bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Note on Allelic Tests in Case‐Control Association Studies
Authors: Guedj M. , Nuel G. , Prum B. 
Published: March 2008

SummaryThis paper reconsiders the relevant contribution of Sasieni in the validity of allele‐based tests in case‐control genetic association studies. In particular, the author clearly demonstrates that the classical chi‐square test applied to allelic contingency tables is biased when the combined case‐control population is not in Hardy‐Weinberg equilibrium. As an alternative, he suggests using the Cochran‐Armitage test for trends by basing his argument on the fact that these two tests are asymptotically equivalent at the Hardy‐Weinberg equilibrium. However he only demonstrates the equality of the statistics when the observed genotypic proportions are strictly in equilibrium ‐ which does not formally imply the suggested, and often accepted, asymptotic behavior.In this short communication, we complement this contribution by providing the proof that allelic and trend statistics are asymptotically equivalent under the conditions mentioned above. In addition, since the ‘biased’ allelic test is still widely used in the literature, we briefly discuss the different alternatives that have been subsequently developed, based on Sasieni's conclusions.
Children adopted from China: a prospective study of their growth and development
Authors: Cohen Nancy J. , Lojkasek Mirek , Zadeh Zohreh Yaghoub , Pugliese Mirella , Kiefer Heidi 
Published: March 2008

Background:  China has become a lead country for international adoption because of the relatively young age of the children and reported positive conditions of the orphanages. This study examined the process and outcome of growth and development of children adopted from China over their first two years with their adoptive families.Method:  Seventy infant girls adopted from China at 8 to 21 months of age (Mean age = 13 months) were examined on arrival in Canada and 6, 12, and 24 months later. Comparisons were made with non‐adopted Canadian girls of similar age and from a similar family background as adoptive parents on indices of growth and standardized measures of mental, psychomotor, and language development.Results:  At arrival, children adopted from China were smaller physically and exhibited developmental delays compared to current peers. Children adopted from China were functioning in the average range on physical and developmental measures within the first 6 months following adoption. However, they were not performing as well as current peers until the end of their second year after adoption. Even then, there was developmental variation in relation to comparison children and continuation of relatively smaller size with respect to height, weight, and head circumference. Physical measurement was related to outcomes at various points on all developmental measures.Conclusions:  Deprivation in experience in the first year of life has more long‐lasting effects on physical growth than on mental development. The variable most consistently related to development was height‐to‐age ratio. As a measure of nutritional status, the findings reinforce the critical importance of early nutrition.
Amino acids outside of the loops that define the agonist binding site are important for ligand binding to insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors
Authors: Liu Zewen , Han Zhaojun , Liu Shuhua , Zhang Yixi , Song Feng , Yao Xiangmei , Gu Jianhua 
Published: March 2008

AbstractNicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors (nAChRs) are the targets of several kinds of insecticides. Based on the mutagenesis studies of Torpedo californica nAChRs and solved structure of a molluscan, glial‐derived soluble ACh‐binding protein, a model of the agonist site was constructed with contributing amino acids from three distinct loops (A, B, and C) of the α subunits and another three loops (D, E, and F) of the non‐α subunits. According to this model, most insect nAChR subunits can form the functional heteromeric or homomeric receptors. Actually, insect subunits themselves did not form any functional receptor at various combinations as yet, and only part of them can form the functional receptors with vertebrate non‐α subunits. These findings suggested that the agonist binding for insect nAChRs was not only contributed by those key amino acids in six loops, but also some unidentified amino acids from other regions. In our previous studies on nAChRs for Nilaparvata lugens, a target‐site mutation (Y151S) was found within two α subunits (Nlα1 and Nlα3). In Drosophila S2 cells and Xenopus oocytes, Nlα1 can form functional receptors with rat β2 subunit. However, the same thing was not observed in Nlα3. In the present paper, by exchanging the corresponding regions between Nlα1 and Nlα3 to generate different chimeras, amino acid residues or residue clusters in the regions outside the six loops were found to play essential roles in agonist binding, especially for the amino acid clusters between loop B and C. This result indicated that the residues in the six loops could be necessary, but not enough for the activity of agonist binding.
Tyrosinemia II: Lessons in Molecular Pathophysiology
Authors: Goldsmith Lowell A. 
Published: March 2008

Abstract:Tyrosinemia II is caused by a deficiency of hepatic tyrosine amino‐transferase. With the deficiency of this key enzyme of tyrosinc catabolism there is an increase in plasma tyrosine and then an increase in tyrosinc metabolites in the urine. The increased plasma tyrosinc causes tyrosine to crystallize in the cornea, producing corneal ulcerations and sometimes proliferation of corneal epithelium. In the epiderm is of the palms and soles, tyrosine leads to erosions, crusting, and then hyperkeratosis. The human disease is due to an autosomal recessive gene, and similar genetic diseases have been found in mink and in dogs. A nutritional model for the disease, in which a high‐tyrosine low‐protein diet is ted to rats, produces almost identical features. The features of this disorder and some of the implications of this disease for the study of other genetic diseases is discussed in this review.
Cutis Marmorata Telangiectatica Congenita: A Case Report
Authors: Altman Andrew R. , Tschen Jaime A. , Wolf John E. 
Published: March 2008

Abstract:Cutis marmorata telangiectatica congenita (CMTC) is a rare cutaneous vascular disorder that was first described in 1922 by Van Lohuizen (1). The clinical presentation is one of persistent cutis marmorata, phlebectasia, telangiectasia, and areas of ulcerations. The disorder shows slow clinical improvement over time.Previously, CMTC has also been described as congenital generalized phlebectasia (2–7), congenital phlebectasia (8), nevus vascularis rcticularis (9), congenital livedo reticularis (10), and livedo telangiectatica (11). The following is a case report.
Alopecia Areata Symposium
Authors: Thiers Bruce H. , Bergfeld Wiima F. , Fiedler‐Weiss Virginia C. , Weston William L. , Lane Alfred T. , Price Vera H. , Verbov Julian L. , Galen Wesley King 
Published: March 2008

Abstract: No dermatologic disorder poses so little threat to health and physical cotnfort and yet is so emotionally devastating as alopecia areata. Fortunately, the rate of spontaneous remission is high; nevertheless, management is problematic because of the considerable cosmetic disability imposed by extensive and visible hair loss, and the unpredictability of response to accepted therapeutic agents. Indeed, opinions vary as to whether or not any of the currently employed therapeutic modalities is effective, and there is remarkable diversity in approach to the patient with this problem.This symposium includes two lengthier articles on alopecia areata as well as several shorter commentaries on management by dermatologists with a special interest in this disorder.
Pemphigoid in Children
Authors: Oranje Arnold P. , Joost Theodoor van 
Published: March 2008

Abstract: Pemphigoid is an autolmmune blistering disease that is rare in childhood. A review of the English, German, and French literature published prior to 1989 revealed 31 cases of juvenile bullous pemphigoid and 12 of other forms (10 cases of juvenile cicatricial and 2 of juvenile localized bullous pemphigoid). Childhood pemphigoid, although less frequent, seems no different than its adult counterpart. While oral lesions are more common in the juvenile bullous form, there is no association with malignancy, which is a controversial and presumably incorrectly assumed association in the adult disease. The prognosis for children is good in most cases, and the disease is self‐limiting.The mainstay of therapy has been oral corticosteroids, but dapsone also often produces a good response. A relatively new approach is to give a combination of erythromycin and niacinamide with dapsone for a steroid‐sparing effect. In some patients the response to erythromycin plus niacinamide alone has been satisfactory; however, controlled therapeutic trials are lacking.It has been stated that high doses of steroids and immunosuppressive drugs are indicated for the cicatricial, as opposed to juvenile, bullous pemphigoid. From this review of the few cases of childhood cicatricial disease, it seems that the therapeutic approach might be the same for both forms.
Papular and Papulovesicular Acrolocated Eruptions and Viral Infections
Authors: Patrizi Annalisa , Lernia Vito Di , Ricci Giampaolo , Masi Massimo , Varotti Claudio 
Published: March 2008

AbstractTwenty–six children with a symmetric papular or papulovesicular acrolocated eruption were studied to evaluate a possible link with viral infection. A history of a recent immunization was present in four patients, two of whom had a polio vaccine virus isolated from their stool samples. There was serologic evidence of a recent Epstein–Barr virus infection in one patient, adenovirus infection in another, a concurrent Epstein–Barr virus and adenovirus Infection in a third, and cytomegalovirus infection in a fourth. Viral cultures were positive in two patients for adenovirus and in two others for rotavirus. Although some of the virologlc findings could have been coincidentai, this study confirms that multiple virai infections can be reiated to most papular and papulovesicular acrolocated eruptions of chiidhood. Virologic investigations in the eariier phases of the eruption are recommended to identify the etiologic factors of these lesions.
Linear Sebaceous Nevus Syndrome: Report of a Patient with Unusual Associated Abnormalities
Authors: Palazzi P. , Artese O. , Paolini A. , Cazzato C. , Cucchiarelli S. , Iezzi D. , Amerio P. 
Published: March 2008

Abstract:A 9‐year‐old girl was diagnosed as having a linear sebaceous nevus syndrome (LSNS). The nevus sebaceus was located on the face, and the girl also had nevoid hypertrichosis on the neck, sensorineural deafness, partial anodontia, blocked tear ducts, labiopalatoschisis, and an area of micropolygyria in the left encephalic (cerebral) hemisphere. Electroencephalographic alterations were detected, but they were not accompanied by a history of seizures; furthermore, the child was not mentally retarded. This phenotypic pattern of LSNS is unusual for the rarity of associated abnormalities.
Metastatic Crohn's Disease: A Case Report
Authors: Cummins Rebecca E. , Mullins Diane , Smith Linda J. , Ford Michael J. 
Published: March 2008

Abstract:Metastatic Crohn's disease (MCD) is a rare extraintestinal manifestation of Crohn's disease characterized by the histologic finding of granulomatous dermatitis at a site noncontiguous to the gastrointestinal tract. An adolescent had MCD of the face that was initially mistaken for severe, treatment‐resistant acne. Histopathologic and microbiologic evaluation, combined with clinical examination and response to therapy, ultimately led to the correct diagnosis. Mycobacterium paratuberculosis is a suspected cause of Crohn's disease. Polymerase chain reaction was used to detect genomic DNA specific for the organism in biopsy specimens from the patient's cutaneous lesions. This study failed to demonstrate M. paratuberculosis in the specimens.
Loose Anagen Hair in Hypohidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia
Authors: Azón‐Masoliver Antoni , Ferrando Juan 
Published: March 2008

Abstract:We report a 4 year‐old boy affected with hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia in whom loose anagen hair syndrome (LAHS) was suspected clinically. The diagnosis was confirmed by examination of hair by optic and scanning electron microscopy. Loose anagen hairs have not been previously described in the ectodermal dysplasias. It is possible that our patient had real LAHS or an ectodermal dysplasia with loose anagen hair as an epiphenomenon.
The Sankey Diagram in Energy and Material Flow Management
Authors: Schmidt Mario 
Published: March 2008

SummaryThe Sankey diagram is an important aid in identifying inefficiencies and potential for savings when dealing with resources. It was developed over 100 years ago by the Irish engineer Riall Sankey to analyze the thermal efficiency of steam engines and has since been applied to depict the energy and material balances of complex systems. The Sankey diagram is the main tool for visualizing industrial metabolism and hence is widely used in industrial ecology. In the history of the early 20th century, it played a major role when raw materials were scarce and expensive and engineers were making great efforts to improve technical systems. Sankey diagrams can also be used to map value flows in systems at the operational level or along global value chains. The article charts the historical development of the diagrams. After the First World War the diagrams were used to produce thermal balances of production plants for glass and cement and to optimize the energy input. In the 1930s, steel and iron ore played a strategic role in Nazi Germany. Their efficient use was highlighted with Sankey diagrams. Since the 1990s, these diagrams have become common for displaying data in life cycle assessments (LCAs) of products. Sankey diagrams can also be used to map value flows in systems at the operational level or along global value added chains. This article, the first of a pair, charts the historical development. The companion article discusses the methodology and the implicit assumptions of such Sankey diagrams.
What Is Resource Consumption and How Can It Be Measured?
Authors: Gößling‐Reisemann Stefan 
Published: March 2008

SummaryWhen analyzing the metabolism of our economy, the usual choice for a measure of resource consumption is the throughput of matter and energy. This, however, cannot be sufficient, since consumption by definition is always relating to the destruction or transformation, and hence a change in quality, not only in quantity, of material or energy flows. Here, an approach is presented that takes the entropy production associated with any process as a measure for the resource consumption of that process. Entropy production is thereby used to approximate the intuitive notion of consumption, which can best be described by the term loss of potential utility. This article delivers theoretical evidence for the validity of this choice, and a second article in a future issue will present an application taken from the metallurgical sector. The related concept of exergy analysis is discussed and compared against the entropy approach.
In Vitro Changes in Hardness of Sealed Resilient Lining Materials on Immersion in Various Fluids
Authors: Mante Francis K. , Mante Mamle O. , Petropolous Vicki C. 
Published: March 2008

Abstract Purpose: During clinical use, resilient lining materials undergo changes in hardness that make them ineffective. The aims of this investigation were (1) to determine the effect of a resilient lining sealer on the hardness of four resilient denture liners; and (2) to determine the effect of the sealer on hardness after immersion in various solutions. Materials and Methods: Two sets of specimens of four resilient liners, Coe‐comfort (CC), PermaSoft (PS), Tokuyama soft reline (TK), and Total‐Soft (TS), 6‐mm diameter by 4‐mm thickness, were fabricated. Two coats of Permaseal, a soft reline sealant, were applied to one set of specimens of each material according to manufacturers' instructions. Sealed and unsealed samples were divided into four groups (n = 10). Each group was immersed in one of the following solutions: artificial saliva at 37°C, Efferdent, Efferdent with once daily scrubbing with a soft toothbrush, and 50% ethanol. Shore A hardness numbers were obtained at 0, 1, 3, 7, 30, and 90 days. A two‐way ANOVA test was performed using materials (treated and untreated) and immersion solution as independent variables. The percentage change in hardness after the 90‐day immersion period was the dependent variable. Results: The results show that the application of sealant significantly improved the durability of CC, PS, and TS in immersion solutions by maintaining hardness close to preimmersion values or delaying the softening effect of the solutions. The hardness of sealed and unsealed TK showed the significantly (p < 0.05) lowest change after immersion in the test solutions. Ethanol caused the most severe decrease in hardness of all solutions, followed by saliva. Immersion in Efferdent and daily brushing after immersion in Efferdent showed only a mild effect on the hardness of the soft reline agents. Conclusion: The use of a sealer can play an important role in the preservation of the hardness of some resilient lining materials.
Myometrial mechanoadaptation during pregnancy: implications for smooth muscle plasticity and remodelling
Authors: Wu X. , Morgan K. G. , Jones C. J. , Tribe R. M. , Taggart M. J. 
Published: March 2008

AbstractThe smooth muscle of the uterus during pregnancy presents a unique circumstance of physiological mechanotransduction as the tissue remodels in response to stretches imposed by the growing foetus(es), yet the nature of the molecular and functional adaptations remain unresolved. We studied, in myometrium isolated from non‐pregnant (NP) and pregnant mice, the active and passive length–tension curves by myography and the expression and activation by immunoblotting of focal adhesion‐related proteins known in other systems to participate in mechanosensing and mechanotransduction. In situ uterine mass correlated with pup number and weight throughout pregnancy. In vitro myometrial active, and passive, length‐tension curves shifted significantly to the right during pregnancy indicative of altered mechanosensitivity; at term, maximum active tension was generated following 3.94 ± 0.33‐fold stretch beyond slack length compared to 1.91 ± 0.12‐fold for NP mice. Moreover, mechanotransduction was altered during pregnancy as evidenced by the progressive increase in absolute force production at each optimal stretch. Pregnancy was concomitantly associated with an increased expression of the dense plaque‐associated proteins FAK and paxillin, and elevated activation of FAK, paxillin, c‐Src and extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK1/2) which reversed 1 day post‐partum. Electron microscopy revealed close appositioning of neighbouring myometrial cells across a narrow extracellular cleft adjoining plasmalemmal dense plaques. Collectively, these results suggest a physiological basis of myometrial length adaptation, long known to be a property of many smooth muscles, whereupon plasmalemmal dense plaque proteins serve as molecular signalling and structural platforms contributing to functional (contractile) remodelling in response to chronic stretch.
Neuropsychiatric symptoms in 921 elderly subjects with dementia: a comparison between vascular and neurodegenerative types
Authors: Caputo M. , Monastero R. , Mariani E. , Santucci A. , Mangialasche F. , Camarda R. , Senin U. , Mecocci P. 
Published: March 2008

Objective:  i) to describe the neuropsychiatric profile of elderly subjects with dementia by comparing vascular (VaD) and degenerative dementias, i.e. dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD); ii) to assess whether the severity and type of dementia are associated with clinically relevant neuropsychiatric symptoms (CR‐NPS).Method:  One hundred and thirty‐one out‐patients with VaD, 100 with DLB and 690 with AD were studied. NPS were evaluated by the neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI).Results:  Vascular dementia had lower total and domain‐specific NPI scores and a lower frequency of CR‐NPS than AD and DLB, for which frequency of CR‐NPS increased significantly with disease severity, particularly in AD. Logistic regression analysis showed that a higher CDR score and a diagnosis of degenerative dementia were independently associated with CR‐NPS.Conclusion:  Vascular dementia is associated less with CR‐NPS than AD and DLB. Frequency of CR‐NPS increases with disease severity in AD and, to a lesser extent, in DLB.
Topical photodynamic therapy of murine non‐melanoma skin carcinomas with aluminum phthalocyanine chloride and a diode laser: pharmacokinetics, tumor response and cosmetic outcomes
Authors: Kyriazi Maria , Alexandratou Eleni , Yova Dido , Rallis Michail , Trebst Tilmann 
Published: March 2008

SummaryBackground/purpose: Topical photodynamic therapy (PDT) is potentially useful for the treatment of non‐melanoma skin cancer and other skin diseases. We investigated the therapeutic effects of PDT using topical application of aluminum phthalocyanine chloride (AlClPc) and a diode laser emitting at 670 nm in murine non‐melanoma skin carcinomas.Methods: AlClPc solution (0.7% w/v) was applied to tumors in mice for 1–6 h. The penetration depth and the optimum drug–light interval were assessed using pharmacokinetic studies. Then, PDT was performed on a murine model of non‐melanoma skin cancer using seven different combinations of therapeutic parameters (fluence rate and energy dose).Results: Pharmacokinetic studies revealed that AlClPc was absorbed 40 times more and penetrated 19 times deeper in tumors than normal skin. PDT using AlClPc (0.7% w/v) and a diode laser (75 mW/cm2, 150 J/cm2) resulted in complete tumor remission in 60% of the mice, excellent cosmetic outcomes and growth retardation of tumors with partial remission.Conclusions: The results indicate that AlClPc‐PDT is an effective treatment for non‐melanoma skin carcinomas in experimental mouse models.
As the PMI Turns: A Tool for Supply Chain Managers
Authors: Lindsey Matthew D. , Pavur Robert J. 
Published: March 2008

SUMMARYSupply chain managers use the PMI, an index of business activity and proxy for the general business cycle, to obtain valuable information important to strategic managerial planning. This research explores a methodology to provide managerial insight into the general business cycle by tracking and forecasting cycle turns in the PMI. A regression model is developed based on inherent cycles in the PMI between 12 and 65 months to forecast turning points for the index and anticipate changes in the business cycle, which is superior to the more commonly used Box‐Jenkins forecasting technique. Strategic planning using this knowledge allows management to optimally adjust long‐term levels of production, inventory, employment and orders as necessary.
Ontario's Rae Report: Investing in growth
Authors: Cameron David M. 
Published: March 2008

“I am urging the provincial government to adopt as a key mission for the province the goal for Ontario to be a leader in learning, and to fund higher education accordingly”Ontario: A Leader in Learning ‐ Report & Recommendations. By BOB RAE, Advisor to the Premier and the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. Toronto: Queen's Printer. 2005. Pp. iii, 124.