bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of a lipase inhibitor on gastric sensitivity and accommodation to an orally ingested meal
Authors: Demarchi B. , Vos R. , Deprez P. , Janssens J. , Tack J.
Published: June 2004

Background : Intraduodenal administration of lipids, through lipid digestion and release of cholecystokinin (CCK), induces viscero‐visceral reflexes that affect gastric tone and sensitivity. It is unclear whether the same mechanisms control gastric function after an orally ingested meal.

Aim : To evaluate the effect of orlistat, a selective lipase inhibitor, on gastric response to an orally administered meal.

Methods : Eighteen healthy volunteers participated in this study. They were treated for 5 days with orlistat (120 mg) or placebo t.d.s. in a double‐blind randomized crossover design. During treatment, all subjects underwent a gastric barostat study, measurement of plasma CCK levels and a satiety drinking test.

Results : Although CCK plasma levels were significantly decreased, pre‐treatment with orlistat failed to affect gastric compliance (72 ± 6 mL/mm Hg and 64 ± 6 mL/mm Hg, NS), gastric sensitivity (discomfort threshold 12.2 ± 0.6 mm Hg vs. 10.9 ± 0.6 mm Hg above minimal distending pressure, NS) or gastric accommodation (172 ± 41 mL vs. 206 ± 49 mL, NS) to an orally ingested meal. Furthermore, orlistat pre‐treatment had no significant effect on the amount of calories ingested during a satiety drinking test (1329 ± 88 kcal vs. 1217 ± 115 kcal, NS).

Conclusion : Administration of a lipase inhibitor does not affect gastric compliance, sensitivity to distension and accommodation to an orally ingested meal, and does not influence meal‐induced satiety.
Patient–physician discordance about benefits and risks in gastroenterology decision‐making
Authors: Sonnenberg A.
Published: June 2004

Aims : To illustrate the characteristics of situations in gastroenterology when patients and physicians harbour different perspectives of medical costs and benefits, and how such different perspectives affect the outcome of medical decision‐making.

Methods : Two exemplary scenarios are presented, in which threshold analysis yields different results depending on the varying values assigned to identical medical events. The occurrence of varying values is subsequently phrased in economical terms of varying utility functions that characterize patient vs. physician behaviour.

Results : Safety and therapy are the two major preferences that determine patient and physician utility functions. Patients and physicians make medical decisions based on two different utility functions. In comparison with their patients, gastroenterologists are more concerned with safety and inclined to spend more health care resources on safety than therapy because safety and the occurrence of medical complications affect their own professional status. In trying to maximize their own utility, gastroenterologists tend to spend more resources on safety than the patient him/herself might have spent given a free choice of management options.

Conclusions : In instances of potential complications associated with risky medical interventions, patients may receive less medical therapy in exchange for more procedural safety.
The evolution to stool DNA testing for colorectal cancer
Authors: Tagore K. S. , Levin T. R. , Lawson M. J.
Published: June 2004

Despite a variety of screening strategies and recent trends showing death rate stabilization, colorectal cancer still remains the second leading cause of overall cancer death. Current screening tools suffer from performance limitations, low patient acceptability, and marginal reliable access within the health care system. Noninvasive strategies present the lowest risk with the highest potential for patient satisfaction. However, serious implementation barriers exist requiring consistent programmatic screening, strict patient adherence, and poor sensitivity for adenomas. Colonoscopy remains an invasive screening test with the best sensitivity and specificity, but faces large financial costs, manpower requirements, patient access and adherence. Development of advanced molecular techniques identifying altered DNA markers in exfoliated colonocytes signify early or precancerous growth. Stool‐based DNA testing provides an entirely noninvasive population‐based screening strategy which patients can perform easier than faecal occult blood testing (FOBT). Large‐scale prospective randomized control trials currently pending should help characterize accurate test performance, screening intervals, cost‐effectiveness, direct comparison to FOBT and analysis of patient adherence. As tumour development pathways and potential target genes are further elucidated, refinements in multi‐assay stool‐based DNA testing portend enhanced test characteristics to detect and treat this genetically heterogeneous disease.
The length of newly diagnosed Barrett's oesophagus and prior use of acid suppressive therapy
Authors: El‐Serag H. B. , Aguirre T. , Kuebeler M. , Sampliner R. E.
Published: June 2004

Background : The length of Barrett's oesophagus seems to correlate well with indicators of severe gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease. However, it remains unknown whether prior acid suppressive therapy affects the length of newly diagnosed Barrett's oesophagus.

Methods : A retrospective analysis of a well‐characterized large cohort of patients with Barrett's oesophagus diagnosed between 1981 and 2000.

Aim : To compare the length of Barrett's oesophagus between patients who received acid suppressive therapy prior to their diagnosis to those who did not receive such therapy. Pharmacy records were obtained from Department of the Veterans Affairs computerized records and prospectively collected research records. We further examined the association between prior use of acid suppressive therapy and the length of Barrett's oesophagus in correlation analyses, as well as multivariate linear regression analyses while adjusting for differences in year of diagnosis, age, gender, ethnicity, and the presence of intestinal metaplasia of the gastric cardia.

Results : There were 340 patients with Barrett's oesophagus first diagnosed between 1981 and 2000. The average length of Barrett's oesophagus at the time of first diagnosis was 4.4 cm (range: 0.5–16). Of all patients, 139 (41%) had prior use of histamine‐2 receptor antagonists, or proton‐pump inhibitors (41 used both), and 201 (59%) used neither prior to the diagnosis of Barrett's oesophagus. The mean length of Barrett's oesophagus was significantly shorter in patients with prior use of proton‐pump inhibitors (3.4 cm) or proton‐pump inhibitors and histamine‐2 receptor antagonists (3.1 cm) when compared to those with none of these medications (4.8 cm). In the multivariate linear regression model, the prior use of proton‐pump inhibitors or either proton‐pump inhibitors or histamine‐2 receptor antagonists was an independent predictor of shorter length of Barrett's oesophagus (P = 0.0396).

Conclusions : The use of acid suppressive therapy among patients is associated with a reduction in the eventual length of newly diagnosed Barrett's oesophagus with gastro‐oesophageal reflux disease. This finding is independent of the year of diagnosis or demographic features of patients. Further studies are required to confirm this finding.
The needs of physically disabled young people during transition to adult services
Authors: Ko B. , McEnery G.
Published: June 2004

Objectives  The needs and provisions for health service and housing adaptation of a cohort of school leavers with physical disabilities in two inner city London health districts are described in this cross‐sectional study.

Methods  Fourteen young people were assessed by two consultant community paediatricians during their last year at school, using a structured proforma that includes the British Association of Community Child Health standards of functional levels.

Results  Great difficulty was encountered in identifying the subjects, partly because of inadequate information systems. Only 16 were identified out of over 12 000 school leavers. Important discrepancies were found between the needs assessed and the services provided. For the total sample, the need for 49 potential referrals to adult specialist services was identified, but 17 were not made as such services did not exist, in contrast to what had been available within paediatric services. Adult physiotherapy and occupational therapy services were particularly under‐provided for young people with physical disabilities. Only a minority were eligible for housing adaptations.

Conclusions  Suggestions are made for improvements in information systems, the transition process, revised provision of services and closer involvement of general practitioners.
Implications for the development of children in over 11 hours of centre‐based care
Authors: Anme T. , Segal U. A.
Published: June 2004

Background  With increasing numbers of women joining the evening/night‐time and extended‐hour workforce, there is a need for quality childcare during these hours. This project, conducted in Japan, sought to compare the effects of expanded childcare on the development and adaptation of 648 young children after 2 years in care.

Method  All parents in 41 governmentally licensed child care facilities in Japan completed a survey on the child‐rearing environment at home, their feelings of self‐efficacy, and the presence of support for childcare to provide a baseline of information. Two years later, 648 of these parents were surveyed again. Childcare professionals evaluated the development of children at both times.

Results and discussion  The results of multiple regression analysis indicate that factors in the home environment, not length of centre‐based care, explained developmental risks 2 years later.
Childhood injury prevention advice: a survey of health professionals responses to common scenarios
Authors: Tomlinson R. , Sainsbury C.
Published: June 2004

Aim  To determine the responses of health professionals when asked at what age a child could safely engage in a number of common activities and scenarios.

Methods  Eleven scenarios reflecting everyday activities were adapted from the BBC book Play it Safe. Questionnaires were completed by a convenience sample of health professionals. Respondents were asked to give the minimum age they felt a child could safely engage in each of the activities. The literature was searched for an evidential basis for answers to the activities and scenarios posed.

Results  A total of 215 questionnaires were completed. For all questions there was a spread in responses of at least 9 years. Recommended answers were found in the literature for six of the scenarios, however, in only four of these was this confirmed to have an evidential basis. Fifty‐four per cent of responses were at least 2 or more years from these recommended answers.

Discussion  Injury prevention advice needs to be consistent and, where possible, evidentially based. Health professionals often need to rely on their own opinions to provide advice. This survey shows opinions vary and highlights the need for evidence‐based guidelines for parents and professionals.
Treatment of canine pyoderma with ibafloxacin and marbofloxacin – fluoroquinolones with different pharmacokinetic profiles
Authors: Horspool L. J. I. , van Laar P. , van den Bos R. , Mawhinney I.
Published: June 2004

Dogs with superficial or deep pyoderma (n = 228) presented to first opinion veterinarians (n = 20) were treated orally with either ibafloxacin, at a dosage of 15 mg/kg, or marbofloxacin, at a dosage of 2 mg/kg, once daily for 3–16 weeks. On initial presentation, 35% of the cases were classified as having recurrent pyoderma and 40% as having deep pyoderma. Staphylococci (mainlyStaphylococcus intermedius) were isolated from over 90% of the cases. The average treatment periods were 41 ± 26  and 38 ± 21 days in the ibafloxacin and marbofloxacin groups, respectively. One week after the cessation of treatment, 74 and 81% of dogs (P > 0.05) in the ibafloxacin and marbofloxacin groups, respectively, were classified as having responded to treatment. One month after the cessation of treatment, 70% of the dogs in each group were still classified as cured or improved, and 3 and 11% (P < 0.05) in the ibafloxacin and marbofloxacin groups, respectively, were classified as having relapsed. Despite having different pharmacokinetic profiles, ibafloxacin and marbofloxacin produced similar results when used under field conditions at the recommended dosages.
Pharmacokinetics of ciprofloxacin after single intravenous and repeat oral administration to cats
Authors: Albarellos G. A. , Kreil V. E. , Landoni M. F.
Published: June 2004

The pharmacokinetic properties of ciprofloxacin, a second‐generation fluoroquinolone, were investigated in six cats after single intravenous and repeat oral administration at a dosage of 10 mg/kg b.i.d. Ciprofloxacin serum concentration was analyzed by microbiological assay usingKlebsiella pneumoniaeATCC 10031 as microorganism test. Serum ciprofloxacin disposition was best fitted to a bicompartmental and a monocompartmental open models with first‐order elimination after intravenous and oral dosing respectively. After intravenous administration, distribution was rapid (t1/2(d), 0.22 ± 0.23 h) and wide as reflected by the steady‐state volume of distribution of 3.85 ± 1.34 L/kg. Furthermore, elimination was rapid with a plasma clearance of 0.64 ± 0.28 L/h·kg and at1/2(el)of 4.53 ± 0.74 h. After repeat oral administration, absorption was rapid with a half‐life of 0.23 ± 0.22 h andTmaxof 1.30 ± 0.67 h. However bioavailability was low (33 ± 12%), the peak plasma concentration at steady‐state was 1.26 ± 0.67 μg/mL. Drug accumulation was not significant after seven oral administrations. When efficacy predictors were estimated ciprofloxacin showed a good profile against gram‐negative bacteria when administered either intravenously or orally, although its efficacy against gram‐positive microorganisms is lower.
Disposition of flunixin meglumine injectable preparation administered orally to healthy horses
Authors: Pellegrini‐Masini A. , Poppenga R. H. , Sweeney R. W.
Published: June 2004

An injectable preparation of flunixin meglumine was administered orally and intravenously at a dose of 1.1 mg/kg to six healthy adult horses in a cross‐over design. Flunixin meglumine was detected in plasma within 15 min of administration and peak plasma concentrations were observed 45–60 min after oral administration. Mean bioavailability of the oral drug was 71.9 ± 26.0%, with an absorption half‐life of 0.76 h. The apparent elimination half‐life after oral administration was 2.4 h. The injectable preparation of flunixin meglumine is suitable for oral administration to horses.
Histological analysis of late renal allografts of antidonor antibody positive patients with C4d deposits in peritubular capillaries
Authors: Aita K , Yamaguchi Y , Shimizu T , Horita S , Furusawa M , Tanabe K , Fuchinoue S , Toma H
Published: June 2004

Abstract:  The association of humoral immunity with late renal allograft dysfunction has recently been recognized, and many reports have revealed C4d deposits in peritubular capillaries (C4d in PTC), and the presence of serum antidonor HLA antibody in patients suffering from graft dysfunction, long time after transplantation. In this study, morphological changes in renal allograft biopsies more than 1 year after transplantation in 14 patients with C4d in PTC and serum antidonor antibody were investigated for the presence of chronic rejection (CR). In addition to the light microscope study, an electron microscope study was done to evaluate the multilayering of the peritubular capillary basement membrane (MLPTC). Histologically, only seven of 14 patients met the criteria of CR, and 71.4% (5/7) of CR patients had episodes of acute humoral rejection (AHR), coexisting with acute tubulointerstitial rejection. Peritubular capillaritis was observed in all patients, although it differed in severity. Transplant glomerulitis and interstitial inflammation were also observed in many patients: 71.4% (10/14) and 92.9% (13/14) respectively. MLPTC was observed in 12 patients (85.7%), but the severity of the MLPTC did not reflect the severity of peritubular capillaritis or any other histological features. The long‐term outcomes of the patients CR, especially those with episodes of AHR, were poor, and two of them lost their graft functions. On the other hand, patients without CR had relatively favourable outcomes. In conclusion, we confirmed the diverse morphological changes of late renal allografts, which cannot be categorized as chronic humoral rejection (CHR), and such patients who do not have typical morphological changes such as CHR, should be followed‐up on a long‐term basis in order to clarify the significance of C4d on PTC in late renal allografts.
Pathological study on the relationship between C4d, CD59 and C5b‐9 in acute renal allograft rejection
Authors: Nishi S , Imai N , Ito Y , Ueno M , Fukase S , Mori H , Arakawa M , Bassam A , Saito K , Takahashi K , Gejyo F
Published: June 2004

Abstract:  In order to evaluate the activation or inhibition of the later phases of classical complement cascade in renal allograft presenting with acute rejection, particularly with C4d deposition on the peritubular capillary (PTC), we observed the expression of CD59 and C5b‐9 on the PTC. Subjective cases were divided into two groups, an acute rejection group, of 4 males and 6 females, and a normal donor group, of 5 males and 5 females. Renal biopsies were performed at the onset of acute rejection and at the transplant operation, before reperfusion. C4d deposition on PTC was found in three of 10 cases (30%) with biopsy proven acute rejection, whereas CD59 on PTC was positively expressed in all of the rejection cases. Although C5b‐9 was not observed on PTC in the acute rejection group, it was intensively deposited on the tubular basement membrane (TBM) in five cases, including the three with positive C4d on PTC. In the normal donor group, CD59 on PTC was intensively observed, whereas C5b‐9 was weakly expressed on TBM. CD59, a complement regulatory factor, works as an inhibitory factor against the formation of C5b‐9, a membrane attack complex. From our data, we noted the dissociation between the depositions of C4d and C5b‐9 on PTC. The substantially expressed CD59 on PTC may affect this dissociation between C4d and C5b‐9 on PTC. The intensive deposition of C5b‐9 on TBM in acute rejection cases may suggest an independent immunological injury attacking tubular cells.
Histopathological evaluation of 0‐h biopsy specimens of donor kidney procured by laparoscopic donor nephrectomy
Authors: Shimizu T , Tanabe K , Ishida H , Toma H , Yamaguchi Y
Published: June 2004

Abstract:  We evaluated the histopathology of donor kidneys procured by laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN), by examining allograft biopsy specimens obtained immediately after donor nephrectomy (0‐h biopsies).

Materials and methods:  LDN was performed on 65 donors between December 1999 and November 2002, in our institution. Their mean age was 56 years, and there were 19 males and 46 females. Hand‐assisted LDN (HALDN) was used in 10 cases and retroperitoneal LDN (RPLDN) in 55 cases. Allograft biopsy of all 65 kidneys was performed immediately after LDN (0‐h biopsy), and the biopsy specimens were used in this study. All specimens were routinely examined by light and immunofluorescence microscopy. The 43 donors who underwent traditional open donor nephrectomy (ODN) between January 2001 and June 2001 served as controls.

Results:  There was no significant difference in the rate of glomerular sclerosis and moderate interstitial fibrosis with tubular atrophy, the severity of arteriosclerosis, and the severity of arteriolar hyalinosis among the specimens from kidneys removed by the three different methods: HALDN, RPLDN, and ODN. Prominent and characteristic histopathological changes which are not usually seen in 0‐h biopsy specimens of kidneys obtained by traditional ODN were ‘subcapsular cortical damage (SCCD) with capsular lesions (CL)’. The SCCD with CL changes included a subcapsular degeneration and necrosis of tubular cells and a congestion of glomerular and peritubular capillaries (SCCD) associated with haemorrhage and fibrin deposits in the renal capsule (CL). In this study, such characteristic ‘SCCD with CL’ findings were observed in 35 specimens (54%). The damage was much milder in donor kidneys procured by RPLDN than by HALDN.

Conclusion:  SCCD with CL occurred in donor kidneys procured by LDN, which may be due to a compression of the renal parenchyma and veins. RPLDN may be better method for donor nephrectomy.
Comparison of histopathological characteristics of allograft biopsy between responder and non‐responder to antiproteinuric effect of angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI)
Authors: Namba Y , Moriyama T , Kyo M , Oka K , Kokado Y , Shi Y , Imamura R , Ichimaru N , Okuyama A , Takahara S
Published: June 2004

Abstract:  Angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) has become recognized as agents that have renoprotective effects in the treatment of progressive renal diseases including post‐transplant kidneys. Previously we demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of ACEI treatment on the hypertensive proteinuric post‐transplant patients (N = 10) who had been followed up for 12 months. However, not all patients show good response in urinary protein reduction. We aimed to analyse the histopathological factor(s) affecting the responsiveness of proteinuria to ACEI treatment. Fourteen post‐transplant patients with proteinuria who were treated with ACEI and underwent allograft biopsy were analysed. Eight patients showed 50% or more reduction in proteinuria (responder). The other 6 patients showed less (< 50%) reduction in proteinuria (non‐responder). There was no difference in clinical characteristics (BP, renal function, donor age, recipient body mass index), dietary sodium or protein intake, and diuretic use between the two groups. As a histopathological characteristic, glomerular size in responder group was significantly larger than that in non‐responder group. This suggests that the large glomerular size at least partly contributes to the responsiveness in urinary protein reduction to ACEI treatment in kidney allograft recipients with proteinuria.
An autopsy case of bacterial septic shock 12 years following ABO‐incompatible renal transplantation
Authors: Okamoto M , Omori Y , Ichida M , Nobori S , Higuchi A , Kadotani Y , Akioka K , Itoh K , Fushiki S , Yoshimura N
Published: June 2004

Abstract:  We report the case of an ABO‐incompatible kidney transplant recipient who died suddenly following a good transplant course of 12 years. For 10 years after transplantation, the graft function had been stable (s‐Cr: 1.0–1.5 mg/dL), although chronic hepatitis C had developed, with elevation of transaminase. In the 11th year, he was admitted into the hospital with low‐grade fever and general fatigue. Jaundice and anaemia progressed, and he died 2 months after admission. The autopsy diagnosis was: (1) post‐renal transplantation state, (2) phlegmonous enterocolitis with septic infarction, (3) cellulitis and necrotic myositis, and (4) sepsis. The transplanted kidney graft showed well‐preserved glomeruli and tubules, corresponding to chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) grade Ι (ci1, ct1, cv1), according to the Banff classification. The pathological changes observed in this long‐surviving ABO‐incompatible kidney graft were similar to those of an ABO‐compatible graft, although its degree was milder.
Influence of foliar chemical compounds on the development of Spodoptera litura (Fab.) in interspecific derivatives of groundnut
Authors: Mallikarjuna N. , Kranthi K. R. , Jadhav D. R. , Kranthi S. , Chandra S.
Published: June 2004

Abstract:  Tobacco armyworm, Spodoptera litura (Fab), a polyphagous insect, is an important pest of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L). It is one of the insect pests which had developed resistance to insecticides. Currently there are no cultivars of groundnut which express high level of resistance to S. litura. Wild species of groundnut, which show high levels of resistance, have been identified. Arachis kempff‐mercadoi is one such wild species, which is reported to be resistant to S. litura, and indicated that in wild species three flavonoids chlorogenic acid, quercetin and rutin are involved in the components of resistance. In the present study, although these flavonoids had an effect on larval mortality, statistical analysis revealed that quercetin had a major effect due to high correlation of quercetin with chlorogenic acid and rutin. Interspecific derivatives were obtained as a result of crossing cultivated groundnut with A. kempff‐mercadoi. In vitro studies showed high percentage of neonate larval mortality when fed on the foliage of interspecific derivatives, majority of interspecific derivatives were detrimental to larval development and had considerable effect on its subsequent progeny. Resistant derivatives were found to have high levels of flavonoids and antibiosis mechanism prevented larval growth. Susceptible derivatives and the female parent, A. hypogaea have low levels of flavonoids.
Effects of simulated acid rain on the physiology of carmine spider mite, Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduvals) (Acari: Tetranychidae)
Authors: Zhang J.‐P. , Wang J.‐J. , Zhao Z.‐M. , Dou W. , Chen Y.
Published: June 2004

Abstract:  The physiological effect of simulated acid rain sprayed on carmine spider mite Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduvals) and host plant, were measured in a series of laboratory trials. We examined potential changes in three kinds of protective enzymes [peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT)] and three hydrolases [acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and carboxylesterase (CarE)] in response to changes in pH values of simulated acid rain at different time of exposure. POD, SOD and CAT activities increased significantly with the increase in the acidity of the acid rain, reaching the highest levels at pH 4.0 or 3.0, and then declined. Changes in ACP activity were similar to those observed in the protective enzymes. The increasing extent of the activities of these four enzymes after 30 and 45 days treatment became smaller than that after 15 days treatment. ALP activities decreased as pH value declined. There were no significant changes in CarE activities after 15 and 45 days, but that in pH 4.0 and 3.0 decreased after 30 days. The enhanced anti‐oxidation enzyme levels (POD, SOD and CAT) and ACP activities in pH 4.0 and 3.0 reduced the effects of these toxic products on mites, resulting in the strengthening of the defensive power, and increase in survival and reproductive power of the mites, thus leading to an increase in the density of mites on host plant. From these results, we inferred that POD, SOD, CAT and ACP might be relevant to population changes of mites under acid rain pressure.
Geotaxis and phototaxis are not determinant factors for white pine weevil (Col., Curculionidae) oviposition location on intact trees and severed treetops
Authors: Manville J. F. , Sahota T. S. , Hollmann J.
Published: June 2004

Abstract:  The objective of this investigation was to determine if external factors such as phototaxis and geotaxis determine oviposition site location by reproductively active female white pine weevils, Pissodes strobi (Peck), on intact trees or cut treetops. In prior studies, light and gravity, both external tree factors, were consistently linked with oviposition location. In this study, the external factors that were varied in whole trees or cut treetops, included two weevil populations and two tree species in upright, inverted and horizontal orientations with thick or thin stems, indoor and outdoor locations, warm and cool, wet and dry, and light and dark conditions. The results show that 100% of the oviposition occurred at or near treetops, regardless of external factors. The results are unequivocal; they are without variance. These findings suggest that the reproductively active female weevil's feeding preference is for primary cortex tissue, an internal tree factor. The primary cortex thickness gradient could account for these weevils’ capability to locate treetops, where the thickest primary cortex tissue occurs, even when treetops are not at the highest or brightest locations.
Central nervous system infection due to Penicillium chrysogenum
Authors: Kantarcıoğlu A. S. , Apaydın H. , Yücel A. , De Hoog G. S. , Samson R. A. , Vural M. , Özekmekçi S.
Published: June 2004

Penicillium chrysogenum was isolated from three subsequent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens of a 73‐year‐old male patient without immunological compromise. The isolated was tested against five antifungal agents according to the NCCLS M38‐P macrodilution method. MICs were determined as follows: amphotericin B (AMB), 2 μg ml−1; fluconazole (FLZ), 8 μg ml−1; itraconazole (ITZ), 1 μg ml−1; flucytosine (5FC), 0.125 μg ml−1; and terbinafine (TRB), 0.06 μg ml−1. The patient has been cured with FLZ.
Agar sublimation test for the in vitro determination of the antifungal activity of morpholine derivatives
Authors: Polak A. , Jäckel A. , Noack A. , Kappe R.
Published: June 2004

We studied the in vitro antifungal activities of a wide range of antimycotic agents, including amorolfine, terbinafine, naftifine, five morpholine derivatives, ciclopiroxolamine, bifonazole, clotrimazole, ketoconazole, itraconazole, fluconazole, voriconazole, flucytosine, amphotericin B, nystatin, and caspofungin, against Candida albicans and Trichophyton rubrum by conventional agar diffusion tests and by a novel sublimation method. For the sublimation method, 6 mm filter paper disks were soaked with defined amounts of antimycotic drugs, air dried, placed in the center of the lids of 9 cm Petri dishes, and incubated upside down with inoculated agar plates 10 mm above the disks. The conventional disk diffusion tests produced inhibition zones as previously described. The disk sublimation tests produced large inhibition zones with amorolfine, five amorolfine derivatives, and terbinafine, but with none of the other antifungal agents. Possible therapeutic advantages of agents, which are able to overcome air cavities in mycotic lesions, e.g. in onychomycosis, are discussed.
Candida albicans‐induced inflammatory response in human keratinocytes
Authors: Wollina U. , Künkel W. , Bulling L. , Fünfstück C. , Knöll B. , Vennewald I. , Hipler U.‐C.
Published: June 2004

Candida albicans strains 3153a, ATCC 48867, CBS 2730, DSM 70014, and Vir 13 were cultivated and sterile C. albicans filtrates were produced. The interaction of soluble Candida factors of these infiltrates with human HaCaT keratinocytes was assayed in vitro. The following parameters were analyzed: cell proliferation, protein synthesis, nuclear matrix protein (NMP) 41 release, cytokine release (IL‐1β, soluble IL‐2 receptor, IL‐6, and IL‐8), and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Cell counts at 1, 12, and 24 h were significantly lower for C. albicans strains CBS 2730 and VIR 13 (P < 0.05). There was no significant change for the remaining strains. Neither the protein synthesis nor the NMP‐41 release was significantly affected. IL‐6 and IL‐8 were stimulated by C. albicans filtrates to different amounts with higher levels in strains of low virulence. There was no effect on the other cytokines. The production of ROS by HaCaT keratinocytes was suppressed. The induction of an inflammatory keratinocyte response by soluble C. albicans factors may play a role among the host–yeast interactions.
Fungal peritonitis at a tertiary care community teaching hospital: epidemiology, treatments, and outcome over a 3 year timespan*
Authors: Almoujahed M. O. , Riederer K. , Baran J.
Published: June 2004

Fungal species isolated from the peritoneal cavity over a 3‐year period were equally divided among dialysis and intra‐abdominal sources and demonstrated that triazole antifungal susceptible species predominated. The evolution toward triazole‐resistant species/strains noted in bloodstream infections has not yet developed in fungal peritonitis. A trend toward non‐albicans species in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) cases, however, requires careful monitoring.
Etiology of tinea capitis in Athens, Greece – a 6‐year (1996–2001) retrospective study
Authors: Frangoulis E. , Athanasopoulou B. , Katsambas A.
Published: June 2004

A total of 577 patients with tinea capitis have been diagnosed at the Mycology laboratory of ‘A. Sygros’ Hospital of Skin and Venereal Diseases, Athens, Greece between 1996 and 2001. From these patients, 100 were immigrants from Balkan, Near East and African countries. The vast majority of the patients (95%) were children, mainly at preschool and school age and only 5% were adults. Zoophilic dermatophytes accounted for 86.5% followed by anthropophilic (12.4%) and geophilic (1.2%) dermatophytes. The majority of anthropophilic infections (59.5%) were recorded in the sub‐population of immigrants. Microsporum canis (84.5%) was the main etiologic agent.
Keratinophilic fungi on feathers of pigeon in Maharashtra, India
Authors: Deshmukh S. K.
Published: June 2004

Results of a preliminary survey of keratinophilic fungi associated with feathers of pigeon on high rise buildings in Thane district of Maharashtra (India) are reported. A total of 100 samples were examined, of which 67 samples were positive for keratinophilic fungi. Altogether 67 fungal strains belonging to 10 species of seven genera were isolated viz. Chrysosporium indicum (24%), Chrysosporium sp. (2%), Chr. tropicum (8%), Chrysosporium state of Arthroderma tuberculatum (3%), Chrysosporium state of Ctenomyces serratus (15%), Malbranchea pulchella (3%), Malbranchea sp. (1%), Microsporum gypseum (5%), Myriodontium keratinophilum (2%) and Trichophyton terrestre (4%).
Goodness Beyond Speech
Authors: Segal Alex
Published: June 2004

The article addresses Raimond Gaita's attempt to construe the ethical in terms of a notion of speech that is tied to presence (each of us, he holds, is called to become someone ‘authentically present in speech and deed’ (Gaita 1991, p. 145)), a notion through which he articulates a sense both of human uniqueness – speech demands that one find one's own words – and of human fellowship: to find one's words is to achieve the depth that enables one to be taken seriously by others. The article argues, however, that the notion of speech is caught in a double bind; for it requires a spontaneity that is incompatible with the self‐presence that it also requires. In a way that Gaita cannot acknowledge, goodness is beyond speech.
The End(s) of Philosophy: Rhetoric, Therapy and Wittgenstein's Pyrrhonism
Authors: Plant Bob
Published: June 2004

In Culture and Value Wittgenstein remarks: ‘Thoughts that are at peace. That's what someone who philosophizes yearns for’. The desire for such conceptual tranquillity is a recurrent theme in Wittgenstein's work, and especially in his later ‘grammatical‐therapeutic’ philosophy. Some commentators (notably Rush Rhees and C. G. Luckhardt) have cautioned that emphasising this facet of Wittgenstein's work ‘trivialises’ philosophy – something which is at odds with Wittgenstein's own philosophical ‘seriousness’ (in particular his insistence that philosophy demands that one ‘Go the bloody hard way’). Drawing on a number of correlations between Wittgenstein's conception of philosophy and that of the Pyrrhonian Sceptics, in this paper I defend a strong ‘therapeutic’ reading of Wittgenstein, and show how this can be maintained without ‘trivialising’ philosophy.
Tedium and creativity: the valorization of manioc cultivation and piaroa women
Authors: Heckler S.L.
Published: June 2004

Through an exploration of Amazonian ethnographic material, this article challenges the idea that tasks normally associated with women are invariably considered to be less valuable than men's activities. I argue against the claims made by Rivière that manioc cultivation is devoid of creativity or differentiation. I find the process of manioc cultivation to be profoundly social; indeed, it provides a critical means by which prestige is attained, maintained, and expressed by Piaroa women. By gardening, Piaroa women create their own spaces and infuse the landscape with meaning. By processing manioc and thus providing the safest and most basic of staple foods, they create and re‐create sociality and the conditions for humanity. Finally, I explore the ways in which the region's rapid and far‐reaching economic and cultural transformations may affect the role of manioc and of women in Piaroa society.
Conceiving relatedness: non‐substantial relations among the Kamea of Papua New Guinea
Authors: Bamford Sandra
Published: June 2004

This article considers the implications of imagining kinship as a non‐embodied relation. In recent years, it has become commonplace to argue that relatedness is a gradually acquired state that can be built over time and by non‐sexual means. In this view, relationships of consanguinity are not given at birth but are created through purposeful acts of feeding and caring. Here, I address a question that has been less commonly asked by anthropologists: need kinship always be imagined as entailing an embodied connection? Is there a way of thinking about cross‐generational relationships that does not ground them in bodily connectedness, or, at the very least, one that imagines contexts in which they are not embodied as a substantial link between people? Drawing upon data collected among Kamea of Papua New Guinea, I describe a world in which the parent‐child tie is conceptualized as one that is inherently non‐embodied.
Knowing human moral knowledge to be true: an essay on intellectual conviction
Authors: Crandall David P.
Published: June 2004

The question addressed in this article is how people come to know the foundational axioms of their moral systems as true and correct. Drawing on my fieldwork among the Himba of northwestern Namibia, I argue that the most potent form of intellectual conviction is not generated through the external manipulations of ritual, but through a deeply internal experience in which moral knowledge coalesces with a subjectively perceived experience of timeless universality.
Words of intimacy: re‐membering the dead in Buntao’
Authors: Tsintjilonis Dimitri
Published: June 2004

Based on fieldwork among the Sa’dan Toraja of Indonesia, this article examines a specific relationship between the living and the dead. It is a relationship which is usually described in terms of intimacy. Within this intimacy, the living and the dead are described as sharing the same desires. Furthermore, as far as the living are concerned, these desires have to be expressed in words and acted out in the form of mortuary sacrifices. In this way, the living are said to remember the dead. My discussion focuses on the implications of this memory.
The charismatic gift
Authors: Coleman Simon
Published: June 2004

Drawing on ethnographic analysis of a Swedish‐based body of conservative Protestants known as the ‘Word of Life’, this article argues that certain forms of charismatic giving are orientated towards extending aspects of the ‘inner’ self beyond cultural and physical boundaries. The notion of a ‘charismatic gift’ in the Christian (and Weberian) sense of a quality of authoritative inspiration is linked to a Maussian concept of the gift as breaking down distinctions between persons as well as between persons and objects.
Circulation of Books in the Medieval Franciscan Order: Attitude, Methods, and Critics
Authors: Senocak Neslihan
Published: June 2004

One of the significant advantages that the Franciscan friars had over their secular colleagues in the medieval intellectual domain was easy access to books. Not only did the order establish well‐endowed libraries, but also facilitated the circulation of books among the friars who were involved in preaching and studying. The notes on Franciscan manuscripts indicating a loan or a borrower, the library inventories, together with the constitutional evidence reveal some interesting practices in this respect. Although it was the nature of scholastic teaching that necessitated private use, and hence the assignment of books, the practice nevertheless remained unpopular with the faction in the order known as the Spirituals. They saw it as the cause of the multiplication of books, thereby a serious breach in the order's creed of evangelical poverty. The circulation of books nevertheless continued with increasing momentum and was one of the issues responsible for the schism in the order.
‘The seat of death and terror’: urbanization, stunting, and smallpox
Authors: Oxley Deborah
Published: June 2004

Recent works have investigated whether smallpox stunted growth. The answer is important for disentangling the factors driving changing heights. This article outlines the disease and its history in Britain. It then introduces a new source for the study of smallpox: prisoner records. These offer rich descriptions of individuals, including a pockmarked complexion. While pockmarks were not clearly associated with stunting in Ireland or in most of England, the connection did exist in London. In the metropolis, smallpox acted as a proxy for the worst urban disamenities, being most prevalent in the poorest, most overcrowded parts of the city.
Modernizing social security: Changing responsibilities and individual choice
Authors: Einerhand Marcel , Nekkers Geralt
Published: June 2004

Social security needs to be reformed to make it sustainable. We argue that it is necessary to consider not only system characteristics (such as the level and duration of benefits, insured population), but also the division of responsibilities. Social security is not solely a state matter; firms, trade unions, industrial sectors and the individual play a role as well. As social risks are to some extent endogenous, insurance ought to be taken care of at the level at which the risk can be most directly influenced in order to improve efficiency. This may partly take place within the public system, for example through risk rating. Alternatives would include shifting from collective to more individual arrangements, prominent examples being multipillar systems and savings accounts. Multipillar systems mainly imply a new division of responsibilities, taking the endogeneity of social risks and the implications of modern life cycles into account. At the same time they offer more individual choice. Savings accounts reduce moral hazard without affecting individual choice. Either way, in reforming social security a balance needs to be found between competing goals or principles: between equity and efficiency, between solidarity and freedom of choice, between the risks of moral hazard and adverse selection. This choice is difficult because social security is not only about “security”. It is an important part of the way we organize our society and embodies many of society's values.
Review
Authors: Butare Théopiste
Published: June 2004

Book reviewed in this article:

Kieran McMorrow and Werner Roeger, The economic and financial market consequences of global ageing
Progenitor cell activation in chronic viralhepatitis
Authors: Fotiadu Anastasia , Tzioufa Valentini , Vrettou Eleni , Koufogiannis Dimitrios , Papadimitriou Constantine S. , Hytiroglou Prodromos
Published: June 2004

Abstract: Background/Aim: Oval cell proliferation is known to occur in experimental models of hepatic regeneration and carcinogenesis. Recent studies have suggested that activation of progenitor cells, representing the human counterpart of oval cells, may play a role in hepatic diseases. Therefore, we evaluated putative progenitor cells in chronic viral hepatitis.

Methods: Forty‐one needle liver biopsy specimens from patients with chronic hepatitis B and 43 specimens from patients with chronic hepatitis C were examined histologically. The grade (histological activity index (HAI)) and stage (degree of fibrosis) were determined on routinely stained sections. The number of progenitor cells was assessed semiquantitatively on cytokeratin 7‐ (CK 7‐) stained sections.

Results: In both aetiological categories of chronic viral hepatitis, progenitor cell numbers were found to increase in parallel to the HAI, as well as to the stage of disease. Features suggestive of hepatocytic differentiation of progenitor cells were also noted on immunohistochemical stains for CK 7 and ‘hepatocyte‐specific’ antigen.

Conclusions: In chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C, progenitor cell activation is correlated with the grade and stage of disease. Proliferating progenitor cells may play a role in hepatic regeneration occurring in this setting.
Incidence and risk factors for acute renal failure in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing transarterial chemoembolization: a prospective study
Authors: Huo Teh‐Ia , Wu Jaw‐Ching , Lee Pui‐Ching , Chang Full‐Young , Lee Shou‐Dong
Published: June 2004

Abstract: Background: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is effective for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Considerable amounts of radiocontrast agent are used for TACE and may induce renal dysfunction.

Method: This study prospectively investigated the incidence and risk factors of acute renal failure (ARF), defined as an increase of serum creatinine level >1.5 mg/dl after TACE.

Results: ARF developed in 12 (8.6%) of 140 patients after TACE. Univariate analysis showed that number of treatment sessions (2.3±1.4 vs 1.3±1.6, P=0.013), Child–Pugh class B (50% vs 21%, P=0.035) and the occurrence of severe postembolization syndrome (75% vs 30%, P=0.020) were significantly associated with the development of ARF. Multivariate logistic regression analysis disclosed that the proportional increased risk of ARF was 65% for each additional TACE therapy (odds ratio [OR]: 1.65, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13–2.41, P=0.010). Other independent risk factors were Child–Pugh class B (OR: 12.82, 95% CI: 2.44–67.29, P=0.003) and severe postembolization syndrome (OR: 6.64, 95% CI: 1.60–27.49, P=0.009). Four (33%) of the patients with ARF developed irreversible renal function impairment, and diabetes mellitus was the only associated factor (P=0.067) in this group.

Conclusions: ARF after TACE is closely associated with number of treatment sessions, severity of cirrhosis and development of severe postembolization syndrome. Effective preventive measures should be undertaken especially in high‐risk patients.
Daily oscillations in liver function: diurnal vs circadian rhythmicity
Authors: Davidson Alec J. , Castañón‐Cervantes Oscar , Stephan Friedrich K.
Published: June 2004

Abstract: The rodent suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), a site in the brain that contains a light‐entrained biological (circadian) clock, has been thought of as the master oscillator, regulating processes as diverse as cell division, reproductive cycles, sleep, and feeding. However, a second circadian system exists that can be entrained by meal feeding and has an influence over metabolism and behavior. Recent advances in the molecular genetics of circadian clocks are revealing clock characteristics such as rhythmic clock gene expression in a variety of non‐neural tissues such as liver. Although little is known regarding the function of these clock genes in the liver, there is a large literature that addresses the capabilities of this organ to keep time. This time‐keeping capability may be an adaptive function allowing for the prediction of mealtime and therefore improved digestion and energy usage. Consequently, an understanding of these rhythms is of great importance. This review summarizes the results of studies on diurnal and circadian rhythmicity in the rodent liver. We hope to lend support to the hypothesis that there are functionally important circadian clocks outside of the brain that are not light‐ or SCN‐dependent. Rather, these clocks are largely responsive to stimuli involved in nutrient intake. The interaction between these two systems may be very important for the ability of organisms to synchronize their internal physiology.