microvessels and the role of the EGL in transducing fluid shear stress into the intracellular cytoskeleton of endothelial cells, in the initiation of intracellular signaling, and in the inflammatory response.
Current State of Imaging Protein-Protein Interactions In Vivo with Genetically Encoded Reporters
Authors: Villalobos Victor , Naik Snehal , Piwnica-Worms David
Published: June 2007

Signaling pathways regulating proliferation, differentiation, and inflammation are commonly mediated through protein-protein interactions as well as reversible modification (e.g., phosphorylation) of proteins. To facilitate the study of regulated protein-protein interactions in cells and living animals, new imaging tools, many based on optical signals and capable of quantifying protein interactions in vivo, have advanced the study of induced protein interactions and their modification, as well as accelerated the rate of acquisition of these data. In particular, use of protein fragment complementation as a reporter strategy can accurately and rapidly dissect protein interactions with a variety of readouts, including absorbance, fluorescence, and bioluminescence. This review focuses on the development and validation of bioluminescent protein fragment complementation reporters that use either Renilla luciferase or firefly luciferase in vivo. Enhanced luciferase complementation provides a platform for near real-time detection and characterization of regulated and small-molecule-induced protein-protein interactions in intact cells and living animals and enables a wide range of novel applications in drug discovery, chemical genetics, and proteomics research.
SNARE-Ware: The Role of SNARE-Domain Proteins in Plant Biology
Authors: Lipka Volker , Kwon Chian , Panstruga Ralph
Published: June 2007

In yeast and animal cells, members of the superfamily of N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor adaptor protein receptor (SNARE)-domain-containing proteins are key players in vesicle-associated membrane fusion events during transport processes between individual compartments of the endomembrane system, including exocytosis and endocytosis. Compared with genomes of other eukaryotes, genomes of monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants encode a surprisingly high number of SNARE proteins, suggesting vital roles for this protein class in higher plant species. Although to date it remains elusive whether plant SNARE proteins function like their yeast and animal counterparts, genetic screens have recently begun to unravel the variety of biological tasks in which plant SNAREs are involved. These duties involve fundamental processes such as cytokinesis, shoot gravitropism, pathogen defense, symbiosis, and abiotic stress responses, suggesting that SNAREs contribute essentially to many facets of plant biology.
Microscale Characterization of Mechanical Properties
Authors: Hemker K.J. , Sharpe W.N.
Published: June 2007

Lilliputian techniques for measuring the mechanical response of microscale specimens are being developed to characterize the performance and reliability of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and other small-scale entities. The challenges associated with the preparation, handling, and testing of small volumes of material have spawned a variety of techniques; this review focuses on uniaxial testing. Results from these experiments provide valuable insight into size-scale effects on the elastic, brittle, and ductile behavior of micron-sized structures. Fundamental elastic interactions show no size effect; in-plane moduli can be predicted from anisotropic elastic constants if crystallographic texture is properly considered. Intrinsic fracture toughness is also size independent, although the fracture strength of brittle MEMS materials is extremely dependent on flaw size and distribution. By contrast, size effects on the strength of ductile materials suggest that the operation of intrinsic dislocation processes in greatly reduced or confined volumes alters their generation, multiplication, interaction, and motion.
Local Structure of Ferroelectric Materials
Authors: Egami T.
Published: June 2007

Most of the ferroelectric and piezoelectric materials used in transducers and electronics are complex mixed-ion alloys, in which atomic disorder plays an important role in the ferroelectric properties. The extreme case is relaxor ferroelectric solids with diffuse ferroelectric transition and glass-like relaxation behavior. In this review I discuss how advanced characterization techniques, such as neutron scattering, enabled a determination of the local structure and facilitated the understanding of the ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of these complex systems. In particular, I focus on the role of Pb2+ ions in mixed ferroelectrics and the atomistic mechanism of relaxor ferroelectrics.
Terahertz Polaritonics
Authors: Feurer T. , Stoyanov Nikolay S. , Ward David W. , Vaughan Joshua C. , Statz Eric R. , Nelson Keith A.
Published: June 2007

Between electronics and photonics there exists a frequency gap of approximately two octaves, i.e., the frequency range between 100 GHz and 10 THz, across which there are limited capabilities for signal generation, control, guidance, and processing. Here, we demonstrate that phonon-polaritons in ionic crystals like LiNbO3 or LiTaO3 may be used to bridge this gap. The ability to directly visualize polariton fields through real-space imaging, to generate arbitrary THz waveforms through the use of temporally and/or spatially shaped optical waveforms, and to fabricate integrated functional elements for polariton guidance and control through laser machining yields a THz polaritonics platform that enables advanced signal processing and spectroscopy applications.
Three-Dimensional Characterization of Microstructure by Electron Back-Scatter Diffraction
Authors: Rollett Anthony D. , Lee S.-B. , Campman R. , Rohrer G.S.
Published: June 2007

The characterization of microstructures in three dimensions is reviewed, with an emphasis on the use of automated electron back-scatter diffraction techniques. Both statistical reconstruction of polycrystalline structures from multiple cross sections and reconstruction from parallel, serial sections are discussed. In addition, statistical reconstruction of second-phase particle microstructures from multiple cross sections is reviewed.
Ecology and Biotechnology of the Genus Shewanella
Authors: Hau Heidi H. , Gralnick Jeffrey A.
Published: June 2007

The shewanellae are aquatic microorganisms with worldwide distribution. Their hallmark features include unparalleled respiratory diversity and the capacity to thrive at low temperatures. As a genus the shewanellae are physiologically diverse, and this review provides an overview of the varied roles they serve in the environment and describes what is known about how they might survive in such extreme and harsh environments. In light of their fascinating physiology, these organisms have several biotechnological uses, from bioremediation of chlorinated compounds, radionuclides, and other environmental pollutants to energy-generating biocatalysis. The ecology and biotechnology of these organisms are intertwined, with genomics playing a key role in our understanding of their physiology.
Lantibiotics: Peptides of Diverse Structure and Function
Authors: Willey Joanne M. , van der Donk Wilfred A.
Published: June 2007

The current need for antibiotics with novel target molecules has coincided with advances in technical approaches for the structural and functional analysis of the lantibiotics, which are ribosomally synthesized peptides produced by gram-positive bacteria. These peptides have antibiotic or morphogenetic activity and are structurally defined by the presence of unusual amino acids introduced by posttranslational modification. Lantibiotics are complex polycyclic molecules formed by the dehydration of select Ser and Thr residues and the intramolecular addition of Cys thiols to the resulting unsaturated amino acids to form lanthionine and methyllanthionine bridges, respectively. Importantly, the structural and functional diversity of the lantibiotics is much broader than previously imagined. Here we discuss this growing collection of molecules and introduce some recently discovered peptides, review advances in enzymology and protein engineering, and discuss the regulatory networks that govern the synthesis of the lantibiotics by the producing organisms.
Evolution of Infant and Young Child Feeding: Implications for Contemporary Public Health
Authors: Sellen Daniel W.
Published: June 2007

Evolutionary anthropological and ethnographic studies are used to develop a general conceptual framework for understanding prehistoric, historic, and contemporary variation in human lactation and complementary feeding patterns. Comparison of similarities and differences in human and nonhuman primate lactation biology suggests humans have evolved an unusually flexible strategy for feeding young. Several lines of indirect evidence are consistent with a hypothesis that complementary feeding evolved as a facultative strategy that provided a unique adaptation for resolving tradeoffs between maternal costs of lactation and risk of poor infant outcomes. This evolved flexibility may have been adaptive in the environments in which humans evolved, but it creates potential for mismatch between optimal and actual feeding practices in many contemporary populations.
Association of Maternal Obesity Before Conception with Poor Lactation Performance
Authors: Rasmussen Kathleen Maher
Published: June 2007

The objective of this review is to evaluate the evidence for a link between maternal obesity and poor lactation performance. In nonhuman species, excess maternal fatness is deleterious for lactation and also for maternal health and survival. These effects occur during pregnancy and as milk production is beginning. They may result in poor growth and survival of the young. In women, there is a negative association between maternal obesity and the initiation as well as the continuation of breastfeeding. This appears to be derived from biological as well as sociocultural factors that are still poorly understood. Excessive gestational weight gain, complications of pregnancy and delivery, and the condition of the infant at birth may also contribute to this association. Given the increasingly high rates of obesity among women of reproductive age worldwide and the importance of breastfeeding for infant health, further study of this association is essential.
Transcript Profiling in Host–Pathogen Interactions
Authors: Wise Roger P. , Moscou Matthew J. , Bogdanove Adam J. , Whitham Steven A.
Published: June 2007

Using genomic technologies, it is now possible to address research hypotheses in the context of entire developmental or biochemical pathways, gene networks, and chromosomal location of relevant genes and their inferred evolutionary history. Through a range of platforms, researchers can survey an entire transcriptome under a variety of experimental and field conditions. Interpretation of such data has led to new insights and revealed previously undescribed phenomena. In the area of plant-pathogen interactions, transcript profiling has provided unparalleled perception into the mechanisms underlying gene-for-gene resistance and basal defense, host vs nonhost resistance, biotrophy vs necrotrophy, and pathogenicity of vascular vs nonvascular pathogens, among many others. In this way, genomic technologies have facilitated a system-wide approach to unifying themes and unique features in the interactions of hosts and pathogens.
Flax Rust Resistance Gene Specificity is Based on Direct Resistance-Avirulence Protein Interactions
Authors: Ellis Jeffrey G. , Dodds Peter N. , Lawrence Gregory J.
Published: June 2007

Genetic studies of the flax-flax rust interaction led to the formulation of the gene-for-gene hypothesis and identified resistance genes (R) in the host plant and pathogenicity genes, including avirulence (Avr) and inhibitor of avirulence genes (I), in the rust pathogen. R genes have now been cloned from four of the five loci in flax and all encode proteins of the Toll, Interleukin-1 receptor, R gene-nucleotide binding site-leucine-rich repeat (TIR-NBS-LRR) class. Avr genes have been cloned from four loci in flax rust and encode small secreted proteins with no between locus similarity and no close homologs in current data bases. It is postulated that Avr proteins enter the host cell, have virulence effector functions, and in resistant host genotypes, are recognized by direct and specific interaction with host R proteins, leading to activation of rust resistance defense responses. Direct interaction between R and Avr proteins is the basis of gene-for-gene specificity in the flax-flax rust system and both R and Avr genes have the signatures of diversifying selection, suggesting the existence of a coevolutionary arms race between the host plant and its obligate rust pathogen.
FamilyFlexiviridae: A Case Study in Virion and Genome Plasticity
Authors: Martelli Giovanni P. , Adams Michael J. , Kreuze Jan F. , Dolja Valerian V.
Published: June 2007

The plant virus family Flexiviridae includes the definitive genera Potexvirus, Mandarivirus, Allexivirus, Carlavirus, Foveavirus, Capillovirus, Vitivirus, Trichovirus, the putative genus Citrivirus, and some unassigned species. Its establishment was based on similarities in virion morphology, common features in genome type and organization, and strong phylogenetic relationships between replicational and structural proteins. In this review, we provide a brief account of the main biological and molecular properties of the members of the family, with special emphasis on the relationships within and among the genera. In phylogenetic analyses the potexvirus-like replicases were more closely related to tymoviruses than to carlaviruses. We postulate a common evolutionary ancestor for the family Tymoviridae and the two distinct evolutionary clusters of the Flexiviridae, i.e., a plant virus with a polyadenylated genome, filamentous virions, and a triple gene block of movement proteins. Subsequent recombination and gene loss would then have generated a very diverse group of plant and fungal viruses.
Safety of Virus-Resistant Transgenic Plants Two Decades After Their Introduction: Lessons from Realistic Field Risk Assessment Studies
Authors: Fuchs Marc , Gonsalves Dennis
Published: June 2007

Potential safety issues have been raised with the development and release of virus-resistant transgenic plants. This review focuses on safety assessment with a special emphasis on crops that have been commercialized or extensively tested in the field such as squash, papaya, plum, grape, and sugar beet. We discuss topics commonly perceived to be of concern to the environment and to human health—heteroencapsidation, recombination, synergism, gene flow, impact on nontarget organisms, and food safety in terms of allergenicity. The wealth of field observations and experimental data is critically evaluated to draw inferences on the most relevant issues. We also express inside views on the safety and benefits of virus-resistant transgenic plants, and recommend realistic risk assessment approaches to assist their timely deregulation and release.
Statistical Magic and/or Statistical Serendipity: An Age of Progress in the Analysis of Categorical Data
Authors: Goodman Leo A.
Published: June 2007

This essay describes in simple terms some of the major concepts of categorical data analysis (CDA) that have been and will continue to be useful in the analysis of sociological data, examples of which include data in the area of social stratification and mobility, and in many other areas that make use of survey data and/or panel studies data, and in empirical studies of latent types, latent variables, and latent structures. The exposition does not make use of any mathematical formulas, and the only arithmetic used is very simple multiplication, division, and addition. Simple numerical examples, constructed for expository purposes, are used as an aid in describing the concepts of categorical data analysis that are considered in the essay. These concepts include quasi-independence, quasi-symmetry, symmetric association, uniform association, and other related concepts useful in the analysis of mobility tables, and also other concepts that are useful in other areas of study.
School Reform 2007: Transforming Education into a Scientific Enterprise
Authors: Schneider Barbara L. , Keesler Venessa A.
Published: June 2007

The article begins with a brief review of prior school reform movements and how and why they are different from today. Unlike past reform movements, school reform efforts are now focused on two key ideas: performance and scientific evidence. Motivated in part by economic considerations, the underlying rationale for many school reform programs is to raise the performance of U.S. students by strengthening their knowledge base and skills. Similarly, the emphasis on scientific evidence can be viewed as an economic global response to rising costs of research and development in fields such as medicine, criminology, and social welfare. This focus on performance and scientific evidence is embodied in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), which expanded the federal role in education and substantially altered what the purpose of education should be, when and how it should be measured, and what type of evidence should be used for its improvement. The review concludes by examining how these performance-driven reforms and the push for evidential science to assess their effectiveness can be viewed as part of a changing scientific intellectual movement.
Citizens' Perceptions of Human Rights Practices: An Analysis of 55 Countries
Authors: Carlson Matthew , Listhaug Ola
Published: June 2007

Human rights abuses occur regularly around the world, affecting millions of citizens each year. Unfortunately, few studies have sought to examine the structure and role domestic perceptions play when such abuses transpire. The purpose of this article is to investigate the macro- and micro-level factors that shape the dynamics of human rights perceptions. The authors argue that perceptions are shaped not only by the human rights conditions within a country, but also by individual-level factors such as gender and political allegiance. Previous research on this topic has been limited to the analysis of a single survey question in fewer than 20 countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The authors expand the analysis to cover 55 countries from most regions of the world and examine alternative survey questions pertaining to human rights issues. The authors include variables that measure perceptions of general human rights conditions, as well as specific rights such as freedom from torture. They find linkages between expert-based measures of human rights conditions and perceptions of the general human rights situation in the country as well as for the more extreme aspect of torture. This suggests that the concept of human rights may share similar meanings in the minds of citizens and experts for at least some aspects of human rights values.
Human Rights Institutions: Rhetoric and Efficacy
Authors: Hafner-Burton Emilie M. , Ron James
Published: June 2007

International human rights language has swept across the landscape of contemporary world politics in a trend that began in the 1970s, picked up speed after the Cold War's end, and quickened yet again in the latter half of the 1990s. Yet, while this human rights `talk' has fundamentally reshaped the way in which global policy elites, transnational activists, and some national leaders talk about politics and justice, actual impacts are more difficult to discern, requiring more nuance and disaggregation. Importantly, there may be substantial cross-regional variations, due to varying colonial and post-colonial histories, and different trajectories in state—society relations. In some instances, there are also important differences in tone between qualitative and quantitative researchers. While many case-study scholars tend to be rather optimistic about the potential for human rights change, statistically inclined researchers often lean towards greater caution and, in some cases, downright skepticism about the trans-formative potential of international human rights law and advocacy. Given that international human rights treaties, human rights reporting, democracy, and elections do not always influence state practice in expected ways, the authors call for more regionally disaggregated studies, coupled with greater efforts to combine qualitative and quantitative research techniques.
Optional active compliance chamber performance in a pulmonary artery-pulmonary artery configured paracorporeal artificial lung
Authors: Alpard Scott K. , Wang Dongfang , Deyo Donald J. , Smolarz Casey M. , Chambers Sean , Zwischenberger Joseph B.
Published: June 2007

Introduction: Our group has developed a paracorporeal artificial lung (PAL) attached in a pulmonary artery (PA) to PA in series configuration to address profound respiratory failure and serve as a bridge to transplant and/or recovery. We recently designed, developed and converted our passive pre-PAL compliance chamber to an active, synchronized, counterpulsating assist device to relieve right heart strain and offset increased work placed on the right ventricle when the PAL is attached. In this study, we evaluated the safety and performance of both a valved and non-valved optional active compliance chamber (OACC) in a PA-PA PAL for right heart assistance in normal adult sheep. Methods : Eleven sheep (30—50 kg) were divided into non-valved OACC (n = 6) and valved (n = 5) OACC groups. To mimic pulmonary hypertension, a C-clamp was placed distal to the OACC-PAL and occluded until a 20% decrease in cardiac output (CO) was achieved. The OACC was activated, and right ventricular pressure (RVP), pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and CO were recorded.

Results: All eleven animals tolerated the implantation of the OACC PAL. Activation of the OACC resulted in a significant increase in CO. Systolic and diastolic right ventricular pressure decreased in both groups. Lastly, counterpulsation increased the mean PAP in all animals and peak PAP reached 89 mmHg. Despite providing right heart assistance, synchronizing the counterpulsation was technically difficult, and the high peak PA pressures resulted in anastomotic bleeding in all animals and anastomotic breakdown in 4/11 animals.

Conclusions: An OACC PAL perfused by the right ventricle applied in series with the pulmonary circulation reduces ventricular load and improves cardiac efficiency. These preliminary data suggest the potential of an artificial lung in unloading the strained right ventricle and acting as a bridge to transplantation. The augmented peak PA pressures, resulting in bleeding and anastomotic breakdown, and complexity in synchronizing the cardiac cycle with the pulsations of the augmented OACC, compromise this configuration. Perfusion (2007) 22, 81—86.
Neutralizing antibodies in MS therapy: reviewing the Rebif experience
Authors: AL-Sabbagh A.
Published: June 2007

Treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) with protein therapeutics such as interferon beta (IFNβ) frequently results in the development of binding antibodies (BAbs) to the administered agent. Neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) are a subset of BAbs characterized by their interference with IFNβ's biological target(s) and/or function(s). At the treatment group level, NAbs to IFNβ have been shown to have an impact on relapse rate and MRI disease measures. However, in individual patients, the clinical significance of NAbs remains controversial because of the lack of standardized assessment procedures, the absence of widely accepted cutoff values to distinguish NAb-positive from NAb-negative patients, and the high rate of seroconversion (to NAb-negative status) observed in clinical studies. At the recommended 44 μg tiw dose of IFNβ-1a subcutaneous (SC) (Rebif®), 12—14% of patients were persistently NAb-positive at two, three, and four years of treatment, while ~25% of anytime NAb-positive patients later became seronegative. Relapse rate and MRI measures of disease were higher in NAb-positive than NAb-negative patients; however, both demonstrated significant improvement versus placebo treatment or delayed treatment patients. Pending improved assessment methodology and better characterization of the clinical impact of NAbs, treatment decisions should continue to be based on the wide range of factors that determine clinical effectiveness. Multiple Sclerosis 2007; 13: S8—S13 http://msj.sagepub.com
Prevalence of alcohol abuse and associated factors in a population-based study
Authors: Barros Marilisa Berti de Azevedo , Botega Neury José , Dalgalarrondo Paulo , Marín-León Letícia , Oliveira Helenice Bosco de
Published: June 2007

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of alcohol abuse/dependence and identify associated factors among demographic, family, socioeconomic and mental health variables. METHODS: A household survey was carried out in the urban area of Campinas, southeastern Brazil, in 2003. A total of 515 subjects, aged 14 years or more were randomly selected using a stratified cluster sample. The Self-Report Questionnaire and the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test were used in the interview. Prevalences were calculated, and univariate and multivariate logistic analyses performed by estimating odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: The estimated prevalence of alcohol abuse/dependence was 13.1% (95% CI: 8.4;19.9) in men and 4.1% (95% CI: 1.9;8.6) in women. In the final multiple logistic regression model, alcohol abuse/dependence was significantly associated with age, income, schooling, religion and illicit drug use. The adjusted odds ratios were significantly higher in following variables: income between 2,501 and 10,000 dollars (OR=10.29); income above 10,000 dollars (OR=10.20); less than 12 years of schooling (OR=13.42); no religion (OR=9.16) or religion other than Evangelical (OR=4.77); and illicit drug use during lifetime (OR=4.47). Alcohol abuse and dependence patterns were different according to age group. CONCLUSIONS: There is a significantly high prevalence of alcohol abuse/dependence in this population. The knowledge of factors associated with alcohol abuse, and differences in consumption patterns should be taken into account in the development of harm reduction strategies.
Prevalência de níveis pressóricos elevados em escolares de Cuiabá, Mato Grosso
Authors: Borges Luiz Marcos P , Peres Marco A , Horta Bernardo L
Published: June 2007

OBJETIVO: As formas de obtenção dos níveis pressóricos basais podem levar a diferentes estimativas de prevalência. O objetivo do estudo foi estimar a prevalência de níveis pressóricos elevados em escolares e comparar médias sistólicas e diastólicas obtidas após três aferições da pressão arterial. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal, com escolares entre sete e dez anos (N=601), de escolas públicas e privadas da zona urbana de Cuiabá-MT, Brasil, em 2005. A pressão arterial foi aferida três vezes, com intervalo de dez minutos, em visita única. Consideraram-se crianças com níveis pressóricos elevados as que, segundo sexo, idade e percentil de estatura, atingiram pressão sistólica e/ou diastólica maiores ou iguais ao percentil 95 da tabela de referência. Para o cálculo de prevalência, foram considerados separadamente os níveis pressóricos da primeira e terceira medidas. RESULTADOS: Houve diferença estatisticamente significante entre as médias sistólicas e diastólicas nas três medidas do estudo. A pressão sistólica e diastólica média, utilizando a terceira medida do estudo foi de 97,2 (DP=8,68) mmHg e 63,1 (DP=6,66) mmHg, respectivamente. A prevalência de níveis pressóricos elevados foi de 8,7% (IC 95%: 6,4;10,9) na primeira medida e 2,3% (IC 95%: 1,1;3,5) na 3ª medida. Não houve diferença estatística entre as prevalências com relação à idade, sexo, cor da pele e tipo de escola. CONCLUSÕES: A pressão arterial, em estudos de visita única, diminui significativamente entre a primeira e terceira aferição. A terceira medida parece revelar níveis pressóricos mais próximos dos basais.
Competência de peixes como predadores de larvas de Aedes aegypti, em condições de laboratório
Authors: Cavalcanti Luciano Pamplona de Góes , Pontes Ricardo José Soares , Regazzi Ana Cláudia Ferreira , Paula Júnior Francisco José de , Frutuoso Rodrigo Lins , Sousa Emanuel Primos , Dantas Filho Fábio Fernandes , Lima José Wellington de Oliveira
Published: June 2007

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a competência de peixes na predação de larvas de Aedes aegypti, em condições de laboratório. MÉTODOS: Foram testados machos e fêmeas de cinco espécies de peixe. Os testes de predação duravam cinco semanas para cada espécie. Cada ensaio compreendia quatro caixas testes e quatro caixas controles. Das caixas controle, duas tinham somente um peixe e as outras duas, apenas larvas. Cada caixa teste continha um peixe e larvas. Na primeira semana foram expostas 100 larvas em cada caixa, e a cada semana acrescentavam-se 100 larvas por caixa/dia, até se obter um máximo de 500 larvas/dia. Comprimento e peso dos peixes foram medidos semanalmente. RESULTADOS: Foram utilizadas 369.000 larvas no total. O Trichogaster trichopteros foi a única espécie em que ambos os sexos predaram 100% das larvas oferecidas. O Betta splendens deixou de predar apenas 15 larvas. Machos do Poecilia reticulata apresentaram baixa capacidade larvófaga quando comparados às fêmeas da mesma espécie. Em relação ao peso e tamanho o Betta splendens mostrou-se capaz de predar 523 larvas/grama/dia. CONCLUSÕES: Fêmeas e machos de Trichogaster trichopteros e de Astyanax fasciatus, e fêmeas de Betta splendens e de Poecillia sphenops foram os peixes que apresentaram maior competência para predar as larvas. Embora com competência menor, machos de Poecillia sphenops e fêmeas de Poecilia reticulata foram capazes de eliminar o número de larvas de Aedes aegypti que possam emergir durante 24 horas num criadouro, em condições naturais. Machos de Poecilia reticulata não foram predadores eficazes.