bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Worker agency and trade union renewal: the case of Poland
Authors: Mrozowicki Adam , Pulignano Valeria , Van Hootegem Geert
Published: June 2010

Contrary to predictions of continued weakness of the union movement in post-socialist countries of Central and Eastern Europe, in recent years Polish trade unions have undertaken various revitalisation attempts, including campaigns to organise unions in the private sector. Although the existing literature accounts for this internal union transformation by referring to macrosocial and institutional factors, this article suggests that the emerging potential of union renewal is linked with the new forms of union activism and worker agency. This asser tion is based on an exploratory empirical study using 45 biographical narrative interviews with company-level union representatives in Poland.The analysis reveals the existence of ‘transitional’ and ‘reinvented’ patterns of union activism. The article concludes that new unionism in Poland does not resemble an economic unionism or broad social movement unionism as suggested by other authors. On the contrary, it follows a path that combines the reinvented union ethos with market-oriented strategies.
Leadership and collective action in the Egyptian trade unions
Authors: Alexander Anne
Published: June 2010

This article explores leadership and collective action in the Egyptian workers’ movement since the 1940s, with a focus on the competition between different models of leadership. It argues that leadership is a dialogical process, and distinguishes between two models of leadership — bureaucratic and democratic — which sit at opposite ends of a spectrum of reciprocity between ‘leaders’ and ‘led’. Although such developments are as yet embryonic, the emergence of a democratic model of union leadership, rooted in the particular forms of collective action adopted by Egyptian workers during the post-2006 strike wave, presents the most significant challenge to the dominance of the bureaucratic model since the creation of the current union federation in the 1950s.
The jobs immigrants do: issues of displacement and marginalisation in the Irish labour market
Authors: Turner Thomas
Published: June 2010

Recently Ireland experienced rapid economic growth and an inflow of immigrants into the labour force. Using census data this article examines the occupational distribution of immigrants by country of origin and whether immigrants displace native workers from jobs. In the period studied it seems that immigrant workers have relieved bottlenecks in the labour market and have been complementary rather than substitutes for native workers. Between 2002 and 2006 the proportion of immigrants employed in high-skill jobs decreased while the number in low-skill jobs increased substantially. Compared to Irish nationals the possession of education qualifications for immigrants, particularly those from the 10 new EU member states, does not appear to confer the same advantages. The evidence here indicates a significant degree of occupational downgrading and ‘brain waste’ among non-nationals.
The normative foundations of ‘policy implications’: reflections on international labour migration
Authors: Bartram David
Published: June 2010

Sociologists, when offering suggestions for policy arising from their empirical research, typically do not provide explicit reflection on the values or interests such ‘policy implications’ are meant to advance. This article illustrates why such reflection can be important, by showing how different normative frameworks lead to different policy suggestions concerning international labour migration. In a conventional neoclassical economics view, labour migration brings obvious gains to the migrants themselves; ‘revealed preferences’ is sufficient to know that such gains exist. In a ‘happiness studies’ perspective, however, those benefits are not nearly as obvious, and a discussion of implications for labour migration policy might come to quite different conclusions. In general, the quality of one’s suggestions for policy implications is likely to be enhanced via greater awareness and explicit discussion of the normative positions embedded in such views.
Revising Basic Christian Ethics: Rethinking Paul Ramsey’s Early Contributions to Moral Theology
Authors: Hollowell Adam Edward
Published: June 2010

Despite petitions from friends and critics through much of his career, Paul Ramsey adamantly refused to revise his first book, Basic Christian Ethics. Yet, several pieces of Ramsey’s private correspondence indicate specific changes to Basic Christian Ethics that he felt were necessary. These include a desire to distance his use of agape from associations with Anders Nygren’s Agape and Eros, an added emphasis on the importance of the doctrine of creation for his understanding of agape, covenant, and natural law, and a shift from eschatology to Christology as the foundational doctrine for political ethics. Drawing upon personal letters and other disparate comments throughout Ramsey’s published work, this paper explores the impact such proposed revisions might have on contemporary interest (or lack thereof) in Basic Christian Ethics. In so doing it also highlights Ramsey’s ability to rethink central theological concepts in his work and draw his readers’ attention to fundamental questions in the field of moral theology.
The Contemporaneity of God for Ethics Today: Paul Lehmann’s Contribution to a Neglected Theme, in Dialogue with Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Authors: Holmes Christopher R. J.
Published: June 2010

Ethics edifies to the extent it takes seriously the munus propheticum Jesu Christi. Though many assume ethical action indicates behaviour realising Jesus Christ, this is problematic because it implies he is otherwise mute and absent. Paul Lehmann offers a refreshing alternative when he argues that the principal concern of ethics is alignment with all that God in Christ is doing now to make and keep human life human. Lehmann thus recasts the question ‘What am I to do?’ by taking seriously the presence and activity of the One who summons human beings to participate in his work. In a manner consistent with the christological foundations of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Ethics , Lehmann’s proposals evoke an ethic shaped by and subject to the self-disclosure and radiance of the triune God.
Autoantibodies to double-stranded DNA-Intermethod comparison between four commercial immunoassays and a research biosensor-based device
Authors: Fiegel F. , Buhl A. , Jaekel H-P. , Werle E. , Schmolke M. , Ollert M. , Luppa PB
Published: June 2010

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) often develop a wide variety of serological manifestations including the presence of antibodies to double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA). Positivity for anti-dsDNA constitutes one of the laboratory criteria for the diagnosis of SLE and is therefore clinically relevant. We analyzed the diagnostic accuracies of four commercial anti-dsDNA immunoassays and compared the results with a recently established surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor chip with covalently chip-immobilized dsDNA. The anti-dsDNA measurements were performed retrospectively in 50 patients with clinically proven SLE, 39 patients with other autoimmunopathies and 20 healthy controls. Data were evaluated by Receiver-Operator Characteristic (ROC) analysis, with special regard to SLE patients suffering from lupus nephritis. The ROC analyses for the four immunoassays and the SPR biosensor resulted in the following area-under-the-curve (AUC) and diagnostic efficiency (DE) values in descending order: Bindazyme AUC, 0.89; DE, 0.88; ELiA AUC, 0.89; DE, 0.86; SPR biosensor AUC, 0.82; DE, 0.80; Farrzyme AUC, 0.77; DE, 0.77; Farr AUC, 0.77; DE, 0.70. When considering the 22 nephritis SLE patients the following AUC were observed: Bindazyme 0.98; EliA 0.95; SPR biosensor 0.93; Farr 0.89; Farrzyme 0.88. Although various methodologies for the determination of anti-dsDNA were compared, the overall diagnostic accuracy was found satisfactory in all immunoassays. Best data were found for the Bindazyme assay. We referenced the measurements to our in-house SPR biosensor device which showed good AUC and DE values. When optimized, this technique, allowing to monitor antigen/ antibody interactions in real-time, may add a new analytical quality to the existing methods, potentially beneficial in diagnosis and clinical monitoring of SLE.
The Redistributive Effects of Tax Benefit Systems in the Enlarged EU
Authors: Fuest Clemens , Niehues Judith , Peichl Andreas
Published: June 2010

How do different components of the tax and transfer systems affect disposable income inequality? This article explores the redistributive effects of different tax benefit instruments in the enlarged European Union (EU) based on two approaches. Inequality analysis based on the sequential accounting approach suggests that benefits are the most important factor reducing inequality in the majority of countries. The factor source decomposition approach, however, suggests that benefits play a negligible role and sometimes even contribute slightly positively to inequality. On the contrary, here taxes and social contributions are by far the most important contributors to income inequality reduction. The authors explain these partly contradictory results with the different normative focus of the two approaches and show that benefits have other aims than redistribution.
The Redistributive Effect of Selected Federal Transfer and Tax Provisions
Authors: Hungerford Thomas L.
Published: June 2010

Several policy makers have voiced concern, bordering on alarm, over federal budget deficits and growing federal debt over the past decade and have advocated changes in spending and revenue policies to address their concerns. This study examines the redistributive effect of various federal tax provisions and transfer programs using methods that pick up important dimensions of redistribution often missed in analyses. Overall, the results are as expected—both U.S. taxes and transfers reduce income inequality. The redistributive effect, however, could be larger, if the reranking effect were reduced or eliminated. The reranking effect tends to be relatively more important for transfers than for taxes.
Teacher education and teacher autonomy: Creating spaces for experimentation in secondary school English language teaching
Authors: Benson Phil
Published: June 2010

This article reports on a collective case study of four Hong Kong secondary school teachers’ experiences of constraints on teacher autonomy in English language teaching, and their implications for teacher education. Findings suggested that the constraints were systemic and mainly organized around ‘Schemes of Work’ and school-based supervision and surveillance mechanisms. Nevertheless, the four teachers were able to create spaces for teacher autonomy, but the nature of these spaces and what they were used for varied, partly according to the school context and partly according to the identities developed through previous experiences of the education system as learners and teachers. The study concludes that the impact of teacher education courses that depend on experimentation with new ideas in the classroom is liable to be limited in many state school systems. It also concludes that language teacher education may benefit from a greater sensitivity to the affordances in teachers’ working conditions for teacher autonomy and experimentation.
Pre-service teacher beliefs about language learning: The second language acquisition course as an agent for change
Authors: Busch Deborah
Published: June 2010

This large mixed methods study investigated the effects of the introductory second language acquisition (SLA) course on the beliefs of pre-service teachers ( n = 381) enrolled over a three-year period at a state university in California. Pre- to post-course paired sample t-tests that were run on 23 beliefs statements from a widely used survey revealed significant changes in beliefs in several areas including the length of time for acquisition, difficulty of language acquisition, the role of culture, the role of error correction, the importance of grammar, and the efficacy of audiolingual learning strategies. In extensive written post-course explanations, the pre-service teachers attributed their pre-course beliefs to language learning experience in high school and post-course changes in their beliefs to the SLA course content and experiential activities, most notably tutoring an ESL student (the first contact for some teachers). Depth of knowledge was revealed in the teacher comments; this included information that could not have been gleaned from the beliefs surveys alone. The findings, which demonstrated how pre-service teacher beliefs evolve within the context of a professional education course, have practical implications for course design and evaluation in teacher education programs.
From transmission to transformation: Teacher learning in English for speakers of other languages
Authors: Kiely Richard , Davis Matt
Published: June 2010

This article explores teacher learning in the UK English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) context. We draw on data from a continuing professional development (CPD) initiative to understand how learning is shaped by collaborative discussion with others and by reading from the language classroom research literature. The CPD programme — designed to reflect the principles of transformative rather than transmissive teacher education — incorporates reflective, collaborative and research induction components. We describe how teachers analyse critical learning episodes (CLE) from their own classrooms, and draw on interviews and written reflections to explore two central features of the CPD programme: collaborative learning and the use of readings from the literature. The first of these factors was successful due to teachers’ understanding the context of collaboration as supportive, reassuring, and based on shared values. However, the use of readings to illuminate analyses was less successful. There were time and identity factors that contributed to this outcome: teachers found little space in their working lives for reading, did not always see the relevance to their daily practice of the models provided and at first found it difficult to incorporate perspectives other than their own experience, principles and values into their analyses.
Teacher learning by script
Authors: Reeves Jenelle
Published: June 2010

Scripted instruction (SI) programs, which direct teachers to teach, even to talk, from a standardized written script, are roundly criticized for inhibiting teacher creativity and teacher learning. In fact, such programs utilize scripting for exactly that reason: to reduce teacher interference with (and presumed weakening of) the prescribed curriculum and its delivery. Yet, two teachers in this 18-month study reported learning much about language and language teaching from scripted instruction programs. Through a sociocultural lens, this article explores how an instructional program so widely decried as de-professionalizing instead became a catalyst for these teachers’ professional growth. Exploring the teachers’ reasoning about adopting the program and their day-to-day experiences teaching by script yielded new insight into how the language teachers used the script as a meditational tool for their own teacher learning. These teachers’ cases underscore the need for formal teacher education to articulate with how teachers learn and to advance teacher development toward adaptive teaching expertise.
Flow amid Flux
Authors: Fairchild Charles
Published: June 2010

The extensive changes affecting television highlight the importance of understanding how these changes might affect programming content. The use of music in evening drama is analyzed here with a view toward interpreting the place of music within several programs in relation to the larger changes affecting the medium. From this analysis, it seems clear that the use of composed music and popular songs is intended to act as a stylistically distinct feature of the overall experience and understanding of evening dramas to attract and hold the attention of viewers across multiple sites of consumption in an increasingly competitive entertainment market. An expansive use of the concept of televisual flow is employed to connect the aesthetic contours of the use of music in evening drama to the ways in which producers try to create and maintain connections with viewers whose viewing patterns and practices are changing rapidly and unpredictably.
The Effects of Internet-Based Home Training on Upper Limb Function in Adults With Cerebral Palsy
Authors: Brown Susan H. , Lewis Colleen A. , McCarthy Joseph M. , Doyle Stephen T. , Hurvitz Edward A.
Published: June 2010

Background: While adults with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (CP) can have significant upper limb dysfunction, the effects of movement-based training has not been investigated. Objective: This uncontrolled trial assessed the effects of a home and internet-based upper limb intervention program targeting motor and sensory function. Methods: Twelve adults, aged 21 to 57 yrs, GMFCS levels I-III with asymmetric upper limb involvement participated in the Upper Limb Training and Assessment (ULTrA) program. Clinical and functional measures included the Motor Activity Log (MAL), the Nine-Hole Peg test, and grip strength. An upper limb training system consisting of a laptop, webcam, target light board, and hand manipulation/ discrimination devices was installed in each participant’s home. Training occurred 40 min/day, 5 days/wk for 8 wks and included both unilateral and bilateral reach movements as well as a series of hand sensorimotor tasks such as card turning, stereognosis, and tactile discrimination. Data generated during each session were transmitted to the laboratory via the Internet. Main outcome measures were movement time, interlimb delay time, and performance on hand sensorimotor tasks. Results: Following training, affected limb reach movement time decreased significantly for unilateral and bilateral tasks. Interlimb delay during sequential reaching also decreased. Significant improvement in hand manipulation tasks was also seen. Compliance was excellent and there were no adverse effects. Conclusion: The ULTrA program had beneficial effects for adults with CP and is safe and convenient to use. This system contrasts sharply with programs with similar intent that require participant travel and hours of therapist-based intervention.
Motor Learning Principles for Rehabilitation: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Study in Poststroke Patients
Authors: Piron Lamberto , Turolla Andrea , Agostini Michela , Zucconi Carla Silvana , Ventura Laura , Tonin Paolo , Dam Mauro
Published: June 2010

Background. Six months after a stroke, the hemiplegic arm often remains compromised. More innovative approaches to motor rehabilitation are needed. Objective. The authors compared a motor learning—based approach in a virtual environment with more conventional upper extremity therapy in a pilot trial. Methods . This prospective, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial compared reinforced feedback in a virtual environment (RFVE; n = 27) with a control intervention (n = 20) of progressive therapy for the affected upper extremity. Both treatments were provided for 4 weeks, 5 days per week, with 1-hour treatment sessions daily. The primary outcomes were the Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity (F-M UE) and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores. Kinematic outcomes included mean duration (MD), mean linear velocity (MLV), and number of submovements to measure the motor performance. Analyses of the primary outcomes were performed per protocol and by intention to treat. Results. F-M UE scores improved significantly in the RFVE group compared with the conventional therapy group (“intention to treat” = 5.10 points, P = .004; ANCOVA = 4.26 points, P < .01). Several of the kinematic parameters improved in the RFVE group (MD, P < .01; MLV, P < .01). FIM improvements did not differ. Conclusions . Both rehabilitation therapies improved arm motor performance and functional activity, but the RFVE therapy induced more robust results in patients exposed to late rehabilitation treatment.
The role of peri-operative treatment in resectable liver metastases of colorectal cancer
Authors: Stein Alexander , Rüssel Joern , Peinert Stefan , Arnold Dirk
Published: June 2010

Synchronous or metachronous colorectal liver metastases (CLMs), although being the expression of systemic disease, allow a curative approach for about 25—35% of patients. Patients presenting with CLMs should receive a multimodal management in order to increase the number of patients undergoing R0 surgery and to decrease the rate of recurrence. Postoperative and/or pre-operative systemic chemotherapy shows beneficial impact regarding progression-free and overall survival, without increasing postoperative complication rates. Concerning the complex definition of resectability and the number of patients with ‘borderline’ resectable CLMs, pre-operative chemotherapy plays an important role in both the improvement of prognosis and ‘conversion’ to resectability. Duration of chemotherapy in the perioperative setting should not exceed 6 months. Current data do not recommend the use of locally applied chemotherapy using hepatic artery infusion after resection of CLMs. Liver surgery has made several advances extending resectability to a larger group of patients and decreasing local hepatic recurrence. Moreover, locally ablative procedures such as radiofrequency and selective internal radiation therapy have joined the armamentarium in the case of positive resection margins or unresectable disease. Future research will help in defining treatment regimens and approaches in this setting.
Therapeutic modulation of epigenetic drivers of drug resistance in ovarian cancer
Authors: Zeller Constanze , Brown Robert
Published: June 2010

Epigenetic changes in tumours are associated not only with cancer development and progression, but also with resistance to chemotherapy. Aberrant DNA methylation at CpG islands and associated epigenetic silencing are observed during the acquisition of drug resistance. However, it remains unclear whether all of the observed changes are drivers of drug resistance, causally associated with response of tumours to chemotherapy, or are passenger events representing chance DNA methylation changes. Systematic approaches that link DNA methylation and expression with chemosensitivity will be required to identify key drivers. Such drivers will be important prognostic or predicitive biomarkers, both to existing chemotherapies, but also to epigenetic therapies used to modulate drug resistance.
Common variants in the regulative regions of GRIA1 and GRIA3 receptor genes are associated with migraine susceptibility
Authors: Formicola Daniela , Aloia Andrea , Sampaolo Simone , Farina Olimpia , Diodato Daria , Griffiths Lyn R , Gianfrancesco Fernando , Di Iorio Giuseppe , Esposito Teresa
Published: June 2010

Background

Glutamate is the principal excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system which acts by the activation of either ionotropic (AMPA, NMDA and kainate receptors) or G-protein coupled metabotropic receptors. Glutamate is widely accepted to play a major role in the path physiology of migraine as implicated by data from animal and human studies. Genes involved in synthesis, metabolism and regulation of both glutamate and its receptors could be, therefore, considered as potential candidates for causing/predisposing to migraine when mutated.

Methods

The association of polymorphic variants of GRIA1-GRIA4 genes which encode for the four subunits (GluR1-GluR4) of the alpha-amino-3- hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid (AMPA) receptor for glutamate was tested in migraineurs with and without aura (MA and MO) and healthy controls.

Results

Two variants in the regulative regions of GRIA1 (rs2195450) and GRIA3 (rs3761555) genes resulted strongly associated with MA (P = 0.00002 and P = 0.0001, respectively), but not associated with MO, suggesting their role in cortical spreading depression. Whereas the rs548294 variant in GRIA1 gene showed association primarily with MO phenotype, supporting the hypothesis that MA and MO phenotypes could be genetically related. These variants modify binding sites for transcription factors altering the expression of GRIA1 and GRIA3 genes in different conditions.

Conclusions

This study represents the first genetic evidence of a link between glutamate receptors and migraine.
Identification of target genes for wild type and truncated HMGA2 in mesenchymal stem-like cells
Authors: Henriksen Jørn , Stabell Marianne , Meza-Zepeda Leonardo A , Lauvrak Silje AU , Kassem Moustapha , Myklebost Ola
Published: June 2010

Background

The HMGA2 gene, coding for an architectural transcription factor involved in mesenchymal embryogenesis, is frequently deranged by translocation and/or amplification in mesenchymal tumours, generally leading to over-expression of shortened transcripts and a truncated protein.

Methods

To identify pathways that are affected by sarcoma-associated variants of HMGA2, we have over-expressed wild type and truncated HMGA2 protein in an immortalized mesenchymal stem-like cell (MSC) line, and investigated the localisation of these proteins and their effects on differentiation and gene expression patterns.

Results

Over-expression of both transgenes blocked adipogenic differentiation of these cells, and microarray analysis revealed clear changes in gene expression patterns, more pronounced for the truncated protein. Most of the genes that showed altered expression in the HMGA2-overexpressing cells fell into the group of NF-κB-target genes, suggesting a central role for HMGA2 in this pathway. Of particular interest was the pronounced up-regulation of SSX1, already implicated in mesenchymal oncogenesis and stem cell functions, only in cells expressing the truncated protein. Furthermore, over-expression of both HMGA2 forms was associated with a strong repression of the epithelial marker CD24, consistent with the reported low level of CD24 in cancer stem cells.

Conclusions

We conclude that the c-terminal part of HMGA2 has important functions at least in mesenchymal cells, and the changes in gene expression resulting from overexpressing a protein lacking this domain may add to the malignant potential of sarcomas.
Geographical origin of Plasmodium vivax in the Republic of Korea: haplotype network analysis based on the parasite's mitochondrial genome
Authors: Iwagami Moritoshi , Hwang Seung-Young , Fukumoto Megumi , Hayakawa Toshiyuki , Tanabe Kazuyuki , Kim So-Hee , Kho Weon-Gyu , Kano Shigeyuki
Published: June 2010

Background

The Republic of Korea (South Korea) is one of the countries where vivax malaria had been successfully eradicated by the late 1970s. However, re-emergence of vivax malaria in South Korea was reported in 1993. Several epidemiological studies and some genetic studies using antigenic molecules of Plasmodium vivax in the country have been reported, but the evolutionary history of P. vivax has not been fully understood. In this study, the origin of the South Korean P. vivax population was estimated by molecular phylogeographic analysis.

Methods

A haplotype network analysis based on P. vivax mitochondrial (mt) DNA sequences was conducted on 11 P. vivax isolates from South Korea and another 282 P. vivax isolates collected worldwide.

Results

The network analysis of P. vivax mtDNA sequences showed that the coexistence of two different groups (A and B) in South Korea. Groups A and B were identical or close to two different populations in southern China.

Conclusions

Although the direct introduction of the two P. vivax populations in South Korea were thought to have been from North Korea, the results of this analysis suggest the genealogical origin to be the two different populations in southern China.
Interpretation of response categories in patient-reported rating scales: a controlled study among people with Parkinson's disease
Authors: Knutsson Ida , Rydström Helena , Reimer Jan , Nyberg Per , Hagell Peter
Published: June 2010

Background

Unambiguous interpretation of ordered rating scale response categories requires distinct meanings of category labels. Also, summation of item responses into total scores assumes equal intervals between categories. While studies have identified problems with rating scale response category functioning there is a paucity of empirical studies regarding how respondents interpret response categories. We investigated the interpretation of commonly used rating scale response categories and attempted to identify distinct and roughly equally spaced response categories for patient-reported rating scales in Parkinson's disease (PD) and age-matched control subjects.

Methods

Twenty-one rating scale response categories representing frequency, intensity and level of agreement were presented in random order to 51 people with PD (36 men; mean age, 66 years) and 36 age-matched controls (14 men; mean age, 66). Respondents indicated their interpretation of each category on 100-mm visual analog scales (VAS) anchored by Never - Always, Not at all - Extremely, and Totally disagree - Completely agree. VAS values were compared between groups, and response categories with mean values and non-overlapping 95% CIs corresponding to equally spaced locations on the VAS line were sought to identify the best options for three-, four-, five-, and six-category scales.

Results

VAS values did not differ between the PD and control samples (P = 0.286) or according to educational level (P = 0.220), age (P = 0.220), self-reported physical functioning (P = 0.501) and mental health (P = 0.238), or (for the PD sample) PD duration (P = 0.213) or presence of dyskinesias (P = 0.212). Attempts to identify roughly equally spaced response categories for three-, four-, five-, and six-category scales were unsuccessful, as the 95% CIs of one or several of the identified response categories failed to include the criterion values for equal distances.

Conclusions

This study offers an evidence base for selecting more interpretable patient-reported rating scale response categories. However, problems associated with raw rating scale data, primarily related to their ordinal structure also became apparent. This argues for the application of methodologies such as Rasch measurement. Rating scale response categories need to be treated with rigour in the construction and analysis of rating scales.
Unusual anogenital apocrine tumor resembling mammary-like gland adenoma in male perineum: a case report
Authors: Hatanaka Kazuhito , Tanimoto Akihide , Umekita Yoshihisa , Yoshioka Takako , Kanekura Takuro
Published: June 2010

A rare case of an apocrine tumor in the male perineal region is reported. A dermal cystic lesion developed in the region between the anus and scrotum of a 74-year-old Japanese male. The cystic lesion, measuring 3.5 × 5.0 cm in size, was lined by columnar or flattened epithelium with occasional apocrine features and supported by a basal myoepithelium lining. A mural nodule, measuring 1 × 1.5 cm in size, protruded into the cystic space and consisted of a solid proliferation of tubular glands with prominent apocrine secretion and basal myoepithelial cells. Immunohistochemical examination showed that the luminal cells were partially positive for gross cystic disease fluid protein 15 and human milk fat globulin 1, and the basal myoepithelial cells were positive for alpha-smooth muscle actin and S-100 protein. Estrogen and progesterone hormone receptors were focally and weakly positive for luminal epithelium. Although no mammary-like glands were present in the dermis around the tumor, this unusual apocrine tumor has been suggested to be derived from male anogenital mammary-like glands and mimic a mammary-like gland adenoma in the male perineum.
Immature cell populations and an erythropoiesis gene-expression signature in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis: implications for pathogenesis
Authors: Hinze Claas H , Fall Ndate , Thornton Sherry , Mo Jun Q , Aronow Bruce J , Layh-Schmitt Gerlinde , Griffin Thomas A , Thompson Susan D , Colbert Robert A , Glass David N , Barnes Michael G , Grom Alexei A
Published: June 2010

Introduction

Previous observations suggest that active systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (sJIA) is associated with a prominent erythropoiesis gene-expression signature. The aim of this study was to determine the association of this signature with peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) subpopulations and its specificity for sJIA as compared with related conditions.

Methods

The 199 patients with JIA (23 sJIA and 176 non-sJIA) and 38 controls were studied. PBMCs were isolated and analyzed for multiple surface antigens with flow cytometry and for gene-expression profiles. The proportions of different PBMC subpopulations were compared among sJIA, non-sJIA patients, and controls and subsequently correlated with the strength of the erythropoiesis signature. Additional gene-expression data from patients with familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHLH) and from a published sJIA cohort were analyzed to determine whether the erythropoiesis signature was present.

Results

Patients with sJIA had significantly increased proportions of immature cell populations, including CD34+ cells, correlating highly with the strength of the erythropoiesis signature. The erythropoiesis signature strongly overlapped with the gene-expression pattern in purified immature erythroid precursors. The expansion of immature cells was most prominently seen in patients with sJIA and anemia, even in the absence of reticulocytosis. Patients with non-sJIA and anemia did not exhibit the erythropoiesis signature. The erythropoiesis signature was found to be prominent in patients with FHLH and in a published cohort of patients with active sJIA, but not in patients with inactive sJIA.

Conclusions

An erythropoiesis signature in active sJIA is associated with the expansion of CD34+ cells, also is seen in some patients with FHLH and infection, and may be an indicator of ineffective erythropoiesis and hemophagocytosis due to hypercytokinemia.
A syntax of hoverfly flight prototypes
Authors: Geurten Bart R. H. , Kern Roland , Braun Elke , Egelhaaf Martin
Published: June 2010

Hoverflies such as Eristalis tenax Linnaeus are known for their distinctive flight style. They can hover on the same spot for several seconds and then burst into movement in apparently any possible direction. In order to determine a quantitative and structured description of complex flight manoeuvres, we searched for a set of repeatedly occurring prototypical movements (PMs) and a set of rules for their ordering. PMs were identified by applying clustering algorithms to the translational and rotational velocities of the body of Eristalis during free-flight sequences. This approach led to nine stable and reliable PMs, and thus provided a tremendous reduction in the complexity of behavioural description. This set of PMs together with the probabilities of transition between them constitute a syntactical description of flight behaviour. The PMs themselves can be roughly segregated into fast rotational turns (saccades) and a variety of distinct translational movements (intersaccadic intervals). We interpret this segregation as reflecting an active sensing strategy which facilitates the extraction of spatial information from retinal image displacements. Detailed analysis of saccades shows that they are performed around all rotational axes individually and in all possible combinations. We found the probability of occurrence of a given saccade type to depend on parameters such as the angle between the long body axis and the direction of flight.
The ultrastructure and contractile properties of a fast-acting, obliquely striated, myosin-regulated muscle: the funnel retractor of squids
Authors: Rosenbluth Jack , Szent-Györgyi Andrew G. , Thompson Joseph T.
Published: June 2010

We investigated the ultrastructure, contractile properties, and in vivo length changes of the fast-acting funnel retractor muscle of the long-finned squid Doryteuthis pealeii. This muscle is composed of obliquely striated, spindle-shaped fibers ~3 μm across that have an abundant sarcoplasmic reticulum, consisting primarily of membranous sacs that form ‘dyads’ along the surface of each cell. The contractile apparatus consists of ‘myofibrils’ ~0.25–0.5 μm wide in cross section arrayed around the periphery of each cell, surrounding a central core that contains the nucleus and large mitochondria. Thick myofilaments are ~25 nm in diameter and ~2.8 μm long. ‘Dense bodies’ are narrow, resembling Z lines, but are discontinuous and are not associated with the cytoskeletal fibrillar elements that are so prominent in slower obliquely striated muscles. The cells approximate each other closely with minimal intervening intercellular connective tissue. Our physiological experiments, conducted at 17°C, showed that the longitudinal muscle fibers of the funnel retractor were activated rapidly (8 ms latent period following stimulation) and generated force rapidly (peak twitch force occurred within 50 ms). The longitudinal fibers had low Vmax (2.15 ±0.26 L0 s−1, where L0 was the length that generated peak isometric force) but generated relatively high isometric stress (270±20 mN mm−2 physiological cross section). The fibers exhibited a moderate maximum power output (49.9 W kg−1), compared with vertebrate and arthropod cross striated fibers, at a V/Vmax of 0.33±0.044. During ventilation of the mantle cavity and locomotion, the funnel retractor muscle operated in vivo over a limited range of strains (+0.075 to −0.15 relative to resting length, LR) and at low strain rates (from 0.16 to 0.91 LR s−1 ), corresponding to a range of V/Vmax from 0.073 to 0.42. During the exhalant phase of the jet the range of strains was even narrower: maximum range less than ±0.04, with the muscle operating nearly isometrically during ventilation and slow, arms-first swimming. The limited length operating range of the funnel retractor muscles, especially during ventilation and slow jetting, suggests that they may act as muscular struts.
Sugar preferences and digestive efficiency of the village weaver: a generalist avian pollinator of African plants
Authors: Odendaal T. C. , Brown M. , Downs C. T. , Johnson S. D.
Published: June 2010

Recent research has shown that nectar properties of flowers pollinated by generalist avian nectarivores differ markedly from those of flowers pollinated by specialist avian nectarivores. In particular, flowers pollinated by generalist avian nectarivores tend to have very dilute nectar dominated by hexose sugars. To establish whether pollinator-mediated selection can explain these traits, we tested nectar sugar preferences and digestive capabilities of the village weaver (Ploceus cucullatus), a common generalist passerine nectarivore in South Africa. When offered pairwise choices of equicaloric hexose and sucrose solutions, village weavers preferred hexose solutions at 5% and 10% sucrose equivalents (SE) but did not show significant preference for either type of sugar when higher concentrations were offered (15%, 20% and 25% SE). Birds were less efficient at absorbing sucrose than hexose sugars, as revealed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of excreta sugar content. This was true at both concentrations tested (8.22% and 25%), although apparent sucrose assimilation rates were still relatively high (89.6±2.9% at low concentrations and 93.6±1.7% at high concentrations). Transit times indicated that sucrose also passes through the digestive tract faster than hexose sugars, particularly when consumed at high concentrations. This may limit the rate at which sucrose can be hydrolyzed before absorption. These results indicate that hexose preferences in generalist avian nectarivores may help explain the low sucrose content in flowers pollinated by these birds. Moreover, the preference for hexose sugars in weavers was most evident at the low concentrations (ca. 9% sugar by mass) that are typical of nectar in flowers pollinated by generalist avian nectarivores.
Controlling anoxic tolerance in adult Drosophila via the cGMP–PKG pathway
Authors: Dawson-Scully K. , Bukvic D. , Chakaborty-Chatterjee M. , Ferreira R. , Milton S. L. , Sokolowski M. B.
Published: June 2010

In this study we identify a cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG) cascade as a biochemical pathway critical for controlling low-oxygen tolerance in the adult fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Even though adult Drosophila can survive in 0% oxygen (anoxia) environments for hours, air with less than 2% oxygen rapidly induces locomotory failure resulting in an anoxic coma. We use natural genetic variation and an induced mutation in the foraging (for) gene, which encodes a Drosophila PKG, to demonstrate that the onset of anoxic coma is correlated with PKG activity. Flies that have lower PKG activity demonstrate a significant increase in time to the onset of anoxic coma. Further, in vivo pharmacological manipulations reveal that reducing either PKG or protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity increases tolerance of behavior to acute hypoxic conditions. Alternatively, PKG activation and phosphodiesterase (PDE5/6) inhibition significantly reduce the time to the onset of anoxic coma. By manipulating these targets in paired combinations, we characterized a specific PKG cascade, with upstream and downstream components. Further, using genetic variants of PKG expression/activity subjected to chronic anoxia over 6 h, ~50% of animals with higher PKG activity survive, while only ~25% of those with lower PKG activity survive after a 24 h recovery. Therefore, in this report we describe the PKG pathway and the differential protection of function vs survival in a critically low oxygen environment.
Prolonged fasting does not increase oxidative damage or inflammation in postweaned northern elephant seal pups
Authors: Vázquez-Medina José Pablo , Crocker Daniel E. , Forman Henry Jay , Ortiz Rudy M.
Published: June 2010

Elephant seals are naturally adapted to survive up to three months of absolute food and water deprivation (fasting). Prolonged food deprivation in terrestrial mammals increases reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, oxidative damage and inflammation that can be induced by an increase in the renin–angiotensin system (RAS). To test the hypothesis that prolonged fasting in elephant seals is not associated with increased oxidative stress or inflammation, blood samples and muscle biopsies were collected from early (2–3 weeks post-weaning) and late (7–8 weeks post-weaning) fasted seals. Plasma levels of oxidative damage, inflammatory markers and plasma renin activity (PRA), along with muscle levels of lipid and protein oxidation, were compared between early and late fasting periods. Protein expression of angiotensin receptor 1 (AT1), pro-oxidant (Nox4) and antioxidant enzymes (CuZn- and Mn-superoxide dismutases, glutathione peroxidase and catalase) was analyzed in muscle. Fasting induced a 2.5-fold increase in PRA, a 50% increase in AT1, a twofold increase in Nox4 and a 70% increase in NADPH oxidase activity. By contrast, neither tissue nor systemic indices of oxidative damage or inflammation increased with fasting. Furthermore, muscle antioxidant enzymes increased 40–60% with fasting in parallel with an increase in muscle and red blood cell antioxidant enzyme activities. These data suggest that, despite the observed increases in RAS and Nox4, an increase in antioxidant enzymes appears to be sufficient to suppress systemic and tissue indices of oxidative damage and inflammation in seals that have fasted for a prolonged period. The present study highlights the importance of antioxidant capacity in mammals during chronic periods of stress to help avoid deleterious systemic consequences.
Postprandial metabolism of Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis)
Authors: Clark T. D. , Brandt W. T. , Nogueira J. , Rodriguez L. E. , Price M. , Farwell C. J. , Block B. A.
Published: June 2010

Specific dynamic action (SDA) is defined as the energy expended during ingestion, digestion, absorption and assimilation of a meal. This study presents the first data on the SDA response of individual tunas of any species. Juvenile Pacific bluefin tunas (Thunnus orientalis; body mass 9.7–11.0 kg; N=7) were individually fed known quantities of food consisting primarily of squid and sardine (meal energy range 1680–8749 kJ, ~4–13% of tuna body mass). Oxygen consumption rates () were measured in a swim tunnel respirometer during the postprandial period at a swimming speed of 1 body length (BL) s−1 and a water temperature of 20°C. was markedly elevated above routine levels in all fish following meal consumption [routine metabolic rate (RMR)=174±9 mg kg−1 h−1]. The peak during the SDA process ranged from 250 to 440 mg kg−1 h−1 (1.5–2.3 times RMR) and was linearly related to meal energy content. The duration of the postprandial increment in ranged from 21 h to 33 h depending upon meal energy content. Consequently, the total energy used in SDA increased linearly with meal energy and ranged from 170 kJ to 688 kJ, such that the SDA process accounted for 9.2±0.7% of ingested energy across all experiments. These values suggest rapid and efficient food conversion in T. orientalis in comparison with most other fishes. Implanted archival temperature tags recorded the increment in visceral temperature (TV) in association with SDA. returned to routine levels at the end of the digestive period 2–3 h earlier than TV. The qualitative patterns in and TV during digestion were similar, strengthening the possibility that archival measurements of TV can provide new insight into the energetics and habitat utilization of free-swimming bluefin in the natural environment. Despite efficient food conversion, SDA is likely to represent a significant component of the daily energy budget of wild bluefin tunas due to a regular and high ingestion of forage.
Effects of flight speed upon muscle activity in hummingbirds
Authors: Tobalske Bret W. , Biewener Andrew A. , Warrick Douglas R. , Hedrick Tyson L. , Powers Donald R.
Published: June 2010

Hummingbirds have the smallest body size and highest wingbeat frequencies of all flying vertebrates, so they represent one endpoint for evaluating the effects of body size on sustained muscle function and flight performance. Other bird species vary neuromuscular recruitment and contractile behavior to accomplish flight over a wide range of speeds, typically exhibiting a U-shaped curve with maxima at the slowest and fastest flight speeds. To test whether the high wingbeat frequencies and aerodynamically active upstroke of hummingbirds lead to different patterns, we flew rufous hummingbirds (Selasphorus rufus, 3 g body mass, 42 Hz wingbeat frequency) in a variable-speed wind tunnel (0–10 m s−1). We measured neuromuscular activity in the pectoralis (PECT) and supracoracoideus (SUPRA) muscles using electromyography (EMG, N=4 birds), and we measured changes in PECT length using sonomicrometry (N=1). Differing markedly from the pattern in other birds, PECT deactivation occurred before the start of downstroke and the SUPRA was deactivated before the start of upstroke. The relative amplitude of EMG signal in the PECT and SUPRA varied according to a U-shaped curve with flight speed; additionally, the onset of SUPRA activity became relatively later in the wingbeat at intermediate flight speeds (4 and 6 m s−1). Variation in the relative amplitude of EMG was comparable with that observed in other birds but the timing of muscle activity was different. These data indicate the high wingbeat frequency of hummingbirds limits the time available for flight muscle relaxation before the next half stroke of a wingbeat. Unlike in a previous study that reported single-twitch EMG signals in the PECT of hovering hummingbirds, across all flight speeds we observed 2.9±0.8 spikes per contraction in the PECT and 3.8±0.8 spikes per contraction in the SUPRA. Muscle strain in the PECT was 10.8±0.5%, the lowest reported for a flying bird, and average strain rate was 7.4±0.2 muscle lengths s−1. Among species of birds, PECT strain scales proportional to body mass to the 0.2 power (∞Mb0.2) using species data and ∞Mb0.3 using independent contrasts. This positive scaling is probably a physiological response to an adverse scaling of mass-specific power available for flight.