bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Age‐dependent change in reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide generation by rat alveolar macrophages*
Authors: Tasat Deborah Ruth , Mancuso Regina , O'Connor Silvia , Molinari Beatriz 
Published: May 2003

SummaryImmunosenescence is an age‐associated dysregulation of the immune function, which contributes to increased susceptibility to disease in the elderly. Alveolar macrophages (AM) are known phagocytes that generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO), essential mediators for host defence. We studied phagocytosis, ROS and NO production in AM obtained from young, adult and senescent rats (1–2, 9–12 and 18–24 months old, respectively) after exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 0.1–10 µg mL−1), 12‐O‐tetradecanoylphorbol 13‐acetate (TPA, 0.1 µg mL−1) or LPS + TPA in culture. Phagocytosis was significantly lower in control AM from adult rats than in AM from young animals. Nevertheless, AM from adult animals pretreated with LPS exhibited higher phagocytic capacity than AM from younger animals. ROS was identified by the NBT test at single cell level and quantified by automated image analysis. When TPA was added to all three populations, AM from adult and senescent animals responded more than AM from young animals. All LPS‐stimulated AM produce more NO than controls. However, NO production increased three‐, four‐ and two‐fold in young, adult and senescent animals, respectively. Our results demonstrate that AM from young, adult and senescent animals display differential responsiveness to inflammatory mediators. Therefore, aging processes markedly affect AM metabolic functions and may further compromise the lung immune defence response, increasing adverse long‐term health effects.
Natural enemies of three mealybug species (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) found on citrus and effects of some insecticides on the mealybug parasitoid Coccidoxenoides peregrinus (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) in South Africa
Authors: Wakgari W.M. , Giliomee J.H. 
Published: May 2003

AbstractThe population density of mealybug species in some South African citrus orchards has increased to pest status in recent years. The characterization of the natural enemy complex and quantification of their contribution to the control of Planococcus citri (Risso), Pseudococcus longispinus (Targioni-Tozzetti) and Pseudococcus calceolariae (Maskell) on Citrus limon (L.) and Citrus reticulata (Blanco) was investigated through intensive sampling. Eight primary and four secondary parasitoids, and two predator species were identified from P. citri and P. calceolariae. Anagyrus pseudococci (Girault) and Coccidoxenoides peregrinus (Timberlake) were the most common species, accounting for 44% and 21% of the total. Of the five primary parasitoids reared from P. longispinus, A. pseudococci and Anagyrus sp. were predominant, comprising 41% and 30%. Nymphal and adult parasitism (range = 0–26% vs. 0–66%) and predation (range = 0–5.6% vs. 0–4.1%) varied significantly between host trees and mealybug species (P < 0.001). The numbers of nymphal instars and adult stages of P. calceolariae and P. longispinus and the nymphal stage of P. citri that were parasitized and killed by predators correlated significantly with the total number of hosts on which they acted (P < 0.01), suggesting a density-dependent association. Laboratory bioassay of nine contact insecticides (methidathion, methomyl, methyl-parathion, parathion, profenofos and prothiofos) against C. peregrinus indicated that all were highly toxic, causing 98–100% mortality in < 6 h of treatment. The IGRs fenoxycarb and triflumuron did not cause significant parasitoid mortality (P > 0.05). However, a mixture of pyriproxyfen and mineral oil caused a marginally significant mortality (P < 0.05).
Detecting Cacopsylla pyricola (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) in predator guts using COI mitochondrial markers
Authors: Agustí N. , Unruh T.R. , Welter S.C. 
Published: May 2003

AbstractCacopsylla pyricola (Förster) is one of the most important pests of pear in North America, where several native predators have been considered for integrated pest management (IPM) programmes. Two molecular markers of 271 and 188 bp were developed from C. pyricola cytochrome oxidase I (COI) fragments, in order to study the detection of this species in the gut of arthropod predators. Primer sensitivity and the detection period for pear psylla remains in the guts of Anthocoris tomentosus Pericart were determined. The sensitivity threshold was defined at 10-5 dilution of a C. pyricola fifth-instar nymph in all samples. Predator adults were evaluated immediately after ingestion of one to five C. pyricola nymphs (t = 0) and after 2, 4, 6, 8, 16, 24 and 32 h. Detection of the presence of C. pyricola DNA always lasted longer using the shorter fragment and was observed after 32 h of digestion using both markers. The primers amplifying the 188 bp fragment amplified all four psyllid species tested, whereas the primers designed to amplify the 271 bp fragment did so exclusively for C. pyricola and its close relative, Cacopsylla pyri (Linnaeus). Both primers failed to amplify DNA from representative species of the Coccinellidae, Chrysopidae, Hemerobiidae, Anthocoridae, Miridae, Salticidae, Aphididae, Tetranychidae and the Tortricidae, suggesting their suitability for general trophic studies.
Predation and prey size choice by the carabid beetle Pterostichus melanarius (Coleoptera: Carabidae): the dangers of extrapolating from laboratory to field
Authors: McKemey A.R. , Symondson W.O.C. , Glen D.M. 
Published: May 2003

AbstractThe impact of predation by the generalist carabid beetle Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger) on populations of the field slug Deroceras reticulatum (Müller), and the effects of prey size on the predator–prey interaction, were measured under semi-field conditions. It was hypothesized that environmental heterogeneity would lead to very different patterns of comparative mortality than might be deduced from size choice experiments conducted in the laboratory. Results from outdoor mini-plots, emulating conditions in a field of wheat, demonstrated that P. melanarius significantly reduced numbers of slugs from all size classes, with no apparent preferences. This was in marked contrast to results from earlier laboratory studies, where this beetle fed preferentially on the smallest slugs. The slugs in the mini-plots ranged in size from 2–100 mg and the numbers in the mini-plot reflected the size frequency distribution in the field. Beetles in mini-plots containing high densities of slugs increased significantly in weight, in contrast to beetles in mini-plots with low slug density or no added slugs, which did not. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), using anti-slug monoclonal antibodies, showed that where there was a higher density of slugs there was more slug protein in the guts of the beetles. It was concluded that environmental heterogeneity probably provided a greater number and diversity of refugia for smaller than for larger slugs, counteracting laboratory-measured size preferences measured in arenas without refugia. These results have implications for a range of ecological studies involving inter- and intra-specific prey size choice, and emphasize the dangers of extrapolating from the laboratory to the field.
Short‐term interest rate models: valuing interest rate derivatives using a Monte‐Carlo approach
Authors: Treepongkaruna Sirimon , Gray Stephen 
Published: May 2003

AbstractThis paper provides an accessible description and several examples of how to use Monte‐Carlo simulation to value interest rate derivatives when the short rate follows an arbitrary time series process. We compare the values of various interest rate derivatives using closed‐form solutions (when available), the Hull and White (1994) trinomial tree procedure, and a Monte‐Carlo simulation technique. We show that the simulation technique can be applied to more complex short rate processes by examining short rate models where the dynamics are too complicated for any tree or lattice approach and closed‐form valuation formulae are unavailable. In a practical empirical setting, we weigh the advantages and disadvantages of the simulation approach against competing approaches.
Integral Spirituality, Deep Science, and Ecological Awareness
Authors: Maxwell Thomas P. 
Published: May 2003

AbstractThere is a growing understanding that addressing the global crisis facing humanity will require new methods for knowing, understanding, and valuing the world. Narrow, disciplinary, and reductionist perceptions of reality are proving inadequate for addressing the complex, interconnected problems of the current age. The pervasive Cartesian worldview, which is based on the metaphor of the universe as a machine, promotes fragmentation in our thinking and our perception of the cosmos. This divisive, compartmentalized thinking fosters alienation and self‐focused behavior. I aim to show in this essay that healing the fragmentation that is at the root of the current world crises requires an integrated epistemology that embraces both the rational knowledge of scientific empiricism and the inner knowledge of spiritual experience. This “deep science” transcends the illusion of separateness to discern the unity, the unbroken wholeness, that underlies the diverse forms of the universe. Our perception of connectedness, of our integral place in the web of life, emerges as an attribute of our connection with the eternal, beatific source of all existence. This awakened spiritual vision “widens our circle of understanding and compassion, to embrace all living creatures in the whole of nature” (Einstein, quoted in Goldstein [1976] 1987). Our behavior, as it emerges naturally out of our perception of the sacredness of the natural world, will naturally embody love and respect for all life forms. This vision promotes the healing of our long‐standing alienation from the natural world and offers hope for renewal in the midst of widespread cultural deterioration and environmental destruction.
Mathematics and Spiritual Interpretation: A Bridge to Genuine Interdisciplinarity
Authors: Glasberg Ronald 
Published: May 2003

AbstractThis article is a spiritual interpretation of Leonhard Euler's famous equation linking the most important entities in mathematics: e (the base of natural logarithms), π (the ratio of the diameter to the circumference of a circle), i (√‐1),1 , and 0. The equation itself (eπi+1 = 0>) can be understood in terms of a traditional mathematical proof, but that does not give one a sense of what it might mean. While one might intuit, given the significance of the elements of the equation, that there is a deeper meaning, one is not in a position to get at that meaning within the discipline of mathematics itself. It is only by going outside of mathematics and adopting the perspective of theology that any kind of understanding of the equation might be gained, the significant implication here being that the whole mathematical field might be a vast treasure house of insights into the mind of God.In this regard, the article is a response to the monograph by George Lakoff and Rafael Núñez, Where Mathematics Comes From: How the Embodied Mind Brings Mathematics into Being (2000), which attempts to approach mathematics in general and the Euler equation in particular in terms of some basic principles of cognitive psychology. It is my position that while there may be an external basis for understanding mathematics, the results are somewhat disappointing and fail to reveal the full measure of meaning buried within that equation.
Relational and Contextual Reasoning: Philosophical and Logical Aspects
Authors: Raman Varadaraja V. 
Published: May 2003

AbstractThis essay is a commentary on Helmut Reich's recently published book on relational and contextual reasoning (RCR). Reich's ideas are relevant in contexts of conflict, and they enable us to consider the notion of objectivity differently. He makes us see the constraints in individual perspectives. His book also can enable people to formulate problems of human concern in a wider and richer framework, which may lead to solutions not obtainable on the basis of binary logic.
Lung hyperpermeability and asthma prevalence in schoolchildren: unexpected associations with the attendance at indoor chlorinated swimming pools
Authors: Bernard A , Carbonnelle S , Michel O , Higuet S , de Burbure C , Buchet J-P , Hermans C , Dumont X , Doyle I 
Published: May 2003

Aims:To study whether exposure to nitrogen trichloride in indoor chlorinated pools may affect the respiratory epithelium of children and increase the risk of some lung diseases such as asthma.Methods:In 226 healthy children, serum surfactant associated proteins A and B (SP-A and SP-B), 16 kDa Clara cell protein (CC16), and IgE were measured. Lung specific proteins were measured in the serum of 16 children and 13 adults before and after exposure to NCl3in an indoor chlorinated pool. Relations between pool attendance and asthma prevalence were studied in 1881 children. Asthma was screened with the exercise induced bronchoconstriction test (EIB).Results:Pool attendance was the most consistent predictor of lung epithelium permeability. A positive dose-effect relation was found with cumulated pool attendance and serum SP-A and SP-B. Serum IgE was unrelated to pool attendance, but correlated positively with lung hyperpermeability as assessed by serum SP-B. Changes in serum levels of lung proteins were reproduced in children and adults attending an indoor pool. Serum SP-A and SP-B were already significantly increased after one hour on the pool side without swimming. Positive EIB and total asthma prevalence were significantly correlated with cumulated pool attendance indices.Conclusions:Regular attendance at chlorinated pools by young children is associated with an exposure dependent increase in lung epithelium permeability and increase in the risk of developing asthma, especially in association with other risk factors. We therefore postulate that the increasing exposure of children to chlorination products in indoor pools might be an important cause of the rising incidence of childhood asthma and allergic diseases in industrialised countries. Further epidemiological studies should be undertaken to test this hypothesis.
Clinical and histopathological changes of the nasal mucosa induced by occupational exposure to sulphuric acid mists
Authors: Grasel S S , Alves V A F , da Silva C S , Cruz O L M , Almeida E R , de Oliveira E 
Published: May 2003

Aims:To assess potential alterations of the nasal mucosa by clinical and histopathological evaluation of workers exposed to sulphuric acid mists at anodising plants, correlating the findings with duration of exposure and sulphuric acid concentrations in the air, and comparing them with a control group.Methods:Fifty two workers from five plants underwent a clinical evaluation (standard questionnaire, clinical, and ear, nose, and throat examination including nasal endoscopy). For the histopathological study, 20 of the 52 subjects (study group) were randomly selected, as well as 11 unexposed subjects (control group), matched by sex, age, and smoking habits. Nasal biopsy specimens were obtained from the anterior septum mucosa and the anterior curvature of the middle turbinate in each individual. A total of 56 nasal mucosa specimens (37 in the study group and 19 in the control group) were evaluated with regard to normal respiratory epithelium or metaplastic epithelium, atypia or dysplasia, and alterations of the lamina propria.Results:The histopathological study revealed squamous metaplasia in 29 (79%) and atypia in 13 (35%) of the 37 study group samples. No association was found between exposure duration and the clinical and histopathological variables, but a significant association was found between sulphuric acid concentrations higher than 200 μg/m3and pale mucosal patches and ulcerations in the exposed subjects. Logistic regression analysis showed that the exposed subjects had a fivefold risk of developing atypia compared with the unexposed subjects.Conclusions:Workers exposed to sulphuric acid mists presented with a high incidence of nasal symptoms, and macroscopic and microscopic changes of the nasal mucosa, including squamous atypia and dysplasia. The risk for these histopthological lesions increased with higher sulphuric acid concentrations in the air, revealing an exposure-response relation.
Radiographic abnormalities among construction workers exposed to quartz containing dust
Authors: Tjoe Nij E , Burdorf A , Parker J , Attfield M , van Duivenbooden C , Heederik D 
Published: May 2003

Background:Construction workers are exposed to quartz containing respirable dust, at levels that may cause fibrosis in the lungs. Studies so far have not established a dose-response relation for radiographic abnormalities for this occupational group.Aims:To measure the extent of radiographic abnormalities among construction workers primarily exposed to quartz containing respirable dust.Methods:A cross sectional study on radiographic abnormalities indicative of pneumoconiosis was conducted among 1339 construction workers mainly involved in grinding, (jack)-hammering, drilling, cutting, sawing, and polishing. Radiological abnormalities were determined by median results of the 1980 International Labour Organisation system of three certified “B” readers. Questionnaires were used for assessment of occupational history, presence of respiratory diseases, and symptoms and smoking habits.Results:An abnormality of ILO profusion category 1/0 and greater was observed on 10.2% of the chest radiographs, and profusion category of 1/1 or greater on 2.9% of the radiographs. The average duration of exposure of this group was 19 years and the average age was 42. The predominant type of small opacities (irregularly shaped) is presumably indicative of mixed dust pneumoconiosis. The prevalence of early signs of nodular silicosis (small rounded opacities of category 1/0 or greater) was low (0.8%).Conclusions:The study suggests an elevated risk of radiographic abnormalities among these workers with expected high exposure. An association between radiographic abnormalities and cumulative exposure to quartz containing dust from construction sites was observed, after correction for potentially confounding variables.
A method to guide community planning and evaluation efforts in tobacco control using data on smoking during pregnancy
Authors: Newburn V H , Remington P L , Peppard P E 
Published: May 2003

Background:Effective community based tobacco control programmes are critical for state and nationwide impact. However, there is little discussion in the literature of methods for setting local objectives which use locally collected data and account for historical variation in progress.Objectives:To develop and illustrate a method that uses locally available birth certificate data to model trends in tobacco use during pregnancy among women giving birth, predict future prevalence, and use predictions to set community specific tobacco control objectives.Data source:Vital statistics. Wisconsin standard birth certificates, 1990–2000, which record the smoking status of the mother during pregnancy.Data analysis:Trends in the prevalence of smoking during pregnancy in Wisconsin statewide and in all counties (n = 72) were modelled using linear regression of log prevalence on year. Model fit was assessed using R2. Regression slopes, indicating estimated relative annual percentage change in prevalence, were used to predict prevalence in 2005, and objectives were calculated as a 20% reduction from the predicted prevalence in 2005.Conclusions:Modelling trends in the prevalence of smoking using locally collected data enables communities to set reasonable future tobacco control objectives that account for historical trends in progress.
Tobacco industry strategies to undermine the 8th World Conference on Tobacco or Health
Authors: Muggli M E , Hurt R D 
Published: May 2003

Objective:To demonstrate that Philip Morris and British American Tobacco Company attempted to initiate a wide ranging campaign to undermine the success of the 8th World Conference on Tobacco or Health held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1992.Data sources:Publicly available tobacco industry documents housed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Guilford, UK; on-line document websites; and telephone interviews with informed parties.Study selection:Those documents determined to be relevant to the companies’ campaigns against the 8th World Conference on Tobacco or Health.Data extraction:Revision of chapter VIII of the July 2000 WHO report by a committee of experts, entitled:Tobacco company strategies to undermine tobacco control activities at the World Health Organization: report of the committee of experts on tobacco industry documents.Data synthesis:Internal documents describe proposed media and science orientated campaigns developed by BAT, Philip Morris, and their consultants to divert attention away from the conference.Results and conclusion:This work shows that the tobacco industry has the resources and vested interest to combat perceived threats in its regional operating markets, in this case its Latin American market. It is important for the worldwide public heath community to become aware of the numerous ways in which the tobacco industry and its front groups can work against international tobacco control meetings, even including the manipulation of or working with other public health groups to oppose tobacco control efforts. Future world conference planners and participants should be aware that the tobacco industry is likely to continue to employ such methodology. There is no reason to think that the industry is paying less attention to such conferences in the present or future. Rather, it is likely the industry will adopt and expand strategies that were successful while abandoning those that were not effective. Required disclosure of financial support by all participants at all tobacco scientific conferences is recommended. For the tobacco control community, we also recommend careful coalition building and networking with other public health groups on the ways tobacco is implicated in other public health issues.
Development and destruction of the first state funded anti-smoking campaign in the USA
Authors: Tsoukalas T H , Glantz S A 
Published: May 2003

Background:Minnesota was the first state in the USA to implement a large state funded tobacco control programme (in 1985). Despite evidence of effectiveness, it was dismantled in 1993.Objective:To describe and analyse how and why these events transpired and identify lessons for tobacco control advocates facing similar challenges in the 21st century.Design:Case study based on previously secret tobacco industry documents, news reports, research reports, official documents, and interviews with health advocates and state government officials.Results:Unable to defeat funding for this campaign in 1985, the tobacco industry organised groups which eliminated it later. Despite the programme’s documented effectiveness, it was dismantled based on claims of fiscal crisis. These claims were not true; the real debate was what to do with the state’s surplus. Health advocates failed to challenge the claim of fiscal crisis or mobilise public support for the programme.Conclusions:Simply quoting evidence that a tobacco control programme is effective does not ensure its continuing survival. Claims of fiscal crisis are an effective cover for tobacco industry efforts to dismantle successful programmes, particularly if health advocates accept these claims and fail to mobilise political pressure to defend the programme.