bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of obstructive jaundice on neutrophil production and acquisition of chemotactic activity in the bone marrow
Authors: SHIMATANI MASAAKI , TSUJI KAZUYUKI , AZE YOSHIYA , YAMAMOTO SHIN , SHIBATANI NOBUYUKI , IMAI YOSHIHITO , TAKAMIDO SHOICHIROH , KUBOTA YOSHITSUGU , OKAZAKI KAZUICHI
Published: December 2004

Background and Aims:  Increased numbers and enhanced functions of peripheral neutrophils have been observed in obstructive jaundice. However, the effects of obstructive jaundice on the bone marrow, that is neutrophil production and acquisition of neutrophil chemotactic activity, have been poorly understood. In the present study, differentials of bone marrow cells and chemotactic activity of bone marrow neutrophils were evaluated in bile duct‐obstructed rats.

Methods:  Male Wistar rats underwent either bile duct obstruction for 10 days or bile duct obstruction for 4 days followed by 6 days’ internal biliary drainage. Differentials of peripheral blood and bone marrow cells were sequentially determined. Chemotactic activity of peripheral and bone marrow neutrophils was evaluated with a modified Boyden method using interleukin‐8 (recombinant rat Gro‐β) as a chemoattractant.

Results:  Numbers of peripheral neutrophils significantly increased after bile duct obstruction. Significant increases in the myeloid/erythroid (M/E) ratio of bone marrow cells were observed after bile duct obstruction. The neutrophil proliferative pool (promyelocytes and myelocytes) increased initially, followed by an increased neutrophil storage pool (metamyelocytes, bands, and segmented neutrophils). The M/E ratio as well as the neutrophil proliferative and storage pools normalized after internal biliary drainage. Chemotactic activity was enhanced in both peripheral and bone marrow neutrophils after bile duct obstruction, and enhanced chemotaxis was alleviated with internal biliary drainage.

Conclusion:  The present results strongly suggest the principal role of the bone marrow in increasing the number of neutrophils and their chemotactic activity during obstructive jaundice.
Is portal hypertension associated with protein‐losing enteropathy?
Authors: GEORGOPOULOS PHILIPPOS , MOWAT CRAIG , MCMILLAN DONALD C , KINGSTONE KATHLEEN , GHOSH SUBRATA , STANLEY ADRIAN J
Published: December 2004

Background and Aim:  Hypoalbuminemia in patients with decompensated cirrhosis has traditionally been assumed to be a result of to impaired liver synthesis; however, protein‐losing enteropathy (PLE) may also contribute. The aim of this study was to assess whether hypoalbuminemic cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension had evidence of PLE.

Methods:  Sixteen patients with alcoholic cirrhosis, hypoalbuminemia and portal hypertension underwent whole gut lavage with polyethylene glycol solution. The effluent obtained was analyzed for albumin, immunoglobulin (Ig)G and α1‐antitrypsin (α1‐AT). Serum C‐reactive protein (CRP) was also measured to assess the systemic inflammatory response.

Results:  Twelve of the 16 enrolled patients had a persistently low albumin concentration at the time of lavage. Only one patient (who was subsequently found to have celiac disease) had elevated concentrations of lavage albumin, α1‐AT and IgG levels. There was a significant correlation between lavage albumin and α1‐AT (r = 0.671, P = 0.024), and between lavage albumin and IgG (r = 0.614, P = 0.045). There was no correlation between serum albumin and lavage proteins. Six patients had elevated serum CRP levels, but serum albumin or lavage protein concentrations did not correlate with serum CRP.

Conclusion:  There is no evidence of a significant PLE in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis, hypoalbuminemia and portal hypertension.
PGE1 abolishes the mitochondrial‐independent cell death pathway induced by D‐galactosamine in primary culture of rat hepatocytes
Authors: SIENDONES EMILIO , JIMÉNEZ‐GÓMEZ YOLANDA , MONTERO JOSÉ LUÍS , GÓMEZ‐DÍAZ CONSUELO , VILLALBA JOSÉ MANUEL , MUNTANÉ JORDI
Published: December 2004

Background and Aim:  PGE1 reduces in vivo and in vitro D‐galactosamine (D‐GalN)‐induced cell death in hepatocytes. The present study was undertaken to elucidate the intracellular pathway by which D‐GalN induces cell death in cultured hepatocytes. In addition, we evaluated if PGE1 was able to modulate different parameters related to D‐GalN‐induced apoptosis in cultured rat hepatocytes.

Methods:  Hepatocytes were isolated from male Wistar rats (225–275 g) by the classical collagenase procedure. PGE1 (1 µM) was administered 2 h before D‐GalN (5 mM) in primary culture of rat hepatocytes. Apoptosis was determined by DNA fragmentation and caspase‐3, ‐6, ‐8 and ‐9 activation in hepatocytes. Caspase activation was evaluated by the detection of the related cleaved product and its associated activity. Cell necrosis was determined by the measurement of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in culture medium. To elucidate the role of mitochondria, we measured neutral (nSMase) and acid (aSMase) sphingomyelinase, as well as the expression of cytochrome c in mitochondria and cytoplasm fractions from D‐GalN treated hepatocytes.

Results:  D‐GalN induced caspase‐3 activation and DNA fragmentation in hepatocytes. This apoptotic response was not associated with the activation of caspase‐6, ‐8 or ‐9. The use of specific inhibitors confirmed that only caspase‐3 was involved in D‐GalN‐induced apoptosis. D‐GalN did not modify nSMase and aSMase activities, nor mitochondrial cytochrome c release in hepatocytes.

Conclusions:  D‐GalN induced apoptosis through caspase‐3 activation but without modification of the activity of caspase‐6, ‐8, ‐9, SMases or cytochrome c release. PGE1 appears to prevent D‐GalN‐induced apoptosis by a mitochondria‐independent mechanism.
Specific type IV phosphodiesterase inhibitor ameliorates thioacetamide‐induced liver injury in rats
Authors: MATSUHASHI TAMOTSU , OTAKA MICHIRO , ODASHIMA MASARU , JIN MARIO , KOMATSU KOGA , KONISHI NORIAKI , WADA ISAO , SATO TOSHIHIRO , HORIKAWA YOUHEI , OHBA REINA , OYAKE JINKO , HATAKEYAMA NATSUMI , WATANABE SUMIO
Published: December 2004

Background and Aims:  Rolipram  is a specific type IV phosphodiesterase inhibitor that suppresses the activity of immune cells and the production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines. In this study, we assessed the effect of rolipram on acute liver injury using thioacetamide (TAA)‐induced liver injury in rats as a model.

Methods:  Rats were treated with rolipram (0.5–5 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) or vehicle and injected 30 min later with TAA (100 mg/kg, subcutaneously). Serum transaminase concentrations and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), interleukin 1β (IL‐1β) and growth related oncogene/cytokine‐induced neutrophil chemoattractant‐1 (GRO/CINC‐1) levels were measured and livers were examined for microscopic changes. Dose‐dependent protection against TAA liver injury was based on transaminase levels and inflammatory cytokine production, and was measured 9 h after TAA when the peak release of cytokines occurred.

Result:  Rolipram suppressed liver injury based on serum aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and histology and reduced TNF‐α, IL‐1β and GRO/CINC‐1 levels. Rolipram, at doses of 0.5–5 mg/kg, suppressed serum transaminase and TNF‐α production in a dose‐dependent manner, and these effects were significant at doses of 2.5 and 5 mg/kg.

Conclusion:  In our rodent model of acute liver injury, rolipram clearly reduced liver damage and inhibited pro‐inflammatory cytokine production. These results suggest that specific type IV phosphodiesterase inhibitors, such as rolipram, have potent hepatoprotective effects that are associated with suppressing inflammatory cytokine production.
Impact of 24‐h esophageal pH monitoring on the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease: Defining the gold standard
Authors: MADAN KAUSHAL , AHUJA VINEET , GUPTA SIDDARTH DUTTA , BAL CHANDRASEKHAR , KAPOOR ANU , SHARMA MAHESH PRAKASH
Published: December 2004

Background and Aims:  The tests that are currently available for the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) lack the desired diagnostic accuracy. To date, only pH monitoring has been shown to have a good sensitivity and specificity, but recent studies have failed to confirm this. Thus there is a need to find a test with acceptable sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing GERD. The present study aimed to find a single test or a combination of tests that could serve as a gold standard for the diagnosis of GERD and to identify an evidence‐based diagnostic work‐up for GERD in clinical and research settings.

Methods:  A prospectively conducted masked study was carried out in which 109 GERD patients were recruited on the basis of symptom score evaluation (heartburn and/or regurgitation). After informed consent was given, the patients underwent various tests, including esophagogastroduodenoscopy with biopsy from the lower esophageal mucosa during the first visit, followed by omeprazole challenge test (OCT), radionuclide scintigraphy, barium swallow and finally 24‐h esophageal pH monitoring. A positive concordance of three or more tests was taken as the gold standard.

Results:  The results of all six tests were available for 70 patients. As a single diagnostic test, pH testing had the best combination of sensitivity and specificity (Youden's J = 0.69). Even in cases of endoscopy‐negative reflux disease, pH monitoring was the most sensitive and specific test (93.3% and 90.4%, respectively; J = 0.83). OCT, endoscopy and histopathology also had good sensitivity (84.4%, 64.4%, 82.2%, respectively). A combination of OCT, endoscopy and histopathology achieved a sensitivity of 100%.

Conclusions:  A combination of OCT, endoscopy and histology will identify all cases of GERD. As these investigations are easily available, they should form the diagnostic work‐up in clinical situations. 24‐h esophageal pH testing, despite being the gold standard, has no utility in routine clinical settings and hence its availability should be limited to tertiary care settings.
Colonoscopic classification of internal hemorrhoids: Usefulness in endoscopic band ligation
Authors: FUKUDA AKIHISA , KAJIYAMA TORU , KISHIMOTO HIROYUKI , ARAKAWA HIROAKI , SOMEDA HITOSHI , SAKAI MASAHIKO , SENO HIROSHI , CHIBA TSUTOMU
Published: December 2004

Background:  Bleeding is one of the main symptoms of internal hemorrhoids. However, the conventional Goligher's classification of internal hemorrhoids does not consider the severity of bleeding. We intended to establish a useful method for evaluating internal hemorrhoids using a colonoscope that reflected the severity of the symptoms.

Methods:  Using a colonoscope in the retroflexed and forward viewing position, 104 patients with symptomatic internal hemorrhoids were evaluated based on the criteria of range, form and red color signs (RCS). Range was determined by the circumferential distribution of internal hemorrhoids and scaled from 0 to 4. Form was determined by size and scaled from 0 to 2. The presence of RCS was also evaluated. Symptoms were determined by interview and scaled from 0 to 3. Patients were treated by endoscopic band ligation (EBL) and were examined endoscopically before and 4 weeks after the treatment.

Results:  Before the treatment, range, form and RCS were significantly correlated to bleeding (P < 0.01), and form was significantly correlated to prolapse (P < 0.05). The endoscopic classification scores at 4 weeks after EBL improved significantly (range from 3.25 ± 0.05–0.56 ± 0.08 [P < 0.01] and form from 2.81 ± 0.04–0.56 ± 0.07 P < 0.01).

Conclusion:  The new endoscopic classification of internal hemorrhoids proved to be closely correlated to symptoms, particularly bleeding, and thus highly useful in evaluating the effectiveness of the treatment.
Addressing the epidemic of chronic kidney disease in Australia
Authors: MATHEW Timothy
Published: December 2004

SUMMARY:  The Australia Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study (AUSDIAB) study provided, for the first time in Australia, a snapshot of the prevalence of kidney damage, reduced kidney function, hypertension and diabetes in the adult population. With this information, and the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry (ANZDATA) registry, that has recorded kidney failure statistics for many years, the extent of the chronic kidney disease burden in Australia is being better defined. This burden is even more pronounced in the Indigenous population where the incidence of kidney disease and kidney failure is increased several‐fold.

Diabetes is the second most common cause of kidney failure among Australians. The number of patients with diabetes accepted to dialysis has doubled in the last 7 years, the mean body weight of patients commencing dialysis has increased 7 kg in the past decade and the mean age at acceptance to dialysis is rising in a linear fashion (presently 60 years). These facts, together with a static transplant rate, all point to the prevalence of dialysis likely staying at or increasing beyond the present yearly growth rate of 6–7%.

The evidence shows that a large proportion of chronic kidney disease patients are dying of cardiovascular risk factors before they reach dialysis or transplantation. There are many gaps in delivering appropriate preventative treatment to these patients. A relatively small reduction in the rise in dialysis numbers that might flow from an effective prevention of progression program, could make a significant impact on the spiralling numbers and associated cost of kidney failure treatment in Australia. We now need to develop and implement a national kidney disease strategy designed to address the whole continuum of chronic kidney disease from its earliest stage right through to dialysis and transplantation.
Everybody's business
Authors: O'SULLIVAN Ciara , BRADY Stephen J , LAWTON Paul D , LOVE Cathy M
Published: December 2004

SUMMARY:  The provision of specialist‐level care for patients with chronic kidney disease in rural and remote areas is a significant challenge. There are well‐recognized barriers to care in these areas but in addition there is a widely held view that the responsibility for chronic kidney disease falls to nephrologists, despite the lack of nephrologists in remote regions and the high burden of disease. This article describes how in Central Australia specialists and remote‐based primary carers have adapted their usual roles and found new ways of working together to provide high‐quality specialist‐level care for remote chronic kidney disease patients. We are evolving a model where chronic kidney disease is no longer nephrologists’ business but is everybody's business, with primary carers providing much of the routine specialist‐level care.
Is there a role for peritoneal dialysis in remote aboriginal patients with end‐stage renal disease in Australia?
Authors: LIM Wai H
Published: December 2004

SUMMARY:  Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is often the preferred treatment modality of many Aboriginal patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) due to their remote locations and the scarcity of remote satellite haemodialysis units. Infectious complications remain an important cause of morbidity in Aboriginal patients maintained on PD in Australia. Analysis of the Australian and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry (ANZDATA) has revealed that Aboriginal PD patients are more likely to have earlier and a higher rate of peritonitis, higher risk of PD technique failure, and higher mortality compared to non‐Aboriginal PD patients independent of other factors. However, the finding of Aboriginality as a risk factor for PD‐related complications is at least partly attributable to socioeconomic factors, such as poor housing and hygiene. As PD will remain a necessary first‐line therapy in this group of isolated and disadvantaged patients, implementing aggressive preventive strategies and targeting modifiable socioeconomic risk factors may reduce morbidity and preserve their independence and way of life.
Barriers to access by Indigenous Australians to kidney transplantation: The IMPAKT study
Authors: CASS Alan , DEVITT Jeannie , PREECE Cilla , CUNNINGHAM Joan , ANDERSON Kate , SNELLING Paul , ERIS Josette , AYANIAN John
Published: December 2004

SUMMARY:  Although Indigenous Australians represent less than 2% of the national population, they account for 8–10% of new patients commencing treatment for end‐stage renal disease (ESRD). Almost half come from remote regions lacking renal disease treatment services. In those regions, their incidence of ESRD is up to 30 times the incidence for all Australians.

Kidney transplantation is the optimal treatment for ESRD. Compared with long‐term dialysis, it results in better quality of life, longer life expectancy and lower costs of health care. Indigenous Australians with ESRD receive transplants at approximately one‐third the rate of non‐Indigenous patients. There are similar disparities in access to kidney transplants for Native Americans, Aboriginal Canadians and New Zealander Maori. The reasons for such disparities have not been studied in any detail.

IMPAKT (Improving Patient Access to Kidney Transplantation) is an NHMRC‐funded study, involving eight major renal units. It aims to identify the reasons for Indigenous Australians’ poor access to transplantation. It will systematically examine each of the steps a new dialysis patient must negotiate in order to receive a transplant. Each of these steps can become a barrier.
Characterizing termite assemblages in fragmented forests: A test case in the Argentinian Chaco
Authors: ROISIN YVES , LEPONCE MAURICE
Published: December 2004

Abstract  Termites are major decomposers in tropical ecosystems. To characterize their assemblages in terms of taxonomical and functional composition, Jones and Eggleton (2000, Journal of Applied Ecology 37, 191–203) recently proposed a standardized sampling protocol based on belt transects of 100 m × 2 m. We evaluated the representativeness of samples obtained by this protocol, and its suitability to calculate diversity statistics, by replicating it in an area of naturally fragmented subtropical forest. We sampled six 100 m transects in separate small forest islets, and one transect extended to 500 m in a large islet, recording presence/absence data (occurrences) of termite species in successive quadrats of 5 m × 2 m. In the large islet, strips of 100 m within the 500 m transect produced extremely variable species richness figures. This variability was primarily due to heterogeneity in the spatial distribution of soil‐dwelling termites. Combining non‐contiguous quadrats allowed us to span a broader diversity of microhabitats for an equal effort, providing less variable results and faster species accumulation. Individual transects of 100 m in small forest islets yielded too few samples to allow reliable estimations of total species richness, although these transects when pooled constituted a useful data set for comparison with other sites. In the focal habitat, a single 100 m transect appeared therefore inadequate to allow a reliable characterization of the termite assemblage, even at the level of a single forest islet. To improve the rate of species accumulation and to obtain diversity statistics allowing intersite comparisons, we suggest the use of smaller, non‐contiguous quadrats, and that sampling be continued until stable diversity estimates are obtained. In the habitat studied, such an alternative protocol could be adequately combined with a standardized protocol for collecting ground‐dwelling ants.
Potential interactions between humans and non‐breeding shorebirds on a subtropical intertidal flat
Authors: ZHARIKOV YURI , SKILLETER GREGORY A.
Published: December 2004

Abstract  The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether bait harvesting, with all its inherent effects, occurring in the intertidal zone of a subtropical estuary, had an impact on a migratory shorebird, the eastern curlew Numenius madagascariensis. In a large‐scale manipulative study (units of experiment were 1 ha plots), callianassid shrimp Trypaea australiensis populations were harvested simulating the technique (manual pumping) and the levels of harvesting intensity per unit area (347 shrimp per hectare per harvesting event) exhibited by bait‐collectors in SE Australia and South Africa. It was found that at present levels of harvesting intensity per unit area (approximately 1% of standing stock removed per harvesting event) there is no threat to the stocks of Trypaea exploited by the curlews in Moreton Bay, Australia. However, the results show that the curlews themselves apply a considerable predation pressure on Trypaea. Based on the birds' foraging rates and densities, it was estimated that they would consume up to 100% of the initial Trypaea stock over the course of a non‐breeding season (October to March). However, the stable seasonal trend in the density of the size‐cohort of Trypaea preyed upon by the curlews indicates that the existing rates of predation are easily counterbalanced, e.g. through continuous density‐dependent recruitment of these crustaceans. We suggest that this mechanism will provide for a stable foraging environment for both the shorebirds and bait collectors.
Bladder neck contracture after radical retropubic prostatectomy
Authors: Besarani Dler , Amoroso Peter , Kirby Roger
Published: December 2004

OBJECTIVE

To examine the incidence, management and outcome of vesico‐urethral anastomotic strictures after bladder‐neck sparing radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We assessed the incidence, management and outcome of anastomotic strictures in 510 consecutive patients (mean age 61 years, range 45–76) who had open RRP by one surgeon between 1994 and 2003.

RESULTS

The mean (range) follow‐up was 30 (2–89) months; 48 patients (9.4%) developed an anastomotic stricture. Dilatation of the stricture was an effective treatment, with few patients requiring further treatment.

CONCLUSION

Stricture of the vesico‐urethral anastomosis after bladder‐neck sparing RRP is relatively frequent but can usually be successfully managed with one graduated dilatation under light sedation.
Serum prostate‐specific antigen to predict the presence of bladder outlet obstruction in men with urinary symptoms
Authors: Laniado Marc E. , Ockrim Jeremy L. , Marronaro Angelo , Tubaro Andrea , Carter Simon S.
Published: December 2004

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether prostate specific antigen (PSA) level can usefully predict or exclude bladder outlet obstruction (BOO), in men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A cohort of men from 1996 to 1999 who had LUTS caused by BPH was evaluated by serum PSA and pressure‐flow urodynamic studies, and a blinded comparison made. The settings were teaching hospitals in London, UK and L’Aquila, Italy. Men (302) were referred by primary‐care practitioners with LUTS and a PSA of < 10 ng/mL. Regression analysis was used to predict the extent of BOO, and create likelihood ratios and predictive values for BOO according to the PSA value.

RESULTS

PSA was significantly associated with BOO (P < 0.001; r2 0.07), with significant likelihood ratios altering the probability of BOO. If the PSA was > 4 ng/mL, mild or definite BOO was likely (89%), whereas if the PSA was <2 ng/mL, there was about a one‐third chance each of no, mild and definite BOO.

CONCLUSION

High PSA levels in patients with LUTS are significantly associated with BOO; low PSA levels mean that definite BOO is unlikely.
A three‐centre experience of orthotopic neobladder reconstruction after radical cystectomy: initial results
Authors: Meyer Jon‐Paul , Drake Brent , Boorer James , Gillatt David , Persad Rajendra , Fawcett Derek
Published: December 2004

Authors from three centres in the UK report on their experience with 104 patients in whom they had performed radical cystectomy and an orthotopic neobladder construction. The median follow‐up was 48 months. There were complications after surgery, with 24 early complications and a low re‐operation rate. They had a 99% daytime and a 78% nocturnal continence rate. They concur with the general view that this is a valuable contribution to this type of surgery.

OBJECTIVE

To assess, in a retrospective three‐centre series, the initial experience and results of patients undergoing radical cystectomy and orthotopic neobladder reconstruction.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The medical records were retrospectively reviewed for 104 suitable consecutive patients undergoing radical cystectomy and orthotopic neobladder reconstruction between June 1994 and April 2003. The initial histology, operating times, transfusion rates, complications, mortality rates, continence rates, potency rates, and cancer control rates were recorded.

RESULTS

The median (range) follow‐up was 48  (6–113) months; 90 patients had a reconstruction with a ‘Studer’ neobladder, 12 with a ‘Hautmann W pouch’ and two with a ‘T pouch’ ileal neobladder. There were 24 early complications, and in eight patients re‐operation was required; there was one death after surgery. There were 14 late complications and 10 patients required re‐operation. The daytime continence rate was 99% and the nocturnal continence rate 78%. Five patients required intermittent self‐catheterization. Twenty‐two patients died from local and/or distant recurrences, and four from other causes.

CONCLUSIONS

Orthotopic neobladder reconstruction provides excellent continence rates, and both acceptable complication and mortality rates. Suitable patients undergoing radical cystectomy should be offered orthotopic neobladder reconstruction.
Structural changes in the bladder walls of pregnant and hormone‐treated rats: correlation with bladder dynamics
Authors: Rodrìguez Larissa V. , Wang Bingyin , Shortliffe Linda M.D.
Published: December 2004

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effects of oestrogen, progesterone and pregnancy on bladder dynamics, and assess the associated histological and structural changes in the bladder wall in a rat model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Adult female Sprague‐Dawley rats were divided into groups and treated as follows: nonpregnant controls (NC); pregnant (PG); oophorectomized and treated with oestrogen (ES); oophorectomized and treated with progesterone (PR); and oophorectomized controls (OO). Simultaneous and continuous renal pelvic and bladder pressures were recorded during bladder filling and emptying. Connective tissue and smooth muscle were analysed morphometrically and quantitatively, and immunohistochemistry used to evaluate the distribution and expression of collagen types I, III and IV.

RESULTS

PG rats had significantly greater bladder compliance than NC, OO and PR rats (P < 0.05). This correlated with the morphometric analysis, with bladders of PG and PR rats having lower connective tissue to smooth muscle ratios than NC, ES and OO rats (P < 0.05). Collagen I was increased in the lamina propria of PG and ES rats, and the detrusor muscle layer showed greater localization of collagen III in the interfascicular space in the PG and PR rats than in the other groups. There was no change in the distribution of collagen IV.

CONCLUSION

PG and PR rats had the highest bladder compliance and the changes paralleled structural changes in the bladders, specifically in the ratio of connective tissue to smooth muscle, and the distribution and expression of collagens I and III. These changes have age‐related implications in the urinary tract.
Smallholders and the spread of capitalism in rural Southeast Asia
Authors: Hall Derek
Published: December 2004

Abstract: Although capitalism is now widely seen to be the world's only remaining form of political economy, most discussion of capitalism is vague regarding what it is and gives it little analytical importance. In this paper, I attempt to determine whether two more explicit conceptions of capitalism – those of Ellen Meiksins Wood and Hernando de Soto – can shed any light on the literature on rural smallholder commodity production in the Asia Pacific, and vice versa. I use the papers collected in this volume to analyse the relevance of ‘market dependence’ (Wood) and the various ‘mysteries of capital’ (de Soto) for agrarian relations in the Asia Pacific. The paper tries to point towards a definition of capitalism that distinguishes it from such related terms as commercialisation, markets, and globalisation.
Re‐encountering resistance: Plantation activism and smallholder production in Thailand and Sarawak, Malaysia
Authors: Barney Keith
Published: December 2004

Abstract:  The emergence of social and environmental movements against plantation forestry in Southeast Asia positions rural development against local displacement and environmental degradation. Multi‐scaled NGO networks have been active in promoting the notion that rural people in Southeast Asia uniformly oppose plantation development. There are potential pitfalls in this heightened attention to resistance however, as it has often lapsed into essentialist notions of timeless indigenous agricultural practices, and unproblematic local allegiances to common property and conservation. An exclusive emphasis on resistance also offers little understanding of widespread smallholder participation in plantation production across the region. A useful method of approaching the complexity of local responses to plantation development is through the history of legal and informal resource tenure, within an analysis of rural political‐economic restructuring. Drawing on research in Thailand and Sarawak, I suggest that a more nuanced appreciation of both the structural constraints and deployments of agency which characterise the enrolment of rural people into plantation commodity networks, opens up new spaces for analysis and political action, which supports a geographically embedded view of relations of power, rural livelihoods and environmental politics.
Asymptotic properties of estimators for the volume fractions of jointly stationary random sets
Authors: Böhm S. , Schmidt V. , Heinrich L.
Published: December 2004

In the present paper, we show how a consistent estimator can be derived for the asymptotic covariance matrix of stationary 0–1‐valued vector fields in ℝd, whose supports are jointly stationary random closed sets. As an example, which is of particular interest for statistical applications, we consider jointly stationary random closed sets associated with the Boolean model in ℝd such that the components indicate the frequency of coverage by the single grains of the Boolean model. For this model, a representation formula for the entries of the covariance matrix is obtained.
A comparison of the ratio of variances in distance‐based and classical multivariate analysis
Authors: Groenen Patrick J. F. , Meulman Jacqueline J.
Published: December 2004

In multivariate analysis, the measure of variance accounted for plays a central role. In this paper, we show that an alternative approach, distance‐based multivariate analysis, also yields solutions that can be summarized by a ratio of variances. For classical multivariate analysis, this ratio is equal to the variance accounted for (VAF) and in distance‐based multivariate analysis it equals distance accounted for (DAF). We show that DAF in distance‐based multivariate analysis can always be made higher than VAF in classical multivariate analysis. This property is illustrated for principal components analysis, multiple correspondence analysis, multiple regression, and analysis of variance.
Identifying, estimating and testing restricted cointegrated systems: An overview
Authors: Boswijk H. Peter , Doornik Jurgen A.
Published: December 2004

The notion of cointegration has led to a renewed interest in the identification and estimation of structural relations among economic time series. This paper reviews the different approaches that have been put forward in the literature for identifying cointegrating relationships and imposing (possibly over‐identifying) restrictions on them. Next, various algorithms to obtain (approximate) maximum likelihood estimates and likelihood ratio statistics are reviewed, with an emphasis on so‐called switching algorithms. The implementation of these algorithms is discussed and illustrated using an empirical example.
Cluster Headache Patients Show Marked Intensity Dependence of Cortical Auditory Evoked Potentials during and outside the Bout
Authors: Áfra J , Ertsey C , Bozsik G , Jelencsik I
Published: December 2004

Central serotonergic neurotransmission was assessed using intensity dependence of cortical auditory evoked potentials (IDAP) in cluster headache (CH) patients during both the active and interictal period. In 15 episodic CH patients and 13 controls previously described methods were used and amplitude-stimulus intensity function (ASF) slopes were computed. In the cluster group mean ASF slope was significantly steeper than in the control group both during the active period (1.53 + 0.90 vs. 0.77 + 0.85, P = 0031) and interictally (1.85 + 1.20 vs. 0.77 + 0.85, P = 0012). In the cluster group IDAPs of active and interictal period did not differ significantly ( P = 0378). Duration of the disease or the present bout, distance from the last attack did not correlate with ASF slopes. In conclusion, our results are compatible with decreased level of serotonergic neurotransmission in raphe-cortical pathways. Diminished serotonergic activity in raphe-hypothalamic serotonergic pathways might be hypothesized influencing the activity of hypothalamic neurons and thus play a role in the genesis of cluster headache.
Persistent aura without Infarction: Description of the first Case Studied with both Brain SPECT and Perfusion MRI
Authors: Relja G , Granato A , Ukmar M , Ferretti G , Antonello RM , Zorzon M
Published: December 2004

To the best of our knowledge, persistent visual symptoms, lasting months or years without evidence of infarction, a rare complication of migraine with aura, has been reported in only 20 patients. We report the case of a 43-year-old woman with a 31-year history of migraine with typical visual aura. At presentation, she experienced a visual aura in her right hemifield followed by a pulsating headache. The visual symptoms persisted. There were no abnormal findings on neurological and ophthalmological examinations, EEG, visual evoked potentials (VEPs), brain computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Both brain single photon emission compted tomography (SPECT) and brain perfusion MRI revealed decreased left fronto-parieto-occipital and right occipital blood perfusion. A perfusion MRI, performed 7 months after symptom onset and almost complete extinction of symptoms, was normal. As previously reported, we demonstrated a cortical hypoperfusion by SPECT in a case of persistent visual aura. For the first time this finding was confirmed by perfusion MRI.
Time Perception in Migraine Sufferers: An Experimental Matched-Pairs Study
Authors: Anagnostou E , Mitsikostas DD
Published: December 2004

Despite occasional case reports, the influence of migraine on time perception has not been systematically investigated. We used an experimental technique to study the estimation of auditory duration in 40 migraineurs at different tone intervals in the ms and in the 1-s range and compared their performance with 40 matched normal subjects. With a time awareness questionnaire we also evaluated the subjective experience of elapsing time for long durations involving long-term memory processes. Migraine did not influence temporal judgements in either of the tests, suggesting that migraineurs do not generally over- or underestimate temporal events. The subgroup of migraineurs with a depressive disorder, however, showed a marked speeding up of their internal timekeeping mechanisms, pointing to depression as an important covariable in time perception.
A world of cities
Authors: Robinson Jennifer
Published: December 2004

Amin, Ash and
Thrift, Nigel

2002

Cambridge
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192
pp. £

50.00

(hardback) £

14.99

(paperback)

 

Beall, Jo,
Crankshaw, Owen and
Parnell, Susan

2002

London
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200
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60.00

(hardback) £

19.99

(paperback)

 

Bridge, Gary and
Watson, Sophie
(eds)
2002

Oxford
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600
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65.00

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19.99

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Le Galès, Patrick

2002

Oxford
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280
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60.00

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(paperback)

 

Orum, Anthony M. and
Chen, Xiangming

2003

Oxford
:

192
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50.00

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14.99

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Outcome of pregnancies achieved by in vitro fertilisation techniques and diagnosed as twins at the 6 week ultrasound
Authors: KOVACS Gabor T. , BREHENY Sue , MacLACHLAN Vivien , LOWE Philip , HOWLETT Donna
Published: December 2004

Background: To bring the success rate of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) procedures to an acceptable level, multiple embryos have historically been replaced. This has resulted in an ‘epidemic’ of multiple births. The pendulum has now swung full circle and the number of embryos transferred is now being limited. Such high numbers of IVF twins will not be produced in the future.

Aim: To review retrospectively the outcome of a series of pregnancies achieved by IVF where the 6 week ultrasound showed the presence of two sacs.

Methods: Retrospective study in a university IVF programme that produced 746 IVF pregnancies with twins at 6 weeks of gestation (1991–1999).

Results: The main outcome measures were perinatal mortality, pregnancy outcome, gestation at delivery and obstetrics complications reported. Interestingly, by 20 weeks gestation, 184 (24.7%) of pregnancies spontaneously reduced to a singleton, whereas 49 (6.6%) lost both twins. Of the 513 (68.8%) viable twin pregnancies (>20 weeks), 154 (20.6%) went on to term (>37 weeks), whereas 250 (33.5%) delivered between 33 and 36 weeks gestation. The perinatal mortality per 1000 births was 6.5 over 37 weeks, 8.0 for 33–36 weeks, 41.7 for 29–32 weeks and 500 for under 28 weeks.
Does pregnancy affect pelvic organ mobility?
Authors: DIETZ Hans Peter , ELDRIDGE Ann , GRACE Marlene , CLARKE Barton
Published: December 2004

Background: It is generally accepted that parity is a strong predictor of pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence. However, controversy persists as to whether this effect is due to pregnancy itself or parturition.

Aims: To define the contribution of early and late pregnancy to bladder mobility.

Methods: Case control series, using 88 non‐pregnant control subjects recruited for a heritability study on urinary incontinence and prolapse, matched for age and ethnicity with 28 pregnant women seen at 10–17 weeks and again at 32–39 weeks’ gestation. Main outcome parameters were ultrasound measures of anterior, central and posterior compartment descent as well as joint mobility measurements.

Results: Patients in early pregnancy showed higher values for bladder mobility in comparison with non‐pregnant controls, although this did not reach significance for all parameters. However, when late pregnancy data were tested against non‐pregnant controls, this difference reached significance for all tested parameters. Uterine and rectal descent did not show any significant differences between groups. Results for joint mobility were inconsistent.

Conclusions: This study supports the hypothesis that bladder and urethral mobility increase in pregnancy. This effect is already noticeable at 6–18 weeks. As similar changes are also seen in elbow hyperextension, a generalised effect on connective tissue biomechanics, likely hormonal, can be hypothesised.
Ethnicity and birth outcome: New Zealand trends 1980–2001. Part 1. Introduction, Methods, Results and Overview
Authors: CRAIG Elizabeth D. , MANTELL Colin D. , EKEROMA Alec J. , STEWART Alistair W. , MITCHELL Ed A.
Published: December 2004

Background: New Zealand Government policy during the past decade has placed a high priority on closing socioeconomic and ethnic gaps in health outcome.

Aim: To analyse New Zealand's trends in preterm and small for gestational age (SGA) births and late fetal deaths during 1980–2001 and to undertake ethnic specific analyses, resulting in risk factor profiles, for each ethnic group.

Methods: De‐identified birth registration data from 1 189 120 singleton live births and 5775 stillbirths were analysed for the period 1980–2001. Outcomes of interest included preterm birth, SGA and late fetal death while explanatory variables included maternal ethnicity, age and New Zealand Deprivation Index decile. Trend analysis was undertaken for 1980–1994 while multivariate logistic regression was used to explore risk factors for 1996–2001.

Results: During 1980–1994, preterm birth rates were highest amongst Maori women. Preterm rates increased by 30% for European/other women, in contrast to non‐significant declines of 7% for Maori women and 4% for Pacific women during this period. During the same period, rates of SGA were highest amongst Maori women. Rates of SGA declined by 30% for Pacific women, 25% for Maori women and 19% for European/other women during this period. Rates of late fetal death were highest amongst Pacific women during 1980–1994, but declined by 49% during this period, the rate of decline being similar for all ethnic groups.

Conclusions: The marked differences in both trend data and risk factor profiles for women in New Zealand's largest ethnic groups would suggest that unless ethnicity is specifically taken into account in future policy and planning initiatives, the disparities seen in this analysis might well persist into future generations.
Ethnicity and birth outcome: New Zealand trends 1980–2001: Part 2. Pregnancy outcomes for Maori women
Authors: MANTELL Colin D. , CRAIG Elizabeth D. , STEWART Alistair W. , EKEROMA Alec J. , MITCHELL Ed A.
Published: December 2004

Background: While traditionally Maori perinatal mortality has been similar to that of other ethnic groups, rates of preterm birth, small for gestational age (SGA) and teenage pregnancy have remained high.

Aims: To review current trends in preterm birth, SGA and teenage pregnancy for Maori during 1980–2001 and to highlight the major factors that have influenced Maori reproductive outcomes during this period.

Methods: De‐identified birth registration data from 1 189 120 singleton live births and 5775 stillbirths were analysed for 1980–2001. Outcomes of interest included preterm birth, SGA and late fetal death while explanatory variables included maternal ethnicity, age and NZ Deprivation Index decile. Trend analysis was undertaken for 1980–1994 and multivariate logistic regression was used to explore risk factors for 1996–2001.

Results: During 1980–1994, Maori women had the highest preterm birth rates of any ethnic group in New Zealand, but in relative terms, inequalities declined as a consequence of a non‐significant 7% fall in rates being offset by a statistically significant 30% increase for the European/other ethnic group. Rates of SGA were also higher amongst Maori women but declined by 25% during the 1980–1994 period. In addition, Maori women experienced significant socioeconomic gradients in SGA, with risk for Maori women in the most deprived NZDep areas being double that of Maori living affluent areas. Paradoxically, while Maori women had high rates of teenage pregnancy, this did not confer additional risk for preterm birth or SGA during the 1996–2001 period.

Conclusions: While high rates of teenage pregnancy amongst Maori women appear not to confer additional risk for preterm birth or SGA, the social consequences of early childbearing may well be significant. The persistence of elevated rates of preterm birth and large socioeconomic gradients in SGA amongst Maori suggest that broader social and policy interventions are necessary if Maori are to achieve optimal birth outcomes in the coming decades.
Ethnicity and birth outcome: New Zealand trends 1980–2001: Part 3. Pregnancy outcomes for Pacific women
Authors: EKEROMA Alec J. , CRAIG Elizabeth D. , STEWART Alistair W. , MANTELL Colin D. , MITCHELL Ed A.
Published: December 2004

Background: Pacific women in New Zealand reside in areas of higher socioeconomic deprivation compared to women from other ethnic groups. Pacific women and their health are further disadvantaged because of genetic predisposition and sociocultural factors that cause ill‐health. The correlations between pregnancy outcomes, risk factors and other health indices in Pacific women need evaluation.

Aims: To examine trends in preterm birth, small for gestational age (SGA) and late fetal death for Pacific women during 1980–2001 and to explore risk factors which make this group vulnerable to adverse birth outcome.

Methods: De‐identified birth registration data from 1 189 120 singleton live births and 5775 stillbirths were analysed for 1980–2001. Outcomes of interest included preterm birth, SGA and late fetal death while explanatory variables included maternal ethnicity, age and NZ Deprivation Index decile. Trend analysis was undertaken for 1980–1994 and multivariate logistic regression was used to explore risk factors for 1996–2001.

Results: Pacific women had the lowest rates of preterm birth and SGA when compared to Maori and European women. In addition, preterm birth rates underwent a non‐significant 4% decline and SGA rates a 30% decline during 1980–1994. Although there has been a 49% decline in late fetal deaths during 1980–1994, the rate remained higher for Pacific women than for Maori and European/other women.

Conclusions: Despite residing in areas of high socioeconomic deprivation, which is associated with poor pregnancy outcomes for Maori and European/other women, Pacific women had better pregnancy outcomes, with lower preterm and SGA rates. The significant decline in rates of late fetal death during the past two decades is a cause for celebration; however, the rate remains higher for Pacific women than for other ethnic groups. Biological, cultural and social factors might explain the better pregnancy outcomes for Pacific women and these factors should be considered when developing future prevention programmes.
Exposure to low outdoor temperature in the midtrimester is associated with low birth weight
Authors: ELTER Koray , AY Emine , UYAR Esra , KAVAK Zehra N.
Published: December 2004

Background: Although seasonal variation of birth weight has been reported previously, contributing factors such as the meteorological factor and its specific period of exposure remain unclear.

Aim: To investigate the effect of season on birth weight and to determine the meteorological factor and its specific period of exposure which can contribute to any seasonal variation in birth weight.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of 3333 singleton live births after 36 completed weeks of pregnancy. Maternal age, parity, route of delivery, sex and individual meteorological variables for the first, second, and third trimesters of each pregnancy were analysed using multiple regression analysis with the birth weight as the dependent variable.

Results: A seasonal pattern was observed with lowest birth weights in women who had their last menstrual periods in summer and autumn. Upon multiple regression analysis, sex, parity, mode of delivery, and the temperature which the mother was exposed to in the second trimester were the independent determinants of birth weight.

Conclusion: Exposure to low outdoor ambient temperature in the midtrimester can be associated with low birth weight.