bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of recombinant canine interferon‐γ on granulocyte–macrophage colony‐stimulating factor, transforming growth factor‐β and CC chemokine ligand 17 mRNA transcription in a canine keratinocyte cell line (CPEK)
Authors: Shibata Sanae , Maeda Sadatoshi , Kondo Naho , Inoue Akiko , Maeda Shingo , Chimura Naoki , Fukata Tsuneo
Published: September 2010

Recombinant canine interferon‐γ (rCaIFN‐γ) produced by a baculovirus expression system has therapeutic efficacy against atopic dermatitis in dogs. Although the mechanism of action of rCaIFN‐γ is not completely understood, rCaIFN‐γ is thought to downregulate the activity of interleukin‐4‐ and interleukin‐5‐producing T helper 2 cells. However, rCaIFN‐γ may also act directly on canine keratinocytes by inhibiting the release of inflammatory mediators. In this study, we investigated the effects of rCaIFN‐γ on cytokine and chemokine mRNA transcription in a canine keratinocyte cell line, CPEK. It was found that granulocyte–macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (GM‐CSF) mRNA transcription was significantly inhibited after treatment with rCaIFN‐γ (P < 0.001), whereas transforming growth factor‐β and CC chemokine ligand 17 mRNA levels were unchanged. This study suggests that rCaIFN‐γ may suppress GM‐CSF production from canine keratinocytes, although further studies are required to confirm this.
Intracoronary administration of autologous mesenchymal stem cells in a critically ill patient with dilated cardiomyopathy
Authors: Zeinaloo Aliakbar , Zanjani Keyhan S. , Bagheri Mohammad M. , Mohyeddin‐Bonab Mandana , Monajemzadeh Maryam , Arjmandnia Mohammad H.
Published: September 2010

Zeinaloo AA, Zanjani KS., Bagheri MM., Mohyeddin‐Bonab M, Monajemzadeh M, Arjmandnia MH. Intracoronary administration of autologous mesenchymal stem cells in a critically ill patient with dilated cardiomyopathy.  Pediatr Transplantation 2011: 15: E183–E186. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Abstract:  Relatively high prevalence of dilated cardiomyopathy in children, unfavorable response to traditional drug therapy, and limitations in heart transplantation call for new therapeutic options. Stem cell therapy can be promising in children suffering from this disease. The presented case documents that intracoronary injection of autologous bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells in a boy with progressive dilated cardiomyopathy is feasible and safe. Furthermore, it may positively influence functional class, quality of life, and echocardiographic indices of cardiac function.
Childhood actinic lichen planus: Successful treatment with antimalarials
Authors: Ramírez Paloma , Feito Marta , Sendagorta Elena , González‐Beato Maria , De Lucas Raul
Published: September 2010

Actinic lichen planus (ALP) is a photosensitive variant of lichen planus, affecting mainly young adults of Middle Eastern descent. We report a case of ALP in a 9‐year‐old Colombian girl with an excellent response to hydroxychloroquine and photoprotection.
Folliculosebaceous cystic hamartoma of the ear and periauricular skin
Authors: Osipov Vladimir O. , Vincent Peter , Packer Andrew M. , Oliver Guy Fergus
Published: September 2010

Folliculosebaceous cystic hamartoma (FSCH) is a rare, recently recognized cutaneous hamartoma comprised of follicular, sebaceous and mesenchymal elements. Fewer than 30 cases have been reported to date. The authors present two additional cases of FSCH.
Urotensin‐II receptor antagonism does not improve renal haemodynamics or function in rats with endotoxin‐induced acute kidney injury
Authors: Nitescu Nicoletta , Grimberg Elisabeth , Guron Gregor
Published: September 2010

1. Urotensin‐II (U‐II) is a vasoactive peptide that influences renal haemodynamics and kidney function. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of the selective U‐II receptor antagonist, urantide, on renal haemodynamics, oxygenation and function in endotoxaemic rats.

2. Endotoxaemia was induced in Sprague–Dawley rats by an intraperitoneal dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS; Escherichia coli O127:B8, 7.5 mg/kg). At 16 h after endotoxin was given, renal clearance experiments were carried out in thiobutabarbital anaesthetized rats. Group 1, sham‐saline; group 2, sham‐urantide; group 3 LPS‐saline; and group 4, LPS‐urantide received isotonic saline or urantide (0.2 mg/kg bolus intravenously, followed by an infusion of 1.2 mg/kg/h throughout) after baseline measurements. Kidney function, renal blood flow (RBF), and cortical and outer medullary perfusion (laser‐Doppler flowmetry) and oxygen tension (Clark‐type microelectrodes) were analysed during 2 h of drug administration.

3. At baseline, endotoxaemic rats showed approximately 50% reductions in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and RBF (P < 0.05), a decline in cortical and outer medullary perfusion and pO2 (P < 0.05), and a significant increase in mean arterial pressure (MAP; P < 0.05) compared with saline‐injected controls. In sham animals, urantide in a dose that did not significantly influence MAP or RBF, increased GFR (P < 0.05 time × treatment interaction) and filtration fraction (P < 0.05 treatment effect). However, urantide had no statistically significant effects on any of the investigated variables in endotoxaemic rats.

4. These findings show that U‐II, through the UT receptor, does not contribute to abnormalities in renal haemodynamics and function in endotoxaemic rats.
Effect of indole‐3‐carbinol on ethanol‐induced liver injury and acetaldehyde‐stimulated hepatic stellate cells activation using precision‐cut rat liver slices
Authors: Guo Yu , Wu Xiao‐Qian , Zhang Chun , Liao Zhang‐Xiu , Wu Yong , Xia Zheng‐Yuan , Wang Hui
Published: September 2010

1. Indole‐3‐carbinol (I3C), a major indole compound found in high levels in cruciferous vegetables, shows a broad spectrum of biological activities. However, few studies have reported the effect of I3C on alcoholic liver injury. In the present study, we investigated the protective effect of I3C on acute ethanol‐induced hepatotoxicity and acetaldehyde‐stimulated hepatic stellate cells (HSC) activation using precision‐cut liver slices (PCLS).

2. Rat PCLS were incubated with 50 mmol/L ethanol or 350 μmol/L acetaldehyde, and different concentrations (100–400 μmol/L) of I3C were added into the culture system of these two liver injury models, respectively. Hepatotoxicity was assessed by measuring enzyme leakage and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in tissue. Activities of alcoholic enzymes were also determined. α‐Smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA), transforming growth factor (TGF‐β1) and hydroxyproline (HYP) were used as indices to evaluate the activation of HSC. In addition, matrix metalloproteinase‐1 (MMP‐1) and the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP‐1) were observed to estimate collagen degradation.

3. I3C significantly reduced the enzyme leakage in ethanol‐treated slices. In I3C groups, cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2E1 activities were inhibited by 40.9–51.8%, whereas alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity was enhanced 1.6‐fold compared with the ethanol‐treated group. I3C also showed an inhibitory effect against HSC activation and collagen production stimulated by acetaldehyde. After being incubated with I3C (400 μmol/L), the expression of MMP‐1 was markedly enhanced, whereas TIMP‐1 was decreased.

4. These results showed that I3C protected PCLS against alcoholic liver injury, which might be associated with the regulation of ethanol metabolic enzymes, attenuation of oxidative injury and acceleration of collagen degradation.
Abnormal cardiac repolarization in anabolic androgenic steroid users carrying out submaximal exercise testing
Authors: Maior Alex S , Menezes Pedro , Pedrosa Roberto C , Carvalho Denise P , Soares Pedro Paulo , Nascimento Jose Hamilton M
Published: September 2010

1. The aim of the present study was to investigate the cardiovascular effects of anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) abuse by comparing the electrocardiographic parameters before and after submaximal exercise between AAS users and non‐AAS users.

2. A total of 22 men who regularly engaged in both resistance and aerobic exercise at fitness academies volunteered for the study (control group: n = 11, age 25 ± 4 years; AAS group: n = 11, age 27 ± 5 years). All subjects were submitted to submaximal exercise testing using an Astrand–Rhyming protocol. Heart rate and electrocardiography parameters were measured at rest and at the third minute of the post‐exercise recovery time.

3. AAS users presented higher QTc and QTd at rest (10% and 55%, respectively) and at the post‐exercise period (17% and 43%, respectively), compared with control subjects. The maximal and minimum QTc interval of the AAS group was significantly prolonged at the post‐exercise period (12% and 15%, respectively). The haemodynamic parameters were similar in both groups (P > 0.05). The AAS group showed a lower heart rate recovery at the first minute after the test (P = 0.0001), and a higher exertion score (P < 0.0001) at a lower workload, compared with the control group.

4. Our results show that the QTc interval and dispersion are increased in individuals who abuse AAS, suggesting the presence of ventricular repolarization abnormalities that could potentially increase the risk of cardiac arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.
Similar renoprotection after renin‐angiotensin‐dependent and ‐independent antihypertensive therapy in 5/6‐nephrectomized Ren‐2 transgenic rats: are there blood pressure‐independent effects?
Authors: Kujal Petr , Chábová Věra Čertíková , Vernerová Zdenka , Walkowska Agnieszka , Kompanowska‐Jezierska Elzbieta , Sadowski Janusz , Vaňourková Zdeňka , Husková Zuzana , Opočenský Martin , Škaroupková Petra , Schejbalová Stanislava , Kramer Herbert J , Rakušan Dan , Malý Jan , Netuka Ivan , Vaněčková Ivana , Kopkan Libor , Červenka Luděk
Published: September 2010

1. Hypertension plays a critical role in the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) to end‐stage renal disease (ESRD), but it has also been postulated that antihypertensive drugs that block the renin‐angiotensin system (RAS) show class‐specific renoprotective actions beyond their blood pressure (BP)‐lowering effects.

2. Because this notion has recently been questioned, in the present study we compared the effects of a RAS‐dependent antihypertensive therapy (a combination of trandolapril, an angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) and losartan, an angiotensin‐II (AngII) receptor subtype 1A receptor antagonist) with a ‘RAS‐independent’ antihypertensive therapy (a combination of labetalol, an alfa‐ and beta‐adrenoreceptor antagonist with the diuretics, hydrochlorothiazide and furosemide) on the progression of CKD after 5/6 renal ablation (5/6 NX) in Ren‐2 renin transgenic rats (TGR), a model of AngII‐dependent hypertension. Normotensive transgene‐negative Hannover Sprague–Dawley (HanSD) rats after 5/6 NX served as controls.

3. RAS‐dependent and ‐independent antihypertensive therapies normalized BP and survival rate, and prevented the development of cardiac hypertrophy and glomerulosclerosis to the same degree in 5/6 NX HanSD rats and in 5/6 NX TGR. The present findings show that renoprotection, at least in rats after 5/6 NX, is predominantly BP‐dependent. When equal lowering of BP was achieved, leading to normotension, cardio‐ and renoprotective effects were equivalent irrespective of the type of antihypertensive therapy.

4. These findings should be taken into consideration in attempts to develop new therapeutic approaches and strategies aimed to prevent the progression of CKD and to lower the incidence of ESRD.
Aldolase A‐HBsAg interaction and its effect on ultraviolet radiation induced apoptosis in 293FT cells
Authors: Pan Jin‐Shui , Zhou Fei , Xie Chen‐Xi , Cai Jia‐Yan , Chen Jian‐Min , Zhang Zhi‐Ping , Dong Jing , Xu Hong‐Zhi , Shi Hua‐Xiu , Ren Jian‐Lin
Published: September 2010

Background and Aim:  Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection poses great challenges to humans, claiming one million lives annually worldwide. Solid data have related HBV to hepatocellular carcinoma.

Methods:  In the present research, we verified the interaction between surface protein (HBs) encoded by HBV and aldolase A (ALDA) using yeast two‐hybrid, mammalian two‐hybrid, co‐immunoprecipitation, GST pull‐down and laser scanning confocal.

Results:  Anti‐ALDA antibody precipitated Gal4‐HBs fusion protein in the presence of HBs. Anti‐HBs antibody precipitated p65ΔN‐ALDA only in the presence of ALDA. Small HBs could be pulled down by GST‐ALDA. Cells transfected with pCMV‐AD‐ALDA showed a protection from ultraviolet radiation‐induced apoptosis (21.3% ± 1.3% for ALDA, 35.4% ± 2.1% for control, P < 0.05).

Conclusions:  An interaction does exist between ALDA and HBs. The S region within HBs is sufficient for binding ALDA. In addition, ALDA conferred protection to ultraviolet radiation‐induced apoptosis, and this effect was enhanced by the interaction between HBs and ALDA.
Autoimmune hepatitis: An evolving demography?
Authors: Dudley Francis J.
Published: September 2010

See article in J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 2010; 25: 1681–1686.
Prevalence and clinical profile of celiac disease in type 1 diabetes mellitus in north India
Authors: Bhadada Sanjay Kumar , Kochhar Rakesh , Bhansali Anil , Dutta Usha , Kumar Padala R , Poornachandra Kuchhangi S , Vaiphei Kim , Nain Chander K , Singh Kartar
Published: September 2010

Background and Aim:  There is scanty data on the occurrence of celiac disease in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus in South Asia. Our aim was to study the prevalence and clinical profile of celiac disease in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus in a tertiary care referral centre in north India.

Methods:  Consecutive patients of type 1 diabetes mellitus attending the Endocrine clinic of our institute between January 2002 and December 2008 were screened using anti‐tissue transglutaminase antibodies (tTGAb), and those positive were subjected to duodenal biopsy. Clinical profile of these patients was recorded.

Results:  Out of 189 patients of type 1 diabetes mellitus, 21 (11.1%) were diagnosed to have celiac disease on the basis of positive serology (tTGAb) and duodenal histology. The mean age at diagnosis of diabetes was 10.81 ± 7.3 years and that of celiac disease was 13.74 ± 5.71 years, with a difference of 5.18 ± 4.75 years between the two. Only 2/21 patients with celiac disease had been diagnosed before detection of diabetes mellitus. Short stature was the commonest (52.3%) manifestation of celiac disease, followed by anemia (47.3), weight loss (42.8%), diarrhea (28.6%) and abdominal pain (14.2%). After initiating gluten free diet, 14/16 symptomatic patients had reversal of anemia, weight loss and diarrhea. Growth rate velocity improved from 2.3 ± 1.0 cm/year to 5.5 ± 2.4 cm/year in those with short stature.

Conclusion:  Celiac disease is highly prevalent in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (11.1%) and majority of them (90.5%) were diagnosed on screening. Routine screening is required for early diagnosis and combat associated co‐morbidities.
Morphologic classification of microvessels in hepatocellular carcinoma is associated with the prognosis after resection
Authors: Chen Zhi Y , Wei Wei , Guo Zhi X , Lin Jia R , Shi Ming , Guo Rong P
Published: September 2010

Background and Aim:  The relationship between neovasculature in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the prognosis of patients still remains controversial. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic significance of morphologic features of the microvessels in patients with HCC after resection.

Methods:  The paraffin‐embedding specimens of 98 consecutive HCC patients, who received primary resection between 2000 and 2002, were collected from our prospective established tumor bank. The intratumoral microvessels were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining for CD31 and CD34. The disease‐free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients were analyzed by Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression model.

Results:  There are two distinct microvessel types: capillary‐like and sinusoid‐like were identified in tumor tissues. The patients could be divided into two groups according to their microvessel types. Both DFS and OS of capillary group patients (n = 65) were better than those of sinusoid group patients (n = 33). Multivariate analyses showed that the microvessel type was an independent risk factor for DFS (P = 0.016) and OS (P = 0.004) of this cohort. Capillary‐like microvessels were more common in small HCC, and were significantly associated with higher microvessel density, while sinusoid‐like microvessels were significantly correlated with lower microvessel density.

Conclusions:  The results of our study suggested that the microvessel type is an effective predictor of survival in patients with HCC after resection, which might serve as potential novel therapeutic targets for prevention of the recurrence of HCC after resection.
Emerging roles of microRNA in the intracellular signaling networks of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Law Priscilla T‐Y , Wong Nathalie
Published: September 2010

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non‐coding RNAs of 19–23 nucleotides that negatively regulate gene expression through binding to the 3′‐untranslated regions of target messenger RNAs (mRNAs). Although the miRNA family constitutes only a minor fraction of the human genome, they hold fundamental importance in diverse physiological and developmental processes due to their pleiotropic effects on the post‐transcriptional regulation of many vital genes. This class of regulatory RNAs has also emerged as important players in carcinogenesis; most, if not all, cancer types have abnormal miRNA expression patterns. In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), miRNA dysregulation plays a key role in mediating the pathogenicity of several etiologic risk factors and, more importantly, they promote a number of cancer‐inducing signaling pathways. Recent studies have also demonstrated their potential values in the clinical management of HCC patients as some miRNAs may be used as prognostic or diagnostic markers. The significance of miRNAs in liver carcinogenesis emphasizes their values as therapeutic targets, while technological advances in the delivery of miRNA has shed new possibilities for their use as novel therapeutic agents against HCC.
Significance of hepatitis B virus genotypes and mutations in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in Asia
Authors: Chan Henry Lik‐Yuen
Published: September 2010

Advances in molecular biology technology in the last two decades have allowed detailed study of the viral mutations and genomic heterogeneity of hepatitis B virus (HBV). The first mutant discovered was precore stop codon mutation. It was reported in HBeAg‐negative patients and initially thought to associate with fulminant hepatitis. Subsequent studies have suggested that it is merely one of the mechanisms of losing HBeAg by the virus. Another mutation that can downregulate the production of HBeAg is the basal core promoter mutation, which is located in the X gene upstream of the precore region. Based on the configuration of codon 15 and the stability of the epsilon of the precore region, these two mutants will be differentially selected during the course of HBeAg seroconversion. The most common HBV genotypes in South‐East Asia are genotype B and C HBV. The higher hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk of genotype C HBV has been confirmed by longitudinal studies in Hong Kong and Taiwan. One possible carcinogenic mechanism is its association with basal core promoter mutation, which has also been found to be a risk factor of HCC. Within genotype C HBV, subgenotype Cs is predominant in South‐East Asia and subgenotype Ce is predominant in East Asia. Subgenotype Ce HBV has been found to have the highest risk of HCC as compared with subgenotype Cs or genotype B HBV. The understanding of the carcinogenic mechanisms of these HBV strains may shed light into future therapeutics in the prevention and treatment of HBV‐related HCC.
The various lifestyles of the Burkholderia cepacia complex species: a tribute to adaptation
Authors: Vial Ludovic , Chapalain Annelise , Groleau Marie‐Christine , Déziel Eric
Published: September 2010

The Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) is composed of 17 closely related species. These bacteria are widely but heterogeneously distributed in the natural environment, such as soil, water and rhizosphere. Bcc strains are able to colonize various ecological niches by adopting versatile lifestyles, including saprophytism and (positive or deleterious) association with eukaryotic cells. Bcc strains have proven to be very efficient in biocontrol, plant growth promotion and bioremediation. However, they also are important opportunistic pathogens that can cause severe respiratory infections among individuals suffering from cystic fibrosis or chronic granulomatous disease. Therefore, considering that the distinction between plant beneficial and clinical strains is not obvious, biotechnological applications of Bcc strains are currently not allowed. This minireview provides an overview of the wide range of lifestyles that Bcc bacteria can adopt, leading to glimpses into their tremendous adaptation potential and highlighting remaining questions concerning potential implicated mechanisms.
How can we predict lymphorrhoea and clinically significant lymphocoeles after radical prostatectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy? Clinical implications
Authors: Capitanio Umberto , Pellucchi Federico , Gallina Andrea , Briganti Alberto , Suardi Nazareno , Salonia Andrea , Abdollah Firas , Di Trapani Ettore , Jeldres Claudio , Cestari Andrea , Karakiewicz Pierre I. , Montorsi Francesco
Published: September 2010

Study Type – Therapy (case series) Level of Evidence 4

OBJECTIVE

To identify clinical and pathological variables that may help clinicians in predicting, preventing and managing lymphorrhoea and clinically significant lymphocoeles (CSL), which are reported complications after pelvic lymphadenectomy (PLND) and retropubic radical prostatectomy (RRP).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We prospectively analysed 552 consecutive men with prostate cancer who underwent RRP and PLND (2006–2008).

All patients had detailed clinical and pathological data prospectively recorded in an electronic database. Drains were removed when the amount of lymph was <20 mL in the previous 24 h. A CSL was defined as the presence of a symptomatic lymphocoele requiring treatment. Lymphorrhoea was defined as the total amount of lymph drained by the drains until their removal.

Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to test the association between all the predictors (age, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, prostate volume, clinical stage, number of LNs removed, surgeon, pathological T and N stage) and the presence of CSL.

Univariable and multivariable linear regression models were also used to test the association between the available predictors and lymphorrhoea.

RESULTS

The median (range) number of LNs removed was 20 (1–63). Both linear and logistic multivariable regression analysis showed that the number of removed LNs and age were the only two statistically significant predictors of total amount of lymphorrhoea and CSL after RRP and PLND (both P < 0.01).

Specifically, the risk of developing a CSL increased by 5% for every LN removed. Similarly, every year of age increased the risk of having CSL by 5%.

The most informative thresholds for predicting CSL were 65 years of age and 20 LNs removed.

External iliac lymphadenectomy resulted in a higher associated risk of lymphorrhoea and CLS relative to obturator LN removal (P= 0.001 vs P= 0.1, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

There was a positive association between the number of LNs removed and age at RRP with the amount of lymphorrhoea and the risk of developing a CSL.

The most informative thresholds in predicting CSL were 65 years of age and 20 LNs removed. External iliac lymphadenectomy resulted in a higher risk of lymphorrhoea and CLS relative to obturator LN removal.
Factors associated with surgery in patients with renal cell carcinoma and venous tumor thrombus
Authors: Whitson Jared M. , Reese Adam C. , Meng Maxwell V.
Published: September 2010

Study Type – Therapy (case series)

Level of Evidence 4

What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add?

This is the first published report which is an in‐depth analysis of factors associated with surgery versus non‐operative management in patients with renal cell carcinoma and venous tumour thrombus.

OBJECTIVE

• Venous tumour thrombus is common in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Although surgical morbidity has decreased with time, nephrectomy with caval thrombectomy remains a high‐risk procedure and may not be performed in all patients with this condition. Little is known about the factors influencing the decision to pursue surgery versus conservative management in patients with RCC and venous tumour thrombus.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

• The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was used to identify study patients with RCC and venous tumour thrombus.

• Multiple clinical, pathological and sociodemographic variables were assessed.

• Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with surgery.

RESULTS

• We identified 24 396 patients with RCC, of which 2265 (9.3%) had venous tumour thrombus.

• Distant metastases (odds ratio [OR] 0.1, 95% CI 0.0–0.1), clinical stage T3c (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.2–0.6), lymph node involvement (OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2–0.6), being single (OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.3–0.7), and the age categories 61–70 years (OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2–0.8, P= 0.01), 71–80 years (OR 0.2, 95% CI 0.1–0.3, P < 0.001), and ≥80 years (OR 0.1, 95% CI 0.0–0.1, P < 0.001) were significantly associated with non‐surgical management.

CONCLUSIONS

• In this population‐based study, over 80% of patients with RCC and venous tumour thrombus underwent surgical management.

• Although age and TNM stage were strongly associated with the decision to undergo surgery, marital status was also associated with treatment choice.

• It is unclear whether marital status affects oncological outcomes or complication rates so the reasons behind this association deserve further investigation.
‘Mohs surgery of the prostate’: the utility of in situ frozen section analysis during robotic prostatectomy
Authors: Lavery Hugh J. , Xiao Guang–Qian , Nabizada‐Pace Fatima , Mikulasovich Michael , Unger Pamela , Samadi David B.
Published: September 2010

Study Type – Therapy (case series) Level of Evidence 4

What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Interim result of this study had shown promising efficacy, with response rate of 14.7% and median PFS of 7.4 months, and good tolerability in previously‐treated

Japanese metastatic RCC patients.

The final result of the study adds:

The median overall survival in Japanese metastatic RCC patients was 25.3 months, which is longer than that in the Treatment Approaches in Renal Cancer Global Evaluation Trial (TARGET).

The response rate elevated from 14.7% to 19.4% because of 6 late responders achieved after 9.2 months or longer of SD period.

Neither unknown adverse events nor cumulative toxicity was observed in the long‐term use of sorafenib.

OBJECTIVE • To evaluate a novel technique to lower positive surgical margin rates while preserving as much of the neurovascular bundles as possible during nerve‐sparing robotic prostatectomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS • In situ intraoperative frozen section (IFS) was performed during robotic‐assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) when there was macroscopic concern for a positive margin or residual prostate tissue.

• When IFS was positive, additional sections were taken from the same area until the IFS was negative, similar to the procedure of Mohs micrographic surgery.

• Positive surgical margin and biochemical recurrence rates were compared between the patients who underwent IFS and those who did not.

RESULTS • Of 970 patients consecutively undergoing RALP at a single institution, IFS was performed on 177 (18%).

• Eleven patients (6%) had IFS positive for carcinoma, whereas another 25 (14%) had benign prostatic tissue in the IFS specimen.

• IFS and non‐IFS patients had similar pathological and nerve‐sparing characteristics.

• The IFS group had significantly lower rates of positive surgical margins, 7% vs 18% (P= 0.001) but similar rates of biochemical recurrence (5%) at a median follow‐up of 11 months.

CONCLUSIONS • In situ IFS is an effective way of reducing positive margins during RALP.

• Twenty percent of patients who underwent IFS, representing 4% of the overall RALP population, had either malignant or benign prostate tissue removed from their prostatic fossa.

• Although a reduction of biochemical recurrence was not demonstrated, the follow‐up is short and a difference may become apparent as the data mature.
Cumulative summation graphs are a useful tool for monitoring positive surgical margin rates in robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy
Authors: Williams Andrew K. , Chalasani Venu , Martínez Carlos H. , Osbourne Erica , Stitt Larry , Izawa Jonathan I. , Pautler Stephen E.
Published: September 2010

Study Type – Therapy (case series)  Level of Evidence 4

What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Whilst the technique of robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy has rapidly been adopted by surgeons there is little information on techniques used for quality control when a surgeon is learning this new surgical technique. Cummulative summation graphs have been used in cardiothoracic surgery to monitor complications with good effect and have been shown to be useful in monitoring outcomes from cystectomy.

We demonstrate that using the technique of cumulative summation graphs a surgeon can monitor their progress prospectively through a learning curve without having to wait to perform a retrospective analysis. This study demonstrates that margin positive rates in radical prostatectomy can be monitored in real time and adjustments in technique applied to allow a surgeon to continually monitor and improve their surgical results.

OBJECTIVE

• To explore the usefulness of cumulative summation (CUSUM) graphs for monitoring positive surgical margin (PSM) rates during a surgeon’s transition from open to robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

• Data were prospectively collected from patients undergoing RARP by a single surgeon.

• Preoperatively all patients were either low or moderate risk under the D’Amico classification system.

• A CUSUM graph was charted retrospectively to analyse the PSM rate in patients undergoing RARP for pathological stage T2 (pT2) disease.

• Acceptable and unacceptable PSM rates were set at 10% and 15% respectively.

RESULTS

• From a cohort of 226 patients, 158 patients with pT2 disease were selected. The mean (range) age of these patients was 59.2 (39–73) years, the median (range) Gleason score was 6 (4–9), the mean (range) PSA was 6.43 (0.52–17.5) ng/mL and the mean (range) prostate volume was 44 (18–120) cm3. In all, 21 patients had PSMs (13%).

• CUSUM graphs were produced and clearly demonstrated the change in PSM rate over time.

CONCLUSION

• CUSUM graphs are a novel and useful visual representation of the learning curve for surgeons.

• PSM rates in patients with pT2 disease are a good outcome to monitor using CUSUM graphs as they are binary and lack the confounding factors associated with other outcomes such as continence and erectile dysfunction.

• We advocate the use of CUSUM graphs as a method of quality assurance with the introduction of a robotics programme.
The role of the transient receptor potential (TRP) superfamily of cation‐selective channels in the management of the overactive bladder
Authors: Andersson Karl‐Erik , Gratzke Christian , Hedlund Petter
Published: September 2010

• The pathophysiology of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), detrusor overactivity (DO), and the overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome is multifactorial and remains poorly understood.

• The transient receptor potential (TRP) channel superfamily has been shown to be involved in nociception and mechanosensory transduction in various organ systems, and studies of the LUT have indicated that several TRP channels, including TRPV1, TRPV2, TRPV4, TRPM8, and TRPA1, are expressed in the bladder, and may act as sensors of stretch and/or chemical irritation.

• However, the roles of these individual channels for normal LUT function and in LUTS/DO/OAB, have not been established.

• TRPV1 is the channel best investigated. It is widely distributed in LUT structures, but despite extensive information on morphology and function in animal models, the role of this channel in normal human bladder function is still controversial. Conversely, its role in the pathophysiology and treatment of particularly neurogenic DO is well established.

• TRPV1 is co‐expressed with TRPA1, and TRPA1 is known to be present on capsaicin‐sensitive primary sensory neurones. Activation of this channel can induce DO in animal models.

• TRPV4 is a Ca2+‐permeable stretch‐activated cation channel, involved in stretch‐induced ATP release, and TRPV4‐deficient mice exhibit abnormal frequencies of voiding and non‐voiding contractions in cystometric experiments.

• TRPM8 is a cool receptor expressed in the urothelium and suburothelial sensory fibres. It has been implicated in the bladder‐cooling reflex and in idiopathic DO.

• The occurrence of other members of the TRP superfamily in the LUT has been reported, but information on their effects on LUT functions is scarce. There seem to be several links between activation of different members of the TRP superfamily and LUTS/DO/OAB, and further exploration of the involvement of these channels in LUT function, normally and in dysfunction, may be rewarding.
‘The Perfect Business’: Human Trafficking and Lao–Thai Cross‐Border Migration
Authors: Molland Sverre
Published: September 2010

Over the past few years some governments and development organizations have increasingly articulated cross‐border mobility as ‘trafficking in persons’. The notion of a market where traffickers prey on the ‘supply’ of migrants that flows across international borders to meet the ‘demand’ for labour has become a central trope among anti‐trafficking development organizations. This article problematizes such economism by drawing attention to the oscillating cross‐border migration of Lao sex workers within a border zone between Laos and Thailand. It illuminates the incongruity between the recruitment of women into the sex industry along the Lao–Thai border and the market models that are employed by the anti‐trafficking sector. It discusses the ways in which these cross‐border markets are conceived in a context where aid programming is taking on an increasingly important role in the politics of borders. The author concludes that allusions to ideal forms of knowledge (in the guise of classic economic theory) and an emphasis on borders become necessary for anti‐trafficking programmes in order to make their object of intervention legible as well as providing post‐hoc rationalizations for their continuing operation.
Flood prone risk and amenity values: a spatial hedonic analysis
Authors: Samarasinghe Oshadhi , Sharp Basil
Published: September 2010

This study examines the impact of flood‐hazard zone location on residential property prices. The study utilises data from over 2000 private residential property sales occurred during 2006 in North Shore City, New Zealand. A spatial autoregressive hedonic model is developed to provide efficient estimates of the marginal effect of flood prone risks on property prices. Results suggest that the sale price of a residential property within a flood prone area is lower than an equivalent property outside the flood prone area. The flood plain location discount is reduced by the release of public information regarding flood risk.
Exit fees and termination fees revisited: funding irrigation infrastructure in a manner compatible with water trade*
Authors: Biggar Darryl
Published: September 2010

It has long been recognised that the mechanism for funding irrigation infrastructure in Australia may be incompatible with efficient trade in the rural water market. If the revenue received by an irrigation operator is dependent on the volume of water entitlements held in the operator’s region, out‐of‐region permanent water sales threaten the operator’s revenue stream, potentially leading to higher charges on remaining irrigators, encouraging an inefficient ‘rush for the exit’. In response, irrigation operators have imposed restrictions on permanent water trade, such as exit fees and termination fees, to protect their revenue stream. Previous economic analysis has suggested that exit fees, in particular, are a barrier to efficient trade in the water market and should be abolished. In contrast, this paper argues that allowing irrigators to cancel their water delivery rights without fees or charges leads to inefficient trade in the water market, hinders efficient on‐farm investment in sunk complementary assets and leads to inefficient network rationalisation decisions. Instead, the revenue stream of irrigation operators should be insulated from water trade decisions, through high termination fees, tying irrigation charges to the land, or tagging the obligation to pay delivery charges to the new owner of the traded water.
Choice experiment adaptive design benefits: a case study*
Authors: Kerr Geoffrey N. , Sharp Basil M. H.
Published: September 2010

Efficient experimental designs offer the potential to reduce required sample sizes, or to reduce confidence intervals for parameters of interest, in choice experiments. Choice experiment designs have typically addressed efficiency of utility function parameter estimates. The recently developed concept of C‐efficiency recognises the salience of willingness to pay estimates rather than utility function parameters in studies that seek to put money values on attributes. C‐efficiency design benefits have been illustrated in a theoretical context, but have not been tested in applied settings. This study reports a choice experiment field application that used initial responses to update statistical designs to maximise C‐efficiency. Consistent with theoretical predictions, the revised design delivered significant reductions in the variance of willingness to pay estimates, illustrating that C‐efficient designs can indeed decrease costs of choice experiments by reducing required sample sizes.
How would global trade liberalization affect rural and regional incomes in Australia?
Authors: Anderson Kym , Giesecke James , Valenzuela Ernesto
Published: September 2010

Agricultural protection in rich countries, which had depressed Australian farm incomes via its impact on Australia’s terms of trade, has diminished over the past two decades. So too has agricultural export taxation in poor countries, which has had the opposite impact on those terms of trade. Meanwhile, however, import protection for developing country farmers has been steadily growing. To what extent are Australian farmers and rural regions still adversely affected by farm and non‐farm price‐ and trade‐distortive policies abroad? This paper draws on new estimates of the current extent of those domestic and foreign distortions: first, to model their net impact on Australia’s terms of trade (using the World Bank’s Linkage model of the global economy); and second, to model the effects of that terms of trade impact on output and real incomes in rural versus urban and other regions and households within Australia as of 2004 (using Monash’s multi‐regional TERM model of the Australian economy).
Minimum‐data analysis of ecosystem service supply in semi‐subsistence agricultural systems
Authors: Antle John M. , Diagana Bocar , Stoorvogel Jetse J. , Valdivia Roberto O.
Published: September 2010

Antle and Valdivia (2006, Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 50, 1–15) proposed a minimum‐data (MD) approach to simulate ecosystem service supply curves that can be implemented using readily available secondary data and validated the approach in a case study of soil carbon sequestration in a monoculture wheat system. However, many applications of the MD approach are in developing countries where semi‐subsistence systems with multiple production activities are being used and data availability is limited. This paper discusses how MD analysis can be applied to more complex production systems such as semi‐subsistence systems with multiple production activities and presents validation analysis for studies of soil carbon sequestration in semi‐subsistence farming systems in Kenya and Senegal. Results from these two studies confirm that ecosystem service supply curves based on the MD approach are close approximations to the curves derived from highly detailed data and models and are therefore sufficiently accurate and robust to be used to support policy decision making.
Measuring and decomposing agricultural productivity and profitability change*
Authors: O’Donnell Christopher J.
Published: September 2010

Profitability change can be decomposed into the product of a total factor productivity (TFP) index and an index measuring changes in relative prices. Many TFP indexes can be further decomposed into measures of technical change, technical efficiency change, scale efficiency change and mix efficiency change. The class of indexes that can be decomposed in this way includes the Fisher, Törnqvist and Hicks–Moorsteen TFP indexes but not the Malmquist TFP index of Caves, Christensen and Diewert (1982). This paper develops data envelopment analysis methodology for computing and decomposing the Hicks–Moorsteen index. The empirical feasibility of the methodology is demonstrated using country‐level agricultural data covering the period 1970–2001. The paper explains why relatively small countries tend to be the most productive, and why favourable movements in relative prices tend to simultaneously increase net returns and decrease productivity. Australia appears to have experienced this relative price effect since at least 1970. Thus, if Australia is a price‐taker in output and input markets, Australian agricultural policy‐makers should not be overly concerned about the estimated 15 per cent decline in agricultural productivity that has taken place over the last three decades.
Testing for convergent validity between travel cost and contingent valuation estimates of recreation values in the Coorong, Australia*
Authors: Rolfe John , Dyack Brenda
Published: September 2010

A number of studies valuing recreation have shown that the travel cost method (TCM) generates higher estimates of value than the contingent valuation method (CVM), even though the latter is commonly associated with potential problems of hypothetical and strategic bias. In this study, both methods have been used to estimate the recreational values associated with the Coorong on the Murray River in south‐eastern Australia. Values per adult visitor per recreation day are estimated with the TCM at $149 and with the CVM at $116. A number of methodological and framing issues to explain these value differences are tested. In summary, while no single methodological or framing issue could be identified that would reconcile the difference between TCM and CVM values, it appears likely that there may be a combination of factors that drive the systematic variations in consumer surplus values. The evidence in this study suggests that the most important of these are likely to be the different decision points underpinning data collection and the consideration of substitute sites, strategic responses and the treatment of uncertain responses within the CVM.
Exploring the impact of R&D and climate change on agricultural productivity growth: the case of Western Australia*
Authors: Salim Ruhul A. , Islam Nazrul
Published: September 2010

This article empirically examines the impact of R&D and climate change on the Western Australian Agricultural sector using standard time series econometrics. Based on historical data for the period of 1977–2005, the empirical results show that both R&D and climate change matter for long‐run productivity growth. The long‐run elasticity of total factor productivity (TFP) with respect to R&D expenditure is 0.497, while that of climate change is 0.506. There is a unidirectional causality running from R&D expenditure to TFP growth in both the short run and long run. Further, the variance decomposition and impulse response function confirm that a significant portion of output and productivity growth beyond the sample period is explained by R&D expenditure. These results justify the increase in R&D investment in the deteriorating climatic condition in the agricultural sector to improve the long‐run prospects of productivity growth.
THE CMO OF CONSEQUENCE
Authors: Boyd D. Eric , Chandy Rajesh K. , Cunha Marcus
Published: September 2010

Do chief marketing officers matter? Some say that CMOs have limited effect on corporate performance and don't add significant value to the firm. D. Eric Boyd, Rajesh Chandy and Marcus Cunha agree that the job in many firms is in great peril, but their research has uncovered why the contributions of some CMOs are invaluable.
ARE YOUR GOALS HITTING THE RIGHT TARGET?
Authors: Meekings Alan , Briault Steve , Neely Andy
Published: September 2010

Setting targets is normal in most organisations. Alan Meekings, Steve Briault and Andy Neely think such a practice can cause more harm than good. They offer a better way.
MY DAY
Authors: Meyer Julie
Published: September 2010

Julie Meyer shot to prominence as co‐founder of the entrepreneurial network, First Tuesday. It was sold for $50 million in 2000.
RESIDENT PERCEPTIONS OF FLAGSHIP WATERFRONT REGENERATION: THE CASE OF THE KOP VAN ZUID IN ROTTERDAM
Authors: DOUCET BRIAN , VAN KEMPEN RONALD , VAN WEESEP JAN
Published: September 2010

Flagships, also referred to as megaprojects, and frequently involving waterfront regeneration, are a common form of urban redevelopment. Their goals are often aimed at an outside audience of tourists, investors and potential (high income) residents. While the target may be external, the ways in which these spaces are perceived by the local population is an important, and, as yet, under‐researched, area. Many scholars suggest that flagships have a negative impact on cities, but their research stops short of asking local residents what they think themselves. This paper attempts to redress this imbalance in the literature by analysing a survey of residents' perceptions towards the Kop van Zuid in Rotterdam, a large waterfront regeneration project. The survey included residents in different neighbourhoods across the city to determine the roles played by spatial proximity, and socio‐economic and demographic variables. Responses were more positive than expected, particularly among poorer residents in the vicinity of the flagship. We argue this has to do with the quality of life enhancements which the Kop van Zuid has brought. This can offer some insightful lessons when regenerating brownfield sites in the future.
ALTERNATIVE AGRI‐FOOD GEOGRAPHIES? GEOGRAPHIC INDICATIONS IN GREECE
Authors: KIZOS THANASIS , VAKOUFARIS HRISTOS
Published: September 2010

The discussion about alternative agri‐food products has led some researchers to proclaim the emergence of alternative agri‐food geographies. This paper focuses on the geography of certified geographical indications in Greece. We focus on a number of key characteristics of the products (e.g. area of production, production in less favoured areas) and analyse specific case studies of products, in order to understand their importance and impact (e.g. volume of production, number of businesses that produce them) and investigate the choices of this geography. Evidence suggests that some Greek geographical indications (GIs) exist only ‘on paper’ and therefore have zero impact on their delimited areas. Furthermore, the impact of GIs depends not only on the characteristics of the product but on the characteristics of the enterprises that produce them as well. A new, although not alternative, agri‐food geography is emerging.