bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improved Identification of Allodynic Migraine Patients Using a Questionnaire
Authors: Ashkenazi A , Silberstein S , Jakubowski M , Burstein R
Published: March 2007

Using quantitative sensory testing (QST), we found that many migraineurs seeking secondary and tertiary care exhibit cutaneous allodynia whenever they undergo a migraine attack, but not interictally (i.e. between attacks). When such patients were questionned interictally in the clinic about symptoms of skin sensitivity in past attacks, 76% of them were 'correctly' classified either as allodynic (≥1 symptom) or non-allodynic (zero symptoms) in line with the QST analysis. In this study, patients were classified as allodynic if they documented any one symptom of allodynia during an actual migraine attack which they had already cited in an earlier interictal interview. Of a total of 151 patients, 77% were classified as allodynic, citing on average four symptoms of skin hypersensitivity, three of which were consistently cited in the interictal interview and again during an attack. Among the remaining 23% of patients who were classified as non-allodynic, half cited zero symptoms as expected, while the other half cited between one and five symptoms, each of which was cited either interictally or during an attack, but not in both. Further analysis showed that 97% of patients citing two or more symptoms during an attack consisted of the patients labelled as allodynic, and that 75% of those citing just one symptom during an attack consisted of patients labelled as non-allodynic. Short of QST analysis, the results suggest that about 90% of all patients can be identified as allodynic or non-allodynic depending on whether or not they (i) consistently cited the same item(s) both interictally and during an attack or, alternatively, (ii) cited two or more symptoms during an attack.
Accidental Atheists? Agent‐Based Explanations for the Persistence of Religious Regionalism
Authors: IANNACCONE LAURENCE R. , MAKOWSKY MICHAEL D.
Published: March 2007

This article outlines a new approach to the study of religious commitment. Starting with a variant on Schelling's classic model of mobility and segregation, we develop a multi‐agent religion simulation (MARS) that incorporates insights from theories of religious choice, social influence, and preference formation. Compared to standard statistical methods, MARS does a better job of linking individual choices and collective outcomes. In particular, it demonstrates that stable regional patterns require a balanced combination of attachment to personal identity and adaptation to the social environment.
Moral Cosmology, Religion, and Adult Values for Children
Authors: STARKS BRIAN , ROBINSON ROBERT V.
Published: March 2007

We hypothesize that the religiously orthodox, who are theologically communitarian/authoritarian in seeing individuals as subsumed by a larger community of believers and as subject to timeless divine law, are more likely to value obedience in children over autonomy than are theological modernists, who are theologically individualistic in seeing individuals, not a deity, as the ultimate arbiters of right and wrong. We hypothesize further that differences in moral cosmology (orthodoxy vs. modernism) within faith traditions are more important for the values adults seek to instile in children than are differences between traditions. Through analyses of national data from the 1998 General Social Survey, we find strong confirmation of both hypotheses. Moral cosmology is the single‐most important factor in valuations of obedience and autonomy in children. While evangelical Protestants differ from Catholics, mainline Protestants, and those with no religion in their values for children, moral cosmology is associated with differences in values for children within each of the faith traditions, including evangelical Protestants. We conclude that intra‐faith differences in moral cosmology are key in explaining values for children, but have not completely supplanted interfaith differences.
Predictors of Moral Reasoning: Components of Executive Functioning and Aspects of Religiosity
Authors: COTTONE JOHN , DRUCKER PHILIP , JAVIER RAFAEL A.
Published: March 2007

The aim of the current study was to determine whether components of executive functioning and two diverging aspects of religiosity (scriptural literalism and quest) are significant predictors of postconventional moral reasoning. An additional goal of the study was to determine whether components of executive functioning moderate the relationship between religiosity and postconventional moral reasoning. Postconventional moral reasoning was assessed using the Defining Issues Test, Version 2 (DIT2), which is primarily based on Lawrence Kohlberg's model. Results indicated that components of executive functioning, along with quest, were significant predictors of postconventional moral reasoning and were significantly correlated with each other. In addition, analyses demonstrated that the relationship between quest and postconventional moral reasoning was moderated by performance on the Comprehension subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, 3rd ed. (WAIS‐III), a measure assessing social awareness and general reasoning.
The Religious Dynamics of Decision Making on Gay Rights Issues in the U.S. House of Representatives, 1993–2002
Authors: OLDMIXON ELIZABETH ANNE , CALFANO BRIAN ROBERT
Published: March 2007

In recent decades, homosexuality has emerged as a truly national political issue. As a result, the U.S. Congress is increasingly called upon to consider and set policy on an array of issues related to the status of gay men and lesbians. This article investigates legislator decision making pertaining to gay issues in the U.S. House of Representatives. Specifically, we examine the effect of several indicators on legislator support for progressive gay policies, including ideology, partisanship, and the characteristics of district religious affiliation. We use additive indices of legislator support for progressive gay policies, and use logit and ordered logit to derive estimates of influence. The findings indicate that even while legislator partisanship and ideology largely structure decision making, legislators are also highly responsive to the presence of conservative Protestants and (to a lesser extent) Roman Catholics in their constituency.
Spirituality and the Current Adjustment of Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse
Authors: GALL TERRY LYNN , BASQUE VIOLA , DAMASCENO‐SCOTT MARIZETE , VARDY GERARD
Published: March 2007

We explore the role of spirituality in the current adjustment of adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). A sample of 101 men and women survivors of CSA completed questionnaires on spirituality (relationship with God or higher power), person factors (blame attributions, self‐acceptance, hope), and current adjustment (mood, personal growth, resolution of the abuse). Results indicated that relationship with a benevolent God or higher power is related to the experience of less negative mood and a greater sense of personal growth and resolution of the abuse. Also, relationship with a higher power is related to other person factors such as self‐acceptance and hope. Relationship with a benevolent God appears to have an indirect link to depressive mood and resolution of abuse through the mediating pathways of hope and self‐acceptance. In contrast, relationship with God appears to have a more direct association to the outcome of personal growth for these survivors.
TOWARD A DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY: MY LOOK INTO THE CRYSTAL BALL
Authors: Stern John A.
Published: March 2007

A number of problems in the area of developmental psychophysiology are presented. The first of these deals with the interpretation of orienting responses and their habituation, with special emphasis on the terminal OR. A second problem concerns the area of psychophysiological differentiation. A number of examples of such differentiation are elaborated.
EFFECTS OF A STRESSFUL PRESLEEP EXPERIENCE ON ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHRECORDED SLEEP
Authors: Bkeland Frederick , Koulack David , Lasky Richard
Published: March 2007

The effects on experimentally uninterrupted sleep of two films, one psychologically stressful and the other neutral, both seen just before bed, were studied in 12 male Ss on 2 nights according to a balanced design. EEG and electro‐ocu‐logram recordings were made of the first 6 hours of sleep. The stress film significantly increased the number of awakenings associated with rapid eye‐movement periods (REMPs), but not that of non‐REM sleep awakenings, as well as the proportion of REMPs terminated by spontaneous awakenings. It furthermore increased the frequency of REMs (REM density) during REMPs. These results suggest that the stress film produced a specific REM sleep disturbing effect via anxiety which carried over into the Ss’ sleep and dreams, and that it increased REM density secondary to drive enhancement.
AUTONOMIC ACTIVITY DURING SEXUAL AROUSAL
Authors: Wenger Marion A. , Averill James , Smith David D. B.
Published: March 2007

Autonomic activity was recorded from 16 male subjects as they read sexually stimulating material. The resulting physiological response patterns included increases in systolic and diastolic blood pressures, palmar conductance and number of galvanic skin responses. Heart and respiration rates remained relatively constant, and there was some indication of peripheral vasodilatation subsequent to initial constriction. The results suggest a differential change in the activity of both branches of the autonomic nervous system, in which neither the parasympathetic nor the sympathetic nervous system may be considered dominant.
COUNTERCONDITIONING: FEAR AND RELAXATION
Authors: Grings William W. , Uno Tadao
Published: March 2007

Counterconditioning of autonomic responses was evaluated by means of a compound stimulus transfer paradigm. During three sessions on different days Ss were conditioned to give a GSR to a visual stimulus (colored light) and further trained to relax on presentation of a visually projected stimulus word. After training on both experiences had progressed, test trials were introduced to assess the magnitude of response to the fear cue alone and to the compound stimulus created by simultaneous presentation of both cues (the word superimposed on the colored light background).

Significant inhibitory transfer effects were observed with the GSR. On the last test trials the digital pulse volume showed less constriction to the compound of fear and relaxation stimuli than to the fear stimulus alone.
Abnormality of smooth pursuit eye movement initiation: Specificity to the schizophrenia spectrum?
Authors: CLEMENTZ BRETT A. , REID STEPHANIE A. , McDOWELL JENNIFER E. , CADENHEAD KRISTIN S.
Published: March 2007

Schizophrenia patients have a deficiency of smooth pursuit eye movement initiation. We addressed whether this deficit is specifically related to a predisposition for schizophrenia. Thirty‐two relatives of schizophrenia patients, eight schizotypals, 13 psychiatric comparison, and 33 nonpsychiatric subjects were assessed on smooth pursuit initiation. The nonpsychiatric subjects had significantly higher eye accelerations than did subjects in the other three groups, who did not significantly differ. The relatives were subdivided into three groups: (a) those with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder (n= 4) performed similarly to the schizotypals; (b) those with a major depression history (n= 7) were similar to the psychiatric comparison subjects; and (c) those with no psychiatric history differed from the nonpsychiatric subjects only on 30°/s targets. There was also a significant relationship between offspring and parent eye accelerations to 30°/s targets (r= .476). These results suggest that pursuit initiation deficits may be associated with a nonspecific, genetically transmitted neurological abnormality among schizophrenia spectrum disorder subjects.
The metrics of cardiac chronotropism: Biometric perspectives
Authors: BERNTSON GARY G. , CACIOPPO JOHN T. , QUIGLEY KAREN S.
Published: March 2007

The selection of heart period versus heart rate as a chronotropic metric has been considered from quantitative and statistical perspectives, which have not yielded a universal preference for either metric. In the present paper, we discuss biometric considerations that bear on the selection of the optimal chronotropic metric. Biometric evidence reveals that the transfer functions relating autonomic nerve traffic to chronotropic effects on the heart are more nearly linear for heart period than for heart rate. This confers considerable advantage on heart period as a chronotropic metric and can facilitate the study of psychophysiological relationships. We further show that heart period offers greater flexibility, because heart period data can be evaluated in cardiac time units (beats) or in real‐time units (s), whereas heart rate data can only be analyzed in real time. These considerations suggest clear advantages to heart period as a chronotropic metric.
Cardiovascular effects of experimentally induced efficacy (ability) appraisals at low and high levels of avoidant task demand
Authors: WRIGHT REX A. , DISMUKES ALAN
Published: March 2007

Subjects were led to believe they had low or high ability with respect to a scanning task and then given the chance to avoid a noise by attaining a low (easy) or high (difficult) standard on a version of the task. Performance period measurements indicated that heart rate reactivity was greater in the difficult than easy condition for high‐ability subjects but greater in the easy than difficult condition for low‐ability subjects. Furthermore, whereas heart rate responses tended to be greater for low‐than for high‐ability subjects when the standard was low, they were greater for high‐than for low‐ability subjects when the standard was high. Results for blood pressure reactivity were comparable, although pairwise comparisons were not as consistently reliable. The main findings conceptually replicate and extend effects from previous studies; they also call further into question conventional conceptions that intimate an inverse relation between perceived self‐efficacy and physiologic responsivity in the face of threat.
Auditory and visual semantic priming using different stimulus onset asynchronies: An event‐related brain potential study
Authors: ANDERSON JANE E. , HOLCOMB PHILLIP J.
Published: March 2007

Semantic priming effects (behavioral and electrophysiological) were compared in the visual and auditory modalities across three stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs; 0, 200, and 800 ms). When both prime and target were presented in the visual modality (the prime just to the left of a fixation point and the target to the right) there were N400 priming effects present across the three SOAs. However, the N400 in the 0‐ms SOA condition extended longer in time (800 vs. 500 ms) than in the other SOAs. When both the prime and target were presented in the auditory modality (the prime to the right ear and the target to the left), the largest priming effects were found for the 800‐ms SOA. Moreover, there was a relatively early priming effect present in the 0‐ and 800‐ms SOA conditions but not in the 200‐ms condition. The results are discussed in terms of modality differences in the time course of word comprehension processes.
Neural mechanisms of detecting and orienting attention toward unattended threatening somatosensory targets. I. Intermodal effects
Authors: Dowman Robert
Published: March 2007

Our previous work has identified four components of the somatosensory‐evoked potential elicited by painful electrical stimulation of the sural nerve that might index an involuntary process that detects and orients attention toward threatening somatosensory stimuli. These components include a negativity over the central scalp at 70–110 ms poststimulus (CN70‐110), a contralateral temporal negativity at 100–180 ms (CTN100‐180), a frontocentral negativity at 130–200 ms, and a positive potential at 270–340 ms (the pain‐related P2). The results of the endogenous cuing experiment used here suggest that the CN70‐110 and CTN100‐180 index somatosensory cortex activity that detects a threatening somatosensory stimulus when the subject's attention is focused on another stimulus modality but not another location. The P2, on the other hand, appears to index inferior parietal cortex activity that is specifically involved in orienting spatial attention.
RSA fluctuation in major depressive disorder
Authors: Rottenberg Jonathan , Clift April , Bolden Sarah , Salomon Kristen
Published: March 2007

Cardiac vagal control, as measured by indices of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), has been investigated as a marker of impaired self‐regulation in mental disorders, including depression. Past work in depressed samples has focused on deficits in resting RSA levels, with mixed results. This study tested the hypothesis that depression involves abnormal RSA fluctuation. RSA was measured in depressed and healthy control participants during rest and during two reactivity tasks, each followed by a recovery period. Relative to controls, depressed persons exhibited lower resting RSA levels as well as less RSA fluctuation, primarily evidenced by a lack of task‐related vagal suppression. Group differences in RSA fluctuation were not accounted for by differences in physical health or respiration, whereas group differences in resting RSA level did not survive covariate analyses. Depression may involve multiple deficits in cardiac vagal control.
Anxiety, cortisol, and attachment predict plasma oxytocin
Authors: Tops Mattie , Van Peer Jacobien M. , Korf Jakob , Wijers Albertus A. , Tucker Don M.
Published: March 2007

Oxytocin and attachment seem to interact in suppressing subjective anxiety and physiological stress responses. In this study we investigated the relationships between individual differences in trait attachment scores, state and trait anxiety, plasma cortisol, and plasma oxytocin levels in healthy premenopausal women. Attachment proved to be a strong positive predictor of oxytocin levels, which were also positively predicted by cortisol levels and state and trait anxiety. The relationship between oxytocin and state anxiety was modulated by attachment scores. The present results may help interpreting seeming contradictions in the recent literature on oxytocin, attachment, and stress in humans, by suggesting that context effects determine which relationships are found in different studies: anxiolytic effects of oxytocin in a context of partner support versus stress‐ or cortisol‐induced oxytocin responses in a context of distress or increased cortisol.
Universal primer cocktails for fish DNA barcoding
Authors: IVANOVA NATALIA V. , ZEMLAK TYLER S. , HANNER ROBERT H. , HEBERT PAUL D. N.
Published: March 2007

Reliable recovery of the 5′ region of the cytochrome c oxidase 1 (COI) gene is critical for the ongoing effort to gather DNA barcodes for all fish species. In this study, we develop and test primer cocktails with a view towards increasing the efficiency of barcode recovery. Specifically, we evaluate the success of polymerase chain reaction amplification and the quality of resultant sequences using three primer cocktails on DNA extracts from representatives of 94 fish families. Our results show that M13‐tailed primer cocktails are more effective than conventional degenerate primers, allowing barcode work on taxonomically diverse samples to be carried out in a high‐throughput fashion.
VASCULAR CALCIFICATION IN PATIENTS WITH KIDNEY DISEASE: The Vascular Biology of Calcification
Authors: Shroff Rukshana C. , Shanahan Catherine M.
Published: March 2007

Vascular calcification is an active, cell‐mediated process that results from an imbalance between the promoters and inhibitors of mineralization. The process of vascular calcification shares many similarities with that of skeletal mineralization. However, while skeletal mineralization is a regulated process induced by complex, well‐timed developmental cues, vascular calcification is a pathological process, occurring in response to dysregulated/inappropriate environmental cues. Damage inducing agents present in the uremic milieu such as a mineral imbalance, induce vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) apoptosis, and vesicle release resulting in mineral nucleation and the deposition of hydroxyapatite. Under normal conditions, inhibitors of soft‐tissue mineralization such as matrix γ‐carboxyglutamic acid protein are expressed locally within the vessel wall while others such as fetuin‐A are present in the circulation. Down‐regulation or perturbation of these proteins leads to a phenotypic transformation of VSMC into osteo/chondrocytic‐like cells that have the capacity to modulate the mineralization process. Many aspects of the mechanisms underlying vascular calcification have been defined through in vitro studies and molecular biological techniques; however, there are still unanswered questions, particularly with respect to the relationship between bone and vascular calcification, processes that appear to be inversely related. A better understanding of the complex mechanisms regulating tissue calcification may have therapeutic potential in reducing the cardiovascular disease‐associated morbidity and mortality in patients with renal disease.
VASCULAR CALCIFICATION IN PATIENTS WITH KIDNEY DISEASE: Arterial Calcification in Dialysis Patients and Transplant Recipients
Authors: Caplin Ben , Wheeler David C.
Published: March 2007

Calcification of the cardiovascular system is well recognized in patients with chronic kidney disease receiving dialysis, persists following successful kidney transplantation, and is associated with a poor prognosis. Whether deposition of calcium in the arteries of such individuals contributes to excess cardiovascular morbidity and mortality remains uncertain as do the clinical advantages of slowing this process. However, detecting vascular calcification using simple imaging techniques such as plain radiographs or ultrasound can provide valuable information as to the nature of bone disease in patients receiving dialysis and may help to guide therapeutic strategies aimed at preventing the development of secondary hyperparathyroidism. Further advances in our understanding of arterial calcification and its relationship to bone disease are likely to help in the future development of therapies for these interrelated conditions.
Characterization of a monoclonal antibody specific for human peripheral myelin protein 22 and its use in immunohistochemical studies of the fetal and adult nervous system
Authors: Gregson Norman A. , Zhang Gaiping , Pritchard Jane , Wang Aiping , Sanvito Lara , Hayday Adrian C. , Hughes Richard A. C.
Published: March 2007

Abstract  We produced a mouse monoclonal antibody using cDNA and peptide immunization against the putative second extra‐cellular domain of human peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22). It reacted specifically with human PMP22 and not with other human myelin proteins and did not react with bovine, rat, or mouse PMP22. The antibody stained the compact myelin of human peripheral nerve motor and sensory axons and did not stain central nervous system tissue. PMP22 reactivity was detected in the spinal roots of the human fetus at 19–20 weeks of gestation. The staining pattern of the PMP22 antibody resembled that of a monoclonal antibody directed against the myelin protein zero.
Characterization of tests of functional recovery after median and ulnar nerve injury and repair in the rat forelimb
Authors: Galtrey Clare M. , Fawcett James W.
Published: March 2007

Abstract  The majority of human peripheral nerve injuries occur in the upper limb but the majority of studies in the rat are performed in the hindlimb. The upper and lower limbs differ in dexterity and control by supraspinal systems, so an upper limb model is a better representation of the common form of human injury. The purpose of this study was to further develop a rat model involving lesions of the median and ulnar nerves. To produce different degrees of misdirection of axons following nerve repair, we studied nerve crush, cut and repair of the two nerves, and cut and repair with crossover. Assessment of functional recovery was performed using a battery of motor and sensory tests: the staircase test, which assesses skilled forepaw reaching; grip strength meter, which assesses grip strength; pawprint analysis, which assesses toe spread and print length; horizontal ladder, which assesses forepaw placement during skilled locomotion; modified Randall‐Selitto device and electronic von Frey probes, which assess fine touch; and cold probes, which assess temperature sensation. All tests revealed deficits in forepaw function after nerve injury except the print length and modified Randall‐Selitto device. The time course of functional recovery was observed over 15 weeks. The final degree of functional recovery achieved was related to the misdirection of axon regeneration. The tests that most clearly revealed the effects of axon misdirection on function were the skilled paw reaching and grip strength tests. The lesion model and functional tests that we have developed will be useful in testing therapeutic strategies for treating the consequences of inaccurate axon regeneration following peripheral nerve injury in humans.
Regeneration of baroafferents after implantation into different vessels
Authors: Stevens Markus F. , Hermanns Henning , Freynhagen Rainer , Novotny Gerd E. K. , Lipfert Peter
Published: March 2007

Abstract  Regeneration of peripheral nerves involves an essential contribution by surrounding tissues. This study focuses on the role of the target tissue on the regeneration of afferent peripheral nerves. We hypothesized that nerves implanted into the appropriate target tissue regain their function, whereas they degenerate when implanted into a different tissue. Therefore, aortic nerves of rabbits were transected and implanted into arteries or veins, and their function and structure was reevaluated after 1.5, 3, and 10 months. In a subset of animals, the nerves were again severed and implanted into the other vessel. Twelve of 18 nerves implanted into arteries regained typical neurophysiological activity, but none of those implanted into veins. Two times even baroreflexes were elicited through the newly built nerve endings. The structure of the nerve endings implanted into arteries resembled baroreceptors, whereas no fiber growth was detected in veins. Morphometrically, the fiber number and diameter increased over the observed time period after implantation into arteries. Nerves implanted into veins, transected after 3 months, and then implanted into arteries also regained neurophysiological activity. Again, they rebuilt baroreceptors and significantly increased their fiber number and diameter. In conclusion, when severed baroafferents are implanted into arteries, they regenerate new baroreceptors and restore the normal myelination and fiber size of the nerve over time, whereas veins seem to inhibit nerve fiber sprouting and regeneration of severed fibers.
Advances in the Radiosurgical Treatment of Epilepsy
Authors: Yang Isaac , Barbaro Nicholas M.
Published: March 2007

Radiosurgery is the precise application of focused radiation to a targeted volume area within the brain, which has been identified on MRI. With recent advances, radiosurgical treatment is now being evaluated as an alternative treatment to open resective surgery for intractable epilepsy. Recent prospective trials suggest that radiosurgery may be an effective and safe treatment for medically intractable epilepsy associated with mesial temporal sclerosis, cavernous malformations, and hypothalamic hamartomas.
Predictors of course in obsessive–compulsive disorder: logistic regression versus Cox regression for recurrent events
Authors: Kempe P. T. , Van Oppen P. , De Haan E. , Twisk J. W. R. , Sluis A. , Smit J. H. , Van Dyck R. , Van Balkom A. J. L. M.
Published: March 2007

Objective:  Two methods for predicting remissions in obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) treatment are evaluated. Y‐BOCS measurements of 88 patients with a primary OCD (DSM‐III‐R) diagnosis were performed over a 16‐week treatment period, and during three follow‐ups.

Method:  Remission at any measurement was defined as a Y‐BOCS score lower than thirteen combined with a reduction of seven points when compared with baseline. Logistic regression models were compared with a Cox regression for recurrent events model.

Results:  Logistic regression yielded different models at different evaluation times. The recurrent events model remained stable when fewer measurements were used. Higher baseline levels of neuroticism and more severe OCD symptoms were associated with a lower chance of remission, early age of onset and more depressive symptoms with a higher chance.

Conclusion:  Choice of outcome time affects logistic regression prediction models. Recurrent events analysis uses all information on remissions and relapses. Short‐ and long‐term predictors for OCD remission show overlap.
Prevalence of dementia in a southern European population in two different time periods: the ZARADEMP Project
Authors: Lobo A. , Saz P. , Marcos G. , Dia J. L. , De‐la‐Camara C. , Ventura T. , Montañes J. A. , Lobo‐Escolar A. , Aznar S. ,   the ZARADEMP Workgroup
Published: March 2007

Objective:  To compare the prevalence of dementia in two different time periods and two different studies.

Method:  Representative, random samples of the elderly (>65 years) in the Zaragoza Study or ZARADEMP‐0 (n = 1080) completed the previous decade, and now in Wave I of the ZARADEMP Project or ZARADEMP‐I (n = 3715) were interviewed. Standardized measures included the Geriatric Mental State and the History and Aetiology schedule. Cases of dementia were diagnosed according to DSM‐IV criteria.

Results:  Adjusted, global prevalence of dementia has not varied significantly: it was 5.2% (95% CI = 3.9–6.6) in ZARADEMP‐0 and 3.9% (95% CI = 3.3–4.5) in ZARADEMP‐I (prevalence ratio = 0.75; 95% CI = 0.56–1.02). However, the prevalence in ZARADEMP‐I was significantly lower among men, particularly in all age groups between 70 and 84 years.

Conclusion:  Stability of the global prevalence of dementia in the elderly population has been documented. However, the decreased prevalence found in elderly men stimulated environmental hypotheses.
Stability of executive function deficits into young adult years: a prospective longitudinal follow‐up study of grown up males with ADHD
Authors: Biederman J. , Petty C. R. , Fried R. , Doyle A. E. , Spencer T. , Seidman L. J. , Gross L. , Poetzl K. , Faraone S. V.
Published: March 2007

Objective:  Although individuals with attention deficit‐hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) commonly exhibit deficits in executive functions that greatly increase the morbidity of the disorder, all available information on the subject is cross sectional.

Method:  Males (n = 85) 9–22 years with ADHD followed over 7 years into young adulthood were assessed on measures of sustained attention/vigilance, planning and organization, response inhibition, set shifting and categorization, selective attention and visual scanning, verbal and visual learning, and memory. A binary definition of executive function deficits (EFDs) was defined based on a subject manifesting at least two abnormal tests 1.5 standard deviations from controls.

Results:  The majority of subjects maintained EFDs over time (kappa: 0.41, P < 0.001; sensitivity: 55%, specificity: 85%, positive predictive value: 69%, and negative predictive value: 75%).

Conclusion:  Considering the morbidity of EFDs, these findings stress the importance of their early recognition for prevention and early intervention strategies. EFDs are stable over time.
Professional burnout among Dutch dentists
Authors: Gorter Ronald C. , Albrecht Gonnie , Hoogstraten Johan , Eijkman Michiel A. J.
Published: March 2007

Abstract –

Professional burnout, a long‐term consequence of occupational stress, is considered to be a factor that explains a substantial proportion of incapacity for work. Burnout is defined as emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and diminished personal accomplishment. Aims: To investigate levels of burnout among Dutch practising dentists, to compare dentists' scores with norm scores, and to determine the percentage of dentists “at risk”. Methods: The instrument used was the Dutch version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI‐NL), a 20‐item modified version of the original MBI. A highly representative group of Dutch dentists participated (n=709, 75% response rate). Results: Mean levels (and standard deviations) of burnout were: emotional exhaustion 13.7 (8.6); depersonalization 5.9 (3.9); personal accomplishment 30.8 (5.9). Dentists had more favourable means compared with standard scores, although in the 95th percentile dentists showed more emotional exhaustion than standards indicate. While no overall sex differences were found, male middle‐aged dentists tended to show more burnout. Of the working Dutch dentists, 21% had a certain risk, 13% had high overall levels of burnout, and 2.5% were highly burned out. Conclusion: It is concluded that Dutch dentists have relatively favourable mean levels of burnout, but those who are exhausted are extremely exhausted. The male dentist in his forties appears to be most vulnerable to burnout.
Fluorosis risk in grade 2 students residing in a rural area with widely varying natural fluoride
Authors: Brothwell Douglas J. , Limeback Hardy
Published: March 2007

Abstract –

Objectives: This pilot study was performed to determine the prevalence of dental fluorosis and the association between fluorosis and a number of risk factors in a group of second grade students in a rural, non‐fluoridated area of Ontario, Canada. Methods: Of 1739 students screened during routine health surveillance, 1367 had erupted maxillary central incisors. Fluorosis was scored on these children using the Tooth Surface Index of Fluorosis (TSIF). A fluoride exposure questionnaire and water sample vial was sent home from school with each child. Results: Valid responses were obtained for 752 children (55%). The prevalence of fluorosis in respondents was 23.3%, with 4.9% scoring TSIF of 2 or more. In bivariate analysis, several variables were significantly associated with the prevalence and/or severity of fluorosis. These included: water fluoride concentration, breast‐feeding duration, professionally applied topical fluoride, fluoride supplement use, bottle‐feeding, fluoridated mouthwash use, and early parental tooth‐brushing with toothpaste. In logistic regression analysis limited to children living at the current residence for 4 years or more, only four variables had significant independent effects. These were water fluoride concentration, breast–feeding duration, fluoride supplement use, and fluoridated mouthwash use. Conclusions: These findings indicate that fluorosis is an important concern in non‐fluoridated areas. Fluoride supplements should not be recommended unless an independent home water test is performed. Breast‐feeding for 6 months or more may protect children from developing dental fluorosis in the permanent incisors.
Cost‐effectiveness of composite resins and amalgam in the replacement of amalgam Class II restorations
Authors: Tobi Hilde , Kreulen Cees M. , Vondeling Hindrik , van Amerongen W. Evert
Published: March 2007

Abstract –

Objectives: The replacement of an old amalgam Class II restoration is a common treatment and will remain so for decades. In addition to effectiveness, possible adverse health effects and esthetics, the costs of the treatment options will play a role in the choice of material. The aim of this study was to yield information on the relative cost‐effectiveness of the use of composite resins and amalgam for the rerestoration of amalgam Class II restorations. Methods: As part of a larger randomized clinical trial, treatment effectiveness and treatment costs were estimated in 73 composite and amalgam Class II posterior re‐restorations. The main treatment outcome was longevity. Secondary outcomes included need of repair and quality of the margin while in situ. Costs were analyzed from the perspective of dentistry, assuming a treatment strategy aimed at offering ‘value e for money. From this perspective, differential costs were based on personnel costs as approximated by treatment time. Results: Replacing an amalgam Class II restoration with amalgam is associated with lower costs than replacing with a composite resin. A sensitivity analysis, considering type of composite, increasing proficiency with the material, and time needed for future removal of material, demonstrated that these differences are fairly robust. The materials performed equally well for the first 5 years after placement with respect to longevity. Differences in secondary outcomes were minor and not all in favor of the same material. Conclusions: It is tentatively concluded that amalgams are more cost‐effective than composites for replacing existing Class II amalgam restorations.
Dental caries trends in Africa
Authors: Cleaton‐Jones Peter , Fatti Paul
Published: March 2007

Abstract– Objectives: To determine trends in published dental caries rates in Africa. Methods: A systematic review of published information 1967–1997 was done on‐line with the key words dental caries and the name of each of the 35 countries in sub‐Saharan mainland Africa. For inclusion in the analysis WHO methods had to have been used for 5‐ to 6‐, 11‐ to 13‐, 14‐ to 15‐ and 35‐ to 44‐year‐old indigenous Africans. Results: Of 327 papers published in the study period 69 were proper epidemiological studies and 45 fulfilled inclusion criteria. The groupings of caries prevalence and severity were evaluated. In two, significant declines in caries severity were seen for 5‐ to 6‐ and 35‐ to 44‐year‐olds. Of the remaining eight groupings there were non‐significant decreases in five and increases in three. Conclusions: The study showed a predominantly downward trend in dental caries which was statistically significant for dmft at age 5 to 6 years and for DMFT at 35 to 44 years.
Smokeless tobacco (shamma) and oral cancer in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Allard William F. , DeVol Edward B. , Te Ofelia B.
Published: March 2007

Abstract– Oral use of smokeless tobacco has been associated with the development of oral cancer. Shamma is a preparation of smokeless tobacco. Previous investigators in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) have reported a relationship between their patients with oral cancer and a history of using shamma. The purpose of this study was to explore the possible relationship between a smokeless tobacco preparation (shamma) and oral cancer, among the provinces of the KSA. Tumor Registry (TR) data from the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC) were reviewed for the period from 1976 to 1995. A total of 26 510 Saudi cancer patients were referred over this 20‐year period. The frequency of oral cancer was investigated, specifically for those primary sites located near the habitual placement of this smokeless tobacco product. Notably, 35.4% of these oral cancers were referred from one province – Jizan. The percentage of oral cancer cases from this province is significantly higher than the percentage of total malignant cases referred to KFSH&RC from this province, and the Saudi population of this province when compared to the whole of the KSA. These data suggest that there is a relationship between the factors smokeless tobacco product (shamma), frequency of oral cancer, and Jizan province: oral cancer appears to be more common in this province where shamma is also common.
Socio‐economic status and orthodontic treatment need
Authors: Tickle Martin , Kay Elizabeth Jane , Bearn David
Published: March 2007

Abstract– Objectives: This study aimed to examine the relationship between socio‐economic status and both normatively assessed and self perceived need for orthodontic treatment. Methods: More than six thousand 14‐year‐old children were assessed for orthodontic treatment by trained and calibrated examiners. The Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need was the measuring instrument along with a questionnaire which asked: “Do you think your teeth need straightening?”Results: Normative need for orthodontic treatment (IOTN > 3) was more common amongst deprived children than among their affluent counterparts. The same was found for perceived need. However, the children who wanted treatment were not necessarily those who needed it and vice versa. Conclusions: Socio‐economic status affects normatively measured orthodontic treatment need through, as yet, undefined mechanisms. It also affects a person's perception of need for orthodontic treatment, but these two associations are separate. The mismatch of need and desire for treatment is a problem for orthodontists.
Painting the future for ART
Authors: Holmgren Christopher J. , Frencken Jo E.
Published: March 2007

Abstract– The objective of this paper is to review recent research and developments with respect to the atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) approach and to outline future areas of research and development. Areas identified as requiring further investigation include the evaluation of: ART restorations for longer than 3 years duration using recognised evaluation criteria, multi‐surface ART restorations, ART restorations in primary teeth and ART sealants. In addition, the possibility and potential dangers of caries remaining after cavity cleaning with hand instruments must be investigated and the findings balanced against the known damage to sound tooth tissue caused by more routine cavity preparation techniques. New bioactive restorative materials which offer the possibility of healing dentinal caries lesions should be developed and evaluated. Finally, behavioural and educational aspects of the ART approach should be investigated.
Movement patterns of armado, Pterodoras granulosus, in the Paraná River Basin
Authors: Makrakis M. C. , Miranda L. E. , Makrakis S. , Fernandez D. R. , Garcia J. O. , Dias J. H. P.
Published: March 2007

Abstract –  We studied the migratory behaviour of armado, Pterodoras granulosus, in the Paraná River Basin of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, during 1997–2005. This species invaded the Upper Paraná River after upstream dispersal was facilitated when Itaipu Reservoir inundated a natural barrier. Fish were tagged (N = 8051) in the mainstems of the Yacyreta and Itaipu reservoirs, bays of major tributaries, the Paraná River floodplain above Itaipu Reservoir, and below dams. In all, 420 fish were recaptured of which 61% moved away from the release area. Fish moved a maximum of 215 km (mean 42), and at a maximum rate of 9.4 km·day−1 (mean 0.6). Of the 256 armados that moved away from the release site, 145 moved upstream towards unimpounded stretches of the Paraná River and 111 moved downstream into the reservoir and bays of its tributaries (maximum 150 km). Based on the observed migratory movements, we suspect that most of the reproductive output originates in tributaries to the reservoirs. The ability of this species to expand its range presents a conundrum by pitting fishery management interests against conservation needs. Maintenance of the important armado fisheries depends on the ability of the species to migrate freely to use spawning and nursery areas in reservoir tributaries and floodplains. However, its ability to migrate long distances can allow this non‐native species the opportunity to invade most of the Upper Paraná River.
Facial anti‐wrinkle cream: influence of product presentation on effectiveness: a randomized and controlled study
Authors: Lodén Marie , Buraczewska Izabela , Halvarsson Karin
Published: March 2007

Background/aims: The great interest in eternal youth has developed a large market for skin care products claiming anti‐wrinkle effects. A high‐priced luxurious anti‐wrinkle cream dispensed in its original packaging and in a neutral jar, were compared with the effects from a regular moisturizing face cream in a luxurious jar.

Methods: Eighty Swedish women aged 35–64 years were randomly divided into three groups; group A treated their facial skin for 6 weeks with the expensive cream in its luxury jar, B used a regular moisturiser filled in the luxury jar, and C used the expensive cream filled in a neutral jar. Evaluation was made by the subjects, clinical evaluation by a trained observer, and measurement of skin surface relief by optical profilometry.

Results: Participants using jars A and B consumed more product than participants using jar C, and the luxury jar thus resulted in better compliance. There were no significant differences between the three groups relating to the effects on wrinkles and smoothness, nor in subject assessment of their skin feeling younger or more beautiful. Facial appearance was the same. Profilometry showed reduced surface microrelief with all products.

Conclusions: The present study conducted as a formal trial could not verify a claim of anti‐wrinkle effect of a known prestigious product. Surprisingly, there was no systematic effect on subjective and objective cosmetic parameters of the luxury packaging, except a better compliance. Product appreciation by consumers may, however, be different in spontaneous use not biased by study conditions.
Mechanism of pajama material on stratum corneum water content under mild cold conditions: explored by hierarchical linear regression
Authors: Yao Lei , Tokura Hiromi , Li Yi , Newton Edwards , Gohel Mayur Danny I. , Chung Waiyee J.
Published: March 2007

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the effect of fabric material worn during nocturnal sleep on stratum corneum water content (SCWC) under mild cold conditions.

Method: A controlled cross‐over study has been designed to investigate systematically the effects of two kinds of pajama materials, cotton and polyester, on SCWC. Factors such as pajama fabric material, subjective perception and sleep quality were examined. Hierarchical linear regression was applied to assess the association between the factors and SCWC.

Results: Fabric material and subjective perception of coldness significantly predicted SCWC in the wear trial. Polyester fabric had a negative effect on SCWC compared with cotton, and subjective perception of coldness also had a negative effect on SCWC.

Conclusion: The mechanisms by which pajama fabrics affect the SCWC could be due to the different thermal/hygroscopicity properties of the polyester and cotton fabric and the integral involvement of physiological and neurophysiological processes.