bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gross and Cytological Characteristics of Normal Canine Anal‐Sac Secretions
Authors: Lake A. M. , Scott D. W. , Miller W. H. , Erb H. N.
Published: August 2004

A study was conducted to characterize the gross and cytological characteristics of secretions from normal canine anal sacs. Fifty dogs with no recent history of anal‐sac disease were selected consecutively and their anal sacs manually expressed. Of the 47 dogs with known or estimated ages, 27 were <1 year olds. However, these youngest dogs were not significantly different from the rest in cell counts, viscosity, or presence of dark or light solid portions of the secretions. For all dogs combined, the secretions typically contained 41 (median) corneocytes per 400× magnification microscopic field, lots of basophilic background debris, and a mixture of Gram‐positive cocci (173 per field; median), Gram‐positive rods (29 per field; median), and Gram‐negative rods (two per field; median). Although median counts across 10 400× fields per sac indicated no leucocytes or yeasts, many of the normal dogs had an occasional 400× field with non‐degenerate neutrophils and yeasts. Erythrocytes were not a feature of these anal‐sac secretions, and mononuclear leucocytes were found only rarely. Extreme heterogeneity existed in gross colour, consistency and the amount of solid material. Thus, these latter parameters probably would not be valid indicators of anal‐sac disease.
Vertebral Mineral Density Measured by Dual‐energy X‐ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) in a Group of Healthy Italian Boxer Dogs
Authors: Zotti A. , Isola M. , Sturaro E. , Menegazzo L. , Piccinini P. , Bernardini D.
Published: August 2004

We studied the feasibility of using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DEXA) to obtain reference bone density values in relation to age, gender and body weight in growing and young adult Italian boxer dogs. The study was performed on eight animals (three males and five females) at 7, 12 and 18 months of age. Animals were carefully examined and blood samples were collected from each dog to detect any sign of metabolic and/or endocrine disease. Each subject underwent radiographs to evaluate growth of the spine and hip. One female was not considered in the statistical model because of the development of grade 4 spondylosis deformans during the study period. All animals were serially scanned using DEXA; the region of interest was the whole spine T12‐L2, while the subregions of interest were the four vertebrae (T12‐T13‐L1‐L2) within the scanned spine. Statistical analysis was performed separately for each region of interest. Age had the strongest relationship with bone density (P < 0.001). Gender effect on spinal mineral density was not significant while vertebral site effect was highly significant. Average bone mineral density (BMD) ± SD for the whole spine trait was 0.862 ± 0.108g/cm2 while average BMD ± SD for subregions of interest ranged from 0.836 ± 0.141 g/cm2 for T12 to 0.928 ± 0.119g/cm2 for L2. Estimated reference BMD values at 7, 12 and 18 months of age for each vertebral site in males and females are provided.
Anaesthesia with Midazolam/Medetomidine/Fentanyl in Chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera) Compared to Anaesthesia with Xylazine/Ketamine and Medetomidine/Ketamine
Authors: Henke J. , Baumgartner C. , Röltgen I. , Eberspächer E. , Erhardt W.
Published: August 2004

We studied four different drug regimes for anaesthetic management in chinchillas and evaluated and compared their cardiovascular and respiratory effects. In this randomized, cross‐over experimental study, seven adult chinchillas, five females, two males [515 ± 70 (SD) g] were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: group 1 [midazolam, medetomidine and fentanyl (MMF), flumazenil, atipamezole and naloxone (FAN); MMF–FAN] received 1.0 mg/kg midazolam, 0.05 mg/kg medetomidine and 0.02 mg/kg fentanyl i.m., and for reversal 0.1 mg/kg flumazenil, 0.5 mg/kg atipamezole and 0.05 mg/kg naloxone s.c. after 45 min; group 2 (MMF) 1.0 mg/kg midazolam, 0.05 mg/kg medetomidine and 0.02 mg/kg fentanyl i.m.; group 3 [xylazine/ketamine (X/K)] 2.0 mg/kg xylazine and 40.0 mg/kg ketamine i.m.; and group 4 [medetomidine/ketamine (M/K)] 0.06 mg/kg medetomidine and 5.0 mg/kg ketamine i.m. Reflexes were judged to determine anaesthetic stages and planes. Anaesthesia with X/K and M/K was associated with a prolonged surgical tolerance and recovery period. By reversing MMF, recovery period was significantly shortened (5 ± 1.3 min versus 40 ± 10.3 min in MMF without FAN, 73 ± 15.0 min in X/K, and 31 ± 8.5 min in M/K). Without reversal, MMF produced anaesthesia lasting 109 ± 16.3 min. All combinations decreased respiratory and heart rate but compared with X/K and M/K, respiratory and cardiovascular complications were less in the MMF groups. Focussing on the clinical relevance of the tested combinations, completely reversible anaesthesia showed two major advantages: anaesthesia can be antagonized in case of emergency and routinely shortens recovery. In small animals particularly these advantages lead to less complications and discomfort and thus often can be lifesaving. As all analgesic components (medetomidine and fentanyl) are reversed, postoperative analgesia should be provided before reversal of anaesthesia.
Diagnostic Correlation of CT–MRI and Histopathology in 10 Dogs with Brain Neoplasms
Authors: Polizopoulou Z. S. , Koutinas A. F. , Souftas V. D. , Kaldrymidou E. , Kazakos G. , Papadopoulos G.
Published: August 2004

Ten dogs with primary (n = 8) and metastatic (n = 2) brain tumours were studied in an attempt to evaluate the diagnostic sensitivity of computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Of the clinical signs noticed, seizures (seven of 10), behavioural abnormalities and cognition dysfunction (seven of 10), compulsive walking and circling (six of 10), sensorimotor (five of 10) and neuro‐opthalmological (two of 10) dysfunction were the most common. In all 10 animals that finally died of the disease or were killed, the histopathological diagnosis that followed necropsy was taken as a golden standard in the CT or MRI prediction of the histological type of brain neoplasms. In every instance, tumour detection, morphology and histological differentiation were possible with the aid of either CT (seven of 10) or MRI (three of 10) imaging especially after contrast enhancement. Only one CT‐evaluated dog, diagnosed as meningioma, was found to be astrocytoma on histopathology. Interestingly, a rare case of cerebellar medulloblastoma was correctly identified in MRI scans.
Spontaneous Extraskeletal Osteosarcomas of the Subcutis in Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus): Report of two cases
Authors: Madarame H. , Itoh A. , Hirose M. , Ogihara K.
Published: August 2004

Spontaneous subcutaneous extraskeletal osteosarcoma was diagnosed in the subcutaneous tissue of two Djungarian hamsters. Histologically, the tumour was characterized by multiple nests of osseous and cartilaginous components within a proliferation of pleomorphic cells. No abnormality was observed in any skeletal bones and no change suggesting tumorous growth was observed in any other sites. This is the first report of extraskeletal osteosarcomas in Djungarian hamsters.
Improving the Recognition of Qualifications in the Framework of the Bologna Process
Authors: RAUHVARGERS ANDREJS
Published: August 2004

Whereas supra‐national higher education policies in the past decade have been criticised for their possible harm to the national governments’ autonomy, the Bologna process — as an international agreement — has received much more positive reactions from national governments, at least in the rhetoric sense. Nevertheless, a variety of approaches of governments can be noted to do justice to the agreements made in the Bologna Declaration (1999). In this article, we shall try to explain the (gradual) change from Euroscepticism to acceptance of harmonisation attempts in higher education. We shall furthermore exemplify this change process by looking at developments in a number of European countries: UK, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Austria and Germany.
Selznick Interviewed: Philip Selznick in Conversation with Roger Cotterrell
Authors: Cotterrell Roger
Published: August 2004

Philip Selznick enjoys world‐wide respect as a sociologist and, unusually among prominent contemporary sociological theorists, he has made law a main focus of his work. A leading pioneer of Anglo‐American legal sociology since the 1950s, he has pursued a distinctive scholarly approach, founded in Deweyan pragmatism, that treats ideals and values as fundamental concerns of social science, integral to its methods and aims. This orientation was first developed in his work in the sociology of organizations and is central to his sociology of law and to his writings since the 1980s on communitarianism, which combine philosophical and sociological analysis.
Some Reflections on the Relationship between Citizenship, Access to Justice, and the Reform of Legal Aid
Authors: Sommerlad Hilary
Published: August 2004

The reflexive, reciprocally constitutive relationship between law and society makes a substantive right of access to justice pivotal to the content of citizenship. It is therefore arguable that the establishment of legal aid, however limited in practice, was fundamental to the expanded citizenship which the post‐war settlement sought to achieve. However this social form of citizenship has been attenuated by the reconfiguration of the state and the neo‐liberal reconstruction of the public sector. Yet at the same time, the concepts of citizenship and social exclusion have become key discursive mechanisms in this reconstruction, including in the New Labour reform of the legal aid sector. This paper considers the various meanings attributed to the concepts of citizenship, social exclusion, and access to justice through the optic of the history of policy changes in legal aid. The impact of globalization and economic restructuring on social citizenship is explored, both in terms of the experience of recipients of public goods like legal services, and the professionals who supply them. The commensurability of the New Labour Community Legal Service (CLS) model with other models of justice is discussed. The conclusion briefly returns to the theme of law's ‘citizen‐constitutive’ role and considers the potential of the CLS for combating social exclusion.
Libertarian Bioethics and Religion: The Case of H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr.
Authors: Merry Michael S.
Published: August 2004

This paper is a critique of certain moral perspectives that are found in the second edition of Engelhardt's Foundation of Bioethics. These views are spelled out in explicit detail in his second edition, and follow on the heels of a profound religious conversion. Engelhardt is an eminent bioethicist with strong religious convictions that overlay much of his writing. The author wishes to question some of the conclusions that Engelhardt reaches as they touch upon moral frameworks, pluralism, and a ‘secular’ bioethics.
Research Ethics Committees: Differences and Moral Judgement
Authors: Edwards Sarah J.L. , Ashcroft Richard , Kirchin Simon
Published: August 2004

Many people argue that disagreements and inconsistencies between Research Ethics Committees are morally problematic and there has been much effort to ‘harmonise’ their judgements. Some inconsistencies are bad because they are due to irrationality, or carelessness, or the operation of conflicting interests, and so should be reduced or removed. Other inconsistencies, we argue, are not bad and should be left or even encouraged. In this paper we examine three arguments to reject the view that we should strive for complete consistency between committees. The first argument is that differences in judgement are not necessarily incompatible with ideas of justice for patients who are potential participants of research reviewed by different committees. We call this ‘the justice argument.’ The second argument is that such committees do not have access to a single moral truth, to which their judgement is supposed to correspond. We call this the ‘moral pluralism argument.’ The third argument is that the process of ethics committee review is also morally relevant and not solely the outcome. We call this the ‘due process argument.’ While we fall short of establishing exactly how much variation and on what substantive issues would be ethically permissible, we show that it is largely inevitable and that a certain amount of variation could be seen as a desirable part of the institution of medical research.
When Hope Makes Us Vulnerable: A Discussion of Patient–Healthcare Provider Interactions in the Context of Hope
Authors: Simpson Christy
Published: August 2004

When hope is discussed in bioethics’ literature, it is most often in the context of ‘false hopes’ and/or how to maintain hope while breaking bad news to patients. Little or no time is generally devoted to the description of hope that supports these analyses. In this paper, I present a detailed description of hope, one designed primarily for the healthcare context. Noting that hope is an emotional attitude, four key aspects are explored. In particular, the function of imagination in hope is discussed in depth. Through an examination of the relationship between hope and vulnerability, I demonstrate how adequately describing hope can broaden the normative inquiry into the role of hope in healthcare. Three ways in which persons with hope can be vulnerable are illustrated, and the challenge of how healthcare providers can attend in moral ways to the hopes of patients is identified.
Focus Group Interviews Examining Attitudes Towards Medical Research Among the Japanese: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Asai Atsushi , Ohnishi Motoki , Nishigaki Etsuyo , Sekimoto Miho , Fukuhara Shunichi , Fukui Tsuguya
Published: August 2004

Objectives: the purpose of this study is to explore laypersons’ attitudes towards and experiences of medical research, and to compare them with those of physicians in Japan.

Designs and Participants: fourteen Japanese adults from the general public and seven physicians participated in one of three focus interviews.

Setting: Osaka, Japan.

Results: trust and distrust in the physician by whom the participants were invited to participate in research played a considerable role in their decisions about participation. That the participants felt an obligation to participate was also expressed. The lay participants perceived medical research as something entirely outside of their world. A greater willingness to volunteer for research was expressed if there were direct benefits to themselves or their families. Research methods such as use of placebos, double blinds, and randomisations seemed to cause negative attitudes to medical research. All physicians were convinced of the need for medical research, including double‐blinded randomised control trials, and its significant role in medical progress. Most physicians thought that the greater awareness of the need for medical research in the community and a better understanding of the psychology of potential research participants were necessary and urgent.

Conclusions: there is a good possibility that the lay public and medical professionals have sharply different beliefs about and attitudes towards every aspect of medical research. Building up a better and equal patient‐doctor relationship based on trust is a key issue in medical research, and it is mandatory to fill the gap in perception regarding medical research between them through fully informed debates.
‘Mad Cows’ and Eurocrats—Community Responses to the BSE Crisis
Authors: Vincent Keith
Published: August 2004

Abstract: The initial Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy crisis, that is until the imposition of the EU‐wide ban on UK beef exports on 27 March 1996, and the failure of the institutions of the EU and Member States to react effectively and efficiently to this developing crisis, brought to light some of the faults in the food safety and animal health part of the EU's system of governance. Responding to criticisms and recommendations made in the aftermath of the initial crisis, particularly by the European Parliament, the EU has embarked on a process of reforming the administrative landscape in this area. This has included the setting‐up of a new regulatory agency, the European Food Safety Agency, and a commitment to the more effective use of scientific information. It is submitted that this could lead to the development of new information‐based scientific networks that inform and direct EU governance, networks which should contain the European Food Safety Agency at their centre.
Credible Commitment in Non‐Independent Regulatory Agencies: A Comparative Analysis of the European Agencies for Pharmaceuticals and Foodstuffs
Authors: Krapohl Sebastian
Published: August 2004

Abstract: The creation of more and more supranational regulatory agencies has been one of the most significant institutional developments in the European Union during the last decade. Usually, these agencies evolve from EU committees and take over most of their structures. Accordingly, like most EU committees and the Commission, regulatory agencies are not independent, but act under the control of the member states. The question is, how far do they indicate a credible commitment of the Member States to long‐term policy goals like health and consumer protection. This article compares the institutional structures and decision‐making rules of the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products and of the newly established European Food Safety Authority, in order to clarify the extent of credible commitment that the Member States show through the setting‐up of these agencies. It concludes that the commitment of the Member States in the foodstuff sector is not as deep as in the pharmaceutical sector, and that the creation of the European Food Safety Authority will not lead to a success story similar to that of the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products.
Food Safety and the Precautionary Principle: the Legitimate Moderation of Community Courts
Authors: Cazala Julien
Published: August 2004

Abstract: The precautionary principle, though not defined in the Community Treaties, has been the subject of numerous attempts at doctrinal systematisation. These efforts have, for the most part, dealt with organising how to adopt measures banning products or methods of production. Associated with this rigorous approach to the precautionary principle are questions on moratoriums and reversal of the burden of proof. Following this logic, one must understand that the precautionary principle obliges the initiator of a project (or the producer of foodstuffs) to prove the innocuousness of its product before putting it on the market. However, this concept of the precautionary principle, while held by the larger part of doctrinal opinion, is not shared by the Community courts. These have largely developed Community law on this point with a progressive corpus of decisions that give an increasingly specific definition of the concept. This attempt at definition leads to a rational presentation of the precautionary principle as a means of dealing with scientific uncertainty and not as a way of rejecting science. The aim of this article is to show that the conception held by Community courts, while apparently less protective of human health than the doctrinal conception, has the advantage of being effective; that is to say capable of practical application, while the more rigorous interpretation leads only to a protective Utopian dead‐end, which its defenders find themselves incapable of progressing beyond.
Implications of Enlargement for EC Agri‐Food Law: the Accession Treaty, its Transitional Arrangements, and Safeguard Clauses, December 2003
Authors: Inglis Kirstyn
Published: August 2004

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to anticipate the implications of the transitional arrangements contained in the Accession Treaty on the agri‐food acquis after enlargement on 1 May 2004. While the combination of the current reform of agri‐food law and the system of transitional arrangements will contribute to the complexity of EC agri‐food law, enlargement also raises other important implications for the future evolution of EC agri‐food law. Drawing on experiences gained as a result of the pre‐accession strategy, together with an analysis of the readiness of the new Member States to apply the agri‐food acquis, this paper concludes with a number of comments on the future evolution of the agri‐food acquis in a Union of twenty‐five Member States.
The European Community and the Adoption of International Food Standards within the Codex Alimentarius Commission
Authors: Poli Sara
Published: August 2004

Abstract: This article examines the way the European Community defends its interests in food safety matters within the Codex Alimentarius Commission. It shows that the European Community has strengthened its position as a policymaker within the Codex Commission. It also describes how the European members of the Codex Commission engaged (with mixed results) in the defence of certain principles typical of European food policy. These controversial principles are the precautionary principle, the need to consider factors other than science in determining food standards, and the need to label and make traceable food derived from biotechnology. Lastly, the article evaluates the function of the Codex Commission. Since, in at least two cases the discussions within the Codex Commission did not prevent WTO litigation, the value of the Codex Commission may be questioned. However, the overall assessment of the Codex Commission's activity is positive, since it provides an important and not easily replaceable forum to debate food safety issues, which are particularly sensitive for Codex members of the European Community.
Food Security and the Right to Food in the Discourse of the United Nations
Authors: Mechlem Kerstin
Published: August 2004

Abstract: The definition of food security now most commonly used, that of the 1996 World Food Summit, bears considerable resemblance to the definition of the right to food. Yet a right‐to‐food based approach to food security is distinct from other approaches to reducing hunger and malnutrition and complements food security considerations with dignity, rights acknowledgment, transparency, accountability, and empowerment concerns. It is based on an a priori commitment to the value of human dignity and makes the individual an agent of change in a way that enables him or her to hold governments accountable and to seek redress for violations of his or her rights. A right‐to‐food approach is not based on vague and replaceable policy goals subject to periodic redefinition, but on existing, comparatively specific and continuously becoming more precise obligations undertaken by governments. Therefore, the right to food cannot only be regarded as a means to achieve food security, but must be seen as a wider, more encompassing, and distinct objective in itself. Realizing the right to food should, furthermore, be part and parcel of rights‐based approaches to development that aim to implement all human rights obligations which States have committed themselves to under human rights law.
Cerebrovascular Response to Repetitive Visual Stimulation in Interictal Migraine with Aura
Authors: Nedeltchev K , Arnold M , Schwerzmann M , Nirkko A , Lagger F , Mattle HP , Sturzenegger M
Published: August 2004

Cortical hypersensitivity and absent habituation to different stimuli have been observed in migraine patients. These features might also be transmitted to the cerebral vasoreactivity, but results are conflicting so far. Transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) was used to assess cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) changes in the middle (MCA) and posterior cerebral arteries (PCA) in relation to repetitive checkerboard visual stimulation. Stimulation consisted of 10 consecutive cycles, each comprising 10 s stimulation and 10 s rest. TCD recordings were analysed using stimulus-related averaging algorithm. Data of 19 interictal migraineurs with aura were compared to those of 19 headache-free healthy volunteers. The CBFV increase in PCA and in MCA during visual stimulation was significantly larger and steeper in migraineurs than in controls ( P = 0.017 and P = 0.005). The response in PCA remained stable over the 10 stimulation cycles, both in migraineurs and in controls. The response in MCA was stable only in migraineurs. In controls it decreased over the last 5 stimulation cycles compared with the first 5 cycles ( P = 0.04). Migraineurs with aura exhibit a larger cerebrovascular response to repetitive visual stimulation compared to headache-free subjects. A reduced adaptation to environmental stimuli in migraine is suggested, since there was no habituation in migraineurs in contrast to healthy controls.
Characteristics of Menstrual and Nonmenstrual Attacks in Women with Menstrually Related Migraine Referred to Headache Centres
Authors: Granella F , Sances G , Allais G , Nappi RE , Tirelli A , Benedetto C , Brundu B , Facchinetti F , Nappi G
Published: August 2004

Aim of this study was to determine whether menstrual attacks differ from non-menstrual attacks (NMA) as regards clinical features or response to abortive treatment in women affected by menstrually related migraine (MRM) referred to tertiary care centres. Sixty-four women with MRM were enrolled in a 2-month diary study. Perimenstrual attacks were split into three groups – premenstrual (PMA), menstrual (MA) and late menstrual (LMA) – and compared to nonmenstrual ones. Perimenstrual attacks were significantly longer than NMA. No other migraine attack features were found to differ between the various phases of the cycle. Migraine work-related disability was significantly greater in PMA and MA than in NMA. Acute attack treatment was less effective in perimenstrual attacks. Pain-free at 2 h after dosage was achieved in 13.5% of MA (OR 0.41; 95% CI 0.22, 0.76) vs. 32.9% of NMA. We concluded that, in MRM, perimenstrual attacks are longer and less responsive to acute attack treatment than NMA.
Cerebrospinal Fluid Glutamate Levels in Chronic Migraine
Authors: Peres MFP , Zukerman E , Soares CA Senne , Alonso EO , Santos BFC , Faulhaber MHW
Published: August 2004

Both preclinical and clinical data link glutamate to the migraine pathophisiology. Altered plasma, platelets and cerebrospinal (CSF) glutamate levels have been reported in migraine patients. Chronic migraine is comorbid with several conditions. It has been recently shown chronic migraine comorbidity with fibromyalgia. The objective of this study was to study cerebrospinal fluid glutamate levels in chronic migraine patients with and without fibromyalgia. We studied 20 chronic migraine patients, with and without fibromyalgia, compared to age-sex matched controls. CSF glutamate levels were measured by HPLC. CSF glutamate demonstrated significantly higher levels in patients with fibromyalgia compared to those without fibromyalgia. Patients overall had higher CSF glutamate levels than controls. Mean pain score correlated with glutamate levels in chornic migraine patients. Tender points, the hallmark of fibromyalgia, can be considered as pressure allodynia, and is probably mediated by central sensitization, with increase in CSF glutamate levels. We postulate chronic migraine patients with fibromyalgia, in addition to have more disabling headaches, suffer from a more severe central sensitization process. This subtype of patients may respond to medications modulating glutamate receptors. Headache intensity correlate with glutamate levels in chronic migraine patients.
Advice and Care for Headaches: Who Seeks it, Who Gives it?
Authors: Thomas E , Boardman HF , Ogden H , Millson DS , Croft PR
Published: August 2004

Using data from a cross-sectional survey and a prospective record linkage study the aims of this study were to: (i) determine sources of advice and care for headaches in a population survey of adults, and (ii) investigate prospectively the influences of headaches on general practice consultation in a 12-month follow-up of the responders to the population survey. A population based cross-sectional survey was mailed to 4885 adults (aged ≥ 18 years) with an adjusted response rate of 56% ( n = 2662). The main outcome measures of interest were (i) self-report advice and care-seeking in the survey (ii) consultation with general practitioner for headache and for other conditions in 12-month period subsequent to the survey. Reporting a recent GP consultation for headache was associated with younger age (mean: 46 vs 48 years), female gender (68% vs 60%), and greater headache severity as measured by frequency, pain, and associated disability. The commonest sources of advice and care in the past were GPs (27%), opticians (21%), and pharmacists (8%). Consultations for headache were not common in the 12-months following the survey ( n = 144); however, those reporting a recent headache were almost 4 times more likely to consult subsequently with a headache than those not (relative risk; 95% CI: 3.7; 1.9, 7.0). Recent reporting of headache was also associated with an increased risk of consulting for mental disorders (1.7; 1.2, 2.6), diseases of the digestive (1.6; 1.1, 2.3) and respiratory system (1.4; 1.1, 1.8), and a decreased risk of consulting for circulatory diseases (0.8; 0.7, 1.0). Only a minority of headache sufferers consult their GP, regardless of severity, with opticians and pharmacists being other important sources of information. Headache appears to have an additional impact upon GP workload through increased rates of consultations for nonheadache conditions amongst headache sufferers. The interesting findings regarding rates of consultation for digestive and circulatory conditions amongst headache sufferers may be linked to the use of headache medication.
Hypothalamic Activation in Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalgia: Functional Imaging of an Atypical Case
Authors: Sprenger T , Valet M , Hammes M , Erhard P , Berthele A , Conrad B , Tolle TR
Published: August 2004

We report headache induced BOLD changes in an atypical case of trigeminal autonomic cephalgia (TAC). A 68-year-old patient was imaged using fMRi during three attacks of a periorbital head-pain with a average duration of 3 min. During the attacks, left sided conjunctival injection, rhinorrhea, lacrimation, facial sweating and hypersalivation were apparent. These attacks were usually partly responsive to oxygen administration but otherwise refractory to any drug. The patient described either attacks with a duration of one minute or less or longer attacks persisting for maximum of 20 min with headaches occurring up to 100 times a day. When considering the symptoms, frequency, duration and therapeutic response of the patient's headache, no clear-cut classification to one of the subtypes of trigeminal autonomic cephalgias (cluster headache, paroxysmal hemicrania, SUNCT) or trigeminal neuralgia was possible. The cerebral activation pattern was similar but not identical to those previously observed in cluster headache and SUNCT with a prominent activation in the hypothalamic grey matter. This case study underlines the conceptual value of the term TAC for the group of headaches focusing around the trigeminal-autonomic reflex. Our results emphasize the importance of the hypothalamus as key region in the pathophysiology of this entity.
Headache Prevalence Related to Haemoglobin and Ferritin. The HUNT Study
Authors: Aamodt AH , Borch-Iohnsen B , Hagen K , Stovner LJ , Åsberg A , Zwart J-A
Published: August 2004

As clinic-based studies show an association between headache and both high and low levels of haemoglobin, we analysed this relationship in a population-based cross-sectional study (the HUNT Study). A total of 2385 women aged 20-55 years responded to a headache questionnaire and gave blood samples for measuring haemoglobin and ferritin. In the multivariate analyses, adjusting for age and education, there was a linear trend of decreasing prevalence of headache ( P = 0.02) and migraine ( P = 0.01) with decreasing haemoglobin. In particular, migraine was less likely among women with low haemoglobin (values < 11.5 g/dl) (odds ratio 0.4, confidence interval 0.2, 0.9). There was no correlation between headache prevalence and ferritin. The present findings may be relevant for the headache reported in polycythaemia and chronic altitude sickness.
Auction Price Anomalies: Evidence from Wool Auctions in Australia*
Authors: JONES CHRIS , MENEZES FLAVIO , VELLA FRANCIS
Published: August 2004

Using detailed Australian wool auction data we test for further evidence of pricing anomalies at sequential auctions. We find that an anomaly frequently exists and order is frequently endogenously determined. Moreover, prices increase through some sales and decrease through others. We examine whether it is possible to explain the variation in the anomaly across sales and conclude that there is no systematic relationship between the direction of the price anomaly and the characteristics of the wool or the auction. We do, however, find evidence that an anomaly is more likely in longer sales.
Payroll Taxes: Thresholds, Firm Sizes, Dead‐weight Losses and Commonwealth Grants Commission Funding*
Authors: DIXON PETER B. , PICTON MARK R. , RIMMER MAUREEN T.
Published: August 2004

Payroll‐tax thresholds make firms smaller than they would otherwise be and concentrate firms at just below threshold employment. We estimate the resulting dead‐weight losses under perfect and monopolistic competition. Under monopolistic competition, the threshold‐induced dead‐weight loss in Victoria is approximately 10 per cent of payroll‐tax collections over a wide range of threshold levels. Because payroll‐tax design affects the size distribution of firms, it also affects the Commonwealth Grants Commission's assessment of a State's capacity to generate payroll taxes. This violates a principle of the Commonwealth Grants Commission that its grant to a State be independent of the State's policies.
Total Factor Productivity, Per Capita Income and Social Divergence*
Authors: GRAFTON R. QUENTIN , KNOWLES STEPHEN , OWEN P. DORIAN
Published: August 2004

The paper introduces the concept of social divergence, defined as the social barriers to communication and exchange between individuals and groups within a society, and analyses its impact on total factor productivity and per capita income. Using a cross section of 27 developing countries, total factor productivity and per capita income are separately regressed on measures of social divergence that include the distribution of personal expenditures, ethnolinguistic diversity, religious diversity and an educational Gini coefficient. The results indicate that higher levels of social divergence are associated with both statistically and economically significantly lower levels of total factor productivity and per capita income.
Australian Economic Growth in Historical Perspective*
Authors: MCLEAN IAN W.
Published: August 2004

This article reviews recent contributions to the evidence on, and interpretations of, the long‐run growth of the Australian economy. It is noted that several themes currently prominent in growth theory and empirical growth analysis are reflected in the recent literature on the Australian historical experience.
Results from the treatment of advanced stage squamous cell carcinoma of the nasal planum in cats, using a combination of intralesional carboplatin and superficial radiotherapy: a pilot study
Authors: De Vos J. P. , Burm A. G. O. , Focker B. P.
Published: August 2004

Six cats with an advanced stage squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the nasal planum were treated with a combination of superficial radiotherapy and intralesional carboplatin therapy. This multimodality protocol was well tolerated by the majority of cats and resulted in complete responses in all cats (100%). Median follow‐up for all cats is 268 days, and the median time‐to‐recurrence, time‐to‐progression and overall survival have not yet been reached. Our study, although limited in number of animals and with a relatively short median follow‐up compared to other studies for this disease, suggests that a combination of radiotherapy and intralesional carboplatin is a useful treatment option for an advanced stage SCC of the nasal planum in cats and warrants further application of the multimodality approach presented here.
Investigating the in vitro interactive effects of ionizing radiation and pamidronate in a canine osteosarcoma cell line
Authors: Charney S. C. , Fan T. M. , De Lorimier L. P. , Lacoste H. I.
Published: August 2004

Introduction:  Dogs with osteosarcoma suffer intense bone pain. Conventional palliative treatment options include ionizing radiation with or without systemic chemotherapy. Intravenous pamidronate is a first‐line therapeutic agent in people with painful skeletal metastases and is currently being evaluated for the management of osteolytic pain associated with canine osteosarcoma. The theoretical combination of radiation and pamidronate for managing bone pain appears to be a rational treatment option, however, in vitro experiments demonstrating additive or supraadditve cytotoxic effects of these two modalities would further support the clinical institution of this novel combination therapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the in vitro cytotoxicity of ionizing radiation and pamidronate in a canine OSA cell line and to characterize the interaction between these two therapeutic modalities when used in combination.

Methods:  The canine osteosarcoma cell line, HMPOS, was subjected independently to varying doses of ionizing radiation (100 cGy, 300 cGy, 400 cGy, 600 cGy, 800 cGy, or 1000 cGy) or different concentrations of pamidronate (10, 25, 50, 66, 75, 100, 150, 200, and 250 μM). Cells were harvested following 48 hours of incubation and cell viability was assessed by flow cytometric analysis. Dose‐response curves were generated, and a theoretical ED50 for each treatment modality calculated. An ED50 isobologram was created to determine if different combinations of ionizing radiation and pamidronate (isoboles) would demonstrate subadditive, additive, or supraadditve cytotoxic effects.

Results:  The ED50 of ionizing radiation and pamidronate were 614 cGy and 65.3 μM, respectively. Of the six different isobole combinations evaluated, three produced supraadditve effects, one produced a subadditive effect, and two produced additive effects.

Conclusions:  Both ionizing radiation and pamidronate independently exert in vitro cytotoxic effects. Positive interactive effects can be generated, but only with specific isobole combinations. The results from this in vitro study support the use of specific combinations of ionizing radiation and pamidronate in order to maximize the cytotoxic properties of both treatment modalities.
The effects of cyclooxygenase‐2 inhibition on apoptosis and cell cycle distribution using two in vitro models of nasal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Heller D. A. , Fan T. M. , Charney S. C. , De Lorimier L. P. , Wallig M. A.
Published: August 2004

Objective:  Despite numerous attempts using a variety of therapeutic modalities, response rates and survival times for canine nasal squamous cell carcinoma remain poor. The goals of this study are to determine if a COX‐2 selective inhibitor induces apoptosis and alters cell cycle distribution in two in vitro models of nasal squamous cell carcinoma, and to establish a basis for future clinical trials using COX‐2 inhibitors as radiosensitizing agents.

Methods:  The nasal squamous cell carcinoma cell lines FAT‐7 (rat) and RPMI 2650 (human) were purchased from ATCC (Manassas, VA). Cell pellets were stained for COX‐2 expression using standard immunohistochemical techniques. Following the determination of growth kinetics for each cell line, cells were plated in triplicate using 25 cm2 tissue culture flasks and incubated with different concentrations of a COX‐2 selective inhibitor (0, 1, 10, 50 and 100 μM) for 72 hours. Cells were stained with Annexin‐V and propidium iodide (Oncogene Research Products) and analyzed with flow cytometry to assess cell viability. Cell cycle distribution was determined using a propidium iodide methodology and flow cytometric analysis.

Results:  Preliminary results show that the addition of a COX‐2 selective inhibitor caused a dose‐dependent cytotoxicity on the FAT‐7 cells. Viability at 72 hours ranged from 95.4% for control samples to 7.46% for cells incubated at 100 μM. Changes in cell cycle distribution were also detected.

Conclusions:  Future study is warranted to determine if the addition of a COX‐2 selective inhibitor will increase response rates and overall survival in a population of spontaneously arising canine nasal squamous cell carcinomas.
Stereotactic Radiosurgery/Radiation Protectors
Authors: Kim Owen
Published: August 2004

Perhaps the greatest challenge facing oncologists is the need to spare normal tissues from the often severe side effects of cancer therapy. Whether one is dealing with surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy – the three major braches of oncology cure attempts can be compromised by this need. Even successfully treated patients can experience long term problems related to their care. Efforts are underway to minimize morbidity in all of the modalities associated with cancer treatments. Two measures in the field of radiation therapy drawing both increased interest and widespread acceptance of its use are stereotactic radiosurgery and radiation protectors such as amifostine.
Phase I clinical trial evaluating STI571 in tumor bearing cats
Authors: Lachowicz J. L. , Post G. S.
Published: August 2004

Introduction:  STI571 (Gleevec, imatinib mesylate) is a receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor with selectivity for Bcr‐Abl, platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF), stem cell factor (SCF), and c‐Kit. Side effects with use in humans include vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, myalgia, edema, and cutaneous reactions. Renal and hepatic toxicity have also been reported. In dogs, there is significant hepatic toxicity at sub‐clinical doses. The purpose of this prospective study was to determine the toxicity level and potential treatment protocol in tumor bearing cats.

Methods:  A phase I clinical trial was performed in client owned cats using an escalating dose of STI571 in tumor bearing cats. Cats included in the study had a histologic diagnosis of fibrosarcoma or other tumors and were staged with CBC, biochemical profile, thoracic radiographs, and abdominal ultrasound. None of the cats received concurrent chemotherapy, but those previously treated with surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy, were not excluded. The initial starting dose was 5 mg/cat PO SID and was gradually increased to 10 and 20 mg/cat PO SID at a 2–6 week interval depending on laboratory work and disease progression. A repeat physical examination, CBC, and biochemical profile, were performed every 2 weeks for 2 rechecks, then every 4 weeks.

Results:  Six cats were enrolled in the study. Four cats had oral squamous cell carcinoma, and two cats had cutaneous fibrosarcoma. One cat demonstrated leukocytosis, increased liver enzymes, and signs of acute renal failure two weeks after initiating therapy (5 mg PO SID). No dose escalation was made in this cat. Five cats endured dose escalations of 10 mg PO SID in two cats and 20 mg PO SID in three cats and were treated for 2–4 months. None of these cats experienced any signs of toxicity as measured by CBC and biochemical profile.

Conclusions:  Only one cat experienced toxicity that may have been associated with low dose administration of STI571. As most cats tolerated the drug without an adverse effect, further evaluation of STI571 in a phase II clinical trial is warranted.
A comparison of two pamidronate dosing protocols on bone turnover in normal dogs and dogs with osteosarcoma
Authors: Lacoste H. I. , Fan T. M. , De Lorimier L. P. , Charney S. C.
Published: August 2004

Introduction:  Dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma (OSA) excrete higher concentrations of urine cross‐linked N‐telopeptide of type I collagen (NTx) than normal dogs. NTx is a specific biochemical marker of osteoclastic activity. Pamidronate is a bone‐modulating agent that exerts potent inhibitory effects on osteoclasts. The use of pamidronate is currently being evaluated for the management of osteolytic bone pain in dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma. Despite pamidronate's increasing usage in veterinary oncology, optimal dosing has yet to be determined. Commonly utilized dosages range from 1–2 mg/kg, given intravenously (IV) as a 2‐hour constant rate infusion every 28 days. The purpose of this prospective study was to compare the biological activity of two pamidronate doses (1 mg/kg vs. 2 mg/kg) in the suppression of urine NTx excretion in normal dogs and dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma.

Methods:  Seventeen OSA dogs receiving single‐agent pamidronate as palliative therapy were evaluated. Group 1A (n = 10) received a dose of 1 mg/kg and group 2A (n = 7) received a dose of 2 mg/kg IV. Urine NTx level were measured at day 0 and 28 using a commercial ELISA (Ostex International). Urine NTx level were also measured in 6 normal dogs: Group 1B (n = 3) received a dose of 1 mg/kg and group 2B (n = 3) received a dose of 2 mg/kg. In normal dogs, urine NTx levels were recorded weekly for six consecutive weeks.

Results:  In dogs with osteosarcoma, greater reductions in urine NTx excretion from baseline values were demonstrated at 2 mg/kg versus 1 mg/kg (57% and 23%, respectively). Likewise, in normal dogs, urine NTx excretion was suppressed to a greater extent with a dosage of 2 mg/kg versus 1 mg/kg (69% and 23%, respectively).

Conclusion:  Pamidronate possesses biologic activity in both normal dogs and in dogs with osteosarcoma, as assessed by reductions in urine NTx excretion. Based upon reductions in urine NTx excretion, a dosage of 2 mg/kg appears more effective than 1 mg/kg.
Proteomic profiling using SELDI‐TOF mass spectrometry: a diagnostic tool for canine B‐cell lymphoma
Authors: Lana S. E. , Powell T. D. , Gaines P. J. , Wisnewski N. , Stinchcomb D. T. , Withrow S. J.
Published: August 2004

Introduction:  Surface enhanced laser desorption ionization time of flight (SELDI‐TOF) mass spectrometry is a powerful new tool for biomarker discovery and diagnostic test development. In this process, proteins in biological samples are selectively bound to chip surfaces that have various chemistries and then subjected to mass spectrometry. Selectively bound proteins are separated by mass and the relative quantities of each protein compared among samples. Unlike conventional diagnostic test formats that commonly use single biomarkers, SELDI‐TOF technology allows multiple biomarkers to be used in a single assay to improve sensitivity and specificity. This technology has been used to improve diagnostic tests for human prostate and ovarian cancers. The objective of this study is to investigate the utility of this technology for the proteomic profiling of canine B‐cell lymphoma. Developing a diagnostic serum screening test for B‐cell lymphoma in dogs would be valuable as early diagnosis and treatment may confer a more favorable outcome.

Methods:  Serum samples were collected from 26 dogs diagnosed with B‐cell lymphoma prior to treatment and from 26 apparently healthy dogs that were similar in age, breed, and sex to the test group. Serum proteins were selectively bound to weak cationic, strong anionic, and nickel chelating chip surface chemistries under optimized buffer conditions, and subjected to mass spectrometry. The protein profiles were then compared using Biomarker Wizard and classification trees developed using Biomarker Patterns software from Ciphergen Biosystems, Inc (Fremont, CA).

Results:  To date several putative biomarkers have been identified. These putative biomarkers have been used to build classification tree models that predict disease in test samples. Preliminary results using cross‐validation of the test and control sample sets indicate that trees built with two or more biomarkers have greater than 90% sensitivity and specificity.

Conclusions:  Proteomic profiling using SELDI‐TOF technology in canine serum is feasible. Further testing is planned to confirm these initial results.