bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dorsal onlay augmentation urethroplasty with small intestinal submucosa: Modified Barbagli technique for strictures of the bulbar urethra
Authors: DONKOV IVO I , BASHIR AZMAT , ELENKOV CHAVDAR HG , PANCHEV PETAR K
Published: November 2006

Aim: To present the results from one clinic’s experience of using small intestinal submucosa (SIS) in augmentation urethroplasty for management of strictures of the bulbar urethra.

Methods: Urethral surgery was performed in nine men with strictures 4–6 cm. All of the patients were evaluated by history, physical examination, retrograde urethrogram, and uroflowmetry. Four layers of SIS were soaked in saline or Ringer’s solution for 15 minutes at 37°C, and the inner surface of the patch was gently fenestrated with a thin scalpel. The patch was spread‐fixed onto the tunica albuginea. The mucosa was sutured to the submucosal graft first at 2–3 mm inwards from the SIS margins, then the spongiosum tissue was attached to the margins with interrupted absorbable sutures.

Results: Of the nine patients who underwent augmentation urethroplasty using SIS, only one had re‐stricture at 6 months due to urethral infection. At 18 months after the surgery the uroflowmetry of the other eight patients was 20–21 mL/s. In terms of complications, six patients reported having post‐micturition dribbling, and seven patients reported lack of morning erections for 35–69 days after surgery.

Conclusions: Using SIS is a safe procedure; however, long‐term follow‐up is needed to substantiate the good short‐term results.
Failure to detect urethral Trichomonas vaginalis in Japanese men with or without urethritis
Authors: MAEDA SHIN‐ICHI , KUBOTA YASUAKI , SENDA YURI , TAMAKI MASAYOSHI , YASUDA MITSURU , DEGUCHI TAKASHI
Published: November 2006

Aim: Trichomonas vaginalis may cause symptomatic or asymptomatic urethritis in men. There are few recent studies on the prevalence of T. vaginalis infection in Japanese men, and quantification of the number of cases of urethritis attributable to this pathogen has not been performed in Japan. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and morbidity of T. vaginalis infection in Japanese men.

Methods: One hundred subjects with or without urethritis were examined for the presence of urethral T. vaginalis using culture swabs.

Results: Urethral swabs from all subjects were negative for T. vaginalis.

Conclusion: These results indicate Japanese men, including those with urethritis, have a low incidence of urethral T. vaginalis infection or colonization. T. vaginalis appears to be an uncommon pathogen for male urethritis in Japan.
Elevation of serum and urinary carbohydrate antigen 19‐9 in benign hydronephrosis
Authors: AYBEK HULYA , AYBEK ZAFER , SINIK ZAFER , DEMIR SULEYMAN , SANCAK BURAK , TUNCAY LEVENT
Published: November 2006

Objective: The aim of this study was to find out the predictive role of serum and urinary carbohydrate antigen 19‐9 levels in benign hydronephrosis and whether these levels are helpful for differentiation of complete or partial urinary obstruction.

Materials and methods: Fifty‐four patients with, and 23 without, benign hydronephrosis were enrolled in this study. Serum and urinary carbohydrate antigen 19‐9 were determined by the chemiluminescence enzyme immunometric assay method and these levels were correlated with clinical factors.

Results: The mean serum (P < 0.0001) and urinary (P < 0.0001) carbohydrate antigen 19‐9 and serum creatinine (P < 0.008) levels were significantly higher in the hydronephrosis group than the control group. There was significant correlation between serum and urinary carbohydrate antigen 19‐9 levels in the hydronephrosis group (r = 0.639, P < 0.0001). In the hydronephrosis group, there were no significant differences between the serum creatinine, serum or urinary carbohydrate antigen 19‐9 levels and the clinical features except symptom duration. The best cut‐off value for the serum and urinary carbohydrate antigen 19‐9 were found to be 4.84 U/mL and 29.35 U/mL, respectively.

Conclusion: Serum and urinary carbohydrate antigen 19‐9 levels correlated with each other, were significantly elevated in patients with hydronephrosis and did not predict complete urinary obstruction. Benign hydronephrosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of carbohydrate antigen 19‐9 increments, as this is what is of most importance in clinical practice.
The Murray River's ‘Sea to Hume Dam’ fish passage program: Progress to date and lessons learned
Authors: Barrett Jim , Mallen‐Cooper Martin
Published: November 2006

Since its commencement in 2001, a program to facilitate fish passage on a major stretch of Australia's longest river has installed eight structures, testing and modifying their design as they go. What are the results so far and what are the implications for future directions?
Rainforest rehabilitation on a productive Macadamia property: The Brockley story
Authors: Lymburner Stephanie , Handley Charlie , Handley Jenny
Published: November 2006

A transformed rainforest remnant is visible from the main road, but even more impressive changes can be found deep within the privately owned agricultural property. This story, told by the landholders and regeneration team member, recounts the processes and outcomes of an 8‐year program to restore remnants and convert extensive weedy linkages to regrowth rainforest.
Are butterflies and moths useful indicators for restoration monitoring? A pilot study in Sydney's Cumberland Plain Woodland
Authors: Lomov Boris , Keith David A. , Britton David R. , Hochuli Dieter F.
Published: November 2006

Summary  Moths and butterflies are strongly associated with vegetation structure and composition, which makes them a suitable indicator taxon for various ecological studies. Despite a good knowledge of many Australian lepidopteran taxa, they have rarely been used for restoration assessment. To explore the feasibility of using Lepidoptera as an indicator taxon for restoration monitoring in Australia, we used it to evaluate the success of a large‐scale revegetation program in western Sydney. We compared moth and butterfly assemblages sampled with relatively low intensity in unrestored pastures, revegetated pastures and remnants of endangered Cumberland Plain Woodland (restoration aim). A light‐trap survey of moth assemblages showed no significant differences in moth species richness and composition between any of the treatments with traps in revegetated areas producing most species rich samples. Butterfly surveys conducted over a 1‐year period showed a considerable increase in butterfly species richness in revegetated areas compared to pastures, while forest remnants still had twice as many butterfly species compared to revegetated areas. Current revegetation practices employed to restore Cumberland Plain Woodland increased the diversity of lepidopteran assemblages, however, it is not clear whether they are on a trajectory towards the reference assemblages of forest remnants. Our study demonstrates that Lepidoptera, particularly butterflies, has a potential for broader application as an indicator group in restoration monitoring in Australia.
Should we be more critical of remnant seed sources being used for revegetation?
Authors: Broadhurst Linda M. , North Tom , Young Andrew G.
Published: November 2006

Summary  A challenge for land managers restoring degraded agricultural landscapes across southern Australia will be to ensure the viability of remnant vegetation while simultaneously supplying the quantities of appropriate seed required for revegetation. To ensure such revegetation programs have the best chance of success, seed that is both genetically diverse and locally adapted will be required. Identifying suitable seed sources can be particularly difficult in regions where local seed sources are restricted to small and isolated remnants. Gold‐dust Wattle (Acacia acinacea Lindl.) is a key revegetation species in the Deniliquin region of New South Wales; however, broadscale land clearing in the area has limited local seed sources to a few remnant stands. Field‐based experience suggests that revegetation success may depend upon the source of seed used, raising the question of whether differences in the germination and survival of seed reflect functional problems within these source populations. To test this possibility, seed was collected from 15 mothers in each of three seed sources regularly used for local restoration programs. Seed quality for each mother was assessed in terms of seed production and seedling fitness. In addition, genetic diversity and mating system parameters were determined to assess whether these explained the seed quality responses observed. Differences among the seed sources with respect to seed quality were generally congruent with field‐based predictions. High levels of correlated paternity in the two poorly performing seed sources probably reflect limited mating availability due to smaller population sizes and genetic incompatibility being mediated by a self‐incompatible reproductive strategy. Further research is now required to determine whether observed variability in the quality of seed from remnant vegetation in degraded landscapes is compromising revegetation efforts, and to help practitioners develop strategies to critically evaluate their seed sources.
Microbial community associated with the colonial ascidian Cystodytes dellechiajei
Authors: Martínez‐García Manuel , Díaz‐Valdés Marta , Wanner Gerhard , Ramos‐Esplá Alfonso , Antón Josefa
Published: November 2006

The ascidian Cystodytes dellechiajei (Della Valle, 1877) (phylum Chordata, class Ascidiacea, family Polycitoridae) is a colonial tunicate that inhabits benthic rock environments in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea. Its life cycle has two phases, the adult sessile colony and the free‐living larva. Both adult zooids and larvae are surrounded by a protective tunic that contains several eukaryotic cell lines, is composed mainly of acidic mucopolysacharides associated with collagen and elastin‐like proteins, and is covered by a thin cuticle. The microbiota associated with the tunic tissues of adult colonies and larva of C. dellechiajei has been examined by optical, confocal and electron microscopy and by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), and 16S rRNA gene clone library analysis. Microscopy analyses indicated the presence inside the tunic, both for the adult and the larva, of a dense community of Bacteria while only the external surface of colony cuticle was colonized by diatoms, rodophyte algae and prokaryotic‐like epiphytes. Transmission electron microscopy showed tunic eukaryotic cells that were engulfing and lysing bacteria. 16S rRNA gene analyses (DGGE and clone libraries) and FISH indicated that the community inside the tunic tissues of the adults and larvae was dominated by Alphaproteobacteria. Bacteria belonging to the phyla Gammaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were also detected in the adults. Many of the 16S rRNA gene sequences in the tunic tissues were related to known aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs (AAP), like Roseobacter sp. and Erythrobacter sp. In order to check whether the gene pufM, coding for the M subunit of the reaction centre complex of aerobic anoxygenic photosynthesis, was being expressed inside the ascidian tissues, two libraries, one for an adult colony and one for larva, of cDNA from the expressed pufM gene were also constructed. The sequences most frequently (64% for colony and 67% for larva) retrieved from these libraries presented > 90% aa identity with the pufM gene product of the Roseobacter‐like group, a cluster of AAP widely detected in marine planktonic environments.
Plant biological warfare: thorns inject pathogenic bacteria into herbivores
Authors: Halpern Malka , Raats Dina , Lev‐Yadun Simcha
Published: November 2006

Thorns, spines and prickles are among the rich arsenal of antiherbivore defence mechanisms that plants have evolved. Many of these thorns are aposematic, that is, marked by various types of warning coloration. This coloration was recently proposed to deter large herbivores. Yet, the mechanical defence provided by thorns against large herbivores might be only the tip of the iceberg in a much more complicated story. Here we present evidence that thorns harbour an array of pathogenic bacteria that are much more dangerous to herbivores than the painful mechanical wounding by the thorns. Pathogenic bacteria like Clostridium perfringens, the causative agent of the life‐threatening gas gangrene, and others, were isolated and identified from date palm (with green‐yellow‐black aposematic spines) and common hawthorn (with red aposematic thorns). These thorn‐inhabiting bacteria have a considerable potential role in antiherbivory, and may have uniquely contributed to the common evolution of aposematism (warning coloration) in thorny plants.
The Effect of ‘Simplicity’ on the Strategy–Performance Relationship: A Note*
Authors: Lumpkin G. T. , Dess Gregory G.
Published: November 2006

abstract  The concept of ‘simplicity’ (Miller, 1993) in strategy making suggests a preoccupation with a single goal, strategic activity, or function. Prior research indicates that simplicity may, under certain conditions, benefit firm performance, but it may also limit an organization's perspective and blind it to the breadth and variety it needs to sustain its success. This field study investigates the role of simplicity as a moderator of strategy–performance relationships. Using moderated hierarchical regression analysis, simplicity was found to enhance performance among firms using cost leadership and focus strategies among a sample of 32 firms. The findings suggest that the strategy making styles and practices of strategic managers influence the character of the whole organization and often have an important impact on organizational outcomes.
Dynamics of Cooperation: At the Brink of Irrelevance*
Authors: Bell John , Den Ouden Brian , Ziggers Gerrit Willem
Published: November 2006

abstract  Alliances have become commonplace. This has led to a considerable number of academic and professional publications on alliances and, more recently, on the dynamics of cooperation. However, the body of knowledge on the dynamics of cooperation developed so far is characterized by fragmentation, lack of coherence and non‐comparable research output. There is no consensus on paradigmatic beliefs, which hampers theoretical progress. As a result, there is what we call an academic gap. Moreover, the literature on the dynamics of cooperation often studies research questions that are irrelevant to managers' needs. As a consequence, there is also a managerial relevance gap. The emergence of these two gaps is primarily due to the choice of assumptions, the emphasis on originality, and the use of a variety of methodological approaches. Nevertheless, we believe it is still possible to reverse the trend and make the literature on the dynamics of cooperation more relevant.
Students with special educational needs: transitions from primary to secondary school
Authors: Maras Pam , Aveling Emma‐Louise
Published: November 2006

This article looks at the experiences of young people with Statements of special educational needs prior to and following moves from primary to secondary school. Pam Maras and Emma‐Louise Aveling of the University of Greenwich, London, used interviews to develop six qualitative case studies focusing on the transition process. Findings from these case studies reveal that the young people varied in their expectations and needs during the transition to secondary school, and that schools differed in the quality and efficacy of the support systems they provide. Parents' and carers' responses suggest that additional support services were not necessarily the most beneficial way to provide for all of the young people. What did appear to be beneficial was continuity of support throughout the transition to a new school, and the provision of a dedicated space within the school, such as a special needs unit. Several of the young people adapted easily alongside their peers without special educational needs, while others required more structured support. Pam Maras and Emma‐Louise Aveling suggest that effective communication between support services, the young person, and their parents can facilitate successful transitions by allowing support to be tailored to individual students' needs.
Occupational stress, negative affectivity and physical health in special and general education teachers in Greece
Authors: Lazuras Lambros
Published: November 2006

Teacher stress has attracted considerable attention, yet few studies have focused on special education teachers. This article, by Lambros Lazuras of the South‐East European Research Centre (SEERC) in Thessaloniki, reports research designed to explore differences in the stress levels of general and special educators in Greece and provides preliminary evidence for a framework to understand the process of special education teacher stress. A total of 70 teachers from general and special education schools from a large Greek city participated in the study by completing questionnaires. Measures included occupational stress deriving from interpersonal conflict, organisational constraints, workload, work‐related negative affectivity and health outcomes. Data analyses allowed for inferences regarding the dynamic interaction among the study variables. Findings appear interesting in terms of advancing current understanding of the relationships between different sources of job stress within the special education teaching context and provide general guidelines for future policies aiming to counter special education teacher stress.
Immanuel Kant's Theory of Rights
Authors: BECK GUNNAR
Published: November 2006

Abstract.  It is common for Kant's rights‐based liberalism to be contrasted with the communitarian authoritarianism of the later Fichte and of Hegel, and it is the concept of autonomy that is generally regarded as the theoretical fount of Kant's theory of natural rights, providing the analytical link between Kant's moral philosophy and his political and legal theory. The author argues that this view is erroneous: The notion of autonomy ultimately remains contentless and incapable of providing practical political and legal prescriptions without Kant's substantive account of human nature, an account specifying both the proper moral ends that humans should strive for and the anthropological limits of human perfectibility. Kant's theory of rights is informed by both sets of considerations. Contrary to the received view, Kant develops a socially sensitive account of the self in his later writings, and comes to believe that individual autonomy depends in large measure on the realisation of certain propitious sociocultural and political arrangements. For Kant, natural rights, like individual freedom, are not ahistorical, universal standards of political justice but the historical outcome of the long process of enlightenment. As such, what is right will depend on what is timely. Here Kant is much closer to Fichte and Hegel than is generally acknowledged.
Levinasian Ethics and Legal Obligation*
Authors: CROWE JONATHAN
Published: November 2006

Abstract.  This paper discusses the implications of the ethical theory of Emmanuel Levinas for theoretical debates about legal obligation. I begin by examining the structure of moral reasoning in light of Levinas's account of ethics, looking particularly at the role of the “third party” (le tiers) in modifying Levinas's primary ethical structure of the “face to face” relation. I then argue that the primordial role of ethical experience in social discourse, as emphasised by Levinas, undermines theories, such as that of H. L. A. Hart, that propose a systematic distinction between legal and moral species of obligation.
Stuntman for the State: Loughlin'sIdea of Public Law
Authors: SHELLY ROBERT
Published: November 2006

Abstract. This paper provides a critical analysis of Martin Loughlin's pure theory of public law as developed in his more recent work. I argue that the pure theory makes a series of errors and rests on a set of assumptions that make it inappropriate to provide the legal framework for any social‐democratic polity. Specifically, the theory concedes too much latitude to the functional needs of the state and organised politics, and pays too little deference to processes of political opinion and will formation in civil society. As such, it only succeeds in establishing law's connection to the public realm, at the cost of effacing its internal relationship to the rule of law and democracy.
Do Informed Traders Win? An Analysis of Changes in Corporate Ownership around Substantial Shareholder Notices*
Authors: DA SILVA ROSA RAYMOND , SAVERIMUTTU NIRMAL , WALTER TERRY
Published: November 2006

The financial economics literature typically distinguishes between two classes of investors, namely ‘informed’ and ‘uninformed’ traders. Informed traders are those who possess some fundamental information about the true value of an asset, which is not readily available to other traders. Presuming that this information advantage is obtained from costly information search there is a general assumption that these traders realize superior returns. Unlike previous researchers, we access a unique panel of institutional and retail ownership (Clearing House Electronic Subregister System, CHESS records) that enable us to develop powerful measures that capture and benchmark abnormal changes in the share register across a number of dimensions. We find some evidence of a positive and significant relationship between the level of informed trading in the share register and abnormal market performance. However, our results suggest that informed traders move in and out of the share register in response to abnormal market performance, rather than in anticipation of abnormal market performance.
Visuomotor transformation process in goal‐directed prehension: Utilization of online vision during preshaping phase of grasping1
Authors: FUKUI TAKAO , TAKEMURA NAOHIRO , INUI TOSHIO
Published: November 2006

Abstract:  Goal‐directed prehension is a fundamental human skill and a form of interaction between actor and environment. We reviewed our studies on psychological experiments and computational modeling, examining how online vision affects the control of grasping (in particular, peak grip aperture). In the experiments, we investigated whether online vision in the early phase of movement affects the control of grasping (Experiment 1), and which kinds of visual sources (i.e., visual feedback of the limb/hand, the view of the target) are predominantly relied upon in this early movement phase (Experiment 2). These two experiments demonstrated that the view of the target in the rather early phase of movement is critical for grasping control. Next, we proposed a stochastic predictive control model using the Kalman filter for identifying the mechanism of the visuomotor process revealed in the experiment. The simulation results qualitatively replicated the experimental results, which showed the early phase availability of online vision and the priority of the view of the target on grasping control. Both studies suggest the importance of predictive control in human grasping.
Mesencephalic human neural progenitor cells transplanted into the neonatal hemiparkinsonian rat striatum differentiate into neurons and improve motor behaviour
Authors: Hovakimyan Marine , Haas Stefan Jean‐Pierre , Schmitt Oliver , Gerber Bernd , Wree Andreas , Andressen Christian
Published: November 2006

Neural stem cell transplantation is a promising strategy for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. To evaluate the differentiation potential of human neural progenitor cells (hNPCs) as a prerequisite for clinical trials, we intracerebrally transplanted in vitro expanded fetal mesencephalic hNPCs into hemiparkinsonian rats. On postnatal day one (P1), 17 animals underwent a unilateral intraventricular 6‐hydroxydopamine injection into the right lateral ventricle. At P3, animals (n = 10) received about 100 000 hNPCs (1 µL) in the right striatum. Five weeks after birth, animals underwent behaviour tests prior to fixation, followed by immunohistochemistry on brain slices for human nuclei, glial fibrillary acidic protein, S100β, neuronal nuclei antigen, neuron‐specific enolase and tyrosine hydroxylase. Compared with the apomorphine‐induced rotations in the lesioned‐only group (7.4 ± 0.5 min−1), lesioned and successfully transplanted animals (0.3 ± 0.1 min−1) showed a significant therapeutic improvement. Additionally, in the cylinder test, the lesioned‐only animals preferred to use the ipsilateral forepaw. Conversely, the lesioned and transplanted animals showed no significant side bias similar to untreated control animals. Transplanted human nuclei‐immunoreactive cells were found to survive and migrate up to 2000 µm into the host parenchyma, many containing the pan‐neuronal markers neuronal nuclei antigen and neuron‐specific enolase. In the striatum, tyrosine hydroxylase‐immunoreactive somata were also found, indicating a dopaminergic differentiation capacity of transplanted hNPCs in vivo. However, the relative number of tyrosine hydroxylase‐immunoreactive neurons in vivo seemed to be lower than in corresponding in vitro differentiation. To minimize donor tissue necessary for transplantation, further investigations will aim to enhance dopaminergic differentiation of transplanted cells in vivo.
Taxonomic Exaggeration and Its Effects on Orchid Conservation
Authors: PILLON YOHAN , CHASE MARK W.
Published: November 2006

Abstract:  Orchids are the largest family of flowering plants, encompassing several times as many species as birds or mammals. Because of their diversity, charisma, and threats from overcollection and habitat loss, they are a key group in conservation. Nevertheless, preservation of this group is plagued by taxonomic problems, particularly in Europe, where new taxa are actively being described. We used a checklist of orchids to compare the taxonomic treatment of this family between Europe and neighboring areas to search for geographical patterns. Numbers of invalid, infraspecific, and hybrid names are significantly higher in Europe than in surrounding areas. Recognition of numerous and poorly circumscribed orchid taxa is a serious obstacle to their conservation because rare, poorly defined species may be prioritized for conservation over taxonomically “good” species. This phenomenon may be the result of the popularity of orchids in Europe. We believe that more taxonomic effort should be made in other areas of the world (e.g., the tropics) and on less charismatic groups.
A Multifaceted Intervention to Implement Guidelines Improved Treatment of Nursing Home–Acquired Pneumonia in a State Veterans Home
Authors: Hutt Evelyn , Ruscin J. Mark , Corbett Kitty , Radcliff Tiffany A. , Kramer Andrew M. , Williams Elizabeth M. , Liebrecht Debra , Klenke William , Hartmann Sheryl
Published: November 2006

OBJECTIVES: To assess the feasibility of a multifaceted strategy to translate evidence‐based guidelines for treating nursing home–acquired pneumonia (NHAP) into practice using a small intervention trial.

DESIGN: Pre‐posttest with untreated control group.

SETTING: Two Colorado State Veterans Homes (SVHs) during two influenza seasons.

PARTICIPANTS: Eighty‐six residents with two or more signs of lower respiratory tract infection.

INTERVENTION: Multifaceted, including a formative phase to modify the intervention, institutional‐level change emphasizing immunization, and availability of appropriate antibiotics; interactive educational sessions for nurses; and academic detailing.

MEASUREMENTS: Subjects' SVH medical records were reviewed for guideline compliance retrospectively for the influenza season before the intervention and prospectively during the intervention. Bivariate comparisons‐of‐care processes between the intervention and control facility before and after the intervention were made using the Fischer exact test.

RESULTS: At the intervention facility, compliance with five of the guidelines improved: influenza vaccination, timely physician response to illness onset, x‐ray for patients not being hospitalized, use of appropriate antibiotics, and timely antibiotic initiation for unstable patients. Chest x‐ray and appropriate and timely antibiotics were significantly better at the intervention than at the control facility during the intervention year but not during the control year.

CONCLUSION: Multifaceted, evidence‐based, NHAP guideline implementation improved care processes in a SVH. Guideline implementation should be studied in a national sample of nursing homes to determine whether it improves quality of life and functional outcomes of this debilitating illness for long‐term care residents.
Functional Disability in Elderly Nigerians: Results from the Ibadan Study of Aging
Authors: Gureje Oye , Ogunniyi Adesola , Kola Lola , Afolabi Ebenezer
Published: November 2006

Functional disability is a common reason for loss of independence and need for informal care by elderly persons. There is little information on the profile of disability and the level of unmet need for care in elderly persons living in sub‐Saharan Africa. Using a multistage clustered sampling of households conducted in the Yoruba‐speaking area of Nigeria (representing 22% of the national population), persons aged 65 and older (N=2,152) were assessed for disability in activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living. Respondents were assessed for self‐reports of physical health, for major depressive disorder, and for availability of informal care. The prevalence of any functional disability (defined as inability to independently perform any function) was 9.2% (standard error 0.6). In logistic regression analysis, high risks of disability were associated with female sex, older age, and urban dwelling. Risks were also high for persons with chronic pain, those with poor self‐reported overall health, and those with evidence of undernutrition. Disabled persons had poorer quality of life and were more likely to suffer from major depressive disorder; 19.8% of disabled elderly persons lacked any informal care, and this unmet need for care increased the likelihood of having depression. The findings suggest a high burden of unmet need for care in a large section of disabled elderly persons in this African community undergoing demographic and social changes. Social factors relating to urbanization and poverty may be associated with the occurrence of disability and inability to access informal care.
Association Between Hormones and Metabolic Syndrome in Older Italian Men
Authors: Maggio Marcello , Lauretani Fulvio , Ceda Gian Paolo , Bandinelli Stefania , Basaria Shehzad , Ble Alessandro , Egan Josephine , Paolisso Giuseppe , Najjar Samer , Jeffrey Metter E. , Valenti Giorgio , Guralnik Jack M. , Ferrucci Luigi
Published: November 2006

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether low levels of testosterone, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1), and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and high levels of cortisol and leptin would be associated with metabolic syndrome (MS).

DESIGN: Cross‐sectional.

SETTING: Population‐based sample of older Italian men.

PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred fifty‐two men aged 65 and older enrolled in the Invecchiare in Chianti (InCHIANTI) study.

MEASUREMENTS: Complete data on testosterone, cortisol, DHEAS, SHBG, fasting insulin, IGF‐1 and leptin. MS was defined according to Adult Treatment Panel III criteria.

RESULTS: MS was present in 73 men (15.8% of the sample). After adjusting for confounders, total testosterone (P<.05) and log (SHBG) (P<.001) were inversely associated, whereas log (leptin) was positively associated with MS (P<.001). Independent of age, log (SHBG) was positively associated with high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (P<.05) and negatively associated with abdominal obesity (P<.001) and triglycerides (P<.001). Log (leptin) was significantly associated with each component of MS. Cortisol, DHEAS, free and bioavailable testosterone, and IGF‐1 were not associated with MS. Having three or more hormones in the lower (for hormones lower in MS) or the upper (for hormones higher in MS) quartile was associated with three times the risk of being affected by MS (odds ratio=2.8, 95% confidence interval=1.3–6.9) (P=.005), compared with not having this condition.

CONCLUSION: Total testosterone and SHBG are negatively and leptin is positively associated with MS in older men. Whether specific patterns of hormonal dysregulation predict the development of MS should be tested in longitudinal studies.
Are GAF scores reliable in routine clinical use?
Authors: Vatnaland T. , Vatnaland J. , Friis S. , Opjordsmoen S.
Published: November 2006

Objective:  The Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale has been considered as a reliable tool. However, most studies of GAF reliability have been based on special conditions, such as prior training and test awareness. This study takes a different approach investigating inter‐rater reliability of GAF scores in a routine clinical context.

Method:  Eighty‐two consecutively admitted acute psychiatric patients were rated according to routine department procedures and by two researchers at admission and discharge. Intraclass correlations (ICC) were computed using two‐way mixed models.

Results:  Inter‐rater reliability between routine scores and research scores were low (ICC coefficients between r = 0.39 and 0.59). Inter‐rater reliability between the two researchers were excellent (ICC coefficients r = 0.81 and 0.85).

Conclusion:  Inter‐rater reliability of GAF scores in a routine clinical context seems to be insufficient.
Low episodic memory performance as a premorbid marker of depression: evidence from a 3‐year follow‐up
Authors: Airaksinen E. , Wahlin Å. , Forsell Y. , Larsson M.
Published: November 2006

Objective:  To examine low episodic memory scores as a potential risk factor for depression.

Method:  A population‐based sample of non‐depressed individuals (20–64 years) were re‐examined 3 years after an initial screening (n = 708). At baseline, information on episodic memory scores, demographic and socioeconomic factors, alcohol use and anxiety diagnoses was collected. The data for depression diagnoses were collected at both baseline and follow‐up.

Results:  Logistic regressions, conducted on three separate study groups that were defined according to three assessments of episodic memory (i.e. free + cued recall, free recall, cued recall) among individuals who scored in the 25 lowest or highest percentiles in the memory tests, revealed that low episodic memory performance defined as the sum of free and cued recalls of organizable words constitutes a risk of depression diagnosis 3 years later.

Conclusion:  Low episodic memory performance predated depressive diagnosis and might be considered as a premorbid marker of depression.
Heterogeneity in the collagen‐degrading ability of Porphyromonas gingivalis‐stimulated human gingival fibroblasts
Authors: Zhou J. , Windsor L. J.
Published: November 2006

Background and Objective:  The purpose of this study was to characterize the heterogeneity of the collagen‐degrading ability of different human gingival fibroblast cell lines treated with Porphyromonas gingivalis supernatant.

Material and Methods:  Seven human gingival fibroblast cell lines were analyzed for their ability to cleave Type I collagen in the presence and absence of culture supernatant from P. gingivalis ATCC 33277 (10% v/v). The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs) produced by these human gingival fibroblasts were monitored at the protein level by zymography and/or western blot analyses, as well as at the mRNA level by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction.

Results:  The collagen‐degrading ability of the human gingival fibroblasts increased in four cell lines (aggressive) and was only slightly altered in the other three cell lines (nonaggressive) in the presence of P. gingivalis supernatant. MMP‐1, MMP‐2, and MMP‐3 more readily underwent activation while the TIMP‐1 level was decreased in the conditioned media from a P. gingivalis‐treated human gingival fibroblast aggressive cell line. None of these was altered in a nonaggressive cell line. The mRNA levels of the MMPs and TIMPs were only slightly different between these two cell lines.

Conclusion:  Heterogeneity exists in human gingival fibroblasts in regard to their collagenolytic activity in the presence of P. gingivalis.
Social isolation and expression of serotonergic neurotransmission‐related genes in several brain areas of male mice
Authors: Bibancos T. , Jardim D. L. , Aneas I. , Chiavegatto S.
Published: November 2006

Early‐life events influence brain development and evoke long‐lasting behavioral consequences. Postweaning social isolation in rodents induces emotional and neurochemical alterations similar to those observed among some human psychopathologies. Central serotonergic neurotransmission is intimately involved in the observed adjustments, but the impact of social deprivation on serotonergic gene expression is unknown. We investigated the effects of prolonged early social isolation on emotion‐related behaviors and 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT)‐related gene transcription in mice. After weaning, male C57BL/6J mice were reared singly or in groups of four for 6 weeks. Gene expression of 5‐HT1A, 5‐HT1B, 5‐HT2A, 5‐HT2C, 5‐HT3A, 5‐HT6 and 5‐HT7 receptors and of 5‐HT transporter and tryptophan hydroxylase‐2 was determined by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction in distinct brain areas. Single‐housed mice were hyperactive in a novel environment and showed signs of aggressive behavior. Housing condition did not alter weight gain or body temperature. Isolation markedly reduced transcription of all postsynaptic 5‐HT receptors in the prefrontal cortex and reduced 5‐HT1B, 5‐HT2A and 5‐HT2C in both hypothalamus and midbrain. In contrast, the only alteration in the hippocampus was 5‐HT6 overexpression. Neither 5‐HT transporter nor synthetic enzyme gene transcription differed between housing conditions. In conclusion, early social isolation in mice induces robust changes in postsynaptic 5‐HT receptors gene transcription, motor hyperactivity and behavioral disinhibition. The overall pattern of decreased gene expression in the prefrontal cortex highlights its high vulnerability to environment. Furthermore, this is the first study to present a general representation of 5‐HT‐related gene expression in specific brain areas after social isolation and identifies novel candidates that may be critical for underlying molecular mechanisms.
FVB.129P2‐Pde6b+ Tyrc‐ch/Ant, a sighted variant of the FVB/N mouse strain suitable for behavioral analysis
Authors: Errijgers V. , Van Dam D. , Gantois I. , Van Ginneken C. J. , Grossman A. W. , D’Hooge R. , De Deyn P. P. , Kooy R. F.
Published: November 2006

Mice of the FVB/N strain are severely visual impaired as a result of tyrosinase gene defects, leading to a deficiency of the key enzyme for melanin synthesis in skin and eye and of cyclic guanosine monophosphate phosphodiesterase gene defects, which results in albinism (Tyrc/c) and retinal degeneration (Pde6brd1/rd1), respectively. Nevertheless, FVB/N mice are commonly used for the generation of transgenic animals because of their large, strong pronuclei and high breeding performance. However, due to visual impairment of the FVB/N animals, the resulting transgenic animals cannot be used in tests that depend on vision, including tests of cognitive behavior. Therefore, we have bred a sighted version of the FVB/N strain by an outcross between FVB/N and 129P2/OlaHsd, followed by repeated backcrosses to FVB/N mice while selecting against albinism and homozygosity of the retinal degeneration mutation. After 11 generations of backcrossing, sighted animals were intercrossed to generate the congenic FVB.129P2‐Pde6b+ Tyrc‐ch/Ant strain, which is pigmented (Tyrc‐ch/c‐ch) and devoid of the genetic predisposition to retinal degeneration. The accurate visual abilities of the FVB.129P2‐Pde6b+ Tyrc‐ch/Ant mice, for which we propose the name FVBS/Ant, demonstrated a clear visual evoked potential in the presence of normal eye histology and improved performance in the Morris water maze test.
Clinically Relevant Issues Related to Preheating Composites
Authors: Daronch Márcia , Rueggeberg Frederick A. , Moss Linda , De Goes Mario Fernando
Published: November 2006

Statement of the Problem:  Issues regarding the use of composite preheating need to be investigated so that the clinician will better understand the variables associated with this method.

Purpose:  To examine the multiple aspects of use of a commercial composite preheating device (Calset, AdDent Inc., Danbury, CT, USA).

Materials and Methods:  Temperature values of three heating units and composite compules were obtained using a K‐type thermocouple and were recorded digitally in real time. The following parameters were measured: maximum heater and composite temperature and its stability upon storage, composite temperature change when removed from the heater and injected, the effect of delivery system on ejected composite temperature, and the effect of repeated and extended preheating on composite monomer conversion (using infrared spectroscopy). Monomer conversion was measured after repeated composite cycling (from room temperature [RT] to 60°C, 10×) or extended preheating (24 hours at 60°C), and values were compared with composite maintained at RT (control group). Among test parameters, data (N=5 for each parameter) were analyzed using Student’s t‐test, analysis of variance, and the Tukey–Kramer post‐hoc test where appropriate (alpha=0.05).

Results/Conclusions:  Two of the three tested units achieved the stated preset temperatures. Composite attained temperature values close to the heating unit. Composite temperature drop upon removal from the heater was dramatic: within 2 minutes a 50% temperature drop was noted. Heating the compule while preloaded in the syringe provided higher delivery temperatures than heating the compule separately (p < 0.00). Optimum results were achieved when preheated composite was dispensed and used as quickly as possible. Neither repeated nor extended preheating of composite significantly affected monomer conversion.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Preheating composite has potential benefits, but should be used with knowledge of its limitations. Reheating of unused composite does not affect its degree of conversion, thus decreasing material waste. Heating of the composite preloaded in the delivery syringe enhances the temperature of extruded composite.
Englishness and the Victorians
Authors: Ebbatson Roger
Published: November 2006

The Victorian era witnessed an intensification and deepening of the debate surrounding an English national identity, a debate staged and refracted in the literature of the period. Whilst England was often visualised or conceived as an amalgam of other racial groupings, both the new vogue for topographical description and classification and the political and administrative reorganisation of the age lent weight and urgency to the sense of national identity. It was largely during the 1980s, a decade marked in Britain by polarisation and a renewed rhetoric of ‘patriotism’, that these Victorian preoccupations came under renewed scrutiny in a series of studies primarily motivated by the left‐liberal cultural studies instigated by Raymond Williams. Much work was done at this time, for instance, to identify the ‘discovery’ of a semi‐mythicised South Country embodied in the prose of George Borrow, Richard Jefferies or Thomas Hardy, whilst John Clare and Alfred Tennyson often served as paradigmatic poets in the reading of landscape as part of history and national formation. More recently, this focus has shifted to reflect a more theorised, post‐colonial sense of the Victorians and their sense of an ever‐shifting definition of literary England.
A ribonuclease zymogen activated by the NS3 protease of the hepatitis C virus
Authors: Johnson R. J. , Lin Shawn R. , Raines Ronald T.
Published: November 2006

Translating proteases as inactive precursors, or zymogens, protects cells from the potentially lethal action of unregulated proteolytic activity. Here, we impose this strategy on bovine pancreatic ribonuclease (RNase A) by creating a zymogen in which quiescent ribonucleolytic activity is activated by the NS3 protease of the hepatitis C virus. Connecting the N‐terminus and C‐terminus of RNase A with a 14‐residue linker was found to diminish its ribonucleolytic activity by both occluding an RNA substrate and dislocating active‐site residues, which are devices used by natural zymogens. After cleavage of the linker by the NS3 protease, the ribonucleolytic activity of the RNase A zymogen increased 105‐fold. Both before and after activation, the RNase A zymogen displayed high conformational stability and evasion of the endogenous ribonuclease inhibitor protein of the mammalian cytosol. Thus, the creation of ribonuclease zymogens provides a means to control ribonucleolytic activity and has the potential to provide a new class of antiviral chemotherapeutic agents.
Insulin‐induced proliferation of bladder cancer cells is mediated through activation of the epidermal growth factor system
Authors: Ornskov Dorthe , Nexo Ebba , Sorensen Boe S.
Published: November 2006

The mechanism behind the growth‐promoting effect of insulin is a subject of debate. Employing RT4 bladder cancer cells, we examined the cross‐talk between insulin and the epidermal growth factor system. We found that insulin induced a time‐ and dose‐dependent (25–1000 nmol·L−1 insulin) increase in mRNA expression of three ligands from the epidermal growth factor system. Times for peak increase and fold increase after incubation with 250 nmol·L−1 insulin were as follows: heparin‐binding epidermal growth factor‐like growth factor, 0.5 h, 1.4‐fold, P < 0.05; epiregulin, 3 h, 14‐fold, P < 0.0001; and amphiregulin, 3 h, 12‐fold, P < 0.001. Induction of heparin‐binding epidermal growth factor‐like growth factor and amphiregulin was verified at the protein level. We demonstrate that incubation of RT4 bladder cancer cells for 24 h with 250 nmol·L−1 insulin increases proliferation by 43% (P < 0.0001) as compared to untreated cells. At the same time, phosphorylation and thereby activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (HER1) was observed. Both phosphorylation and insulin‐induced proliferation were almost completely inhibited by the HER1 inhibitor Iressa (P < 0.0001). This shows that insulin leads to activation of HER1, and that HER1 plays an essential role in mediating the growth‐promoting effect of insulin. Iressa inhibited not only the activation of HER1 caused by insulin but also the insulin‐induced increase in the three ligands (heparin‐binding epidermal growth factor‐like growth factor, epiregulin and amphiregulin). As heparin‐binding epidermal growth factor‐like growth factor was induced before epiregulin and amphiregulin upon insulin stimulation, we speculated that the insulin‐induced heparin‐binding epidermal growth factor‐like growth factor initiated the activation of HER1, and that this in turn led to increased expression of epiregulin and amphiregulin and thereby to continued activation of HER1. Earlier reports have shown that insulin‐like growth factor receptor can activate HER1 via its ligand heparin‐binding epidermal growth factor‐like growth factor. In accord with this, we found that treatment of RT4 cells with recombinant heparin‐binding epidermal growth factor‐like growth factor mimicked the effect of insulin, with induction of mRNA for the three ligands. However, the insulin‐induced increase in mRNA expression of amphiregulin and epiregulin could not be prevented by the heparin‐binding epidermal growth factor‐like growth factor inhibitor CRM197, demonstrating that heparin‐binding epidermal growth factor‐like growth factor is not essential for the insulin‐induced increase in the expression of these ligands. In conclusion, we show that insulin‐induced growth in RT4 cells requires activated HER1. Furthermore, activation of HER1 is required for the insulin‐induced increase in expression of the HER1 ligands heparin‐binding epidermal growth factor‐like growth factor, amphiregulin and epiregulin.