bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New technique for safer endoscopic submucosal dissection using the duodenal balloon occlusion method
Authors: Mori Hirohito , Kobara Hideki , Inoue Hideyuki , Kobayashi Mitsuyoshi , Muramatsu Akemi , Nomura Takako , Gong Jian , Hagiike Masanobu , Izuishi Kunihiko , Suzuki Yasuyuki , Masaki Tsutomu
Published: July 2011

Background and Aim:  Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) enables complete, collective removal of gastrointestinal (GI) malignant tumors, but requires a long operation time. Air insufflated during ESD is distributed throughout the entire GI tract, and thus causes an enlarged feeling of the abdomen. We aimed to reduce the incidence of an enlarged feeling of the abdomen by wedging a balloon in the bulbus duodeni to reduce air flow into the lower parts of the GI tract.

Methods:  Sixteen patients who were approved by the institutional ethics committee and provided consent to participate in this single‐center, prospective study were divided into two groups using a sealed‐envelope randomization method: ESD with a balloon wedged in the bulbus duodeni (the balloon [+] group) or conventional ESD with no balloon (the balloon [−] group). Total air volume in the entire GI tract and its change before and after ESD were measured objectively by 3‐D computed tomography.

Results:  In the balloon (+) group, the mean intestinal gas volume (± standard deviation) was 274.3 ± 142.0 mL before ESD, and 352.5 ± 183.2 mL after, with a mean change of 78.1 ± 139.7 mL. The increase in intestinal gas volume was well controlled. No postoperative complications, such as an enlarged feeling of the abdomen, was reported in the balloon (+) group.

Conclusions:  Our new technique has several advantages, including reduction in the frequency of postoperative abdominal symptoms, and will be useful and safe for gastric ESD.
Predicting response to therapy in chronic hepatitis C: An approach combining interleukin‐28B gene polymorphisms and clinical data
Authors: Ladero José M , Martin Elena García , Fernández Cristina , Carballo Miguel , Devesa María J , Martínez Carmen , Suárez Avelina , Díaz‐Rubio Manuel , Agúndez José A
Published: July 2011

Background and Aim:  Polymorphisms at the interleukin‐28B (IL28B) gene predict therapeutic response in chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 1 (CHC‐1) infection. The aim of the present study was to establish whether a unique single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) represents the whole predictive value of the IL28B haplotype for sustained viral response (SVR) and primary non‐response (PNR).

Methods:  SNP rs12979860 and rs8099917 were determined by TaqMan assays in 110 CHC‐1 Caucasian patients treated with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin.

Results:  There were 51 SVR, 43 PNR, and 16 relapses. Baseline predictors of SVR were rs12979860CC genotype (P = 0.008), viral load < 400.000 IU/mL (P < 0.010), age (P = 0.013), γ‐glutamyl transferase (P = 0.022), alkaline phosphatase (P = 0.008), and cholesterol (P = 0.048). The area under the receiver‐operating curve (AUROC) of the model, including these variables, was 0.841 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.767–0.916). The same figures for PNR were rs12979860 T‐allele carrier state (P = 0.00008), viral load ≥ 400.000 IU/mL (P = 0.007), aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase (P = 0.048), and serum cholesterol (P = 0.064), (AUROC = 0.869, 95% CI = 0.792–0.945). After excluding rs12979860CT SNP from multivariate analyses, the rs8099917 genotype alone did not predict SVR (P = 0.185), but strongly predicted PNR (P = 0.003). The significance of haplotypes combining both SNP as predictors of SVR and PNR was higher than those of each separate SNP.

Conclusions:  The rs12979860 SNP strongly predicts therapeutic response in CHC‐1 patients, and if associated with easy‐to‐obtain baseline criteria, provides a useful tool for the selection of candidates for antiviral therapy. IL28B haplotypes might improve the clinical usefulness of individual SNP.
Toll‐like receptor 2 monoclonal antibody or/and Toll‐like receptor 4 monoclonal antibody increase counts of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria in dextran sulfate sodium‐induced colitis in mice
Authors: Dong Le , Li Juan , Liu Yi , Yue Wenjie , Luo Xiaoting
Published: July 2011

Background and Aim:  The accurate pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC) is not yet well understood. Recently, Toll‐like receptor 2 (TLR2), TLR4 and gut microbial flora have been proved as playing important roles in the process of UC. This study was to evaluate the effect of TLR2 and TLR4 monoclonal antibodies on gut microbial flora in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)‐induced colitis in a mouse model.

Methods:  We evaluated the effects of the TLR2 and TLR4 monoclonal antibodies on the development of DSS‐induced colitis. Clinical symptoms were evaluated by the disease activity index (DAI), while tissue samples were evaluated by histological scoring (HS). Meanwhile, the mucosal mRNA expressions of TLR2, TLR4, interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ), interleukin‐4 (IL‐4) and IL‐17 were analyzed by Realtime polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The mucosal protein TRAF6, TAB1, P‐IKK, P‐P38α mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPL) and c‐jun expressions of the TLR2 and TLR4 signaling pathways were analyzed using Western blot. The mucosal nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB) was analyzed using electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Fecal samples were obtained directly from the cecum for microbiological studies.

Results:  Expressions of TLR2 and TLR4 in colonic epithelial cells on DSS‐induced colitis were much higher than normal ones. After the treatment with TLR2mAb and TLR4mAb, DAI and HS were decreased significantly. The UC model group showed a conspicuous increase of Escherichia coli and decreases of Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. After being treated with TLR2mAb or/and TLR4mAb, Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp. increased to the normal level.

Conclusions:  TLR2mAb and TLR4mAb can suppress the development of DSS‐induced colitis and increase counts of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria.
Colonization of paediatric lower respiratory tract with genital Mycoplasma species
Authors: PATEL KATIR K. , SALVA PAUL S. , WEBLEY WILMORE C.
Published: July 2011

Background and objective:  Recently, much attention has been given to the possible role played by pathogens that colonize neonatal or paediatric airway and their potential involvement in chronic respiratory disease. The goal of the current study was to evaluate the prevalence of Mycoplasma organisms in the BAL fluid of paediatric patients suffering from a variety of chronic respiratory diseases to determine if there was any clear disease association with bacterial presence.

Methods:  We examined 319 paediatric BAL samples for the presence of M. genitalium, M. hominis, U. urealyticum, U. parvum and M. pneumoniae DNA with species‐specific PCR.

Results:  Mycoplasma DNA was found in 32.6% (104/319) of patient samples; 10% (32/319) for M. pneumoniae, 8.8% for U. parvum, 2.8% for U. urealyticum; 4.7% for M. hominis and 9.1% for M. genitalium. There were no significant clinical and laboratory differences except serum IgE in asthmatics according to Mycoplasma colonization or not. Elevated levels of IgE were found more often in Mycoplasma DNA‐negative patients than patients with bacterial DNA, 85/109 versus 24/109 respectively (P < 0.0001). There was no difference in the frequency of Mycoplasmas between the asthmatics and the non‐asthmatics; 30.6% (69/225) versus 37.2% (35/94) for Mycoplasma 16S DNA, and 8% versus 14.9% for M. pneumoniae, respectively.

Conclusions:  Our data indicate that in addition to M. pneumoniae, urogenital Mycoplasma species may colonize the airway of patients with chronic respiratory diseases. There was, however, no association between chronic asthma diagnosis and Mycoplasma colonization in this study.
‘A place where I can be me’: a role for social and leisure provision to support young people with language impairment
Authors: Myers Lucy , Davies‐Jones Clare , Chiat Shula , Joffe Victoria , Botting Nicola
Published: July 2011

Background: The long‐term well‐being of children with language impairment is an area of increasing interest to families, educators and employers as language impairment is often life‐long. Furthermore, language impairment and psychiatric difficulty are known to overlap in both populations originally diagnosed as having language impairment and those receiving mental health services. However, there are currently little data available about the wider quality of life for people with language impairment, especially from the perspective of the young people themselves. There is a dearth of information about community‐based activities provided for the support and leisure of this population. The Afasic Youth Project meets once a week and is one of only a handful of such groups across the United Kingdom.

Methods & Procedures: This study reports the experiences and views of 19 young people aged 13–23 years attending a leisure provision for young people with primary communication needs. The views of 20 parents were also gained. Interviews with young people and parents were based on items used in the Manchester Language Study in which a large group of young people with a history of language difficulties (n= 130) and typically developing 16‐year‐olds (n= 109) expressed their views on a range of quality of life measures. This allows a context against which to evaluate the responses of the young people in the study. An additional section of the interview was designed to address the young people's views on the Afasic Youth Project specifically.

Outcomes & Results: Social patterns of the young people were very similar to those reported by the Manchester Language Study indicating that they are a group relatively representative of the language impairment population. A number of positive themes emerged in relation to the club, which included freedom to be true to self, and meeting similar individuals. Interestingly, parents expressed some similar themes, but also had additional thoughts about the group, including the need to meet other parents in similar situations and the belief that the group was aiding social development.

Conclusions & Implications: The analysis suggests that community‐based social and leisure provision is an important ‘missing’ service for young people with language impairment, providing an alternative to school‐based activities and support older teenagers beyond compulsory education. There is a pressing need to investigate the potential role of such facilities given that recent research into language impairment has clearly shown associations with long‐term and wide‐ranging social and emotional risk.
Pro con debate: the use of regional vs systemic analgesia for neonatal surgery
Authors: Bösenberg Adrian T , Jöhr Martin , Wolf Andrew R
Published: July 2011

In recent years the inclusion of regional techniques to pediatric anesthesia has transformed practice. Simple procedures such as caudal anesthesia with local anaesthetics can reduce the amounts of general anesthesia required and provide complete analgesia in the postoperative period while avoiding large amounts of opioid analgesia with potential side effects that can impair recovery. However, the application of central blocks (epidural and spinal local anesthesia) via catheters in the younger infant, neonate and even preterm neonate remains more controversial. The potential for such invasive maneuvers themselves to augment risk, can be argued to outweigh the benefits, others would argue that epidural analgesia can reduce the need for postoperative ventilation and that this not only facilitates surgery when intensive care facilities are limited, but also reduces cost in terms of PICU stay and recovery profile. Currently, opinions are divided and strongly held with some major units adopting this approach widely and others maintaining a more conservative stance to anesthesia for major neonatal surgery. In this pro‐con debate the evidence base is examined, supplemented with expert opinion to try to provide a balanced overall view.
Data-Driven Density Estimation in the Presence of Additive Noise with unknown Distribution
Authors: Comte F. , Lacour C.
Published: July 2011

We study the model Y = X+ε. We assume that we have at our disposal independent identically distributed observations Y1,…,Yn and ε−1,…,ε−M. The (Xj)1 ⩽j ⩽n are independent identically distributed with density f, independent of the (εj)1 ⩽j ⩽n, independent identically distributed with density f. The aim of the paper is to estimate f without knowing f. We first define an estimator, for which we provide bounds for the integrated L2-risk. We consider ordinary smooth and supersmooth noise ε with regard to ordinary smooth and supersmooth densities f. Then we present an adaptive estimator of the density of f. This estimator is obtained by penalization of a projection contrast and yields to model selection. Lastly, we present simulation experiments to illustrate the good performances of our estimator and study from the empirical point of view the importance of theoretical constraints.
STOCK RETURNS AND OIL PRICE CHANGES IN EUROPE: A SECTOR ANALYSIS*
Authors: MOHAMED AROURI
Published: July 2011

In this paper, we investigate the effects of oil price fluctuations on stock markets. Unlike previous works, which have focused largely on broad market indices (national and/or regional indices), we examine short‐term links in both mean and variance in the aggregate as well as sector by sector levels in Europe. Our findings show strong significant effects of oil price changes on European sector stock market returns and volatilities. Moreover, we show some evidence of asymmetry in the oil‐stock price relationships. However, the nature and sensitivity of the reaction of stock returns to oil price shocks change considerably across sectors.
Weekly IM interferon beta‐1a in multiple sclerosis patients over 50 years of age
Authors: Lampl C. , You X. , Limmroth V.
Published: July 2011

Background:  Efficacy and safety data have not previously been compiled for intramuscular interferon beta‐1a (IM IFNβ‐1a) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) ≥ 50 years of age. We investigated the efficacy and safety of IM IFNβ‐1a in patients segregated by 50 and 40 years of age in separate meta‐analyses.

Methods:  The MS Clinical Research Group Study, the Controlled High‐Risk Subjects AVONEX® (IM IFNβ‐1a) MS Prevention Study, the IFNβ‐1a European Dose‐Comparison Study, and a multicenter, open‐label antigenicity and safety study of human serum albumin‐free IM IFNβ‐1a were analyzed.

Results:  Overall, 906 patients (68 aged ≥ 50 years and 838 aged <50 years, or 323 aged ≥ 40 years and 583 aged <40 years) received IM IFNβ‐1a for ≥ 24 months. At baseline, patients ≥ 50 years had significantly higher Expanded Disability Status Scale scores than patients <50 years (3.4 vs. 2.8; P < 0.001), but fewer relapses in the three preceding years (2.6 vs. 3.4; P < 0.001); patients ≥ 40 years and <40 years exhibited similar differences. After 2 years of treatment, there were no significant differences in annualized relapse rate, sustained disability progression, time to sustained disability progression, or number of MRI‐identified gadolinium‐enhanced lesions between age groups in either analysis. The cumulative probability of relapse was significantly lower in patients ≥ 40 years versus patients <40 years (0.601 vs. 0.702; P < 0.001). Adverse event incidence did not differ significantly between age groups in either analysis.

Conclusions:  IM IFNβ‐1a is effective and well tolerated in patients with MS ≥ 40 and ≥ 50 years as well as younger patients.
Nurses’ self‐reported knowledge about and attitude to nutrition – before and after a training programme
Authors: Bjerrum Merete , Tewes Marianne , Pedersen Preben
Published: July 2011

Scand J Caring Sci; 2012; 26; 81–89
 
Nurses’ self‐reported knowledge about and attitude to nutrition – before and after a training programme

Background:  It is well known that appropriate nutrition is vital for inpatientrecovery. Traditionally, nutrition is part of nurses’ area of responsibility and as it affects mortality and morbidity, it is important that nurses feel responsible for, and accomplish adequate nutrition care during the patients’ hospital stay. But putting evidence of nutritional topics into practice is challenging and nutrition care seems to be a low priority nursing task.

Aims:  To investigate the impact of training programme targeted nurses with special responsibilities for nutrition on the nurses’ knowledge of nutrition, and whether it enhanced their attitude to their responsibility for nutrition care in relation to assessment and management.

Methods:  An intervention study was conducted with 16 nurses from either medical or surgical wards who participated in a 12‐month training programme. These nurses were divided into two groups and interviewed twice before and after the intervention. Focus group interviews were used to gather data about their daily clinical work in relation to nutrition. Deductive content analysis was used to analyse the described data.

Results:  The training programme did have an impact on the nurses’ knowledge of nutrition. It made them feel more secure and strengthened their ability to take responsibility for more nutrition management and as the results indicate, improved their awareness of nurse‐specific treatment and their responsibility for nutrition assessment. We also found that nurses still have difficulty expressing their knowledge of nutrition using academic concepts, as they mainly use general phrases.

Conclusion:  The findings suggest that a short‐duration training programme enhances nurses’ awareness of nutrition care, but it is not enough to achieve the nurses’ full understanding of their responsibility for nutrition care.
Effects of respiratory mechanical forces on the pharmacological response of lung cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents
Authors: Hendricks Peter , Diaz Francisco J. , Schmitt Sarah , Sitta Sittampalam G. , Nirmalanandhan Victor Sanjit
Published: July 2011

In vitro screening of chemotherapeutic agents is routinely carried out in static monolayer cell cultures. However, drugs administered to patients act in the presence of various microenvironments in vivo. For example, in lung tumors, mechanical forces are constantly present and do affect the physiological response of the lung tissue to a variety of therapeutic agents. We hypothesized that mechanical forces may affect the response of lung tumors to chemotherapeutic agents and studied the effects under simulated conditions. First, we examined the effects of simulated forces that approximate normal respiration on the proliferation and morphology of NCI‐H358 and A549 cell lines. Then, we studied the effects of the simulated forces on the ability of Paclitaxel, Doxorubicin, Cisplatin, Zactima and an experimental drug to induce cytotoxicity in both cell lines. Cells were treated with the drugs in the presence or absence of simulated forces (20% maximum strain and 15 cycles/minute) that approximate human lung expansion and contraction. Cell proliferation and the effectiveness of the drugs were assessed. Using a standard exponential cell growth model, it was determined that mechanical forces significantly reduced the proliferation of both cell lines. Interestingly, forces also significantly lowered the effectiveness of all drugs except Zactima in A549 cells, while in NCI‐H358 cells, Zactima was the only drug that demonstrated an increase in effectiveness owing to applied forces. Our results demonstrate that mechanical forces have significant impact on cell survival and chemotherapeutic efficacy and may be of significance in engineering improved screening assays for antitumor drug discovery.
Effects of magnetized water on the distribution pattern of soil water with respect to time in trickle irrigation
Authors: Khoshravesh M. , Mostafazadeh‐Fard B. , Mousavi S. F. , Kiani A. R.
Published: July 2011

In arid and semi‐arid regions, farmers use low quality groundwater because of limited availability of high quality irrigation water; instead, magnetized water can be used for irrigation given its better quality. Magnetized water is obtained by passing water through permanent magnets or through electro‐magnets installed in or on a feeding pipeline. This study at the Gorgan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center, Gorgan province, Iran, investigated soil moisture distribution from trickle irrigation. Treatments were magnetic and non‐magnetic water and sub‐treatments involved the addition of 200 mg/L calcium carbonate and 400 mg/L calcium carbonate with well water providing the control. The experiment was laid out with a complete randomized block design with three replications. Soil moisture around the drippers was measured for 1, 2 and 3 days after irrigation during the 3‐month irrigation period. The results show that the differences in soil moisture for days 1, 2 and 3 after irrigation with magnetized irrigation water were lesser than those for the non‐magnetized irrigation water treatments. Irrigation with magnetized irrigation water caused higher soil moisture compared with the non‐magnetized irrigation water for different irrigation water salinities. The use of magnetized water for irrigation is recommended to improve irrigation efficiency.
Unemployment Rate and Divorce*
Authors: ROY SUSMITA
Published: July 2011

This study investigates whether shifts in the unemployment rate affect the separation probability of married and cohabiting couples. Compared to the match quality shocks utilised in the existing literature, unemployment rate movements are plausibly exogenous and affect individuals through both actual as well as potential loss of a job. I find that a rise in the unemployment rate in the wife's sector increases the odds of a separation among cohabiting (de facto) couples but not among married (de jure) couples. A doubling of the female partner's or male partner's three‐period lagged unemployment rate leads to a almost doubling of the separation rate among the de facto couples.
The Effect of Maternal Employment on Youth Overweight in Australia*
Authors: BISHOP JAMES
Published: July 2011

Using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey, this article seeks to estimate the causal effect of maternal labour supply on the body mass index and overweight status of older children in Australia. To achieve this aim, proxy variables, instrumental variables and sibling‐difference models are used to account for the potential endogeneity of maternal employment. The results show that part‐time or full‐time work by the mother is associated with decreased excess body weight in youths, relative to not working at all. Further analysis reveals that this relationship does not operate through increased earned income.
Homeowners Associations as Private Governments: What We Know, What We Don’t Know, and Why It Matters
Authors: McCabe Barbara Coyle
Published: July 2011

Homeowners associations (HOAs) are private governments that are reshaping urban governance and service delivery in large parts of the United States. Despite the fact that millions of Americans are HOA members, the field of public affairs has paid scant attention to these new governance entities. The essays in this symposium call attention to HOAs’ potential effects on urban services and civic life in the hope of sparking interest among scholars and public managers to include HOAs in our understanding, research, and teaching of contemporary urban governance.
One‐way, Two‐way, or Dead‐end Street: British Influence on the Study of Public Administration in America Since 1945
Authors: Rhodes R. A. W.
Published: July 2011

What intellectual influence, if any, have British public administration scholars had on their American counterparts since World War II? In this article, the author briefly reviews the major areas of theory and research in the British study of publication administration, further identifying important contributions by British scholars in the areas of modernist‐empiricism, the new public management, regulation, policy networks and governance, and interpretive theory. Although there is a discernible American influence on British public administration, there is little British impact on U.S. public administration; nowadays it is a one‐way street. Increasingly, British scholars are involved in a growing community of European public administration scholars with whom they share active, two‐way connections. Recent European developments suggest that American and European public administration academics are growing further apart. Due to the immense strength of modernist‐empiricism throughout American universities, plus the interpretive turn to a European epistemology of “blurred genres,” these twin, traditionally self‐referential, communities seem to be parting company with an attendant danger that future intellectual engagement may be a dead end.
Top Management Turnover and Organizational Performance: A Test of a Contingency Model
Authors: Boyne George A. , James Oliver , John Peter , Petrovsky Nicolai
Published: July 2011

A crucial test of whether “management matters” is whether changes in the team at the top of an organization make a difference. Focusing on turnover in the collective senior team rather than successions of individual chief executives, this article argues that the impact of leadership succession is contingent upon prior organizational performance. The evidence on English local government shows that changes in the top management team lead to improvements when initial performance is bad, but result in deterioration when initial performance is good. The results support the view that high‐performing organizations should attempt to retain members of their senior management team, whereas low performers should seek to replace them.
Organizational Pathology Compared to What? Impacts of Job Characteristics and Career Trajectory on Perceptions of Organizational Red Tape
Authors: Ponomariov Branco L. , Boardman P. Craig
Published: July 2011

Early studies of organizational red tape emphasized that worker perceptions of organizational rules and procedures are dependent on workers’ frames of reference. However, most prior studies do not account sufficiently for how and why these reference points vary across employees, even if they work within the same or similar organizational contexts. While the effects of contemporaneous employee attitudes on perceptions of red tape have been considered in prior analyses, how do perceptions of organizational rules and procedures as red tape relate to workers’ prior career trajectories and occupational contexts? Variable norms and expectations across organizations as well as across the public and private sectors may produce different attitudes toward rules and procedures. Of equal import, current occupational characteristics are relatively unexamined in studies of worker perceptions of red tape. Using a survey of state level public managers, this paper examines how employees’ perceptions of red tape are mediated by their prior career trajectories and experiences, as well as by their occupational context. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Networked Coproduction of Public Services in Virtual Communities: From a Government‐Centric to a Community Approach to Public Service Support
Authors: Meijer Albert Jacob
Published: July 2011

Research on and practical attention for the coproduction of public services is increasing. Coproduction is seen as a way to strengthen the quality and legitimacy of public service and reduce costs. Scholarship on coproduction of public services repeatedly ignores the role of the new media. This is surprising since many proponents highlight its potential for changing traditional, government‐centric approaches to delivering public services. This article shows that digital communities form an important addition to the government‐centric form of public service provision since they foster both an exchange of experiential information and social‐emotional support.
Resource Dependence, Alternative Supply Sources, and the Design of Formal Contracts
Authors: Malatesta Deanna , Smith Craig R.
Published: July 2011

Employing a resource dependence theoretical framework, the authors analyze a set of recently awarded contracts between the Environmental Protection Agency and its suppliers to determine how joint dependence, supplier dependence, and government dependence affect contract design—specifically, the decision to use a cost‐plus (flexible) contract. Findings provide evidence that organizations choose contract designs that will reduce uncertainty related to securing critical resources. However, different dimensions of dependence have different effects: (1) higher levels of joint dependence lead to more flexible governance forms; (2) the lack of alternative suppliers is a more important factor than high levels of financial dependence; and (3) the parties involved in government procurement are likely to perceive government as a unique type of organization, which, in turn, has implications for contract design choices. The authors conclude with managerial strategies for restructuring power/dependence relationships to achieve the contract design most likely to yield a surplus in the exchange.
Cervical precancerous lesions – chromosomal instability in peripheral blood lymphocytes in relation to lesion stage, age and smoking habits
Authors: MILOŠEVIĆ‐DJORDJEVIĆ OLIVERA , STOŠIĆ IVANA , GRUJIČIĆ DARKO , BANKOVIĆ DRAGIĆ , ARSENIJEVIĆ SLOBODAN
Published: July 2011

Objective. To evaluate chromosomal damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of patients newly diagnosed with cervical precancerous lesions with respect to age, smoking habits, miscarriages, abortions and lesion stage. Design. Clinical study. Setting. Clinic of Gynecology and Obstetrics in Kragujevac, Serbia, during 2009‐2010. Population. The analyzed samples included 41 untreated patients aged 24–65years with a diagnosed low‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL; 19 patients) or a high‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL; 22 patients). Control samples were obtained from 40 healthy women aged 24–53 years. Methods. The frequency of micronuclei (MN) was estimated in circulating lymphocytes by using the cytokinesis‐block micronucleus assay. Main Outcome Measure. The frequency of MN in PBL. Results. The mean MN frequencies of both LSIL and HSIL patients were significantly higher than the MN frequency of healthy control women. There was no significant difference in MN frequency between LSIL and HSIL patients, between smokers and nonsmokers in both patient and control samples, or between miscarriage groups and abortion groups of patients. Considering confounder factors, age and health status influenced MN frequency. Conclusions. The results suggest that MN frequency in PBL of patients with cervical precancerous lesions corresponds to an increase of chromosomal damage, irrespective of smoking habits, miscarriages, abortions and lesion stages.
Radical trachelectomy versus radical hysterectomy for the treatment of early cervical cancer: a systematic review
Authors: XU LI , SUN FU‐QING , WANG ZAN‐HONG
Published: July 2011

Objective. To assess the efficacy and safety of radical trachelectomy (RT) and radical hysterectomy (RH) for patients with early cervical cancer. Design. Systematic review with meta‐analysis. Population. Women who had early cervical cancer. Methods. Prospective controlled clinical trials comparing RT with RH were identified using a predefined search strategy. Recurrence, five‐year recurrence‐free survival rate, five‐year overall survival rate, postoperative mortality, intraoperative and postoperative complications between the two operations were compared by using the methods provided by the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Results. Three controlled clinical trials involving 587 participants were included. Meta‐analysis showed that there was no significant difference between the two groups in recurrence rate [1.38; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.58–3.28, p=0.47], five‐year recurrence‐free survival rate (1.17; 95% CI 0.54–2.53, p=0.69), five‐year overall survival rate (0.86; 95% CI 0.30–2.43, p=0.78), postoperative mortality (1.14; 95% CI 0.42–3.11, p=0.80), intraoperative complications (1.66; 95% CI 0.11–25.28, p=0.72), postoperative complications (0.52; 95% CI 0.11–2.48, p=0.41), blood transfusion (0.29; 95% CI 0.06–1.36, p=0.12) and number of harvested lymph nodes. However, RT, compared with RH, reduced blood loss and shortened duration to normal urine residual volume and postoperative hospital stay. Moreover, RT may achieve to normal conception rates, while RH makes patients sterile. Conclusions. Radical trachelectomy has similar efficacy and safety to RH as the surgical treatment for early cervical cancer. Moreover, it reduced blood loss and shortened the duration to normal urine residual volumes and postoperative hospital stay. Radical trachelectomy can be used to treat early stage cervical cancer as an alternative operation for patients who wish to preserve fertility.
European Core Curriculum in Cariology for undergraduate dental students
Authors: Schulte A. G. , Pitts N. B. , Huysmans M. C. D. N. J. M. , Splieth C. , Buchalla W.
Published: July 2011

As dental caries prevalence is still high in many populations and groups of both children and adults worldwide, and as caries continues to be responsible for significant health, social and economic impacts, there is an urgent need for dental students to receive a systematic education in cariology based upon current best evidence. Although European curriculum guidelines for undergraduate students have been prepared in other dental fields over the last decade, none exist for cariology. Thus the European Organisation for Caries Research (ORCA) formed a task force to work with the Association of Dental Education in Europe (ADEE) on a European Core Curriculum in Cariology. In 2010, a workshop to develop such a curriculum was organised in Berlin, Germany, with 75 participants from 24 European and 3 North/South American countries. The Curriculum was debated by five pre‐identified working groups: I The Knowledge Base; II Risk Assessment, Diagnosis and Synthesis; III Decision‐Making and Preventive Non‐surgical Therapy; IV Decision‐making and Surgical Therapy; and V Evidence‐based Cariology in Clinical and Public Health Practice and then finalised jointly by the group chairs. According to this Curriculum, on graduation, a dentist must be competent at applying knowledge and understanding of the biological, medical, basic and applied clinical sciences in order to recognise caries and make decisions about its prevention and management in individuals and populations. This document, which presents several major and numerous supporting competences, does not confine itself to dental caries alone, but refers also to dental erosion/non‐erosive wear and other dental hard tissue disorders.
Mdm38 is a 14‐3‐3‐Like Receptor and Associates with the Protein Synthesis Machinery at the Inner Mitochondrial Membrane
Authors: Lupo Domenico , Vollmer Christine , Deckers Markus , Mick David U. , Tews Ivo , Sinning Irmgard , Rehling Peter
Published: July 2011

Mitochondrial ribosomes synthesize core subunits of the inner membrane respiratory chain complexes. In mitochondria, translation is regulated by mRNA‐specific activator proteins and occurs on membrane‐associated ribosomes. Mdm38/Letm1 is a conserved membrane receptor for mitochondrial ribosomes and specifically involved in respiratory chain biogenesis. In addition, Mdm38 and its higher eukaryotic homolog Letm1, function as K+/H+ or Ca2+/H+ antiporters in the inner membrane. Here, we identify the conserved ribosome‐binding domain (RBD) of Mdm38 and determine the crystal structure at 2.1 Å resolution. Surprisingly, Mdm38RBD displays a 14‐3‐3‐like fold despite any similarity to 14‐3‐3‐proteins at the primary sequence level and thus represents the first 14‐3‐3‐like protein in mitochondria. The 14‐3‐3‐like domain is critical for respiratory chain assembly through regulation of Cox1 and Cytb translation. We show that this function can be spatially separated from the ion transport activity of the membrane integrated portion of Mdm38. On the basis of the phenotypes observed for mdm38Δ as compared to Mdm38 lacking the RBD, we suggest a model that combining ion transport and translational regulation into one molecule allows for direct coupling of ion flux across the inner membrane, and serves as a signal for the translation of mitochondrial membrane proteins via its direct association with the protein synthesis machinery.
How Ubiquitin Functions with ESCRTs
Authors: Shields S. Brookhart , Piper Robert C.
Published: July 2011

The endosomal‐sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) apparatus has multiple ubiquitin (Ub)‐binding domains and participates in a wide variety of cellular processes. Many of these ESCRT‐dependent processes are keenly regulated by Ub, which serves as a lysosomal‐sorting signal for membrane proteins targeted into multivesicular bodies (MVBs) and which may serve as a mediator of viral budding from the cell surface. Hints that both ESCRTs and Ub work together in the processes such as cytokinesis, transcription and autophagy are beginning to emerge. Here, we explore the relationship between ESCRTs and Ub in MVB sorting and viral budding.
Muramyl‐dipeptide‐induced mitochondrial proton leak in macrophages is associated with upregulation of uncoupling protein 2 and the production of reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species
Authors: El‐Khoury Takla G. , Bahr Georges M. , Echtay Karim S.
Published: July 2011

The synthetic immunomodulator muramyl dipeptide (MDP) has been shown to induce, in vivo, mitochondrial proton leak. In the present work, we extended these findings to the cellular level and confirmed the effects of MDP in vitro on murine macrophages. The macrophage system was then used to analyse the mechanism of the MDP‐induced mitochondrial proton leak. Our results demonstrate that the cellular levels of superoxide anion and nitric oxide were significantly elevated in response to MDP. Moreover, isolated mitochondria from cells treated with MDP presented a significant decrease in respiratory control ratio, an effect that was absent following treatment with a non‐toxic analogue such as murabutide. Stimulation of cells with MDP, but not with murabutide, rapidly upregulates the expression of the mitochondrial protein uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2), and pretreatment with vitamin E attenuates upregulation of UCP2. These findings suggest that the MDP‐induced reactive species upregulate UCP2 expression in order to counteract the effects of MDP on mitochondrial respiratory efficiency.
Involuntary psychiatric attendances at an Australasian emergency department: A comparison of police and health‐care worker initiated presentations
Authors: Llewellin Peter , Arendts Glenn , Weeden Jacqueline , Pethebridge Andrew
Published: July 2011

Objective: To identify any significant differences in the population of patients brought in to a hospital ED under involuntary mental health orders, based on whether the orders are initiated by police or health professionals.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of consecutive presentations to a tertiary hospital ED with a co‐located psychiatric emergency care centre over a 12 month period, with univariate and multivariate statistical comparisons.

Results: Two hundred and eighty‐two patients (making 378 ED presentations) met the case definition and were analysed. Compared with patients on medical orders, patients on police orders had significantly more presentations related to violence, longer stays in ED and lower rates of admission to an inpatient bed, but were no more likely to require restraint or security intervention within the ED.

Conclusions: Patients on police and medical orders differ considerably, but the impact of these differences on ED workload is small.
Dz13: c‐Jun Downregulation and Tumour Cell Death
Authors: Elahy Mina , Dass Crispin R.
Published: July 2011

DNAzymes (DNA enzymes and deoxyribozymes) are synthetic, single‐stranded DNA‐based catalysts engineered to bind to their complementary sequence in a target messenger RNA (mRNA) through Watson–Crick rules for base‐pairing and cleave the mRNA at predetermined phosphodiester linkages. Dz13, a DNAzyme that cleaves c‐Jun mRNA, has been found to have efficacious effects against tumours directly, activity against tumour‐induced angiogenesis, inhibition of neointima formation after arterial injury and control of inflammatory responses. Recent studies in endothelial cells demonstrate that the off‐target effects of Dz13 may in fact be driving some of these potentially therapeutic effects, although no mechanisms have been clearly defined in tumour cells. Recent data show that Dz13 is capable of inhibiting more types of tumours and potently induces apoptosis in a panel of tumour cell lines. Hand‐in‐hand with in vivo testing, Dz13 has been formulated into a biocompatible nanoparticle, enabling its full potential to be realized. Its chemistry is partly responsible for its activity against tumour cells, but it is safe to use in vivo and surprisingly shows little harmful effects against normal cells. These findings provide hope that Dz13 may be useful clinically for the treatment of a variety of cancers.
Safety and Efficacy of New 3,6‐diaryl‐7H‐[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4‐b][1,3,4]thiadiazine Analogs as Potential Phosphodiesterase‐4 Inhibitors in NIH‐3T3 Mouse Fibroblastic Cells
Authors: Baeeri Maryam , Foroumadi Alireza , Motamedi Maryam , Yahya‐Meymandi Azadeh , Firoozpour Loghman , Ostad Seyed N. , Shafiee Abbas , Souzangarzadeh Saeid , Abdollahi Mohammad
Published: July 2011

A novel series of potential phosphodiesterase‐4 (PDE‐4) inhibitors, 6‐(3‐(cyclopentyloxy)‐4‐methoxyphenyl)‐3‐aryl‐7H‐[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4‐b][1,3,4]thiadiazines, were developed. Different concentrations of the synthesized compounds were tested on cultured NIH‐3T3 cells to determine their safety and efficacy in NIH‐3T3 mouse fibroblastic cells in comparison with rolipram, a selective PDE‐4 inhibitor. The viability of cells was determined by (3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐di‐phenyltetrazoliumbromide (MTT) assay. The PDE inhibition rate was measured indirectly by determination of concentrations of extracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) using enzyme‐linked immunoassay technique. The results showed that all tested compounds caused a marked increase in the concentration of cAMP, whereas the concentration of cGMP stayed approximately unchanged. The cytotoxic IC50 of all synthesized compounds was approximately twofold greater than their required concentration for inhibition of PDE‐4 (in terms of elevation of cAMP), and thus, these structures could be used to develop potent and safe inhibitors of PDE‐4 enzyme.
3D‐QSAR Studies of JNK1 Inhibitors Utilizing Various Alignment Methods
Authors: Madhavan Thirumurthy , Chung Jae Yoon , Kothandan Gugan , Gadhe Changdev G. , Cho Seung Joo
Published: July 2011

We report our three‐dimensional quantitative structure activity relationship (3D‐QSAR) studies of the series of anilinopyrimidine derivatives of JNK1 inhibitors. The comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) and comparative molecular similarity indices analysis (CoMSIA) were applied using different alignment methods. The ligand‐based atom‐by‐atom matching alignment has produced better values for CoMFA (q2 = 0.646 and r2 = 0.983), while in CoMSIA it has achieved only lower statistical values. The pharmacophore‐based model has produced (q2 = 0.568, r2 = 0.938) and (q2 = 0.670, r2 = 0.982) for CoMFA and CoMSIA models, respectively. As the model was based on the receptor‐guided alignment, all the compounds were optimized within the receptor, resulting in q2 = 0.605 and r2 = 0.944 for CoMFA, and q2 = 0.587 and r2 = 0.863 for CoMSIA. Molecular Dynamic simulation studies suggested that the generated models were consistent with the low‐energy protein ligand conformation. The CoMFA and CoMSIA contour maps indicated that the substitutions of the electropositive groups in the phenyl ring, and an addition of hydrophobic groups in the pyrimidine ring, are important to enhance the activity of this series. Moreover, the virtual screening analysis against NCI database yields potentials hits, and the results obtained would be useful to synthesize selective and highly potent c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase 1 analogs.
Internal and external resorption in a lower molar with an associated endodontic‐periodontic lesion: A case report
Authors: Komabayashi Takashi , Zhu Qiang
Published: July 2011

This article describes a unique case in which both internal and external inflammatory resorption and endodontic‐periodontic lesions were present at the same time in the patient's left mandibular first molar. Based on clinical and radiographic findings, it was determined that the nature of this case was a pulpal infection‐induced inflammatory resorption and furcation lesion. After root canal therapy, the furcation lesion and external inflammatory resorption were completely resolved. This case indicates that the correct diagnosis of the stimulating factor for tooth resorption and determination of the primary origin of endodontic‐periodontic lesions are critical for clinical management and success.
Individual foraging site fidelity in lactating New Zealand fur seals: Continental shelf vs. oceanic habitats
Authors: Baylis Alastair M. M. , Page Brad , McKenzie Jane , Goldsworthy Simon D.
Published: July 2011

Abstract

Wide‐ranging marine central place foragers often exhibit foraging site fidelity to oceanographic features over differing spatial scales (i.e., localized coastal upwellings and oceanic fronts). Few studies have tested how the degree of site fidelity to foraging areas varies in relation to the type of ocean features used. In order to determine how foraging site fidelity varied between continental shelf and oceanic foraging habitats, 31 lactating New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus australis forsteri1) were satellite tracked over consecutive foraging trips (14–108 d). Thirty‐seven foraging trips were recorded from 11 females that foraged on the continental shelf, in a region associated with a coastal upwelling, while 65 foraging trips were recorded from 20 females that foraged in oceanic waters. There were no significant differences in the mean bearings (to maximum distance) of individual's consecutive foraging trips, suggesting individual fidelity to foraging areas. However, overlap in area and time spent in area varied considerably between continental shelf and oceanic foragers. Females that foraged on the continental shelf had significantly greater overlap in consecutive foraging trips when compared to females that foraged in oceanic waters (overlap in 5 × 5 km grid cells visited on consecutive trips 55.9%± 20.4% and 13.4%± 7.6%, respectively). Females that foraged on the continental shelf also spent significantly more time within the same grid cell than females that foraged in oceanic waters (maximum time spent in 5 × 5 km grid cells: 14%± 5% and 4%± 2%, respectively). This comparatively high foraging site fidelity may reflect the concentration of productivity associated with a coastal upwelling system, the Bonney Upwelling. Lower foraging site fidelity recorded by seals that foraged in oceanic waters implies a lower density/larger scale habitat, where prey are more dispersed or less predictable at fine scales, when compared to the continental shelf region.