bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Guanine-Thymine Dinucleotide Repeat Polymorphism within the Tenascin-C Gene is Associated with Achilles Tendon Injuries
Authors: Mokone Gaonyadiwe G. , Gajjar Mamta , September Alison V. , Schwellnus Martin P. , Greenberg Jacquie , Noakes Timothy D. , Collins Malcolm
Published: June 2005

Background

Although there is a high incidence of tendon injury as a result of participation in physical activity, the mechanisms responsible for such injuries are poorly understood. Investigators have suggested that some people may have a genetic predisposition to develop tendon injuries; in particular, genes on the tip of the long arm of chromosome 9 might, at least in part, be associated with this condition. The tenascin-C gene, which has been mapped to chromosome 9q32-q34, encodes for a structural component of tendons.

Hypothesis

The tenascin-C gene is associated with Achilles tendon injury.

Study Design

Case control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods

A total of 114 physically active white subjects with symptoms of Achilles tendon injury and 127 asymptomatic, physically active white control subjects were genotyped for the guanine-thymine dinucleotide repeat polymorphism within the tenascin-C gene.

Results

A significant difference in the allele frequencies of this polymorphism existed between the 2 groups of subjects (χ2 = 51.0, P =. 001). The frequencies of the alleles containing 12 repeats (symptomatic group, 18.9% vs control group, 10.2%) and 14 repeats (symptomatic group, 9.2% vs control group, 0.8%) were significantly higher in the symptomatic group, while the frequencies of the alleles containing 13 repeats (symptomatic group, 8.8% vs control group, 24.0%) and 17 repeats (symptomatic group, 7.5% vs control group, 20.1%) were significantly lower in this same group. Subjects who were homozygous or heterozygous for the underrepresented alleles (13 and 17 repeats) but who did not possess an overrepresented allele (12 and 14 repeats) may have a lower risk of developing Achilles tendon injuries (odds ratio, 6.2; 95% confidence interval, 3.5-11.0; P <. 001).

Conclusions

The guanine-thymine dinucleotide repeat polymorphism within the tenascin-C gene is associated with Achilles tendon injury. Alleles containing 12 and 14 guanine-thymine repeats were overrepresented in subjects with tendon injuries, while the alleles containing 13 and 17 repeats were underrepresented.

Clinical Relevance

Persons who have variants of the tenascin-C gene with 12 and 14 guanine-thymine repeats appear to have a 6-fold risk of developing Achilles tendon injuries.
Effect of Fatigue on Knee Kinetics and Kinematics in Stop-Jump Tasks
Authors: Chappell Jonathan D. , Herman Daniel C. , Knight Bradford S. , Kirkendall Donald T. , Garrett William E. , Yu Bing
Published: June 2005

Background

Altered motor control strategies in landing and jumping maneuvers are a potential mechanism of noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injury. There are biomechanical differences between male and female athletes in the landing phase of stop-jump tasks. Fatigue is a risk factor in musculoskeletal injuries.

Hypothesis

Lower extremity muscle fatigue alters the knee kinetics and kinematics during the landing phase of 3 stop-jump tasks and increases an athlete's risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Study Design

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods

Three-dimensional videography and force plate data were collected for 20 recreational athletes (10 male and 10 female athletes) performing 3 stop-jump tasks before and after completing a fatigue exercise. Knee joint angles and resultant forces and moments were calculated.

Results

Both male and female subjects had significantly increased peak proximal tibial anterior shear forces (P =. 01), increased valgus moments (P =. 03), and decreased knee flexion angles (P =. 03) during landings of all 3 stop-jump tasks when fatigued. Fatigue did not significantly affect the peak knee extension moment for male or female athletes.

Conclusion

Fatigued recreational athletes demonstrate altered motor control strategies, which may increase anterior tibial shear force, strain on the anterior cruciate ligament, and risk of injury for both female and male subjects.

Clinic Relevance

Fatigued athletes may have an increased risk of noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injury.
A Systematic Approach to Magnetic Resonance Imaging Interpretation of Sports Medicine Injuries of the Shoulder
Authors: Sanders Timothy G. , Miller Mark D.
Published: June 2005

Magnetic resonance imaging has developed as a useful imaging modality in the evaluation of the athlete with shoulder pain. The multiplanar capabilities of magnetic resonance imaging make it ideal for detecting the anatomical variations of the osseous outlet that may contribute to the clinical syndrome of impingement. Its superb soft tissue contrast and spatial resolution allow for accurate differentiation between tendinopathy, partial-thickness tear, and full-thickness tear of the rotator cuff and also allow for detection of the subtle lesions of the capsule and labrum that are associated with shoulder instability. However, to accurately interpret the numerous images and pulse sequences obtained in a standard magnetic resonance examination of the shoulder, it is helpful to have a systematic approach to ensure that each of the pertinent anatomical structures are evaluated. This article will provide a systematic approach to the interpretation of a magnetic resonance examination of the shoulder. The normal imaging appearance of each anatomical structure will be described, and the most useful pulse sequences and imaging planes for the evaluation of each structure will be discussed. Finally, the signs of injury will be described and illustrated.
On the Job after 9/11: Looking at Worker’s Block Through a Group Lens
Authors: Kleinberg Jeffrey
Published: June 2005

The terror attacks of 11 September 2001 have produced a posttraumatic effect in many workers. They have developed what the author defines as ‘Worker’s Block’, an emotional disengagement from their job. The author suggests that factors contributing to this vocational crisis include the nature of the stressor, deficits in the individual’s resiliency and the hardiness of one’s employer. From his group-centered perspective, the author discusses ways to strengthen individuals and their organizations in order to minimize the damaging effects of future attacks on the workforce.
Importance of Projective Identification Influence on Countertransference in a Traumatized Group
Authors: Milivojevic Ljiljana
Published: June 2005

In this paper I recount the difficulties of working with the group whose members were traumatized during the bombing of Serbia and Montenegro in 1999. The difficulties were most present in transference-countertransference relations. The focus will be the influence of the projective identification mechanism on counter-transference, and how this mechanism is used in order to express the feelings that cannot otherwise be expressed, except for the therapist to experience them. The communications aspects of Projective Identification (PI) were evident when the group members tended to provoke certain feelings and thoughts within the therapist, trying to involve him in some kind of an acting-out and so avoid anxiety related to their feelings. Therefore it was of great importance that the therapist should observe his countertransference feelings as the way for the feelings of the group members to be registered, since they cannot be registered in any other way.
Using Storytelling in Psychotherapeutic Group Work with Young Refugees
Authors: Schwartz Shai , Melzak Sheila
Published: June 2005

This paper documents the development of a new approach to child and adolescent centered psychotherapeutic work in groups and with individuals. The work is with young survivors of political violence who all suffer from the problematic and troubling impact on them of violence, scapegoating, separation, loss and the many changes in their external and internal worlds during their developmental years.
Large Groups and Women Leadership: Caregiving for Multiple Authenticities
Authors: Storck Lauren E.
Published: June 2005

Professionals in many disciplines are interested in large group dynamics, and simultaneously, there is a need to formulate coherent trainings for large group leadership roles. Group analysis being my ‘home territory’ to explore these highly complex forces and challenges, this article is one woman’s group-analytic understanding of larger groups and issues of conducting larger groups in our interconnected and interdependent world.
Pride, Prejudice, and a Dose of Shame: The Meaning of Public Assistance
Authors: Gray Karen A.
Published: June 2005

Little is known about women’s retrospective views on the receipt of public assistance, including their relationships with their caseworkers. This article examines the findings of 20 in-depth interviews with women about their experiences with public assistance after they went from public assistance to a living-wage job. The respondents’ self-stories are interpreted using a social constructionist framework.
“For Us It Is Like Living in the Dark”
Authors: Sullivan Marianne , Senturia Kirsten , Negash Tigist , Shiu-Thornton Sharyne , Giday Beruke
Published: June 2005

This article discusses the experiences of domestic violence among Ethiopian refugees and immigrants in the United States. A subset (n = 18) of the larger study sample (N = 254) participated in three focus groups with Amharic-speaking survivors of domestic violence who were currently in or had left abusive relationships. The research was conducted through a public health department, University, and community agency partnership. Findings show domestic violence as taking place within a context of immigration, acculturation, and rapid changes in family and social structure. Participants expressed a need for language and culture-specific domestic violence support and advocacy as well as education programs regarding U.S. laws and resources.
A Prospect Dynamic Model of Decision-Making
Authors: Kanner Michael D.
Published: June 2005

In their 1979 article, Kahneman and Tversky introduced the world to the prospect theory of decision-making under risk as a critique of expected utility theory and its emphasis on final assets. Critics have noted that despite successful replications, its application outside the experimental arena is questionable. This article answers these critics by developing a formal model and theory of framing within prospect theory. Starting with an expected utility model, elements of risk, change and risk attitude are introduced in the context of the decision-maker’s belief sets and assumptions. The result is a finding that framing works because individual expectations shift when confidence in assumptions about the problem change. In conclusion, a number of analytic tools are applied to explore the dynamics of the model and the effect of changing a decision-maker’s view of the world and perception of a specific problem.
The Unit of Analysis, the Nature of Policy Spaces and the Model Approach
Authors: König Thomas
Published: June 2005

The evaluation of formal models generates questions about the unit of analysis, the nature of the policy space and the kind of criteria to be applied for comparative testing. Do we study decision-making at the proposal level or do we explore the policy space of a set of proposals across multiple sectors? Can we reduce the policy space of the unit of analysis and if so, how do we reduce it? And how do we test formal theories - should we use point predictions offering multiple criteria or do we have proceedings which control for robustness and the level of assumptions?
Improving the Explanatory Power of Bargaining Models
Authors: Selck Torsten J.
Published: June 2005

Focusing on recent studies of European Union legislative decision-making, this research note evaluates the current literature that attempts to improve the explanatory power of bargaining models by integrating game-theoretic spatial models with micro-level data gained from expert interviews or from document analyses.
The Possibility of a Preference-Based Power Index
Authors: Napel Stefan , Widgrén Mika
Published: June 2005

This article replies to the claim that preference-based power indices are impossible and that preferences should be ignored when assessing actors’ influence in different interactions (Braham and Holler [2005] ‘The Impossibility of a Preference-based Power Index’, Journal of Theoretical Politics 17: 137-57). The article argues that preferences are an important determinant of potential and actual outcomes of social interaction and thereby a valuable ingredient of power analysis.
Police Involvement in Child Protective Services Investigations: Literature Review and Secondary Data Analysis
Authors: Cross Theodore P. , Finkelhor David , Ormrod Richard
Published: June 2005

This article examines the relationship of police and child protective services (CPS) coinvolvement to the outcomes of child maltreatment investigations. It reviews practice and empirical literature and conducts a secondary analysis of a national CPS data set. Most sources argue that coordination of the two agencies improves investigations and benefits children and families. Yet, sources also report friction between these agencies, interference with each other’s job, and concerns that police involvement increases child removal. In the CPS case data, allegations were more likely to be judged credible when police also investigated and families were also more likely to receive various services. For neglect cases, multi-disciplinary decision making, but not police involvement per se, was linked to child removal. Across studies, police do not appear to hinder CPS effectiveness and may actually promote it. Their investigations should be coordinated in every community.
Child Maltreatment Prevention Priorities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Authors: Whitaker Daniel J. , Lutzker John R. , Shelley Gene A.
Published: June 2005

The Division of Violence Prevention at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Injury Prevention and Control has had a long-standing interest in the prevention of child maltreatment. The nation’s public health agency, CDC, seeks to focus the public health perspective on the problem of child maltreatment and to promote science-based practice in the field. Since 1999, CDC has developed research priorities to address the prevention of child maltreatment. Described here is a brief rationale for applying a public health approach to child maltreatment and a discussion of the priority-setting process, priorities in each of four areas of the public health model, and some of CDC’s current child maltreatment prevention activities.
Telling feminist stories
Authors: Hemmings Clare
Published: June 2005

This article identifies and analyses the dominant stories that academics tell about the development of Western second wave feminist theory. Through an examination of recent production of interdisciplinary feminist and cultural theory journals, I suggest that despite a rhetorical insistence on multiple feminisms, Western feminist trajectories emerge as startlingly singular. In particular, I am critical of an insistent narrative that sees the development of feminist thought as a relentless march of progress or loss. This dominant approach oversimplifies the complex history of Western feminisms, fixes writers and perspectives within a particular decade, and repeatedly (and erroneously) positions poststructuralist feminists as ‘the first’ to challenge the category ‘woman’ as the subject and object of feminist knowledge. Rather than provide a corrective history of Western feminist theory, the article interrogates the techniques through which this dominant story is secured, despite the fact that we (feminist theorists) know better. My focus, therefore, is on citation patterns, discursive framings and some of their textual, theoretical and political effects. As an alternative, I suggest a realignment of key theorists purported to provide a critical break in feminist theory with their feminist citational traces, to force a concomitant re-imagining of our historical legacy and our place within it.
The new importance of the relationship between formality and informality
Authors: Misztal Barbara A.
Published: June 2005

Arguing that the fruitful approach to a reworking of the social depends upon forging an alliance between sociological theory and feminist theory, the paper analyses strands in sociological thinking which are responsible for renewed interest in the ‘social’. The first perspective, as developed by Touraine, Urry, Bauman and Castells, formulates a new agenda for ‘sociology beyond the social’ and emphasizes the limitations of the concept of ‘the social as society’. The second orientation, represented here by Richard Sennett, tracks the shifting relationships between public and private. The third strand, illustrated by the recent work of Robert Putnam, focuses on the notion of social capital. A comparison between these perspectives introduces my argument that we should search for a new balance not only between local and global, and private and public, but also between formality and informality as only such an approach has the potential to capture the complexity of and the interdependence between conditions responsible for the production of demands for trust and ways of generating trust. The paper argues that how actors strike the optimal balance between formality and informality in interactions depends on the specific characteristics of different realms of interaction. Therefore, in conclusion, I describe three styles of interaction: civility, sociability and intimacy, which represent the essential basis for an enhanced quality of social and personal life.
Social capital
Authors: Adkins Lisa
Published: June 2005

Within the social sciences the widespread impact of the social capital concept has prompted strong critique on the part of feminists, for it is a concept which appears to reinstate a version of social worlds which for the past thirty years or more feminist social scientists have sought to problematize and move beyond. Yet do these critiques go beyond the social capital paradigm? It is the contention of this article that they do not and in particular that such critiques fail to problematize the association of women with collective social goods found in the social capital literature. It will be suggested further that this association relates to the use of a dualism of instrumentality versus freedom, whereby women are overwhelmingly associated with the latter. This article therefore delineates a gendered subtext operative within the social capital debates. Recognition of this subtext should lead feminists to disengage with the social capital concept, for this is a concept whose use will always trap women in the social-historical time of industrial society.
A progress report on progress files
Authors: East Rob
Published: June 2005

In order to facilitate personal development planning (PDP), the UK higher education sector is committed to introducing progress files. This article explores the experience of one institution in seeking to establish a system of progress files. It identifies the main practical problems in doing this, highlighting the lack of agreement on the skills that higher education students are expected to acquire and focuses on resourcing and strategic decision-making as keys to success. Effective implementation of progress files is seen as enhancing the learning experience of students. However, some concerns are expressed on whether this will be achieved across the whole of the UK higher education sector.
Advances in Ethnobiological Field Methods
Authors: Stepp John Richard
Published: June 2005

This article serves as an introduction for a special issue of Field Methods titled “Field Methods in Ethnobiology.” The contribution of ethnobiological research to the development of methods in the social sciences is explored in a historical perspective. A summary of the articles found in the special issue is presented.
Considerations for Collecting Freelists in the Field: Examples from Ethobotany
Authors: Quinlan Marsha
Published: June 2005

In freelists, informants create an inventory of all the items they know within a given category. Freelists reveal cultural salience and variation in individuals’ topical knowledge. The ease and accuracy of freelist interviewing makes it ideal for collecting data on local knowledge from relatively large samples. This method, however, does not work well with broad topical areas: People tend to omit some items and cluster responses as they unpack mental subcategories. Successive freelisting can reduce and redefine topics (domains), thus focusing the content of interviews. In oral freelists, interviewers should prevent bystanders from contaminating the informant’s list, and written freelists are advisable in literate communities. Responses from freelists should be cross-checked with informal methods as much as practicable, as in this Caribbean case. With proper attention to detail, freelisting can amass high-quality ethnobotanical data.
Scenarios as a Tool for Eliciting and Understanding Farmers’ Biological Knowledge
Authors: Soleri Daniela , Cleveland David A.
Published: June 2005

Modern scientific knowledge and indigenous or traditionally based knowledge are often assumed to be fundamentally different and incomparable. Testing this assumption is important theoretically and for supporting scientist-farmer collaboration to improve farmers’ well-being in their own terms. We illustrate the use of scenarios based on a basic biological model to understand farmers’ theoretical biological knowledge. Scenarios depict aspects of the model in terms comprehensible to farmers and relevant to collaboration with scientific plant breeders. Results suggest that scenarios are useful for eliciting traditionally based biological knowledge and that farmers’ theoretical biological knowledge is based on the same model as that of scientists.
Some Field Methods in Medical Ethnobiology
Authors: Berlin Elois Ann , Berlin Brent
Published: June 2005

The authors provide a summary of methods that they have used in their long-term interdisciplinary research that incorporates a series of semi-independent, complementary methods of data collection derived from medical anthropology, ethnobotany, and ethnopharmacology. Discussion begins with the first step in research with human subjects, the acquisition of prior informed consent; they then outline the theoretical postulates underlying their methodological approach. Medical anthropological methods include building databases of ethnoanatomical terms and named health conditions. Ethnoepidemiological surveys can then establish the perceived frequency and cultural salience of the health problems named in the databases. The ethnomedical and ethnobotanical data provide an ethnopharmacopoeia of medicinal plants that become the basis for documentation of the details of selection and preparation and administration or ethnoformulary. The results of these integrated disciplinary studies can be returned to the study population for home use, small-scale local production as cottage industries, and larger commercial production for sustained economic development.
Energy Use of Buildings in Central Argentina
Authors: Filippín C.
Published: June 2005

The present work analyzes the consumption of energy of three typologically and technologically different buildings, and its interaction with dimensional, morphological, and thermal indicators. The comparison of heat energy consumed by the conventional and the solar buildings (individual and apartments) allows the evaluation of the energy saved through the use of passive solar techniques and thermal envelopes. The study buildings are located in Santa Rosa (capital of the province of La Pampa) in Argentina. The latitudinal variation of degree days oscillates between 1300 and 1600 C to the north and the south, respectively. The results show the high correlation between the energy consumption and the energy loss through the building’s envelope. In buildings with conventional technology, the envelope (without insulation) reaches a G value of 4.13 W/m3 C, higher than the admissible maximum value stipulated by the N. IRAM 11604 for the study region. The technologically optimized construction through the use of an energy-efficient envelope, a carpentry with double glazing, and a collecting area of 12% with respect to the building’s useful area allowed an energy saving of around 75% during winter. The results confirm the large potential of the solar building design to reach significant levels of energy saving, and the comparison of solar and conventional buildings in terms of natural gas consumption confirms the magnitude of such a potential.
Utilizing Latent Building Thermal Mass for Dehumidification
Authors: Abaza Hussein F.
Published: June 2005

Traditionally, attic space in buildings is perceived as a source of nuisance. In winter, moisture condensation on the attic ceiling encourages mildew growth. In summer, the heat buildup in the attic space increases the cooling load. However, if the attic is integrated in a holistic design and control strategy, it can function as a solar energy collector, a heat exchanger, and a desiccant.

This research investigates energy saving by optimizing direct and indirect ventilation through the attic to precool buildings and to reduce humidity. The proposed energy saving strategies are examined in a double story house with an attic. The house is located in a moderate-humid climate. The built-up heat in the attic space and outside air ventilation is used to dry up roof construction materials during the day. When outside air cools down during the night but maintains high humidity, the indoor air is circulated through the attic space. The attic construction materials absorb moisture from the indoor air. Thus, indoor air loses both heat and moisture. EnergyPlus Simulation software was used to simulate these cooling and dehumidification strategies. The simulation results show a significant passive cooling and dehumidification in the building.
Physicochemical Characterization of a Hydrated Calcium Silicate Board Material
Authors: Hamilton Andrea , Hall Christopher
Published: June 2005

A hydrated calcium silicate insulation board was one of three construction materials used in the round-robin study of hygric properties carried out in the HAMSTAD project (Roels, S., Carmeliet, J., Hens, H., Adan, O., Brocken, H., Cerny, R., Pavlik, Z., Hall, C., Kumaran, K., Pel, L. and Plagge, R. (2004). Interlaboratory Comparison of Hygric Properties of Porous Building Materials, Journal of Thermal Envelope and Building Science, 27: 307-325). We report here the results of a physicochemical examination of this material. Analysis by synchrotron X-ray diffraction and nuclear magnetic resonance show that the mineralogical composition is essentially pure xonotlite. Bulk density and pore size distribution were obtained by mercury intrusion porosimetry and helium pycnometry; microstructural fabric was observed by high and low resolution electron microscopy; and organic content measured by Carbon-Hydrogen-Nitrogen (CHN) chemical analysis.
Alveolar macrophages regulate neutrophil recruitment in endotoxin-induced lung injury
Authors: Beck-Schimmer Beatrice , Schwendener Reto , Pasch Thomas , Reyes Livia , Booy Christa , Schimmer Ralph C
Published: June 2005

Background

Alveolar macrophages play an important role during the development of acute inflammatory lung injury. In the present study, in vivo alveolar macrophage depletion was performed by intratracheal application of dichloromethylene diphosphonate-liposomes in order to study the role of these effector cells in the early endotoxin-induced lung injury.

Methods

Lipopolysaccharide was applied intratracheally and the inflammatory reaction was assessed 4 hours later. Neutrophil accumulation and expression of inflammatory mediators were determined. To further analyze in vivo observations, in vitro experiments with alveolar epithelial cells and alveolar macrophages were performed.

Results

A 320% increase of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was observed in macrophage-depleted compared to macrophage-competent lipopolysaccharide-animals. This neutrophil recruitment was also confirmed in the interstitial space. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was significantly increased in the absence of alveolar macrophages. This phenomenon was underlined by in vitro experiments with alveolar epithelial cells and alveolar macrophages. Neutralizing monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in the airways diminished neutrophil accumulation.

Conclusion

These data suggest that alveolar macorphages play an important role in early endotoxin-induced lung injury. They prevent neutrophil influx by controlling monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 production through alveolar epithelial cells. Alveolar macrophages might therefore possess robust anti-inflammatory effects.
Clinical presentation of abdominal tuberculosis in HIV seronegative adults
Authors: Bolukbas Cengiz , Bolukbas Fusun F , Kendir Tulin , Dalay Remzi A , Akbayir Nihat , Sokmen Mehmet H , Ince Ali T , Guran Mithat , Ceylan Erkan , Kilic Guray , Ovunc Oya
Published: June 2005

Background

The accurate diagnosis of abdominal tuberculosis usually takes a long time and requires a high index of suspicion in clinic practice. Eighty-eight immune-competent patients with abdominal tuberculosis were grouped according to symptoms at presentation and followed prospectively in order to investigate the effect of symptomatic presentation on clinical diagnosis and prognosis.

Methods

Based upon the clinical presentation, the patients were divided into groups such as non-specific abdominal pain & less prominent in bowel habit, ascites, alteration in bowel habit, acute abdomen and others. Demographic, clinical and laboratory features, coexistence of pulmonary tuberculosis, diagnostic procedures, definitive diagnostic tests, need for surgical therapy, and response to treatment were assessed in each group.

Results

According to clinical presentation, five groups were constituted as non-specific abdominal pain (n = 24), ascites (n = 24), bowel habit alteration (n = 22), acute abdomen (n = 9) and others (n = 9). Patients presenting with acute abdomen had significantly higher white blood cell counts (p = 0.002) and abnormalities in abdominal plain radiographs (p = 0.014). Patients presenting with alteration in bowel habit were younger (p = 0.048). The frequency of colonoscopic abnormalities (7.5%), and need for therapeutic surgery (12.5%) were lower in patients with ascites, (p = 0.04) and (p = 0.001), respectively. There was no difference in gender, disease duration, diagnostic modalities, response to treatment, period to initial response, and mortality between groups (p > 0.05). Gastrointestinal tract alone was the most frequently involved part (38.5%), and this was associated with acid-fast bacteria in the sputum (p = 0.003).

Conclusion

Gastrointestinal tract involvement is frequent in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis. Although different clinical presentations of patients with abdominal tuberculosis determine diagnostic work up and need for therapeutic surgery, evidence based diagnosis and consequences of the disease does not change.
In vivo effect of interleukin-1beta and interleukin-1RA on oocyte cytoplasmic maturation, ovulation, and early embryonic development in the mare
Authors: Caillaud Maud , Duchamp Guy , Gérard Nadine
Published: June 2005

A growing body of evidence suggests that the interleukin-1 system is involved in periovulatory events. Previous work from our lab demonstrated that in the mare, interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) increases the ovulatory rate of metaphase II oocytes. The present study was conducted to analyze in vivo the effect of IL-1 on oocyte cytoplasmic maturation, ovulation and pregnancy rate. In the present work, IL-1beta (experiment 1, n = 13; experiment 2, n = 25) and interleukin-1RA (IL-1RA; experiment 1, n = 25) were injected intrafollicularly by using the transvaginal ultrasound-guided injection method. Injections were performed on cyclic mares when the diameter of the growing dominant follicle reached 30–34 mm. In experiment 1, mares were inseminated the day of the treatment and all the other day until ovulation. The time of ovulation was determined and a pregnancy diagnosis was performed 14 days after ovulation of the injected follicle. In experiment 2, the cumulus-oocyte complex from each injected follicle was collected by transvaginal ultrasound-guided aspiration 38 h after the intrafollicular injection. Oocyte nuclear stage and oocyte cytoplasmic maturation were assessed by analyzing chromatin configuration, cortical granules migration and mitochondria distribution under a confocal microscope. The results from experiment 1 confirm that an intrafollicular injection of 1 microgram IL-1beta induces ovulation in the mare whereas IL-1RA has no effect at the dose used in the present study. Furthemore, we demonstrated, that in our experimental conditions, IL-1beta and IL-1RA induced a decrease in embryo development. Experiment 2 leads us to observe that IL-1beta is unable to induce cortical granules migration and remodelling of mitochondria, that commonly occurs during oocyte maturation, whereas it acts on nuclear maturation. This result may explain the decrease in embryo development we observed after IL-1beta intrafollicular injection. In conclusion, the present study tends to demonstrate that IL-1beta plays a role in the ovulatory process and may acts on oocyte maturation in the mare, but additional factors are required to complete equine oocyte cytoplasmic maturation to allow embryo development.
Addition of 5-fluorouracil to doxorubicin-paclitaxel sequence increases caspase-dependent apoptosis in breast cancer cell lines
Authors: Zoli Wainer , Ulivi Paola , Tesei Anna , Fabbri Francesco , Rosetti Marco , Maltoni Roberta , Giunchi Donata Casadei , Ricotti Luca , Brigliadori Giovanni , Vannini Ivan , Amadori Dino
Published: June 2005

Introduction

The aim of the study was to evaluate the activity of a combination of doxorubicin (Dox), paclitaxel (Pacl) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), to define the most effective schedule, and to investigate the mechanisms of action in human breast cancer cells.

Methods

The study was performed on MCF-7 and BRC-230 cell lines. The cytotoxic activity was evaluated by sulphorhodamine B assay and the type of drug interaction was assessed by the median effect principle. Cell cycle perturbation and apoptosis were evaluated by flow cytometry, and apoptosis-related marker (p53, bcl-2, bax, p21), caspase and thymidylate synthase (TS) expression were assessed by western blot.

Results

5-FU, used as a single agent, exerted a low cytotoxic activity in both cell lines. The Dox→Pacl sequence produced a synergistic cytocidal effect and enhanced the efficacy of subsequent exposure to 5-FU in both cell lines. Specifically, the Dox→Pacl sequence blocked cells in the G2-M phase, and the addition of 5-FU forced the cells to progress through the cell cycle or killed them. Furthermore, Dox→Pacl pretreatment produced a significant reduction in basal TS expression in both cell lines, probably favoring the increase in 5-FU activity. The sequence Dox→Pacl→48-h washout→5-FU produced a synergistic and highly schedule-dependent interaction (combination index < 1), resulting in an induction of apoptosis in both experimental models regardless of hormonal, p53, bcl-2 or bax status. Apoptosis in MCF-7 cells was induced through caspase-9 activation and anti-apoptosis-inducing factor hyperexpression. In the BRC-230 cell line, the apoptotic process was triggered only by a caspase-dependent mechanism. In particular, at the end of the three-drug treatment, caspase-8 activation triggered downstream executioner caspase-3 and, to a lesser degree, caspase-7.

Conclusion

In our experimental models, characterized by different biomolecular profiles representing the different biology of human breast cancers, the schedule Dox→Pacl→48-h washout→5-FU was highly active and schedule-dependent and has recently been used to plan a phase I/II clinical protocol.
Pneumothorax and mortality in the mechanically ventilated SARS patients: a prospective clinical study
Authors: Kao Hsin-Kuo , Wang Jia-Horng , Sung Chun-Sung , Huang Ying-Che , Lien Te-Cheng
Published: June 2005

Introduction

Pneumothorax often complicates the management of mechanically ventilated severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) patients in the isolation intensive care unit (ICU). We sought to determine whether pneumothoraces are induced by high ventilatory pressure or volume and if they are associated with mortality in mechanically ventilated SARS patients.

Methods

We conducted a prospective, clinical study. Forty-one mechanically ventilated SARS patients were included in our study. All SARS patients were sedated and received mechanical ventilation in the isolation ICU.

Results

The mechanically ventilated SARS patients were divided into two groups either with or without pneumothorax. Their demographic data, clinical characteristics, ventilatory variables such as positive end-expiratory pressure, peak inspiratory pressure, mean airway pressure, tidal volume, tidal volume per kilogram, respiratory rate and minute ventilation and the accumulated mortality rate at 30 days after mechanical ventilation were analyzed. There were no statistically significant differences in the pressures and volumes between the two groups, and the mortality was also similar between the groups. However, patients developing pneumothorax during mechanical ventilation frequently expressed higher respiratory rates on admission, and a lower PaO2/FiO2 ratio and higher PaCO2 level during hospitalization compared with those without pneumothorax.

Conclusion

In our study, the SARS patients who suffered pneumothorax presented as more tachypnic on admission, and more pronounced hypoxemic and hypercapnic during hospitalization. These variables signaled a deterioration in respiratory function and could be indicators of developing pneumothorax during mechanical ventilation in the SARS patients. Meanwhile, meticulous respiratory therapy and monitoring were mandatory in these patients.
Exhaled nitric oxide in paediatric asthma
Authors: Ratnawati R , Thomas P S
Published: June 2005

Assessment of airway function is difficult in young children with asthma, and in addition, only reflects the status of the disease at the time of the measurement. Thus, there is increasing interest in monitoring airway inflammation in asthma, which may provide a longer term assessment of disease activity. Most methods of assessing asthmatic inflammation are invasive, and are not feasible in the paediatric population. This review discusses exhaled nitric oxide as a marker of asthmatic inflammation, and compares it with other recognized markers. Exhaled nitric oxide has the potential to become a noninvasive method of assessing asthma control in the paediatric population.
Synthetic Study toward Antitumour Natural Product Pericosine A
Authors: Usami Yoshihide , Ueda Yasuko
Published: June 2005

The stereoselective total synthesis of methyl (3R,4S,5S,6R)-6-chloro-3,4,5-trihydroxy-1-cyclohex-1-enecarboxylate (1), which had been reported as the antitumour marine natural product pericosine A, from (−)-quinic acid was achieved. From the total synthesis, it was confirmed that the reported stereostructure of pericosine A was incorrect because the spectroscopic data of the synthetic product were not identical with those of the natural compound.
Aneurysmal bone cyst of the spine
Authors: Giddings C E B , Bray D , Stapleton S , Daya H
Published: June 2005

The authors present the case of an 11-year-old boy with a painful, rapidly expanding lesion in the posterior triangle of the neck. There was no history of cervical trauma. Computerized tomography of the neck revealed a unicameral (single-chambered) aneurysmal bone cyst involving the C3 vertebra. Treatment was by open resection and curettage; no recurrence was seen at six months. We discuss the natural history, differential diagnosis, radiographic appearance and treatment modalities for this unusual, benign, expanding, osteolytic lesion containing blood-filled cystic cavities.
Does passive smoking affect the outcome of grommet insertion in children?
Authors: Praveen C V , Terry R M
Published: June 2005

Bilateral myringotomy with insertion of ventilation tube (grommet) is the most common surgical procedure done on children under general anaesthetic. A prospective study was conducted on children undergoing grommet insertion to ascertain any relationship between exposures of passive smoking to the outcome of grommet insertion. Six hundred and six children (with 1174 ears) who underwent grommet insertion for recurrent secretory otitis media were followed up till the grommets were extruded. Thirty-three children (65 per cent), whose mothers smoked when they were pregnant, had bilateral narrow external ear canals. The median survival rate of grommet was 59 weeks in children who were exposed to passive smoking as compared to 86 weeks for non-exposed children and the extrusion rate of grommet was 36 per cent higher at the end of one year if both parents smoked compared to the non-smoking group. Post-extrusion myringosclerosis was 64 per cent if both parents smoked and less than 20 per cent if neither parents smoked. It is concluded that post-operative infection rate, attic retraction, post-extrusion myringosclerosis and permanent perforations of tympanic membrane were more common in children exposed to passive smoking. The study provides further support to professional and governmental advice that passive smoking is harmful.
Two stage management of petrositis with associated mycotic aneurysm of the intrapetrous carotid artery
Authors: Crossland G J , De R , Higgins J N P , Axon P R
Published: June 2005

Mycotic aneurysm of the petrous temporal bone is extremely rare, with only 12 cases previously reported. We review the literature to date and present a case of petrositis complicated by a mycotic aneurysm of the internal carotid artery, which was managed by endovascular balloon occlusion and subsequent total petrosectomy. We can find no other case in the literature where balloon occlusion has been used to treat a mycotic aneurysm of the intrapetrous carotid artery prior to total petrosectomy to treat petrositis.
Cystic fibrosis lung disease following infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Cftr knockout mice using novel non-invasive direct pulmonary infection technique
Authors: Guilbault C , Martin P , Houle D , Boghdady M-L , Guiot M-C , Marion D , Radzioch D
Published: June 2005

To better understand the mechanism of lung infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa ( P. aeruginosa), many techniques have been developed in order to establish lung infection in rodents. A model of chronic lung infection, using tracheotomy to inoculate the bacteria, has been extensively used in the cystic fibrosis (CF) mouse model of lung infection. The cystic fibrosis transmembrane channel ( Cftr) knockout (KO) mice are smaller than normal mice and are more sensitive to housing and nutritional conditions, leading to small amounts of animals being available for experiments. Because of these characteristics, and because of the invasiveness of the infection procedure which we, and others, have been using to mimic the lung infection, we sought to find an alternative way to study the inflammatory response during lung P. aeruginosa infection. The technique we describe here consists of the injection of bacterial beads directly into the lungs through the mouth without the need of any tracheal incisions. This technique of direct pulmonary delivery enables much faster infection of the animals compared with the intratracheal technique previously used. The use of this less invasive technique allows the exclusion of the surgery-related inflammation. Our results show that, using the direct pulmonary delivery technique, the KO mice were more susceptible to P. aeruginosa lung infection compared with their wild-type (WT) controls, as shown by their increased weight loss, higher bacterial burden and more elevated polymorphonuclear (PMN) alveolar cell recruitment into the lungs. These differences are consistent with the pathological profiles observed in CF patients infected with P. aeruginosa. Overall, this method simplifies the infection procedure in terms of its duration and invasiveness, and improves the survival rate of the KO mice when compared with the previously used intratracheal procedure.
An animal model for oroantral communications: a pilot study with Göttingen minipigs
Authors: van Minnen B , Stegenga B , Zuidema J , Hissink C E , van Leeuwen M B M , van Kooten T G , Bos R R M
Published: June 2005

A pilot study was performed to investigate whether the Göttingen minipig is a suitable animal model for creating and closing oroantral communications (OACs) and to test whether these defects can be closed with a biodegradable polyurethane (PU) foam. In three adult minipigs, an OAC was created on both sides of the maxilla. The left side was closed by a standard surgical buccal flap procedure, the right side by applying a PU foam. The pigs were killed after two weeks, one month and three months, respectively. Postmortem and histological examination showed that an OAC was created in only one of six cases. In the remaining cases, the infraorbital canal was perforated instead of the floor of the maxillary sinus. It was concluded that the Göttingen minipig is not a suitable animal model for OAC investigations. As a result, the closure of OACs with a biodegradable PU could not be evaluated.
In vivo quantitative assessment of catheter patency in rats
Authors: Yang Jun , Maarek Jean-Michel I , Holschneider Daniel P
Published: June 2005

Formation of fibrin sleeves around catheter tips is a central factor in catheter failure during chronic implantation, and such tissue growth can occur despite administration of anticoagulants. We developed a novel method for monitoring catheter patency. This method recognizes the progressive nature of catheter occlusion, and tracks this process over time through measurement of changes in catheter resistance to a standardized 1 mL bolus infusion from a pressurized reservoir. Two indirect measures of catheter patency were used: (a) reservoir residual pressure and (b) reservoir discharge time. This method was applied to the study of catheter patency in rats comparing the effect of catheter material (silastic, polyurethane, Microrenathane™), lock solution (heparin, heparin/dexamethasone) and two different cannulation sites (superior vena cava via the external jugular vein, inferior vena cava via the femoral vein). Our findings reveal that application of flexible smaller-size silastic catheters and a dexamethasone lock solution resulted in prolonged catheter patency. Patency could be maintained over nine weeks with the femoral vein catheters, compared with five weeks with the external jugular vein catheters. The current method for measuring catheter patency provides a useful index for the assessment of tissue growth around the catheter tip. The method also provides an objective and quantitative way of comparing changes in catheter patency for different surgical methods and catheter types. Our method improves on the conventional method of assessing catheter occlusion by judging the ability to aspirate from the catheter.