bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phase III Study of Carboplatin and Paclitaxel Alone or With Sorafenib in Advanced Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Scagliotti Giorgio , Novello Silvia , von Pawel Joachim , Reck Martin , Pereira José Rodrigues , Thomas Michael , Abrão Miziara José Elias , Balint Beatrix , De Marinis Filippo , Keller Alan , Arén Osvaldo , Csollak Maria , Albert Istvan , Barrios Carlos Henrique , Grossi Francesco , Krzakowski Maciej , Cupit Lisa , Cihon Frank , DiMatteo Sandra , Hanna Nasser
Published: March 2010

Purpose

This phase III, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled trial assessed the efficacy and safety of sorafenib, an oral multikinase inhibitor, in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel in chemotherapy-naïve patients with unresectable stage IIIB or IV non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patients and Methods

Nine hundred twenty-six patients were randomly assigned to receive up to six 21-day cycles of carboplatin area under the curve 6 and paclitaxel 200 mg/m2 (CP) on day 1, followed by either sorafenib 400 mg twice a day (n = 464, arm A) or placebo (n = 462, arm B) on days 2 to 19. The maintenance phase after CP consisted of sorafenib 400 mg or placebo twice a day. The primary end point was overall survival (OS); secondary end points included progression-free survival and tumor response.

Results

Overall demographics were balanced between arms; 223 patients (24%) had squamous cell histology. On the basis of a planned interim analysis, median OS was 10.7 months in arm A and 10.6 months in arm B (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.15; 95% CI, 0.94 to 1.41; P = .915). The study was terminated after the interim analysis concluded that the study was highly unlikely to meet its primary end point. A prespecified exploratory analysis revealed that patients with squamous cell histology had greater mortality in arm A than in arm B (HR = 1.85; 95% CI, 1.22 to 2.81). Main grade 3 or 4 sorafenib-related toxicities included rash (8.4%), hand-foot skin reaction (7.8%), and diarrhea (3.5%).

Conclusion

No clinical benefit was observed from adding sorafenib to CP chemotherapy as first-line treatment for NSCLC.
Risk-Adapted Dose-Dense Immunochemotherapy Determined by Interim FDG-PET in Advanced-Stage Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Authors: Moskowitz Craig H. , Schöder Heiko , Teruya-Feldstein Julie , Sima Camelia , Iasonos Alexia , Portlock Carol S. , Straus David , Noy Ariela , Palomba Maria L. , O'Connor Owen A. , Horwitz Steven , Weaver Sarah A. , Meikle Jessica L. , Filippa Daniel A. , Caravelli James F. , Hamlin Paul A. , Zelenetz Andrew D.
Published: March 2010

Purpose

In studies of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, positron emission tomography with [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) performed after two to four cycles of chemotherapy has demonstrated prognostic significance. However, some patients treated with immunochemotherapy experience a favorable long-term outcome despite a positive interim FDG-PET scan. To clarify the significance of interim FDG-PET scans, we prospectively studied interim FDG-positive disease within a risk-adapted sequential immunochemotherapy program.

Patients and Methods

From March 2002 to November 2006, 98 patients at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center received induction therapy with four cycles of accelerated R-CHOP (rituximab + cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) followed by an interim FDG-PET scan. If the FDG-PET scan was negative, patients received three cycles of ICE (ifosfamide, carboplatin, and etoposide) consolidation therapy. If residual FDG-positive disease was seen, patients underwent biopsy; if the biopsy was negative, they also received three cycles of ICE. Patients with a positive biopsy received ICE followed by autologous stem-cell transplantation.

Results

At a median follow-up of 44 months, overall and progression-free survival were 90% and 79%, respectively. Ninety-seven patients underwent interim FDG-PET scans; 59 had a negative scan, 51 of whom are progression free. Thirty-eight patients with FDG-PET–positive disease underwent repeat biopsy; 33 were negative, and 26 remain progression free after ICE consolidation therapy. Progression-free survival of interim FDG-PET–positive/biopsy-negative patients was identical to that in patients with a negative interim FDG-PET scan (P = .27).

Conclusion

Interim or post-treatment FDG-PET evaluation did not predict outcome with this dose-dense, sequential immunochemotherapy program. Outside of a clinical trial, we recommend biopsy confirmation of an abnormal interim FDG-PET scan before changing therapy.
To build a synapse: signaling pathways in neuromuscular junction assembly
Authors: Wu Haitao , Xiong Wen C. , Mei Lin
Published: March 2010

Synapses, as fundamental units of the neural circuitry, enable complex behaviors. The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is a synapse type that forms between motoneurons and skeletal muscle fibers and that exhibits a high degree of subcellular specialization. Aided by genetic techniques and suitable animal models, studies in the past decade have brought significant progress in identifying NMJ components and assembly mechanisms. This review highlights recent advances in the study of NMJ development, focusing on signaling pathways that are activated by diffusible cues, which shed light on synaptogenesis in the brain and contribute to a better understanding of muscular dystrophy.
PHOX2A regulation of oculomotor complex nucleogenesis
Authors: Hasan Khaleda B. , Agarwala Seema , Ragsdale Clifton W.
Published: March 2010

Brain nuclei are spatially organized collections of neurons that share functional properties. Despite being central to vertebrate brain circuitry, little is known about how nuclei are generated during development. We have chosen the chick midbrain oculomotor complex (OMC) as a model with which to study the developmental mechanisms of nucleogenesis. The chick OMC comprises two distinct cell groups: a dorsal Edinger-Westphal nucleus of visceral oculomotor neurons and a ventral nucleus of somatic oculomotor neurons. Genetic studies in mice and humans have established that the homeobox transcription factor gene PHOX2A is required for midbrain motoneuron development. We probed, in forced expression experiments, the capacity of PHOX2A to generate a spatially organized midbrain OMC. We found that exogenous Phox2a delivery to embryonic chick midbrain can drive a complete OMC molecular program, including the production of visceral and somatic motoneurons. Phox2a overexpression was also able to generate ectopic motor nerves. The exit points of such auxiliary nerves were invested with ectopic boundary cap cells and, in four examples, the ectopic nerves were seen to innervate extraocular muscle directly. Finally, Phox2a delivery was able to direct ectopic visceral and somatic motoneurons to their correct native spatial positions, with visceral motoneurons settling close to the ventricular surface and somatic motoneurons migrating deeper into the midbrain. These findings establish that in midbrain, a single transcription factor can both specify motoneuron cell fates and orchestrate the construction of a spatially organized motoneuron nuclear complex.
Genomic characterization of Wilms' tumor suppressor 1 targets in nephron progenitor cells during kidney development
Authors: Hartwig Sunny , Ho Jacqueline , Pandey Priyanka , MacIsaac Kenzie , Taglienti Mary , Xiang Michael , Alterovitz Gil , Ramoni Marco , Fraenkel Ernest , Kreidberg Jordan A.
Published: March 2010

The Wilms' tumor suppressor 1 (WT1) gene encodes a DNA- and RNA-binding protein that plays an essential role in nephron progenitor differentiation during renal development. To identify WT1 target genes that might regulate nephron progenitor differentiation in vivo, we performed chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) coupled to mouse promoter microarray (ChIP-chip) using chromatin prepared from embryonic mouse kidney tissue. We identified 1663 genes bound by WT1, 86% of which contain a previously identified, conserved, high-affinity WT1 binding site. To investigate functional interactions between WT1 and candidate target genes in nephron progenitors, we used a novel, modified WT1 morpholino loss-of-function model in embryonic mouse kidney explants to knock down WT1 expression in nephron progenitors ex vivo. Low doses of WT1 morpholino resulted in reduced WT1 target gene expression specifically in nephron progenitors, whereas high doses of WT1 morpholino arrested kidney explant development and were associated with increased nephron progenitor cell apoptosis, reminiscent of the phenotype observed in Wt1−/− embryos. Collectively, our results provide a comprehensive description of endogenous WT1 target genes in nephron progenitor cells in vivo, as well as insights into the transcriptional signaling networks controlled by WT1 that might direct nephron progenitor fate during renal development.
The RNA-binding protein bicaudal C regulates polycystin 2 in the kidney by antagonizing miR-17 activity
Authors: Tran Uyen , Zakin Lise , Schweickert Axel , Agrawal Raman , Döger Remziye , Blum Martin , De Robertis E. M. , Wessely Oliver
Published: March 2010

The RNA-binding protein Bicaudal C is an important regulator of embryonic development in C. elegans, Drosophila and Xenopus. In mouse, bicaudal C (Bicc1) mutants are characterized by the formation of fluid-filled cysts in the kidney and by expansion of epithelial ducts in liver and pancreas. This phenotype is reminiscent of human forms of polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Here, we now provide data that Bicc1 functions by modulating the expression of polycystin 2 (Pkd2), a member of the transient receptor potential (TRP) superfamily. Molecular analyses demonstrate that Bicc1 acts as a post-transcriptional regulator upstream of Pkd2. It regulates the stability of Pkd2 mRNA and its translation efficiency. Bicc1 antagonized the repressive activity of the miR-17 microRNA family on the 3′UTR of Pkd2 mRNA. This was substantiated in Xenopus, in which the pronephric defects of bicc1 knockdowns were rescued by reducing miR-17 activity. At the cellular level, Bicc1 protein is localized to cytoplasmic foci that are positive for the P-body markers GW182 and HEDLs. Based on these data, we propose that the kidney phenotype in Bicc1−/− mutant mice is caused by dysregulation of a microRNA-based translational control mechanism.
Paromomycin treatment of recalcitrant Trichomonas vaginalis
Authors: Tayal S C , Ochogwu S A , Bunce H
Published: March 2010

We report a 49-year-old woman with a five-year history of persistent Trichomonas vaginalis infection. Treatment with several courses of metronidazole and tinidazole failed to resolve her symptoms. A single course of intravaginal paromomycin was effective in clearing the infection.
A comparison of computed tomography and magnetic resonance brain imaging in HIV-positive patients with neurological symptoms
Authors: Wilson A J , Sayer R A , Edwards S G , Cartledge J D , Miller R F
Published: March 2010

We reviewed our practice in order to determine the optimum neuroimaging strategy for HIV-infected patients with acute neurological presentations between April 2007 and August 2008. Overall magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detected cranial abnormalities in more than twice as many patients as did computed tomography (CT) (74% and 32%, n = 54 and 38, respectively). Replacement of CT by first-line MRI for all patients would have required an additional 16 MRI scans, although at a saving of 38 CT scans. Our study highlights the importance of first-line MRI brain imaging in HIV patients with neurological symptoms and reinforces the need for early transfer of patients from centres that do not have rapid access to (or expert interpretation of) MRI scanning, to an appropriate HIV specialist centre.
Toll-like receptors and genital tract infection
Authors: Sonnex C
Published: March 2010

Our knowledge of the immune response to genital tract infection has progressed appreciably in recent years. This review focuses on the innate immune system, in particular the role of Toll-like receptors (TLRs), in controlling genital tract infection. Research into the role of TLRs in recognizing ‘pathogen-associated molecular patterns’ (PAMPS) has provided an important insight into the host's early immune response. TLRs are activated following binding of microbial components leading to cytokine production, which, in turn, stimulate phagocytic and natural killer cells and mobilize T and B lymphocytes of the antigen-specific acquired immune system. The therapeutic use of TLR agonists as topical agents or for improving CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses to microbial vaccines is an important area of ongoing research, particularly with respect to genital mucosal infection.
New routes to functionalized dihydroazulene photoswitches
Authors: Nielsen Mogens Brøndsted , Broman Søren Lindbæk , Petersen Michael Åxman , Andersson Asbjørn Sune , Jensen Tanja Skouw , Kilså Kristine , Kadziola Anders
Published: March 2010

Molecular photoswiches are important for the development of advanced materials and molecular electronics devices. The dihydroazulene (DHA) is a particularly attractive molecule as it undergoes a light-induced ring opening to a vinylheptafulvene (VHF) isomer with altered optical properties. While functionalization of the five-membered ring of DHA has been possible for the last 25 years, this was not the case for the seven-membered ring. This article summarizes our synthetic efforts in achieving this goal. Incorporation of an alkyne at C-7 was accomplished by (i) regioselective bromination of DHA, followed by (ii) elimination of HBr, and (iii) Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling with triisopropylsilylacetylene. Light-induced ring opening of this DHA followed by thermal ring closure provided a mixture of 6- and 7-substituted DHAs with different absorption characteristics. The isomer ratio was controlled by the wavelength of irradiation and the solvent polarity. The dibromide formed in the initial step served as a precursor for a 3-bromo-functionalized azulene that was employed as a building block for acetylenic scaffolding. Incorporation of a dithiafulvene (DTF) unit at the five-membered ring of DHA resulted in a significant red-shift in the longest-wavelength absorption and consequently a lowering of the energy required for ring opening. Incorporation of a redox-active tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) unit allowed for redox-controlled photoswitching.
Rückgriffsansprüche des Bürgen nach Zahlung auf eine mit einer dauernden Einrede behafteten Forderung
Authors: Schlinker Steffen
Published: March 2010

Der Beitrag untersucht die Rückgriffsansprüche des Bürgen, wenn der Bürge auf eine Forderung geleistet hat, die mit einer dauernden Einrede behaftet war. Dem Bürgen könnte erstens eine Bereicherungsforderung gegen den Gläubiger aus §§ 812 I 1 Alt 1, 813 I 1 BGB zustehen. Zweitens könnte der Bürge eine Forderung gegen den Hauptschuldner aus dem Innenverhältnis aus § 670 BGB oder §§ 675, 670 BGB innehaben. Gegenüber dem Bürgen haften der Hauptschuldner und der Gläubiger als Gesamtschuldner. Nur im Innenverhältnis ist der Gläubiger allein zur Zahlung verpflichtet, so dass der Hauptschuldner vom Gläubiger Ersatz verlangen könnte, wenn er die Aufwendungen des Bürgen ersetzt hat.
Rechtswidrige polizeiliche Verweisungsmaßnahmen
Authors: Bösch Rainer
Published: March 2010

Dieser Beitrag behandelt die polizeilichen Maßnahmen Platzverweis, Wohnungsverweis und Aufenthaltsverbot. Im Mittelpunkt der Untersuchung steht die Abgrenzung der einzelnen Maßnahmen und die daraus resultierende Bestimmung der einschlägigen Rechtsgrundlage. Aufgrund der Auswirkungen der tangierten Grundrechte auf die Abgrenzung und die Festlegung der Rechtsgrundlage werden diese näher besprochen. Im Ergebnis ist festzustellen, dass in den Bundesländern, in denen der Wohnungsverweis bzw. das Aufenthaltsverbot nicht als Standardbefugnis normiert wurde, dringender Handlungsbedarf von Seiten des Gesetzgebers besteht, da ein Rückgriff auf die Generalklausel nicht (weiter) zulässig ist.
ZR Stellvertretung und Botenschaft
Authors: Petersen Jens
Published: March 2010

Der vorliegende Beitrag widmet sich der Vorfrage des § 164 I 1 BGB, ob eine eigene Willenserklärung des Stellvertreters oder Botenschaft vorliegt. Ein weiterer Aufsatz wird das Offenkundigkeitsprinzip behandeln. Bestand und Umfang der Vertretungsmacht wurden bereits in einem früheren Beitrag erörtert (
JURA
2003, 310). Abgerundet wird dies schließlich durch einen Beitrag zur Vertretung ohne Vertretungsmacht.
Die aktuelle Entscheidung Private Krankenversicherung für alle?
Authors: Wowra Nina
Published: March 2010

Der durch die Gesundheitsreform 2007 eingeführte und seit 1. Januar 2009 geltende »Basistarif« in der privaten Krankenversicherung, der damit einhergehende Kontrahierungszwang und die Einführung einer teilweisen Übertragbarkeit von Alterungsrückstellungen sind nicht verfassungswidrig, ebenso wie die zeitliche Ausdehnung der Jahrsentgeltgrenze auf drei Jahre. Dies entschied jüngst das Bundesverfassungsgericht. Der nachfolgende Beitrag widmet sich ausgewählten materiellrechtlichen Problemen der Entscheidung im Zusammenhang mit der Einführung des Basistarifs, insbesondere der Grenze zwischen Berufsausübungsregelung und Berufswahlregelung im Rahmen der 3-Stufen-Theorie.
Diet composition ofGracilinanus agilis(Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae) in dry woodland areas of Cerrado in central Brazil
Authors: Bocchiglieri Adriana , Mendonça André Faria , Campos Juliana Bragança
Published: March 2010

No abstract available
Comparison of Resistivity and Time Domain Reflectometry Sensors for Assessing Moisture Content in Bioreactor Landfills
Authors: Jonnalagadda Sreeram , Kumar Dinesh , Jain Pradeep , Gawande Nitin , Townsend Timothy G. , Reinhart Debra R.
Published: March 2010

Instruments that can monitor the in situ moisture content of landfilled waste would be of great benefit to landfill operators, especially those operating their facilities as bioreactor landills (wet landfills). Two instrumentation technologies for measuring in situ moisture content (resistivity sensors and time domain reflectometry (TDR)) in landfills were examined and compared. Resistivity and TDR instruments were installed in close proximity at multiple locations in a leachate recirculation well field at a bioreactor landfill in Florida, and resulting moisture content measurements were assessed. The resistivity instruments were less expensive, easier to install, and found more reliable over time than TDR sensors. Both technologies predicted transient moisture changes in the landfill. The magnitudes of the moisture content values obtained using the two technologies were much higher compared to values estimated using mass balance, suggesting that accurate calibration to field conditions is difficult.
Moderate energy restriction-induced weight loss affects circulating IGF levels independent of dietary composition
Authors: Belobrajdic Damien P , Frystyk Jan , Jeyaratnaganthan Nilani , Espelund Ulrick , Flyvbjerg Allan , Clifton Peter M , Noakes Manny
Published: March 2010

Background

Obesity is associated with major changes in the circulating IGF system. However, it is not clear to what extent the IGF system is normalized following diet, and the possible role of different types of diet is also unknown.

Objective

To compare changes in the circulating IGF system following 12 weeks of moderate energy restriction (7000 kJ/day) in overweight or obese males on a high protein high red meat diet (HP) or a high carbohydrate diet (HC).

Design

Seventy-six men (mean age, 51±1.0 years; body mass index, 32.8±0.5 kg/m2) were allocated to matched groups treated with isocaloric diets of HP (n=34) or HC (n=42). Outcome measures were weight, body composition, IGF-related peptides, homoeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA1-IR) and adipokines.

Results

Weight loss did not differ between diets (HP 8.5±0.6 kg; HC 8.2±0.6 kg,P>0.05). IGF-related peptides increased total IGF1 (HP 23%; HC 18%,P<0.0001), bioactive IGF1 (HP 18%; HC 15%,P<0.002), IGF1:IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3; HP 29%; HC 22%,P<0.0001) and IGFBP-1 (HP 24%; HC 25%,P<0.01). By contrast, decreases were observed in IGFBP-3 (HP −4%; HC −3%,P<0.01), pro-IGF2 (HP −3%; HC −6%,P=0.001), total IGF2 (HP −7%; HC −3%,P=0.001) and sIGF2R (HP −10%; HC −6%,P<0.005). Only IGFBP-2 increased differentially by diet (HP 34%; HC 50%,P<0.0001, dietP<0.05). Adiponectin increased in both diets, but leptin and HOMA-IR decreased (P<0.001).

Conclusions

Weight loss induced by moderate energy restriction modulated the IGF system independent of dietary protein or red meat content. The effect of diet on IGFBP-2 appeared to have limited biological effect as total IGF2 and pro-IGF2 did not change.
Music Training Improves Pitch Perception in Prelingually Deafened Children With Cochlear Implants
Authors: Chen Joshua Kuang-Chao , Chuang Ann Yi Chiun , McMahon Catherine , Hsieh Jen-Chuen , Tung Tao-Hsin , Li Lieber Po-Hung
Published: March 2010

OBJECTIVE:

The comparatively poor music appreciation in patients with cochlear implants might be ascribed to an inadequate exposure to music; however, the effect of training on music perception in prelingually deafened children with cochlear implants remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate whether previous musical education improves pitch perception ability in these children.

METHODS:

Twenty-seven children with congenital/prelingual deafness of profound degree were studied. Test stimuli consisted of 2 sequential piano tones, ranging from C (256 Hz) to B (495 Hz). Children were asked to identify the pitch relationship between the 2 tones (same, higher, or lower). Effects of musical training duration, pitch-interval size, current age, age of implantation, gender, and type of cochlear implant on accuracy of pitch perception were evaluated.

RESULTS:

The duration of musical training positively correlated with the correct rate of pitch perception. Pitch perception performance was better in children who had a cochlear implant and were older than 6 years than in those who were aged ≤6 years (ie, preschool). Effect of pitch-interval size was insignificant on pitch perception, and there was no correlation between pitch perception and the age of implantation, gender, or type of cochlear implant.

CONCLUSIONS:

Musical training seems to improve pitch perception ability in prelingually deafened children with a cochlear implant. Auditory plasticity might play an important role in such enhancement. This suggests that incorporation of a structured training program on music perception early in life and as part of the postoperative rehabilitation program for prelingually deafened children with cochlear implants would be beneficial. A longitudinal study is needed to show whether improvement of music performance in these children is measurable by use of auditory evoked potentials.
State Variation in Underinsurance Among Children With Special Health Care Needs in the United States
Authors: Kogan Michael D. , Newacheck Paul W. , Blumberg Stephen J. , Heyman Kathleen M. , Strickland Bonnie B. , Singh Gopal K. , Zeni Mary Beth
Published: March 2010

OBJECTIVE:

National attention has focused on providing health insurance coverage for children. Less awareness has been given to underinsurance, particularly for children with special health care needs (CSHCN). Defined as having inadequate benefits, underinsurance may be a particular problem for CSHCN because of their greater needs for medical care.

METHODS:

We used the 2005–2006 National Survey of Children With Special Health Care Needs, a nationally representative study of >40 000 CSHCN, to address state variations in underinsurance. CSHCN with health insurance were considered underinsured when a parent reported that the child's insurance did not usually or always cover needed services and providers or reasonably cover costs. We calculated the unadjusted prevalence of underinsurance for each state. Using logistic regression, we estimated state-specific odds and prevalence for underinsurance after adjusting for poverty level, race/ethnicity, gender, family structure, language use, insurance type, and severity of child's health condition. We also conducted multilevel analyses incorporating state-level contextual data on Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

RESULTS:

Bivariate and multivariate analyses indicated that CSHCN′s state of residence had a strong association with insurance adequacy. State-level unadjusted underinsurance rates ranged from 24% (Hawaii) to 38% (Illinois). After multivariate adjustments, the range was largely unchanged: 23% (Hawaii) to 38% (New Jersey). Multilevel analyses indicated that Medicaid income eligibility levels were inversely associated with the odds of being underinsured.

CONCLUSIONS:

The individual-level and macro-level factors examined only partly explain state variations in underinsurance. Furthermore, the macro-level factors explained only a small portion of the variance; however, other macro-level factors may be relevant for the observed patterns.
An Intervention to Reduce Environmental Tobacco Smoke Exposure Improves Pregnancy Outcomes
Authors: El-Mohandes Ayman A. E. , Kiely Michele , Blake Susan M. , Gantz Marie G. , El-Khorazaty M. Nabil
Published: March 2010

OBJECTIVE:

We tested the efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral intervention in reducing environmental tobacco smoke exposure (ETSE) and improving pregnancy outcomes among black women.

METHODS:

We recruited 1044 women to a randomized, controlled trial during 2001–2004 in Washington, DC. Data on 691 women with self-reported ETSE were analyzed. A subset of 520 women with ETSE and salivary cotinine levels (SCLs) of <20 ng/mL were also analyzed. Individually tailored counseling sessions, adapted from evidence-based interventions for ETSE and other risks, were delivered to the intervention group. The usual-care group received routine prenatal care as determined by their provider. Logistic regression models were used to predict ETSE before delivery and adverse pregnancy outcomes.

RESULTS:

Women in the intervention were less likely to self-report ETSE before delivery when controlling for other covariates (odds ratio [OR]: 0.50 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.35–0.71]). Medicaid recipients were more likely to have ETSE (OR: 1.97 [95% CI: 1.31–2.96]). With advancing maternal age, the likelihood of ETSE was less (OR: 0.96 [95% CI: 0.93–0.99]). For women in the intervention, the rates of very low birth weight (VLBW) and very preterm birth (VPTB) were significantly improved (OR: 0.11 [95% CI: 0.01–0.86] and OR: 0.22 [95% CI: 0.07–0.68], respectively). For women with an SCL of <20 ng/mL, maternal age was not significant. Intimate partner violence at baseline significantly increased the chances of VLBW and VPTB (OR: 3.75 [95% CI: 1.02–13.81] and 2.71 [95% CI: 1.11–6.62], respectively). These results were true for mothers who reported ETSE overall and for those with an SCL of <20 ng/mL.

CONCLUSIONS:

This is the first randomized clinical trial demonstrating efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral intervention targeting ETSE in pregnancy. We significantly reduced ETSE as well as VPTB and VLBW, leading causes of neonatal mortality and morbidity in minority populations. This intervention may reduce health disparities in reproductive outcomes.
Gaps in Hospital Policies and Practices to Prevent Perinatal Transmission of Hepatitis B Virus
Authors: Willis Bayo C. , Wortley Pascale , Wang Susan A. , Jacques-Carroll Lisa , Zhang Fan
Published: March 2010

OBJECTIVE:

The objective of this study was to examine hospital policies and practices to prevent perinatal transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in the United States and to and identify gaps.

METHODS:

In March 2006, a nationally representative sample of 242 delivery hospitals in the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico (with at least 100 annual births) were surveyed about hospital perinatal hepatitis B prevention policies and asked to review paired maternal–infant medical records for 25 consecutive live births. Main outcome measures were hospital policies related to the prevention of perinatal transmission of hepatitis B and the proportion of infants who received recommended care.

RESULTS:

A total of 190 of 242 hospitals responded to the survey and completed medical record reviews for 4762 mothers and 4786 infants. The proportion of hospitals that reported each of the 6 policies examined ranged from 63.0% to 80.6%. Among infants who were born to the 18 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive women with documented prenatal test results, 62.1% received both hepatitis B vaccine and hepatitis B immunoglobulin within 12 hours, but 13.7% were unvaccinated and 19.7% did not receive hepatitis B immunoglobulin before hospital discharge. Among infants who were born to the 320 women with unknown HBsAg status, only 52.4% were vaccinated within 12 hours of birth and 20.1% were unvaccinated before discharge. Among infants who were born to HBsAg-negative mothers, 69.1% received the hepatitis B vaccine before hospital discharge. The strongest predictor of vaccine administration was having a written hospital policy for newborn hepatitis B vaccination.

CONCLUSIONS:

These findings indicate that significant gaps persist in hospital policies and practices to prevent perinatal HBV transmission in the United States. Efforts to avoid medical errors through appropriate implementation and monitoring of hospital practices are needed to eliminate perinatal HBV transmission.
Acute Confusional Migraine in an Adolescent: Response to Intravenous Valproate
Authors: Avraham Shelly Ben , Har-Gil Miki , Watemberg Nathan
Published: March 2010

Acute confusional migraine (ACM) is a dramatic, rare manifestation of migraine described mostly for children and adolescents. There are few data on the treatment of an ACM attack. Prochlorperazine has been suggested as an effective drug. The authors of some reports have suggested that valproic acid may play a role in the prevention of ACM and as treatment for acute migraine headache in the adult population. However, this medication has not been reported as first-line, acute therapy for ACM. We report here the case of a 12-year-old girl who presented with an ACM attack that resolved rapidly after intravenous administration of valproic acid.
Laparoscopic resection of a mesenteric cyst
Authors: Dede Kristóf , Mersich Tamás , Faludi Sándor , Blans Beáta , Salamon Ferenc , Jakab Ferenc
Published: March 2010

A mesenterialis cysták ritka hasüregi elváltozások, amelyek jellegtelen panaszokat okozhatnak, és sokszor még a modern preoperatív képalkotó eljárások segítségével sem diagnosztizálhatóak egyértelműen. A definitív ellátás a sebészi reszekció, amely nyílt, laparoszkópos és akár retroperitoneoszkópos technikával is elvégezhető. Műtéti indikáció áll fenn preoperatív igazolt mesenterialis cysta esetén, ha a cysta panaszokat okoz, növekszik, ha malignitás gyanúja merül fel. Sürgős beavatkozásra vérzés, volvulus, torquatio vagy bélelzáródás miatt lehet szükség. Leggyakrabban ismeretlen eredetű tapintható hasi cystosus rezisztencia miatt végzett műtét során intraoperatív igazolódik a mesenterialis cysta. A szerzők egy 32 éves nőbeteg esetét mutatják be, akinél laparoszkópos technikával reszekálták a mesenterialis cystát. Posztoperatív szövődmény nem volt, a beteg panaszmentesen gyógyult. A szövettan mesotheleredetű sejtsorral bélelt cystát igazolt. A szerzők szerint bizonytalan cystosus elváltozások sebészi megoldása esetén is biztonságos és javasolt a minimálisan invazív eljárások alkalmazása.
Museums behind the Gallery Doors
Authors: Aguirre Robert D.
Published: March 2010

I am often asked how a Victorianist came to write a book about museum exhibitions and the British quest for and Traffic in pre-Columbian antiquities. When I began, I had no formal training in these subjects and thus little that would count as a theory or method. Of course, as my interest grew I read as much of the scholarly literature as I could: critical studies of important collectors; analyses of exhibitionary practice and museum administration; the history of the museum from cabinets of curiosity to the virtual collections of the present. Yet much of what I learned in writing my own book,Informal Empire,was pieced together, often haltingly, one fragment at a time through a deep immersion in a rich archive. Sensing I was on new ground, I rejected any overarching schema, adhering to the perhaps counterintuitive notion that the best way to make the archive speak was to resist imposing a theory on it and instead to allow the shape of the materials themselves to suggest ways of proceeding. To illustrate both the advantages and the liabilities of this method, which I employed while working on nineteenth-century ethnography collections, I have chosen here to reconstruct the key steps of the scholarly journey that took me from the library to the world of museums and archives. I offer this reflection on critical practice first as an exercise in demystification and second as an encouragement to anyone, but especially students, who might wish to travel similar paths.
“Vertebrae on Which a Seraph Might Make Music”
Authors: Hoffmann Kathryn A.
Published: March 2010

This Essay Took Shape in an Encounter with Bones: With Curving, Darkened Skeletons Propped on Shelves or Hanging Suspended in white cases. They are displays of tuberculosis, scoliosis, and osteomalacia (rickets) in the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh (figs. 1 and 2). With bowed bones and spinal columns twisted into seemingly impossible shapes, the skeletons give the fantastic illusion of having been caught in mid-swirl in their cases, frail objects blown by invisible winds. A few of the bones of the feet at some point dropped off one of the skeletons with rickets. They were reattached with small and now faded ribbons.
About Time: Historical Reading, Historicity, and the Photograph
Authors: Blair Sara
Published: March 2010

In what is of late one of the most quoted passages in American Letters, W. E. B. Dubois describes the Double Consciousness that makes the Negro “a sort of seventh son, born with a veil, and gifted with second-sight in this American world” (5). Paradoxically, given the visual logic of his accounting, the very power of DuBois's notion has obscured the incident whose recounting generates it. Describing his boyhood initiation into racial self-knowledge in his early life “as a little thing, away up in the hills of New England … in a wee wooden school-house,” DuBois focuses on a moment in which he and his schoolmates splurge on “gorgeous visiting-cards—ten cents a package—and exchange.” The social ritual is “merry” until an authoritative onlooker, a “tall girl, a newcomer,” “refused my card— refused it peremptorily, with a glance” (4). At this precise moment, we're meant to believe, the boy's individualist faith in character as destiny is “forever shattered” (Lewis 33). With the girl's refusal, “the shadow swept across me”; “it dawned upon me that I was different from the others, … shut out from their world by a vast veil” (DuBois 4).
“Attended with Great Inconveniences”: Slave Literacy and the 1740 South Carolina Negro Act
Authors: Rasmussen Birgit Brander
Published: March 2010

It was early morning on Sunday, 9 September 1739. While most South Carolina settlers were preparing for church, nearly Two dozen slaves gathered near the Stono River less than twenty miles from Charlestown. After attacking a local store to secure firearms, the group moved south toward Saint Augustine, Florida, swelling in number and spreading terror along the way. The rebels killed more than twenty settlers and set numerous buildings on fire before being defeated by a colonial militia at the Edisto River the following day (Wood 306-26). This unprecedented insurrection rocked the colony to its core and brought about legislation with important implications for literacy in the colonies that became the United States.
The Business of Rhyming: Burma-Shave Poetry and Popular Culture
Authors: Chasar Mike
Published: March 2010

This essay uses the example of the long‐lived and popular Burma‐Shave advertising campaign to argue that literary critics should extend their attention to the vast amounts of poetry written for advertising purposes in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The Burma‐Shave campaign—which featured sequences of rhyming billboards erected along highways in the United States from 1926 to 1963—not only cultivated characteristics of literary and even avantgarde writing but effectively pressured that literariness into serving the commercial marketplace. At the same time, as the campaign's reception history shows, the spirit of linguistic play and innovation at the core of Burma‐Shave's poetry unintentionally distracted consumers' attention away from the commercial message and toward the creative forces of reading and writing poetry. A striking example of popular reading practices at work, this history shows how poetry created even in the most commercial contexts might resist the commodification that many twentieth‐century poets and critics feared. (MC)
Guest Column: Exhibition Practices
Authors: Bal Mieke
Published: March 2010

What the public gets to see of museums is in the exhibitions in which their holdings are presented; beyond the archival functions of conservation, categorization, and restoration, this presentation is at the heart of museums as cultural institutions. Until a few decades ago, exhibitions were predictable in format and structure. Visitors attended monographic and period exhibitions to be instructed and to enjoy themselves according to the old adage ofutile dulci.Every exhibition was an episode in a traditional conception of the management of art's relation to the public. Curators were also conservators; they studied, preserved, and categorized art objects and presented a selection of these according to the knowledge acquired. The space in which the objects were presented was kept as neutral as possible, so as not to disturb the viewer.
Efficacy of Amoxicillin and Metronidazole Combination for the Management of Generalized Aggressive Periodontitis
Authors: Yek Emine Cifcibasi , Cintan Serdar , Topcuoglu Nursen , Kulekci Guven , Halim İssever  , Kantarci Alpdogan
Published: March 2010

Background: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of metronidazole–amoxicillin combination on clinical and microbiologic parameters in patients with generalized aggressive periodontitis.

Methods: Twenty‐eight patients were randomly included. The test group (n = 12) received amoxicillin–metronidazole combination and scaling and root planing; the control group (n = 16) received scaling and root planing alone. In addition to the clinical examinations, subgingival plaque samples were analyzed for total cultivable bacteria and the presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia (previously T. forsythensis), Treponema denticola, Prevotella intermedia, Prevotella nigrescens, Prevotella pallens, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (previously Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans) using polymerase chain reaction.

Results: All clinical parameters improved significantly compared to baseline (P <0.05) in both groups. There was a statistically significant reduction of pockets and clinical attachment gain in the combined group compared to the control group (P <0.05). Total counts of bacteria also decreased significantly at 3 and 6 months in both groups (P <0.05). T. denticola and T. forsythia were the most prevalent bacteria throughout the study. T. denticola showed a continuous decrease over 6 months in the test group, whereas no change was seen in the control group beyond 3 months. P. gingivalis decreased significantly at 3 months (P <0.05), whereas T. forsythia was the only pathogen decreased below detection limits by the combination therapy with a significant difference compared to the control group (P <0.05).

Conclusions: The results from this study suggest that combined amoxicillin and metronidazole use as an adjunct to scaling and root planing leads to better clinical healing compared to mechanical treatment alone. The polypharmaceutical approach used results in a significant and substantial decrease in T. forsythia and prevents its recolonization for 6 months, suggesting that T. forsythia may determine the long‐term stability of periodontal treatment outcomes.
Effect of Initial Periodontal Therapy on Oral Health–Related Quality of Life in Patients With Periodontitis in Japan
Authors: Saito Atsushi , Hosaka Yasuo , Kikuchi Momomi , Akamatsu Mayako , Fukaya Chie , Matsumoto Shinya , Ueshima Fumie , Hayakawa Hiroki , Fujinami Koushu , Nakagawa Taneaki
Published: March 2010

Background: It is becoming increasingly important for periodontists and dental hygienists to take a biopsychosocial approach to care when considering periodontal interventions. However, information on how patients perceive periodontitis and its treatment is limited. The purpose of the present study is to gain insight into the patient perception of oral health and the impact that periodontitis and treatment have on self‐assessed quality of life (QoL).

Methods: This was a prospective, two‐center, clinical study in Japan. Patients with periodontitis were assessed for their perceptions of oral health by using an instrument for oral health–related QoL (OHRQL) before and after initial periodontal therapy.

Results: A total of 58 patients (mean age: 53.6 years; 23 male and 35 female) participated in the study and completed initial periodontal therapy. At baseline, 97% of the patients perceived that their oral health status impacted on their QoL in one or more ways. Pain, eating and chewing, and psychologic function were identified as compromised OHRQL domains. More than one‐half of the patients rated their overall oral health as poor. Initial periodontal therapy, consisting mainly of oral hygiene instructions and scaling and root planing, significantly improved OHRQL scores (P = 0.0027). The effect size was calculated to be 0.51, indicating a moderate improvement. Compared with baseline, a significantly higher proportion of patients reported rarely or never having a problem regarding OHRQL domains such as pain (P = 0.0049) and eating and chewing (P = 0.0145) after treatment. No significant difference in the OHRQL improvement was found with respect to disease severity.

Conclusions: Periodontitis negatively affected QoL in this population of Japanese patients with periodontitis. Conventional non‐surgical periodontal therapy has a potential to ameliorate patient perceptions of oral health.
17β‐Estradiol Promotes Cementoblast Proliferation and Cementum Formation in Experimental Periodontitis
Authors: Nuñez Javier , Sanz‐Blasco Sara , Vignoletti Fabio , Muñoz Fernando , Caffesse Raúl G. , Sanz Mariano , Villalobos Carlos , Nuñez Lucía
Published: March 2010

Background: Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory condition that leads to the destruction of the tooth‐supporting tissues. Its treatment includes the arrest of the inflammatory process and, in some circumstances, the restoration of the lost anatomy and function, including the formation of new cementum, periodontal ligament (PDL), and bone. With this goal, we investigated the effects of low concentrations of 17β‐estradiol on human cementoblast proliferation and its possible regenerative potential in vivo.

Methods: Human cementum‐derived cells obtained from a healthy human premolar were isolated and characterized by immunocytochemistry. Cell proliferation assays were performed to test the effects of 100 nM 17β‐estradiol and enamel matrix derivative (EMD). Three‐wall intrabony periodontal defects were created in beagle dogs. After 1 month of plaque accumulation, 0.225 mg 17β‐estradiol impregnated in a collagen sponge was applied to randomly selected defects (test group), whereas a collagen sponge impregnated in a culture medium was applied to the control group. After 3 months, specimens were obtained, and tissue regeneration was assessed by histometric analysis.

Results: Cells spreading out from human tooth‐layer explants were able to form cell colonies, produce a mineral matrix, and express osteocalcin, indicating they were cementoblast‐like cells. In contrast, PDL fibroblasts did not express osteocalcin. 17β‐estradiol, but not EMD, increased the rate of human cementoblast cell proliferation in vitro by 2.5‐fold. Histometric results from the treated periodontal defects revealed that 17β‐estradiol promoted the formation of 2.94 mm of new cementum, (45% of the defects) compared to 1.54 mm of new cementum in the control group (28% of the defects). Furthermore, the test group showed an inhibition of epithelial downgrowth and a gain of new connective tissue attachment.

Conclusion: 17β‐estradiol promoted human cementoblast cell proliferation in vitro and periodontal regeneration in an experimental periodontitis model.
The Effect of Landscape Position on Biomass Crop Yield
Authors: Thelemann Ryan , Johnson Gregg , Sheaffer Craig , Banerjee Sudipto , Cai Haowen , Wyse Donald
Published: March 2010

Integrating annual and perennial crops at the field scale creates new opportunities for increasing financial return while addressing important environmental and ecological issues. An understanding of biomass productivity on specific landscape positions is essential to realizing this goal. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of landscape position on the productivity of herbaceous and woody biomass crops. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), corn (Zea mays L.), willow (Salix spp.), cottonwood (Populus deltoides W. Bartram ex Marshall), poplar (Populus maximowiczii × P. nigra), and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) were planted on seven landscape positions. Soil attributes were measured and included soil nitrogen, P, K, and profile darkness index (PDI). Terrain attributes included specific catchment area (SpecCat) and compound terrain index (CTI). A hierarchical Bayesian approach was used to analyze spatial data. Corn grain and stover yield was lowest in depositional and flat areas that retain water for longer periods of time and highest on well drained summit positions. Corn stover yield was positively correlated to nitrogen, PDI, SpecCat, and CTI, whereas corn grain yield was not correlated to any of the soil or terrain attributes tested. Conversely, willow productivity was among the highest at the depositional position and lowest at the summit position. For SX67 willow, growth was positively correlated to SpecCat, whereas 9882 willow growth was negatively correlated to PDI and CTI. Alfalfa and poplar productivity was highest at a site characterized by a relatively steep slope with potentially erosive soils.
The Profitability of Seeding the F2 Generation of Hybrid Canola
Authors: Smith Elwin G. , Favret M. Lucila , Clayton George W. , Blackshaw Robert E. , Brandt Stewart , Johnson Eric N. , Harker K. Neil , O'Donovan John T. , Kutcher H. Randy , Vera Cecil
Published: March 2010

The high cost of hybrid (HY) canola (Brassica napus L.) seed has some producers considering F2 generation hybrid farm‐saved seed (HY‐FSS), or open‐pollinated (OP) varieties (both certified and farm‐saved seed). The net return (NR) of different varieties, genetic backgrounds, seeding rates, seed treatments, and seed sizing was evaluated from three experiments over eight site‐years of field data from western Canada. One set of experiments included variety, genetic background and seeding rate, while another included seed treatment, genetic background and seed sizing. The experiments used randomized complete block designs. The NR accounted for yield, green seed price discount, seed costs, and other production costs. Analysis of variance indicated certified F1 hybrid seed (HYC) was more profitable than HY‐FSS (15%, P = 0.0057) and OP (22%, P = 0.0001). With delayed weed control, NR was lower for HYC and not statistically different than HY‐FSS. Higher seeding rates and seed sizing for HY‐FSS did not increase NR compared to HYC. The findings of this study support the use of HYC canola seed, especially at high canola prices. Canola producers will not increase their NR by using HY‐FSS or OP seed to reduce their seed cost because the lost value of production exceeds the higher cost of HYC seed.