bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
‘Take the stairs instead of the escalator’: effect of environmental prompts on community stair use and implications for a national ‘Small Steps’ campaign
Authors: Dolan M. S. , Weiss L. A. , Lewis R. A. , Pietrobelli A. , Heo M. , Faith M. S.
Published: January 2006

The US government initiated a national health campaign targeting 100 ‘small step’ lifestyle changes to combat obesity. Small Step ♯67 advocates stair instead of escalator usage in public settings. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of motivational signs prompting stair use over escalator use on pedestrians’ stair usage in commuter settings. Eight studies, testing the effects of motivational prompts on stair vs. escalator usage in public settings, were reviewed. Participant and study attributes were descriptively coded. Effect size was calculated as the change in percent units of stair users during the intervention phases vs. the baseline phase. The average study included ∼45 000 observations that were recorded across an average of 15 weeks of intervention. The mean ± SD change in percent units of stair users was 2.8% ± 2.4% (P < 0.001), and effects were twice as large in females (4.8%) as in males (2.4%). The number of stairs/building, baseline stair use, and total intervention weeks predicted change in stair use, although the effects were clinically miniscule. In a hypothetical city intervention, we projected that a 2.8% increase in stair usage would result in a weight loss and/or weight gain prevention of 300 g/person/year among new stair users. In sum, point‐of‐decision motivational signs may help communities attain Small Step ♯67. However, the singular impact of this community intervention on correcting energy imbalance may be minimal, having slight impact itself on reducing the national obesity prevalence.
Low‐carbohydrate diets: nutritional and physiological aspects
Authors: Adam‐Perrot A. , Clifton P. , Brouns F.
Published: January 2006

Recently, diets low in carbohydrate content have become a matter of international attention because of the WHO recommendations to reduce the overall consumption of sugars and rapidly digestible starches. One of the common metabolic changes assumed to take place when a person follows a low‐carbohydrate diet is ketosis. Low‐carbohydrate intakes result in a reduction of the circulating insulin level, which promotes high level of circulating fatty acids, used for oxidation and production of ketone bodies. It is assumed that when carbohydrate availability is reduced in short term to a significant amount, the body will be stimulated to maximize fat oxidation for energy needs. The currently available scientific literature shows that low‐carbohydrate diets acutely induce a number of favourable effects, such as a rapid weight loss, decrease of fasting glucose and insulin levels, reduction of circulating triglyceride levels and improvement of blood pressure. On the other hand some less desirable immediate effects such as enhanced lean body mass loss, increased urinary calcium loss, increased plasma homocysteine levels, increased low‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol have been reported. The long‐term effect of the combination of these changes is at present not known. The role of prolonged elevated fat consumption along with low‐carbohydrate diets should be addressed. However, these undesirable effects may be counteracted with consumption of a low‐carbohydrate, high‐protein, low‐fat diet, because this type of diet has been shown to induce favourable effects on feelings of satiety and hunger, help preserve lean body mass, effectively reduce fat mass and beneficially impact on insulin sensitivity and on blood lipid status while supplying sufficient calcium for bone mass maintenance. The latter findings support the need to do more research on this type of hypocaloric low‐carbohydrate diet.
A Comparison of Multiple Imputation and Doubly Robust Estimation for Analyses with Missing Data
Authors: Carpenter James R. , Kenward Michael G. , Vansteelandt Stijn
Published: January 2006

Multiple imputation is now a well-established technique for analysing data sets where some units have incomplete observations. Provided that the imputation model is correct, the resulting estimates are consistent. An alternative, weighting by the inverse probability of observing complete data on a unit, is conceptually simple and involves fewer modelling assumptions, but it is known to be both inefficient (relative to a fully parametric approach) and sensitive to the choice of weighting model. Over the last decade, there has been a considerable body of theoretical work to improve the performance of inverse probability weighting, leading to the development of ‘doubly robust’ or ‘doubly protected’ estimators. We present an intuitive review of these developments and contrast these estimators with multiple imputation from both a theoretical and a practical viewpoint.
Five new microsatellite loci for Oliver flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) from an expressed sequence tag (EST) library and cross‐species amplification
Authors: LIU Y. G. , ZHENG M. G. , LIU L. X. , LIN H. , WANG D. F. , LI B. F. , SUN X. Q.
Published: January 2006

Five microsatellite loci have been isolated and characterized from a cDNA library of Oliver flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus. All loci were found to be polymorphic and had between four and 10 alleles. Observed and expected heterozygosities varied from 0.70 to 0.90 and from 0.52 to 0.80, respectively. Five additional fish species assessed for cross‐species amplification revealed between zero and three positive amplifications and between zero and two polymorphic loci per species.
Identification and characterization of nuclear microsatellite loci in Abies alba Mill.
Authors: CREMER E. , LIEPELT S. , SEBASTIANI F. , BUONAMICI A. , MICHALCZYK I. M. , ZIEGENHAGEN B. , VENDRAMIN G. G.
Published: January 2006

Eleven polymorphic nuclear microsatellite markers for Abies alba Mill. were developed from an enriched genomic library. An average of 5.2 alleles per locus and a mean expected heterozygosity of 0.532 were found in a sample of 24 Abies alba individuals from different populations within Europe. These loci can be used in studies of genetic diversity for parentage analysis and for estimation of gene flow in silver fir populations. Moreover, successful amplifications were obtained for eight other Mediterranean Abies species, suggesting that these loci may be useful for similar applications in other fir species.
Characterization of transferrin‐linked microsatellites in brown trout (Salmo trutta) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)
Authors: ANTUNES AGOSTINHO , GHARBI KARIM , ALEXANDRINO PAULO , GUYOMARD RENÉ
Published: January 2006

The transferrin (TF) gene has recently received increased interest in fish given its fitness relevance as a resistance gene against pathogenic bacteria. In this study, we characterized five TF‐linked microsatellites in brown trout (Salmo trutta) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Interestingly, each marker amplified duplicated loci and linkage analysis revealed that the TF gene has most likely experienced a tandem duplication during salmonid evolution. In addition, the amplification of all five markers across a wide range of salmonid species suggests that they may be of general interest for the genetic analysis of the TF gene(s) in this teleost family.
Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite loci from Wilsonia backhousei (Convolvulaceae)
Authors: SOMMERVILLE KAREN , ROSSETTO MAURIZIO , PULKOWNIK ALEX
Published: January 2006

Wilsonia backhousei is a clonal saltmarsh plant restricted to the southern latitudes of Australasia and threatened in New South Wales. We have identified eight informative microsatellite loci in the species from (AG)n‐ and (AC)n‐enriched libraries. In 48 samples from two populations we detected an average of five alleles per locus (range 2–8, average HE = 0.45), of which 72% were unique to one population or the other. Six of the eight loci were also amplifiable in Wilsonia rotundifolia under the same reaction conditions. The markers will be excellent tools for use in the management and conservation of both species.
Optimality of Jackson's permutations with respect to limited machine availability
Authors: Braun Oliver , Leshchenko Natalja M. , Sotskov Yuri N.
Published: January 2006

This article deals with the scheduling problem of minimizing the makespan in a two‐machine job‐shop with given w intervals of machine non‐availability. It is known that this problem is binary (unary) NP‐hard if there is at least one non‐availability interval (if the number of non‐availability intervals may be arbitrarily large), and all the jobs have the same machine route. We find sufficient conditions when Jackson's pair of permutations remains optimal for the two‐machine job‐shop problem with w1 non‐availability intervals. Extensive computational studies show the effectiveness (in the number of problems solved) and efficiency (in computational time) of these conditions for the randomly generated instances with up to 10,000 jobs and w5000 non‐availability intervals.
Dermatitis under Soccer Shin Guards: Allergy or Contact Irritant Reaction?
Authors: Weston William L. , Morelli Joseph G.
Published: January 2006

Abstract:  We report a retrospective analysis of eight children aged 9 to 16 years who were evaluated for a persistent or recurrent dermatitis that appeared under soccer shin guards. To examine the possibility of contact allergy, all had 51 standard epicutaneous (patch) tests applied and three or four additional tests comprised of pieces of the shin guard components. Tests were read at 48 and 120 hours and all were negative in each subject. Irritant contact dermatitis, not allergy, was the cause of dermatitis in these subjects. It was postulated that sweating and friction contributed to the irritancy.
The Value of MRI in a Patient with Occult Spinal Dysraphism
Authors: Perera Gayathri K , Atherton David
Published: January 2006

Abstract:  We describe an infant girl who was referred to us because of a lumbosacral swelling. She was also found to have two nonblanching, erythematous macules, one at the cervical level and one at the lumbosacral level. Occult spinal dysraphism was demonstrated by magnetic resonance imaging.
An Epidemic Airborne Disease Caused by the Oak Processionary Caterpillar
Authors: Gottschling Sven , Meyer Sascha
Published: January 2006

Abstract:  The oak processionary caterpillar (Thaumetopoea processionea Lepidoptera) is found in several European countries. It usually lives in oak forests or on single‐standing oak trees. The larva of from the 3rd to 6th developmental stage (instar) develops poisonous hair (setae), filled with an urticating toxin that may lead to serious dermatitis, conjunctivitis, and pulmonary affection (summarized as lepidopterism) on contact with the setae. In June 2004 more than 40 people including young children developed symptoms of lepidopterism after resting within 20 m of an infested oak tree. Only a few people had touched the caterpillars. All those with clinical symptoms of lepidopterism could be treated as outpatients, but several needed systemic steroids because of the severity of their complaints. Lepidopterism, an airborne disease caused by the setae of the processionary caterpillar, is a growing public health problem because of the increasing numbers of outbreaks.
Etanercept for Psoriasis in the Pediatric Population: Experience in Nine Patients
Authors: Hawrot Aimee C. , Metry Denise W. , Theos Amy J. , Levy Moise L.
Published: January 2006

Abstract:  Psoriasis commonly affects children and adolescents, and the need for safe, effective therapy is a special consideration in the pediatric population. In recent years, the use of targeted immunomodulatory biologic agents has been increasingly studied for the treatment of psoriasis. Of these, etanercept, a tumor necrosis factor‐α antagonist, has been approved for the treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis in adults, and while it is approved for use in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, formal studies are needed to demonstrate its safety and efficacy for childhood psoriasis. We present our preliminary experience of treating nine pediatric patients with generalized, recalcitrant psoriasis with etanercept therapy.
Successful Treatment of Laryngeal Stenosis in Laryngo‐Onycho‐Cutaneous Syndrome with Topical Mitomycin C
Authors: Phillips P. Seamus , Amonoo‐Kuofi Kwame , Hore Ian D. B. , Atherton David J. , Albert David M.
Published: January 2006

Abstract:  Laryngo‐onycho‐cutaneous syndrome is a very rare entity found in Punjabi families. It affects the skin, nails, and larynx. Laryngeal involvement may cause lethal airway obstruction, and has in the past proved very difficult to treat. Mitomycin C is an antibiotic that acts as an alkylating agent, inhibiting DNA synthesis. It reduces fibroblast proliferation, and has previously been used to treat choanal atresia and laryngeal stenosis. We report an 18‐year‐old man with complete transglottic laryngeal stenosis secondary to laryngo‐onycho‐cutaneous syndrome. An airway was established by dissection with a bougie and sickle knife, and was initially maintained by the upper limb of a Montgomery T‐tube. Laryngeal granulation tissue present on removal of the T‐tube was treated with topical mitomycin C (2 mg/mL) applied for 4 minutes on two occasions with an interval of 1 month. A year later, the airway remained patent, with no granulation tissue.
The Effects of 6 Months of Increased Water Intake on Blood Sodium, Glomerular Filtration Rate, Blood Pressure, and Quality of Life in Elderly (Aged 55–75) Men
Authors: Spigt Mark G. , Knottnerus J. A. , Westerterp Klaas R. , Olde Rikkert Marcel G. M. , van Schayck C. P.
Published: January 2006

OBJECTIVES: To study whether there are any negative or positive effects of 6 months of increased fluid intake in reasonably healthy elderly men.

DESIGN: Randomized trial.

SETTING: Community‐based.

PARTICIPANTS: One hundred forty‐one healthy participants aged 55 to 75.

INTERVENTION: One group was given the advice to increase their daily fluid intake by 1.5 L of water; the other group was given placebo medication (8 mL inactive syrup per day).

MEASUREMENTS: At 6 months blood sodium, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), blood pressure, and quality of life (QOL) were measured. The changes in water turnover were measured using deuterium.

RESULTS: Most subjects did not manage to increase their fluid intake by 1.5 L. The average increase in the intervention group was approximately 1 L. Twenty‐four‐hour water turnover in the water group was 359 mL (95% confidence interval=171–548) higher than that of the control group at 6‐month follow‐up. Blood pressure, sodium level, GFR, and QOL did not change significantly in either group during the intervention period. In addition, the cases reporting a worsening on the effect measures were equally distributed over the two study groups.

CONCLUSION: The advice to increase fluid intake by 1.5 L had no negative effects in reasonably healthy men aged 55 to 75.
Interest in Geriatric Medicine in Canada: How Can We Secure a Next Generation of Geriatricians?
Authors: Diachun Laura L. , Hillier Loretta M. , Stolee Paul
Published: January 2006

In Canada, there is minimal training of geriatrics for physicians, a shortage of geriatricians, and extremely low numbers of students entering geriatrics. This study explored student interest in and barriers and enticements to geriatric medicine as a career choice. Medical students attending a university in Ontario, Canada, were surveyed in their first year (N=121), after a geriatric education session, and again in their second year (N=118) about their interest in a career in geriatrics. In the first year, less than 20% of students were interested in geriatrics; in the second year this decreased to 16%. In both years, female students were more interested than male students. Those students interested in geriatrics had higher hopes that their practice would involve primarily adults and seniors. Students not interested in geriatrics rated performing procedures and technical skills, not wanting to work with chronically ill patients, and caring for younger patients as important practice characteristics. Although the importance of prestige was low for all students, it was significantly higher for those not interested in geriatrics. Although changes to prestige, income, lifestyle, and length of residency training were identified as potential enticements to geriatrics, they were not major deterrents to a career in geriatrics. The findings suggest strategies that may affect student interest in geriatrics, such as increased and early student exposure to geriatrics with emphasis on fostering and nurturing student interest, consideration of various enticements to this specialty, and the development of health system–specific solutions to this problem. Knowledge of student and practice characteristics that increase the likelihood of selecting geriatrics as a specialty may allow for early identification and support of future geriatricians.
Everybody's Going: City Newspapers and the Early Mass Market for Movies
Authors: Moore Paul S.
Published: January 2006

The emergence of the mass market as a concept ordering distinctions in urban space is investigated through newspaper reporting and promotion of early movie‐going in Toronto, 1907–1916. The analysis builds upon a revision of Chicago Sociology's text on The City, shifting the method and theoretical weight to rest more on Park's Natural History of the Newspaper than Burgess' Growth of the City. The metropolitan newspaper is both document and agent of urbanization, and is used here to describe how modernity was grounded in mass culture. The newspaper provides a sensible version of urban living for city dwellers, a map or menu of the city's rhythms and spaces. Specific to the movies, there is a shift from journalism to promotion, from trying to understand the audience to letting advertising for ever‐changing film titles stand in for the urban practice. In particular, the brief fad of serial films with accompanying stories in newspapers perhaps marks when a mass audience was first assumed. Serial films provided an umbrella text to explicitly show how the variety of spaces, times, prices, and classes of audiences encompassed a common practice, a mass practice.
Fashionable Quarters in the Postindustrial City: The Ticinese of Milan
Authors: Bovone Laura
Published: January 2006

Fashion, fashionable goods and services, and the social actors that produce and consume them constitute a complex, organic circuit that is transforming the postindustrial city. This article analyzes Milan's Ticinese neighborhood to reveal the processes that produce and sustain this type of “fashionable quarter.”
A Case of Transient 2:1 Atrioventricular Block, Resolved by Thyroxine Supplementation for Subclinical Hypothyroidism
Authors: NAKAYAMA YUKITERU , OHNO MAKOTO , YONEMURA SHIGETO , UOZUMI HIROKI , KOBAYAKAWA NAOSHI , FUKUSHIMA KAZUYUKI , TAKEUCHI HIROAKI , AOYAGI TERUHIKO
Published: January 2006

A 42‐year‐old man was admitted to our hospital with palpitation attacks. Holter ECG showed 2:1 atrioventricular block and bradycardia with the minimum heart rate of 44 beats/min. There was a possible indication of electrophysiological study and cardiac pacemaker implantation. Laboratory data on admission revealed elevated thyrotropin level, with normal thyroxine level. To rule out functional atrioventricular block, we tried 2 weeks of the thyroxine supplementation, and Holter ECG showed improved heart rate without any atrioventricular block or long pause. We experienced that subclinical hypothyroidism caused severe bradycardia and 2:1 atrioventricular block, and that thyroxine supplementation completely improved these conditions.
Catheter Ablation for an Incessant Form of Antiarrhythmic Drug‐Resistant Ventricular Fibrillation After Acute Coronary Syndrome
Authors: ENJOJI YOSHIHISA , MIZOBUCHI MASAHIRO , SHIBATA KENSAKU , YOKOUCHI ITARU , FUNATSU ATSUSHI , KANBAYASHI DAISUKE , KOBAYASHI TOMOKO , NAKAMURA SHIGERU
Published: January 2006

A 77‐year‐old man was admitted with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS), severe heart failure (HF), and repeated ventricular fibrillation (VF) episodes. A single premature ventricular complex (PVC) induced ventricular tachycardia (VT), which degenerated to VF reproducibly. This PVC was eliminated by catheter ablation at the left ventricular posteroseptal region where double Purkinje potentials preceding the ventricular wave had been recorded. The electrical storm disappeared, and programmable stimulation failed to induce any tachyarrhythmias after the ablation. A Purkinje fiber network‐related PVC served as a trigger and as a substrate for VT and VF in a case of ACS with HF.
Frequency of Spontaneous and Inducible Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia in Patients with Idiopathic Outflow Tract Ventricular Arrhythmias
Authors: TOPILSKI IAN , GLICK AHARON , VISKIN SAMI , BELHASSEN BERNARD
Published: January 2006

Objectives: We sought to assess the frequency of spontaneous or inducible atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia (AVNRT) in patients referred for radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of idiopathic outflow tract ventricular arrhythmias.

Background: In patients with no obvious heart disease, AVNRT and outflow tract ventricular tachycardia (VT) are the most frequently encountered supraventricular and ventricular tachycardias, respectively. An increased coexistence of the two arrhythmias has been recently suggested.

Methods: In 68 consecutive patients referred for RFA of an idiopathic ventricular outflow tract arrhythmia, a stimulation protocol including repeated bursts of rapid atrial pacing, up to triple atrial extrastimuli during sinus rhythm and rapid ventricular pacing was performed before and after isoproterenol infusion following RFA of the ventricular arrhythmia. In patients with inducible AVNRT, RFA of the slow pathway was performed.

Results: Of the 68 study patients, 17 (25%) had either spontaneous AVNRT documented prior to RFA of the ventricular arrhythmia (n = 4) or inducible AVNRT at the time of RFA of the ventricular arrhythmia (n = 13). AVNRT was induced by atrial pacing in 15 (88%) of 17 patients: in 3 patients without isoproterenol and in 12 patients during isoproterenol infusion. Uncomplicated RFA of the slow pathway was successfully achieved in all patients with inducible AVNRT.

Conclusion: Spontaneous or inducible AVNRT is relatively common in patients with idiopathic outflow tract ventricular arrhythmias. Atrial stimulation, especially when performed after isoproterenol infusion plays a major role in AVNRT inducibility. Although we performed RFA of the slow pathway in patients with inducible AVNRT and no prior tachycardia documentation, the question whether this is mandatory remains unsettled.
Electrical Space‐Time Abnormalities of Ventricular Depolarization in Patients with Brugada Syndrome and Patients with Complete Right‐Bundle Branch Blocks Studied by Magnetocardiography
Authors: KANDORI AKIHIKO , MIYASHITA TSUYOSHI , OGATA KUNIOMI , SHIMIZU WATARU , YOKOKAWA MIKI , KAMAKURA SHIRO , MIYATAKE KUNIO , TSUKADA KEIJI , YAMADA SATSUKI , WATANABE SHIGEYUKI , YAMAGUCHI IWAO
Published: January 2006

Background: Both ventricular depolarization abnormalities (QRS complex) and repolarization ones (ST/T) are still controversial in literature. The objective of this study was to clarify the space‐time variations that occur in patients carriers of Brugada syndrome using Magnetocardiography and also compare them with cases of complete right‐bundle branch block (CRBBB) and individuals without any dromotropic disorder (control group).

Methods and Results: Magnetocardiograms (MCGs) of Brugada syndrome patients (n = 16), CRBBB patients (n = 14), and members of a control group (n = 46) at rest were recorded. The MCGs were used to produce a whole‐heart electrical‐activation diagram (W‐HEAD), which can visualize the spatial time‐variant activation in the whole heart. In the W‐HEAD pattern, three activations were located in the left ventricle, and CRBBB patients had a wide peak with about 65‐ms delay on the right anterior side. While the Brugada syndrome pattern has a posteromedian left‐ventricle excitation, that is half the amplitude that occurs in CRBBB patients, the electrical conduction rate to the posterosuperior septum area was low.

Conclusions: The W‐HEAD data made it possible to visualize space‐time depolarization abnormalities. These findings suggest that the electrical conduction rate to the posterosuperior septum area in Brugada syndrome cases is low, and this low activation may be a feature of typical Brugada syndrome.
Effects of low‐power laser radiation on mice immunity
Authors: Novoselova E. G. , Glushkova O. V. , Cherenkov D. A. , Chudnovsky V. M. , Fesenko E. E.
Published: January 2006

Background/purpose: Because of large interest in biological effects of laser radiation used in laser therapy, the effect of extremely low‐level red laser light intensity on the immune cell activity has been studied in the animal model with well‐characterized macrophage and T cell populations as responder cells producing cytokines, protective proteins, active oxygen, and nitric compounds. To study of the possible side effects of laser immunotherapy we monitored the productions of cytokines, nitric oxide (NO), and heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) in mice subjected to a periodic laser exposure for 1 month.

Methods: Helium–neon laser radiation with the power of 0.2 mW/cm2 and wavelength of 632.8 nm was applied on two different mouse skin surfaces, i.e. a thymus projection area or a hind limb. Healthy NMRI male mice were irradiated repeatedly with laser light for 1 min with 48‐h intervals for 30 days. The animals were divided into three groups of 25 mice. The first and the second groups were exposed to laser light, on the thymus and hind limb area, respectively. The third, sham‐irradiated group served as a control. Early and prolonged effects of laser radiation on the levels of NO (by Griess assay), Hsp70 (by Western blot assay), tumor necrosis factors (TNF‐α and TNF‐β) (by cytotoxic assay using L929 cells as targets), and interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) (by ELISA assay) were determined.

Results: The dynamics of immune responses to low‐power laser light intensity was shown to be dependent on two factors, i.e. the cumulative dose and the localization of the irradiated surface. Besides, various populations of cells demonstrated different sensitivity to laser radiation, with T cells being more responsive among examined populations of the cells. Low intensity laser light induced an immune cell activity when the exposure duration did not exceed 10 days, while a more prolonged period of treatment generated more severe changes in the immune system, up to immunosuppression. The treatment of the thymus zone resulted in more pronounced changes in the cytokine production as well as in NO and Hsp70 synthesis.

Conclusion: Low‐power laser irradiation showed more effective immunomodulatory effects when applied on the thymus projection area. The rise in IL‐2 and Hsp70 production related to a short‐term effect of laser application may be reversed after repeating laser treatment. We suggest that for the support of immune system stability, the prolonged laser therapy should be accompanied by supplementary methods.
Spectroscopic assessment of dermal melanin using blue vitiligo as an in vivo model
Authors: Hamzavi Iltefat , Shiff Natalie , Martinka Magda , Huang Zhiwei , McLean David , Zeng Haishan , Lui Harvey
Published: January 2006

Background: Spectroscopic methods have been used to analyze in vivo melanin in the past but the specific effect of melanin depth on autofluorescence and reflectance spectroscopy has not been determined. In patients with blue vitiligo, three distinctive clinicopathologic patterns are present: (1) normal skin with normal epidermal melanin pigmentation (2), skin of blue vitiligo with dermal melanin pigmentation, and (3) tissue of regular vitiligo with no melanin pigmentation. Blue vitiligo may thus serve as an in vivo model to assess dermal pigment using spectroscopic techniques.

Objectives: To evaluate the reflectance and autofluorescence spectra of a patient with blue vitiligo in order to assess the effect of melanin pigmentation and its localization on the optical properties of the skin.

Methods: The blue‐gray, normal and depigmented lesions of a patient with blue vitiligo were analyzed using reflectance and fluorescent spectroscopy. The condition was likely induced by a phototoxic reaction in a patient with pre‐existing vitiligo. These data were then correlated to the histologic and electron microscopic findings present in the various types of lesions.

Results: Reflectance spectroscopy detected little difference in spectral shape between skin sites affected by blue vitiligo vs. vitiligo. Autofluorescence spectroscopy detected an apparent difference between the two types of lesions, with the blue–gray lesions (blue vitiligo) showing lower fluorescence intensity and spectral maximum position red‐shifted compared with regular vitiligo, whereas regular vitilgo showed more intense hemoglobin absorption than the blue vitiligo.

Conclusions: Dermal melanin present in blue vitiligo can be well characterized by autofluorescence spectroscopy, while little difference in reflectance spectral shape exists between vitiligo and blue vitiligo. Thus, autofluorescence spectroscopy may better identify deeper structures in skin tissue, such as melanin, than reflectance spectroscopy
The effect of ultra violet B (TL‐01) phototherapy on epidermal expression of p53 protein in psoriatic plaques
Authors: Jasim Z. F. , Lioe T. F. , McKenna K. E. , Robson T. , Ouhtit A.
Published: January 2006

Background: Psoriasis is a genetically determined inflammatory skin disease. It is now recognized that narrow band TL‐01 phototherapy is an effective treatment for psoriasis. However, ultraviolet (UV) exposure induces p53 mutations in keratinocytes and repeated exposure of skin to UV radiation results in clonal expansion of these initiated p53‐mutant cells within the epidermis.

Aim: The present study aims to examine epidermal p53 expression in the skin of psoriatic patients at different time points following TL‐01 phototherapy.

Methods: Skin samples from patients suffering from plaque‐type psoriasis, collected before, during and at the final stages of TL‐01 phototherapy were examined for p53 expression by immunohistochemistry.

Results/Conclusion: Our results showed an increase in p53 expressing keratinocytes following TL‐01 phototherapy. Some of these cells were arranged spatially, as conical clones arising from putative stem cell compartments, suggesting that the chronic TL‐01 treatment might have triggered cell growth and clonal expansion, an important step in initiating skin carcinogenesis.
Age‐related change in visual, spatial and verbal memory
Authors: Shaw Rhonda M , Helmes Edward , Mitchell David
Published: January 2006

Objectives:  To explore the relationship between age and performance on verbal, visual and spatial memory tasks and to examine whether verbal, visual and spatial memory can be measured as separate memory representations.

Methods:  Sixty‐two participants aged between 18 and 57 years completed a listening span task, a dot memory task and an irregular polygon with articulatory suppression task.

Results:  Verbal and spatial memory declined with increased age. The relationship between age and visual memory, although negative, was not significant. Age correlated with verbal memory to a greater degree than with visual or spatial memory. The correlations between each of the memory tasks were not significant, suggesting that each task was tapping a distinct type of memory.

Conclusions:  Verbal, visual and spatial memory appear to be differentially affected by age and should be examined as separate representations.
Comparative analysis of dementia and ethnicity in the New South Wales Aged Care Assessment Program: 1996 and 2001
Authors: Lister Susan , Benson Chris
Published: January 2006

Objective:  To compare assessment and dementia rates for different client countries of birth in the New South Wales Aged Care Assessment Program (NSW ACAP).

Methods:  The NSW ACAP Minimum Data Set and Australian Bureau of Statistics census data were used to calculate age‐standardised assessment and dementia rates for different client groups based on country of birth. Characteristics of people with dementia were examined to explore reasons for variation by ethnicity.

Results:  ACAP assessment and dementia rates for people from several overseas‐born groups in this study were significantly lower than those for Australian‐born clients (P < 0.05). Statistical differences were maintained for 1996 and 2001. Characteristics of those with dementia and born overseas were significantly different from Australian‐born clients.

Conclusions:  Australian‐born ACAP clients have higher assessment and dementia rates than many overseas‐born groups. Further examination of reasons for these differences is required to ensure equity of access to services for all aged people.
Muscle Symptoms Associated with Statins: A Series of Twenty Patients
Authors: Soininen Kari , Niemi Mikko , Kilkki Esa , Strandberg Timo , Kivist Kari T.
Published: January 2006

Abstract: The aim of this study was to examine the clinical profile of statin‐induced myalgia in patients with no apparent predisposing factors. Patients who reported muscle complaints that limited daily functioning during statin use were prospectively identified among the patients of Kuusankoski District Hospital and its catchment area, a population of about 100,000, between January 2003 and July 2004. Twenty patients in whom the muscle complaints were probably attributable to the use of a statin were included in this series. There were no cases of severe myopathy or rhabdomyolysis, and the highest creatine kinase value observed was only about 1900 U/l. Of the 18 patients that were evaluable for creatine kinase level, 5 (28%) did not exhibit elevation of creatine kinase and 6 (33%) showed a minor increase only. Following discontinuation of the statin, resolution of symptoms and normalisation of creatine kinase occurred in 11 of the 13 patients with elevated creatine kinase value as well as muscle complaints. Statins may cause clinically important muscle symptoms without inducing a marked creatine kinase elevation.
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Antiretroviral Therapy
Authors: Justesen Ulrik Stenz
Published: January 2006

Abstract: Treatment with antiretroviral drugs such as the HIV protease inhibitors and non‐nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors have contributed to the improvement of life of many HIV‐infected patients in recent years, but antiretroviral therapy is not without problems. In some patients, treatment is not effective and suppression of viral replication is not achieved. Other patients experience toxicity and have to stop treatment or change to a less effective treatment. Several studies have demonstrated a relationship between plasma concentrations of the protease inhibitors and non‐nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors and viral suppression and toxicity. Therapeutic drug monitoring uses drug concentrations to individualise and optimise therapy by dosage adjustments and many clinicians have advocated for the use of therapeutic drug monitoring in HIV antiretroviral therapy. Evidence from a number of randomized clinical trials supports the use of therapeutic drug monitoring, but the studies have limitations and might not apply to all the antiretroviral drugs. However, the consensus is that certain patients are very likely to benefit from therapeutic drug monitoring. Additionally, the combination of therapeutic drug monitoring and genotypic or phenotypic resistance testing might further improve antiretroviral therapy.
Targeting Monitoring Resources to Enhance the Effectiveness of the CAP
Authors: Fraser Iain , Fraser Rob
Published: January 2006

From its inception the operation of the CAP has required the compliance monitoring of farming activities and anticipated increases in the complexity of the monitoring tasks with the introduction of the SFP will stretch monitoring resources even further. We outline the scope for using targeting to enhance effectiveness of monitoring resources in dealing with non‐compliant behaviour. Targeting resources can increase information on particular groups making identification of inappropriate behaviour easier. However, in reallocating monitoring resources towards the targeted sub‐group, there is likely to be an associated reduction in resources allocated to monitoring non‐targeted agents and therefore an increase in their incentive to cheat. To reduce this problem we suggest balancing the targeting‐induced reduction in the probability of being caught cheating for non‐targeted agents with an appropriate increase in the penalty for those agents if they are caught cheating. This increase in penalty results in an increased divergence between the outcomes from being caught or not caught cheating for non‐targeted agents, which increases the overall perceived risk of the cheating option. And for risk‐averse agents, this increase is a disincentive to cheating. On this basis we argue for greater use of target‐based compliance monitoring as part of the revised and evolving CAP.
Tolerance to low O2: lessons from invertebrate genetic models
Authors: Haddad Gabriel G.
Published: January 2006

There have been extensive studies and experiments on cells, tissues and animals that are susceptible to low O2, and many pathways have been discovered that can lead to injury in mammalian tissues. But other pathways that can help in the survival of low O2 have also been discovered in these same tissues. It should be noted, however, that the mechanisms that can lead to better survival in susceptible mammalian tissues have quantitatively a ‘narrow range’ for recovery, since these tissues are inherently at risk. Another strategy for understanding the susceptibility of organisms is to learn about pathways used by anoxia‐resistant animals. Approximately a decade ago, I and my co‐workers discovered that one such animal, Drosophila melanogaster, is very tolerant of low O2. Here, I detail some of the studies that we performed and the strategies that we developed to understand the mechanisms that underlie the fascinating resistance of Drosophila to measured partial pressure of O2 of zero. We employed three ideas to try to address our questions: (1) mutagenesis screens to identify loss‐of‐function mutants; (2) microarrays on adapted versus naïve flies; and (3) studying cell biology and physiology of genes that seem important in flies and mammals. The hope is to learn from these studies about the fundamental basis of tolerance to the lack of O2, and with this knowledge be able to develop better therapies for the future.
Cardiac electrophysiology and tissue structure: bridging the scale gap with a joint measurement and modelling paradigm
Authors: Trew Mark L. , Caldwell Bryan J. , Sands Gregory B. , Hooks Darren A. , Tai Dean C.‐S. , Austin Travis M. , LeGrice Ian J. , Pullan Andrew J. , Smaill Bruce H.
Published: January 2006

Significant tissue structures exist in cardiac ventricular tissue that are of supracellular dimension. It is hypothesized that these tissue structures contribute to the discontinuous spread of electrical activation, may contribute to arrhymogenesis and also provide a substrate for effective cardioversion. However, the influences of these mesoscale tissue structures in intact ventricular tissue are difficult to understand solely on the basis of experimental measurement. Current measurement technology is able to record at both the macroscale tissue level and the microscale cellular or subcellular level, but to date it has not been possible to obtain large volume, direct measurements at the mesoscales. To bridge this scale gap in experimental measurements, we use tissue‐specific structure and mathematical modelling. Our models have enabled us to consider key hypotheses regarding discontinuous activation. We also consider the future developments of our intact tissue experimental programme.
The Different Immunomodulation of Indirect Moxibustion on Normal Subjects and Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Kung Yen-Ying , Chen Fang-Pey , Hwang Shinn-Jang
Published: January 2006

Moxibustion has been thought to enhance immunity in healthy condition, but suppress abnormal immune response in disease status. We collected 12 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and 12 healthy women who received indirect moxibustion on acupuncture points ST-36 (Zusanli) and SP-6 (Sanyinjiao) 20 minutes per day for 1 week. During the course, there were no changes of their regular medications or intercurrent infections in normal subjects and SLE patients. We found that indirect moxibustion for 1 week could elevate CD3+ and CD4+ T-lymphocytes in normal subjects, whereas decrease relative proportions of CD8+ T-lymphocytes in patients with SLE. This result confirms that indirect moxibustion has different immunomodulation in normal condition and autoimmune status. However, whether immunomodulatory effects of indirect moxibustion are beneficial for normal subjects and patients with SLE require further confirmation.
Antiproliferative and Apoptotic Effects of Tetrandrine on Different Human Hepatoma Cell Lines
Authors: Ng Lean Teik , Chiang Lien-Chai , Lin Yu-Tseng , Lin Chun-Ching
Published: January 2006

Tetrandrine (TET), a bis-benzylisoquinoline alkaloid isolated from the dried root of Hang-Fang-Chi (Stephania tetrandra S. Moore), is well known to possess activities including antioxidant, anti-inflammation, anti-fibrotic and anticancer. It is used clinically to treat hypertension and silicosis. In the present study, the anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects of TET were evaluated on three different hepatoma cell lines, namely Hep G2, PLC/PRF/5 and Hep 3B. Using XTT assay, results showed that the IC 50 values of TET were 4.35 μM for Hep G2, 9.44 μM for PLC/PRF/5 and 10.41 μM for Hep 3B cells. The CC 50 of TET against BNL-CL.2 mouse normal liver cells was 31.12 μM. Interestingly, TET exhibited a lower IC 50 value and better selectivity against Hep G2 and PLC/PRF/5 cells than cisplatin. Microscopic observation study, DNA fragmentation assay and flow cytometric analysis further supported apoptotic effect of TET on both PLC/PRF/5 and Hep 3B cells. The cell cycle of PLC/PRF/5 treated with TET appeared to arrest at G2/M phase in a dose-dependent manner, whereas no effect was noted on the cell cycle of Hep 3B cells. The present study concludes that TET exhibited anti-proliferative effect on Hep G2, PLC/PRF/5 and Hep 3B cells in a dose-dependent manner. TET also possesses a lower IC 50 and better SI value than cisplatin against Hep G2 and PLC/PRF/5 cells. The effect of TET on cell cycle progression was found to vary with the type of hepatoma cells, suggesting the genetic make-up of the cells play an important role in the response to drug treatment.
PROTECTION AGAINST THE MAN-IN-THE-MIDDLE-ATTACK FOR THE KIRCHHOFF-LOOP-JOHNSON(-LIKE)-NOISE CIPHER AND EXPANSION BY VOLTAGE-BASED SECURITY
Authors: KISH L. B.
Published: January 2006

It is shown that the original Kirchhoff-loop-Johnson(-like)-noise (KLJN) cipher is naturally protected against the man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack, if the eavesdropper is using resistors and noise voltage generators just like the sender and the receiver. The eavesdropper can extract zero bit of information before she is discovered. However, when the eavesdropper is using noise current generators, though the cipher is protected, the eavesdropper may still be able to extract one bit of information while she is discovered. For enhanced security, we expand the KLJN cipher with the comparison of the instantaneous voltages via the public channel. In this way, the sender and receiver has a full control over the security of measurable physical quantities in the Kirchhoff-loop. We show that when the sender and receiver compare not only their instantaneous current data but also their instantaneous voltage data then the zero-bit security holds even for the noise current generator case. We show that the original KLJN scheme is also zero-bit protected against that type of MITM attack when the eavesdropper uses voltage noise generators, only. In conclusion, within the idealized model scheme, the man-in-the-middle-attack does not provide any advantage compared to the regular attack considered earlier. The remaining possibility is the attack by a short, large current pulse, which described in the original paper as the only efficient type of regular attacks, and that yields the one bit security. In conclusion, the KLJN cipher is superior to known quantum communication schemes in every respect, including speed, robustness, maintenance need, price and its natural immunity against the man-in-the-middle attack.
REGULATION OF TH2 DIFFERENTIATION ANDIl4LOCUS ACCESSIBILITY
Authors: Ansel K. Mark , Djuretic Ivana , Tanasa Bogdan , Rao Anjana
Published: January 2006

Helper T cells coordinate immune responses through the production of cytokines. Th2 cells express the closely linked Il4, Il13, and Il5 cytokine genes, whereas these same genes are silenced in the Th1 lineage. The Th1/Th2 lineage choice has become a textbook example for the regulation of cell differentiation, and recent discoveries have further refined and expanded our understanding of how Th2 differentiation is initiated and reinforced by signals from antigen-presenting cells and cytokine-driven feedback loops. Epigenetic changes that stabilize the active or silent state of the Il4 locus in differentiating helper T cells have been a major focus of recent research. Overall, the field is progressing toward an integrated model of the signaling and transcription factor networks, cis-regulatory elements, epigenetic modifications, and RNA interference mechanisms that converge to determine the lineage fate and gene expression patterns of differentiating helper T cells.
Polymorphisms and Haplotypes of the Regulator of G Protein Signaling-2 Gene in Normotensives and Hypertensives
Authors: Riddle Evan L. , Rana Brinda K. , Murthy Kenton K. , Rao Fangwen , Eskin Eleazar , O’Connor Daniel T. , Insel Paul A.
Published: January 2006

Regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins stimulate the GTPase activity of G
α
subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins, thereby negatively regulating G protein-coupled receptor signaling. RGS2, which preferentially alters G
αq
-mediated signaling, may be important for cardiovascular health, because knockout of RGS2 in mice is associated with altered smooth muscle relaxation and hypertension. In this study, we determined genetic variation in the human RGS2 gene by sequencing DNA in normotensive and hypertensive populations of whites (n=128) and blacks (n=122). We identified 14 single nucleotide polymorphisms and 2 two-base insertion/deletions (in/del; 1891 to 1892 TC and 2138 to 2139 AA). Although most of the genetic variants were found at low allelic frequency, in particular in coding regions, the 1891 to 1892 TC and 2138 to 2139 AA intronic in/del were in linkage disequilibrium and were associated with hypertension in blacks (
P
<0.05). We defined several haplotypes for the RGS2 gene, certain of which showed striking differences between whites and blacks. Additionally, 2 haplotypes had significantly different frequencies between hypertensive and normotensive black groups (
P
<0.05). We conclude that RGS2 is genetically conserved within coding regions but that the intronic in/del define ethnicity-specific haplotypes. Moreover, certain RGS2 variants that occur at greater frequency in hypertensive blacks may serve as ethnicity-specific genetic variants for this disease.