bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of dominance rank on fat deposition and food hoarding in the Willow Tit Parus montanus– an experimental test
Authors: Lundborg Ken , Brodin Anders
Published: March 2003

We studied the effects of dominance rank on fat deposition and hoarding behaviour in Willow Tits Parus montanus. Dominant individuals can displace subordinates which gives them priority to new food sources; they can also pilfer stored food from subordinates. This gives subordinates less certain access than dominants both to their own caches and to new food sources. Theory predicts that subordinates should invest more than dominants both in body fat reserves and stored food. Empirical evidence is equivocal; some studies have shown that subordinates built up larger reserves than dominants, whereas others show the opposite. In an earlier indoor experiment, Pravosudov and Lucas found no effect of rank on either hoarding rate or fat reserves, but the experimental design was such that the results were ambiguous. This paper reports on a similar, but improved, experiment in outdoor aviaries. However, our results agree with the earlier experiment, since we found no effect of rank on either food storing or fat deposition. The reasons for this are explored.
The pattern electroretinogram (PERG) with contralateral corneal reference
Authors: Aldebasi Y.H. , Drasdo N. , North R.V. , Morgan J.E.
Published: March 2003

The pattern electroretinogram (PERG) is a sensitive test for investigation of the proximal retina. For monocular recording, the contralateral corneal reference (CCR) electrode position has been suggested as a possible alternative to the conventional ipsilateral temporal reference (ITR). We therefore compared the effect of these electrode positions on 26 subjects (median age 45.5 years, IQR 24.5–61.5). The signals were recorded monocularly with DTL nylon fibre electrodes. The visual stimuli were high contrast 19′ black–white checkerboard patterns, reversing 4 times/s. PERG responses obtained from the CCR gave larger amplitudes and the increase in amplitude was statistically significant (P<0.001). Because the CCR signal is larger, new normative ranges must be established to avoid false negative results.
Interconverting the matrix and principal meridional representations of dioptric power in general including powers with nonorthogonal and complex principal meridians
Authors: Harris W.F.
Published: March 2003

The principal meridians of the powers of thick astigmatic systems, like the eye, are not necessarily at right angles. The consequence is a class of phenomena included in the category commonly described as irregular astigmatism. The conventional principal meridional representation of power, however, is unsuited to quantitative analysis. This paper presents equations for converting from the principal meridional form of power to a representation, the dioptric power matrix, which is amenable to quantitative analysis. It generalizes an earlier paper which treated only powers of a conventional form in which the principal meridians are always at right angles. It copes in particular with what are known as asymmetric powers. A routine is also presented for converting in the reverse direction, from the power matrix to the principal meridional form of power. The principal meridional form of power turns out not always to be unique, there being distinct powers (they are asymmetric) with the same principal powers andmeridians. Thus, in general, the dioptric power matrix is a satisfactory representation of power while the principal meridional representation is not.
The effect of perceived length on visuomotor localization
Authors: Fogt Nick , Ortman Jason
Published: March 2003

Purpose: The purpose of this experiment was to study visuomotor localization in the presence of either a horizontal array of equally spaced dots or a thin horizontal line.

Methods: Pointing behavior was used to assess directional localization. In experiment 1, subjects were made myopic using a contact lens and then corrected with a spectacle lens. Subjects were tested in the presence and absence of a regularly spaced, horizontal array of dots with and without the contact lens/spectacle combination. In experiment 2, subjects wore the contact lens/spectacle in all cases. Some subjects were tested in the presence and then in the absence of a regularly spaced, horizontal array of dots while the order of conditions was reversed for other subjects. In experiments 3 and 4, subjects were tested without the contact lens/spectacle combination. In experiment 3, subjects were tested in the absence and then in the presence of a regularly spaced, horizontal arrays of dots. In experiment 4, subjects were tested in the absence and then in the presence of a thin horizontal line.

Results: In experiment 1, in the absence of the array of dots, subjects undershot targets with the contact lens/spectacle combination. When the array was present, pointing with the contact lens/spectacle combination was accurate. In experiment 2, subjects undershot targets in the absence of the array of dots if this condition was performed first. If the array was present in the initial condition, the pointing undershoot in the second condition (array absent) was reduced. In all cases, the pointing undershoot was reduced in the presence of the array. In experiments 3 and 4, a pointing overshoot was found in the presence of an array of dots or a thin line.

Conclusions: It is concluded that extraretinal eye position information is not the primary determinant of visuomotor localization in the presence of a horizontal contour. The overshoot produced by a horizontal contour may be related to a length illusion brought about by spatial filtering in the visual system or inaccurate distance judgments.
Influence of the luminance level on visual performance with a disposable soft cosmetic tinted contact lens
Authors: Albarrán Diego C. , Montés‐Micó R. , Pons A. M. , Artigas J. M.
Published: March 2003

The purpose of the present work was to study the effect on visual performance of wearing disposable soft tinted contact lenses for cosmetic purposes. Parameters such as contrast sensitivity (Vistech 6000), colour vision (Farnsworth‐Munsell 100‐Hue colour test), visual fields (static Goldmann perimetry) and subjective vision (what the wearer feels while wearing the lenses) were studied under different illumination levels in order to check for possible vision losses while wearing these contact lenses at low illumination levels. Sixteen emmetropic subjects were fitted consecutively with seven pairs of different colour lenses (Optima Colors® lenses by Bausch & Lomb), and the experimental parameters were measured under four different illumination levels (60, 6, 1, and 0.1 cd/m2; but 15 and 0.3 cd/m2 for the static perimetry) The results obtained showed no statistically significant differences in visual performance between wearing the lenses and not wearing them (p>0.01), except for the static perimetry, in which statistically significant differences (p<0.01) occur at eccentricities greater than 30°.
Assessment of the number of eye symptoms and the impact of some confounding variables for office staff in non‐air‐conditioned buildings
Authors: Doughty Michael J. , Blades Kenneth A. , Ibrahim Nassim
Published: March 2003

Purpose:  The goal of this study was both to assess the frequency of self‐reported eye symptoms for employees in a non‐air‐conditioned office building complex, and to specifically assess whether confounding variables (contact lens wear, medicines use, and provoking stimuli) had a discernible impact on the characteristics of this reporting.

Methods:  A questionnaire was distributed, in the winter months, to office employees in a building complex within a city‐located University site, consisting of non‐air‐conditioned rooms with some mechanical ventilation. The questionnaire asked respondents to identify any eye symptoms experienced (foreign body sensation, soreness, dryness, grittiness, itchiness, stinging, intense burning), the frequency of their occurrence, details of any conditions provoking eye symptoms (such as changes in the microenvironment), their medication use and if they were contact lens wearers.

Results:  The proportion of respondents for various categories was calculated, along with the total number of symptoms. If `eye irritation' is considered as reporting any symptoms experienced at any time, then 63% of 292 respondents (median age 42.5 years) reported an average of 1.83 symptoms. However, the identification of contact lens wearers, medication use (especially for seasonal allergies) and provoking stimuli reduced this prevalence to just 29% (with the average number of symptoms being 1.51). If the frequency of experiencing symptoms was also taken into account (never, sometimes, often, and constantly), then only 12.3% of the respondents indicated symptoms often or constantly, i.e. could be considered to have significant symptoms. In all categories, men were more likely to report eye symptoms compared with women.

Conclusions:  The results confirm that office employees are likely to have some ocular symptoms, but that even a simple consideration of possible confounding variables can greatly change the reported prevalence of eye irritation that might be specifically associated with the workplace environment.
The combined influence of knowledge, training and experience when grading contact lens complications
Authors: Efron Nathan , Morgan Philip B. , Jagpal Ritu
Published: March 2003

Purpose: A study was conducted to evaluate the influence of knowledge, training and experience (clinical skills set) when assessing the severity of contact lens complications.

Methods: Nine optometrists (who were in possession of a relevant clinical skills set) and nine ‘non‐optometrists’ (subjects without the clinical skills set) were each invited to grade – to the nearest 0.1 increment – an image of each of 16 contact lens complications using Efron Grading Scales for Contact Lens Complications. This procedure was repeated 2 weeks later, yielding a total data base comprising 576 individual grading estimates.

Results: The mean of the test and retest grading estimates was the same for the optometrists (2.8 ± 0.7) and the non‐optometrists (2.6 ± 0.9) (F1,15,1 = 1.3, p = 0.26); that is, non‐optometrists can grade accurately. Median grading reliability for optometrists (±0.41) was lower than (i.e. superior to) that for non‐optometrists (±0.67) (p = 0.001). Non‐optometrists tended to display a reluctance to grade by interpolation and to less reliably grade subtle clinical signs.

Conclusions: When averaged over several attempts, non‐optometrists will arrive at similar estimates of severity to optometrists when grading ocular complications of contact lens wear; however, they will do so less reliably. The relative contribution of the three attributes of the clinical skills set to grading performance is presently unclear.
Rate Your Plate: A Dietary Assessment and Educational Tool for Blood Cholesterol Control
Authors: Gans Kim M. , Hixson Mary Lynne , Eaton Charles B. , Lasater Thomas M.
Published: March 2003

Practitioners who wish to deliver targeted nutritional advice to their patients for the prevention and management of elevated serum cholesterol levels must first assess their patients' diets. Unfortunately, many primary care providers do not have sufficient training in nutrition to do this adequately. In this situation, dietary assessment instruments would be useful; however, standard dietary assessment methods such as 24‐h recalls, food records, and food‐frequency questionnaires are inappropriate for use in this clinical setting. Rate Your Plate (RYP), a simplified food‐frequency questionnaire consisting of questions focusing on foods contributing the most fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol to the American diet, was developed by the Pawtucket Heart Health Program (PHHP) in the late 1980s and has been updated several times to reflect changes in national dietary recommendations. This review discusses the development and clinical applications of RYP and provides advice for its use in a primary care setting. A copy of a portion of the instrument is provided in the “Clinical Tools” section of this issue of Nutrition in Clinical Care.
Evaluation and Treatment of Iron Deficiency in Patients with Kidney Disease
Authors: Bickford Andrea K.
Published: March 2003

Iron deficiency is common in patients with kidney disease and is one of the primary causes for decreased response to recombinant human erthropoietin (rHuEPO) therapy. Serum ferritin and percent tranferrin saturation are regarded as the preferred indirect measurements of iron status. The National Kidney Foundation‐Kidney Disease Outcome Quality Initiative (K/DOQI) guidelines recommend levels openface>100 ng/ml and>20%, respectively. These tests, however, have practical limitations and lack sensitivity and specificity to identify “functional” iron deficiency, which can occur in the presence of normal or even increased iron stores. Newer methods of assessing iron status are becoming available, with reticulocyte hemoglobin content (CHr) showing the most promise at this time. K/DOQ1 guidelines recommend that adequacy of iron should be based on the amount of iron needed to sufficiently achieve target hemoglobin and hematocrit levels of 11–12 g/dL, or 33–36%. Studies have demonstrated for a majority of hemodialysis and some predialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients that intravenous iron therapy is necessary to improve response, thus reducing the amount of rHuEPO needed to achieve these goals. Though intravenous iron is generally regarded as safe and effective, caution should be taken in regard to acceptable amounts of supplementation and long‐term effects with the potential risk of iron overload.
Growth potential and differentiation capacity of adult rat hepatocytes in vitro
Authors: Tateno Chise , Yoshizato Katsutoshi
Published: March 2003

We have previously reported a medium that supports the continuous growth of hepatocytes without their losing replicative potential and differentiation capacity for an extended period. The medium contains four key substances in addition to fetal bovine serum, that is, epidermal growth factor, nicotinamide, ascorbic acid 2‐phosphate, and dimethyl sulfoxide. When a nonparenchymal cell fraction containing small hepatocytes and nonparenchymal cells was cultured in this medium, small hepatocytes grew clonally and differentiated into cells expressing either mature hepatocyte marker proteins or biliary cell marker proteins. The growth potential of small hepatocytes was variable among the cells, the highest case being that of a single cell that produced a colony containing over 100 cells in 10 days. When a hepatocyte was allowed to divide for 105 days, it produced a colony of approximately 0.2 mm2, which contained approximately 1,700 hepatocytes, indicating that the cell divided more than 10 times. Thus, for the first time, we showed the presence of a small compartment of bipotent and highly replicative clonogenic hepatocytes in the rat adult liver in vitro. (WOUND REP REG 1999;7:36–44)
Ease of wound closure as an endpoint of treatment efficacy
Authors: Robson Martin C , Maggi Sergio P , Smith Paul D , Wassermann Richard J , Mosiello Gerard C , Hill Donald P , Cooper Diane M
Published: March 2003

New treatments for chronic wounds require carefully performed clinical trials with significant endpoints. Total wound closure is the only endpoint currently accepted by the Food and Drug Administration. This study describes a scale that measures ease of wound closure and applies it to a four‐arm prospectively randomized, blinded pressure ulcer trial of recombinant human platelet‐derived growth factor‐BB. Following validation of interrater reliability, 83 evaluable subjects' photographs were given a weekly ease of closure score by four raters blinded to treatment. The change of ease of closure score was correlated with the change of wound area and volume. Each ease of closure score was given a procedural cost. Results showed ease of closure did not directly correlate with either wound area or volume, suggesting that it was measuring additional information. The mean change in ease of closure score was 6 for subjects treated with 100 μg recombinant human platelet‐derived growth factor‐BB daily; 5 for those treated with 300 μg growth factor daily or 100 μg recombinant human platelet‐derived growth factor‐BB bid; and 4 for those treated with placebo. The cost savings ranged from $7200 for the group receiving 100 μg recombinant human platelet‐derived growth factor‐BB daily to $6300 for the controls. Outcomes in all 4 groups were significantly improved from their starting evaluation (p < 0.001). Based on this study, ease of closure is a verifiable endpoint that can be related to cost efficiency and may be a measure of efficacy.
Characterization of a collagenolytic enzyme released from wounded planarians Dugesia japonica
Authors: Sawada Takuya , Oofusa Ken , Yoshizato Katsutoshi
Published: March 2003

Planarians (Dugesia japonica) were cultured on gels of type I bovine collagen under various conditions that damaged the worms to test the possibility that the animals secrete a collagenolytic enzyme when they are wounded. The planarians were shown to release a potent collagenolytic enzyme around their body when the animals received damage‐inducing treatments such as heating at 37 °C, freezing and thawing, and amputation. This release of the enzyme did not require the synthesis of RNA or protein. Isolated planarian cells did not release the enzyme even when cultured at 37 °C. The collagenolytic activity was found in the supernatants, but not in the insoluble fraction prepared from disintegrated tissues of the wounded animals. These results indicated that the enzyme was stored extracellularly in the normal planarian body. Partial purification of the enzyme and the action spectra of various protease inhibitors on the enzyme showed that the enzyme was a neutral type I collagen‐degrading 40 kDa metalloproteinase. We named this enzyme the planarian collagenase.
Alteration of type I and III collagen expression in human peritoneal mesothelial cells in response to hypoxia and transforming growth factor‐β1
Authors: Saed Ghassan M. , Zhang Wendy , Chegini Naser , Holmdahl Lena , Diamond Michael P.
Published: March 2003

Overexpression and accumulation of extracellular matrix is central to peritoneal adhesion formation following surgically induced tissue trauma. Transforming growth factor‐β1 and hypoxia have been implicated in tissue fibrosis and postoperative adhesion formation. To extend this observation we examined whether transforming growth factor‐β1 and/or hypoxia regulate the expression of type I and III collagen in human peritoneal mesothelial cells. Cultured human mesothelial cells were maintained under hypoxia (2% oxygen), or treated with transforming growth factor‐β1 (1 ng/ml) or a combination of hypoxia and transforming growth factor‐β1. Total cellular RNA from treated and untreated cells were collected and subjected to multiplex reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction to quantitate collagen I and III mRNA levels in response to these treatments. The results indicate that 6 hours of hypoxia increased collagen III mRNA by 7.2 fold which was further increased to 9.4 fold following transforming growth factor‐β1 treatment; in contrast collagen I mRNA decreased by 0.42 fold which was further decreased by 0.3 fold following transforming growth factor‐β1 treatment. Transforming growth factor‐β1 treatment under normal conditions resulted in an 8.4‐fold increase and a 0.3‐fold decrease in collagen III and I mRNA levels, respectively. Hypoxia treatment also resulted in a 1.9‐fold increase in transforming growth factor‐β1 mRNA level compared with control. The ratio of type III/I collagen was increased in response to transforming growth factor‐β1 treatment under hypoxic condition. In conclusion, the data suggest that hypoxia may modulate extracellular matrix production by human mesothelial cells via a transforming growth factor‐β1 dependent mechanism.
Simple biochemical markers to assess chronic wounds
Authors: James Timothy J , Hughes Margaret A , Cherry George W , Taylor Richard P
Published: March 2003

We investigated the potential for the biochemical analysis of chronic wound fluid to predict healing using simple and widely available analytes in an out‐patient clinic setting. Wound fluid was collected from 12 patients attending a leg ulcer clinic and analyzed for a variety of analytes, including lactate, total protein, and albumin. Twelve weeks after collection the wound was assessed for healing (defined as complete healing or greater than 50% reduction in wound size). The median total protein (44.3 ± 8.8 g/l) and albumin (25.0 ± 2.3 g/l) concentrations in exudate collected from four healing wounds were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in exudate from eight nonhealing wounds (median total protein 29.7 ± 7.6 g/l, median albumin 17.0 ± 4.3 g/l). No significant difference was observed for lactate. A second specimen of wound fluid was collected from four of the patients (three nonhealing and one healing). The protein analysis confirmed the pattern observed for the first collection: nonhealing wounds had total protein and albumin which remained low compared to healing wounds. No wound with an exudate albumin of less than 20 g/l healed. Both total protein and albumin are stable analytes which can be easily measured in any laboratory and may offer a simple biomarker of healing in chronic wounds.
Increase in wound breaking strength in rats in the presence of positively charged dextran beads correlates with an increase in endogenous transforming growth factor‐β1 and its receptor TGF‐βRI in close proximity to the wound
Authors: Connors David , Gies David , Lin Herrick , Gruskin Elliott , Mustoe Thomas A , Tawil Nabil J
Published: March 2003

We have previously shown that positively charged beads (DEAE A25) increase wound breaking strength in linear incisions in rats and nonhuman primates at days 10–14 post‐wounding. The increased wound strength may result in part from a stimulation of cells adjacent to the DEAE A25 beads to produce growth factors important for wound healing. In this report, we investigate this hypothesis by comparing the relative expression levels of transforming growth factor‐β1 and its receptor transforming growth factor‐β receptor type I in DEAE A25‐treated and contralateral untreated rat linear incisions. DEAE A25‐treated incisions were stronger than untreated control wounds at 3 days post‐wounding, and the difference in breaking strength reached statistical significance at days 5, 7 and 10. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed a significant increase in transforming growth factor‐β1 and transforming growth factor‐β receptor type I expression in DEAE A25‐treated incisions, up to 7 days post‐wounding, as compared to untreated control wounds. FACS analysis revealed that macrophage cell lines exposed to DEAE A25 in vitro upregulate transforming growth factor‐β1 and transforming growth factor‐β receptor type I expression by 2–3 fold. Therefore, the increase in expression of transforming growth factor‐β1 and transforming growth factor‐β receptor type I in DEAE A25‐treated incisions may be due to an increase in the concentration of macrophages adjacent to DEAE A25 beads, as well as the stimulation of individual macrophages to produce greater amounts of transforming growth factor‐β1 and transforming growth factor‐β receptor type I. This study also supports the significance of transforming growth factor‐β1 in wound healing.
Thrombin peptide TP508 accelerates closure of dermal excisions in animal tissue with surgically induced ischemia
Authors: Norfleet Andrea M , Huang Yuesheng , Sower Laurie E , Redin William R , Fritz Richard R , Carney Darrell H
Published: March 2003

TP508 is a synthetic peptide corresponding to amino acids 508 through 530 of human prothrombin. We previously demonstrated that a single topical application of TP508 stimulates revascularization and healing of acute incisional and excisional wounds in normal, healthy rat skin. To determine if TP508 would enhance wound healing in ischemic skin, we used bipedicle flaps, cranially based flaps, and free grafts to surgically create ischemic regions on the backs of rats. Full‐thickness, circular excisions were made within the flaps or grafts and immediately treated with a single application of saline ± TP508 (0.1 μg/wound). Compared to wound closure in normal skin, ischemic skin wounds exhibited delayed closure, and the length of delay correlated with the degree of surgically induced ischemia. TP508 significantly accelerated closure in both normal and ischemic skin, resulting in closure rates that were increased within the first 7 days of wounding by 30% in normal tissue and bipedicle flaps, 50% in cranially based flaps, and 225% in free grafts. Moreover, in both flap models, TP508 restored the rate of closure to a rate approximating the control rate observed in normal skin. Histological comparisions of wound tissue from normal skin and cranially based flaps showed that ischemia reduced early recruitment of inflammatory cells at day 1 but increased inflammatory cell numbers in wound beds at day 14. TP508 treatment of ischemic flap wounds significantly increased early inflammatory cell recruitment and restored the normal rapid resolution of the inflammatory phase. In addition, at day 7, TP508‐treated wounds appeared to have an increased number of large functional blood vessels compared to saline controls. These studies support the potential efficacy of TP508 in treating ischemic wounds in humans.
Lysophosphatidic acid enhances healing of acute cutaneous wounds in the mouse
Authors: Demoyer Julie S , Skalak Thomas C , Durieux Marcel E
Published: March 2003

Lysophosphatidic acid is a phospholipid growth factor and intercellular signaling molecule released by activated platelets and injured fibroblasts that affects keratinocytes, fibroblasts, neutrophils,and monocytes. We therefore hypothesized that lysophosphatidic acid could influence the inflammation and reepithelialization phases of wound healing. Lysophosphatidic acid (100 μM) was applied daily for 5 days to 2 mm‐diameter excisional mouse ear skin wounds and re‐epithelialization was measured. We also evaluated whether the bioactivity of lysophosphatidic acid could be increased by zinc (Zn2+, 1 mM). Inflammatory cells were counted in wound sections after 1, 3, or 5 days of healing. Reepithelialization was accelerated significantly by either lysophosphatidic acid or lysophosphatidic acid + Zn2+ (p < 0.01 and p < 0.0001, respectively). Both lysophosphatidic acid solutions significantly increased the amount of new epithelium in the wounds on days 1, 2, and 3 (p < 0.05). Little wound area remained on day 4, and all wounds were fully reepithelialized by day 5. Lysophosphatidic acid did not affect the number of neutrophils or macrophages present in the wound area. Our findings show that lysophosphatidic acid increased the amount of reepithelialization in the early stages of cutaneous wound healing in excisional ear wounds, without affecting inflammatory function.
The validity of the clinical signs and symptoms used to identify localized chronic wound infection
Authors: Gardner Sue E. , Frantz Rita A. , Doebbeling Bradley N.
Published: March 2003

It is uncertain how accurately classic signs of acute infection identify infection in chronic wounds, or if the signs of infection specific to secondary wounds are better indicators of infection in these wounds. The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of the “classic” signs (i.e., pain, erythema, edema, heat, and purulence) and the signs specific to secondary wounds (i.e., serous exudate, delayed healing, discoloration of granulation tissue, friable granulation tissue, pocketing at the base of the wound, foul odor, and wound breakdown). Thirty‐six chronic wounds were assessed for these signs and symptoms of infection with interobserver reliability ranging from 0.53 to 1.00. The wounds were then quantitatively cultured, and 11 (31%) were found to be infected. Increasing pain, friable granulation tissue, foul odor, and wound breakdown showed validity based on sensitivity, specificity, discriminatory power, and positive predictive values. The signs specific to secondary wounds were better indicators of chronic wound infection than the classic signs with a mean sensitivity of 0.62 and 0.38, respectively. None of the signs or symptoms was a necessary indicator of infection, but increasing pain and wound breakdown were both sufficient indicators with specificity of 100%.
Differential effects of acute and chronic wound fluids on urokinase‐type plasminogen activator, urokinase‐type plasminogen activator receptor, and tissue‐type plasminogen activator in cultured human keratinocytes and fibroblasts
Authors: Weckroth Miina , Vaheri Antti , Myöhänen Heli , Tukiainen Erkki , Sirén Vappu
Published: March 2003

The effect of wound fluids collected from acute well‐healing wounds and chronic nonhealing venous leg ulcers on the plasminogen activation system of keratinocyte and fibroblast cell cultures was studied in a simplified wound‐healing model. Acute wound fluid was collected from donor sites of split skin grafts at different time points representing the progressive healing of the wound. Urokinase‐type plasminogen activator, tissue‐type plasminogen activator, urokinase‐type plasminogen activator receptor, and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 expression were studied. The methods used were immunocapture assay and immunocytochemistry. The results indicated that the later the acute wound fluid was collected, the greater the urokinase‐type plasminogen activator and the lower the plasminogen inhibitor‐1 level in treated cells. In contrast, the level of urokinase‐type plasminogen activator receptor remained stable irrespective of wound fluid treatment. Immunostaining for urokinase‐type plasminogen activator of acute wound fluid‐treated cells showed a disseminated punctate pattern over the cell surface, but with chronic wound fluid, urokinase‐type plasminogen activator was localized to focal contacts. Our findings support the view that in the acute wound environment the plasminogen activator system is proteolytically active and that in chronic leg ulcers urokinase‐type plasminogen activator and urokinase‐type plasminogen activator receptor may also be organized for cell adhesion and migration.
Early gene expression profile of human skin to injury using high‐density cDNA microarrays
Authors: Cole Jana , Tsou Raymond , Wallace Ken , Gibran Nicole , Isik Frank
Published: March 2003

Disturbances in normal wound healing may be traced to perturbations in gene expression following injury. To decipher normal and abnormal genetic responses to cutaneous injury, baseline gene expression of uninjured skin and injured skin must be better defined. Our aim for this study was to determine the gene expression profile of human skin immediately following injury using cDNA microarrays. Samples of normal and injured skin were obtained from 5 healthy females undergoing breast reduction surgery. Specimens of the epidermis and dermis were obtained at 30 minutes and 1 hour after the initial injury. RNA was extracted, reverse transcribed into cDNA and hybridized onto high‐density cDNA microarray membranes of 4,000 genes. At 30 minutes, injury resulted in a consistent increase (> 2×) in gene expression of 124 out of 4,000 genes (3%). These genes were primarily involved in transcription and signaling. None of the 4,000 genes were decreased (< 2×) at 30 minutes. At 1 hour only 46 out of the 4,000 genes were increased in expression (1.15%) but 264 out of 4,000 (6.6%) genes were decreased greater than 2 fold, indicating a silencing of many structural genes. We have identified several genes, namely, suppressor of cytokine signaling‐1, rho HP1, and BB1, that are highly expressed after injury and may have an unappreciated role in regulating the initial inflammatory response. These data provide an initial high‐throughput analysis of gene expression immediately following human skin injury and show the utility and future importance of high‐throughput analysis in skin biology and wound repair.
Oxygen bulk diffusion measurements and TEM characterization of a natural ultramylonite: implications for fluid transport in mica‐bearing rocks
Authors: Farver  , Yund
Published: March 2003

Oxygen bulk diffusion rates were experimentally determined in a natural ultramylonite sample (c. 5 μm grain size; 15–20% biotite, 20% quartz, 60–65% feldspars, and minor Fe‐oxides) from the Gerrish Island shear zone, SE Maine, USA. The diffusion experiments were performed at 250–550 °C and 100 MPa water pressure. Oxygen bulk diffusion rates were determined both parallel and perpendicular to the strong foliation of the sample. The Arrhenius parameters for transport parallel to the foliation are: Dbulk0=2.0×10−11 m2 s−1 and Q=30±6 kJ mol−1. The bulk diffusivity perpendicular to the foliation is about a factor of 3.5 less than that parallel to the foliation with the same activation energy. The values of bulk diffusivity and activation energy obtained are consistent with ionic diffusion through a static aqueous fluid, suggesting that an interconnected fluid exists in the ultramylonite even under hydrostatic conditions. The microstructure of the ultramylonite was characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The nature and distribution of the interconnected fluid cannot be completely resolved from the TEM analysis; however, the low percentage of three‐grain channels and open grain/interphase boundaries suggests that the fluid resides as a thin film on the grain surfaces. The results of this study have direct applications in many important geological settings and provide valuable insights into the observed rapid diffusion rates, strong lithological control and pervasive nature of fluid transport in mica‐bearing rocks.
Hot contacts of garnet peridotites in middle/upper crustal levels: new constraints on the nature of the late Variscan high‐T/low‐P event in the Moldanubian (Central Vosges/NE France)
Authors: Gayk  , Kleinschrodt
Published: March 2003

P–T  paths based on parageneses in the immediate vicinity of former high‐temperature contact zones between mantle peridotites and granulitic country rocks of the Central Vosges (NE France) were derived by applying several conventional thermometers and thermobarometric calculations with an internally consistent dataset. The results indicate that former garnet peridotites and garnet–spinel peridotites were welded together with crustal rocks at depths corresponding to 1–1.2 GPa. The temperature of the crustal rocks was about 650–700 °C at this stage, whereas values of 1100 °C (garnet peridotites) and 800–900 °C (garnet–spinel peridotites) were calculated for the ultramafic rocks. After emplacement of the mantle rocks, exhumation of the lower crust took place to a depth corresponding to 0.2–0.3 GPa. The temperatures of the incorporated peridotite slices were still high (900–1000 °C) at this stage. This is indicated by the presence of high‐T /low‐P parageneses (c. 800 °C, 0.2–0.3 GPa) in a small (1–10 m) contact aureole around a former garnet peridotite. Crustal rocks distant to the peridotites equilibrated in the same pressure range at lower temperature (650–700 °C). High cooling rates (102–103 °C Ma−1) were calculated for a garnet–biotite rock inclusion in the peridotites and for the crustal rocks at the contact by applying garnet–biotite diffusion modelling. Minimum rates of 0.75–7.5 cm a−1 are required for vertical ascent of rock units (30 km vertical distance) derived from the crust–mantle boundary, resulting in a late Variscan (340 Ma) high‐T /low‐P event.
Ultra‐high‐temperature metamorphism in Central Brazil: the Barro Alto complex
Authors: De Moraes R. , Fuck R. A.
Published: March 2003

The Barro Alto complex, central Brazil, is a layered mafic–ultramafic intrusion, which was subjected to granulite facies metamorphism during the Neoproterozoic. Ultra‐high‐temperature conditions are recorded by parageneses that occur in some lenses of quartz‐bearing rock (metagranite, metapelite and impure quartzite). The peak paragenesis consists of spinel+quartz±cordierite±leucosome (recording the former presence of melt with quartz in excess), which is replaced by either orthopyroxene+sillimanite or garnet+sillimanite. Quartz+biotite±sillimanite±garnet symplectites are ubiquitous and indicate reactions between Fe–Mg phases and melt. Late kyanite porphyroblasts have overgrown these symplectites. The direct replacement of spinel+quartz±cordierite by orthopyroxene+sillimanite or garnet+sillimanite occurred around the [Sa] invariant point, which appears only in a petrogenetic grid with inverted topology. The topology inversion occurs at conditions of high oxygen fugacity or due to the presence of ZnO‐bearing spinel. Minimum peak conditions of ultra‐high‐temperature metamorphism were calculated as c. 980 °C and c. 7.9 kbar. The succession of observed mineral textures can be explained by a near‐isobaric cooling P–T  path, with a cooling stage occurring between c. 980 and 750 °C.
The ultra‐high pressure coronitic and pseudomorphous reactions in a metagranodiorite from the Brossasco‐Isasca Unit, Dora‐Maira Massif, western Italian Alps: a petrographic study and equilibrium thermodynamic modelling
Authors: Bruno M. , Compagnoni R. , Rubbo M.
Published: March 2003

Metagranodiorite samples from the Brossasco‐Isasca Unit, Dora‐Maira Massif, western Alps, show pseudomorphous and coronitic textures where igneous minerals were partially replaced by ultra‐high pressure (UHP) metamorphic assemblages. The original magmatic paragenesis consisted of quartz, plagioclase, K‐feldspar, biotite and minor phases. During UHP metamorphism, the plagioclase (site P) was replaced by zoisite, jadeite, quartz, K‐feldspar and kyanite, and coronitic reactions developed between biotite and adjacent minerals. At the original igneous biotite–quartz contact (site A), a single corona of poorly zoned garnet is developed, whereas at the biotite–K‐feldspar (site B) and biotite–plagioclase (site C) contacts, composite coronas are formed. Integration of results from petrographic observations, calculations of mineral stoichiometry and thermodynamic calculations of mineral stability has allowed the determination of the metamorphic reactions involved and the estimation of the metamorphic conditions, which reached as high as 24 kbar and 650 °C. Accurate microanalysis by energy‐dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and statistical analysis of the data allowed us to identify, for the first time in a natural Na‐pyroxene of metagranitoid rocks, the end‐member Ca‐Eskola.
Formation and exhumation of blueschists and eclogites from NE Oman: new perspectives from Rb–Sr and 40Ar/39Ar dating
Authors: El‐Shazly A. K. , Bröcker M. , Hacker B. , Calvert A.
Published: March 2003

Seven eclogite facies samples from lithologically different units which structurally underlie the Semail ophiolite were dated by the 40Ar/39Ar and Rb–Sr methods. Despite extensive efforts, phengite dated by the 40Ar/39Ar method yielded saddle, hump or irregularly shaped spectra with uninterpretable isochrons. The total gas ages for the phengite ranged from 136 to 85 Ma. Clinopyroxene–phengite, epidote–phengite and whole‐rock–phengite Rb–Sr isochrons for the same samples yielded ages of 78 ± 2 Ma. We therefore conclude that the eclogite facies rocks cooled through 500 °C at c. 78 ± 2 Ma, and that the 40Ar/39Ar dates can only constrain maximum ages due to the occurrence of excess Ar inhomogeneously distributed in different sites.

Our new results lead us to conclude that high‐pressure metamorphism of the Oman margin took place in the Late Cretaceous, contemporaneous with ophiolite emplacement. Previously published structural and petrological data lead us to suggest that this metamorphism resulted from intracontinental subduction and crustal thickening along a NE‐dipping zone. Choking of this subduction zone followed by ductile thinning of a crustal mass wedged between deeply subducted continental material and overthrust shelf and slope units facilitated the exhumation of the eclogite facies rocks from depths of c. 50 km to 10–15 km within c. 10 Ma, and led to their juxtaposition against overlying lower grade rocks. Final exhumation of all high‐pressure rocks was driven primarily by erosion and assisted by normal faulting in the upper plate.
Diffusion‐controlled growth of wollastonite rims between quartz and calcite: comparison between nature and experiment
Authors: Milke R. , Heinrich W.
Published: March 2003

Growth rates of wollastonite reaction rims between quartz and calcite were experimentally determined at 0.1 and 1 GPa and temperatures from 850 to 1200 °C. Rim growth follows a parabolic rate law indicating that this reaction is diffusion‐controlled. From the rate constants, the D′δ‐values of the rate‐limiting species were derived, i.e. the product of grain boundary diffusion coefficient D′ and the effective grain boundary width, δ. In dry runs at 0.1 GPa, wollastonite grew exclusively on quartz surfaces. From volume considerations it is inferred that (D′CaOδ)/(D′SiO2δ)≥1.33, and that SiO2 diffusion controls rim growth. D′SiO2δ increases from about 10−25 to 10−23 m3 s−1 as temperature increases from 850 to 1000 °C, yielding an apparent activation energy of 330±36 kJ mol−1. In runs at 1 GPa, performed in a piston‐cylinder apparatus, there were always small amounts of water present. Here, wollastonite rims always overgrew calcite. Rims around calcite grains in quartz matrix are porous and their growth rates are controlled by a complex diffusion‐advection mechanism. Rim growth on matrix calcite around quartz grains is controlled by grain boundary diffusion, but it is not clear whether CaO or SiO2 diffusion is rate‐limiting. D′δ increases from about 10−21 to 10−20 m3 s−1 as temperature increases from 1100 to 1200 °C. D′SiO2δ or D′CaOδ in rims on calcite is c. 10 times larger than D′SiO2δ in dry rims at the same temperature. Growth structures of the experimentally produced rims are very similar to contact‐metamorphic wollastonite rims between metachert bands and limestone in the Bufa del Diente aureole, Mexico, whereby noninfiltrated metacherts correspond to dry and brine‐infiltrated metacherts to water‐bearing experiments. However, the observed diffusivities were 4 to 5 orders of magnitude larger during contact‐metamorphism as compared to our experimental results.
High‐pressure granulites in the Sanggan area, North China craton: metamorphic evolution, P–T paths and geotectonic significance
Authors: Guo J. H. , O'Brien P. J. , Zhai M.
Published: March 2003

High‐pressure basic granulites are widely distributed as enclaves and sheet‐like blocks in the Huaian TTG gneiss terrane in the Sanggan area of the Central Zone of the North China craton. Four stages of the metamorphic history have been recognised in mineral assemblages based on inclusion, exsolution and reaction textures integrated with garnet zonation patterns as revealed by compositional maps and compositional profiles. The P–T conditions for each metamorphic stage were obtained using thermodynamically and experimentally calibrated geothermobarometers. The low‐Ca core of growth‐zoned garnet, along with inclusion minerals, defines a prograde assemblage (M1) of garnet + clinopyroxene + plagioclase + quartz, yielding 700 °C and 10 kbar. The peak of metamorphism at about 750–870 °C and 11–14.5 kbar (M2) is defined by high‐Ca domains in garnet interiors and inclusion minerals of clinopyroxene, plagioclase and quartz. Kelyphites or coronas of orthopyroxene + plagioclase ± magnetite around garnet porphyroblasts indicate garnet breakdown reactions (M3) at conditions around 770–830 °C and 8.5–10.5 kbar. Garnet exsolution lamellae in clinopyroxene and kelyphites of amphibole + plagioclase around garnet formed during the cooling process at about 500–650 °C and 5.5–8 kbar (M4). These results help define a sequential P–T path containing prograde, near‐isothermal decompression (ITD) and near‐isobaric cooling (IBC) stages.

The clockwise hybrid ITD and IBC P–T paths of the HP granulites in the Sanggan area imply a model of thickening followed by extension in a collisional environment. Furthermore, the relatively high‐pressures (6–14.5 kbar) of the four metamorphic stages and the geometry of the P–T paths suggest that the HP granulites, together with their host Huaian TTG gneisses, represent the lower plate in a crust thickened during collision. The corresponding upper‐plate might be the tectonically overlying Khondalite series, which was subjected to medium‐ to low‐pressure (MP/LP: 7–4 kbar) granulite facies metamorphism with a clockwise P–T path including an ITD segment. Both the HP and the MP/LP granulite facies events occurred contemporaneously at c. 1.90–1.85 Ga in a collisional environment created by the assembly process of the North China craton.
Blueschist metamorphism during accretion in the Lachlan Orogen, south‐eastern Australia
Authors: Spaggiari C. V. , Gray D. R. , Foster D. A.
Published: March 2003

Low‐T, intermediate to high‐P assemblages indicative of the prehnite–pumpellyite, greenschist and blueschist facies are preserved in mélange zones and slivers of oceanic crust within two major fault zones of the turbidite‐dominated Lachlan Orogen. In one of these fault zones (Governor Fault Zone), blueschists occur as Franciscan‐like blocks in a serpentinite/talc matrix that is interleaved with phyllites and slates, and structurally overlain by a fault slice or duplex of predominantly pillow basalt, chert, and turbidite. The blueschist metavolcanics are interpreted to have formed at < 450 °C and at a depth of approximately 21–27 km. The presence of blue amphibole in the blocks, rinds and matrix indicate that the metavolcanics were emplaced in the matrix prior to blueschist metamorphism. Blocks and matrix were partially exhumed, interleaved with tectonic slices of phyllite and slate, and subsequently folded at about 10–12 km depth, inferred from bo values of the dominant mica fabric in the phyllites and slates. Metamorphic P–T is highest in the structurally lowest slice (mélange zone) and lowest in the overlying ophiolitic fault slice, suggestive of an accretionary burial metamorphic pattern formed by underplating of the mélange. In the other fault zone (Heathcote Fault Zone), blueschists transitional to greenschist facies are interpreted to have formed at < 450 °C and at a depth of approximately 15–21 km. They occur as blocks in serpentinite/talc‐matrix mélange and are also associated with fault slices of oceanic crust. Textural and mineralogical evidence suggests that the protoliths for the blueschists in both fault zones were boninitic pillow lavas. The metamorphic facies and patterns, and the structural and lithological associations, can be interpreted in terms of disruption of oceanic crust and overlying sediments during subduction, and formation of serpentinite‐matrix mélange overprinted by blueschist metamorphism either prior to or during underplating of the mélange and duplex formation. The presence of blueschist metavolcanics indicate that these processes occurred at considerable depth. These interpretations have implications for the evolution of large‐scale fault zones in noncollisional, convergent oceanic settings.