bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Raman microspectroscopy reveals long‐term extracellular activity of chlamydiae
Authors: Haider Susanne , Wagner Michael , Schmid Markus C. , Sixt Barbara S. , Christian Jan G. , Häcker Georg , Pichler Peter , Mechtler Karl , Müller Albert , Baranyi Christian , Toenshoff Elena R. , Montanaro Jacqueline , Horn Matthias
Published: June 2010

The phylum Chlamydiae consists exclusively of obligate intracellular bacteria. Some of them are formidable pathogens of humans, while others occur as symbionts of amoebae. These genetically intractable bacteria possess a developmental cycle consisting of replicative reticulate bodies and infectious elementary bodies, which are believed to be physiologically inactive. Confocal Raman microspectroscopy was applied to differentiate between reticulate bodies and elementary bodies of Protochlamydia amoebophila and to demonstrate in situ the labelling of this amoeba symbiont after addition of isotope‐labelled phenylalanine. Unexpectedly, uptake of this amino acid was also observed for both developmental stages for up to 3 weeks, if incubated extracellularly with labelled phenylalanine, and P. amoebophila remained infective during this period. Furthermore, P. amoebophila energizes its membrane and performs protein synthesis outside of its host. Importantly, amino acid uptake and protein synthesis after extended extracellular incubation could also be demonstrated for the human pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis, which synthesizes stress‐related proteins under these conditions as shown by 2‐D gel electrophoresis and MALDI‐TOF/TOF mass spectrometry. These findings change our perception of chlamydial biology and reveal that host‐free analyses possess a previously not recognized potential for direct experimental access to these elusive microorganisms.
Vibrio cholerae El Tor TcpA crystal structure and mechanism for pilus‐mediated microcolony formation
Authors: Lim Mindy S. , Ng Dixon , Zong ZuSheng , Arvai Andrew S. , Taylor Ronald K. , Tainer John A. , Craig Lisa
Published: June 2010

Type IV pili (T4P) are critical to virulence for Vibrio cholerae and other bacterial pathogens. Among their diverse functions, T4P mediate microcolony formation, which protects the bacteria from host defences and concentrates secreted toxins. The T4P of the two V. cholerae O1 disease biotypes, classical and El Tor, share 81% identity in their TcpA subunits, yet these filaments differ in their interaction patterns as assessed by electron microscopy. To understand the molecular basis for pilus‐mediated microcolony formation, we solved a 1.5 Å resolution crystal structure of N‐terminally truncated El Tor TcpA and compared it with that of classical TcpA. Residues that differ between the two pilins are located on surface‐exposed regions of the TcpA subunits. By iteratively changing these non‐conserved amino acids in classical TcpA to their respective residues in El Tor TcpA, we identified residues that profoundly affect pilus:pilus interaction patterns and bacterial aggregation. These residues lie on either the protruding d‐region of the TcpA subunit or in a cavity between pilin subunits in the pilus filament. Our results support a model whereby pili interact via intercalation of surface protrusions on one filament into depressions between subunits on adjacent filaments as a means to hold V. cholerae cells together in microcolonies.
‘Munchausen syndrome by proxy’ presenting as battered child syndrome: a report of two cases
Authors: Sugandhan Selvendran , Gupta Somesh , Khandpur Sujay , Khanna Neena , Mehta Manju , Inna Prashanth
Published: June 2010

Background  Child abuse is a major public health crisis and is on the rise. Dermatologists are frequently involved in its evaluation in differentiating abusive injuries from accidental injuries and in excluding pathological conditions that may mimic abuse. Battered child syndrome or physical abuse is not only a common form of child abuse but can also result from a rarer form of child abuse known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy. In this form of abuse, mother, who is the usual perpetrator, induces an illness or abuses the child for her own self‐serving psychological needs.

Methods  We report two cases of battered child syndrome. In both the cases, Psychiatric evaluation was performed on both parents. Observation through one‐way mirror was done with the mother and the child alone. Routine hematological and biochemical investigations were done.

Results  Diagnosis of Munchausen syndrome by proxy was firmly established in one case and was considered as a possibility in the other.

Conclusion  A multidisciplinary team effort is essential in evaluating such cases, and dermatologists should be aware and be well informed about this condition that can be potentially lethal but easily overlooked.
Enteric‐coated mycophenolate sodium in the treatment of refractory pemphigus
Authors: Bongiorno Maria Rita , Pistone Giuseppe , Doukaki Spyridoula , Aricò Mario
Published: June 2010

Background One of the major goals of pemphigus therapy is to reduce the patient’s cumulative exposure to systemic corticosteroids. To investigate the efficacy of enteric‐coated mycophenolate sodium (EC‐MPS), 10 patients with active, refractory pemphigus vulgaris (PV) or foliaceous (PF) were treated with EC‐MPS (1440 mg daily) and prednisone (75 mg daily) over 18 months.

Observations Following EC‐MPS/prednisone therapy, disease progression was inhibited between days 30 and 45 in 9/10 patients (8 PV; 1 PF). At 18 months, 8/9 PV patients had clinically quiescent disease; EC‐MPS therapy was no longer required in two patients as a result of disease remission. The remaining PV patient showed no response to treatment. The PF patient also had clinically quiescent disease but with high levels of anti‐desmoglein‐1. ECMPS dose was reduced to 720 mg daily in 4/9 patients by month 6. Average daily prednisone requirement decreased to 25 mg at 6 months and to 15 mg at 18 months. Three adverse events were reported: headache (two cases; one mild and one moderate) and significant increase in blood glucose (one case; moderate).

Conclusions Enteric‐coated mycophenolate sodium is effective and safe as an adjuvant therapy in patients with refractory pemphigus and may be effective even in patients whose disease is unresponsive to azathioprine.
Is psoriasis a pre‐atherosclerotic disease? Increased insulin resistance and impaired endothelial function in patients with psoriasis
Authors: Karadag Ayse Serap , Yavuz Bunyamin , Ertugrul Derun Taner , Akin Kadir Okhan , Yalcin Ahmet Arif , Deveci Onur Sinan , Ata Naim , Kucukazman Metin , Dal Kursad
Published: June 2010

Background  Several studies have shown an association between psoriasis and atherosclerotic risk factors. In this study, we aimed to evaluate endothelial function by flow‐mediated dilation (FMD) and insulin resistance by Homeostasis model assessment‐insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR).

Methods  We examined 75 consecutive psoriasis patients and 50 healthy controls. All subjects underwent transthoracic echocardiography and brachial artery imaging for detecting FMD. Fasting blood samples were drawn from all subjects for measuring insulin, C‐peptide, fasting blood glucose. HOMA‐IR was calculated.

Results  Baseline characteristics of both groups were similar. Twenty‐four psoriatic patients had arthritis. Insulin [9.3 (4.0–208.1) vs. 8.2 (2.3–16.5) mcIU/ml, P = 0.016] and C‐peptide [2.5 (0.9–20.0) vs. 2.0 (0.9–3.7) ng/ml, P = 0.009] levels were significantly higher in patients with psoriasis than in controls. HOMA‐IR [2.1 (0.8–68.9) vs. 1.8 (0.6–8.6), P = 0.036] was significantly higher in patients with psoriasis than in controls. FMD was reduced in patients with psoriasis compared with healthy controls (5.6 ± 1.9% vs. 10.9 ± 1.9%, P < 0.001).

Conclusions  This study demonstrated a significant impairment in endothelial function and increased insulin resistance in patients with psoriasis. This is a comprehensive study for identifying atherosclerotic risk factors in psoriasis. We suggest that psoriatic patients should be paid attention for atherosclerosis and its risk factors.
Curcumin targeted signaling pathways: basis for anti‐photoaging and anti‐carcinogenic therapy
Authors: Heng Madalene C.Y.
Published: June 2010

Photocarcinogenesis is caused by DNA damage from solar radiation in the ultraviolet range, resulting in the development of both melanoma and non‐melanoma skin cancers. Although the ultraviolet B (UVB) spectrum has previously been considered the more carcinogenic of the two, recent evidence suggests that ultraviolet A (UVA) irradiation may have damaging effects that are not generally appreciated. Furthermore, it is becoming apparent that although sunscreens have been in use for many years, they are relatively ineffective in protecting against UVA‐induced photoaging and UVA‐induced skin cancers. More recently, attention has been directed on certain dietary phytochemicals, in particular curcumin, in the attempt to repair photodamaged skin as a means of preventing degeneration into solar‐induced skin cancers. Curcumin has been shown to protect against the deleterious effects of injury by attenuating oxidative stress and suppressing inflammation. In this review, the curcumin‐targeted signaling pathways directed against solar‐induced injury are reviewed. The ability of curcumin to block multiple targets on these pathways serve as a basis for the potential use of this phytochemical in photoaging skin and photocarcinogenesis.
Epidemiological features of Kawasaki disease in Korea, 2006–2008
Authors: Park Yong Won , Han Ji Whan , Hong Young Mi , Ma Jae Sook , Cha Sung Ho , Kwon Tae Chan , Lee Sang Bum , Kim Chul Ho , Lee Joon Sung , Kim Chang Hwi
Published: June 2010

Background:  The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence and describe the epidemiological characteristics of Kawasaki disease among children in Korea.

Methods:  Questionnaires for surveying the epidemiology of Kawasaki disease were distributed to a total of 101 hospitals that conduct pediatric residency programs. Then, we retrospectively obtained the data, which covered a three‐year period (2006–2008) and analyzed them.

Results:  During the three‐year study period, a total of 9039 cases of Kawasaki disease were reported from 84 hospitals (response rate, 83.2%), comprising 5375 boys and 3664 girls (male : female ratio, 1.47:1). The outbreak rate per 100 000 children <5 years old was 108.7 in 2006, 118.3 in 2007 and 112.5 in 2008 (average rate, 113.1). The seasonal distribution showed a slightly higher incidence rate in winter and summer. The patients’ mean age of onset was 32.6 months, while the proportions of sibling cases and recurrent cases were 0.17% and 2.2%, respectively. Coronary arterial abnormalities were detected during follow up by echocardiogram in 17.5% of all cases including dilatations (16.4%) and aneurysms (2.1%).

Conclusions:  The average annual incidence rate of Kawasaki disease in Korea has been continuously increasing, and reached 113.1/100 000 children <5 years old, which is the second highest rate in the world.
Patient flow to carotid endarterectomy: hastening the patient journey
Authors: Khashram Manar , Roake Justin A. , Lewis David R.
Published: June 2010

Background:  Early carotid endarterectomy (CEA) after stroke or transient ischaemic attack is the proposed standard of care to prevent recurrent ischaemic events in selected patients. The aim of this study was to investigate if this standard is achieved in a tertiary vascular unit.

Methods:  This was a clinical audit. CEAs performed from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2008 at Christchurch hospital were identified. The value stream from initial presentation to surgery was mapped in two phases (phase 1; 2006–2007 and phase 2; 2008). Patients who had carotid intervention for asymptomatic carotid lesions were excluded.

Results:  The relevant patient journey was documented in 81 patients (55 phase 1; 26 phase 2). Median time from initial presentation to carotid ultrasound was 5 days in phase 1 and 6 days in phase 2. Time from presentation to vascular surgery review was 22 days in phase 1 and 13 days in phase 2. Time from presentation to CEA significantly reduced from 83 to 32 days between phases (P < 0.005).

Conclusions:  There has been a significant decrease in time from presentation to operation between phase 1 and 2. The most significant change is reduced delay between vascular surgery review and CEA. There has been no improvement in urgency of referral for imaging or surgical review. This part of the patient journey is a target for improvement.
Navigation‐induced ZENK expression in the olfactory system of pigeons (Columba livia)
Authors: Patzke Nina , Manns Martina , Güntürkün Onur , Ioalè Paolo , Gagliardo Anna
Published: June 2010

A large body of evidence indicates that pigeons use olfactory cues to navigate over unfamiliar areas with a differential contribution of the left and right hemispheres. In particular, the right nostril/olfactory bulb (OB) and left piriform cortex (Cpi) have been demonstrated to be crucially involved in navigation. In this study we analysed behaviour‐induced activation of the olfactory system, indicated by the expression of the immediate early gene ZENK, under different homing conditions. One experimental group was released from an unfamiliar site, the second group was transported to the unfamiliar site and back to the loft, and the third group was released in front of the loft. To evaluate the differential contribution of the left and/or right olfactory input, the nostrils of the pigeons were either occluded unilaterally or not. Released pigeons revealed the highest ZENK cell density in the OB and Cpi, indicating that the olfactory system is activated during navigation from an unfamiliar site. The groups with no plug showed the highest ZENK cell density, supporting the activation of the olfactory system probably being due to sensory input. Moreover, both Cpis seem to contribute differently to the navigation process. Only occlusion of the right OB resulted in a decreased ZENK cell expression in the Cpi, whereas occlusion of the left nostril had no effect. This is the first study to reveal neuronal activation patterns in the olfactory system during homing. Our data show that lateralized processing of olfactory cues is indeed involved in navigation over unfamiliar areas.
Tangibility and investment irreversibility in asset pricing
Authors: Docherty Paul , Chan Howard , Easton Steve
Published: June 2010

Zhang (2005) and Cooper (2006) provide a theoretical risk‐based explanation for the value premium by suggesting a nexus between firms’ book‐to‐market ratio and investment irreversibility. They argue that unproductive physical capacity is costly in contracting conditions but provides growth opportunities during economic expansions, resulting in covariant risk between firms’ investment in tangible assets and market‐wide returns. This article uses the Australian accounting environment to empirically test this theory – a test that is not possible using US data. Consistent with the theoretical argument, tangibility is priced in equity returns, and augmenting the Fama and French three‐factor model with a tangibility factor increases model explanatory power.
The effect of political visibility on audit effort and audit pricing
Authors: Redmayne Nives Botica , Bradbury Michael E. , Cahan Steven F.
Published: June 2010

This study examines whether auditors adjust their effort and pricing decisions for political visibility. We argue, from the behavioural literature, that political visibility will create the need for more justification by auditors. Using data on actual audit fees, hours and billing rates for a sample of New Zealand public sector companies, we find that total audit fees are positively related to the number of press mentions (our proxy for political visibility). Consistent with our expectations we find that audit fees are monotonically related to audit fees. We also find that auditors increase the hours spent on the audit but not billing rates, which further suggests defensive bolstering by auditors.
The Impacts of Supermarket Procurement on Farming Communities in India: Evidence from Rural Karnataka
Authors: Pritchard Bill , Gracy C. P. , Godwin Michelle
Published: June 2010

The rapid expansion of supermarket retailing, with its impact on farmer communities, represents a contentious part of India's recent economic development. This article reports on three districts of Karnataka, where a survey of 78 farmers supplying fruits and vegetables to Reliance Fresh, a leading supermarket chain, reveals low levels of vertical co‐ordination, a lack of written contracts, and highly competitive environments, with the quality parameters used by supermarkets specifying only a limited set of conditions. These findings suggest that supermarket‐led restructuring in India has not yet reached a stable institutional situation.
Is Per Capita Growth in Africa Hampered by Poor Governance and Weak Institutions? An Empirical Study on the ECOWAS Countries
Authors: Diop Abdoulaye , Dufrénot Gilles , Sanon Gilles
Published: June 2010

Abstract:  This paper proposes an empirical study of the links between poor governance, weak institutions and the growth of per capita income in the countries that belong to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). We estimate a conditional beta‐convergence model using panel data. We find that variables such as the rule of law, property rights, the regulatory burden, political violence, and government ineffectiveness hinder growth in these countries. An interesting question is then the following: what can the countries do to improve their situations? To answer this question, we give several examples (Ghana, Nigeria and the NEPAD) of measures that are undertaken in order to strengthen the institutions and improve governance.
Managing Future Oil Revenues in Ghana: An Assessment of Alternative Allocation Options*
Authors: Breisinger Clemens , Diao Xinshen , Schweickert Rainer , Wiebelt Manfred
Published: June 2010

Abstract:  Contemporary policy debates on the macroeconomics of resource booms often concentrate on the short‐run Dutch disease effects of public expenditure, ignoring the possible long‐term effects of alternative revenue‐allocation options and the supply‐side impact of royalty‐financed public investments. In a simple model applied here, the government decides the level and timing of resource‐rent spending. This model also considers productivity spillovers over time, which may exhibit a sector bias toward domestic production or exports. A dynamic computable general equilibrium (DCGE) model is used to simulate the effect of temporary oil revenue inflows to Ghana. The simulations show that beyond the short‐run Dutch disease effects, the relationship between windfall profits, growth, and households’ welfare is less straightforward than what the simple model of the ‘resource curse’ suggests. The DCGE model results suggest that designing a rule that allocates oil revenues to both productivity‐enhancing investments and an oil fund is crucial to achieving shared growth and macroeconomic stability.
Distance to Growing Markets and Sub‐Saharan African Exports*
Authors: Behar Alberto , Manners Phil
Published: June 2010

Abstract:  A typical person in sub‐Saharan Africa is a long way from world markets and is further from world markets now than in 1980. This partly reflects slower growth within Africa than for the world as a whole. Despite slower growth in Africa, African exports have become increasingly regionalized. By 2005, a country in Africa typically exported more than twice as much to a country in its own region as would be expected based on economic size and bilateral distance. This regionalization was not present in the early 1980s and has become stronger over time. We find evidence of positive neighborhood effects through exports, but sub‐Saharan countries benefit less from growth in their own region than this typical relationship indicates. Given the small share of exports destined to their neighbors, low‐income countries in sub‐Saharan Africa experience relatively modest export growth from growth in the region. These factors imply that African countries are unlikely to pull each other out of poverty and a regional focus may be less effective than a focus on countries outside of the region.
South Africa, the world and AIDS (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate)
Authors: Hart Keith
Published: June 2010

South Africa has been at the centre of world history for over a century and it is now the focus of all eyes for the World Cup. The country has been a by‐word for racial inequality and more recently for crime and violence. But it is also notable for social progress and cultural vitality. The HIV/AIDS epidemic has claimed more victims there than anywhere else, a tragic sequel to apartheid. Successive political leaders highlight the contradictions of this historical moment in poignant, even Shakespearean ways. The author briefly reviews three books by anthropologists on AIDS there and suggests that South Africa is likely to remain a source of innovation for the discipline. But we need to take a broader view of world history than at present.
Science, samples and people (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate)
Authors: Marks Jonathan
Published: June 2010

A legal action taken by the Havasupai tribe against Arizona State University, for the improper use of their blood, affords an opportunity to reflect on past and future scientific practice within anthropology.
The whaling war: Conflicting cultural perspectives (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate)
Authors: Peace Adrian
Published: June 2010

The political ritual generated by Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean annually captures the Australian imagination and at least the attention of international audiences. This article examines how Australia has become the self‐appointed guardian of Antarctic whales whilst Japan remains resolutely pro‐whaling.
Robert McNamara and the limits of ‘bean counting’ (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate)
Authors: Martin Keir
Published: June 2010

The recent death of Robert McNamara provides an opportunity to reflect on the shortcomings of the strategy of numerical rationality in management that defined his career. In both of the major projects in which he took a leading role, as President of the Ford Motor Company and US Defense Secretary during the Vietnam War, his strategy has retrospectively been held up as a model of development to avoid. In particular, management studies now champions the importance of ‘culture’ in running complex organizations. Ironically, the UK government increasingly seeks to run public services, including higher education, according to a McNamarite model in a bid to be more business‐friendly, despite the evidence that many involved in private sector management have been moving away from this model for a quarter of a century.
What's in a name? Anthrozoology, human‐animal studies, animal studies or…? (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate)
Authors: Hurn Samantha
Published: June 2010

Human interactions with other animals feature regularly in the pages of Anthropology Today, and academic research focusing on the human‐animal relationship is undergoing something of a boom in the social sciences and humanities generally. This comment, prompted by Caplan's paper ‘Death on the farm’ in the last issue of AT, considers the place of human‐animal interactions in anthropology through a discussion of the terminology and methodologies employed by scholars within this area. It is argued that such a discussion is instructive because, as the etymology of the term suggests, anthropology is ultimately concerned with ‘understanding humans’. The ways that we, as researchers, choose to distinguish between humans and other animals, and the ways that we choose to represent our informants' interactions with other animals, can provide considerable insight into how all concerned think about what it means to be human.
International Air Travel and Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Proposal for an Adaptation Levy1
Authors: Hepburn Cameron , Müller Benito
Published: June 2010

(1287) Cameron Hepburn and Benito Müller Greenhouse gas emissions from international aviation services have been increasing rapidly and are likely to continue to do so in the absence of major policy changes. At the same time, while all countries will experience impacts from climate change, developing countries are the most vulnerable. Significant financial assistance for adaptation is therefore needed for developing countries, but current proposals are inadequate. Solutions to the challenges of both aviation greenhouse gas emissions and climate change adaptation finance are thus urgently required. This paper proposes an international air travel adaptation levy that addresses both problems.
The Causal Effect of Election Delay on Union Win Rates: Instrumental Variable Estimates from Two Natural Experiments
Authors: RIDDELL CHRIS
Published: June 2010

The role of election delay in union organizing campaigns has become a key policy issue in several countries. Previous studies have documented a negative correlation between delay and union success. However, elections are generally not randomly delayed; in particular, election delay is correlated with various “hard‐to‐observe” union and employer strategies. This article exploits several exogenous sources of variation in election delay to estimate a causal model. The results indicate that two‐stage least squares estimates of the causal effect of election delay on union success are twice the magnitude of standard OLS estimates.
Immigration of Nurses
Authors: KALIST DAVID , SPURR STEPHEN , WADA TATSUMA
Published: June 2010

This paper examines the effects of immigration on a specific occupation, registered nurses (RNs). To learn whether immigrant nurses reduced the earnings of RNs, we applied techniques developed by Goldin (1994) and Borjas, Freeman, and Katz (1996), but found the effect of immigrant penetration either positive or insignificant. We also found that the supply of immigrant RNs was far more elastic than the supply coming from natives.

It is often argued that it will be hard to detect negative effects on wages and employment of natives in local markets, because natives will avoid a market which many immigrants have entered. This study finds no support for this hypothesis in this market, based on data that measures the rate of entry of RNs exactly. We find no adverse effect of immigration on native workers in this occupation.
What Is Best for Workers? The Implications of Workplace and Human Resource Management Practices Revisited
Authors: GODARD JOHN
Published: June 2010

Drawing on a 2003–2004 random household telephone survey of 750 Canadian workers, I explore the implications of work and human resource (HR) practices for six aspects of the quality of working life. I find “traditional” HR practices, associated with the bureaucratic model predominant after World War II and with union representation, to have strong positive implications for workers. Participative workplace practices also have strong positive implications, although these are largely limited to information sharing in the union sector. The actual organization of work (e.g., teams), contingent pay, and “new” HR practices, associated with the “new” HRM of the 1980s, all make little difference. Comparison of these findings with those from a comparable 1998 survey of 508 Canadian workers and a parallel 2003 survey of 450 English workers suggest, however, that the implications of work and HR practices may be historically and institutionally contingent and thus should be interpreted using a historical/institutional perspective.
The Kingdom Anticipated: The Church and Eschatology
Authors: MOSTERT CHRISTIAAN
Published: June 2010

The idea that the church is an eschatological community, closely connected to the kingdom or reign of God, has not been prominent in ecclesiology. This article argues that the early Christian community understood its own existence in eschatological terms, as the ‘vestibule’ of God's reign (Bultmann). With the help of the concept of ‘anticipation’, it is argued that the church is an anticipatory sign of the kingdom, but that the relation between them requires nuanced statement. Central among the ways in which the church's eschatological character is instantiated is the Eucharist. However, such a view of the church also has pastoral, missiological and political implications.
Practising Urban and Regional Research beyond Metrocentricity
Authors: BUNNELL TIM , MARINGANTI ANANT
Published: June 2010

Our experience of teaching a graduate‐student module entitled ‘Global Cities’ in Singapore forms the starting point for reflection on the limitations of the global‐ and world‐cities paradigms. Otherwise varied strands of critique, we argue, may be understood in terms of a common tendency in Anglophone urban and regional research. We term this tendency ‘metrocentricity’. While this intervention in many ways echoes important existing critiques (Robinson, 2006; Roy, 2009), it is intended to call attention in particular to the need for alternative practices or ways of doing urban and regional research. After identifying metrocentric tendencies, we consider how teaching and research might be (re)oriented both conceptually and methodologically beyond metrocentricity. In making this case, we invoke insights from feminist geographies that view research as embodied work. Valorizing the diverse, situated practices and engagements of a range of actors — including but not limited to academics — is a key starting point for less metrocentric urban and regional studies.

Notre expérience d’enseignement de troisième cycle à Singapour dans le cadre d’un module consacré aux villes planétaires est à l’origine d’une réflexion sur les limites des paradigmes de ville mondiale et ville planétaire. D’autres axes critiques peuvent, selon nous, répondre à une tendance courante dans les sphères anglophones de la recherche urbaine et régionale, tendance que nous appelons ‘métrocentricité’. Par bien des aspects, ce travail fait écho à d’importantes critiques existantes, mais il cherche plus particulièrement à attirer l’attention sur la nécessité de pratiques ou de modes de réalisation différents en matière de recherche sur les villes et les régions. Une fois les tendances métrocentriques identifiées, sont envisagées les possibilités d’orienter ou de réorienter enseignement et recherche sur le plan conceptuel et méthodologique en échappant à cette métrocentricité. Pour exposer cette position, nous rappelons l’éclairage des géographies féministes qui considèrent la recherche comme un travail incorporé. Valoriser la diversité des pratiques et des engagements situés d’un éventail d’acteurs (y compris les chercheurs) constitue un point de départ essentiel pour produire des études urbaines et régionales moins métrocentriques.
Dual effects of nobiletin, a citrus polymethoxy flavone, on catecholamine secretion in cultured bovine adrenal medullary cells
Authors: Zhang Han , Toyohira Yumiko , Ueno Susumu , Shinohara Yuko , Itoh Hideaki , Furuno Yumi , Yamakuni Tohru , Tsutsui Masato , Takahashi Kojiro , Yanagihara Nobuyuki
Published: June 2010

J. Neurochem.(2010)114, 1030–1038.

Nobiletin, a compound of polymethoxy flavones found in citrus fruits, possesses a wide range of pharmacological activities. Here we report the effects of nobiletin on catecholamine secretion in cultured bovine adrenal medullary cells. Nobiletin (1.0–100 μM) concentration‐dependently stimulated catecholamine secretion and45Ca2+influx. Its stimulatory effect of nobiletin on catecholamine secretion was abolished by deprivation of extracellular Ca2+and partially inhibited by specific inhibitors of voltage‐dependent Ca2+channels and Na+/Ca2+exchangers. On the other hand, nobiletin suppressed catecholamine secretion and22Na+and45Ca2+influx induced by acetylcholine, an agonist of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, in a concentration‐dependent manner. It also inhibited catecholamine secretion,22Na+influx and/or45Ca2+influx induced by veratridine, an activator of voltage‐dependent Na+channels, and 56 mM K+, an activator of voltage‐dependent Ca2+channels. InXenopusoocytes expressing α3β4 neuronal acetylcholine receptors, nobiletin directly inhibited the current evoked by acetylcholine in a concentration‐dependent manner similar to that observed in catecholamine secretion. The present findings suggest that nobiletin, by itself, stimulates catecholamine secretion via activation of voltage‐dependent Ca2+channels or Na+/Ca2+exchangers, whereas it inhibits catecholamine secretion induced by acetylcholine through the suppression of Na+influx and Ca2+influx in cultured bovine adrenal medullary cells.
Perinatal risk factors for the neonatal abstinence syndrome in infants born to women on methadone maintenance therapy
Authors: LIU Anthony J.W. , JONES Michael P. , MURRAY Henry , COOK Colleen‐Maree , NANAN Ralph
Published: June 2010

Background:  Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) occurs in more than 50% of infants exposed to intrauterine opiates. Maternal opiate dosing has been investigated with conflicting results.

Aims:  The aims of this study were to correlate maternal methadone dose and other risk factors with the development of NAS requiring pharmacological treatment by using easily accessible clinical parameters.

Methods:  Retrospective medical record review of data from 228 opioid dependent pregnant women who delivered 232 live‐born infants. Logistic regression analysis was performed on maternal, perinatal and neonatal parameters to identify risk factors for NAS requiring treatment. A prediction model was developed and validated on a separate independent cohort of 188 infants.

Results:  Of the 232 infants, 172 (74%) infants were treated for NAS. The risk of withdrawal increased by 17% per 5 mg increment of the last maternal methadone dose. The risk was lower for younger gestational ages and for those delivered by Caesarean section compared to those delivered by normal vaginal delivery. Through predictive modeling, gestational age, mode of delivery and last methadone dose were established as risk factors for withdrawal. The model was validated by other statistical measures and its diagnostic performance confirmed on the separate independent cohort.

Conclusions:  Our data suggests that timing and mode of delivery as well as last maternal methadone dose are significant risk factors for the development of NAS requiring treatment. Based on these clinical parameters, risk stratification for perinatal management of pregnancies associated with opioid dependency and risk prediction for the neonate might now be possible.
Design of a Symmetry Controller for Cycling Induced by Electrical Stimulation: Preliminary Results on Post‐Acute Stroke Patients
Authors: Ambrosini Emilia , Ferrante Simona , Schauer Thomas , Ferrigno Giancarlo , Molteni Franco , Pedrocchi Alessandra
Published: June 2010

This study deals with the design of a controller for cycling induced by functional electrical stimulation. The controller will be exploitable in the rehabilitation of hemiparetic patients who need to recover motor symmetry. It uses the pulse width as the control variable in the stimulation of the two legs in order to nullify the unbalance between the torques produced at the two crank arms. It was validated by means of isokinetic trials performed both by healthy subjects and stroke patients. The results showed that the controller was able to reach, and then maintain, a symmetrical pedaling. In the future, the controller will be validated on a larger number of stroke patients.
Application of Polycaprolactone as an Anti‐Adhesion Biomaterial Film
Authors: Lo Hsien‐Yi , Kuo Hsuan‐Ting , Huang Yi‐You
Published: June 2010

Adhesions are unavoidable consequences of surgery and other trauma. How to prevent the adhesions remains a big issue in healthcare system. The objective of this study is to test the efficacy of polycaprolactone (PCL) films as physical barriers in reducing postoperative intra‐abdominal adhesions in the rat cecum‐abdominal wall model. PCL is quite cheap compared with the agents recently used in the market. The fabrication method is also very easy to perform. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed multiple pores over upper and bottom surfaces but too small to permit cells to migrate from one surface onto another surface. Those pores were proven to be not interconnected. The PCL film did not show any evidence of cytotoxic effects as it did not induce any significant increase in cytoplasmic lactate dehydrogenase release from the NIH3T3 cells that it came in contact with. In animal studies, the PCL films led to fewer adhesions than Seprafilm in rat adhesion model. PCL films were efficacious in reducing postoperative intra‐abdominal adhesion formation in rat cecum‐abdominal wall models.
Disposable MagLev Centrifugal Blood Pump Utilizing a Cone‐Shaped Impeller
Authors: Hijikata Wataru , Sobajima Hideo , Shinshi Tadahiko , Nagamine Yasuyuki , Wada Suguru , Takatani Setsuo , Shimokohbe Akira
Published: June 2010

To enhance the durability and reduce the blood trauma of a conventional blood pump with a cone‐shaped impeller, a magnetically levitated (MagLev) technology has been applied to the BioPump BPX‐80 (Medtronic Biomedicus, Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA), whose impeller is supported by a mechanical bearing. The MagLev BioPump (MagLev BP), which we have developed, has a cone‐shaped impeller, the same as that used in the BPX‐80. The suspension and driving system, which is comprised of two degrees of freedom, radial‐controlled magnetic bearing, and a simply structured magnetic coupling, eliminates any physical contact between the impeller and the housing. To reduce both oscillation of the impeller and current in the coils, the magnetic bearing system utilizes repetitive and zero‐power compensators. In this article, we present the design of the MagLev mechanism, measure the levitational accuracy of the impeller and pressure‐flow curves (head‐quantity [HQ] characteristics), and describe in vitro experiments designed to measure hemolysis. For the flow‐induced hemolysis of the initial design to be reduced, the blood damage index was estimated by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. Stable rotation of the impeller in a prototype MagLev BP from 0 to 2750 rpm was obtained, yielding a flow rate of 5 L/min against a head pressure in excess of 250 mm Hg. Because the impeller of the prototype MagLev BP is levitated without contact, the normalized index of hemolysis was 10% less than the equivalent value with the BPX‐80. The results of the CFD analysis showed that the shape of the outlet and the width of the fluid clearances have a large effect on blood damage. The prototype MagLev BP satisfied the required HQ characteristics (5 L/min, 250 mm Hg) for extracorporeal circulation support with stable levitation of the impeller and showed an acceptable level of hemolysis. The simulation results of the CFD analysis indicated the possibility of further reducing the blood damage of the prototype MagLev BP.
Variations in Aortic Pressure Affect the Mechanics of the Intra‐Aortic Balloon: An In Vitro Investigation
Authors: Biglino Giovanni , Kolyva Christina , Whitehorne Michael , Pepper John R. , Khir Ashraf W.
Published: June 2010

This study aims to investigate the mechanics of the intra‐aortic balloon (IAB) under different aortic pressure (Pao) and inclination (0–75°). Pressure and flow were measured in an artificial aorta during IAB pumping with a frequency of 1:3. Volume displaced toward the “coronary arteries” during inflation (Vprox) and “intra‐aortic” pressure reduction during deflation (Pr) were derived. IAB duration of inflation and deflation was determined with a high‐speed camera visualization. When the aorta was horizontal, Pao raised from 45 mm Hg to 115 mm Hg, Vprox reduced by 18% (25.0 ± 1.0 mL vs. 30.4 ± 1.9 mL) and Pr increased by 117% (106.4 ± 0.3 mm Hg vs. 48.9 ± 0.6 mm Hg). When the aorta was inclined, at low Pao of 45 mm Hg, Vprox was reduced by 30% from 0° to 45° (19.8 ± 2.3 mL vs. 28.3 ±  1.7 mL) and Pr was reduced by 66% (16.5 ± 0.1 mm Hg vs. 48.9 ± 0.6 mm Hg). However, at high Pao of 115 mm Hg, Vprox remained unchanged with increasing angle (20.0 ±  1.0 mL) and Pr was reduced by 24% (80.6 ± 0.8 mm Hg vs. 106.4 ± 0.3 mm Hg). Increasing Pao increased duration of inflation. At low Pao, increasing angle resulted in increasing duration of inflation, but at high Pao, increasing angle had the opposite effect. Duration of deflation generally decreased with Pao and increased with increasing angle. The IAB pump is affected by both Pao and angle, indicating that non‐normotensive patients or patients in the semi‐recumbent position might not receive the full benefits of IAB counterpulsation.
10‐Month‐Olds Visually Anticipate an Outcome Contingent on Their Own Action
Authors: Kenward Ben
Published: June 2010

It is known that young infants can learn to perform an action that elicits a reinforcer, and that they can visually anticipate a predictable stimulus by looking at its location before it begins. Here, in an investigation of the display of these abilities in tandem, I report that 10‐month‐olds anticipate a reward stimulus that they generate through their own action: .5 sec before pushing a button to start a video reward, they increase their rate of gaze shifts to the reward location; and during periods of extinction, reward location gaze shifts correlate with bouts of button pushing. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the infants have an expectation of the outcome of their actions: several alternative hypotheses are ruled out by yoked controls. Such an expectation may, however, be procedural, have minimal content, and is not necessarily sufficient to motivate action.
Learning While Babbling: Prelinguistic Object‐Directed Vocalizations Indicate a Readiness to Learn
Authors: Goldstein Michael H. , Schwade Jennifer , Briesch Jacquelyn , Syal Supriya
Published: June 2010

Two studies illustrate the functional significance of a new category of prelinguistic vocalizing—object‐directed vocalizations (ODVs)—and show that these sounds are connected to learning about words and objects. Experiment 1 tested 12‐month‐old infants’ perceptual learning of objects that elicited ODVs. Fourteen infants’ vocalizations were recorded as they explored novel objects. Infants learned visual features of objects that elicited the most ODVs but not of objects that elicited the fewest vocalizations. Experiment 2 assessed the role of ODVs in learning word–object associations. Forty infants aged 11.5 months played with a novel object and received a label either contingently on an ODV or on a look alone. Only infants who received labels in response to an ODV learned the association. Taken together, the findings suggest that infants’ ODVs signal a state of attention that facilitates learning.
Distributional Phonetic Learning at 10 Months of Age
Authors: Yoshida Katherine A. , Pons Ferran , Maye Jessica , Werker Janet F.
Published: June 2010

Infant phonetic perception reorganizes in accordance with the native language by 10 months of age. One mechanism that may underlie this perceptual change is distributional learning, a statistical analysis of the distributional frequency of speech sounds. Previous distributional learning studies have tested infants of 6–8 months, an age at which native phonetic categories have not yet developed. Here, three experiments test infants of 10 months to help illuminate perceptual ability following perceptual reorganization. English‐learning infants did not change discrimination in response to nonnative speech sound distributions from either a voicing distinction (Experiment 1) or a place‐of‐articulation distinction (Experiment 2). In Experiment 3, familiarization to the place‐of‐articulation distinction was doubled to increase the amount of exposure, and in this case infants began discriminating the sounds. These results extend the processes of distributional learning to a new phonetic contrast, and reveal that at 10 months of age, distributional phonetic learning remains effective, but is more difficult than before perceptual reorganization.
Poetics of Memory: In Defence of Literary Experimentation with Holocaust Survivor Testimony
Authors: Rapport Frances , Hartill Graham
Published: June 2010

This article defends literary experimentation through poetics, suggesting it is both valid and powerful for re‐presenting social data. The article concentrates on methodological debates surrounding the use of poetics in social science studies, contextualizing the theoretical with exemplars taken from a study of Holocaust survivors' life stories that aimed to clarify whether notions of health and well‐being were in evidence in survivor testimony. In so doing, the article raises an interesting question: “What happens when a poet and a qualitative health researcher work on the same sections of transcribed text?” The article argues for the value of poetics as a working method with oral histories of this kind, suggesting its major strength is to uphold processes of personal transformation via layers of differently mediated dialogue: between participant and researcher, researcher and reader, and the like. The article concludes with a discussion of how poetics might be useful to support others' research studies.
Magical Thinking
Authors: Mulcahy Joanne B.
Published: June 2010

Based on 20 years of fieldwork and friendship with a Mexican curandera, the author blends ethnographic writing and creative nonfiction to explore the work of Eva Castellanoz of Nyssa, Oregon.1 The article describes a healing the author witnessed at Eva's home, possible outcomes for the client, the future of Mexican healing in the United States, and a different view of the “magical thinking” that critics use to dismiss curanderismo.
Massive hepatic haemorrhage caused by anabolic steroid‐induced peliosis hepatis: Successful treatment by radiofrequency ablation
Authors: Garofalo Fabio , Vandoni Riccardo E. , Guerra Adriano , Alerci Mario , Crippa Stefano , Gertsch Philippe
Published: June 2010

Peliosis hepatis is an uncommon condition of unknown origin characterized by multiple blood‐filled cystic spaces of varying size, focally or diffusely distributed in the liver parenchyma. Spontaneous haemorrhage is a significant complication with a high rate of mortality. We report the case of a massive spontaneous hepatic haemorrhage due to peliosis hepatis in a body builder, who had taken under‐the‐counter anabolic‐androgenic steroids (AAS) for the previous 15 years. Our patient was admitted with a 6‐hour history of right upper quadrant abdominal pain. Radiological investigations showed a large haematoma and small hypodense foci in the right lobe of the liver, the largest communicating with the haematoma. By laparotomy, the bleeding peliotic cavity was localized in the posterior aspect of the eighth hepatic segment. The definitive haemostasis was obtained after repeated laparotomy using radiofrequency‐induced thermo‐coagulation of the peliotic cavity. Histology confirmed the presence of peliosis hepatis. Radiofrequency is a potential treatment for a cataclysmic hepatic haemorrhage in peliosis hepatis. To our knowledge, haemostasis by radiofrequency of a bleeding peliotic lesion has not yet been described.
New partial splenectomy technique using radiofrequency ablation technology
Authors: Karadayi Kursat , Turan Mustafa , Sen Metin
Published: June 2010

The present case is of a patient undergoing radiofrequency‐assisted partial splenectomy. A 48‐year‐old man was found to have a hydatic cyst in the superior pole of the spleen. A six in‐line needle radiofrequency probe was applied to the spleen. The division of the splenic parenchyma was completed with a surgical scalpel through the midline of the ablated tissue. There was no bleeding. This procedure may reduce the number of splenectomies and the amount of blood transfusion required.