bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biafine Applied on Human Epidermal Wounds Is Chemotactic for Macrophages and Increases the IL1/IL6 Ratio
Authors: Coulomb Bernard , Friteau Laurence , Dubertret Louis
Published: April 2009

Using a model of pure epidermal wounds in normal human volunteers, we have studied the effects of Biafme® emulsion firstly on inflammatory cell migration, vascular permeability and cytokine release during the first 24 h, and secondly on epidermal wound healing by measuring transepidermal water loss from day 1 to day 7. Under these conditions, Biafme does not improve epidermal healing, in contrast to what is observed with bleeding dermoepidermal wounds. Our results suggest that the effects of Biafine are essentially at the dermis level. The analysis of epidermal wound exudates leads to the same conclusion. As a matter of fact, we demonstrated that Biafine is chemotactic for macrophages and increases the IL-l/IL-6 ratio, chiefly by reducing the secretion of IL-6. This study permits to progressively clarify the mode of action of Biafine, that seems to be located at the level of granulation tissue formation and not at the epidermal level.
Effects of Topical Antiandrogen and 5-Alpha-Reductase Inhibitors on Sebaceous Glands in Male Fuzzy Rats
Authors: Ye Fangfang , Imamura Koji , Imanishi Noriko , Rhodes Linda , Uno Hideo
Published: April 2009

The fuzzy rat, a genetic mutant between hairless and hairy albino rats, expresses androgen-dependent hypersecretion of sebum and hyperplastic sebaceous glands. Using this model for human acne, we examined the effects of inhibitors of human steroid 5α-reductase isozymes, type I (MK386) and type II (finasteride), and an androgen receptor blocker (RU58841) on regression of glandular and ductal hyperplasia. The above three agents, 1 % weight volume, were dissolved into the vehicle (propy-lene glycol, alcohol and water) and applied on the backs of peripubertal male rats for 2 months. Control and castrate groups received vehicle alone. At 8 weeks, we examined the size of the sebaceous glandular lobules and ducts in split epidermal preparations as well as in frozen sections of skin stained with osmium-potassium dichromate solution. The number of bro-modeoxyuridine (BrdU)-positive cells was counted in the glandular lobes in split-skin tissues stained with BrdU immunochemistry. The results revealed that the sizes of both lobes and ducts in castrates were 40-60% smaller than in controls. RU58841 induced glandular and ductal regression equivalent to that in castrates. Finasteride induced a moderate degree of lobular and ductal reduction, whereas MK386 caused only ductal regression. Reduction of BrdU-positive cells in the sebaceous lobes was found in the skin treated with finasteride and RU58841. Serum concentrations of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone showed no significant changes in all drug-treated rats. The weight of the prostatic lobes was reduced significantly in rats treated with finasteride but not by the other two agents. RU58841 effectively counteracted endogenous androgens resulting in a suppression of growth of the sebaceous glands but not the prostate. This rodent model for androgen-dependent hyperplasia of the sebaceous glands is useful for the study of many pharmacological aspects comprising the rate of percutaneous absorption, stability and affinity to target organs of the testing compounds, and selection of adequate vehicles for topical application.
Daytime Serum Levels of Melatonin after Topical Application onto the Human Skin
Authors: Bangha Elisabeth , Lauth Dorothee , Kistler Gonzague S. , Elsner Peter
Published: April 2009

The hormone melatonin is produced in the pineal gland and secreted into the blood in a circadian rhythm. Due to its antiox-idative and immunomodulatory effects it might play a role as a topical drug in dermatology. In this study we investigated the penetration kinetics of melatonin applied to the skin of 6 healthy volunteers aged 26-34 years (M/F = 2/4). First the individual physiologic daytime melatonin serum levels were determined by radioimmunoassay. Then 3 of the participants were treated once topically on their scalp with 20 mg melatonin dissolved in 70% ethanol, while the other 3 individuals received 100 mg. The application was performed at 9.00 a.m., and blood samples were collected repeatedly for a total of 8 h. Physiologic daytime melatonin levels in the 6 individuals were 16.8 ± 10.0 pg/ml. The 3 individuals treated with 20 mg melatonin displayed peak serum levels of 762, 918 and 3,440 pg/ml, respectively, those treated with 100 mg melatonin showed peak levels of 1,136, 3,360 and 4,230 pg/ml lasting throughout the entire observation period of 8 h. These findings indicate that melatonin might accumulate in the stratum corneum with prolonged release into the blood system from this depot.
Mechanical Behaviour of Scalp Hair in Premature and Full-Term Neonates
Authors: Tsambaos D. , Nikiforidis G. , Zografakis Ch. , Mantagos S. , Malamitsi-Puchner A. , Georgiou S. , Monastirli A. , Pasmatzi E.
Published: April 2009

Using a new computerized methodological procedure a separate analysis and a quantitative determination of the viscous and elastic parameters of the scalp hair shaft were performed in 37 neonates of both sexes with a gestational age of 28-29 weeks (n = 16) and 39-40 weeks (n = 21), respectively. A statistically significant (p < 0.001) decrease in the values of modulus of elasticity (Eα) was found in the hair shaft of premature neonates, as compared to the full-term ones, whereas the values of postyield slope (Eβ) and of SDIS/SSTOR (viscous parameter) did not significantly differ in the two groups. The decrease in modulus of elasticity in the hair shaft of premature neonates may be interpreted in terms of an insufficient number of disulphide bonds between the α-helical keratin units of the hair cortex or of a disordered arrangement of microfibrils within the matrix. Further studies are now warranted to determine the pattern of mechanical parameters of the scalp hair shaft in large numbers of newborn infants of different gestational ages and to answer the question as to whether this pattern might be useful in the accurate postnatal assessment of fetal maturation.
Neem (Azadirachta Indica) Leaf Preparation Prevents Leukocyte Apoptosis Mediated by Cisplatin plus 5-Fluorouracil Treatment in Swiss Mice
Authors: Ghosh Diptendu , Bose Anamika , Haque Enamul , Baral Rathindranath
Published: April 2009

Background: Neem (Azadirachta indica) is widely regarded as a wonder tree because of its diverse medicinal applications. We investigated the ability of neem leaf preparation (NLP) to protect against apoptosis of circulating blood cells induced by cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (cis + 5-FU) in carcinoma-bearing mice. Methods: Apoptosis was studied by annexin V-propidium iodide method. Total white blood cell count was performed using 3% glacial acetic acid on hemocytometer. Cytotoxicity was determined by LDH release assay and T/NK cell status was determined by flow cytometry. Results: In comparison to untreated control, during cis + 5-FU therapy, significant down-regulation of leukocyte apoptosis was noted in mice pretreated with NLP or granulocyte colony stimulating factor (GCSF) during cis + 5-FU therapy. This enhanced cytotoxicity may be associated with NLP-induced increase of the cytotoxic T and NK cell pool. Conclusions: Efficacy of NLP is comparable to GCSF in its ability to protect against leukocyte apoptosis induced by cis + 5-FU. NLP would be a better choice of treatment because GCSF is tumor promoting, angiogenic and expensive.
A Questionnaire-Based Survey on the Prescription of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs by Physicians in East Asian Countries in 2007
Authors: Arakawa Tetsuo , Fujiwara Yasuhiro , Sollano Jose D. , Zhu Qi , Kachintorn Udom , Rani Abdul Aziz , Hahm Ki-Baik , Takahashi Shin-ichi , Joh Takashi , Kinoshita Yoshikazu , Matsumoto Takayuki , Naito Yuji , Takeuchi Koji , Yamagami Hirokazu , Agustanti Nenny , Xiong Huifang , Chen Xi , Jang Eun Jung , Furuta Kenji , Terano Akira
Published: April 2009

Background: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and aspirin are widely used clinically but increase the risk of gastrointestinal (GI) complications. Aim: To examine the current prescription of NSAIDs and comedication to prevent GI complications from NSAIDs within East Asia by means of a questionnaire survey. Methods: Representative members of the Committee of the International Gastrointestinal Consensus Symposium provided a questionnaire to physicians in 6 East Asian countries. Results: A total of 1,568 physicians participated in this survey. Most physicians prescribed nonselective NSAIDs, cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors (COXIBs) or aspirin for more than 5 patients per week in all countries, with the exception of the prescription of COXIBs in Japan. Of the nonselective NSAIDs, the drug most frequently prescribed as a first choice was loxoprofen (34%), which was mainly prescribed in Japan, followed by diclofenac (30%). The frequency of prescription of comedication with nonselective NSAIDs was higher compared with that for selective COXIBs or aspirin. Physicians in the northern region (China, Japan and Korea) preferred mucoprotective drugs for comedication with NSAIDs or aspirin, while those in southern region (Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand) frequently used proton-pump inhibitors. Conclusion: Among East Asian countries, there are both similarities and differences in the prescription of NSAIDs and of comedication to prevent GI complications.
Food Intake, Growth and the Ageing of Collagen in Rat Tail Tendon
Authors: Everitt A.V.
Published: April 2009

Ageing in tail tendon collagen was studied in 7 groups of male Wistar rats eating respectively 3.5, 7, 10.5, 14, 17, 21, and 24 g food/day. Body and tail tendon weights increased in proportion to food intake. The maximum body weight was approximately 20 times the daily food intake and the tail tendon weight 3 % of the food intake. The ageing of collagen, as measured by the breaking time in 7 m urea at 40°C, was retarded by food restriction. The greatest retardation occurred in rats eating 10.5–14g food/day (50–70% of the mean ad libitum intake). It was shown that the ageing of collagen is relatively independent of food intake below the threshold of 70% ad libitum intake. Above this level the excess of food accelerated the ageing of collagen in tail tendon.
Age Related Studies on Ascorbic Acid Metabolism
Authors: Patnaik B.K.
Published: April 2009

In vitro studies indicate that the uptake of ascorbic acid by skin, bone and teeth of rat declines with age. This may be correlated with the synthesis of collagen, the major constituent protein of the connective tissue. There is a decrease with age, in the synthesis of ascorbic acid due to alteration in enzyme systems. The concentration of total free ascorbic acid in various tissues, declines with age but at different rate. Fall of bound ascorbic acid contentduring aging, is probably due to crosslinking of proteins. The possible implications of theabove studies have been discussed.
Intranuclear Inclusions in Neurones and Glia: a Study in the Ageing Mouse
Authors: Field E.J. , Peat A.
Published: April 2009

Rod-like inclusions made up of bundles of parallel fibrils (approximately 7 nm thick) are found with greater frequency in the neurone nuclei of aged than in young mice. Sometimes the fibrils are arranged in lattice formation. Circular membrane inclusions are also found within the nuclei of aged neurones. Cross-banded intranuclear inclusions are occasionally present in nuclei of old neurones.
Elastolytic Enzymes and Elastin in the Aging Rat
Authors: Loeven W.A. , Baldwin Maureen M.
Published: April 2009

Since improved methods make it possible to determine both elastoproteinase and elastomucase activity in crude pancreatic extracts, the effect of age on enzyme titer in the pancreas was studied in virgin Wistar rats of both sexes. In males, the elastoproteinase concentration (in elastoproteinase unit [EU] per gram acetone-dried pancreas) decreased with age over the whole period of 0–24 months; the elastomucase Em-I and Em-S concentrations (in elastomucase unit [Em-U] per gram acetone-dried pancreas) rapidly decreased with age up to 12 months (Em-S) and 18 months (Em-I), remaining nearly constant after that age period. In female rats, the elastoproteinase concentration remained constant during the 1st year of life, increased rapidly between 15 and 18 months, then decreasing to the 15-month level at an age of 27 months. The titer of both elastomucases fell during the growth of the females, remaining constant between 6 and 15 months of age and showed a rapid increase in enzyme level between 15 and 18 months. Although there was a tendency for the enzyme concentration to decrease after 18 months, the fall was not statistically significant. The data obtained with rat pancreas were compared with those for human pancreatic enzymes and for human serum ‘elastoproteinase’ reported previously. Similar age-relationships were found.
Elastolytic Enzymes and Elastin in the Aging Rat
Authors: Loeven W.A. , Baldwin Maureen M.
Published: April 2009

The age-relationship of antielastoproteinase, antitrypsin, and antichymotrypsin activity of rat serum was studied using alkali-treated elastin as substrate for measuring elasto-proteinase activity and synthetic substrates for measuring trypsin and chymotrypsin activity (trypsin substrate: benzoyl-arginine- p-nitroanalide; chymotrypsin substrate: acetyl-tyrosine-hydrazide). Serum antielastoproteinase levels in both male and female rats increased with age, whereas the levels for ântitrypsin and antichymotrypsin decreased with age. These findings support the hypothesis that the serum contains separate inhibitors for elastoproteinase and trypsin. The effect of age on the antielastoproteinase activity of rat serum was compared with data found in the literature for human serum. Rat serum showed highly significant age-related ‘tryptic and chymotryptic activities’ (both ‘enzyme activities’ increasing with age in both sexes). That these enzymatic activities represent real trypsin and chymotrypsin activities is questioned. Serum amidases and thrombin may be responsible for the measured activities.
Changes in the Vertebral Column of Aging Mice
Authors: Silberberg Ruth
Published: April 2009

Aging changes in lower thoracic and in lumbar vertebrae of 163 male or female mice of strains C57Bl or DBA were investigated. In the vertebral growth zones, aging took a course similar to that found in other growth zones. Histochemically the aging cartilage plate contained increasing amounts of a substance, staining positively with alcian blue/0.9 M MgCl2 and thus possibly identical with keratan sulfate. The articular cartilage remained free of this material throughout the period of observation, and in the intervertebral discs it did not appear until the third year of life. Three grades of aging changes were found in the aging discs: fibrosis and hyalinization, chondrification and degeneration with prolapse. Osteoarthrosis was uncommon, but occurred with or without simultaneous prolapse of the disc. Genetic influences on the course of these lesions were not clear-cut in the two strains investigated, and the effect of sex was slight, prolapse of the disc being more common in females than in males.
The Ageing of Skeletal (Striated) Muscle by Changes of Recovery Metabolism
Authors: Ermini M. , Szelényi I. , Moser P. , Verzár F.
Published: April 2009

Comparison between young and old rats confirmed that, in old age, the phosphocreatine (PC) of muscle decreases. Parallel to this, the adenine nucleotides of muscle were estimated and it was found that the restoration of ade nosine triphosphate (ATP) is diminished in old age. The relationship Q = ATP/ADP (adenosine diphosphate) decreases from 6.7 to 2.2. The role of the carbohydrate metabolism for the recovery of muscle was controlled by glycogen estimations in muscle and liver. In both, the glycogen content during rest is diminished in old age. Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity decreases in muscle of old animals. Aldolase (ALD) activity does not change significantly. This confirms the conclusion that, in old age, the aerobic part of the carbohydrate metabolism, i.e. the recovery process of muscle, is diminished.
Altersabhängigkeit der Fettzellgrösse und der lipolytischen Aktivität im menschlichen Fettgewebe
Authors: Berger M. , Preiss H. , Hesse-Wortmann C. , Gries F.A.
Published: April 2009

On isolated human adipose tissue of 80 lean und 50 obese subjects of 18 to 72 years of age the mean fat cell diameter and the in vitro release of glycerol and free fatty acids were determined. In obese patients mean and basal re-esterification rate were increased, whereas the norepinephrine-induced stimulation of lipolysis was reduced. The basal lipolysis of normal-weight subjects was independent of age, however, the stimulation of lipolysis induced by 0.1 μgnorepinephrine per ml was negatively correlated to the age of the patients. Basal and stimulated lipolysis was independent of age in obese subjects.
Clinical Expression of Nickel Contact Dermatitis Primed by Diagnostic Patch Test
Authors: Theler Barbara , Bucher Christoph , French Lars E. , Ballmer Weber Barbara , Hofbauer Günther F.L.
Published: April 2009

Introduction: Persistence of allergen and immunocompetent cells at sites of healed contact dermatitis has been reported. Flare-up reactions triggered by patch testing and after systemic provocation with allergen are well-known phenomena. To our knowledge, we report the first flare-up of a previous patch test site following casual cutaneous application of nickel in an individual with hitherto latent nickel sensitization. Case Report: Patch testing in a 23-year-old female patient was performed for dermatitis following application of various gels and adhesive bandages: positive delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions were noted for nickel sulfate and potassium dichromate. The patient had never noticed skin reactions to nickel-containing items before. Three weeks following these patch tests, the patient wore earrings which in the past had been well tolerated. She subsequently developed dermatitis of both earlobes within hours and dermatitis at the site of nickel patch testing within a day. Conclusions: Nickel exposure for 48 h in a patch test is sufficient to induce overt delayed-type hypersensitivity on re-exposure with a previously tolerated antigen in a previously clinically unresponsive individual. Antigen and/or antigen-specific effector cells at the site of previous positive patch testing can be recruited into a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction for a prolonged period of time.
The `White Slave Trade' and the Music Hall Affair in 1930s Malta
Authors: Knepper Paul
Published: April 2009

The music hall affair in 1930s Malta serves as a window into wider social, political issues embodied in the recurring furore that was `white slavery'. Sparked by accusations in London newspapers about sexual exploitation of English women who had come to work as music hall artistes, politicians, newspaper editors, the police and the church in Malta addressed the issue. Although the claims about English women were not true, the stories raised larger questions about prostitution in Malta's night-time leisure economy, and sexual exploitation of foreign artistes and Maltese barmaids did occur in this context. The British reaction followed the pattern of response in other colonies: military authorities chose to focus on the health threat to their personnel posed by what they saw as an indigenous problem of prostitution, rather than acknowledge the effects of colonial rule on local society. Maltese authorities chose to avoid political and economic truths of colonial rule as well: they decided to make the immoral character of the women involved the problem to be addressed. The music hall affair did not champion international human rights, but reflected parochial fears of foreigners and colonial others.
Decentring the German Spirit: The Weimar Republic's Cultural Relations with Latin America
Authors: Goebel Michael
Published: April 2009

This article analyses the Weimar Republic's cultural relations with Latin America. Based on diplomatic correspondence and the writings of Latin American intellectuals who visited Weimar Germany, the article combines an exploration of the goals and methods of Germany's official foreign cultural policy towards the region with a brief examination of the varied ways in which the supposed recipients of these policies approached German culture. The key argument is that the limited capacities of official cultural policy created space for a large number of actors who pursued divergent interests when appropriating or trying to spread German ideas in Latin America.
An Army of Spies? The Gestapo Spy Network 1933—45
Authors: Hall Claire M.
Published: April 2009

The contemporary belief of a Gestapo spy on every corner that, in turn, helped create a veil of fear over the German people has been too easily dismissed by scholars on the grounds that the Gestapo did not possess an `army of spies'. The image of the Gestapo as a `big brother' figure with eyes and ears everywhere has been discredited by historians such as Robert Gellately as a nazi fabrication. Gellately's important work on denunciations successfully pushed his thesis of a `self-policing' society operating within a `consensus dictatorship' to the forefront of historiography, but in a revisionist overstatement he exaggerated the significance of denunciations. This article hopes to address the current debate concerning the nature of policing in nazi Germany by demonstrating that there was a regular presence of paid informers alongside denouncers, reinforcing the proactive nature of the Gestapo in repressing dissent.
Shakespeare under Different Flags: The Bard in German Classrooms from Hitler to Honecker
Authors: Korte Barbara , Spittel Christina
Published: April 2009

This article contributes to the study of Shakespeare's appropriation in Germany during the twentieth century, with a particular focus on its two authoritarian regimes: the Third Reich and the German Democratic Republic. Germans have had their very own `German' Shakespeare since the eighteenth century. Goethe and Schiller, among others, claimed the playwright for their projects of literary (and national) self-assertion. Ideologues in the Third Reich and the GDR conscripted this already `naturalized' Shakespeare for the purposes of ideological education, and even hailed a new era in the appreciation of his work. Under the swastika, teachers were encouraged to study Shakespeare's Führerfiguren, as well as his anticipation of the racial concerns of National Socialism. In classrooms of the GDR, the emphasis shifted to Shakespeare's humanism and realism, from which, students learned, contemporary socialist literature had evolved. The plays were now read as critical and optimistic responses to a social and political reality defined by class struggle.
Amber Nine: NATO's Secret Use of a Flight Path over Sweden and the Incorporation of Sweden in NATO's Infrastructure
Authors: Nilsson Mikael
Published: April 2009

All through the 1950s and 1960s NATO had secretly utilized a secret flight path, called Amber Nine, over the southwestern part of Sweden. The Swedish government condoned the frequent overflights, despite the fact that Sweden was at the time professing to follow a policy of neutrality in the power struggle between the two superpowers. This article argues that the frequent American use of Amber Nine should be viewed as a materialization of Sweden's consent to US hegemony, and that Amber Nine effectively made Swedish airspace and airports a part of NATO's infrastructure. It also makes the case that the arrangement contributed to the eradication of the credibility of Sweden's policy of neutrality, and that NATO's routine use of a flight path over Sweden, a non-NATO country, warrants a reinterpretation of Sweden's role in the Cold War on NATO's northern flank, as well as challenging the definition of the NATO alliance.
African American Travel Writing and the Politics of Mobility
Authors: Nayar Pramod K.
Published: April 2009

This article examines a 19th-century travel narrative by an African-American woman, Nancy Prince, and identifies three principal rhetorical modes in her narrative: mobility, labour and community. It suggests that Prince's rhetoric of mobility consists of a mobility of poverty, when she moved from one place to another due to her straitened circumstances, and a mobility of agency, when she travelled as a means to assert her individuality, but within specific ‘structures of travel’. Prince's rhetoric of labour gives her agency as an individual when she undertakes ethnographic information-gathering and maps her own suffering. Labour, like mobility, helps her demonstrate an individual self. Finally, the rhetoric of community aligns Prince with the evangelical movement. Her agency as a black person becomes iconic of the transformation of her race itself—through the choice of a career and the practice of a profession outside the USA. This rhetoric takes her narrative out of the mere category of travel writing into one about community-building and racial identity.
Bodies Gone Awry
Authors: Devika J
Published: April 2009

The article attempts to probe the silence of mainstream development discourse on sexuality and reproductive and sexual rights. This seems to go against the fact that there is now greater admission in development literature on Kerala that gender imbalances in a number of crucial indices do mar the state's claims of high levels of human development. This question is approached through an examination of the ways in which developmentalism has inflected both public discourse and academic knowledge in Kerala, and their interpenetration. Historically, sexuality has been marginalised in Kerala and projected onto prostitute-bodies; in the 1990s, the fear of ‘unbounded’ sexuality had been a prominent feature of public discourse. The sexualisation of deprived groups to strip them of moral claims to welfare indicates the heightening of abjection as a major mode of social exclusion. The abjection of sexuality in contemporary Malayalee public discourse and the silence about women's sexual and reproductive rights in contemporary development discourse do not appear unconnected. The current situation seems to call for creative dialogue between feminist and counter-heteronormative politics, which would resist protectionism and heterosexism.
NGOs in Bangladesh
Authors: Sultana Nahid , Islam Naznin
Published: April 2009

The main purpose of this article is to study the effect of NGO activities in increasing the awareness levels of vulnerable women in Bangladesh. The authors attempt to show the extent to which awareness levels of vulnerable women increased after joining NGOs. The basic questions asked included: Are NGOs really capable of increasing awareness among vulnerable women in Bangladesh? What impact do the programmes of NGOs have on the women's lives? To find answers to these questions, the researchers applied a combination of methods. Two NGOs were selected as case studies: one of them a national NGO and the other local. Data was collected mainly from primary sources, though various secondary sources were also used. The major findings of the study confirmed that the awareness levels of women had indeed increased after joining NGOs.
Do Women Differ in Their Investment Information Processing Style?
Authors: Mittal Manish , Vyas R.K.
Published: April 2009

Men and women differ in their risk and investment styles. Women are more risk averse and prefer low risk fixed income investments. Psychologists suggest the reason for their different investing style is that women are more methodical in information processing strategy, which leads to increased perception of risk as compared to men. The article investigates whether gender differences exist in the preferences for risk and whether the reasons suggested by psychologists for women being more risk averse are valid.
Clinical Pathology Differences in Laboratory Utilization in Hospice and Nonhospice Units
Authors: Barbosa Leandro A. , Fernandes Pedro L. , Muniz Paulo C. , Prates Dione
Published: April 2009

A significant difference can be observed between hospice and nonhospice philosophy. Nonhospice units direct its effort to cure and sustain patient's life using disease-modifying therapeutic procedures, while hospice units focus on patient's quality of life. However, despite the differences between the 2 basic philosophies in question, both approaches share 1 aspect in common: the correct diagnosis of the patient. In any case above, laboratory analysis is a valuable tool. This work aims to compare the laboratory utilization between nonhospice cancer and hospice cancer units. Laboratory requests from patients within a 1-year period were evaluated and the hospice laboratory profile was presented. We demonstrated that nonhospice unit had a major volume of requested laboratory test than hospice unit, but for inpatients this difference was not so dramatic.
The Genesis of African and Indian Cooperation in Colonial North America: An Interview with Helen Hornbeck Tanner
Authors: Miller Ivor
Published: April 2009

Dr. Helen Hornbeck Tanner, a senior research fellow at the Newberry Library, studied American Indian and colonial American history for over six decades. In this interview she discusses little-known themes including African and Indian coexistence and cooperation, beginning in 1619 in the Chesapeake Bay region, and spanning Louisiana, Minnesota, New York, Northern Mexico, Ohio, Spanish Florida, and Texas in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, including an Underground Railroad from Michigan into Canada. Also discussed are a system of inter-Indian diplomacy that stretched across the United States east of the Rocky Mountains and the long history of attempts by the U.S. government to assimilate American Indians.
La Guerre de Sept Ans Et Ses Conséquences Atlantiques: Kourou Ou L'apparition D'un Nouveau Système Colonial
Authors: de Borms Marion F. Godfroy-Tayart
Published: April 2009

La signature du traité de Paris qui clôt en 1763 la guerre de Sept ans ruine définitivement le rêve d'une Amérique française. Souvent, à l'instar de Voltaire, on a considéré que la perte du Canada et de la Louisiane était négligeable, puisque l'on conservait les précieuses îles à sucre. Cette opinion est contredite par un exemple magistral, l'expédition de Kourou de 1763. Cette expédition marque le désir de Choiseul, secrétaire d'Etat à la Marine, de faire de la Guyane un brillant contrepoint de la domination britannique au nord, et ainsi d'établir ce qu'il nomme « un système d'Europe ». Cette volonté, et les agents qu'il emploie pour la concrétiser, marque ce que représentait, voire ce que pouvait apporter, un premier empire colonial français dont on venait, tardivement, de prendre conscience.

The signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1763 put an end to the dream of a French America. The historiography of the period has often characterized the loss of Canada and the cession of Louisiana as negligible in the eyes of both the French population and the French government. The example of the 1763 Kourou expedition contradicts this view and demonstrates that the Duke of Choiseul intended to establish what he called “a system of Europe” in French Guyana. Choiseul's ambition was to make Guyana the counterpoint of British domination in North America. His intention and the means used to achieve it indicate what this first French colonial empire represented and its potential benefits, which were only belatedly acknowledged.
Geranyl Bearing Polyisoprenylated Benzoylphloroglucinol Derivatives from Hypericum sampsonii
Authors: Zeng Yi Han , Mu Qing , Xiao Zhi Yong , Xu Yu , Rahman M Mukhlesur , Gibbons Simon
Published: April 2009

Two new geranyl bearing polyisoprenylated benzoylphloroglucinol derivatives, hypersampsone G (1) and hypersampsone H (2) were isolated from the fruit of Hypericum sampsonii. Their structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic data and the structure of 1 was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Antitumor activities on A549 human cancer cells of the two compounds were tested.
Regio- and Enantioselective Allylation of Indole Catalyzed by a Planar-chiral Cyclopentadienyl–Ruthenium Complex
Authors: Onitsuka Kiyotaka , Kameyama Chiaki , Sasai Hiroaki
Published: April 2009

The reaction of cinnamyl chloride with indole in the presence of a ruthenium catalyst possessing a planar-chiral cyclopentadienyl ligand resulted in the substitution at the 3-position of the indole ring to give a branched allylation product with high regio- and enantioselectivities. The stoichiometric reaction clearly revealed that the catalytic reaction proceeded via a π-cinnamyl intermediate.
Preparation of Poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) Film with a Hydrophilic Surface by Direct Surface-initiated Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization without Pretreatment
Authors: Kimura Taichi , Kobayashi Motoyasu , Morita Masamichi , Takahara Atsushi
Published: April 2009

Surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of tert-butyl acrylate was carried out directly from a nonmodified poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-co-TrFE)] film surface to give a polymer brush, which was further converted to a poly(acrylic acid sodium salt) brush by hydrolysis. A hydrophilic surface was successfully created at the outermost surface of P(VDF-co-TrFE) film without any change in the bulk physical properties. Also the effect of surface nanotexture formation on wettability was investigated.
Preparation of Nanocomposite Microspheres Containing High Concentration of TiO2 Nanoparticles via Bead Mill Dispersion in Organic Solvent
Authors: Takeda Masayoshi , Tanabe Eishi , Iwaki Toru , Yabuki Akihiro , Okuyama Kikuo
Published: April 2009

TiO2 nanocomposite microspheres with a high concentration of around 40 mass % were successfully prepared. TiO2 nanoparticles were well dispersed in butyl acetate by a bead mill. After adding an acrylic monomer and initiator, the suspension was heated at 80 °C for 16 h to evaporate butyl acetate and polymerize the monomer. The replacement of butyl acetate with the monomer as the dispersion medium was effective in producing a high concentration of TiO2 nanocomposite microspheres.
Size-controlled Preparation of Poly(allylamine)-stabilized CdS Nanoparticles by Solution pH
Authors: Hayashi Junjiro , Nishi Mitsumi , Wanaka Mio
Published: April 2009

CdS nanoparticles (CdS NPs) were prepared in an aqueous solution with poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) as a stabilizer. It was found that the size of CdS NPs was easily controllable with solution pH with good reproducibility. By comparing the pH dependence of CdS NPs stabilized with poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) having an opposite charge to PAH, the electrostatic interaction amongst the polyelectrolyte was believed to have a great influence on the size determination.
Are There Missing Girls in the United States? Evidence from Birth Data
Authors: Abrevaya Jason
Published: April 2009

We offer evidence of gender selection within the United States. Analysis of comprehensive birth data shows unusually high boy-birth percentages after 1980 among later children (most notably third and fourth children) born to Chinese and Asian Indian mothers. Based upon linked data from California, Asian Indian mothers are found to be significantly more likely to have a terminated pregnancy and to give birth to a boy when they have previously only given birth to girls. The observed boy-birth percentages are consistent with over 2,000 “missing” Chinese and Indian girls in the United States between 1991 and 2004. (JEL J11, J16)
A Biological Model of Unions
Authors: Kremer Michael , Olken Benjamin A
Published: April 2009

This paper applies principles from evolutionary biology to the study of unions. We show that unions that implement the preferred wage and organizing policies of workers will be displaced in evolutionary competition by unions that either extract less from firms, allowing them to live longer, or spend more on union organizing, or both. This implies that unions with constitutional incumbency advantages that allow leaders to depart from members' preferences may have a selective advantage, allowing them to grow at the expense of unions lacking such provisions. Evidence from the history of American unions supports these predictions. (JEL A12, J51)
History Matters: The Long-Term Impact of Colonial Public Investments in French West Africa
Authors: Huillery Elise
Published: April 2009

To what extent do colonial public investments continue to influence current regional inequalities in French-speaking West Africa? Using a new database and the spatial discontinuities of colonial investment policy, this paper gives evidence that early colonial investments had large and persistent effects on current outcomes. The nature of investments also matters. Current educational outcomes have been more specifically determined by colonial investments in education rather than health and infrastructures, and vice versa. I show that a major channel for this historical dependency is a strong persistence of investments; regions that got more at the early colonial times continued to get more. (JEL H41, H54, N37, N47, 016)
What Determines Giving to Hurricane Katrina Victims? Experimental Evidence on Racial Group Loyalty
Authors: Fong Christina M , Luttmer Erzo F. P
Published: April 2009

We investigate the role of racial group loyalty on generosity in a broadly representative sample of the US adult population. We use an audiovisual presentation to manipulate beliefs about the race, income, and worthiness of Hurricane Katrina victims. Respondents then decide how to divide $100 between themselves and Katrina victims. We find no effects of victims' race on giving on average. However, respondents who report feeling close to their racial or ethnic group give substantially more when victims are of the same race, while respondents who do not feel close to their group give substantially less. (JEL D64, J15, Q54)
Do Labor Market Rigidities Have Microeconomic Effects? Evidence from Within the Firm
Authors: Lafontaine Francine , Sivadasan Jagadeesh
Published: April 2009

We exploit a unique outlet-level dataset from a multinational chain with over 2,500 outlets in 43 countries to investigate the effects of labor regulations that protect employment. The dataset contains information on output, materials, and labor costs at a weekly frequency over several years, allowing us to examine the consequences of labor market rigidity at a much more detailed level than has been possible to date. We find that higher labor market rigidity is associated with significantly higher levels of hysteresis. We also find some evidence that labor costs are less responsive to sales revenue in more highly regulated markets. (JEL: E24, J08, J23, K31, M51)
Evaluation of unilateral referrals on neonatal hearing screening
Authors: Chang Kay W , O-Lee T J , Price Melissa
Published: April 2009

Objective

Examination of neonatal hearing screening practices around the world suggests that more attention is placed on infants who fail bilaterally on their hearing screen than infants who refer (fail) in one ear. Some programmes only report bilateral failures as positive hearing screens. This study investigates how limitations of the screening techniques demand continued audiologic evaluations in unilateral referrals.

Setting

The study sample consisted of all infants born at a single academic paediatric hospital between February 1998 and February 2002.

Methods

There were 16,007 infants screened using ALGO automated auditory brainstem response. Eighteen of the infants who failed the screen in one ear but passed in the other ear were found to have permanent hearing loss, and had their subsequent clinical course and audiologic management analysed. The final audiologic outcome after four years in both the pass and fail ear were examined.

Results

One group of unilateral referrals (n = 6) had obvious anatomic reasons for the ear failing the screen (canal atresia/stenosis). There were five patients in which the ear that passed the screen was later found on more extensive audiologic evaluation to have significant hearing loss. Review of recent literature was also completed to examine the methods by which unilateral screening referrals are commonly reported and whether or not this affected follow-up diagnostic evaluation.

Conclusion

Infants who pass one ear and refer one ear on neonatal hearing screening still need to have thorough and prompt evaluations. In many cases, the ear that passed can be found to have significant hearing loss.
Willingness to undergo colorectal cancer screening in first-degree relatives of hospitalized patients with colorectal cancer
Authors: Delgado-Plasencia L , López-Tomassetti-Fernández E , Hernández-Morales A , Torres-Monzón E , González-Hermoso F
Published: April 2009

Aims

To evaluate whether willingness to undergo colonoscopy screening is influenced by being a first-degree relative of hospitalized patients with or without colorectal cancer after briefing and surgeon recommendation.

Methods

We performed a cross-sectional study of 327 first-degree relatives of hospitalized patients aged higher than 40 years, divided into Group A (151 relatives of colorectal cancer patients) and Group B (176 relatives of non-cancer patients) at the University Hospital of the Canary Islands, Spain. All were personally briefed by a surgeon, aided by a colorectal cancer pamphlet, and encouraged to accept screening colonoscopy with sedation.

Results

Willingness to undergo colonoscopy screening was greater in Group A (66.9%) than in Group B (29.0%); (odds ratio: 11.1; 95% confidence interval = 4.27 to 29.14; P < 0.001). Pre-briefing awareness of screening colonoscopy was also significantly higher in Group A (76.8% vs. 33.5%; P < 0.001), the main source of information being a close relative with colorectal cancer.

Conclusions

Being a close relative of a colorectal cancer patient is positively related with willingness to undergo colonoscopy screening in this study. This cross-sectional study outlines a strategy for increasing the level of willingness to undergo colorectal cancer screening in a group of people at risk.
Rubella seroprevalence in pregnant women in North Thames: estimates based on newborn screening samples
Authors: Hardelid P , Cortina-Borja M , Williams D , Tookey P A , Peckham C S , Cubitt W D , Dezateux C
Published: April 2009

Objectives

Routine screening for rubella susceptibility is recommended in the UK so that women found to be susceptible can be offered immunization in the post partum period. We demonstrate the use of newborn dried blood spot samples linked to routine vital statistics datasets to monitor rubella susceptibility in pregnant women and to investigate maternal characteristics as determinants of rubella seronegativity.

Setting

North Thames region of England (including large parts of inner London).

Methods

Maternally acquired rubella IgG antibody levels were measured in 18882 newborn screening blood spot samples. Latent class regression finite mixture models were used to classify samples as seronegative to rubella. Data on maternal country of birth were available through linkage to birth registration data.

Results

An estimated 2.7% (95% CI 2.4%–3.0%) of newly delivered women in North Thames were found to be seronegative. Mothers born abroad, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, were more likely to be seronegative than UK-born mothers, with adjusted odds ratios of 4.2 (95% CI 3.1–5.6) and 5.0 (3.8–6.5), respectively. Mothers under 20 years were more likely to be seronegative than those aged 30 to 34.

Conclusion

Our findings highlight the need for vaccination to be targeted specifically at migrant women and their families to ensure that they are protected from rubella in pregnancy and its serious consequences.
Antenatal screening for Down's syndrome using the Integrated test at two London hospitals
Authors: Wald N J , Huttly W J , Murphy K W , Ali K , Bestwick J P , Rodeck C H
Published: April 2009

We carried out an audit of antenatal screening for Down's syndrome using the Integrated test (which provides a single screening result from information collected in the late first and early second trimesters of pregnancy) which was introduced into routine antenatal care at two London hospitals, University College Hospital (UCH) and St Mary's Hospital, in 2003–4. The audit was based on 15,888 women who accepted screening and booked in the first trimester. The Down's syndrome detection rate was 87% (95% confidence interval [CI], 74–95) consistent with an expected detection rate of 89% based on applying the estimates of screening performance of the Serum, Urine and Ultrasound Screening Study (SURUSS) to the maternal age distribution of women who were screened at UCH and St Mary's. The observed false-positive rate was 2.1% (95% CI, 1.9–2.3), compared with an expected of 2.5% for women of the same age. An audit trail (conducted at UCH) indicated that 98% (10,746/10,961) of women accepted integrated screening (2% having a first trimester test) and of these, 94% (10, 116) completed both stages of the test. The audit demonstrated that it is feasible to conduct integrated screening within the NHS with a high acceptance rate and a screening performance consistent with that determined from previous research studies.
Evaluation of four years of prenatal screening for aneuploidies in Hospital S. Francisco Xavier using the integrated test
Authors: Rodrigues Luis Carvalho , Ramos-Dias Ana Maria , Carvalho Valerio , Cirurgiao Fernando
Published: April 2009

We report an audit of our Prenatal Screening Programme for aneuploidies between March 2003 and August 2007. Overall detection and false positive rates were 86% and 3.6%, respectively. These results are similar to those predicted by the Serum, Urine and Ultrasound Screening Study (SURUSS).
SISO-Closed-Loop Identifikation: Eine Toolbox für den Einsatz in der industriellen PraxisSISO-Closed-Loop Identification: A Toolbox Ready-to-Use in Industrial Practice
Authors: Koitka Markus , Kahrs Olaf , van Herpen Robbert , Hagenmeyer Veit
Published: April 2009

Bei der Prozessführung verfahrenstechnischer Anlagen kommt es immer wieder vor, dass ein Regler aufgrund von Änderungen der Streckendynamik neu eingestellt werden muss. Eine Öffnung des Regelkreises ist dabei jedoch oft nicht erwünscht. Um modellbasiert vorgehen zu können, wird im vorliegenden Beitrag eine Toolbox für den Einsatz der Closed-Loop Identifikation in der Praxis entwickelt. Dabei werden die in der Literatur vorliegenden theoretischen Grundlagen der Closed-Loop Identifikation diskutiert, die Struktur einer praxistauglichen Toolbox beschrieben und die erfolgreiche Anwendung an einem realen Prozess gezeigt. Schließlich werden offene Fragestellungen für weitergehende Entwicklungen thematisiert.
Modelica Predictive Control – An MPC Library for ModelicaEine MPC-Bibliothek für Modelica
Authors: Hölemann Sebastian , Abel Dirk
Published: April 2009

Modelica is a powerful and flexible instrument for component-wise dynamic system modeling. Unfortunately, until now it does not provide many structures to integrate advanced control methods. This article presents a Modelica library for model-based predictive controllers with linear process models, which offers the use of several model representations in the controller for predicting the future plant outputs. As well, the controller is capable of constraints and disturbance handling. A controller block can be included easily into any Modelica model and is parameterized intuitively. The library avoids the coupling of Modelica to other software products.Thus, a contribution is made towards an integrated control system design in Modelica.