bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parent perceived quality of life is age‐dependent in children with food allergy
Authors: Wassenberg Jacqueline , Cochard Marie‐Madeleine , DunnGalvin Audrey , Ballabeni Pierluigi , Flokstra‐de Blok Bertine M. J. , Newman Christopher J. , Hofer Michael , Eigenmann Philippe A.
Published: May 2012

To cite this article: Wassenberg J, Cochard M‐M, DunnGalvin A, Ballabeni P, Flokstra‐de Blok BMJ, Newman CJ, Hofer M, Eigenmann PA. Parent perceived quality of life is age‐dependent in children with food allergy. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2012: 23: 412–419.

Background:  Food allergy in children significantly affects their quality of life. Its impact can be analyzed by quality of life questionnaires.

Objectives:  The aim of our study was to validate the French version of disease‐specific questionnaires and to evaluate the quality of life in children with IgE‐mediated food allergy.

Methods:  Two validated food allergy‐specific questionnaires for quality of life, the parent’s and children’s forms (FAQLQ‐PF and FAQLQ‐CF), were translated from English to French and submitted to children with food allergy and their parents. Questionnaires were analyzed in terms of emotional impact, food anxiety, and social and food limitations. NCT 01480427.

Results:  Sixty‐two parents of children aged 0–12 yrs answered the FAQLQ‐PF, and 32 children aged 8–12 yrs the FAQLQ‐CF. Construct validity of both questionnaires was assessed by correlation between the FAQLQs and FAIM (r = 0.85 and 0.84, respectively). Both FAQLQs had good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.748 and 0.67, respectively). Young children (0–3 yrs old) showed better quality of life scores than older children (FAQLQ‐PF global score: p = 0.02). Worse scores were also shown among children with previous severe systemic reactions (FAQLQ‐PF global score: p = 0.039), the ones with an allergic mother (FAQLQ‐PF global score: p = 0.002), or allergic siblings (FAQLQ‐PF emotional impact score: p = 0.034), the ones with multiple food allergy (more than 1 food) (FAQLQ‐PF anxiety score: p = 0.04) and among the girls (FAQLQ‐CF global score: p = 0.031).

Conclusion:  Older children, the ones with severe systemic reactions, or with mothers or siblings also affected by allergies, as well as girls, and children with multiple food allergies show worse quality of life scores.
Fibroblast growth factor 23 and calcium phosphate homeostasis after pediatric renal transplantation
Authors: van Husen Michael , Lehnhardt Anja , Fischer Ann‐Katrin , Brinkert Florian , Loos Sebastian , Oh Jun , Kemper Markus J.
Published: May 2012

van Husen M, Lehnhardt A, Fischer A‐K, Brinkert F, Loos S, Oh J, Kemper MJ. Fibroblast growth factor 23 and calcium phosphate homeostasis after pediatric renal transplantation.

Abstract:  FGF23 is a circulating factor regulating TPR and is increased in CKD. After RT, it seems to induce phosphorus wasting in adults. Data on FGF23 after PRT are scarce. Parameters of bone metabolism including calcium, phosphate, 25‐(OH) vitamin D, 1,25‐(OH)2 vitamin D, alkaline phosphatase, PTH, and FGF23 were analyzed in 57 children after PRT and 11 controls. Median time after PRT was 25.9 (range 2–135) months. eGFR after PRT ranged from 15 to 175 mL/min/1.73 qm. Mean (±s.e.) FGF23 and PTH levels were significantly elevated compared with controls (146 ± 30 vs. 43 ± 3 ng/L, p = 0.001 and 182 ± 42 vs. 74 ± 18 ng/L, p = 0.004, respectively). Highest FGF23 levels were found in children with an eGFR below 60 mL/min*1.73 sqm (280 ± 69 vs. 62 ± 5 ng/L, p = 0.001), but significantly elevated values were already present in CKD2T. In a multivariate analysis, eGFR, PTH, calcium, and phosphate were significantly associated with FGF23. In a subgroup of 17 patients (29.8%) with persistent hypophosphatemia, phosphate levels were significantly associated with FGF23 and not with PTH. FGF23 is increased in children after PRT, especially in patients with chronic allograft dysfunction, and seems to be a more sensitive marker of dysregulated calcium phosphate homeostasis than PTH.
Routine transplant Doppler ultrasonography following pediatric kidney transplant
Authors: Bou Matar Raed , Warshaw Barry , Hymes Leonard , Greenbaum Larry A.
Published: May 2012

Bou Matar R, Warshaw B, Hymes L, Greenbaum LA. Routine transplant Doppler ultrasonography following pediatric kidney transplant.

Abstract:  The utility and cost‐effectiveness of routine transplant renal DU as a screening test in the immediate postoperative period following pediatric renal transplantation has not been systematically evaluated. Our center’s transplant protocol includes a routine DU on postoperative day 3, unless an earlier DU was obtained for a specific indication. We retrospectively evaluated 113 consecutive pediatric renal transplant recipients. Indication for DU (routine vs. non‐routine), timing, results, and graft outcome data were collected. We determined whether the DU result affected patient management. Eighty routine DU examinations were evaluated. Thirty (37.5%) of the 80 routine DUs had abnormalities. Most abnormalities were minor and did not require intervention. One patient with a dysfunctional bladder had mild hydronephrosis; this led to a decision to increase the frequency of bladder catheterization. This was the only intervention based upon the routine DUs. Twenty percent of routine DUs revealed abnormalities that led to a follow‐up study, but none of these studies led to an intervention. The incremental cost of each DU exceeded $1080 and the incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio for a documented change in management exceeded $86 400. Our results suggest that routine post‐transplant DU is not cost‐effective in pediatric renal allograft recipients.
Epstein‐Barr virus‐positive lymphoproliferative disorder associated with old organized chronic subdural hematoma
Authors: Sugita Yasuo , Ohta Masaru , Ohshima Koichi , Niino Daisuke , Nakamura Yukihiko , Okada Yosuke , Nakashima Shinji
Published: May 2012

This report describes a case of an immunocompetent 77‐year‐old male with Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV)‐positive lymphoproliferative disorder associated with calcified chronic subdural hematoma (CSH). On the day prior to consultation in our outpatient clinic, the patient fell from his bed, striking his frontal head on the floor. Magnetic resonance imaging showed ill‐defined lesions in the right frontal‐temporal subdural regions. At surgery, a hard and thickened outer membrane of a CSH and muddy organized subdural hematoma were observed. However, macroscopic neoplastic lesions were not apparent. Histologically, there were atypical lymphoid cells scattered or conglomerated in some areas of the thick outer membrane of the CSH. They were composed of occasional large atypical lymphoid cells. The lesions were accompanied by necrosis. Atypical lymphoid cells were immunopositive for B‐cell markers but not for T‐cell markers. EBNA2 was seen in the nuclei of tumor cells. Atypical lymphoid cells showed positive signals for EBV‐encoded small RNAs (EBERs) on in situ hybridization. These findings were consistent with EBV‐positive lymphoproliferative disorder associated with CSH. These results also suggested that EBV and the inflammatory reaction found in the CSH could be the etiological factors in the pathogenesis of lymphoproliferative disorder.
Association between the CD209 promoter −336A/G polymorphism and susceptibility to tuberculosis: A meta‐analysis
Authors: MIAO RUIFEN , LI JIEQUAN , SUN ZHAOPING , LI CHEN , XU FEI
Published: May 2012

Background and objective:  Dendritic cell‐specific intracellular adhesion molecule‐3 grabbing nonintegrin (DC‐SIGN), encoded by the CD209 gene, is a major Mycobacterium tuberculosis receptor on human dendritic cells. The potentially functional −336A/G polymorphism in the CD209 promoter region has been associated with susceptibility to tuberculosis (TB), but the results have been inconclusive. We performed a meta‐analysis to clarify the relationship between the CD209−336A/G variant and the risk of TB.

Methods:  Ten studies involving a total of 2598 TB patients and 2614 control subjects were systematically reviewed, and the data were quantitatively synthesized by meta‐analysis. The Q‐test was applied to assess the heterogeneity of associations among the studies, and Egger's regression test was used to assess potential publication bias.

Results:  No significant association was identified between the CD209−336A/G polymorphism and risk of TB (G allele vs A allele: odds ratio (OR) 1.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.90–1.15). Moreover, no significant association was observed in populations of African ethnicity (OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.87–1.17) or among individuals who were negative for the human immunodeficiency virus (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.84–1.15).

Conclusions:  This meta‐analysis has indicated that the CD209−336A/G polymorphism may not contribute to susceptibility to TB.
Sleep‐disordered breathing in children with Chiari malformation type II and myelomeningocele
Authors: Alsaadi Muslim M. , Iqbal Shaikh M. , Elgamal Essam A. , Gozal David
Published: May 2012

Background:  The prevalence of sleep‐disordered breathing (SDB) in children with Chiari malformation type II (CM‐II), a known association of neural tube defects (NTD), has not been well documented. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence and possible predictive factors of SDB in patients with CM‐II.

Methods:  The study included all patients with documented CM‐II who were routinely referred from the Neurosurgery Clinic to the University Sleep Disorders Centre at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, between January 2002 and July 2009. Overnight full polysomnography (PSG) was performed in all patients. Polysomnographic data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Results:  Sixteen children (11 boys, five girls) were included in the study; their mean age was 4.7 years (range, 0.8–10 years) and their mean body mass index was 18.05 kg/m2 (range, 15.4–25.4 kg/m2). For the whole group, the mean apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) was 6.3/h (range, 0.2–24.5/h), with AHI recorded as >5/h in five patients (31.3%) and ≥10/h in three patients (18.8%). The mean central apnea–hypopnea index was 5.9/h (range, 0–24.5/h) and the mean obstructive apnea–hypopnea index was 0.4/h (range, 0–2.9/h). The mean arousal index was 15.1/h (range, 5–34/h).

Conclusion:  The major assumption linking CM‐II and NTD with potential brainstem compression and respiratory dysfunction during sleep was confirmed. Indeed, SDB is highly prevalent, and clearly underreported and undertreated in patients with CM‐II associated with NTD.
Leadership, support and acknowledgement of registered nurses work in acute mental health units
Authors: Cleary Michelle , Horsfall Jan , O'Hara‐Aarons Maureen , Hunt Glenn E.
Published: May 2012

In acute mental health inpatient units, it is not surprising that culture, peers, immediate management, and sources of support and acknowledgment all contribute to positive nursing outcomes. In this qualitative study, four questions targeting leadership, culture, support, and acknowledgement of work well done were asked of 40 registered nurses (RN) working in acute mental health units. Findings convey a mixed picture indicating variation across units. Three‐quarters believe that senior nursing staff actively contribute to a positive working environment. Almost half of the RN nominated peers as the providers of counsel and support when required, and a similar percentage believed that senior nursing staff fulfil these roles. Of interviewees, 33% said their nursing achievements are never, or rarely, acknowledged. For these RN, management, peers, and nurse unit managers are the preferred personnel to provide appropriate positive feedback. Thus, there is a gap between the expectations and hopes that nurses have for senior management approaches and behaviours and the reality of their daily experience. Overall, the responses portray a culture that underpins and enables both subtle interpersonal interactions that might arise out of necessity given the perceived lack of support from non‐hands‐on RN and administrators.
Capsicum plasters on acupoints decrease the incidence of emergence agitation in pediatric patients
Authors: Acar H. Volkan , Yilmaz Ahmet , Demir Gamze , Günal Eruyar Solmaz , Dikmen Bayazit
Published: May 2012

Aim:  To detect the effect of capsicum plasters on bilateral HT 7 acupoints for decreasing Emergence agitation (EA) in pediatric patients undergoing tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy.

Background:  Emergence agitation with its incidence of 10% to 80% may have deleterious effects in postoperative period. Children may harm themselves and/or care providers who require extra nursing care and additional sedatives and/or analgesics that may cause a delay in discharge from hospital. The studies dealt with the potential benefits of the use of adjuvant drugs have yielded controversial results. Some may have side effects as well as the absence of a positive effect on EA.

Methods/Materials:  Fifty patients undergoing elective adenoidectomy and/or tonsillectomy who aged between 2 and 10 were included to the study. Patients were divided into two groups, and capsicum plasters (acupuncture) or inactive plasters (sham) were applied on bilateral HT 7 points preoperatively. Pain, emergence agitation, and side effects were evaluated for 15 min postoperatively.

Results:  Incidence of EA (PAED scale) (28.0% vs 60.0) and postoperative side effects was lower in acupuncture group than in sham group while there was no significant difference in the severity of EA between groups. Duration of recovery was shorter in acupuncture group. Pain scores (CHEOPS scale) were comparable between groups. EA patients were noted to have greater age and more retching than non‐EA patients. Postoperative side effects such as retching, laryngospasm, and vomiting were seen more frequently in the patients with EA.

Conclusions:  Application of capsicum plasters on acupoints offers a valuable choice in the prevention of EA in children.
Prospective clinical trial of the feasibility and safety of modified retroperitoneal lymph node dissection at time of nephroureterectomy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma
Authors: Rao Sandhya R. , Correa Jose J. , Sexton Wade J. , Pow‐Sang Julio M. , Dickinson Shohreh I. , Lin Hui‐Yi , Spiess Philippe E.
Published: May 2012

Study Type – Therapy (cohort)

Level of Evidence 2b

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Very little is known about the safety and potential oncological benefit of performing a retroperitoneal lymph node dissection at time of nephroureterectomy for upper tract tumours.

This study is the first clinical trial to prospectively validate the safety and feasibility of a retroperitoneal lymph node dissection at time of nephroureterectomy for upper tract tumours. The onus is now on the scientific community at large to conduct adequately powered multicentre clinical trials to evaluate the potential oncological benefit it may impart to patients with upper tract tumours.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the safety and feasibility of modified retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) at the time of radical nephroureterectomy (RNU).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between 2009 and 2011, 20 patients with suspected upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UUT‐UC) underwent open (n= 10), laparoscopic (n= 4), or robot‐assisted (n= 6) RNU with modified RPLND.

Demographic, clinical and pathological data, histological nodal status, peri‐operative complications and recurrence data were collected.

RESULTS

On histopathological review, one patient had a benign angioma and was excluded from the final data analysis. Of the remaining 19 patients, 10 had pTa, five had pT1, one had pT2, and three pT3 disease.

The mean (range) lymph node count was 7 (2–17), with one patient having pathologically proven lymph node metastasis. The mean (range) operating time was 279 (146–500) min. The mean EBL was 396 (100–1100) mL, with the mean (range) hospital stay 7.1 (4–18) days. The mean (range) duration of follow‐up after surgery was 12 (2–24) months.

Overall, nine patients developed postoperative complications, which included eight minor (Clavien Grade I‐II) and one major complication (Clavien grade IIIb). The major complication was a postoperative chylous lymphatic leak requiring surgical exploration.

CONCLUSION

The present results indicate that modified RPLND during RNU for UUT‐UC is a feasible procedure with acceptable morbidity. A larger prospective clinical trial is needed to adequately assess its potential therapeutic benefit.
EXCHANGEABLE PAIRS OF BERNOULLI RANDOM VARIABLES, KRAWTCHOUCK POLYNOMIALS, AND EHRENFEST URNS
Authors: Diaconis Persi , Griffiths Robert
Published: May 2012

This paper derives characterizations of bivariate binomial distributions of the Lancaster form with Krawtchouk polynomial eigenfunctions. These have been characterized by Eagleson, and we give two further characterizations with a more probabilistic flavour: the first as sums of correlated Bernoulli variables; and the second as the joint distribution of the number of balls of one colour at consecutive time points in a generalized Ehrenfest urn. We give a self‐contained development of Krawtchouck polynomials and Eagleson’s theorem.
In Defense of the Defenseless: The Morality of the Laws of War
Authors: Meisels Tamar
Published: May 2012

This article takes issue with Jeff McMahan's well-known argument according to which, morally speaking, some civilians and POWs may be liable to wartime attack, and that in this respect the laws of armed conflict prohibiting such attacks diverge significantly from the deep morality of war. I reject McMahan's suggestion that at the deepest moral level it is sometimes justified to violate these legal protections of non-combatants and prisoners. I argue instead that the rules of war – moral as well as legal – are grounded in an age-old commitment to protect the defenseless and vulnerable, and can go only so deep without rendering them totally inapplicable to belligerent action. Consequently, I argue that there is little divergence between the laws of war and its deep morality. Ultimately, I suggest, this moral commitment to the defenseless supplies us with a significant point of convergence both between the law and morality of war, and between ad bellum and in bello considerations.
Defining Our Terms: Bringing Rigour to Ethnic Studies
Authors: Albert Craig Douglas
Published: May 2012

For decades, political scientists have grappled with the role identity has played in ethnic conflict. Surprisingly, these scholars have been unsuccessful in rigorously conceptualising some key terms in the field of ethnic studies. How can the causal forces of ethnic strife be unravelled if scholars cannot even agree on the meanings of essential concepts? This article carefully delineates the differences between ethnicity, ethnic groups and ethnic group identity, while showing the conceptual mistakes of some of the field's leading scholars. Often treated synonymously, these concepts are quite distinct: ignoring this not only makes for sloppy scholarship, but has grave policy consequences.
The Whit Walks of Hyde: Glorious Spectacle, Religious Witness, and Celebration of a Custom
Authors: ENTWISTLE DOROTHY
Published: May 2012

In the north of England, during the nineteenth and early‐twentieth centuries, Whit walks represented a public celebration of religious witness by individual Sunday schools, holding colourful processions through industrial streets. Little academic work has previously been done on this phenomenon, although there is scattered evidence available at the local level. The existence of sets of interviews with elderly people, however, has enabled a systematic analysis of their recollections to be carried out, supported by local newspaper reports over an extended period. This article highlights the changing nature of these religious celebrations, set against the social and cultural background of the period.
The Ritual Year of Athena: The Agricultural Cycle of the Olive, Girls' Rites of Passage, and Official Ideology
Authors: HÅLAND EVY JOHANNE
Published: May 2012

Through the ritual year of ancient Athens, many festivals were dedicated to Athena. The Panathenaia was the most important festival. It has been regarded as a political festival, but the importance of agriculture is also illustrated through the offerings and rituals carried out during this main festival dedicated to the Goddess of the olive crop. All Athena's festivals were related to the olive, the third main crop of the Athenians, and protected by her, as her festivals were celebrated in the crucial period for the olive crop, from the flowering of the olive tree, growing period of the fruit, until the gathering in winter. The summer festivals, particularly, may be related to the importance of securing the dew for the growing fruit. Many rituals during the festivals reflect the daily activities of women, several rituals are also important to the rite of passage undergone by girls at puberty to prepare them for marriage.
Belief, Re‐identification and Fineness of Grain
Authors: Veillet Bénédicte
Published: May 2012

The so‐called ‘re‐identification condition’ (Kelly 2011) has played an important role in the most prominent argument for nonconceptualism, the argument from fineness of grain. A number of authors have recently argued that the condition should be modified or discarded altogether, with devastating implications for the nonconceptualist (see, e.g., Brewer 2005, Chuard 2006). The aim of this paper is to show that the situation is even more dire for nonconceptualists, for even if the re‐identification condition remains in its original form, the argument from fineness of grain still fails to make the case for nonconceptualism. The paper's central case rests on two claims: according to the first, if the re‐identification condition holds, then some beliefs will represent some properties nonconceptually; and according to the second, if some beliefs represent some properties nonconceptually, the argument from fineness of grain fails to make the case for nonconceptualism in any relevant sense. It follows that if the re‐identification condition holds, the argument from fineness of grain fails to make the case for nonconceptualism.
Norms and Habits: Brandom on the Sociality of Action
Authors: Levine Steven
Published: May 2012

In this paper I argue against Brandom's two‐ply theory of action. For Brandom, action is the result of an agent acknowledging a practical commitment and then causally responding to that commitment by acting. Action is social because the content of the commitment upon which one acts is socially conferred in the game of giving and asking for reasons. On my proposal, instead of seeing action as the coupling of a rational capacity to acknowledge commitments and a non‐rational capacity to reliably respond to these commitments, we should see action as the coupling, or potential coupling, of a capacity to reason practically and a capacity to act on habits and bodily skills. In putting forward this alternative model of action, I aim to replace Brandom's rationalist brand of Pragmatism with a more classical kind, one that will let us see action as social not only at the level of reasons but also at the level of bodily habits and skills.
Reflective Rationality and the Claim of Dialectic of Enlightenment
Authors: Noppen Pierre‐François
Published: May 2012

That something is profoundly wrong with the way in which enlightenment has unfolded has widely been taken to be the main thrust of Dialectic of Enlightenment. In this paper, I propose to defend that to understand the book and shed light on some of its most puzzling features, one should rather take Horkheimer and Adorno's critical claim at face value: through their criticism they contend to have prepared a positive concept of enlightenment. How this can be so is the question I want to answer. I defend that what we need is an account that works out the conceptual grounds on which their critique can operate. The focus of my attempt will consist in understanding (1) what they mean when they assert that rationality is intrinsically social and (2) how they conceive of rationality as being reflective at its core.
Chinese Male Peasant Workers and Shifting Masculine Identities in Urban Workspaces
Authors: Lin Xiaodong , Mac an Ghaill Mairtin
Published: May 2012

A key feature of China's internal rural–urban migration is the transformation of work from a rural‐based agricultural sector to urban‐based industrial and service sectors. This article critically examines the interplay between urban work and accompanying social relations in the workplace (that is, service and low‐skilled manual jobs) and the (re)construction of male peasant workers' subjectivities and identity formation. The qualitative data from the men's life histories suggest that familial gender practices, conceptualized as an appropriation of the traditional Confucian ‘father–son’ relationship, are of importance in shaping the men's occupationally located shifting identities in traditional urban ‘female’ jobs. This exploratory study aims to examine complex and multilayered accounts of rural–urban labour migration, in terms of how the men accommodate themselves to the city, involving both material constraints (structure) and creative cultural practices (agency). Their biographical transformations are located within wider socioeconomic and political transformations associated with China's current modernization project, of which they are a major constitutive component.
Long Working Hours and the Corporate Gender Divide in Japan
Authors: Nemoto Kumiko
Published: May 2012

While the workplace custom of working long hours has been known to exacerbate gender inequality, few have investigated the organizational mechanisms by which long working hours translate into and reinforce the power and status differences between men and women in the workplace. Drawing on 64 in‐depth interviews with workers at financial and cosmetics companies in Japan, this article examines three circumstances in which a culture of long working hours is disadvantageous for women workers, and the consequences of those circumstances: (a) managers in Japanese firms, reinforcing gender stereotypes, prioritize work over personal and family lives; (b) non–career‐track women experience depressed aspirations in relation to long working hours and young women express a wish to opt out due to the incompatibility of work with family life; and (c) workers who are mothers deal with extra unpaid family work, stress such as guilt from leaving work early, salary reduction and concerns over their limited chances for promotion. The article argues that the norm of working long hours not only exacerbates the structural inequality of gender but also shapes employed women's career paths into the dichotomized patterns of either emulating workplace masculinity or opting out.
Temporary antiretroviral treatment during primary HIV‐1 infection has a positive impact on health‐related quality of life: data from the Primo‐SHM cohort study
Authors: Grijsen ML , Koster GT , van Vonderen MGA , van Kasteren M , Kootstra GJ , Steingrover R , de Wolf F , Prins JM , Nieuwkerk PT ,   the Primo‐SHM study group
Published: May 2012

Objectives

The aim of the study was to compare health‐related quality of life (HRQL) over 96 weeks in patients receiving no treatment or 24 or 60 weeks of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) during primary HIV‐1 infection (PHI).

Methods

A multicentre prospective cohort study of PHI patients, with an embedded randomized trial, was carried out. HRQL was assessed with the Medical Outcomes Study Health Survey for HIV (MOS‐HIV) and a symptom checklist administered at weeks 0, 8, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84 and 96. Mixed linear models were used for the analysis of differences in HRQL among the three groups.

Results

A total of 112 patients were included in the study: 28 received no treatment, 45 received 24 weeks of cART and 39 received 60 weeks of cART. Over 96 weeks of follow‐up, the groups receiving 24 and 60 weeks of cART had better cognitive functioning than the no‐treatment group (P = 0.005). Patients receiving 60 weeks of cART had less pain (P = 0.004), better role functioning (P = 0.001), better physical functioning (P = 0.02) and a better physical health summary score (P = 0.006) than the groups receiving no treatment or 24 weeks of cART. Mental health was better in patients receiving 24 weeks of cART than in patients in the no‐treatment group or the group receiving 60 weeks of cART (P = 0.02). At week 8, patients in the groups receiving 24 and 60 weeks of cART reported more nausea (P = 0.002), diarrhoea (P < 0.001), abdominal pain (P = 0.02), stomach pain (P = 0.049) and dizziness (P = 0.01) than those in the no‐treatment group. These differences had disappeared by week 24.

Conclusions

Temporary cART during PHI had a significant positive impact on patients’ HRQL as compared with no treatment, despite the initial, short‐term occurrence of more physical symptoms, probably related to drug toxicity.
Common biases and heuristics in nutritional quality judgments: a qualitative exploration
Authors: Gomez Pierrick
Published: May 2012

The ways in which consumers make judgments about the nutritional quality of food products are a major concern for public policymakers. Given the focus on nutrition information in public health policies, the information processing paradigm has been widely used in past research. However, there is evidence that nutrition information processing is a difficult task for consumers. We examined 14 interviews from consumers of diverse social background in order to inventory the different kinds of heuristics used for making nutritional quality judgments. Narratives in which consumers elaborate about their strategies to assess nutritional quality of food products were analysed. Our findings show that: (1) consumers tend to use shortcuts to simplify nutrition information processing; (2) heuristics unrelated to nutrition information are commonly utilized; and (3) these heuristics rely on semantic, sensory and visual cues. The implications of our findings are discussed from a public policy standpoint.
Characterization of ovolin, an orally active tryptic peptide released from ovalbumin with anxiolytic‐like activity
Authors: Oda Ayako , Kaneko Kentaro , Mizushige Takafumi , Lazarus Michael , Urade Yoshihiro , Ohinata Kousaku
Published: May 2012

J. Neurochem. (2012) 122, 356–362.

We found that tryptic digest of ovalbumin after oral (p.o.) and intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration exhibited anxiolytic‐like activity in mice, and then searched for orally active low‐molecular‐weight peptides with anxiolytic‐like activity in the tryptic digest. Val‐Tyr‐Leu‐Pro‐Arg, named ovolin, corresponding to ovalbumin (280‐284), mimicked the anxiolytic‐like activity after p.o. and i.p. administration. The anxiolytic‐like activity of ovolin was inhibited by indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor, or BWA868C, an antagonist of the DP1 receptor for prostaglandin (PG) D2. Ovolin‐induced anxiolytic‐like activity was also blocked by SCH58261 or bicuculline, antagonists of the adenosine A2A and GABAA receptors, respectively. Ovolin has no affinity for the DP1, A2A and GABAA receptors. Taken together, ovolin may exhibit anxiolytic‐like activity in a manner dependent on the PGD2‐DP1 system coupled to the A2A and GABAA receptors.
The augmented weighted Tchebychev norm for optimizing a linear function over an integer efficient set of a multicriteria linear program
Authors: Chaabane D. , Brahmi B. , Ramdani Z.
Published: May 2012

In this paper, we propose a new exact algorithm, using an augmented weighted Tchebychev norm, for optimizing a linear function on the efficient set of a multiple objective integer linear programming problem. This norm is optimized progressively by improving the value of the linear criteria and going through some efficient solutions. The method produced not only the best efficient solution of the linear objective function but also a subset of nondominated solutions that can help decision makers to select the best decision among a large set of Pareto solutions.
Attrition and Follow‐Up Rules in Panel Surveys: Insights from a Tracking Experience in Madagascar
Authors: Vaillant Julia
Published: May 2012

Most longitudinal surveys recontact households only if they are still living in the same dwelling, producing very high attrition rates, especially in developing countries where rural–urban migration is prevalent. In this paper, we discuss the implications of the various follow‐up rules used in longitudinal surveys in the light of an original tracking survey from Madagascar. This survey attempted in 2005 to search and interview all individuals who were living in the village of Bepako in 1995, the baseline year of a yearly survey, the Rural Observatories. The tracking survey yielded an individual recontact rate of 78.8 percent, more than halving attrition compared to a standard dwelling‐based follow‐up rule. The tracking reveals a very high rate of out‐migration (38.8 percent) and household break‐ups, as three‐quarters of recontacted households had divided between 1995 and 2005. The average income growth of the sample over the period increases by 28 percentage points when follow‐up is extended to those who moved out of their household or village, suggesting that dwelling‐based panels give a partial view of the welfare dynamics of the baseline sample. A higher baseline income per capita is associated with a higher probability of staying in Bepako and of being found in the tracking if one moved out. The hardest people to find are the poorest and most isolated. Special attention should be paid to collecting data that enable the identification and follow‐up of individuals, without which attrition is likely to remain a source of bias even after a tracking procedure is carried out.
TRPA1 channels in the vasculature
Authors: Earley Scott
Published: May 2012

This review is focused on the role of the ankyrin (A) transient receptor potential (TRP) channel TRPA1 in vascular regulation. TRPA1 is activated by environmental irritants, pungent compounds found in foods such as garlic, mustard and cinnamon, as well as metabolites produced during oxidative stress. The structure of the channel is distinguished by the ∼14–19 ankyrin repeat (AR) domains present in the intracellular amino terminus. TRPA1 has a large unitary conductance (98 pS) and slight selectivity for Ca2+ versus Na+ ions (PCa/PNa ≈ 7.9). TRPA1 is involved in numerous important physiological processes, including nociception, mechanotransduction, and thermal and oxygen sensing. TRPA1 agonists cause arterial dilation through two distinctive pathways. TRPA1 channels present in perivascular nerves mediate vasodilatation of peripheral arteries in response to chemical agonists through a mechanism requiring release of calcitonin gene‐related peptide. In the cerebral circulation, TRPA1 channels are present in the endothelium, concentrated within myoendothelial junction sites. Activation of TRPA1 channels in this vascular bed causes endothelium‐dependent smooth muscle cell hyperpolarization and vasodilatation that requires the activity of small and intermediate conductance Ca2+‐activated K+ channels. Systemic administration of TRPA1 agonists causes transient depressor responses, followed by sustained increases in heart rate and blood pressure that may result from elevated sympathetic nervous activity. These findings indicate that TRPA1 activity influences vascular function, but the precise role and significance of the channel in the cardiovascular system remains to be determined.
Hyaluronic acid derivatives and their healing effect on burns, epithelial surgical wounds, and chronic wounds: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Voigt Jeffrey , Driver Vickie R.
Published: May 2012

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a polysaccharide common to most species and is found in many sites in the human body, including the skin and soft tissue. A systematic review of the literature and meta‐analysis was performed to identify randomized controlled trials, evaluating the use of HA derivatives in healing burns, epithelial surgical, and chronic wounds. Nine studies were identified, which met the search criteria and clinical endpoints of complete healing and percent wound size reduction when using HA vs. either an active or passive comparator. It was found in the vast majority of randomized controlled trials (eight of nine) that HA derivatives significantly improved the healing of wounds vs. traditional therapies or placebo (either via complete healing or a significant reduction in wound size) occurring from burns, venous insufficiency, diabetes, neuropathic insufficiency, and surgical removal of the epithelial layer (for tattoo removal). In the other remaining trial, one formulation of HA was compared with another, with the higher concentration showing improved application characteristics. Further, it was found in a meta‐analysis in subsets of patients with diabetic foot ulcers (neuropathic) that HA derivatives healed these types of wounds significantly faster than standard of care. These studies in aggregate show that HA derivatives accelerate the healing process in burns, epithelial surgical wounds, and chronic wounds.
Analysis of attitudes toward the source of progenitor cells in tissue‐engineered products for use in burns compared with other disease states
Authors: Clover Anthony J. P. , Lane O'Neill Billy , Kumar Arun H. S.
Published: May 2012

The first trials using progenitor cells to improve burn wound healing are beginning. However, there remains a paucity of data on patients' opinions of the source of stem cells. In this study, 279 patients attending plastic surgery/burns outpatient and medical outpatient clinics were questioned to assess willingness to accept a tissue‐engineered skin product derived from a variety of sources. Levels of acceptance for the use of progenitor cells derived from these sources for treatment across a range of disease states (burns, Parkinson's disease, diabetes, and for cosmetic use) were also assessed. Overall, 80% of those questioned would accept a tissue‐engineered product. Autologous cells were the preferred choice of cells (acute burns 94%, diabetes 95%, Parkinson's 93.9%). Allogeneic cells were still widely accepted (acute burns 67%, diabetes 66.7%, Parkinson's 69.2%). There was no difference observed between plastic surgical patients and medical patients in acceptance of cell therapy for burns, Parkinson's disease, or diabetes. There is good potential acceptance for the use of both autologous and allogeneic cells for the treatment of acute burns and burns' scarring as well as in diabetes and Parkinson's disease. Disease state does not appear to influence overall acceptability and choice of cells.
Deletion of a tumor necrosis superfamily gene in mice leads to impaired healing that mimics chronic wounds in humans
Authors: Petreaca Melissa L. , Do Danh , Dhall Sandeep , McLelland Darcie , Serafino Avo , Lyubovitsky Julia , Schiller Neal , Martins‐Green Manuela M.
Published: May 2012

Proper healing of cutaneous wounds progresses through a series of overlapping phases. Nonhealing wounds are defective in one or more of these processes and represent a major clinical problem. A critical issue in developing treatments for chronic wounds is the paucity of animal models to study the mechanisms underlying the defects in healing. Here we show that deletion of tumor necrosis factor superfamily member 14 (TNFSF14/LIGHT) leads to impaired wounds in mice that have the characteristics of nonchronic and chronic ulcers. These wounds show: (1) excessive production of cytokines, in particular three chemokines (KC/CXCL8, MCP‐1/CCL2, IP‐10/CXCL10), that may be key to the abnormal initiation and resolution of inflammation; (2) defective basement membranes, explaining blood vessel leakage and disruption of dermal/epidermal interactions; and (3) granulation tissue that contains high levels of Coll III, whereas Coll I is virtually absent and does not form fibrils. We also see major differences between nonchronic and chronic wounds, with the latter populated by bacterial films and producing eotaxin, a chemokine that attracts leukocytes that combat multicellular organisms (which biofilms can be considered to be). This new mouse model captures many defects observed in impaired and chronic human wounds and provides a vehicle to address their underlying cell and molecular mechanisms.
Nonviral human beta defensin‐3 expression in a bioengineered human skin tissue: A therapeutic alternative for infected wounds
Authors: Gibson Angela L. , Thomas‐Virnig Christina L. , Centanni John M. , Schlosser Sandy J. , Johnston Colette E. , Van Winkle Kelly F. , Szilagyi Andrea , He Li‐Ke , Shankar Ravi , Allen‐Hoffmann B. Lynn
Published: May 2012

The innate immune system differentially regulates the expression of host defense peptides to combat infection during wound healing. We enhanced the expression of a host defense peptide, human beta defensin‐3 (hBD‐3), in keratinocytes to generate a three‐dimensional biologic dressing to improve healing of infected wounds. The NIKS human keratinocyte cell line was stably transfected ex vivo with a construct containing an epidermis‐specific promoter driving hBD‐3 (NIKShBD‐3) using nonviral methods. Levels of hBD‐3 mRNA and protein in three‐dimensional skin tissue produced from NIKShBD‐3 were determined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Tissue architecture was characterized by hematoxylin and eosin staining and by indirect immunofluorescence using proliferation and keratinocyte differentiation markers. Antimicrobial activity was assessed using an in vitro bacterial growth assay and in vivo using a murine burn infection model. Three‐dimensional full thickness skin tissues containing epidermal NIKShBD‐3 or control NIKS possessed histologic features of interfollicular epidermis and exhibited normal tissue growth and differentiation. NIKShBD‐3 tissue contained approximately fivefold more hBD‐3 protein than tissue containing unmodified control NIKS. In vitro studies showed that NIKShBD‐3 tissue produced a significant reduction in the growth of Staphylococcus aureus multiple peptide resistance factor (mprF) compared with control tissue. In an in vivo infected murine burn model, NIKShBD‐3 tissue resulted in a 90% reduction in bacterial growth. These results demonstrate that sustained delivery of hBD‐3 by a bioengineered skin tissue results in a therapeutically relevant reduction in growth of a S. aureus strain in an animal model of infected third‐degree burn wounds.
Simple wound exudate collection method identifies bioactive cytokines and chemokines in (arterio) venous ulcers
Authors: Kroeze Kim L. , Vink Liselot , de Boer Edith M. , Scheper Rik J. , van Montfrans Catherine , Gibbs Susan
Published: May 2012

A major challenge for clinicians treating (arterio) venous leg ulcers is to decide between standard therapy and advanced interventions. Here, we developed a simple method to collect human material representative of the ulcer wound bed, which can be used to identify biomarkers for prognostic test development. Superficial surgical debridement was performed using a small vidal curette during the weekly visit to the outpatient clinic. Moist, easily removable debridement material essentially blood free (including necrotic and nonviable slough) was collected from the surface of the ulcer. The amount ranged from 5.5 mg to 78 mg material per ulcer. Seventeen cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors were extracted and analyzed by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (concentration range: 0.0005–78 ng/mg total protein). Notably, CXCL8 was by far the most abundant protein present. Inflammatory mediators were more abundant than anti‐inflammatory mediators (e.g., interleukin (IL)‐10 and transforming growth factor‐β1). Bioactivity assays showed chronic wound extracts to be capable of stimulating fibroblast migration in a chemokine‐dependent manner and also capable of stimulating healthy cells within skin substitutes to secrete wound healing mediators (CCL2, CXCL1, CXCL8, IL‐6) in an IL‐1α dependent manner. Collection of debridement tissue enables investigation of the ulcer environment in an easy noninvasive manner that may be suitable for prognostic test development.
Clinical outcomes after peripheral blood stem cell donation by related donors: a Dutch single‐center cohort study
Authors: Wiersum‐Osselton Johanna C. , van Walraven Suzanna M. , Bank Ivan , Lenselink A. Mariëtte , Fibbe Willem E. , van der Bom Johanna G. , Brand Anneke
Published: May 2012

BACKGROUND: Relatives donating peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) may be accepted for donation on less strict criteria than unrelated donors. We evaluated the occurrence of adverse events during procedure and follow‐up, with a special focus on donors who would have been deferred as unrelated donors.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: All 268 related PBSC donors at our center (1996‐2006) were included. Data were retrospectively collected from medical reports and standard follow‐up. Health questionnaires were sent from 2007. Medical outcomes of donors, deferrable or eligible according to international criteria for unrelated donation, were compared.

RESULTS: Forty donors (15%) would have been deferred for unrelated donation. Short‐term adverse events occurred in 2% of procedures. Questionnaires were returned by 162 (60%) donors on average 7.5 years after donation, bringing total person‐years of follow‐up to 1278 (177 in deferrable donors). Nine malignancies and 14 cardiovascular events were reported. The incidence rate of cardiovascular events in eligible donors was 6.5 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.5‐12.3) per 1000 person‐years compared to 44.9 (95% CI, 17.4‐85.2) in deferrable donors; incidence rates of malignancies were 4.6 (1.4‐9.6) and 24.0 (6.0‐53.9) per 1000 person‐years, respectively, in eligible and deferrable donors. All incidence rates were within the range of age‐ and sex‐matched general population. No autoimmune disorders were reported.

CONCLUSION: In both the eligible and the deferrable related donors treated with granulocyte–colony‐stimulating factor there are few short‐term and long‐term problems. The occurrence of post‐PBSC cardiovascular events and malignant disease in related donors appears to be within the range of the general population.