bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Clinical practice pattern of gastroenterologists, primary care physicians, and otolaryngologists for the management of GERD in the Asia–Pacific region: The FAST survey
Authors: WONG WAI‐MAN , LIM PAUL , WONG BENJAMIN CHUN‐YU 
Published: August 2004

AbstractBackground and Aim:  The clinical practice patterns of gastroenterologists, primary care physicians, and otolaryngologists for the management of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in the Asia–Pacific region are unknown. Respective medical professionals from seven countries of the Asia–Pacific region were invited to participate in a questionnaire survey.Methods:  Five hundred and eighty‐five medical professionals (221 gastroenterologists, 205 primary care physicians, and 159 otolaryngologists) participated in the survey. Three different versions of the questionnaire were used for each medical specialty. The questionnaire inquired about the prevalence, diagnosis, and management strategy of GERD for the respective medical professionals.Results:  All three medical specialties agreed that GERD is increasing and the most common diagnostic strategy used for patients with mild symptoms of GERD was ‘treat before testing’. Gastroenterologists preferred ‘test before treating’ for patients with severe symptoms, but primary care physicians and otolaryngologists preferred ‘treat before testing’ for severe cases. Most medical professionals had heard of the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) empiric trial but only 33–52% of them had used it before. For mild and severe cases of GERD, gastroenterologists preferred the use of PPIs, while primary care physicians and otolaryngologists reserved PPIs for severe cases of GERD. Gastroenterologists preferred ‘step down’ approach, while the other two specialties preferred ‘step‐up’ approach for the management of GERD. The preferred maintenance strategy for GERD was daily maintenance therapy among the three medical specialties.Conclusion:  A clear evidence‐based management strategy for the management of GERD is warranted in the Asia–Pacific region.
Overexpression of the acidic dehydrin WCOR410 improves freezing tolerance in transgenic strawberry leaves
Authors: Houde Mario , Dallaire Sylvain , N'Dong Daniel , Sarhan Fathey 
Published: August 2004

SummaryProgress in freezing tolerance (FT) improvement through plant breeding approaches has met with little success in the last 50 years. Engineering plants for greater FT through plant transformation is one possible way to reduce the damage caused by freezing. Here, we report an improvement of the selection procedure and the transfer of the wheat Wcor410a acidic dehydrin gene in strawberry. The encoded protein has previously been shown to be associated with the plasma membrane, and its level of accumulation has been correlated with the degree of FT in different wheat genotypes. The WCOR410 protein was expressed in transgenic strawberry at a level comparable with that in cold‐acclimated wheat. Freezing tests showed that cold‐acclimated transgenic strawberry leaves had a 5 °C improvement of FT over wild‐type or transformed leaves not expressing the WCOR410 protein. However, no difference in FT was found between the different plants under non‐acclimated conditions, suggesting that the WCOR410 protein needs to be activated by another factor induced during cold acclimation. These data demonstrate that the WCOR410 protein prevents membrane injury and greatly improves FT in leaves of transgenic strawberry. A better understanding of the limiting factors allowing its activation may open up the way for engineering FT in different plant organs, and may find applications for the cryopreservation of human tissues and organs.
Increased zinc content in transplastomic tobacco plants expressing a polyhistidine‐tagged Rubisco large subunit
Authors: Rumeau Dominique , Bécuwe‐Linka Noëlle , Beyly Audrey , Carrier Patrick , Cuiné Stéphan , Genty Bernard , Medgyesy Peter , Horvath Eva , Peltier Gilles 
Published: August 2004

SummaryRubisco is a hexadecameric enzyme composed of two subunits: a small subunit (SSU) encoded by a nuclear gene (rbcS), and a large subunit (LSU) encoded by a plastid gene (rbcL). Due to its high abundance, Rubisco represents an interesting target to express peptides or small proteins as fusion products at high levels. In an attempt to modify the plant metal content, a polyhistidine sequence was fused to Rubisco, the most abundant protein of plants. Plastid transformation was used to express a polyhistidine (6×) fused to the C‐terminal extremity of the tobacco LSU. Transplastomic tobacco plants were generated by cotransformation of polyethylene glycol‐treated protoplasts using two vectors: one containing the 16SrDNA marker gene, conferring spectinomycin resistance, and the other the polyhistidine‐tagged rbcL gene. Homoplasmic plants containing L8‐(His)6S8 as a single enzyme species were obtained. These plants contained normal Rubisco amounts and activity and displayed normal photosynthetic properties and growth. Interestingly, transplastomic plants accumulated higher zinc amounts than the wild‐type when grown on zinc‐enriched media. The highest zinc increase observed exceeded the estimated chelating ability of the polyhistidine sequence, indicating a perturbation in intracellular zinc homeostasis. We discuss the possibility of using Rubisco to express foreign peptides as fusion products and to confer new properties to higher plants.
DEAD‐box RNA helicases in Arabidopsis thaliana: establishing a link between quantitative expression, gene structure and evolution of a family of genes
Authors: Mingam Annaïck , Toffano‐Nioche Claire , Brunaud Véronique , Boudet Nathalie , Kreis Martin , Lecharny Alain 
Published: August 2004

SummaryThe model genome of Arabidopsis thaliana contains a DEAD‐box RNA helicase family (RH) of 58 members, i.e. almost twice as many as in the animal or yeast genomes. Transcript profiling using real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been obtained for 20 AtRHs from nine different organs. Two AtRHs exhibited plant‐specific profiles associated with photosynthetic and sink organs. The other 18 AtRHs had the same transcript profile, and the levels of transcription of these ‘housekeeping’AtRHs were under strict quantitative control over a large range of values. Transcript levels may be very different between the most recently duplicated genes. The master regulatory element in the definition of the transcript level is the simultaneous presence of a TATA‐box and an intron in the 5′ untranslated region (UTR). There is a positive and highly significant correlation between the size of the 5′ UTR intron and the transcription level, as long as a characteristic TATA‐box is present. Our work on the housekeeping AtRHs suggests a scenario for the evolution of duplicated genes, leading to both highly and poorly transcribed genes in the same terminal branch of the phylogenetic tree. The general evolutionary drive of the AtRH family, after duplication of a highly transcribed ancestral AtRH, was towards an alteration of the transcriptional activity of the divergent duplicates through successive events of suppression of the TATA‐box and/or the 5′ UTR intron.
Spider dragline silk proteins in transgenic tobacco leaves: accumulation and field production
Authors: Menassa Rima , Zhu Hong , Karatzas Costas N. , Lazaris Anthoula , Richman Alex , Brandle Jim 
Published: August 2004

SummarySpider dragline silk is a unique biomaterial and represents nature's strongest known fibre. As it is almost as strong as many commercial synthetic fibres, it is suitable for use in many industrial and medical applications. The prerequisite for such a widespread use is the cost‐effective production in sufficient quantities for commercial fibre manufacturing. Agricultural biotechnology and the production of recombinant dragline silk proteins in transgenic plants offer the potential for low‐cost, large‐scale production. The purpose of this work was to examine the feasibility of producing the two protein components of dragline silk (MaSp1 and MaSp2) from Nephila clavipes in transgenic tobacco. Two different promoters, the enhanced CaMV 35S promoter (Kay et al., 1987) and a new tobacco cryptic constitutive promoter, tCUP (Foster et al., 1999) were used, in conjunction with a plant secretory signal (PR1b), a translational enhancer (alfalfa mosaic virus, AMV) and an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention signal (KDEL), to express the MaSp1 and MaSp2 genes in the leaves of transgenic plants. Both genes expressed successfully and recombinant protein accumulated in transgenic plants grown in both greenhouse and field trials.
Specific cysteine protease inhibitors act as deterrents of western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), in transgenic potato
Authors: Outchkourov Nikolay S. , De Kogel Willem Jan , Schuurman‐de Bruin Antje , Abrahamson Magnus , Jongsma Maarten A. 
Published: August 2004

SummaryIn this study, the effects of the accumulation of cysteine protease inhibitors on the food preferences of adult female western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), were investigated. Representative members of the cystatin and thyropin gene families (stefin A, cystatin C, kininogen domain 3 and equistatin) were expressed in potato (Solanum tuberosum) cv. Impala, Kondor and Line V plants. In choice assays, a strong time‐ and concentration‐dependent deterrence from plants expressing stefin A and equistatin was observed. Cystatin C and kininogen domain 3 were not found to be active. All tested inhibitors were equally or more active than stefin A at inhibiting the proteolytic activity of thrips, but, in contrast with stefin A, they were all expressed in potato as partially degraded proteins. The resistance of cysteine protease inhibitors against degradation in planta by endogenous plant proteases may therefore be relevant in explaining the observed differences in the deterrence of thrips. The results demonstrate that, when given a choice, western flower thrips will select plants with low levels of certain cysteine protease inhibitors. The novel implications of the defensive role of plant cysteine protease inhibitors as both deterrents and antimetabolic proteins are discussed.
Over‐expression of a transcription factor regulating ABA‐responsive gene expression confers multiple stress tolerance
Authors: Kim Jin‐Baek , Kang Jung‐Youn , Kim Soo Young 
Published: August 2004

SummaryUnfavourable environmental conditions, such as drought, freezing and high salinity, are major limiting factors of plant productivity. Plants perceive and respond adaptively to such ‘abiotic stress’ conditions, and the adaptive process is controlled mainly by the phytohormone, abscisic acid (ABA). The hormone, whose level increases under various stress conditions, functions as a signal to trigger adaptive responses that include changes in gene expression patterns. We have recently reported transcription factors that regulate the ABA‐responsive gene expression. As ABA mediates adaptation to several common abiotic stresses, we investigated whether the transcription factors are involved in various stress responses. Here, we report that over‐expression of ABF3, one of the factors, confers tolerance to chilling, freezing, high temperature and oxidative stress in addition to drought. Our results indicate that ABF3 is involved in multiple stress responses, and that it may be a useful genetic resource for the engineering of plant stress tolerance.
Personal Services in the Post‐industrial Economy: Adding Nonprofits to the Welfare Mix
Authors: Graefe Peter 
Published: August 2004

AbstractThis article develops linkages between two separate fields of research, namely work on post‐industrial welfare states, and work on nonprofit organizations. It pays particular attention to the emphasis on personal services and the “cost disease” hypothesis found in the former, which places strong constraints on improving pay and job quality in the nonprofit sector. At the same time, it argues that the post‐industrial welfare states literature, despite its emphasis on personal services, has largely ignored the significant and growing role of nonprofits in delivering these services, and thus the potential of these organizations to shape their relevant labour markets. This poses the question about the relative weight of productivity‐related wage restraints in personal services versus the capacity for agency by nonprofits. The final section of the paper engages in a critique of the “cost disease” hypothesis to suggest that space exists to improve pay and job quality in nonprofit personal services, despite productivity‐related constraints.
Human Motivation and Professional Practice: of Knights, Knaves and Social Workers
Authors: Martin Graham P. , Phelps Kay , Katbamna Savita 
Published: August 2004

Abstract Efforts to improve the efficiency and responsiveness of public services by harnessing the self‐interest of professionals in state agencies have been widely debated in the recent literature on welfare state reform. In the context of social services, one way in which British policy‐makers have sought to effect such changes has been through the “new community care” of the 1990 NHS and Community Care Act. Key to this is the concept of care management, in which the identification of needs and the provision of services are separated, purportedly with a view to improving advocacy, choice and quality for service users. This paper uses data from a wide‐ranging qualitative study of access to social care for older people to examine the success of the policy in these terms, with specific reference to its attempts to harness the rational self‐interest of professionals. While care management removes one potential conflict of interests by separating commissioning and provision, the responsibility of social care professionals to comply with organizational priorities conflicts with their role of advocacy for their clients, a tension rendered all the more problematic by the perceived inadequacy of funding. Moreover, the bureaucracy of the care management process itself further negates the approach's supposedly client‐centred ethos.
Old and Cold: Older People and Policies Failing to Address Fuel Poverty
Authors: Wright Fay 
Published: August 2004

Abstract Research, funded by the British Gas Help the Aged Partnership and carried out by the Institute of Gerontology, King's College London, explored the multidimensional issues of fuel poverty. A sample of older homeowners and private renters living in England, Scotland and Wales were interviewed in the Spring of 2003 to explore their experiences of keeping their homes warm in the preceding winter. It was found that almost half of the sample for whom full information was available were in fuel poverty. Government schemes failed to address some important issues. Grants were only available to those with “passport benefits”, excluding those who had minimal occupational pensions. Although most respondents had central heating, it was often old and ineffective, yet grants were not available to modernize them. Government schemes did not extend to paying for external and internal insulation for solid wall properties yet many older people live in such property. Several older people lived in rural areas not connected to mains gas. As mains gas currently provides the cheapest fuel, they faced high bills, yet government policies do not address the differential fuel costs in these areas. The culture of many older people in the study contributed to their living in cold homes. They lived frugally and usually turned heating off in daylight hours during winter. It was also a common practice to sleep in an unheated bedroom during winter and to keep the window open at night. Such practices are acknowledged to be unhealthy.
Changing Welfare Regimes in East and Southeast Asia: Crisis, Change and Challenge
Authors: Croissant Aurel 
Published: August 2004

Abstract The Asia‐Pacific region is a latecomer to the development of the welfare state. However, in some countries, governments have implemented ambitious programmes to extend social security systems and to enlarge the institutional structure of their welfare states. Comparative study of the welfare systems in East and Southeast Asia is, however, underdeveloped and there still is a relative lack of accurate knowledge about welfare systems in the region. Since the Asian financial crisis, more attention has been paid to the social policies of the countries. This paper examines features of welfare regimes in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand, and undertakes a systematic review of the development, levels and patterns of welfare regimes in the region. Two core questions are answered: can the existing welfare systems help mitigate the social impact of the financial and economic crisis? What are the needs, challenges and developmental perspectives that inform the future of welfare regimes in this region?
“So Many Tiers, So Many Agendas, So Many Pots of Money”: The Challenge of English Regionalization for Voluntary and Community Organizations
Authors: Harris Margaret , Cairns Ben , Hutchinson Romayne 
Published: August 2004

Abstract This paper looks at the challenges facing voluntary and community organizations (VCOs) within the new policy context of English “regionalism”, drawing primarily on an empirical study in one of the emerging Regions. Barriers to voluntary and community sector (VCS) engagement with the new regional governmental organizations and the new regional policy agenda are identified. The role of VCS “infrastructure” organizations in facilitating relationships with regional levels of government is also considered. The concepts of exchange, ownership, trust and legitimacy are then employed to analyse and explain the implications for English VCOs of working with a new tier of government at regional level. The paper concludes by reconsidering the nature of the relationship between VCOs and “government” in the light of the new policy context presented by English regionalism combined with central government interest in building the capacity and infrastructure of the voluntary sector.
Effectiveness of LPG® treatment in morphea
Authors: Worret W‐I , Jessberger B 
Published: August 2004

ABSTRACTBackground  The LPG® technique, also known as Endermology® treatment, is a noninvasive technique consisting of a tissue mobilization process in which a skin fold is created between two rollers, stretching the underlying tissue and mobilizing the fold. The LPG® technique is very effective in treating scars. Because the lesions of morphea or circumscribed scleroderma are similar to atrophic scars, it seemed reasonable to treat them with a method proven helpful for scars.Materials and methods  We treated 17 lesions of 10 patients (four males and six females) with the diagnosis of morphea ranging in age from 17 to 78 years (mean age 55 years) and investigated and documented the evolution of their lesions and changes in their quality of life.Results  In all patients there was a large improvement in the clinical appearance of the lesions, the induration and the pain. Elasticity was particularly increased, not only based on clinical findings but also as documented with objective assessment. The acceptability of the treatment was good and the patients reported an improved quality of life.Conclusion  The LPG® technique (Endermology®) is an adjunctive treatment for morphea. It cannot eliminate the disease but can relieve the pain, soften the skin and improve the quality of life for these patients.
Increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma in junctional epidermolysis bullosa
Authors: Mallipeddi R , Keane FM , McGrath JA , Mayou BJ , Eady RAJ 
Published: August 2004

ABSTRACTNon‐Herlitz junctional epidermolysis bullosa (JEB) is an autosomal recessive genodermatosis characterized by skin fragility and blistering. It is usually caused by mutations in the genes encoding the basement membrane proteins laminin 5 or type XVII collagen. Clinically, impaired wound healing and chronic erosions cause major morbidity in affected patients. Previously it was thought that these individuals, unlike patients with dystrophic EB, did not have an increased risk of developing skin cancer. However, we describe three patients with non‐Herlitz JEB (aged 42, 56 and 75 years) who developed cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). The tumours were well‐differentiated in two cases, but one patient had multiple primary SCCs that were either well‐ or moderately differentiated. Most cases of SCC in non‐Herlitz JEB described have occurred in those with laminin 5 defects and on the lower limbs. These clinicopathological observations have important implications for the management of patients with this mechanobullous disorder as well as providing further insight into the biology of skin cancer associated with chronic inflammation and scarring.
Cutaneous adverse reaction to 2‐chlorodeoxyadenosine with histological flame figures in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
Authors: Rossini MS , De Souza EM , Cintra ML , Pagnano KB , Chiari AC , Lorand‐Metze I 
Published: August 2004

ABSTRACTIntroduction  2‐Chlorodeoxyadenosine (cladribine or 2‐CdA) is a purine analogue that has been used successfully in hairy cell leukaemia (HCL). Moreover, it has been increasingly used to treat chronic lymphoproliferative syndromes and paediatric acute myeloid leukaemia. Cutaneous side‐effects associated with this drug have seldom been described in cases of HCL.Patients and methods  We describe three patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia that presented generalized skin eruptions after treatment with 2‐CdA.Results  All patients had advanced disease, receiving 2‐CdA as a second or third line chemotherapy. Skin lesions were severe and chemotherapy had to be discontinued. Histological examination of skin biopsies showed an eosinophil‐rich infiltrate with flame figures, similar to what is observed in Wells’ syndrome (eosinophilic cellulitis). Corticosteroids were effective to control the eruptions.Conclusions  Cutaneous adverse reactions associated with 2‐CdA have seldom been observed in the treatment of HCL. However, as this purine analogue has been used in more advanced cases these may be more frequent and severe. The pathophysiology of these lesions is unclear, but it is probably related to drug‐induced change in T‐cell imbalance in severely immunosuppressed patients.
Eyelid discoid lupus erythematosus and contact dermatitis: a case report
Authors: MAB Trindade , AOA Alchorne , Da Costa EB , Enokihara MMSS 
Published: August 2004

ABSTRACTWe report a patient with discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) and associated allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) in the eyelids. In women, ACD caused by nail varnish is frequent and often seen in the eyelids. ACD caused by drugs (e.g. neomycin) is also frequent in this region. However, DLE with periorbital presentation without evidence of systemic or other cutaneous involvement is rare.
Leukaemia‐associated eosinophilic folliculitis (Ofuji's disease)
Authors: Patrizi A , Chieregato C , Visani G , Morrone P , Patrone P 
Published: August 2004

ABSTRACTBackground  Ofuji's disease is an eosinophilic dermatosis mostly affecting male subjects. It is characterized by the appearance of follicular papulopustolosis, at times on an erythematous base, which tend to form an annular configuration.Patients and methods  Two cases are described: the first is a 45‐year‐old man affected by acute myeloid leukaemia and Ofuji's disease; the second is a 61‐year‐old man affected by chronic lymphatic leukaemia and Ofuji's disease. Culture tests were negative in both cases. In both patients no hypereosinophilia was found.Conclusions  The simultaneous presence of the two pathologies in these patients can only give rise to hypothesis. In the first case it could be attributed to interleukin (IL)‐5, which causes both eosinophilic hyperproduction and blast differentiation. In the second case the hypersecretion of intercellular adhesion molecule type 1 (ICAM‐1) in Ofuji's disease could be attributed to a modified transcriptional gene belonging to the class of immunoglobulin codifying genes located on the altered chromosomes in a certain percentage of leukaemic patients.