bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regulation of Cell Diameter, For3p Localization, and Cell Symmetry by Fission Yeast Rho-GAP Rga4p
Authors: Das Maitreyi , Wiley David J. , Medina Saskia , Vincent Helen A. , Larrea Michelle , Oriolo Andrea , Verde Fulvia
Published: March 2007

Control of cellular dimensions and cell symmetry are critical for development and differentiation. Here we provide evidence that the putative Rho-GAP Rga4p of Schizosaccharomyces pombe controls cellular dimensions. rga4Δ cells are wider in diameter and shorter in length, whereas Rga4p overexpression leads to reduced diameter of the growing cell tip. Consistent with a negative role in cell growth control, Rga4p protein localizes to the cell sides in a “corset” pattern, and to the nongrowing cell tips. Additionally, rga4Δ cells show an altered growth pattern similar to that observed in mutants of the formin homology protein For3p. Consistent with these observations, Rga4p is required for normal localization of For3p and for normal distribution of the actin cytoskeleton. We show that different domains of the Rga4p protein mediate diverse morphological functions. The C-terminal GAP domain mediates For3p localization to the cell tips and maintains cell diameter. Conversely, overexpression of the N-terminal LIM homology domain of Rga4p promotes actin cable formation in a For3p-dependent manner. Our studies indicate that Rga4p functionally interacts with For3p and has a novel function in the control of cell diameter and cell growth.
Alfentanil in short procedures
Authors: SANDERS R. S. , SINCLAIR M. E. , SEAR J. W.
Published: March 2007

Ninety patients, premedicated with temazepam 20 mg, undergoing suction termination of pregnancy, were studied. Forty patients received alfentanil (500 μ g), and thirty halothane (1.5%) as supplements to either etomidate or methohexitone–nitrous oxide–oxygen anaesthesia. A further 20 patients received alfentanil 250 μg at induction of anaesthesia with methohexitone, followed by a further 250 μg immediately prior to the onset of surgery. Recovery was assessed by the time patients took to open eyes on command, to giving their correct date of birth, and to performing the deletion test. Satisfactory operating conditions were not obtained with the combination of etomidate and halothane. Faster recovery was seen in patients with either etomidate or methohexitone and receiving alfentanil (p < 0.01) Testing by the ‘p’ deletion test showed impaired psychomotor performance at 30 minutes after cessation of anaesthesia in all groups compared with the pre‐operative scores. Side effects leading to unsatisfactory anaesthesia were more frequent in patients who had received etomidate (p <0.01).
A modified MIE Superlite exhaust valve incorporating a positive pressure safety relief valve
Authors: GIL‐RODRIGUEZ J. A.
Published: March 2007

Most scavenging systems incorporate safety devices to protect the patient against sudden positive and negative pressure surges. If full protection is to be guaranteed, positive pressure relief devices should be positioned as close as possible to the patient and, preferably, should form an integral part of the expiratory valves of anaesthetic systems and ventilators. One such safety device is described in this paper.
Insulin‐dependent diabetes during the peri‐operative period An nssessment of continuous glucose‐insulin‐potaium infusion, and traditional treatment
Authors: THOMAS D. J. B. , PLATT H. S. , ALBERTI K. G. M. M.
Published: March 2007

Twenty seven insulin‐dependent diabetics, and six non‐diabetic subjects undergoing elective surgery have been studied. Twelve diabetics received continuous glucose‐insulin‐potassium (GIK) infiion for at least 4 hours after surgery terminated. Six diabetic patients having morning surgery received a proportion of their morning insulin dose with intravenous glucose (25 g) before surgery and the remaining jve operated on in the afternoon received their morning insulin with breakfast. Non‐GIK groups were combined and compared with GIK. Postoperative diabetic treatment was the same in both groups. Plasma glucose changes were studied in all patients and other metabolites whenever possible.

Mean pre‐operative glucose, non‐esterjedfatty acid, and 3‐hydroxybutyrate concentrations were similar in GIK and non‐GIK groups. Four hours postoperatively plasma glucose, and 3‐hydroxybutyrate values were lower in the GIK group than in the non GIK group (p < 0.05) as were mean plasma non‐esterfed fatty acid levels. Plasma glucose concentration was also lower in GIK subjects at 72 hours postoperatively (p < 0.01). At other times measured metabolic variables were similar in both GIK and non GIK groups.
Ranitidine and single‐dose antacid therapy as prophylaxis against acid aspiration syndrome in obstetric practice
Authors: GILLETT G. B. , WATSON J. D. , LANGFORD R. M.
Published: March 2007

The efficacy of the non‐particulate antacid 0.3 M sodium citrute in single and multiple dose regimes was investigated in 156 obstetric patients, both emergency and elective, who required operative delivery under general anasthesia. Failure of either of these regimes to elevate the intragastric pH consistently to an ucceptuhle level (> 3) led to investigation of a regime combining the histamine H2‐receptor antugonist. ranitidine, and a single pre‐anasthetic dose of 0.3 M sodium citrate in a further I70 patients. Satisfactory pH values (>3) were achieved in all patients studied. The results from the first 99 cases were analysed statistically by comparison with the multiple dose sodium citrate regime and showed a very significant improvement in the ranitidine group for intragastric pH and volume. No untoward side‐effects were discovered in either mother or baby and the 6‐hourly administration of ranitidine, which was easily complied with, had no eflect on the progress of labour or operutive delivery rate.
Laryngotracheo‐oesophageal cleft A report of three cases
Authors: ARMITAGE E. N.
Published: March 2007

The clincial presentation of cleft larynx is described in a mother, and her first‐born child, and in a third, unrelated child. The symptoms vary with the anatomical severity of the cleft, but may closely resemble those of H‐type tracheo‐oesophageal fistula. Modifications to Pettersson's classfication of the condition are suggested. These allow more precise definition of the milder cases in which surgery carries a reasonable prognosis. The accuracy of clinical diagnosis, especially at laryngoscopy, has been disappointing. The importance of probing the posterior wall of the larynx at direct laryngoscopy is emphasised, since the larynx may appear normal even when an extensive cleft is present.
Serum morphine levels
Authors: WALDMANN C. S. , EASON J. R. , RAMBOHUL E. , HANSON G. C.
Published: March 2007

A study was undertaken to compare continuous subcutaneous infusions of morphine with continuous intravenous infusions in patients whose lungs were mechanically ventilated for 24 hours postoperatively. Serum morphine levels were measured after the end of surgery and at 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours in nine patients receiving continuous subcutaneous morphine and in four patients receiving continuous intravenous morphine given at the same rate. At 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours the means of serum morphine levels in the intravenous group were 20 ng/ml. 17.75 ng/ml, 18.5 ng/ml and 18 ng/ml, respectively, the corresponding figures in the subcutaneous group being 23.2 ng/ml. 20 ng/ml, 20.7 ng/ml and 20 ng/ml. For the intravenous route the mean dose of supplementary analgesia was 14 mg of phenoperidine in the first 24 postoperative hours, whereas for the subcutaneous route the mean dose was 11.66 mg. The differences in the serum morphine levels and in the requirements of phenoperidine were not statistically significant. We conclude that a continuous subcutaneous infusion of morphine is a simple and effective means of achieving postoperative analgesia.
Tracheal tube cuff pressure
Authors: PATEL R. I. , OH T. H. , CHANDRA R. , EPSTEIN B. S.
Published: March 2007

The volume and pressure of a tracheal tube cuff inflated with air increases during nitrous oxide anasthesia. The study was designed to investigate the changes of tracheal tube cuff pressure during nitrous oxide anasthesia following inflation of the cuff with air or saline in 10 mongrel dogs who were anasthetised with nitrous oxide and their lungs artificially ventilated. At the end of 6 hours there was no change in cuff pressure when saline had been used for inflation, but was six times the initial pressure when air had been used. On microscopic examination of the trachea, only the air group had glandular inflammation, dilatation and destruction. Therefore, it appears that if saline is used to inflate tracheal tube cuffs, there will not be an increase in cuff volume and pressure during nitrous oxide anasthesia.
Tracheal rupture during anasthesia
Authors: SMITH B. A. C. , HOPKINSON R. B.
Published: March 2007

Tracheal rupture as a direct complication of tracheal intubation is rare. We report a case where this occurred during oesophageal surgery. The literature describing eight previous cases is reviewed and recommendations are made to reduce the possibility of such an occurrence.
The use of radiotelemetry techniques for thein vivoassessment of antacids
Authors: O'SULLIVAN G. , HARRISON B. J. , BULLINGHAM R. E. S.
Published: March 2007

The use of the pH radio pill for the assessment of antacid effect has been evaluated. The correlation between the pH pill and a conventional pH electrode system was high (r2= 0.997). The records of in vivo pH against time allow unique measurements of antacid efficacy (defined as the integrated area under the pH against time curve) and duration of action to be obtained. Using a free pill, antacid assessments were performed in 13 subjects in the left lateral position. The effects of repeated antacid administrations were studied in five subjects using a pH pill which was prevented from leaving the stomach by tethering it to the teeth. These longer studies were performed in the sitting position. The efficacy (p < 0.02) and duration of action (p < 0.02) of sodium citrate 0.3 M were less in those subjects in whom the pill was tethered. The differences between the results of the studies using either a free or a tethered pill can be attributed to posture. The overall duration of' action of sodium citrate 15 ml was short, the mean (SEM value being 42.4 (4.5) minutes in the left lateral position and 21.2 (4.0) minutes in the upright position.
End‐tidal CO2 monitoring
Authors: BAUDENDISTEL L. , GOUDSOUZIAN N. , COTE C. , STRAFFORD M.
Published: March 2007

Two cases of malignant hyperthermia are described where the earliest sign was a rise in the end‐tidal CO, concentration. This led to nearly immediate detection and adequate treatment with sodium dantrolene. These cases demonstrate the efficacy of monitoring end‐expired CO2 concentrations in patients at risk from malignant hyperthermia, as well as a means for following the adequacy of treatment.
The cardiorespiratory effects of ICI 35 868 in patients with valvular heart disease
Authors: AUN C. , Major E.
Published: March 2007

The haemodynamic effects at induction of anaesthesia with ICI 35 868 (1.5 mg/kg) are reported in ten patients with severe aortic or mitral valve disease. The average decrease of mean arterial pressure was 19.1% (p< 0.01), heart rate decreased by 10% (p< 0.01). Cardiac index and stroke volume index were both little changed but there were significant reductions in rate pressure product and left ventricular stroke work index (p < 0.01).
A review of the research priorities of practitioners working with children in social care
Authors: Stevens Madeleine , Liabo Kristin , Roberts Helen
Published: March 2007

It has been argued both that research in social care is insufficiently relevant to practice, and that a clearer steer is needed from the social work community in shaping national research priorities. The work reported here systematically searched for and analysed findings from studies that asked practitioners working with children for their suggestions for research. Eight studies were found, and authors gave us access to the primary data from four of these, to which we added responses from the What Works for Children? website survey of practitioners’ research priorities. Responses were analysed in terms of both topic and type of research. Family support, parenting and child protection research were among the most frequently requested child‐focused topics. In terms of question type, almost half the research suggestions concerned the effectiveness of interventions. These findings suggest that a commitment to outcomes, and to robustly researched interventions to attain those outcomes, are increasingly important to practitioners. These views from the front line may well be useful in assisting decision‐makers in social work, and research funders, to set priorities.
Varicocele sclerotherapy improves serum inhibin B levels and seminal parameters
Authors: Di Bisceglie Cataldo , Bertagna Angela , Baldi Matteo , Lanfranco Fabio , Tagliabue Milena , Gazzera Carlo , Gandini Giovanni , Manieri Chiara
Published: March 2007

The usefulness of treating varicocele in order to improve fertility is still a matter of debate. The aim of this study was to evaluate variations in seminal parameters and inhibin B concentrations in a group of males affected by varicocele and treated by percutaneous retrograde sclerotherapy in comparison with a group of patients who did not undergo varicocele treatment. Thirty‐eight patients with left varicocele underwent spermatic vein phlebography and percutaneous retrograde sclerotherapy with hydroxy‐polyaethoxy‐dodecanol. Serum inhibin B, follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone levels and seminal parameters (sperm concentration, motility and morphology) were performed before and 6 months after sclerotherapy. Forty patients with left varicocele who did not undergo sclerotherapy were studied as controls. A significant increase (p < 0.01) in serum inhibin B levels and a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in FSH levels were observed 6 months after treatment. Semen analysis showed a significant improvement in sperm concentration (p < 0.05) and progressive motility (p < 0.01) after treatment. In control group no significant variations in hormonal and seminal parameters were observed 6 months after the basal examination. Six months after the basal evaluation, inhibin B levels were significantly higher in treated subjects than in controls (p < 0.05) whereas FSH levels were significantly lower (p < 0.05). Sperm concentration and progressive motility were significantly increased (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively) in treated subjects in comparison with controls. In conclusion, varicocele sclerotherapy improves inhibin B levels and seminal parameters, confirming the positive effect of this treatment on spermatogenesis and Sertoli cell function.
Development and evaluation of computer‐aided music‐learning system for the hearing impaired
Authors: Yang H.‐J. , Lay Y.‐L. , Liou Y.‐C. , Tsao W.‐Y. , Lin C.‐K.
Published: March 2007

Abstract  A computer‐assisted music‐learning system (CAMLS) has been developed to help the hearing impaired practice playing a musical melody. The music‐learning performance is evaluated to test the usability of the system. This system can be a computer‐supported learning tool for the hearing impaired to help them understand what pitch and tempo are, and then learn to play songs thereby increasing their interest in music classes and enhancing their learning performance. The results indicated that CAMLS could enhance hearing‐impaired students' learning performance in a music course. A questionnaire survey also demonstrated that the computer‐aided method did benefit hearing‐impaired students in their music leaning. Actually, this system can also be applied to non‐disabled students as a music‐supportive tool to help their music learning.
Hepatitis B vaccine uptake among injecting drug users in England 1998 to 2004: is the prison vaccination programme driving recent improvements?
Authors: Hope V. D. , Ncube F. , Hickman M. , Judd A. , Parry J. V.
Published: March 2007

Summary.  In 1999, the Department of Health allocated additional funding to Health Authorities in England to expand hepatitis B immunization among injecting drug users (IDUs), with the aim of increasing coverage by 20%. In 2001, a vaccination programme for prison inmates in England was also instigated. Between 1998 and 2004 current IDUs participated in a series of annual unlinked anonymous surveys that recorded vaccine uptake (n = 11 383). The proportion self‐reporting vaccine uptake rose significantly from 27% in 1998 to 59% in 2004 [adjusted odds ratio: 3.7 (95% CI 3.2–4.3); increase in uptake of 25% per annum (95% CI 22–27%)]. A second survey, which recruited 852 current IDUs from community settings in 2003/04, found that prisons were the most common source (38%) of vaccine doses, followed by drug services (28%) and general practitioners (17%), with only 14% receiving doses through needle exchanges. These data suggest that the 20% target of improving vaccination coverage has been met, with the prison vaccination programme likely to have made a substantive contribution in recent years. However, prevalence of antibodies to the hepatitis B core antigen was stable (21%) and is currently similar among the vaccinated and unvaccinated. Consideration needs to be given to improving community vaccination provision for IDUs, targeting recent initiates, and determining when surveillance data should indicate reductions in infection so that the effectiveness of the targeted strategy can be assessed.
Involvement of CPI‐17 downregulation in the dysmotility of the colon from dextran sodium sulphate‐induced experimental colitis in a mouse model
Authors: Sato K. , Ohkura S. , Kitahara Y. , Ohama T. , Hori M. , Sato M. , Kobayashi S. , Sasaki Y. , Hayashi T. , Nasu T. , Ozaki H.
Published: March 2007

Abstract  The mechanism of gastrointestinal dysmotility in inflammatory bowel disease has not been clarified. In this study, we examined the mechanism involved in the inflamed distal colon isolated from a mouse model of dextran sodium sulphate‐induced ulcerative colitis (DSS‐treated mouse). Although substance P‐induced contraction was not changed, carbachol‐induced contraction was reduced in the DSS‐treated mouse colon. Pre‐incubation with the NO synthase inhibitor NG‐monomethyl‐l‐arginine (l‐NMMA) or the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin did not reverse the carbachol‐induced contraction in the DSS‐treated mouse colon. In semi‐quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction experiments and Western blot analysis, muscarinic M3 receptor expressions were not changed. The Ca2+‐sensitization of contractile elements induced by carbachol with GTP or GTPγS was reduced in the β‐escin‐permeabilized DSS‐treated mouse colon. Although the expression of proteins such as rhoA, ROCK1, ROCK2 or MYPT1 in smooth muscles was not changed, the expression of CPI‐17, the functional protein involved in smooth muscle Ca2+‐sensitization, was significantly decreased in the DSS‐treated mouse colon. These results suggest that the suppression of carbachol‐induced contraction in mice with colitis is attributable at least partially to the increased activity of myosin phosphatase following the downregulation of CPI‐17.
Contemporaneous chronic rejection of multiple allografts with principal pancreatic involvement in modified multivisceral transplantation
Authors: Takahashi Hidenori , Delacruz Victor , Sarwar Shoib , Selvaggi Gennaro , Moon Jang , Nishida Seigo , Weppler Debbie , Levi David , Kato Tomoaki , Tzakis Andreas , Ruiz Phillip
Published: March 2007

Abstract:  The patient was a 10 yr‐old‐male with short gut syndrome secondary to Hirschsprung’s disease, who underwent a modified (no liver) multivisceral transplant (stomach, pancreas, small and large intestine). The patient experienced malabsorption early in the post‐operative course and had been dependent on a combination of enteral and intravenous nutrition. He developed symptoms of bowel obstruction and was suspected to have chronic rejection by an exploratory laparotomy four yr after transplant. Re‐transplantation of a multivisceral transplant (stomach, pancreas, liver, small and large intestine) was performed. Microscopic examinations of the explanted allograft organ block revealed varying degrees of chronic rejection in many of the organs but with the pancreatic allograft being affected most severely. The malabsorption symptom following the first transplant may have been caused by the early onset of chronic pancreatic allograft dysfunction. Our case indicates varying severity of chronic rejection among multiple allografts where the pancreatic allograft appeared most susceptible to chronic rejection.
Establishment and characterization of porcine Sertoli cell line for the study of xenotransplantation
Authors: Lee Hak‐Mo , Oh Byoung Chol , Lim Dong‐Pyo , Lee Dong‐Sup , Cho Jaejin , Lee Gene , Lee Jeong Ryul
Published: March 2007

Abstract:  Background:  An understanding of the main mechanism that determines the ability of immune privilege related to Sertoli cells (SC) will provide clues for promoting a local tolerogenic environment. In this report, we established neonatal porcine SC line and evaluated their characteristics.

Methods:  SC line was established following the transfection of primary SC (NPSC) from the testis of neonatal pig with plasmid pRNS‐1 carrying genes for neomycin resistance and the SV40 large T antigen. Immunohistochemistry and RT‐PCR were performed to evaluate the character of immortalized SC lines.

Results:  Our immortalized SC line (iPS) proliferated stably and had a phenotype similar to NPSC, as indicated by the immunoexpression of follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), and mRNA expression of androgen receptor (AR), and Wilms’ tumor antigen (WT1). Interestingly, NPSC and iPS expressed mRNA of complement regulatory proteins (CRP) such as membrane cofactor protein (CD46), decay accelerating factor (DAF or CD55), and protectin (CD59), but CD59 mRNA expression was negligible in iPS.

Conclusion:  These results suggest that iPS, immortalized by the introduction of SV40 T, retain their original characteristics, except for the relatively low expression of CD59, and that they may be useful for future in vitro and in vivo studies of immune privilege mechanisms related to SC.
Natural protection from zoonosis by alpha‐gal epitopes on virus particles in xenotransmission
Authors: Kim Na Young , Jung Woon‐Won , Oh Yu‐Kyung , Chun Taehoon , Park Hong‐Yang , Lee Hoon‐Taek , Han In‐Kwon , Yang Jai Myung , Kim Young Bong
Published: March 2007

Abstract:  Clinical transplantation has become one of the preferred treatments for end‐stage organ failure, and one of the novel approaches being pursued to overcome the limited supply of human organs involves the use of organs from other species. The pig appears to be a near ideal animal due to proximity to humans, domestication, and ability to procreate. The presence of Gal‐α1,3‐Gal residues on the surfaces of pig cells is a major immunological obstacle to xenotransplantation. Alpha1,3galactosyltransferase (α1,3GT) catalyzes the synthesis of Galα1‐3Galβ1‐4GlcNAc‐R (α‐gal epitope) on the glycoproteins and glycolipids of non‐primate mammals, but this does not occur in humans. Moreover, the α‐gal epitope causes hyperacute rejection of pig organs in humans, and thus, the elimination of this antigen from pig tissues is highly desirable. Recently, concerns have been raised that the risk of virus transmission from such pigs may be increased due to the absence of α‐gal on their viral particles. In this study, transgenic cells expressing α1,3GT were selected using 1.25 mg/ml neomycin. The development of HeLa cells expressing α1,3GT now allows accurate studies to be conducted on the function of the α‐gal epitope in xenotransmission. The expressions of α‐gal epitopes on HeLa/α‐gal cells were demonstrated by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy using cells stained with IB4‐fluorescein isothiocyanate lectin. Vaccinia viruses propagated in HeLa/α‐gal cells also expressed α‐gal on their viral envelopes and were more sensitive to inactivation by human sera than vaccinia virus propagated in HeLa cells. Moreover, neutralization of vaccinia virus was inhibited in human serum by 10 mm ethylene glycol bis(β‐aminoethylether)tetraacetic acid (EDTA) treatment. Our data indicated that α‐gal epitopes are one of the major barriers to zoonosis via xenotransmission.
Evaluation of the inhibitory effect of amphotericin B on the apical growth of F. solani using the BioCell‐Tracer® System
Authors: Teixeira Ana Beatriz Alkmim , Moretti Maria Luiza , Machado Helymar Costa , Nishimura Keiko , Taguchi Hideaki , Schreiber Angélica Zaninelli
Published: March 2007

Summary  The BioCell‐Tracer® (BCT) system is an automatic microscopic method used for measuring the growth rate of a single fungal hyphae, which has not yet been applied to study Fusarium spp. Considering the large resistance of Fusarium species to the available chemotherapy and that hyphae is the morphological fungal form most often seen in vivo, in this work, Amphotericin B MIC and MFC values for a Fusarium solani strain were obtained by the conventional assay method testing conidia and also by the BCT® monitoring system. Both MIC and MFC values of AMB against F. solani determined by broth dilution method resulted in 4.0 μg ml−1. By the BCT® system, their values were 1.0 μg ml−1, with an inhibition rate of 99.5% (Exp‐GR) and 100.0% (Post‐GR), showing that when testing hyphae directly, MIC and MFC were determined at two lower dilutions than the MIC and MFC values obtained with conidia. Using the BCT® system, 4.0, 2.0 and 1.0 μg ml−1 of AMB concentrations inhibited hyphae growth in 50 min whereas 0.5 μg ml−1 of AMB needed 100 min to start hyphae growth inhibition. These findings lead us to conclude that antifungal susceptibility varies between conidia and hyphae. For this strain of Fusarium solani, hyphae were more susceptible to AMB than conidia.
Association of immune mediators at diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes with later clinical remission
Authors: Schloot N. C. , Hanifi‐Moghaddam P. , Aabenhus‐Andersen N. , Alizadeh B. Z. , Saha M. T. , Knip M. , Devendra D. , Wilkin T. , Bonifacio E. , Roep B. O. , Kolb H. ,   T. Mandrup‐Poulsen
Published: March 2007

Aims  We tested the hypothesis that systemic concentrations of cytokines, chemokines or soluble cytokine receptors predict or accompany clinical remission in Type 1 diabetes (T1D).

Methods  In a prospective, multicentre study, 48 patients with newly diagnosed T1D and 55 age‐matched healthy control subjects were investigated. Blood was drawn 3–7 days after the diagnosis and then 3–4 months later. Patients were grouped into partial remitters or non‐remitters by the degree of clinical improvement defined by HbA1c (threshold 7.5%) and daily insulin dose (threshold 0.38 IU/kg/day). Systemic concentrations of 17 immune mediators were analysed in serum or plasma. In addition, autoantibodies against insulin (IAA), IA‐2 (IA‐2A) and GAD65 (GADA) were quantified.

Results  All 17 immune mediators showed remarkable intra‐individual stability in their systemic concentrations over time. As a consequence, partial remission was not accompanied by changes in mediator levels except for a moderate decrease of interleukin (IL)‐1ra concentrations (P = 0.02) and IL‐10 concentrations (P = 0.01) in non‐remitters. Baseline levels were associated with the later clinical course in that low levels of interferon γ (P = 0.01), IL‐10 (P = 0.03) and IL‐1R1 (P = 0.009) concentrations were observed in partial remitters.

Conclusions  We conclude that the systemic immunoregulatory state at diagnosis of T1D is predictive of clinical improvement during the remission phase. There was no general change in systemic immune reactivity in the months after diagnosis and initiation of insulin therapy.
Clinical and cost‐effectiveness of primary prevention of Type 2 diabetes in a ‘real world’ routine healthcare setting: model based on the KORA Survey 2000
Authors: Icks A. , Rathmann W. , Haastert B. , Gandjour A. , Holle R. , John J. , Giani G. ,   on behalf of the KORA Study Group
Published: March 2007

Aims  To analyse the clinical and cost‐effectiveness of the primary prevention of Type 2 diabetes in a ‘real world’ routine healthcare setting using population‐based data (KORA Survey in Augsburg, Germany, total population approximately 600 000).

Methods  Decision analytic model, time horizon 3 years.

Interventions  Staff education, targeted screening and lifestyle modification or metformin in people aged 60–74 years with a body mass index of ≥ 24 kg/m2 and prediabetic status (fasting glucose 5.3–6.9 mmol/l and 2‐h post load glucose 7.8–11.0 mmol/l) (target population approximately 72 500), according to the Diabetes Prevention Program trial.

Main outcome measures  Cases of Type 2 diabetes prevented, cost (Euro), incremental cost‐effectiveness ratios (ICERs).

Results  Under model assumptions, 14 908 people in the target population would develop diabetes if there was no intervention, 184 cases would be avoided with lifestyle intervention and 42 cases with metformin intervention. From the perspective of statutory health insurance and society, costs for lifestyle modification were a856 507 (£574 241) and a4 961 340 (£3 326 307), respectively, and for metformin a797 539 (£534 706) and a1 335 204 (£895 181). Up to 5% of the costs were due to staff education and up to 36% to screening. Lifestyle was more cost effective than metformin. ICERs for lifestyle vs. ‘no intervention’ were a4664 (£3127) and a27 015 (£18 112) per case prevented from the statutory health insurance and societal perspective.

Conclusions  Total cost and cost per case of diabetes avoided was high. Staff education and screening had a considerable impact. In view of the low participation in a routine healthcare setting, with both strategies only a small number of cases of diabetes would be prevented. Before implementing the programme, efforts should be made to improve patient participation in order to achieve better clinical and cost‐effectiveness of the prevention of Type 2 diabetes in ‘real world’ clinical practice.
Here is the news, the BBC is tumbling down
Authors: Wedell George
Published: March 2007

ALL GOVERNMENTS WHETHER OR NOT PARTICIPATIVE NEED TO KEEP an eye on public opinion if they are to maintain their legitimacy. Even autocratic governments have to provide some bread and circuses for their citizens if they are to stay in power. Autocratic governments throughout history have relied on achieving the acquiescence of their citizens first by convincing most of them that the status quo is the best available, given the constraints under which the government is operating at the time. Alternatively they have had to externalize their problems by convincing the citizens that there is external pressure which can be resisted only by the exercise of restraint and patriotic support for the government.
Political Opposition in the Contemporary World
Authors: Blondel Jean
Published: March 2007

ALTHOUGH THE CLASSICAL WORK ONPOLITICAL OPPOSITION IN Western Democracies, edited by Robert Dahl, was published decades ago, in 1966, the analysis of the characteristics of opposition, in democracies or elsewhere, has advanced rather less than other aspects of comparative politics. The word ‘opposition’ is used daily to account for a variety of developments; but its many meanings have not been systematically related to the differences among the political systems of the world. A number of comparative studies did appear after the 1966 seminal work, admittedly, including one by Dahl himself in 1973, as well as those by Ionescu and Madariaga in 1968, by Schapiro in 1972, by Tokes in 1979, by Kolinsky in 1988 and by Rodan in 1996; these volumes explore aspects of the concept which could not have been even referred to in the original study, since that study was confined to Western democracies and to the part played by political parties in the context of opposition. Yet the problem has still not been tackled truly comprehensively, as, with the exception of the 1973 Dahl volume, the works on the subject are comparative only in the sense that they deal with more than one country; but their scope remains limited to a region or to a particular type of political system. Meanwhile, many country analyses examine the nature of political opposition in each particular case, but the information which they provide has to be brought within a common framework before we can hope to obtain a general picture of the characteristics of opposition across the world.
Political Opposition in the United States
Authors: Polsby Nelson W.
Published: March 2007

SURELY IN THE MANUFACTURE OF VARIETIES OF PEACEABLE AND legitimate political opposition the American political system leads the world, and from a comparative perspective the United States is therefore extremely atypical. This essay will review briefly some of the more familiar ways in which political opposition in the United States is expressed and encouraged, will consider some of the consequences for a political system so rich in opportunities for opposition, and in conclusion will discuss changes in patterns of opposition over the last 30 years.
In Search of Oppositions: South East Asia in Focus
Authors: Hedman Eva‐Lotta E.
Published: March 2007

ANY INVESTIGATION OF POLITICAL OPPOSITIONS IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC must necessarily begin, if not end, with the obvious. First of all, there is the evident weakness of political oppositions in much of this part of the world today — whether we focus on the commonly capitalized ‘Opposition’ denoting ‘a political party opposing,and serving as a check on, the party in power’ (Webster's, italics added), or on the more variegated lower case ‘alternative oppositions’ often associated with so-called ‘non-governmental organizations’ of some sort or another. To a considerable extent, therefore, this question involves the compounded difficulty of not merely explaining the careers and conditions of manifest political groupings and their respective trajectories but also, significantly, of retrieving the historical traces, lived experiences and collective memories of oppositionsdisplaced— whether by means of incorporation or of exclusion. Secondly, despite its remarkable recent rise in political, financial and academic discourse, ‘the Asia-Pacific’ remains a highly elusive — and eminently elastic — conception in terms of historical, economic and cultural content. Significantly, for the present discussion, no ‘wave’ of regime transitions comparable to those witnessed in other regions — Southern Europe, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Tropical Africa — can be discerned across the countries encompassed within ‘the Asia-Pacific’.
A Step Toward One-Party Predominance: Japan’s General Election of 20 October 1996
Authors: Inoguchi Takashi
Published: March 2007

THE GENERAL ELECTION IN JAPAN OF OCTOBER 1996 brought back the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to a position of predominance, if not preponderance, in the House of Representatives. Out of 500 seats, the LDP acquired 239, while the second largest New Frontier Party (FNP) won 156, the newly-formed Democratic Party 52, the Communist Party 26, the Social Democratic Party of Japan (SDPJ) 15, and the Sakigake New Party two seats. Prior to the general election, the LDP, the SDPJ and the Sakigake had cooperated in a coalition government with 211, 30 and 9 seats, respectively. After the election, the LDP formed a minority government without making a formal coalition arrangement with the much enfeebled SDPJ and Sakigake. Why was the LDP able to make this sort of comeback? Why have ‘reformist parties’, starting with the New Japan Party, the Renewal Party, the New Frontier Party and most recently the Democratic Party, experienced such a brief period of increased power before their fall (or stagnation)? These are the questions that this article addresses in describing and explaining Japanese politics today.
Risk and Governance Part II: Policy in a Complex and Plurally Perceived World
Authors: Thompson Michael , Rayner Steve , Ney Steven
Published: March 2007

OUR CONCLUSION, IN PART I,* WAS THAT THE ABANDONMENT OF THE expert/lay dichotomy as the basis for understanding risk perception, whilst essential, is not going to be easy. We argued that:

1) Objectivism (the idea that we can clearly distinguish between what the risks really are and what people variously and erroneously believe them to be) has to give way to constructivism (the idea that risk is inherently subjective: something that we project onto whatever it is that is ‘out there’).

2) To impose a single definition of what the problem is, which is what so much of policy analysis and science-for-public-policy does, is to exclude all those who happen not to share that particular way of framing things. Since people are unlikely to support a policy that is aimed at solving what they do not see to be the problem, approaches that insist on singularity (and on single metrics — cost: benefit analysis, for instance, probabilistic risk assessment, qualityadjusted life years and so on) will inevitably be low on consent, surprise-prone, unref lexive, brittle and undemocratic.
The Politics of the 1999 European Elections
Authors: Teasdale Anthony L.
Published: March 2007

‘Je pense donc je vote’: the confident assertion of the european Parliament's promotional campaign in France to encourage voters to participate in the 1999 European elections struck a spectacularly false note. The citizens not only of France, but of Europe as a whole, reacted with striking indifference to the prospect of the fifth direct elections to the world's only transnational parliament. In the elections held on 10-13 June, turnout fell in all but three of the fifteen member states, averaging less than half of the eligible electorate for the first time since 1979. Except in the two countries holding general elections on the same day – Belgium and Luxembourg – media coverage of the contest was distinctly muted. Even in those countries, the European component was secondary. Across the European Union, there was little sense of key choices being defined, let alone settled, by the election, whether on a national or continental scale. If political elites were engaged in trials of strength which they were unable to avoid, there was scant evidence of campaigning on the ground. In David Butler's memorable phrase, the European elections of 1999, as before, resembled ‘tactical exercises without troops’: army generals were active at the centre, conducting a theoretical, phoney war of interest largely to themselves.
Indonesia’s Democratic Opening
Authors: Liddle R. William
Published: March 2007

ON 21 MAY 1998, INDONESIA'S AUTHORITARIAN PRESIDENT SUHARTO, in power since 1966, abruptly resigned from office and was succeeded by his vice-president, Bacharuddin Jusuf (B. J.) Habibie. Though retired for decades, Suharto was an army general and relied heavily on the support of the armed forces to rule this vast archipelago, the world's fourth largest country. Habibie is a civilian with long government service as minister of research and industry. President Suharto, Habibie often claimed, taught him everything he knew about politics.
The Jenkins Commission and the Implications of Electoral Reform for the UK Constitution
Authors: McLean Iain
Published: March 2007

THERE ARE TWO MAIN CONCEPTIONS OF ‘REPRESENTATION’ IN democratic theory, and they are not wholly compatible. All democratic electoral systems implicitly appeal to one or the other conception of representation. Therefore, the nature of an ideal electoral system is an essentially contested question. Furthermore, the mathematics of social choice sets severe limits on what an electoral system — any electoral system — can achieve. Though the implications of social choice are not so nihilistic as some would have us believe, they are relevant and serious.
The Dilemmas of Good Governance: A Latin American Perspective
Authors: Philip George
Published: March 2007

DURING THE 1990S, THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS (IFIS) have gone beyond supporting free-market economics via the socalled Washington consensus which advocated primarily marketoriented reform, to adopt a broader notion of ‘good governance’ which includes political as well as economic factors. The World Bank'sDevelopment Report 1997; The State in a Changing Worldis a key document in explaining this new thinking. It lays out the desirability of democracy, the rule of law and effective democratic regulation alongside the market-oriented economic policies and fiscal orthodoxy which IFIs have long advocated. There is no doubt that governance matters to development and to that extent theReportis welcome. TheReportalso makes a number of worthwhile points about administrative good practice and reform. However some scepticism is in order too. This is because the Bank's notion of ‘good governance’ is too idealistic, insufficiently historically specific and over-confident in respect of what we do know and can know about the politics of development.
The First Welsh National Assembly Election
Authors: Jones J. Barry
Published: March 2007

THE WELSH LABOUR PARTY COULD HAVE ANTICIPATED THE FIRST elections to the National Assembly with a fair degree of equanimity, if not optimism. In the 1997 General Election, the party had won 55 percent of the vote and delivered on its promise of a devolution referendum which it won, albeit by a narrow majority. The architect of Labour's devolution policy, Ron Davies, the Welsh Secretary of State, who was widely respected within and beyond the Labour Party, had spoken of a new Welsh politics, with policy-making open to and inclusive of other Welsh parties. All this, however, was called into question by what Ron Davies subsequently described as his ‘moment of madness’ on Clapham Common in October 1998. Although the circumstances remain unclear, they resulted in his resignation from the post of Secretary of State and leader of the Welsh Labour Party. Alun Michael, a Cardiff MP and a minister at the Home Office, was appointed Welsh Secretary and subsequently endured a bitter and bruising leadership contest with Rhodri Morgan, during which claims were made that he was Blair's man, and not really an enthusiastic devolutionist but part of the Millbank control system. Large sections of the party were disillusioned by the process and serious questions were raised as to what extent disillusioned party activists would be involved in the Assembly election campaign.
ADHD, Neurological Correlates and Health‐related Quality of Life in Severe Pediatric Epilepsy
Authors: Sherman Elisabeth M.S. , Slick Daniel J. , Connolly Mary B. , Eyrl Kim L.
Published: March 2007

Summary:  Purpose: ADHD is reported as a frequent comorbidity in pediatric epilepsy. We aimed to clarify the prevalence of ADHD, its neurological correlates and the role of ADHD in health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) in children with severe epilepsy.

Method: Data from the ADHD Rating Scale‐IV (ADHD‐RS‐IV) from 203 children (mean age = 11.8, SD = 3.8) from a tertiary center serving children with severe epilepsy were reviewed.

Results: Inattention was frequently elevated in the sample (40% vs. 18% for hyperactivity‐impulsivity). Age of onset, epilepsy duration, and seizure frequency were not related to severity of inattention or hyperactivity‐impulsivity. Over 60% of children met screening criteria for ADHD‐Inattentive subtype (ADHD‐I) or ADHD‐Combined Inattentive/Hyperactive‐Impulsive subtype (ADHD‐C). Compared to ADHD‐I, ADHD‐C was associated with earlier onset of seizures, generalized epilepsy, lower adaptive level, and in normally developing children, a higher degree of intractability compared to ADHD‐I. ADHD‐I was more prevalent in localization‐related epilepsy, and there was a trend for a higher use of AEDs with cognitive side effects in this group. ADHD was associated with poor HRQOL: children with ADHD‐I and ADHD‐C had a two‐ and four‐fold likelihood of low HRQOL, respectively, compared to non‐ADHD children.

Conclusions: Children seen at tertiary care centers for severe epilepsy are at high risk for attention problems and ADHD, and ADHD is a significant predictor of poor HRQOL in epilepsy, particularly in the case of ADHD‐C. ADHD occurring in the context of severe epilepsy appears to be associated with specific neurological characteristics, which has implications for comorbidity models of ADHD and epilepsy.
Characteristic Distribution of Interictal Brain Electrical Activity in Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy
Authors: Clemens Béla , Bessenyei Mónika , Piros Pálma , Tóth Márton , Seress László , Kondákor István
Published: March 2007

Summary:  Purpose: To demonstrate the anatomic localization of the cortical sources of the interictal EEG activity in human idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE).

Methods: Multiple cortical and hippocampal sources of the interictal spontaneous EEG activity were investigated by low‐resolution electromagnetic tomography in 15 untreated IGE patients and in 15 healthy controls. EEG activity (current density) in four frequency bands (delta: 1.5–3.5 Hz, theta: 3.5–7.5 Hz, alpha: 7.5–12.5 Hz, beta: 12.5–25.0 Hz) was computed for 2,397 voxels. Voxel‐by‐voxel group comparison was done between the patient and the control group. Voxels with p < 0.01 differences (between the two groups) were correlated with cortical anatomy.

Results: Areas of significantly increased or decreased activity were characterized by their anatomical extension and the frequency bands involved. Five areas of bilaterally increased activity were found: rostral part of the prefrontal cortex (delta, theta); posterior part of the insula (delta); hippocampus and mediobasal temporal cortex (all frequency bands); medial parietooccipital cortex (theta, alpha, beta); dorsal and polar parts of the occipital cortex (alpha). Bilaterally decreased delta, theta, alpha activity was found in the majority of the frontal and anterior parietal cortex on the lateral surface, and in parts of the medial surface of the hemispheres. The area of decreased beta activity was less extensive. The right lateral and laterobasal temporal cortex showed decreased delta, theta, alpha, and beta activity, while its left counterpart only showed decreased delta and alpha activity in a limited part of this area.

Conclusions: (1) Pathological interictal EEG activity is not evenly distributed across the cortex in IGE. The prefrontal area of increased activity corresponds to the area that is essential in the buildup of the ictal spike‐wave paroxysms (absence seizures). The existence of the posterior “center of gravity” of increased EEG activity in IGE was confirmed. The frontal area of decreased activity might be related to the cognitive deficit described in IGE patients. (2) Increased activity in a lot of ontogenetically older areas (including the hippocampi) and decreased activity in the majority of the isocortex is a peculiar pattern that argues for a developmental hypothesis for IGE.