bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dissociation of sexual function and sexual bother following autologous sural nerve grafting during radical prostatectomy
Authors: Kuwata Yoshihiro , Muneuchi Gan , Igawa Hiroharu H , Tsukuda Fumio , Inui Masashi , Kakehi Yoshiyuki
Published: June 2007

Aim:  We prospectively investigated health‐related quality of life (HR‐QOL), including sexual function and sexual bother, in patients who underwent nerve grafting during a radical prostatectomy in comparison with those who underwent a non‐nerve‐sparing radical prostatectomy.

Methods:  Between August 2001 and May 2004, radical prostatectomies were performed on 69 patients with clinical T1‐T2N0/M0 prostate cancer. Of these, 66 patients (22: nerve‐grafting patients, 44: non‐nerve‐sparing and non‐nerve‐grafting patients) were enroled into this study. The observation periods ranged from 12–46 months (median: 29 months). The general HR‐QOL was measured with the SF‐36 General Health Survey and disease‐specific HR‐QOL was measured with the University of California Los Angeles‐Prostate Cancer Index.

Results:  Penile tumescence was observed in 11 out of 15 (73.3%) prostate‐specific antigen failure‐free patients who underwent unilateral nerve grafting with contra‐lateral nerve‐sparing or bilateral nerve grafting. Vaginal penetration was observed in six out of 15 (40.0%) patients. The time for partial erection and for intercourse, respectively, ranged from 3–21 months (median = 6 months) and 6–36 months (median = 13.5 months). There were no significant differences in general HR‐QOL changes over time between the nerve‐grafting patients and the patients without any nerve‐preserving procedures. The sexual function score was significantly better in the nerve‐grafting (bilateral nerve graft or unilateral nerve graft with contra‐lateral nerve‐sparing) patients than in the non‐nerve‐sparing/non‐nerve‐grafting patients. The sexual bother score, however, was more serious for the patients who underwent nerve‐grafting surgery than for the non‐nerve‐sparing/non‐nerve‐grafting patients.

Conclusion:  Sexual bother is serious for patients who attempt to maintain sexual function after special surgical procedures, such as nerve‐grafting surgery. We should be aware that careful counseling is needed to avoid impatient and excessive hope for the recovery of sexual function.
Effects of exogenous hyaluronan on midline crossing and axon divergence in the optic chiasm of mouse embryos
Authors: Lin Ling , Wang Jun , Chan Chung‐Kit , Chan Sun‐On
Published: June 2007

Perturbation of the transmembrane glycoprotein, CD44, has been shown to cause multiple errors in axon routing in the mouse optic chiasm. In a recent report we have shown that the major CD44 ligand, hyaluronan (HA), is colocalized with CD44 at the midline of the chiasm, suggesting a possible contribution to the control of axon routing in the chiasm. We examined this issue by investigating the effects of exogenous HA on routing of axons in the chiasm in slice preparations of the optic pathway. In preparations of the E13 optic pathway, administration of exogenous HA produced a dose‐dependent failure in midline crossing of the first generated optic axons. In E15 slices, when the adult pattern of axon divergence develops in the chiasm, anterograde filling of the optic axons showed an obvious reduction in the uncrossed pathway after HA treatment. This reduction was confirmed by retrograde filling of the ganglion cells in E15 slices, and later in E16 pathways where the uncrossed projection is better developed. Furthermore, we have demonstrated in explant cultures of the retina that HA, when presented in soluble or substrate‐bound form, does not affect outgrowth and extension of retinal neurites. These findings together indicate the crucial functions of this matrix molecule in regulating midline crossing and axon divergence, probably through interactions with guidance molecules including CD44, at the midline of the chiasm.
ACCELERATED FAILURE TIME MODELS WITH NONLINEAR COVARIATES EFFECTS
Authors: Leng Chenlei , Ma Shuangge
Published: June 2007

As a flexible alternative to the Cox model, the accelerated failure time (AFT) model assumes that the event time of interest depends on the covariates through a regression function. The AFT model with non‐parametric covariate effects is investigated, when variable selection is desired along with estimation. Formulated in the framework of the smoothing spline analysis of variance model, the proposed method based on the Stute estimate (Stute, 1993[Consistent estimation under random censorship when covariables are present,J. Multivariate Anal.45, 89–103]) can achieve a sparse representation of the functional decomposition, by utilizing a reproducing kernel Hilbert norm penalty. Computational algorithms and theoretical properties of the proposed method are investigated. The finite sample size performance of the proposed approach is assessed via simulation studies. The primary biliary cirrhosis data is analyzed for demonstration.
Language play in the classroom: encouraging children's intuitive creativity with words through poetry
Authors: Cumming Rachel
Published: June 2007

This article begins by identifying that children have a spontaneous predilection for playing with language, engaging in poetic discourse even before their first poetry lesson. Although children's language play is relatively unresearched in the classroom, in a case study of two groups of pupils aged between 10 and 11, it was observed that children engaged in creative word play, and that this was generated in response to interaction with poetry and each other. This article suggests that children's poetical experiences may best be nurtured by building bridges between children's existing knowledge of language play and the specialised knowledge of poetry taught in the classroom through a teaching methodology based on socio‐constructivist principles.
CASUISTRY AND COMPUTER ETHICS
Authors: COLEMAN KARI GWEN
Published: June 2007

Abstract:At the heart of the uniqueness debate is the possibility that the computer revolution may demand more in the way of ethical analysis than our traditional (that is, modern) ethical edification has prepared us for. In short, it may present new and unique problems and therefore demand new and unique solutions. In this article I argue that the solution is in fact an old and not‐so‐unique one: casuistry. Appealing to Jonsen and Toulmin's analysis of casuistry (1988), I argue that a casuistic methodology is a more accurate description of the moral reasoning used by contemporary computer ethicists than are other accounts. In addition, I argue that the strengths that enabled casuistry to deal successfully with radical social, economic, and religious changes in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries render casuistry well suited to the task of dealing with radically new situations like those found in twentieth‐ and twenty‐first‐century computer technology. Before concluding, I briefly explore Pascal's fatal critique of casuistry and its relevance for contemporary computer ethics.
HUMBLE ARROGANCE
Authors: DRIVER JULIA
Published: June 2007

Abstract: This essay defends consequentialist approaches to moral evaluation from a charge of moral arrogance made by Bernard Gert in “Moral Arrogance and Moral Theories.” A distinction is made between a commitment to there being a right answer to moral questions and certainty about the nature of the right answers.
Should we do away with teleworking? An examination of whether teleworking can be defined in the new world of work
Authors: Wilks Linda , Billsberry Jon
Published: June 2007

This empirical paper analyses data gathered from self‐employed teleworkers, matching this against teleworking's defining characteristics, which appear in the literature. Our evaluation leads us to question whether the term ‘teleworking’ has lost much of its value in today's working world. We therefore suggest the new term ‘home‐anchored worker’ as a less complex and more useful replacement.
Contusive spinal cord injury evokes localized changes in NADPH‐d activity but extensive changes in Fos‐like immunoreactivity in the rat
Authors: Allbutt Haydn N. , Siddall Phillip J. , Keay Kevin A.
Published: June 2007

The histological detection of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate‐diaphorase (NADPH‐d), a marker for nitric oxide‐producing cells, was used to evaluate ongoing changes in the neural biochemistry of the rat spinal cord 1 week following contusive spinal cord injury (SCI). In addition, the immunohistochemical detection of the immediate‐early gene c‐fos was used to identify basal patterns of neural activity at this time. The numbers and laminar locations of NADPH‐d‐ and c‐fos‐positive cells were examined in spinal segments adjacent to the site of injury (T12–S3) as well as those distant from the injury (C3–C5) in both SCI and un‐injured rats. Our data show that contusive SCI results in a significant reduction in NADPH‐d labelling in the superficial dorsal horn, and a significant increase in NADPH‐d expression in small bipolar neurons and large motoneurons in the ventral horn at the site of the injury. In spinal segments distant to the injury site (C3–C5), NADPH‐d activity did not differ from that of uninjured controls. Furthermore, significant reductions in the levels of c‐fos expression were observed in SCI rats, in spinal segments both at and distant to the site of injury for all spinal laminae. The only exception was a dramatic increase observed in the sacral parasympathetic nucleus. These data suggest that increased NADPH‐d expression is related to conditions specific to the site of injury, whereas the changes in c‐fos expression probably indicate more global changes in neuronal activity following SCI.
Heart‐rate and blood‐pressure variability during psychophysiological tasks involving speech: Influence of respiration
Authors: Beda Alessandro , Jandre Frederico C. , Phillips David I.W. , Giannella‐Neto Antonio , Simpson David M.
Published: June 2007

Changes in heart‐rate and systolic arterial pressure variability (HRV and SAPV) indexes have been used in psychophysiology to assess autonomic activation, including during tasks involving speech. The current article clearly demonstrates in a sample of 25 adult subjects that the erratic and broadband respiratory patterns during such tasks violate the usual assumption that respiration is limited to the high‐frequency band (0.15–0.4 Hz). For these tasks, interindividual differences and rest–task changes in HRV and SAPV in the low‐frequency band (0.04–0.15 Hz) can be explained, to a large extent, by variations in the respiratory volume signal. This makes the use of HRV and SAPV as markers of autonomic function during these tasks highly questionable. Furthermore, a number of subjects with long respiratory period at rest were identified, whose presence in the sample can bias the estimation of baseline rest values.
Arousal and attention: Picture size and emotional reactions
Authors: Codispoti Maurizio , De Cesarei Andrea
Published: June 2007

Building on the assumption that the motivational relevance of an emotional scene depends on contextual factors such as proximity or stimulus size, the present study examined the effects of picture size on emotional perception using autonomic, facial, and subjective reactions. Affective changes were measured while participants viewed pictures presented in small, medium, and large sizes and varying in affective picture content. Whereas affective modulation of heart rate and Corrugator Supercilii muscle activity were not modulated by picture size, emotional modulation of skin conductance was absent for the smallest stimuli and increased linearly for the medium and largest stimulus sizes. Stimulus size modulated sympathetic changes possibly related to activation of the strategic motivational systems and action preparation. In contrast, responses related to orienting, categorization, and communicative functions did not covary with picture size.
Development and characterization of 45 novel microsatellite markers for sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus)
Authors: ZHAN AIBIN , BAO ZHENMIN , LU WEI , HU XIAOLI , PENG WEI , WANG MINGLING , HU JINGJIE
Published: June 2007

Simple sequence repeat‐enriched library screening and expressed sequence tag database mining were adopted to develop microsatellite markers for sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus). Eighty‐three microsatellite loci were selected for polymorphism assessment using 48 individuals. The results showed that 45 novel loci were polymorphic. The number of alleles ranged from two to 16, and the values of observed and expected heterozygosities varied from 0 to 0.9375 and from 0.1135 to 0.9674, respectively. No significant linkage disequilibrium between pairs of loci was found and 26 loci conformed to the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. These markers are therefore a potential tool for studies in the population structure and linkage map construction for A. japonicus.
Neoproterozoic ‘snowball Earth’ glaciations and the evolution of altruism
Authors: BOYLE R. A. , LENTON T. M. , WILLIAMS H. T. P.
Published: June 2007

We hypothesize that a demographic and ecological effect of Neoproterozoic ‘snowball Earth’ glaciations was to increase the fitness of group‐level traits and consequently the likelihood of the evolution of macroscopic form. Extreme and repeated founder effects raised genetic relatedness – and therefore the influence of kin selection on the individuals within a group. This was permissive for the evolution of some highly costly altruistic traits, including those for macroscopic differentiation. In some eukaryotic species, the harsh and fluctuating abiotic conditions made a macroscopic physiology advantageous, perhaps necessary, for collective survival. This caused population‐wide group viability selection, whereby non‐altruist ‘cheat’ genotypes killed the groups they were in, and therefore themselves, by reaching fixation. Furthermore, dispersal between refugia would reach zero under anything near a ‘hard snowball’, which would protect altruists at high local frequency from the influx of cheats from neighbouring groups. We illustrate our hypothesis analytically and with a simple spatial model. We show how removal of between‐group dispersal, in a population with initial between‐group variation in cheat frequency, causes the relative frequency of altruists to increase while the population as a whole decreases in size, as a result of group death caused by cheat invasion. This may be of particular relevance to animal multicellularity because irreversible differentiation (highly altruistic in that it imposes a high fitness cost on the individual cell) is more prevalent than in other multicellular eukaryotes. The relevance of our hypothesis should be scaled by any future consensus on the severity of snowball Earth, but it is theoretically plausible that global‐scale glaciations had a systematic influence on the level of selection during Earth history.
Calotropis procera latex‐induced inflammatory hyperalgesia – effect of bradyzide and morphine
Authors: Kumar Vijay L. , Sehgal Raman
Published: June 2007

The milky white latex of the plant Calotropis procera induces inflammatory response upon accidental exposure and on local administration that could be effectively ameliorated by antihistaminic and standard anti‐inflammatory drugs.

 The aim of the present study was to evaluate the anti‐oedematogenic and analgesic effect of the bradykinin antagonist, bradyzide (BDZ) and the opioidergic analgesic, morphine (Mor) against inflammatory hyperalgesia induced by the dried latex (DL) of C. procera in the rat paw oedema model.

 An aqueous solution of DL (0.1 ml of 1% solution) was injected into the sub‐plantar surface of the rat paw and the paw volume was measured at different time intervals. The inhibitory effect of bradyzide and morphine on oedema formation and hyperalgesic response was compared with that of cyproheptadine (CPH), a potent inhibitor of DL‐induced oedema formation.

 The hyperalgesic response was evaluated by the dorsal flexion pain test, compression test and by observing motility, stair‐climbing ability, and the grooming behaviour of the rats.

 The effect of these drugs was also evaluated against DL‐induced writhings in the mouse model.

 Both bradyzide and morphine inhibited DL‐induced oedema formation by 30–40% and CPH was more effective in this regard (81% inhibition). The antihyperalgesic effect of both the drugs was more pronounced than that of CPH. Both bradyzide and morphine markedly inhibited the grooming behaviour and the effect of morphine could be reversed by pretreatment with naloxone.

 Thus, our study shows that DL‐induced oedema formation is effectively inhibited by antihistaminic/antiserotonergic drug and associated hyperalgesia by analgesic drugs.
CONCENTRATED OPENING VOLUME: MARKET CLOSURE OR STRATEGIC TRADING?
Authors: Asem Ebenezer
Published: June 2007

The NYSE extended its trading hours on September 30, 1985, by opening at 9:30 a.m. rather than at 10:00 a.m. Whereas the market closure models predict that the extension would result in lower relative volume and return variability at the open, the strategic trading models predict that the opening volume and return variability would remain relatively the same. Evidence around the extension suggests that the relative opening volume and return variability declined initially but increased gradually to their pre‐extension levels. This evidence favors the strategic trading model explanation of the heightened opening volume.
Politics and the Academy
Authors: Gould Julius
Published: June 2007

IT WILL BE NO NEWS THAT THE ACADEMY IS IN FLUX – THAT there is once again a ‘crisis in the university’. It is easy to exaggerate this crisis – but today, in countries like the US A and Britain, it has special ‘linked’ features. In this article I explore some of these links, especially their ‘political’ dimension. Politics affect the universities (and other centres of higher education) in countless ways – through budgetary controls, through definition of ‘national needs’, and in some countries, though political control over appointments. The students, transient and often bewildered travellers through the university system, can be the harbingers, and sometimes the agents, of political change. The universities, again, are bound to reflect or resist old social values – and to create new ones. There are new problems for university ‘governments’. They are all pressed to revise their rules of discipline – and some are faced with an internal ‘anti-intellectual’ opposition. The torments at Berkeley, the dismissal of Clerk Kerr in the aftermath of Governor Reagan's victory in California, the disclosures of the links between American student bodies and the CIA, the protests of British Vice-Chancellors over ‘public accountability’, the ‘sit-in’ in the LSE, the slogans of ‘student power’ – these are largely, and in some cases, wholly, political landmarks of the university crisis.
Political Conflict in the Italian City States
Authors: Martines Lauro
Published: June 2007

POLITICAL OPPOSITION IN ITALIAN CITY STATES WAS NOT FOR MEN who valued themselves more than they valued politics. The stakes were too high. Exile or loss of life and property were too often the penalties. The difficult legal circumstances which attended organized political opposition went back to the early commune, to the fervour of the civil struggles that began late in the 12th century. These were to affect the character of the opposition down to the 16th century. If the contenders in political strife sometimes expressed a readiness to compromise, they revealed, just as often, an inability to do so. And in critical times the desire for the physical elimination of political opponents easily emerged.

Major rivalries of the 11th and 12th centuries inadvertently favoured the rise of local government. The communes – rendered bolder in many cases by their quickening economies – profited from the conflicts between papacy and empire, between the emperor and the German princes, and between the episcopal and comital powers in Italy. As imperial authority waned, local groups all over north and central Italy pressed forward to take over the administration of their own affairs.
The Interweaving of Foreign and Domestic Policy‐Making
Authors: Parry Geraint
Published: June 2007

These Words Spoken By President Clinton At His Inauguration on 20 January 1993 can usefully serve as a leitmotif for the present issue of the journal Government and Opposition. The issue is itself the outcome of a conference organized by the journal and the Department of Government of the University of Manchester. The theme was the ‘Influences of Domestic and International Factors on Processes of Policy-Making’. However, this title does not quite catch the interactive quality of the phenomenon which the group was seeking to examine. Increasingly, it has been contended, policies at the domestic level whether in what we once called the first, second or third worlds are being profoundly influenced by international or ‘global’ considerations. But it is also the case that international agreements are being accommodated to the sensitivities of the domestic politics of the partners.
Foreign Policy‐Making: Reflections of a Practitioner
Authors: Crowe Brian L.
Published: June 2007

The Impact of Domestic Policy on International relations and vice versa has seldom been more clearly demonstrated than in late autumn 1992, with the near collapse in November of the Uruguay Round and the series of events in the European Community surrounding the Danish and French referenda and Britian's forced withdrawal from the ERM being only the two most glaring examples.
The Impact of the Information Revolution on Parliamentary Sovereignties
Authors: Ionescu Ghiţa
Published: June 2007

This Rather Cumbersome Title Might Be Easier to understand if it was first explained in which sense the two concepts which it contains are taken here. Thus ‘information revolution’ is taken to mean not only the scientific and technological revolution, which has culminated in the microelectronic revolution, but also the two major geopolitical consequences of the information revolution: ‘interdependence’ and ‘globalization’. The question posed here is how this vast complex influences and changes the functioning, some would say, even the existence of parliamentary sovereignties.
The Significance of the Italian Elections
Authors: Sidoti Francesco
Published: June 2007

FREQUENTLY IT HAPPENS IN HISTORY THAT REVOLUTION is followed by restoration or sometimes by reaction. The events that have convulsed Italy for the past two years can be described as a legal revolution. The Italian elections of 27 and 28 March can be seen as forms of restoration, or reaction, or continuation of revolution by other means. From 1992, the enthusiastic popular acclaim which accompanied the thundering clang of prison doors and the scandalous tumble of famous heads resulted in an unexpected final conclusion: the victory of an assorted coalition of rightist and moderate forces, the Freedom Alliance, led by the media magnate Silvio Berlusconi, which gained an absolute majority in the Chamber of Deputies and a qualified majority in the Senate. It was the most important Italian election since 1948, when, after the abolition of the monarchy, Stalinists attempted to seize power democratically.
New Economic Liberalism and Democracy in Spanish America
Authors: Philip George
Published: June 2007

Spanish America Has Moved From The Status of Debt crisis region to that of emerging market in the past few years, and has done so without great political upheaval. So can economic liberalism and democratic institutions work together in the region? Neither phenomenon is really new in Spanish America. However they have often been regarded as potentially antagonistic or even mutual exclusive. Indeed there have been times when the two concepts seemed to be competitors rather than allies. If they are now (mostly) allies, this is not primarily because old-fashioned modernization theory has been proved right all along, but because of changes in both the internationalenvironment (political as well as economic) and in the character of democratic politics in much of Spanish America.
Prospects for Democracy in Zambia
Authors: Panter-Brick Keith
Published: June 2007

The Success of The Movement For Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) is too recent an event to permit any firm assessment of changes taking place in the Zambian political system. These are, however, probably weighted in favour of a more democratic regime. A situation has arisen in which the powers of the President and those of a parliamentary opposition hang in the balance. In Africa presidents have tended to gain the upper hand but this may prove not to be the case in Zambia.
The Anti‐Poll Tax Non‐Payment Campaign and Liberal Concepts of Political Obligation
Authors: Bellamy Richard
Published: June 2007

Resistance To The Poll Tax Has Been Described As ‘The greatest popular rejection of unjust law since Chartist time’. During the period 1990 – 91, for example, summonses for nonpayment in England and Wales were taken out agaha nearly a quarter of those registered for the charge, whilst in Scotland approximately 38 per cent of the registered population were pursued by legal means. Somewhat surprisingly in the light of the large numbers of people involved and the undoubted role which the unpopularity of the tax played in Mrs Thatcher's removal from the premiership, the campaign has reccived little attention from political scientists and none, as far as I know, from legal or political philosophers.
Peace, Commerce and Democracy
Authors: Ionescu Ghiţa
Published: June 2007

The Coincidence In Time of The Commemoration of the First World War and the end of the negotiations of the Uruguay round of the GATT Treaty has not only a clear symbolic but also a chastening meaning. Above all, even above its economic significance, it has a political meaning already familiar to the readers of this journal, but which now can and must be fully explained as we look at the 550 pages of text signed by the 117 members of the new World Trade Organization (WTO).

Now, of course, before we take it for granted that everything has been finalized we should realize that, on the one hand, the treaty must be ratified (like the Maastricht Treaty) and that there may be some doubts about President Clinton's power to persuade the irate Hollywood celluloid-makers and about Premier Ministre Balladur's ability to influence unconvinced French farmers that the treaty was such a great French success, not to speak of the reservations of many developing countries.
Review of the genus Tisis Walker in Java and Sumatra, with descriptions of four new species (Lepidoptera: Lecithoceridae)
Authors: PARK Kyu‐Tek
Published: June 2007

The genus Tisis Walker in Java and Sumatra, Indonesia, is reviewed, four new species of the genus, T. javaica sp. nov., T. aurifasciata sp. nov., T. diehli sp. nov., and T. sumatraensis sp. nov., are described as new to science, and some taxonomic notes for all previously known species from this area are given. Descriptions and color images of adults, and figures of the male and female genitalia of the new species are provided.
Urinary Dolichol—A Doubtful Marker of Alcoholism
Authors: Stetter Friedhelm , Gaertner Hans Jörg , Wiatr Gerlinde , Mann Karl , Breyer‐Pfaff Ursula
Published: June 2007

The purpose of this study was to replicate the results of Pullarkat and Raguthu1 and Roine el al.2 who found elevated levels of urinary dolichol (long‐chain 2,3‐d‐ihydropolyprenoIs) in chronic alcoholic patients. We investigated a sample of 21 alcohol‐dependent inpatients voluntarily entering detoxification treatment. Urinary dolichol was only slightly increased as compared to 21 healthy controls. When dolichol was related to urinary creatinine no differences between alcoholic patients and controls could be found. Under conditions of confirmed abstinence the slightly elevated levels of dolichol returned to normal within 2 weeks. Compared with the sensitivity of γ‐glutamyltranrferase which ranges from 72–85%, the value of urinary dolichol (sensitivity 9–19%) as a biochemical marker of alcoholism must be doubted.
Measures of Maternal Alcohol Use as Predictors of Development in Early Childhood
Authors: Russell Marcia , Czarnecki Donna M. , Cowan Richard , McPherson Elizabeth , Mudar Pamela J.
Published: June 2007

The effect of prenatal alcohol exposure on growth, dysmorphology, and cognitive development at 6 years was examined in children whose mothers had completed a self‐administered questionnaire during pregnancy. Drinking patterns prior to pregnancy recognition and indications of problem drinking (IPD) were assessed. Heavier alcohol intake was associated with slower growth in height and head circumference and increased dysmorphology, as evidenced by facial features associated with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and the prevalence of probable/possible fetal alcohol effects (FAE). Indications of problem drinking predicted facial features associated with FAS and cognitive deficits (i.e., lower WPPSl Verbal IQ scores and lower scores on a test of receptive language function, the Token lest). Effects of alcohol consumption on head circumference and of indications of problem drinking on Verbal IQ and Token lest scores remained significant, even after excluding children born to mothers having drinkers (over seven drinks a day) and children with probable/ possible FAE. Verbal IQ was an average of 7.1 points (95% confidence interval = 0.01, 14.25) lower among children born to mothers having more than one indication of problem drinking than it was among those born to women having fewer indications; Token lest scores were 4.3 points lower (95% confidence interval = 1.38, 7.24). Although the confidence intervals for these estimates are broad in this small, heterogeneous sample, their magnitude, if confirmed, is significant given that the population standard deviation for Verbal IQ is 15, and that for the Token lest is 5.
CAGE as a Predictor of Hazardous Alcohol Consumption in U.S. Army Personnel
Authors: Fertig Joanne B. , Allen John P. , Cross Gerald M.
Published: June 2007

Sensitivities, specificities, and odds ratios for hazardous drinking for various cut scores on the CAGE are computed for a large sample active duty Army personnel. Contrasts on these properties are made between the standard CAGE and a “modified CAGE” consisting of standard CAGE items and two other items dealing with problematic drinking. The role of demographic variables–gender, ethnicity, marital status, rank category, and age in mediating relationships of both versions of the screening test to hazardous drinking–is also explored. At a cutoff score of one endorsed item, odds ratios were highest for female personnel and commissioned officers.
Effect of 4‐(Diethylamino)benzaldehyde on Ethanol Metabolism in Mice
Authors: Mahmoud Mahmoud I. E. , Potter James J. , Colvin O. Michael , Hilton John , Mezey Esteban
Published: June 2007

The compound 4‐(diethylamino)benzaldehyde (DEAB) is a potent inhibitor of cytosolic (class 1) aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) in vitro and can overcome cyclophosphamide resistance in murine leukemia cells characterized by their high content of ALDH. In this study, we examined the in vivo effect of DEAB in mice on ethanol metabolism and on antipyrine clearance as a measure of the microsomal mixed function oxidase activity. DEAB administered in doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg increased the blood acetaldehyde concentration and decreased the plasma acetate concentration in mice treated with ethanol. A pharmacokinetic approach demonstrated that DEAB in doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg inhibited the fraction of ethanol converted to acetate by 32.5 and 67.5%, respectively. This inhibition was comparable with that produced by disulfiram. DEAB produced optimal inhibition of ALDH 10–15 min after administration. DEAB did not change the half‐life or the total clearance of antipyrine. We conclude that DEAB is a potent inhibitor of ALDH in vivo and has no effect on the mixed function oxidase activity as determined by antipyrine clearance.
Effects of Chronic Ethanol Consumption on G Proteins in Brain Areas Associated with the Nigrostriatal and Mesolimbic Dopamine Systems
Authors: Pellegrino Susan M. , Woods James M. , Druse Mary J.
Published: June 2007

This study examined the effects of chronic ethanol consumption on the content of G proteins in brain areas associated with the nigrostriatal and mesolimbic dopamine systems of male Fischer 344 rats, aged 3, 5, or 13 months at the time of killing. In addition, G protein mRNA was assessed in 3‐month‐old rats. G proteins were examined in ethanol‐fed rats because a number of studies have implicated these proteins with both the acute and chronic effects of ethanol. Brain areas associated with the nigrostriatal and mesolimbic dopamine systems were examined because of the evidence that these systems are sensitive to ethanol. The brain areas examined include the substantia nigra (SN), striatum (ST), globus pallidas (GP), frontal cortex (FCX), nucleus accumbens (NA), ventral tegmental area (VTA), and ventral pallidum (VP).

These experiments demonstrated that the 3‐month‐old rats that consumed a 6.6% (v/v) ethanol‐containing liquid diet for 4 weeks had a significant (?30–40%) increase in the mRNA content of G13α, in the FCX, VTA, and VP, and a significant (?20%) decrease of that for G0α in the SN. Nonetheless, the content of the G0α protein subunit was not altered. In addition, there were no significant differences in the content of the proteins detected by antibodies to G6α, G0α, G11α/G12α, and G0α/G13α in the FCX, NA, and ST of similarly treated older rats (5 and 13 months). The content of mRNA for the other G proteins examined in the seven brain areas of 3‐month‐old rats was unaffected by chronic ethanol exposure.
Granulocyte Colony‐Stimulating Factor Prevents Ethanol‐Induced Impairment in Host Defense in Septic Rats
Authors: Lang Charles H. , Molina Patricia E. , Abumrad Naji N.
Published: June 2007

Ethanol is a potent immunosuppressive agent that impairs neutrophil effector function. The purpose of this study was to determine whether granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF), a cytokine that increases neutrophil number and functional activity, could prevent the ethanol‐induced impairment of antibacterial host defense. Rats were injected with human recombinant G‐CSF for 2 days. Eight hr after the last injection of G‐CSF, animals were infused with ethanol (or saline) for 1 hr before the subcutaneous injection of live Escherichia coli. The infusion of alcohol was continued after the bacterial challenge and produced blood alcohol levels of 275–300 mg/dl. In control animals, the injection of E. coll resulted in a marked leukopenia. There was an influx of leukocytes into the subcutaneous space where the bacteria were injected, and neutrophil accumulation in tissues adjacent to the focus of infection (i.e., dorsal skin and muscle). Based on myeloperoxidase activity, there was no detectable accumulation of neutrophils in other soft tissues. In acutely intoxicated rats, leukocyte migration to the inflammatory site was impaired, and the number of viable bacteria isolated from the subcutaneous pocket was markedly increased. G‐CSF prevented the sepsis‐induced leukopenia, increased the influx of neutrophils in to the infection site, reduced the number of bacteria in the subcutaneous lavage fluid, and decreased the incidence of bacteremia in ethanol‐treated rats when compared with rats not receiving G‐CSF. These results demonstrate that G‐CSF is a potent immunomodulator that stimulates neutrophil recruitment selectively to the site of infection and that can be used to ameliorate the ethanol‐induced impairment in bacterial host defense.
Adrenalectomy But Not Adrenal Demedullation During Pregnancy Prevents the Growth‐Retarding Effects of Fetal Alcohol Exposure
Authors: Tritt Susan H. , Tio Delia L. , Brammer Gary L. , Taylor Anna N.
Published: June 2007

Growth retardation, both in the prenatal and the early neonatal period, is a consistent feature of fetal alcohol exposure, but the mechanism by which alcohol affects growth has not been eludicated. Because other stressors–such as maternal restraint and neonatal glucocorticoid treatment–can also affect growth, we examined the effect of ethanol on pup birthweight under two experimental conditions that altered maternal adrenal function. In the first study when dams were adrenalectomized and given low replacement doses of dexamethasone, the ethanol‐exposed offspring of the adrenalectomized dams had birthweights similar to those of dams maintained on regular lab chow diets. In a second study, we found that maternal adrenal demedullation did not alter the reduction in birthweight produced by fetal ethanol exposure. The results suggest that the effects of ethanol on fetal growth may be mediated in part through ethanol‐induced changes in the function of the maternal adrenal cortex.
A Potential Contribution to Ethanol Withdrawal Kindling: Reduced GABA Function in the Inferior Collicular Cortex
Authors: McCown Thomas J. , Breese George R.
Published: June 2007

Because multiple withdrawals from chronic ethanol treatment facilitate the rate of kindling from the inferior collicular cortex, the following studies sought to identity potential sources of this long‐term change in seizure sensitivity. When rats received 6 or 10 withdrawals from a 5‐day ethanol liquid diet, a significant decrease was found in the threshold frequency for seizure genesis, 6–7 days postwithdrawal. The magnitude of this change was related to the number of withdrawals (6 withdrawals, ‐2.0 ± 0.3 Hz; 10 withdrawals, ‐3.2 ± 1.2 Hz). Thus, multiple ethanol withdrawals increased seizure sensitivity within the inferior collicular cortex. On the following day in the same animals, changes in inhibitory or excitatory function were evaluated within the inferior collicular cortex. We found a withdrawal‐related increase in the effectiveness of bicuculline to reduce the seizure threshold current within the inferior collicular cortex. Seizure sensitivity to collicular N‐methyl‐d‐aspartic acid (NMDA) microinjection was decreased after 6 ethanol withdrawals, and increased after 10 withdrawals, but control liquid diet animals exhibited similar responses to collicular NMDA microinjection. Therefore, multiple withdrawals from ethanol alters the seizure sensitivity within the inferior collicular cortex. One possible contribution to this change is a local decrease in GABA inhibitory function.
Relationship Between Alcohol Intake and Immunoglobulin A Immunoreactivity with Acetaldehyde‐Modified Bovine Serum Albumin
Authors: Worrall Simon , de Jersey John , Wilce Peter A. , Seppä Kaija , Hurme Liisa , Sillanaukee Pekka
Published: June 2007

Acetaldehyde, the main metabolite of ethanol, is a highly reactive species that reacts with macromolecules to produce unstable and stable adducts. Acetaldehyde‐modifled proteins are immunogenic and have been detected in the liver and blood of alcoholics. Furthermore, antibodies reactive with acetaldehyde‐modified proteins have been detected in the plasma of social drinkers and alcoholics. However, the class distribution of immunoglobulins reactive with modified proteins was different in the two groups, being predominantly immunoglobulin (Ig)M in social drinkers, but IgM and IgA in alcoholics. In this study, we demonstrate that heavy drinkers (alcohol intake > 130 g/week for females and 150 g/week for males) also exhibit IgA reactivity with acetaldehyde‐modified proteins. The IgA adduct‐spe‐cific reactivity (IgA reactivity with acetaldehyde‐modified bovine serum albumin‐reactivity with native bovine serum albumin) showed a moderate correlation with self‐reported alcohol intake, but did not correlate with markers such as plasma transaminase, γ‐glutamyl‐transferase activity, or mean corpuscular volume. IgA adduct‐spe‐cific reactivity had similar specificity to the conventional tests of alcohol abuse, but had higher sensitivity than the other tests, especially with heavy drinkers. Data presented herein demonstrate that elevated IgA reactivity with acetaldehyde‐modified epitopes is associated with heavy drinking and is a potential marker for high alcohol intake.
Differential Effects of Ethanol on Feline Rage and Predatory Attack Behavior: An Underlying Neural Mechanism
Authors: Schubert Kristie , Shaikh Majid B. , Han Yuchan , Poherecky Larissa , Siegel Allan
Published: June 2007

Previous studies have shown that, at certain dose levels, ethanol can exert a powerful, facilitory effect on aggressive behavior in both animals and humans. In the cat, however, it was discovered that ethanol differentially alters two forms of aggression that are common to this species. Defensive rage behavior is significantly enhanced, whereas predatory attack behavior is suppressed by ethanol administration. One possible mechanism governing alcohol's potentiation of defensive rage behavior is that it acts on the descending pathway from the medial hypothalamus to the midbrain periaq‐ueductal gray (PAG)—an essential pathway for the expression of defensive rage behavior that uses excitatory amino acids as a neu‐rotransmitter. This hypothesis is supported by the finding that the excitatory effects of alcohol on defensive rage behavior are blocked by administration of the N‐methyl‐o‐aspartate antagonist dl‐2‐ami‐no‐7‐phosphoheptanoic acid (AP‐7) when microinjected into the periaqueductal gray, a primary neuronal target of descending fibers from the medial hypothalamus that mediate the expression of defensive rage behavior. Thus, the present study establishes for the first time a specific component of the neural circuit for defensive rage behavior over which the potentiating effects of ethanol are mediated.
The Power of Doing: A Learning Exercise that Brings the Central Limit Theorem to Life
Authors: Price Barbara A. , Zhang Xiaolong
Published: June 2007

This article demonstrates an active learning technique for teaching the Central Limit Theorem (CLT) in an introductory undergraduate business statistics class. Groups of students carry out one of two experiments in the lab, tossing a die in sets of 5 rolls or tossing a die in sets of 10 rolls. They are asked to calculate the sample average of each experiment. An easy‐to‐use Excel template is designed to calculate the averages from the students' dice rolls. Empirical histograms are generated dynamically for both sample sizes of 5 and 10 rolls, visually demonstrating the convergence toward a bell‐shaped distribution for the sample means. Our classroom experiences with the learning approach show that most students view it as fun and valuable to their learning of the concepts underlying the CLT.
A Simulation Based on Goldratt's Matchstick/Die Game
Authors: Martin Clarence H.
Published: June 2007

This teaching brief presents a Microsoft® Excel simulation designed to complement and expand upon the well‐known matchstick/die game introduced by Goldratt in The Goal. This simulation performs 100 replications of a 40‐period processing run for low, medium, and high levels of process variation and displays the comparative results graphically. A single keystroke repeats the process and updates the displays so that the stability of the essential conclusions in the face variation is illustrated dynamically. Suggestions for using the simulation in class are included.
Role of Parasternal Data Acquisition During Contrast Enhanced Real‐Time Three‐Dimensional Echocardiography
Authors: Nemes Attila , Geleijnse Marcel L. , Vletter Wim B. , Krenning Boudewijn J. , Soliman Osama I.I. , Cate Folkert J. ten
Published: June 2007

Background: Recent technical developments have resulted in high‐resolution real time three‐dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE). The purpose of this study was to investigate the beneficial role of parasternal‐acquired images in addition to apical‐acquired images during contrast stress RT3DE. Methods: The study comprised 30 consecutive patients (52 ± 11 years, 18 males) with chest pain referred for routine stress testing. The contrast RT3DE images were acquired from the apical and parasternal window with a Sonos 7500 echo system attached to a X4 matrix array transducer. Results: From the apical and parasternal acquisition, 464 segments (91%) and 267 segments (52%) could be analyzed, respectively (P < 0.001). From the apical window, more basal segments were not analyzable (22 of 180, 12% vs. 24 of 330, 7%; P = 0.06). From the parasternal window, more apical segments were not analyzable (117 of 150, 78% vs. 126 of 360, 35%; P < 0.01). The mean image quality index of the 464 analyzable segments from the apical‐acquired images was 2.43. Fourteen of 180 basal segments (8%), 12 of 180 midventricular segments (7%) and 2 of 150 apical segment (1%) were only available with parasternal data acquisition. In addition to these 28 segments, 79 segments (15%) already visualized from the apical window improved in quality. The overall mean image quality index, now assessed from 492 (96%) of all segments, using both the apical and parasternal acquired data, improved to 2.74 (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Addition of parasternal to apical acquisition of contrast RT3DE data can decrease the number of nonvisualized segments and improve mean image quality.
Prognostic Role of Left Atrial Volume in Elderly Patients with Symptomatic Stable Chronic Heart Failure: Comparison with Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction and B‐Type Natriuretic Peptide
Authors: Popescu Bogdan A. , Popescu Andreea C. , Antonini‐Canterin Francesco , Rubin Daniela , Cappelletti Piero , Piazza Rita , Ginghina Carmen , Dimulescu Doina , Beladan Carmen C. , Luigi Nicolosi Gian
Published: June 2007

Background: Left atrial (LA) volume and B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP) represent powerful outcome predictors in patients with heart failure (HF).
Aim: To assess the comparative prognostic role of LA volume (indexed to body surface area, LAVi), left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) and BNP levels on long‐term outcome in patients with symptomatic but stable chronic HF. Methods: We studied consecutively 46 patients with symptomatic stable chronic HF (73 ± 10 years, 30 men), in sinus rhythm, without significant valvular disease. Echocardiographic measurements included: LV mass, LV volumes and ejection fraction, and LAVi. LVDD was graded using a comprehensive Doppler algorithm. Blood taken before echocardiography was assayed for BNP levels. Primary end point was combined: all‐cause mortality and hospitalization for worsening HF. Results: During 20 ± 14 months of follow‐up 19 events occurred: 8 deaths, and 11 hospitalizations for HF. In univariate analyses LAVi, LVDD, BNP levels, LV ejection fraction, LV volumes, and LV mass were significant outcome predictors (P < 0.05). At multivariate regression LAVi was the only independent predictor of outcome (hazard ratio: 1.03 per 1 ml/m2 increase, 95% CI: 1.01–1.06, P = 0.02). Conclusion: Although directly related to LVDD and to BNP levels, only LAVi emerged as an independent outcome predictor in this cohort of elderly patients with symptomatic stable chronic HF.