bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing genetic identity of sporophytic offspring of the brown alga Undaria pinnatifida derived from mono‐crossing of gametophyte clones by use of amplified fragment length polymorphism and microsatellite markers
Authors: Shan Ti Feng , Pang Shao Jun
Published: February 2009

The haploid stage of gametophytes of the subtidal brown alga Undaria pinnatifida can be vegetatively propagated under favorable conditions. This unique characteristic makes it possible to establish independent gametophyte cell lines that are zoospore‐derived. Sporophytic offspring can be generated through hybridizing the male and female gametophytes, which are derived from different cell lines. Accumulated experiences in this and other species in Laminariales demonstrated the applicability of this novel way to breed desired strains for open‐sea cultivation. Sporophytic offspring originated from mono‐crossing of male and female gametophyte clones were shown to have similar morphological characteristics under identical ambient conditions. However, there has been no report to relate this similarity on molecular levels. In this report, amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and microsatellite markers were used to analyze the genetic identity of sporophytic offspring of U. pinnatifida originated from two mono‐crossing lines (M1 and M2), two self‐breeding lines (S1 and S2) and one wild population (W). Totally 318 AFLP loci were revealed by use of 11 primer sets, of which 4.7%, 0.3%, 17.9%, 16.4% and 36.5% were polymorphic in M1, M2, S1, S2 and W, respectively. The pairwise genetic identity among the individuals of the same line was assessed. It was shown that offspring from mono‐crossing lines had a higher degree of identity (95.6–100%) than self‐breeding lines (87.7–98.4%) and the wild population (81.5–92.1%). Analysis by use of six microsatellite loci also revealed a higher genetic identity among individuals of the mono‐crossing line, further confirming the results of AFLP analysis. Results from this investigation support, on molecular levels, the novel way to produce and maintain strains in U. pinnatifida by use of different gametophyte cell lines.
Complex patterns of actin molecular evolution in the red algaStylonema alsidii(Stylonematophyceae, Rhodophyta)
Authors: Zuccarello Giuseppe C. , Oellermann Michael , West John A. , De Clerck Olivier
Published: February 2009

The Stylonematophyceae is an early diverging red algal class that contains organisms in which sexual reproduction has not been reported. Previous studies have hypothesized a single copy of the actin gene in this class. Amplification of the actin gene in members of the Stylonematophyceae, including several isolates ofStylonema alsidii, reveals a more complex evolutionary history. The data support independent gene duplications inGoniotrichopsis reniformisandStylonema alsidii. Three of the seven isolates ofS. alsidiihad three copies of actin. Analyses indicate that all copies are functional and not pseudogenes. Due to our lack of knowledge of the ploidy level inStylonemaand the asexual nature of these organisms, an ancient change in ploidy level, producing diploid or even triploid organisms, cannot be ruled out to explain two copies of actin within these organisms. WithinStylonema alsidiitwo of the actin copies (Groups 1 and 2) show similar levels of variation; p‐distances and the number of synonymous and non‐synonymous sites are roughly the same. Yet the changes are distributed differently. One group showed little shared variation among the samples, mutations therefore represent autoapomorphies, while variation in the other group is usually shared among samples (parsimony‐informative). Variation in the other group is usually shared among samples (parsimony‐informative). A third group of actin genes also observed inS. alsidiiare highly divergent from the other two copies, yet they maintain all of the signatures of functional proteins. Our data reveal a complex evolutionary history of the actin gene in these species and highlight the lack of knowledge into the basic biology (ploidy level, life cycle characteristics) of this class.
Lung cancer patients in Queensland suffer delays in receiving radiation therapy – but not as a result of distance
Authors: Burmeister B. H. , Zarate D. D. , Burmeister E. A. , Harden H. E. , Colquist S. P. , Cossio D. L. , Poulsen M. G. , Collins M. , Pratt G. R. , Walpole E. T.
Published: February 2009

Aim: To determine whether lung cancer radiation therapy waiting times in Queensland public hospitals are associated with distance of residence from the nearest treatment facility.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of radiation therapy waiting times of 1535 Queensland residents who were diagnosed with lung cancer from 2000 to 2004 and received radiation therapy as initial treatment at a public hospital. The effect of distance of residence from treatment centre on median waiting time was analysed by quantile regression controlling for sex, age, lung cancer histology, stage and therapeutic intent.

Results: The median waiting time from diagnosis to start of radiation therapy was 33 days for all patients. There was no significant difference (P = 0.141) in median waiting times in relation to distance of residence from a treatment centre. However, in most patients, waiting times were significantly longer than recommended by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists. Curative patients waited longer than palliative patients, while patients with earlier stage cancer waited longer than those with more advanced disease.

Conclusion: Waiting times for radiation therapy among lung cancer patients in Queensland was not associated with distance from place of residence to the nearest public treatment facility. However, delays overall are excessive and are likely to worsen unless radiation treatment capabilities are enhanced to keep pace with population growth in Queensland.
A unified model for the fatigue crack growth rate in variable stress ratio
Authors: SHAHANI A. R. , KASHANI H. MOAYERI , RASTEGAR M. , DEHKORDI M. BOTSHEKANAN
Published: February 2009

The paper presents four equations for Fatigue Crack Growth Rate (FCGR) description taking into account ΔJ, ΔCTOD, ΔCMOD and ΔK. CT specimens made of steel were tested for different values of stress ratio (R) by ΔP= constant method. The influence of R‐ratio has been studied on crack propagation and crack initiation region. The experimental results show that ΔJ and ΔCTOD, contrary to ΔK and ΔCMOD which are constant in R‐ratio variations, vary with the variations of R‐ratio in the range R= 0.3–0.6. Therefore, there is no need to enter R parameter directly in the well‐known Paris equation if ΔJ or ΔCTOD parameter is used instead of ΔK in this equation. The constants of these equations are independent of loading unlike the constants of Paris equation.
The dddP gene, encoding a novel enzyme that converts dimethylsulfoniopropionate into dimethyl sulfide, is widespread in ocean metagenomes and marine bacteria and also occurs in some Ascomycete fungi
Authors: Todd J. D. , Curson A. R. J. , Dupont C. L. , Nicholson P. , Johnston A. W. B.
Published: February 2009

The marine alphaproteobacterium Roseovarius nubinhibens ISM can produce the gas dimethyl sulfide (DMS) from dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP), a widespread secondary metabolite that occurs in many phytoplankton. Roseovarius possesses a novel gene, termed dddP, which when cloned, confers on Escherichia coli the ability to produce DMS. The DddP polypeptide is in the large family of M24 metallopeptidases and is wholly different from two other enzymes, DddD and DddL, which were previously shown to generate DMS from dimethylsulfoniopropionate. Close homologues of DddP occur in other alphaproteobacteria and more surprisingly, in some Ascomycete fungi. These were the biotechnologically important Aspergillus oryzae and the plant pathogen, Fusarium graminearum. The dddP gene is abundant in the bacterial metagenomic sequences in the Global Ocean Sampling Expedition. Thus, dddP has several novel features and is widely dispersed, both taxonomically and geographically.
Isolation and characterization of a magnetotactic bacterial culture from the Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Lefèvre Christopher T. , Bernadac Alain , Yu‐Zhang Kui , Pradel Nathalie , Wu Long‐Fei
Published: February 2009

The widespread magnetotactic bacteria have the peculiar capacity of navigation along the geomagnetic field. Despite their ubiquitous distribution, only few axenic cultures have been obtained worldwide. In this study, we reported the first axenic culture of magnetotactic bacteria isolated from the Mediterranean Sea. This magneto‐ovoid strain MO‐1 grew in chemically defined O2 gradient minimal media at the oxic–anoxic transition zone. It is phylogenetically related to Magnetococcus sp. MC‐1 but might represent a novel genus of Proteobacteria. Pulsed‐field gel electrophoresis analysis indicated that the genome size of the MO‐1 strain is 5 ± 0.5 Mb, with four rRNA operons. Each cell synthesizes about 17 magnetosomes within a single chain, two phosphorous‐oxygen‐rich globules and one to seven lipid storage granules. The magnetosomes chain seems to divide in the centre during cell division giving rise to two daughter cells with an approximately equal number of magnetosomes. The MO‐1 cell possesses two bundles of seven individual flagella that were enveloped in a unique sheath. They swam towards the north pole with a velocity up to 300 μm per second with frequent change from right‐hand to left‐hand helical trajectory. Using a magneto‐spectrophotometry assay we showed that MO‐1 flagella were powered by both proton‐motive force and sodium ion gradient, which is a rare feature among bacteria.
A high‐throughput and quantitative hierarchical oligonucleotide primer extension (HOPE)‐based approach to identify sources of faecal contamination in water bodies
Authors: Hong Pei‐Ying , Wu Jer‐Horng , Liu Wen‐Tso
Published: February 2009

As faecal contamination of recreational and drinking water impairs the water quality and threatens public health, water bodies are routinely monitored for faecal coliforms to detect contamination. However, faecal coliforms are facultative anaerobes that survive and reproduce in ambient waters, and their presence does not depict the origin of contamination. Therefore, the use of Bacteroides‐Prevotella 16S rRNA gene to perform faecal source tracking has been proposed and applied. Here, we demonstrate the use of a new molecular method termed hierarchical oligonucleotide primer extension (HOPE) to simultaneously detect human‐associated Bacteroides spp. and three clusters of cow‐, pig‐ and dog‐specific uncultivated Bacteroidales. The method correctly identifies the origin of faecal contamination when tested against human, cow, pig and dog faeces (n = 17, 17, 16 and 13 respectively), and in waters contaminated with faeces of known origins. Subsequent tests with a total of 21 blind samples show that HOPE is able to accurately indicate single or multiple sources of faecal contamination originating from pigs, cows and humans in 81% of the blind samples. HOPE can further correctly detect and identify faecal contamination in five sampling sites located along a canal in southern Taiwan, and the results are validated against conventional faecal coliform tests and quantitative PCR. Overall, this study demonstrates HOPE as a quantitative and high‐throughput method that can identify sources of faecal contamination.
Economic evaluation of nursing practices: a review of literature
Authors: Lämås K. , Willman A. , Lindholm L. , Jacobsson C.
Published: February 2009

Background:  The importance of cost‐effectiveness of nursing practices and its influence on prioritizations has been discussed in literature. It is, however, unclear to what extent health economic analysis has been used in the area of nursing.

Aim:  The aim of this paper was to investigate how studies of nursing practices apply economic evaluations.

Methods:  A literature review was conducted that included studies through August 2007. The search was performed using Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Econlit, DARE, HTA, NHS EED, Cochrane reviews and clinical trials with a search term connected to nursing and health economics. Protocols were used in the screening procedure and the result is reported in a descriptive form.

Results:  The search identified 115 studies published between1984 and August 2007. Studies were found in the following nursing practices: provision of support and treatment (n = 17); assessing suffering/well‐being (n = 1); preventing or treating ill health (n = 53); and organization of individual care (n = 44). In 22% of all studies, the authors explicitly presented the health economic method used. In 25% of all studies, the perspective of the economic analysis was explicitly stated and a large variability in cost was considered in the analysis. In 82 studies, the authors reported cost‐effective intervention.

Conclusions:  Although economic evaluation of nursing practice has increased, it is still a rather small area. According to the items elucidated in this study, further methodological improvement is needed to evaluate the economics of nursing.
Promoting peaceful death in the intensive care unit in Thailand
Authors: Kongsuwan W. , Locsin R.C.
Published: February 2009

Background:  Having a peaceful death is a common wish among Thai people. Thai culture and religious beliefs offer practical ways to enhance having a peaceful death. Dying in an intensive care unit (ICU) is unnatural and oftentimes painful for the patient and their loved ones. Promoting a peaceful death is one of the least understood yet critical roles of nurses who practise in ICUs.

Purpose:  To explore the ways that ICU nurses in Thailand could promote peaceful death and to attempt a definition of the concept of ‘peaceful death’.

Method:  Data were generated from ICU nurses’ descriptions of peaceful death. These were given during in‐depth telephone interviews, tape‐recorded and analysed using the grounded theory method of analysis.

Findings:  ICU nurses promote peaceful death through a three‐dimensional process: awareness of dying; creating a caring environment; and promoting end‐of‐life care.

Conclusions:  The study provided opportunities for nurses to understand and influence the practice of promoting peaceful death in ICUs in Thailand. Further research is needed to enhance the practices and processes necessary for promoting peaceful death among ICU patients. It is anticipated that this will advance policy changes in nursing care processes in Thailand.
Intein‐mediated protein assembly in transgenic wheat: production of active barnase and acetolactate synthase from split genes
Authors: Kempe Katja , Rubtsova Myroslava , Gils Mario
Published: February 2009

Engineering traits by the assembly of non‐functional gene products is a promising tool for modern plant biotechnology. In this article, we describe the establishment of male sterility and herbicide resistance in wheat (Triticum aestivum) by complementing inactive precursor protein fragments through a split intein system. N‐ and C‐terminal fragments of a barnase gene from Bacillus amyloliquifaciens were fused to intein sequences from the Synechocystis sp. gene DnaB and delivered into the wheat genome via biolistic particle bombardment. Both barnase fragments were expressed under the control of a tapetum‐specific promoter. High efficiency of the split barnase system was achieved by introducing GGGGS linkers between the fusion domains of the assembled protein. Depending on the vector version that was transformed, up to 51% of primary transformed plants produced sterile pollen. In the F1 progeny, the male‐sterile phenotype segregated with both barnase gene fragments. Expression of the cytotoxic barnase in the tapetum did not apparently affect the vegetative phenotype and remained stable under increased temperatures. In addition, the reconstitution of sulphonylurea resistance was achieved by DnaE intein‐mediated assembly of a mutated acetolactate synthase (ALS) protein from rice. The impacts of the technical advances revealed in this study on the concepts for trait control, transgene containment and hybrid breeding are discussed.
Infant cognition: going full factorial with pupil dilation
Authors: Jackson Iain , Sirois Sylvain
Published: February 2009

The violation‐of‐expectation (VOE) paradigm and related methods are the main tools used to study high‐level cognition in preverbal infants. Infants’ differential looking to conceptually implausible/impossible events has been used as an index of early cognitive competence in many areas, including object knowledge, physics, language, and number. However, an event's plausibility is commonly confounded with its perceptual novelty or familiarity, leading to a variety of interpretations for looking time data (Bogartz, Shinskey & Speaker, 1997). This illustrative study demonstrates the value of factorial designs, in which perceptual (novelty–familiarity) and conceptual (possible–impossible) variables are independently and jointly explored. It also introduces pupil dilation as a viable and complementary dependent measure to study infant cognition. We show that pupil data can assist in the interpretation of otherwise equivocal looking time data. The discussion focuses on methodological considerations in infancy research.
Continuity in social cognition from infancy to childhood
Authors: Yamaguchi Mariko , Kuhlmeier Valerie A. , Wynn Karen , VanMarle Kristy
Published: February 2009

Research examining the development of social cognition has largely been divided into two areas: infant perception of intentional agents, and preschoolers’ understanding of others’ mental states and beliefs (theory of mind). Many researchers have suggested that there is continuity in social cognitive development such that the abilities observed in infancy are related to later preschool ability, yet little empirical evidence exists for this claim. Here, we present preliminary evidence that capacities specific to the social domain contribute to performance in social cognition tasks both during infancy and in early childhood. Specifically, looking time patterns in an infant social cognition task correlated with preschool theory of mind; however, no such relationship was found for infants in a nonsocial cognition task.
Non‐parametric Threshold Estimation for Models with Stochastic Diffusion Coefficient and Jumps
Authors: MANCINI CECILIA
Published: February 2009

Abstract.  We consider a stochastic process driven by diffusions and jumps. Given a discrete record of observations, we devise a technique for identifying the times when jumps larger than a suitably defined threshold occurred. This allows us to determine a consistent non‐parametric estimator of the integrated volatility when the infinite activity jump component is Lévy. Jump size estimation and central limit results are proved in the case of finite activity jumps. Some simulations illustrate the applicability of the methodology in finite samples and its superiority on the multipower variations especially when it is not possible to use high frequency data.
Fragile and Resilient Trust: Risk and Uncertainty in Negotiated and Reciprocal Exchange
Authors: Molm Linda D. , Schaefer David R. , Collett Jessica L.
Published: February 2009

Both experimental and ethnographic studies show that reciprocal exchanges (in which actors unilaterally provide benefits to each other without formal agreements) produce stronger trust than negotiated exchanges secured by binding agreements. We develop the theoretical role of risk and uncertainty as causal mechanisms that potentially explain these results, and then test their effects in two laboratory experiments that vary risk and uncertainty within negotiated and reciprocal forms of exchange. We increase risk in negotiated exchanges by making agreements nonbinding and decrease uncertainty in reciprocal exchanges by having actors communicate their intentions. Our findings support three main theoretical conclusions. (1) Increasing risk in negotiated exchange produces levels of trust comparable to those in reciprocal exchange only if the partner's trustworthiness is near-absolute. (2) Decreasing uncertainty in reciprocal exchange either increases or decreases trust, depending on network structure. (3) Even when reciprocal and negotiated exchanges produce comparable levels of trust, their trust differs in kind, with reciprocal exchange partners developing trust that is more resilient and affect-based.
Relational Understanding and White Antiracist Praxis
Authors: Perry Pamela , Shotwell Alexis
Published: February 2009

In this article, we argue that, in order for white racial consciousness and practice to shift toward an antiracist praxis, a relational understanding of racism, the “self,” and society is necessary. We find that such understanding arises from a confluence of propositional, affective, and tacit forms of knowledge about racism and one's own situatedness within it. We consider the claims sociologists have made about transformations in racial consciousness, bringing sociological theories of racism into dialogue with research on whiteness and antiracism. We assert that sociological research on white racism and “whiteness” tends to privilege propositional and tacit/common sense knowledge, respectively, as critical to shifting white racial consciousness. Research on antiracism privileges affective knowledge as the source of antiracist change. We examine some of Perry's recent ethnographic research with white people who attended either multiracial or majority white high schools to argue that the confluence of these three types of knowledge is necessary to transform white racial praxis because it produces a relational understanding of self and “other,” and, by extension, race, racism, and antiracist practice.
Chinese borrowings in English
Authors: YANG JIAN
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACT: This paper reports on a corpus‐based study comparing Chinese borrowings with acceptance in general English that appear in desk dictionaries published in the 1980s with those found in dictionaries presently in use. Defined arbitrarily as borrowings collected in three to eight older or newer leading desk dictionaries, such words total 100 in the former and 154 in the latter. It is found that Chinese borrowings with acceptance have not only increased by about 54 per cent during the past 20 years, but also occur more frequently at present. Influenced by the close contact between Mandarin and English in China, the newly added words are mostly from Mandarin, rather than Cantonese or Amoy, which are responsible for a larger portion of the words in the older dictionaries. The newer loanwords are also mostly Pinyin‐based, helped by the popular use of Pinyin in and outside China. Semantic fields are also found to be related to source languages, with Cantonese borrowings and the few Amoy words mostly in food and drink, and Mandarin borrowings in high culture. It is predicted that the borrowing of Chinese words will be expedited, there will be more Pinyin‐based Mandarin loanwords, and the borrowings will represent various semantic fields.
English in Hong Kong Cantopop: language choice, code‐switching and genre
Authors: CHAN BRIAN HOK‐SHING
Published: February 2009

ABSTRACT: Code‐switching research has focused on spontaneous conversation, and code‐switching has often been seen as a consequence of bilinguals attending to and extending the “macro” status and functions of the two languages in society, attitudes towards these languages, and their cultural connotations, for instance, the “we‐code” vs. “they‐code” distinction. In the Hong Kong context, code‐switching to English has been primarily considered as quoting “Western” concepts and ideas, conveying referential and connotative meanings absent in Cantonese. Investigating a corpus of planned discourse, namely, Cantonese popular songs (i.e. Cantopop) in Hong Kong, this paper finds that the status and functions of English in Cantopop are more variable and flexible, beyond a mere symbol of “Western” culture or identity. Nonetheless, these functions can be attributed to the properties of the pop song genre, namely, Cantopop as poetic text, media text, and a product of pop culture; in particular, code‐switching fits into the rhyming scheme, marks text structure, indexes prior texts, and conveys alternative identities.
Thrombolysis in patients with acute ischemic stroke due to arterial extracranial dissection
Authors: Vergouwen M. D. I. , Beentjes P. A. C. A. , Nederkoorn P. J.
Published: February 2009

Background and purpose:  No data of randomized controlled trials investigating the effect of thrombolysis in patients with ischemic stroke caused by an extracranial dissection are available. Previous case series suggested that thrombolysis in this group of patients is safe and improves outcome, however publication bias may play a role. The purpose of the present study was to describe outcome of consecutive patients with ischemic stroke caused by an extracranial dissection treated with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA), derived from a well‐defined ischemic stroke cohort.

Methods:  All consecutive patients with a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or ischemic stroke admitted to the Academic Medical Center Amsterdam between January 1, 2007 and September 1, 2007 were prospectively registered. Cause of TIA/stroke, treatment, and 6‐months outcome were recorded.

Results:  During the study period 252 patients were evaluated with TIA or ischemic stroke. Eight patients (3%) had an extracranial dissection. Of the six rtPA treated patients, five had good clinical outcome and one patient died. The two patients who were not treated with rtPA, because of minor stroke, had good clinical outcome 6 months after index event.

Discussion:  Treatment with rtPA seems to be safe and feasible in ischemic stroke patients with an extracranial dissection.
German Employers’ Inputs to Employee Skills Development
Authors: CROUCHER RICHARD , BROOKES MICHAEL
Published: February 2009

Using organizational level survey data, this article analyzes larger German private employers’ inputs to employee skills development, to test the theory that unions and employers’ associations raise employer incentives for training. Large German employers maintained their overall contribution between 1995 and 1999. Indicative data for 2004 suggest that this has continued, yet neither membership of employers’ associations nor high union densities influenced it.
Performance Measure Properties and Incentive System Design
Authors: GIBBS MICHAEL J. , MERCHANT KENNETH A. , VAN DER STEDE WIM A. , VARGUS MARK E.
Published: February 2009

We analyze effects of performance measure properties (controllable and uncontrollable risk, distortion, and manipulation) on incentive plan design, using data from auto dealership manager incentive systems. Dealerships put the most weight on measures that are “better” with respect to these properties. Additional measures are more likely to be used for a second or third bonus if they can mitigate distortion or manipulation in the first performance measure. Implicit incentives are used to provide ex post evaluation, to motivate the employee to use controllable risk on behalf of the firm, and to deter manipulation of performance measures. Overall, our results indicate that firms use incentive systems of multiple performance measures, incentive instruments, and implicit evaluation and rewards as a response to weaknesses in available performance measures.
Worker Adaptation and the Desire for Accommodations after the Onset of a Disability
Authors: CAMPOLIETI MICHELE
Published: February 2009

I use a multinomial logit model to estimate the probability of the type of adaptation or employment response individuals make after the onset of disability, using the Participation and Activity Limitation Survey from Canada. I consider three types of adaptations: no change in jobs, changing jobs, and leaving employment. I also examine worker desires for employer accommodations, which are arrangements employers make for disabled persons after the onset of a disability.
Making a living at the interface of legality and illegality: Chinese migrant workers in Israel1
Authors: Minghuan Li
Published: February 2009

Since the late 1990s, Israel has become a new destination for Chinese migrant workers. In the view of many studies conducted in Israel, the Chinese migrant workers are often a neglected and almost invisible group. The purpose of this paper is to explore the initiation of this migration trend and its social consequences. The major discussion of this study focuses on how the whole process of migration is carried out at the interface between legality and illegality. Research in the sending area suggests that the urgent need for manual labour in Israel provides possibilities to attract both documented and undocumented migrant workers and therefore turns labour transportation into a profitable business. Although no one agrees that undocumented working activities should continue, all of the factors interact and result in a permissive situation allowing this particular combination of the illegal but licit to persist in transnational labour migration. More than anything else, this micro‐level study attempts to find the true story from the individual voices of local people.
Association between the PD1.3A/G polymorphism of the PDCD1 gene and systemic lupus erythematosus in European populations: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Liu J‐L , Zhang F‐Y , Liang Y‐H , Xiao F‐L , Zhang S‐Q , Cheng Y‐L , Yuan C‐D , Chen Q‐P , Yang S , Zhang X‐J
Published: February 2009

Background  Linkage studies suggest a locus, SLEB2, involved in susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and programmed cell death 1 (PDCD1) gene locates in this region. The association of PDCD1 polymorphism (PD1.3A/G) with SLE has been widely investigated, but there are no unambiguous conclusions.

Objective  To assess the combined evidence for the association between PD1.3A/G polymorphism and SLE and to summarize the effect size of the polymorphism associated with susceptibility to SLE.

Methods  We surveyed studies on the PD1.3A/G polymorphism and SLE using comprehensive PubMed search up to May 2008. The pooled odds ratio (OR) was calculated using a fixed‐ or a random‐effects model. Heterogeneity was identified by sensitivity analysis and publication bias was examined by funnel plot and Egger's test. We also computed the power for a given number of samples.

Results  A total of 20 datasets from eight studies that met our inclusion criteria were included. The studies comprised of a total of 2909 cases and 3995 controls. Stratified meta‐analysis demonstrated a significant association between PD1.3A and SLE among non‐Spanish European descents [OR,  1.290; 95% confidence interval (95% CI),  1.098–1.516; z = 3.10, P = 0.002], while PD1.3G is the risk allele in Spanish populations (OR = 1.414, 95% CI = 1.075–1.862; z = 2.48, P = 0.013). Both results have sufficient power to support these findings. No publication bias presented in the studies analysed.

Conclusions  This meta‐analysis demonstrates a significant association between PD1.3A and SLE among non‐Spanish European descents, while a negative association was observed in Spanish population.

Conflicts of interest

None declared
Population‐based assessment of Mycoplasma genitalium in Vietnam – low prevalence among married women of reproductive age in a rural area
Authors: Olsen B , Lan PT , Stålsby Lundborg C , Khang TH , Unemo M
Published: February 2009

Objective  To analyse the prevalence of Mycoplasma genitalium infection in a population‐based study among married women from a demographic surveillance site in a rural geographical area of Vietnam.

Materials and methods  Women, aged 18–49 years, were randomly selected to participate. DNA was isolated from endocervical swabs sampled from 990 participating women. The M. genitalium MgPa adhesion gene was detected using a real‐time polymerase chain reaction with TaqMan probe.

Results  Eight (0.8%; 95% confidence interval, 0.25–1.35%) of the included women were infected with M. genitalium. Two of these positive women reported clinical symptoms. One additional M. genitalium–positive but symptom‐free woman, however, showed clinical signs of vaginitis. None of the M. genitalium–positive women was concomitantly infected with Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, syphilis or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Furthermore, there was no obvious association between M. genitalium infection and vaginal douching, use of intrauterine device, or occurrence of bacterial vaginosis, candidiasis, or Trichomonas vaginalis.

Conclusions  The prevalence of M. genitalium among married women in Vietnam was relatively low. However, more large, well‐designed and appropriately performed studies in other population groups including unmarried women and men, and in other geographical areas, rural as well as urban, are crucial in order to extract any evidence‐based conclusions regarding the overall prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including M. genitalium infections, in the Vietnamese society. The present study compiled with such future studies may form the basis for a national sexual health strategy for prevention, diagnosis, and surveillance of STIs, including M. genitalium infections, in Vietnam.

Conflicts of interest

None declared.
Plasminogen activator activity is inhibited while neuroserpin is up‐regulated in the Alzheimer disease brain
Authors: Fabbro Shay , Seeds Nicholas W.
Published: February 2009

Amyloid‐beta plaques are a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Several proteases are known to cleave/remove amyloid‐beta, including plasmin, the product of tissue plasminogen activator cleavage of the pro‐enzyme plasminogen. Although plasmin levels are lower in Alzheimer brain, there has been little analysis of the plasminogen activator/plasmin system in the brains of Alzheimer patients. In this study, zymography, immunocapture, and ELISAs were utilized to show that tissue plasminogen activator activity in frontal cortex tissue of Alzheimer patients is dramatically reduced compared with age‐matched controls, while tissue plasminogen activator and plasminogen protein levels are unchanged; suggesting that plasminogen activator activity is inhibited in the Alzheimer brain. Analysis of endogenous plasminogen activator inhibitors shows that while plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 and protease nexin‐1 levels are unchanged, the neuroserpin levels are significantly elevated in brains of Alzheimer patients. Furthermore, elevated amounts of tissue plasminogen activator‐neuroserpin complexes are seen in the Alzheimer brain, and immunohistochemical studies demonstrate that both tissue plasminogen activator and neuroserpin are associated with amyloid‐beta plaques in Alzheimer brain tissue. Thus, neuroserpin inhibition of tissue plasminogen activator activity leads to reduced plasmin and may be responsible for reduced clearance of amyloid‐beta in the Alzheimer disease brain. Furthermore, decreased tissue plasminogen activator activity in the Alzheimer brain may directly influence synaptic activity and impair cognitive function.
Influence of rainfall on timing and success of reproduction in Marabou Storks Leptoptilos crumeniferus
Authors: MONADJEM ARA , BAMFORD ANDREW J.
Published: February 2009

A decline in breeding success with later laying dates throughout a nesting season is a widespread phenomenon in species living in environments with distinct seasonality, with evidence that some environmental correlate of timing is at least partly responsible in many species. This correlate is often thought to be food availability, which is often related to climatic factors; however, few studies have examined the role of climate. We studied a breeding colony of Marabou Storks Leptoptilos crumeniferus in Southern Africa over five breeding seasons. Timing of breeding was related to rainfall preceding the breeding season. Fecundity (chicks fledged per nest) declined through each season. The probability of an individual hatchling fledging was influenced by rainfall during the hatchling period, temperature during the hatchling period and laying date, three variables that were strongly intercorrelated. To disentangle the three effects, inter‐annual variation in each was compared with the large inter‐annual variation in breeding success, with rainfall providing the greatest explanatory power. Rainfall, which tends to increase through the breeding season, seems to be at least partly responsible for the seasonal decline in breeding success. We were unable to find evidence for the influence of other factors, such as colony size and nest re‐use, known to affect nest success in this and other colonial breeding storks.
Accounting Conservatism and the Efficiency of Debt Contracts
Authors: GIGLER FRANK , KANODIA CHANDRA , SAPRA HARESH , VENUGOPALAN RAGHU
Published: February 2009

In this paper we examine how accounting conservatism affects the efficiency of debt contracting. We develop the statistical and informational properties of accounting reports under varying degrees of conditional and unconditional accounting conservatism, consistent with Basu's [1997] description of differential verifiability standards. Optimal debt covenants and interest rates on debt are derived from a natural tension between debt holders and equity claimants. We show how optimal covenants vary with the degree of conservatism and derive an efficiency metric that depends on the degree of conservatism. We find that accounting conservatism actually decreases the efficiency of debt contracts, contrary to the suggestions of Watts [2003] and contrary to the hypothesis in numerous empirical studies.
Modelling of α1‐adrenoceptor‐mediated temporal dynamics of inotropic response in rat heart to assess ligand binding and signal transduction parameters
Authors: Sermsappasuk P , Weiss M
Published: February 2009

Background and purpose: In order to use the transient response to an antagonist (prazosin) to evaluate properties of agonist interactions with the α1‐adrenoceptor system, an integrative mechanistic model of cardiac uptake of prazosin and its competitive interaction with phenylephrine at the receptor site was developed. Based on the operational model of agonism, the aim was to evaluate both the receptor binding and signal transduction process as determinants of the inotropic effect of phenylephrine.

Experimental approach: In Langendorff‐perfused rat hearts, prazosin outflow concentration and left ventricular developed pressure were measured, first in the presence of 12.3 µmol·L−1phenylephrine following a 1 min infusion of 1.27 nmol [3H]‐prazosin, and second, when after 30 min the phenylephrine concentration in perfusate was reduced to 6.1 µmol·L−1, the 1 min infusion of 1.27 nmol [3H]‐prazosin was repeated.

Key results: The kinetic model accounted for cardiac uptake and receptor binding kinetics of prazosin (dissociation constant, mean ± SD: 0.057 ± 0.012 nmol·L−1), assuming that the competitive displacement of phenylephrine (dissociation constant: 101 ± 13 nmol·L−1) reduced the receptor occupation by the agonist and, consequently, contractility. This competitive binding process appeared to be the rate‐determining step in response generation. The relationship between receptor occupancy and inotropic response was described by an efficacy parameter (τ, ratio of receptor density and coupling efficiency) of 4.9.

Conclusions and implications: Mechanistic pharmacodynamic modelling of the kinetics of antagonism by prazosin allows quantitative assessment of the α1‐adrenoceptor system both at the receptor and post‐receptor levels.
In vitroinduction of T cells that are resistant to A2adenosine receptor‐mediated immunosuppression
Authors: Ohta Akio , Kjaergaard J , Sharma S , Mohsin M , Goel N , Madasu M , Fradkov E , Ohta Akiko , Sitkovsky M
Published: February 2009

Background and purpose: The increased levels of extracellular adenosine in inflamed tissues down‐regulate activated immune cells via the A2Aadenosine receptor. This A2Aadenosine receptor‐mediated immunosuppression is a disqualifying obstacle in cancer immunotherapy as it protects cancerous tissues from adoptively transferred anti‐tumour T cells. The aim of this study was to test whether the negative selection of T cells will produce T cells that are resistant to inhibition by extracellular adenosine.

Experimental approach: Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) were developed by mixed lymphocyte culture in the presence or absence of the adenosine receptor agonist 5′‐N‐ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA). The sensitivity of CTL to adenosine analogues was characterized by cAMP induction, interferon‐γ production and cytotoxicity.

Key results: CTL that could proliferate even in the presence of NECA were less susceptible to inhibition by A2Aadenosine receptor agonists, as shown by a much smaller accumulation of cAMP and less inhibition of interferon‐γ production compared with control CTL. The successful protocol to produce CTL that are both resistant to adenosine‐mediated immunosuppression and maintain strong cytotoxicity and interferon‐γ secretion required NECA to be added only during the expansion stage after the establishment of CTL. In contrast, the priming of resting T cells in the presence of NECA resulted in T cells with impaired effector functions.

Conclusions and implications: Adenosine‐resistant effector T cells were successfully obtained by exposure of activated T cells to NECA. Thesein vitrostudies form the basis for future attempts to produce anti‐tumour T cells that are more effective in adoptive immunotherapy.
The dual PPARα/γ agonist tesaglitazar blocks progression of pre‐existing atherosclerosis in APOE*3Leiden.CETP transgenic mice
Authors: Van Der Hoorn JWA , Jukema JW , Havekes LM , Lundholm E , Camejo G , Rensen PCN , Princen HMG
Published: February 2009

Background and purpose:  We have evaluated the effects of a peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPAR)α/γ agonist on the progression of pre‐existing atherosclerotic lesions in APOE*3Leiden.cholesteryl ester transfer protein (E3L.CETP) transgenic mice.

Experimental approach:  E3L.CETP mice were fed a high‐cholesterol diet for 11 weeks to induce atherosclerosis, followed by a low‐cholesterol diet for 4 weeks to obtain a lower plasma total cholesterol level of ∼10 mmol·L−1. Mice were divided into three groups, which were either killed before (baseline) or after an 8 week treatment period with low‐cholesterol diet without (control) or with the PPARα/γ agonist tesaglitazar (10 µg·kg−1·day−1). Atherosclerosis was assessed in the aortic root.

Key results:  Treatment with tesaglitazar significantly reduced plasma triglycerides, total cholesterol, CETP mass and CETP activity, and increased high‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol. At baseline, substantial atherosclerosis had developed. During the 8 week low‐cholesterol diet, atherosclerosis progressed in the control group with respect to lesion area and severity, whereas tesaglitazar inhibited lesion progression during this period. Tesaglitazar reduced vessel wall inflammation, as reflected by decreased monocyte adhesion and macrophage area, and modified lesions to a more stabilized phenotype, with increased smooth muscle cell content in the cap and collagen content.

Conclusions and implications:  Dual PPARα/γ agonism with tesaglitazar markedly improved the atherogenic triad by reducing triglycerides and very low‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol and increasing high‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol and additionally reduced cholesterol‐induced vessel wall activation. These actions resulted in complete inhibition of progression and stabilization of pre‐existing atherosclerotic lesions in E3L.CETP mice.
Radiation therapy for canine appendicular osteosarcoma
Authors: Coomer A. , Farese J. , Milner R. , Liptak J. , Bacon N. , Lurie D.
Published: February 2009

Radiation therapy (RT) for the management of canine appendicular osteosarcoma (OSA) can be described as either palliative‐ or curative intent. Palliative RT uses coarsely fractionated external beam RT or radiopharmaceuticals to provide relief of pain and lameness associated with OSA while resulting in minimal, if any, radiation‐induced acute adverse effects. Limb amputation and chemotherapy are considered (together) the standard of care for curative‐intent treatment of canine appendicular OSA. When limb amputation is not possible, RT can be used for limb sparing and is supplemented with chemotherapy for presumed micrometastatic disease. Fractionated tumour irradiation with curative intent appears to be ineffective and local disease control can more likely be achieved when stereotactic radiosurgery or intra‐operative extracorporeal irradiation is combined with strict case selection and adjunctive chemotherapy. The availability of limb‐sparing RT is limited by experience and availability of specialised equipment. When planned and administered appropriately, radiation‐associated adverse effects are often mild and self‐limiting.
Pregabalin add‐on therapy using a flexible, optimized dose schedule in refractory partial epilepsies: A double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled, multicenter trial
Authors: Lee Byung In , Yi Sangdoe , Hong Seung Bong , Kim Myeong‐Kyu , Lee Sang Ahm , Lee Sang Kun , Shin Dong‐Jin , Kim Jae Moon , Song Hong Ki , Heo Kyoung , Lowe Wing , Leon Teresa
Published: February 2009

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of pregabalin (PGB) as adjunctive therapy, using a flexible‐dosing schedule in Korean patients with refractory partial‐onset seizures.

Methods: This randomized, double‐blind (DB), placebo‐controlled trial consists of a 6‐week baseline, a 12‐week DB treatment, and a 1‐week taper phase. Patients having recurrent partial seizures (≥4 seizures during baseline phase) under adequate pharmacotherapy were recruited to be randomized to PGB or placebo (PLC) in a 2 to 1 ratio. Starting dose was 150 mg/day, increased every 2 weeks by 150‐mg/day increments up to maximum dose of 600 mg/day. The primary efficacy parameter was response ratio (RRatio) for all partial seizures.

Results: A total of 178 patients (119 in PGB, 59 in PLC) were assigned to the study. Median daily doses of PGB and PLC were 367 and 420 mg/day, respectively. RRatio least squares (LS) mean was −35.8 in the PGB group and −23.2 in the PLC group, with estimated difference in RRatios being −12.6 [95% confidence interval (CI): −22.7 to −2.5, p = 0.015] in the intent‐to‐treat (ITT) population. Analysis of secondary efficacy measures showed a general trend favoring PGB over PLC. Seventy‐seven patients (64.7%) in the PGB group and 18 patients (30.5%) in the PLC group developed adverse events (AEs) related to the study drug. Seven patients (5.9%) in the PGB group discontinued the study prematurely because of AEs. In the post hoc analysis, a significant weight gain (≥7% of baseline body weight) was found in 24.8% of patients taking PGB, which was more frequent in patients with a lower body mass index (BMI ≤20).

Discussion: PGB was effective and easily tolerable as add‐on treatment in an Asian population with refractory partial‐onset seizures.
Clinical, neuropsychological, neurophysiologic, and genetic features of a new Italian pedigree with familial cortical myoclonic tremor with epilepsy
Authors: Suppa Antonio , Berardelli Alfredo , Brancati Francesco , Marianetti Massimo , Barrano Giuseppe , Mina Concetta , Pizzuti Antonio , Sideri Giulio
Published: February 2009

We studied the clinical, neuropsychological, neurophysiologic, and genetic features of an Italian family with familial cortical myoclonic tremor with epilepsy (FCMTE). Clinically affected members of the family had limb and voice tremor, seizures, and myoclonus involving the eyelids during blinking. Neuropsychological testing disclosed visuospatial impairment, possibly due to temporal lobe dysfunction. Neurophysiologic findings suggested increased primary motor cortex excitability with normal sensorimotor integration. Linkage analysis excluded the 8q24 locus, where patients shared a common haplotype spanning 14.5 Mb in the pericentromeric region of chromosome 2.