Evidence For Other Types Research Articles

Meta-Analysis: Exercise Therapy for Nonspecific Low Back Pain

Exercise therapy is widely used as an intervention in low back pain. To evaluate the effectiveness of exercise therapy in adult nonspecific acute, subacute, and chronic low back pain versus no treatment and other conservative treatments. MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychInfo, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library databases to October 2004; citation searches and bibliographic reviews of previous systematic reviews. Randomized, controlled trials evaluating exercise therapy for adult nonspecific low back pain and measuring pain, function, return to work or absenteeism, and global improvement outcomes. Two reviewers independently selected studies and extracted data on study characteristics, quality, and outcomes at short-, intermediate-, and long-term follow-up. 61 randomized, controlled trials (6390 participants) met inclusion criteria: acute (11 trials), subacute (6 trials), and chronic (43 trials) low back pain (1 trial was unclear). Evidence suggests that exercise therapy is effective in chronic back pain relative to comparisons at all follow-up periods. Pooled mean improvement (of 100 points) was 7.3 points (95% CI, 3.7 to 10.9 points) for pain and 2.5 points (CI, 1.0 to 3.9 points) for function at earliest follow-up. In studies investigating patients (people seeking care for back pain), mean improvement was 13.3 points (CI, 5.5 to 21.1 points) for pain and 6.9 points (CI, 2.2 to 11.7 points) for function, compared with studies where some participants had been recruited from a general population (for example, with advertisements). Some evidence suggests effectiveness of a graded-activity exercise program in subacute low back pain in occupational settings, although the evidence for other types of exercise therapy in other populations is inconsistent. In acute low back pain, exercise therapy and other programs were equally effective (pain, 0.03 point [CI, -1.3 to 1.4 points]). Limitations of the literature, including low-quality studies with heterogeneous outcome measures inconsistent and poor reporting, and possibility of publication bias. Exercise therapy seems to be slightly effective at decreasing pain and improving function in adults with chronic low back pain, particularly in health care populations. In subacute low back pain populations, some evidence suggests that a graded-activity program improves absenteeism outcomes, although evidence for other types of exercise is unclear. In acute low back pain populations, exercise therapy is as effective as either no treatment or other conservative treatments.

Salicylate inhibition of rat mammary carcinogenesis and angiogenesis in female rat compatible with misoprostol administration

Epidemiological data suggest that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs prevent colon cancer. The evidence for other types of tumour is less conclusive, though animal and in vitro studies indicate that they may be effective against mammary cancer cells. We assessed the effect of dietary acetylsalicylic and salicylic acid against dimethylbenzanthracene-induced rat tumours. Tumour angiogenesis was also investigated to explore the mechanism responsible for salicylate effect. Mammary tumours were induced in female Sprague-Dawley rats fed with different amounts of acetylsalicylic and salicylic acid. Serum vascular endothelial growth factor concentrations were measured and vascularization of basement membrane proteins injected in vivo (Matrigel) was determined by evaluation of haemoglobin content to assess the extent to which angiogenesis was inhibited. Dimethylbenzanthracene-induced carcinogenesis was inhibited by both acids and there was a log-dose/response correlation between the tumour diameter and salicylate concentration. Salicylic acid seems more effective than acetylsalicylic acid. Vascular endothelial growth factor was less concentrated in treated animals than in the controls and so was Matrigel haemoglobin. The mechanism involved, however, is still uncertain, though concomitant inhibition of tumour angiogenesis may be an important component. The documented salicylate serum VEGF modulation is interesting also for presence of the flk-1 receptor in mammary tumour cells of our model. Although misoprostol is a prostaglandin analogous its concomitant administration did not compromise the salicylate anti-tumour effect.

A Question of Death: Paul's Community-Building Language in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

In ancient voluntary associations, death, burial, and memorial figured prominently in the collective lives of their members.1 In light of this prominence, it is interesting to note, with Jonathan Z. Smith, that questions concerning the status of dead members of the community trigger Paul's most extensive and earliest discussions of the resurrection of the dead (1 Thessalonians and 1 Corinthians).2 In an attempt to explore further in this article the nature of the Christian community at Thessalonica, I examine here the social context of Paul's eschatological description in 1 Thess 4:13-18. Paul's comments to this community and the social practices that are lurking behind his words are brought into contact with the larger database of group discourses and practices pertaining to the dead as found among voluntary associations. In particular, I will develop Burton Mack's suggestion that the Thessalonians' question to Paul concerning dead members was a question about personal salvation but about belonging.3 Voluntary associations are well attested in Macedonia, and the city of Thessalonica provides the richest evidence of them, with at least twenty-six Greek inscriptions dating from the first to the third century C.E. showing a diversity of associations and deities worshiped. The best-attested groups are that of Dionysos and a number of professional associations, although there is also evidence for other types of associations.4 Epigraphic and papyrological evidence suggests that within associations death was simply a matter of not living, nor was the primary concern about death the personal salvation of the individual. Death was inevitable but provided the opportunity for community definition. One did cease to be a member of an association at death; rather, death was the point at which the association celebrated a person s membership. From among the many members, the deceased individual would be isolated and celebrated as a member of the community. We will explore the nature of the issue that Paul responds to in 1 Thess 4:13-18 in light of the pervasiveness of death in the community-building discourse of the living members of associations.5 I. Burial in Associations In antiquity many people were members of one or more voluntary associations. Ramsay MacMullen estimates that one-third of the inhabitants of Rome in the second century C.E. were members of associations.6 This figure is likely reflected across the empire at that time, perhaps only slightly less at an earlier time. Modern scholarship usually identifies three broad categories of associations: religious associations, professional associations, and funerary associations.7 The funerary associations (or collegia tenuiorum/funeraticia) were organized to ensure the proper burial of their deceased members. Members paid entrance fees or regular dues, or both, that were used for the burial of members. However, associations formed solely for the burial of members did exist until the second century C.E. (from the time of Hadrian and beyond).8 Even at that time they were a fiction, a way of gaining legal recognition to meet as a group while another purpose (usually social) was the primary interest of the group. The frequent mention of associations in burial contexts indicates that associations formed for professional or religious reasons also handled the burial of their own members. In some cases, nonmembers commissioned an association to carry out certain rites at their tomb, although this was the principal raison d'etre of the association. Nevertheless, the extent to which many associations were involved in activities around death is striking: About one-third of the total epigraphic production of Roman associations in the eastern provinces records funerary activities of some sort, some inscriptions commemorating the burial of a collegium member by the association, while others mention collegia in recording the funerary arrangements of (wealthy) outsiders. …

Optically active iridium imidazol-2-ylidene-oxazoline complexes: preparation and use in asymmetric hydrogenation of arylalkenes.

This work explores the potential of iridium complexes of the N-heterocyclic carbene oxazoline ligands 1 in asymmetric hydrogenations of arylalkenes. The accessible carbene precursors, imidazolium salts 2, and robust iridium complexes 5 facilitated a discovery/optimization approach that featured preparation of a small library of iridium complexes, parallel hydrogenation reactions, and automated analysis. Three of the complexes (5ab, 5ad, and 5dp) and a similar rhodium complex (6ap) were studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. This revealed molecular features of 6ap, and presumably the corresponding iridium complex 5ap, that the others do not have. In enantioselective hydrogenations of arylalkenes complex 5ap was the best for many, but not all, substrates. The enantioselectivities and conversions observed were sensitive to minor changes to the catalyst and substrate structure. Ligands with aliphatic N-heterocyclic carbene substituents gave complexes that are inactive, and do not lose the 1,5-cyclooctadiene ligands under the hydrogenation conditions. Experiments to investigate this unexpected observation imply that it is of a steric, rather than an electronic, origin. Temperature and pressure effects on the conversions and enantioselectivities of these reactions had minimal effects for some alkenes, but profound effects for others. In one case, the enantioselectivities obtained at high-pressure/low-temperature conditions were opposite to those obtained under high-temperature/low-pressure conditions (-64% enantiomeric excess versus +89% enantiomeric excess); a transformation from one prevalent mechanism to another is inferred from this. The studies of pressure dependence revealed that many reactions proceeded with high conversions, and optimal enantioselectivities in approximately 2 h when only 1 bar of hydrogen was used. Deuterium-labeling experiments provide evidence for other types of competing mechanisms that lead to D-incorporation at positions that do not correspond to direct addition to the double bond.

PRESYNAPTIC IONOTROPIC RECEPTORS AND THE CONTROL OF TRANSMITTER RELEASE

The quantity of neurotransmitter released into the synaptic cleft, the reliability with which it is released, and the response of the postsynaptic cell to that transmitter all contribute to the strength of a synaptic connection. The presynaptic nerve terminal is a major regulatory site for activity-dependent changes in synaptic function. Ionotropic receptors for the inhibitory amino acid GABA, expressed on the presynaptic terminals of crustacean motor axons and vertebrate sensory neurons, were the first well-defined mechanism for the heterosynaptic transmitter-mediated regulation of transmitter release. Recently, presynaptic ionotropic receptors for a large range of transmitters have been found to be widespread throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems. In this review, we first consider some general theoretical issues regarding whether and how presynaptic ionotropic receptors are important regulators of presynaptic function. We consider the criteria that should be met to identify a presynaptic ionotropic receptor and its regulatory function and review several examples of presynaptic receptors that meet at least some of those criteria. We summarize the classic studies of presynaptic inhibition mediated by GABA-gated Cl channels and then focus on presynaptic nicotinic ACh receptors and presynaptic glutamate receptors. Finally, we briefly discuss evidence for other types of presynaptic ionotropic receptors.

Follow-up Prostate Cancer Treatments After Radical Prostatectomy: a Population-Based Study

Radical prostatectomy is one of the most commonly used curative procedures for the treatment of localized prostate cancer. The probability that a patient will undergo additional cancer therapy after this procedure is largely unknown. The objective was to determine the likelihood of additional cancer therapy after radical prostatectomy. Data for this study were derived from a linked dataset that combined information from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program and Medicare hospital and physician claims. Records were included in this study if patient histories met the following criteria: (a) residing in Connecticut, Washington (Seattle-Puget Sound), or Georgia (Metropolitan Atlanta); (b) having been diagnosed with prostate cancer during the period from January 1, 1985, through December 31, 1991; (c) undergoing radical prostatectomy by December 31, 1992; and (d) having no evidence of other types of cancer. Patients were considered to have had additional cancer therapy if they had had radiation therapy, orchiectomy, and/or androgen-deprivation therapy by injection after radical prostatectomy. The interval between the initial treatment and any follow-up treatment was calculated from the date of radical prostatectomy to the 1st day of the follow-up cancer therapy. All presented probabilities are based on Kaplan-Meier estimates. The study population consisted of 3494 Medicare patients, 3173 of whom underwent radical prostatectomy within 3 months of prostate cancer diagnosis. Although radical prostatectomy is often reserved for localized cancer, less than 60% (1934) of patients whose records were included in this study had organ-confined disease, according to final surgical pathology. Overall, the 5-year cumulative incidence of having any additional cancer treatment after radical prostatectomy reached 34.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 31.5%-38.5%). For patients with pathologically organ-confined cancer, the 5-year cumulative incidence was 24.3% (95% CI = 20.0%-29.3%) overall and ranged from 15.6% (95% CI = 9.7%-24.5%) for well-differentiated cancer (Gleason scores 2-4) to 41.5% (95% CI = 27.9%-58.4%) for poorly differentiated cancer (Gleason scores 8-10). The corresponding figures for pathologically regional cancer were 22.7% (95% CI = 12.0%-40.5%) and 68.1% (95% CI = 58.7%-77.1%). Further treatment of prostate cancer was done in about one third of patients who had had a radical prostatectomy with curative intent and in about one quarter of patients who were found to have organ-confined disease. Given the common requirement for follow-up cancer treatments after radical prostatectomy and the uncertainties about the effectiveness of the various follow-up treatment strategies, further investigation of these treatments is warranted.

The Positive Effects of Easy Goals on Decision Quality and Risk Propensity in an MCPLP Task

ABSTRACTIn this study the potential performance benefits of easy goals were examined within the multiple cue probability learning paradigm (MCPLP). Specifically, the effects of varying levels of goal difficulty on performance and risk propensity (used to define a form of commitment) were investigated. With few exceptions, previous studies demonstrated support for difficult goals. In this study, contrary to the majority of past evidence, as goals became easier decision quality significantly improved. Moreover, risk propensity increased with easier goals and, as suggested by a post‐hoc analysis, had more direct impact on decision makers’ behaviors than goal levels. Goal‐related behavior in complex MCPLP tasks appears to significantly differ from the majority of goal evidence in other types of research due to the tendency for subjects to view complex task properties in the same context as goal levels.

Social science in supreme court death penalty cases: Citation practices and their implications

This study examines the use of evidence based on social science research in Supreme Court capital punishment cases decided between 1963 and 1985. These years mark the beginning of the Court's modern decisions regarding the death penalty and extend to the approximate midpoint in this body of jurisprudence. The frequency and the major correlates of social science research citations in the Supreme Court's death penalty cases are described, and these findings are contrasted with the justices' use of social science evidence in other types of criminal cases. The justices have used social science materials relatively often in capital punishment cases, although it does not necessarily follow that social science findings have been important to the decision of these cases. The results of this research are discussed, along with other issues relevant to the judicial use of research evidence based on social science.

Alternative splicing of HLA-DQB transcripts and secretion of HLA-DQ beta-chain proteins: allelic polymorphism in splicing and polyadenylylation sites.

HLA class II antigens are highly polymorphic cell-surface proteins involved in initiation and regulation of the immune response. Allelic sequence variation primarily affects the structure of the first external domains of alpha and beta component chains. Here we provide evidence for other types of allelic polymorphism for the genes encoding these chains. Sequences of two cDNA clones corresponding to HLA-DQB mRNAs from an HLA-homozygous cell line exhibit both alternative splicing and read-through of polyadenylylation. Furthermore, alternative splicing that deletes the transmembrane exon is associated with only a subset of HLA-DQB alleles, while the polyadenylylation-site read-through is found in a larger subset. This suggest that polymorphic cis-acting elements within the HLA-DQB gene control both processing steps. Proteins, presumably encoded by alternatively spliced mRNAs lacking transmembrane exons, are immunoprecipitated with a monomorphic monoclonal antibody directed against HLA-DQ. These proteins are found in supernatants of cultured cell lines for which secretion is predicted, but not in those of cell lines that do not contain alternatively spliced mRNAs.

The adsorption site of oxygen on Si(100) determined by sexafs

We present a SEXAFS (surface extended X-ray absorption fine structure) investigation of oxygen adsorbed on Si(100) at the oxygen K absorption edge (EK=535 eV), in the photon energy range 500–800 eV. The oxygen uptake on Si(100) at room temperature reaches a saturation at about one monolayer coverage, where the (2×1) reconstruction of the clean surface is lost. Our results demonstrate the following: the oxygen atoms occupy two types of bridge positions, namely between Si atoms belonging to the first layer and between Si atoms belonging to different topmost layers. The bridge site is characterized by a bond distance of 1.65 A and a Si−O−Si bond angle of ∼120°. No evidence of other types, of adsorption geometries is found nor the presence of adsorbed molecular oxygen is observed.

Binding of subclasses of rat immunoglobulin G to detergent-isolated Fc receptor from neonatal rat intestine.

Brush borders of cells lining the proximal small intestine of neonatal rats express a receptor specific for the Fc portion of IgG that mediates transport of IgG from gut lumen to blood. We have investigated the interaction of subclasses of rat IgG with this receptor, extracted in Triton X-114 solution, using phase separation to separate receptor-immunoglobulin complexes from free immunoglobulin. Binding of immunoglobulin showed the same pH dependence as is found in vivo, being active at pH 6 and reversibly inhibited at pH 8. The numbers of binding sites for each IgG subclass were similar, but polyclonal IgG2a was bound with higher affinity (1.2 X 10(8) M-1) than monoclonal IgG1 or IgG2b (2-3 X 10(7) M-1). Radiolabeled monoclonal IgG2c did not show specific binding, apparently as a result of the iodination process. Competition studies showed cross-inhibition between all IgG subclasses. IgG2a being approximately 10-fold more effective at competing for receptor than other isotypes, in the order IgG2a much greater than IgG1 greater than IgG2b greater than or equal to IgG2c. These data suggest that a single receptor capable of binding all subclasses of IgG is active in the detergent extract. However, investigation of radiolabeled immunoglobulins that were bound to isolated gut cells before detergent extraction showed evidence for other types of interaction in vivo.

The p150,95 molecule is a marker of human mononuclear phagocytes: comparison with expression of class II molecules.

A new monoclonal antibody (mAb), named 3.9, is described that is specific for the p150,95 molecule, a member of the LFA-1, CR3, p150,95 family of human leukocyte differentiation antigens. The LFA-1 molecule participates in a variety of T cell interactions and the CR3 molecule is the receptor for the complement component iC3b, but little is known about the p150,95 molecule. Here we show that the expression of p150,95 is confined to myeloid cells. mAb 3.9 reacts variably with neutrophils, more strongly with monocytes and is most strongly expressed on tissue macrophages. Using this mAb and others, we have examined the heterogeneity of tissue macrophages. Cells such as Langerhans' cells, dendritic reticulum cells and osteoclasts failed to react with these mAb and thus, probably do not belong to the mononuclear phagocyte lineage. Using a new double-labeling technique, we investigated lymphoid tissue for dendritic cells bearing class II molecules which might function in interactions with T cells. In T cell areas macrophages expressing class II markers were seen but there was no evidence for other types of dendritic or interdigitating cells which expressed class II molecules but not macrophage epitopes. The conclusion from this survey was that the most prominent cell with dendritic morphology found in the T cell areas of lymphoid tissue was a macrophage.

Einstein observations of VELA X and the VELA pulsar

The imaging detectors of the Einstein X-ray observatory have been used to study the Vela pulsar and its surrounding region. Although the pulsar is a relatively strong source of X-rays, there are not detectable pulsations at the pulsar period; the pulsed X-ray luminosity is less than approximately 10 to the 31st ergs/s in the 0.1-4.5 keV band. Nor is there evidence for other types of variability in the pulsar's X-ray emission. The images reveal structure on four spatial scales: (1) a pointlike object coincident with the pulsar; (2) a relatively bright, approximately 4-arcmin nebula of diffuse emission about the pulsar; (3) an approximately 1-degree nebula of hard emission that lies between the pulsar and the radio feature Vela X; and (4) thermal emission from the entire approximately 5-degree Vela supernova remnant. Spectral data from the small nebula are well fitted by a synchrotron model. Under the assumption that emission from the pulsar itself is thermal blackbody radiation, the surface temperature of the neutron star is calculated to be 1 million K.

Atomic and magnetic ordering in Fe 3−xV xSi alloys

Alloys of composition Fe 3− x V x Si with x = 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 0.90 and 1.00 were studied by neutron diffraction to obtain site distributions and information on magnetic ordering. Vanadium atoms were found to substitute almost completely on the Fe site with 8Fe near neighbors, with little evidence for other types of disorder. Ferromagnetic scattering was observed for x = 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 in an amount consistent with the observed magnetization, but the sample with x = 0.90 showed no evidence of magnetic ordering down to 4K.

Factors affecting genetic transformation of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Piliated gonococci were competent in genetic transformation in all stages of growth in minimal and enriched media, but nonpiliated cells were almost totally incompetent. Uptake of deoxyribonucleic acid into a deoxyribonuclease-insensitive state was observed only in competent piliated cells. Competence was not affected by washing of competent cells or treatment of competent cells with proteolytic enzymes. Expression of competence required presence of any of several different monovalent or divalent cations, as well as a utilizable source of energy. Efforts to produce genotypically or phenotypically competent derivatives of nonpiliated cells were unsuccessful. These experiments are consistent with the idea that pili may play a role in the irreversible uptake of transforming deoxyribonucleic acid by the gonococcus, but fail to provide evidence for other types of competence factors.

Serotonin-induced pulmonary venous spasm demonstrated by selective pulmonary phlebography

Selective pulmonary phlebography before and after infusion of serotonin has graphically demonstrated active in vivo pulmonary venomotion for the first time. The evidence of venous constriction was of two types: (1) decreased retrograde pulmonary venous, capillary, and arterial filling, and (2) distinct changes in the caliber of the veins, with kinking and narrowing. These findings add further weight to the accumulating evidence of other types which indicates that the pulmonary veins are not merely passive channels, but serve an important hemodynamic function.