bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Interactions among fire, insects and pathogens in coniferous forests of the interior western United States and Canada
Authors: Parker Thomas J. , Clancy Karen M. , Mathiasen Robert L. 
Published: August 2006

Abstract1 Natural and recurring disturbances caused by fire, native forest insects and pathogens have interacted for millennia to create and maintain forests dominated by seral or pioneering species of conifers in the interior regions of the western United States and Canada.2 Changes in fire suppression and other factors in the last century have altered the species composition and increased the density of trees in many western forests, leading to concomitant changes in how these three disturbance agents interact.3 Two‐ and three‐way interactions are reviewed that involve fire, insects and pathogens in these forests, including fire‐induced pathogen infection and insect attack, the effects of tree mortality from insects and diseases on fuel accumulation, and efforts to model these interactions.4 The emerging concern is highlighted regarding how the amount and distribution of bark beetle‐caused tree mortality will be affected by large‐scale restoration of these fire‐adapted forest ecosystems via prescribed fire.5 The effects of fire on soil insects and pathogens, and on biodiversity of ground‐dwelling arthropods, are examined.6 The effects of fire suppression on forest susceptibility to insects and pathogens, are discussed, as is the use of prescribed fire to control forest pests.
A new minimally invasive technique for treating radiation cystitis: the argon‐beam coagulator
Authors: WINES MICHAEL P. , LYNCH WILLIAM D. 
Published: August 2006

OBJECTIVETo assess the effectiveness of the argon‐beam coagulator used endoscopically for treating radiation cystitis, as radiotherapy is commonly used for treating pelvic tumours of urological origin, but intractable bleeding related to radiation cystitis remains a serious complication and requires a difficult long‐term follow‐up, for which cystoscopic methods of management have traditionally had limited success.PATIENTS AND METHODSWe assessed seven patients with radiation cystitis; they were treated with argon‐beam coagulation after a cystoscopic evaluation.RESULTSWith a mean follow‐up of 15 months, one treatment was used in six patients, with a second treatment required in one.CONCLUSIONThe argon‐beam coagulator appears to be a safe, well tolerated and minimally invasive treatment in patients with radiation cystitis.
Selective nuclear factor κ‐B inhibitors, pyrolidium dithiocarbamate and sulfasalazine, prevent the nephrotoxicity induced by gentamicin
Authors: TUGCU VOLKAN , OZBEK EMIN , TASCI ALI I. , KEMAHLI ERAY , SOMAY ADNAN , BAS MUZAFFER , KARACA CETIN , ALTUG TUNCAY , ÇEKMEN MUSTAFA B. , ÖZDOGAN HACI K. 
Published: August 2006

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of selective nuclear factor κ‐B (NFκ‐B) inhibitors, pyrolidium dithiocarbamate (PD) and sulfasalazine (SZ) on renal tubular necrosis and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and NFκ‐B expression induced by gentamicin in rats.MATERIALS AND METHODSIn all, 48 adult male Sprague‐Dawley rats were divided into six equal groups; group 1, control; group 2, injected with gentamicin for 10 days (100 mg/kg/day, intraperitoneal, i.p.); group 3, injected with gentamicin plus PD (100 mg/kg/day, i.p.); group 4, injected with gentamicin plus SZ (75 mg/kg/day, i.p.); group 5, injected with gentamicin plus distilled water (vehicle for PD); and group 6, injected with gentamicin plus ammonium hydroxide (75 mg/day, 1 m, vehicle for SZ) for 10 days. At 24 h after the last injection, rats were killed and the renal cortex separated from the medulla. A small sample was fixed in formaldehyde solution for histological and immunohistochemical examination. Blood samples were also taken to assess the serum levels of urea, creatinine, Na+, K+ and γ‐glutamyl transpeptidase (GT). Crude extracts of the cortex were used to determine reduced glutathione (GSH‐Px), NO and malondialdehyde (MDA). Immunohistochemically, iNOS and the active subunit of NFκB, P65, were evaluated using mouse monoclonal antibodies.RESULTSOn haematoxylin and eosin staining, compared with the controls rats, gentamicin caused widespread tubular necrosis (grade 3 and 4) but in group 3 and 4 there was a marked reduction in the extent of tubular damage. Immunohistochemically there was more marked staining for iNOS and P65 expression in rats given gentamicin than in the control and group 3 and 4 (P < 0.001). In groups 3 and 4 iNOS and P65 expression were significantly less than in rats given only gentamicin. There was no significant difference in serum levels of Na+, K+, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine. Compared with control rats, gentamicin caused hyperproteinuria, a marked increase in levels of serum γ‐GT, MDA and NO, and a decrease in GSH‐Px (P < 0.001).CONCLUSIONThese results indicate that gentamicin induces iNOS expression through activation of NFκ‐B (P65). It is possible to prevent gentamicin‐induced nephrotoxicity using selective NFκ‐B inhibitors.
Lower urinary tract symptoms and related help‐seeking behaviour in South Asian men living in the UK
Authors: TAYLOR JOBY , MCGROTHER CATHERINE W. , HARRISON SIMON C.W. , ASSASSA PHILIP R. ,   THE LEICESTERSHIRE MRC INCONTINENCE STUDY TEAM
Published: August 2006

OBJECTIVETo describe the pattern and prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and related help‐seeking behaviour in men of South Asian origin living in the UK, and to compare this to the white population.SUBJECTS AND METHODSData were obtained as part of the Leicestershire MRC Incontinence Study. Community‐dwelling men aged >40 years were sent a postal questionnaire addressing urinary symptoms, bother and help‐seeking. Prevalence rates of self‐reported LUTS were compared on the basis of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys ethnic classifications. Logistic regression was used to estimate the relative risk of symptoms between groups. Data from 7810 men were included in the analysis.RESULTSIn all, 409 (5.3%) of the population sample described themselves as Asian; 36.5% of these men described at least one significant LUTS, vs 29.0% of white men. The overall prevalence rates for all storage symptoms were significantly higher in Asian men. Straining to void was the only voiding symptom to show a difference in prevalence between the groups. However, when controlling for age, Asian men were at greater risk for all symptoms except a weak urinary stream. Reported levels of bother and felt need were the same in both population groups, but actual help‐seeking was significantly less in the Asian group. Only 25.0% of Asian men had actively sought help, compared to 53.1% of white men.CONCLUSIONSouth Asian men in the UK have a higher risk of experiencing LUTS than white men from the same population. This increase in risk is greatest for storage symptoms. Although levels of bother are the same, South Asian men are less likely to seek help for their symptoms.
Physician‐rated patient preference and patient‐ and partner‐rated preference for tadalafil or sildenafil citrate: results from the Canadian ‘Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction’ observational study
Authors: LEE JAY , POMMERVILLE PETER , BROCK GERALD , GAGNON ROBERT , MEHTA PRAVINSAGAR , KRISDAPHONGS MICHOKE , CHAN MELANIE , CHAN JOHN , DICKSON RUTH 
Published: August 2006

OBJECTIVETo determine physician‐based ratings of patient preference, patient preference, partner preference and physician‐based assessment of the reasons for patient preference for tadalafil or sildenafil citrate (sildenafil) as a treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED) in routine clinical practice. Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5i) are effective and well‐tolerated therapies for ED, but patient and partner preferences for these treatments might be determined by many factors, both medical and nonmedical.PATIENTS AND METHODSThe Treatment of ED (TED) observational trial was a multicentre study conducted in Canada to determine patient and partner preferences for the PDE5i tadalafil or sildenafil in routine clinical practice. Patients who planned to change treatment from tadalafil or sildenafil to the alternative drug were invited to participate in the study. The study duration was 4–12 weeks. At visit 1 (baseline), patient background information was collected. At visit 2, physicians answered the physician‐rated patient‐treatment preference questionnaire, patients answered the treatment preference question (TPQ) and the global assessment question (GAQ), and partners answered the partner TPQ.RESULTSThe TED study was conducted at 266 sites across Canada and involved 2425 patients who used the allowed study medications, and 295 sexual partners who attended clinic visits. More than 98% of patients completed the study. Responses to the preference questionnaires showed that physician‐rated patient preference, patient preference, and partner preference had a similar pattern preference, with a significantly higher proportion preferring tadalafil over sildenafil regardless of the change in treatment (i.e. sildenafil to tadalafil or tadalafil to sildenafil). Responses to the GAQ showed that nearly 90% of the patients who took either PDE5i said that the treatment had improved erections.CONCLUSIONSTED is the first study to assess physician‐based ratings of patient preference, patient preference, and partner preference for tadalafil or sildenafil in a routine clinical practice settings. Most participants preferred tadalafil over sildenafil. Understanding the underlying reasons influencing the preference might improve patient compliance and satisfaction with treatment.
Six‐month‐old infants use analog magnitudes to represent duration
Authors: VanMarle Kristy , Wynn Karen 
Published: August 2006

Abstract While many studies have investigated duration discrimination in human adults and in nonhuman animals, few have investigated this ability in infants. Here, we report findings that 6‐month‐old infants are able to discriminate brief durations, and, as with other animal species, their discrimination function is characterized by Weber's Law: proportionate difference rather than absolute difference between stimuli determined successful discrimination. Importantly, paralleling results found with nonhuman animals, the Weber function that we found for infants’ discrimination of time is the same as that found for their discrimination of number. Infants discriminated durations of an audiovisual event differing by a 1:2 ratio, but not those differing by a 2:3 ratio, over a range of durations. This suggests that (a) in human as in nonhuman animals, the same mental mechanism may underlie the ability to measure duration as to represent number, and (b) we may share this mental mechanism with other animal species.
Apes' and children's understanding of cooperative and competitive motives in a communicative situation
Authors: Herrmann Esther , Tomasello Michael 
Published: August 2006

AbstractChimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus) (Study 1) and 18‐ and 24‐month‐old human children (Study 2) participated in a novel communicative task. A human experimenter (E) hid food or a toy in one of two opaque containers before gesturing towards the reward's location in one of two ways. In the Informing condition, she attempted to help the subject find the hidden object by simply pointing to the correct container. In the Prohibiting condition, E held out her arm toward the correct container (palm out) and told the subject firmly ‘Don't take this one.’ As in previous studies, the apes were at chance in the Informing condition. However, they were above chance in the new Prohibiting condition. Human 18‐month‐olds showed this same pattern of results, whereas 24‐month‐olds showed the opposite pattern: they were better in the Informing condition than in the Prohibiting condition. In our interpretation, success in the Prohibiting condition requires subjects to understand E's goal toward them and their behavior, and then to make an inference (she would only prohibit if there were something good in there). Success in the Informing condition requires subjects to understand a cooperative communicative motive – which apparently apes and young infants find difficult.
ADDITIVE‐INTERACTION MODELS OF SPATIAL AGGLOMERATION*
Authors: Fujita Masahisa , Smith Tony E. 
Published: August 2006

ABSTRACTA wide variety of existing models of spatial agglomeration postulate additive‐interaction effects among agents. In this paper, a synthesis of such models is achieved by establishing certain mathematical equivalences between them. In particular, it is shown that Rockafellar's conjugacy theory of concave functions yields a symmetric one‐to‐one correspondence between three classes of existing models, here designated as spatial‐accessibility models, endogenous‐contact models, and fixed‐contact models. These correspondences not only allow the transference of results between models, but also suggest new economic interpretations of each model in terms of its conjugate model. A series of examples are drawn from the literature to illustrate these results.
Medical and psychosocial outcome of patients with occupational contact dermatitis in Israel
Authors: Lazarov A , Rabin B , Fraidlin N , Abraham D 
Published: August 2006

AbstractBackground  Although the medical, financial and prognostic factors of occupational contact dermatitis (OCD) have been addressed, studies on the social outcome of OCD are sparse.Objective  To define the medical and psychosocial outcome of patients with OCD.Methods  Workers with OCD were interviewed by telephone using a questionnaire that included questions about the occupation, dermatological disease, sick leave, present working status and disability claims, and questions related to the subjective perceptions of OCD in all areas of psychosocial functioning and quality of life.Results  Seventy workers (64.3% males and 35.7% females) were interviewed. Forty per cent had stopped working and one‐third had taken sick leave because of OCD. Forty‐seven (67.1%) were currently working while 23 (32.8%) were unemployed. Disability compensation was claimed by only 41.4% and was received by 24.3%. Eight workers (11.4%) had persistent postoccupational dermatitis (PPOD). Loss of employment affected the occupational area of the workers’ lives (100%), and also interpersonal relationships (45.7%), relationships within the family (18.6%), daily functioning (45.7%) and mental health (24.3%).Conclusions  Considerable working time is lost because of unemployment or sick leave due to OCD. Only a small proportion of eligible patients with OCD apply for disability compensation and an even smaller proportion receive it. Our study demonstrates the significance of OCD to the psychosocial aspects of workers’ lives and emphasizes that the assessment of OCD outcome should relate not only to the medical but also to the psychosocial aspect of the disease.
Household chaos – links with parenting and child behaviour
Authors: Coldwell Joanne , Pike Alison , Dunn Judy 
Published: August 2006

Background:  The study aimed to confirm previous findings showing links between household chaos and parenting in addition to examining whether household chaos was predictive of children's behaviour over and above parenting. In addition, we investigated whether household chaos acts as a moderator between parenting and children's behaviour.Method:  The sample consisted of 118 working‐ and middle‐class two‐parent English families with two children aged 4–8. Parents provided reports of the parent–child relationship, the level of chaos in their home and the children's problematic behaviour. The children also provided reports of parent–child relationships via a puppet interview.Results:  The results confirmed the links between household chaos and parenting, and indicated that household chaos is predictive of children's problem behaviour over and above parenting. In addition, in a minority of cases, household chaos played a moderating role between parenting and children's behaviour in that it exacerbated the effect of poorer quality parenting on children's behaviour.Conclusions:  Household chaos is able to work in an additive way and predict children's problem behaviour over and above parenting, and is particularly potent when in combination with less positive/more negative parenting.
A rapid exocytosis mode in chromaffin cells with a neuronal phenotype
Authors: Ardiles Alvaro O. , Maripillán Jaime , Lagos Verónica L. , Toro Rodrigo , Mora Italo G. , Villarroel Lorena , Alés Eva , Borges Ricardo , Cárdenas Ana M. 
Published: August 2006

AbstractWe have used astrocyte‐conditioned medium (ACM) to promote the transdifferentiation of bovine chromaffin cells and study modifications in the exocytotic process when these cells acquire a neuronal phenotype. In the ACM‐promoted neuronal phenotype, secretory vesicles and intracellular Ca2+ rise were preferentially distributed in the neurite terminals. Using amperometry, we observed that the exocytotic events also occurred mainly in the neurite terminals, wherein the individual exocytotic events had smaller quantal size than in undifferentiated cells. Additionally, duration of pre‐spike current was significantly shorter, suggesting that ACM also modifies the fusion pore stability. After long exposure (7–9 days) to ACM, the kinetics of catecholamine release from individual vesicles was markedly accelerated. The morphometric analysis of vesicle diameters suggests that the rapid exocytotic events observed in neurites of ACM‐treated cells correspond to the exocytosis of large dense‐core vesicles (LDCV). On the other hand, experiments performed in EGTA‐loaded cells suggest that ACM treatment promotes a better coupling between voltage‐gated calcium channels (VGCC) and LDCV. Thus, our findings reveal that ACM promotes a neuronal phenotype in chromaffin cells, wherein the exocytotic kinetics is accelerated. Such rapid exocytosis mode could be caused at least in part by a better coupling between secretory vesicles and VGCC.
Effects of transfusion on human erythrovirus B19‐susceptible or ‐infected pediatric recipients in a genotype 3–endemic area
Authors: Parsyan Armen , Addo‐Yobo Emmanuel , Owusu‐Ofori Shirley , Akpene Henrietta , Sarkodie Francis , Allain Jean‐Pierre 
Published: August 2006

BACKGROUND: Human erythrovirus (parvovirus) B19 is transmitted by transfusion of blood, blood components, and plasma derivatives and is resistant to most viral inactivation methods. B19 genotype 3 is prevalent in Ghana, and no related clinical information is available.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This study assessed the transmission of B19 genotype 3 by transfusion and the potential effect of transfused B19 antibodies in viremic recipients. Immunological aspects of B19 genotype 3 infection in children mainly transfused for acute malarial anemia were examined. Molecular and serologic methods adapted to genotype 3 were developed and used.RESULTS: Among 114 donor‐recipient pairs from Ghana, two donations contained B19 DNA and specific antibodies, and no evidence of transmission was found. B19 immunoglobulin G (IgG)–containing whole blood was transfused to 14 B19 DNA–positive recipients. Three recipients with detectable levels of IgG to B19 failed to clear viremia 1 to 2.3 months after transfusion. Ten recipients without IgG to VP2 before transfusion cleared the virus but failed to develop an immune response to B19 within 1 to 2 months after transfusion. Only 1 patient who received little specific IgG by transfusion produced detectable antibodies.CONCLUSION: Low levels of B19 genotype 3 DNA associated with specific IgG are not infectious by transfusion. Viral clearance and apparent down regulation of immune response to B19 may be related to removal of the viral antigens by transfused antibodies and/or immunomodulatory effect of transfusion.
Testimony Validity as a Function of Question Form, Atmosphere, and Item Difficulty
Authors: MARQUIS KENT H. , MARSHALL JAMES , OSKAMP STUART 
Published: August 2006

The effects of five kinds of questioning, two interpersonal atmospheres of interviewing, and five levels of item difficulty on the accuracy and completeness of testimony about a short film were tested in a legal interrogation setting. Subjects enjoyed the supportive style of interviewing more than the challenging style, but atmosphere had no important effect on recall performance.The type of questioning produced almost no differences in affective or cognitive reactions. However, as the specificity of questions increased, so did the completeness of testimony. Accuracy of testimony showed slight decreases for more specific questions. The trade‐off between accuracy and completeness was mediated by item difficulty. It was very pronounced for items of high difficulty and not apparent for items of low difficulty.Leading questions by themselves or in interaction with atmosphere did not produce special distortions in accuracy.
The Validity of Construction Workers' and Students' Perceptions of Each Other: A Research Note
Authors: Bozzone Vincent , Meyers Judith Ann , York Arthur 
Published: August 2006

Following the spring 1970 confrontations between undergraduate college students and construction workers in lower Manhattan, a study of attitudes of a sample of undergraduates and construction workers was conducted. One hunderd Columbia University undergraduates and 100 apprentice construction workers were asked to indicate their level of agreement with 10 statements which were intended to embody “basic American tenets”. The respondents within each group were also asked to predict the attitude that a member of the other group would hold. A “liberal/conservative” dichotomy was developed for the instrument by having independent judges categorize each of the 10 items as representing a “liberal” or a “conservative” attitude.The expectations that student responses would be more liberal than construction worker responses and that each group would perceive this difference were tested and supported. The expectation that students perceive construction workers to be even more conservative than the workers report themselves to be was also supported. But the construction workers did not demonstrate the expected exaggeration of the students' liberalism.
Defendant's Attractiveness as a Factor in the Outcome of Criminal Trials: An Observational Study1
Authors: Stewart John E. 
Published: August 2006

Observers rated the physical attractiveness of 74 defendants in criminal court, covering a broad range of offenses. Seventy‐three usable cases were obtained. For 67 defendants (excluding those who had drawn “flat sentences” of 99–199 years), attractiveness was predictive of both minimum and maximum sentences (p <.001)‐the more attractive the defendant, the less severe the sentence imposed. No significant relationship was found between attractiveness and conviction/acquittal, although seriousness of the crime was found to correlate negatively with attractiveness (p <.01)).Race of the defendant showed a systematic relationship to punishment, with nonwhites drawing consistently more severe sentences than whites; a multiple regression analysis using attractiveness, race, and seriousness of crime as predictors of punishment yielded results which implied that this finding was largely due to a confounding of race and seriousness of the crime.