bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pioglitazone decreases postprandial accumulation of remnant lipoproteins in insulin‐resistant smokers
Authors: Abbasi F. , Lamendola C. , Leary E. T. , Reaven G. M.
Published: May 2009

Background:  Fasting hypertriglyceridaemia has been reported to occur commonly in cigarette smokers and is thought to increase cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in these individuals. More recently, it has been suggested that an increase in non‐fasting triglycerides, rather than fasting hypertriglyceridaemia, is an independent CVD risk factor.

Methods:  In this study, we divided 24 smokers into insulin‐resistant (IR) and insulin‐sensitive (IS) groups by determining their steady‐state plasma glucose concentrations during the insulin suppression test and compared fasting and daylong postprandial accumulation of total triglycerides and remnant lipoprotein (RLP) concentrations, before and after 3 months of pioglitazone (PIO) administration.

Results:  The two groups were similar in age, body mass index, race and gender distribution, but differed dramatically in insulin sensitivity. Baseline fasting and postprandial triglyceride, RLP cholesterol and RLP triglyceride concentrations were significantly higher in the IR smokers (p = 0.01 to <0.01). Insulin sensitivity and both fasting and postprandial triglyceride and RLP triglyceride levels decreased significantly (p = 0.05 to <0.01) in PIO‐treated IR smokers, without any significant increase in weight. In contrast, there were no significant changes in either insulin sensitivity or fasting and postprandial triglyceride, RLP cholesterol and RLP triglyceride levels in PIO‐treated IS smokers.

Conclusions:  The postprandial accumulation of RLP particles is increased in the IR subset of smokers and is likely to contribute to the increased CVD risk in these individuals. Furthermore, PIO administration provides a possible therapeutic approach to decreasing postprandial lipaemia and CVD risk in IR smokers who are unwilling or unable to stop smoking.
Twice‐daily dosing of a repaglinide/metformin fixed‐dose combination tablet provides glycaemic control comparable to rosiglitazone/metformin tablet
Authors: Raskin P. , Lewin A. , Reinhardt R. , Lyness W. ,   for the Repaglinide/Metformin Fixed‐Dose Combination Study Group
Published: May 2009

Aim: To assess the use of a new repaglinide/metformin fixed‐dose combination (FDC) tablet for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Methods: In this 26‐week, multicentre, open‐label, parallel‐group trial, subjects poorly controlled with mono‐ or dual‐oral antidiabetic therapy were randomized 1 : 1 : 1 to receive a repaglinide/metformin FDC tablet either two times daily (BID) or three times daily (TID) or a rosiglitazone/metformin FDC tablet BID. The primary objective comprised two hypotheses tested in a hierarchical order: (i) that treatment with the repaglinide/metformin FDC BID is non‐inferior to that of a rosiglitazone/metformin FDC tablet BID as measured by changes in haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) (results presented here) and (ii) if true, that treatment with the repaglinide/metformin FDC BID was non‐inferior to that of the repaglinide/metformin FDC TID as measured by changes in HbA1c (results presented in a companion paper). Additional efficacy and safety end‐points were also assessed.

Results: Of the 561 subjects randomized, 383 completed the study. Reductions in HbA1c values became apparent at earlier times for repaglinide/metformin FDC BID treatment than rosiglitazone/metformin FDC BID, and final changes in HbA1c were not significantly different between treatment arms (p = 0.8186); thus, the predefined statistical criterion for non‐inferiority was met. Overall adverse event profiles were comparable between treatment groups, and no major hypoglycaemic episodes were reported during the study.

Conclusions: The repaglinide/metformin FDC BID regimen showed efficacy that was non‐inferior to that of the rosiglitazone/metformin FDC BID regimen currently in clinical use and a more rapid reduction of HbA1c values. Thus, repaglinide/metformin FDC BID is a clinically feasible alternative to rosiglitazone/metformin FDC BID.
Strategies to prevent type 1 diabetes
Authors: Thrower S. L. , Bingley P. J.
Published: May 2009

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune condition resulting from T cell–mediated destruction of the insulin‐producing cells in the islets of Langerhans. Its primary cause remains unknown, but it has been established that the clinical presentation is preceded by a long prodrome. This enables individuals at high risk of disease to be identified and offers the possibility of intervention to prevent clinical disease. Many groups are working in this field, concentrating on manipulation of environmental exposures that are potential triggers of autoimmunity and on immunomodulation strategies that aim to prevent destruction of β‐cells. Some interventions have shown promising results in early trials, but effective disease prevention remains elusive. This article reviews current progress in the field.
Regulation and the Role of Trust: Reflections from the Mining Industry
Authors: Gunningham Neil , Sinclair Darren
Published: May 2009

The role of prosecution in achieving compliance with social regulation is a highly contentious issue, nowhere more so than with regard to work‐related injury and death in the New South Wales mining industry. Following a mining disaster, political pressure prompted the mines inspectorate to abandon its traditional ‘advise and persuade’ approach in favour of a much tougher, deterrence‐oriented approach. Our field‐work suggests that while the former approach can result in regulatory capture, the latter can be equally counterproductive. In the mining industry, interactions between inspectors and the regulated industry are frequent and ongoing and trust is central to constructive relations. When those relations break down (as under an inappropriate prosecution policy) then dialogue ceases, information is withheld rather than shared, in‐firm accident investigation, prevention, and remedial action are inhibited and both sides retreat to a form of adversarialism that undermines regulatory effectiveness. Through a 20‐year case study of the mines inspectorate, the article demonstrates the centrality of trust to regulatory effectiveness, how it can be lost, and how it can best be regained.
After Dark and Out in the Cold: Part‐time Law Students and the Myth of ‘Equivalency’
Authors: Francis Andrew , McDonald Iain
Published: May 2009

This paper presents the findings of the first major research study of part‐time law students. It argues that many face multiple disadvantages, largely unrecognized by universities, whose emphasis on the formal equivalency of part‐time and full‐time law degrees ignores the distinctive backgrounds and needs of part‐time students. As a result, many are marginalized, impacting on their retention, overall performance, and work prospects. It is also argued that the context within which part‐time law students experience legal education contributes to a collective habitus which may structure what is ‘thinkable’ for their futures. Such concerns are of particular importance given the strong vocational drive amongst part‐time law students. An effective response requires action by both universities and the legal profession. Without this, part‐time legal education will remain a fundamentally paradoxical experience, offering broader access to legal practice for non‐traditional entrants, while continuing to inhibit their chances of success by entrenching their difference in the eyes of the profession.
Community Consultation in Victorian Local Government: A Case of Mixing Metaphors?
Authors: Brackertz Nicola , Meredyth Denise
Published: May 2009

This article draws on a three‐year collaborative research project investigating how community consultation is practised by Victorian councils, especially in relation to multiple publics and groups that councils can find ‘hard to reach’. Based on an analysis of consultation documents, this article looks at councils’ understanding of community consultation and underlying assumptions, the expected outcomes and how this is translated into guidance for practice. The research demonstrates that councils aim to consult to provide a range of outcomes, but there is a lack of clarity about how to choose and use the appropriate combination of consultation tool(s) and public(s) to facilitate these. Councils are also unclear about how the outcomes of consultation feed into existing decision‐making processes and the implications of this for democratic legitimacy. This is in part due to the fact that the conceptual tensions around consultation and the democratic process are apparent not so much by virtue of what is said about them, but of what is not said. The article begins by outlining the conceptual and definitional problems associated with consultation using typologies of public participation. We investigate how typologies inform the consultation documents developed by councils and in how far they support practice. We then address the need to involve multiple publics and the vexed issue of who is hard to reach and why they should be consulted.
Community not the Councillors: A Study of Commitment of Australian Senior Council Officers Working under a Politicised Employment Relationship
Authors: Haidar Ali , Spooner Keri
Published: May 2009

Council officers as public managers are expected to work for the community. Yet, it has been argued that council officers working under a politicised employment relationship are likely to be more committed to the elected councillors than to the community. This proposition has been examined through a survey of senior council officers across Australia and the results are presented in this article. This study develops an analytical approach which combines for the first time the multi‐focus and the multiple bases of managerial commitment approaches, applies this to the case of Australian local government managers and finds that although most senior council officers perceive that their employment is politicised they remain committed to the community. Based upon these findings, it is argued that a conceptual framework utilising a combined multi‐focus and multiple bases approach is more appropriate to the study of commitment of local government managers and to managers in the public sector in general than the use of either approach alone.
Voluntary Narrative Disclosures by Local Governments: A Comparative Analysis of the Textual Complexity of Mayoral and Chairpersons’ Letters in Annual Reports
Authors: Clarke Daniel P. , Hrasky Sue L. , Tan Caroline G.T.
Published: May 2009

Research on local government annual reports has been limited, particularly in relation to report narratives. This study aims to determine whether characteristics of narratives vary between the reports of local governments and listed companies. After considering the nature of the potential report audiences it was predicted that, if writers consider their audience, local government report narratives would be easier to read, less likely to be obfuscated, and use fewer passive sentences than those in corporate reports. The results suggest that mayoral letters exhibit higher reading ease and are less likely to be obfuscated than their corporate counterparts but they are also shorter and contain more passive constructions, making conclusions about readability and understandability ambiguous. This research acquaints readers with important aspects to consider when preparing or evaluating narrative reports.
Participation in the Budgetary Process in Local Government
Authors: Kluvers Ron , Pillay Soma
Published: May 2009

Direct democracy is seen as a means of reengaging citizens in the political process. However, it is a contested concept that requires further development by being grounded in a specific context. This article reports on research undertaken in Victorian local government where the New Public Management (NPM) has been in evidence for a number of decades which according to the literature has impacted on accountability to the broader community. The possibility of consultation and citizen participation in the local government budgetary process was examined. The results reported suggest that participation in the budgetary decisions in local government is possible.
The Precautionary Principle as a Device for Greater Environmental Protection: Lessons from EC Courts
Authors: De Sadeleer Nicolas
Published: May 2009

Given that the precautionary principle has never been defined in the EC Treaty, the EC jurisdictions have been playing a key role in determining the status as well as the scope of that principle. Although scholars have hitherto been paying heed to the case law on food safety, the literature has become a little thinner when one considers environmental case law. This article attempts to set the scene to explain how the precautionary principle can be invoked in different judiciary procedures at the EU level.
The Precautionary Principle and the Ecosystem Approach in International Law: Differences, Similarities and Linkages
Authors: Trouwborst Arie
Published: May 2009

The precautionary principle and the ecosystem approach are often mentioned in one breath. This article explores the differences, similarities and relationship between the two concepts. In a comparative and integrated assessment, it addresses, among other things, the purpose, core elements and status of the precautionary principle and the ecosystem approach under international law, the role of scientific information in their application, and the management actions associated with their implementation.
Spatial Topology and its Structural Analysis based on the Concept of Simplicial Complex
Authors: Jiang Bin , Omer Itzhak
Published: May 2009

This paper introduces a model that identifies spatial relationships for structural analysis based on the concept of simplicial complex. The spatial relationships are identified through overlapping two map layers, namely a primary layer and a contextual layer. The identified spatial relationships are represented as a simplical complex, in which simplices and vertices, respectively, represent two layers of objects. The model relies on the simplical complex for structural representation and analysis. To quantify structural properties of individual primary objects (or equivalently simplices), and the simplicial complex as a whole, we define a set of centrality measures by considering multidimensional chains of connectivity, i.e. the number of contextual objects shared by a pair of primary objects. With the model, the interaction and relationships with a geographic system are modeled from both local and global perspectives. The structural properties and modeling capabilities are illustrated by a simple example and a case study applied to the structural analysis of an urban system.
Work‐sharing During the Great Depression: Did the ‘President's Reemployment Agreement’ Promote Reemployment?
Authors: TAYLOR JASON E.
Published: May 2009

The President's Reemployment Agreement (PRA) of 1933 directed firms to reduce workweeks during the Great Depression so existing jobs could be spread into additional employment opportunities. Similar ‘work‐sharing’ policies have recently been implemented across Europe in hopes of reducing unemployment. I find that, ceteris paribus, the work‐sharing aspects of the PRA created nearly 2.5 million new employment opportunities in around four months. However, the programme also required firms to raise hourly wage rates, offsetting close to half of these gains. Furthermore, most of the remaining employment gains were wiped out after cartel‐oriented industry‐specific codes of fair competition supplanted the PRA.
Changing Art: SoHo, Chelsea and the Dynamic Geography of Galleries in New York City
Authors: MOLOTCH HARVEY , TRESKON MARK
Published: May 2009

We examine New York's SoHo and Chelsea districts for evidence of how art and place interact over time. More specifically, we trace the decline of New York's SoHo as a gallery district and the concomitant rise of nearby Chelsea, concluding that such a transition cannot simply be explained, as it usually is, by rises in property rents that ‘force out’ the art. Of equal significance, and following a different trajectory, is the change in art prices — particularly for the kind of art with which these places have been in reciprocal relation. A final factor in determining neighborhood fates is how difficult or easy it is to reassemble social scenes from one place to another. We show how artifact specifics, including their shape, form and aesthetic appeal, conjoin with property markets and scene sociality to affect urban morphology.

Dans le cadre des recherches consacrées aux liens entre économie créative et processus urbains, cet article s'intéresse à la manière dont art et lieu interagissent sur le long terme dans les quartiers new‐yorkais de Soho et Chelsea. Plus précisément, il retrace le déclin de Soho en tant que haut‐lieu des galeries et l'ascension simultanée du quartier voisin de Chelsea devenu un marché d'art. On ne peut se contenter de l'explication habituelle de cette transition, selon laquelle l'augmentation des loyers a ‘expulsé’ l'art. Sur un même plan, quoique sur un axe différent, se trouve l'évolution du prix des œuvres – en particulier dans le type d'art auquel ces lieux ont été associés réciproquement –, évolution qui se reflète sur l'occupation des terrains. Ce qui influe également sur le destin de ces quartiers est la plus ou moins grande difficultéà reconstituer les scènes sociales d'un lieu à l'autre. L'article montre comment les spécificités des objets d'art, qu'il s'agisse de leur valeur financière ou de leur forme, se combinent aux marchés immobiliers et à la nature sociale des scènes pour modifier la morphologie urbaine.
The alkaline pH‐adapted skin barrier is disrupted severely by SLS‐induced irritation
Authors: Kim E. , Kim S. , Nam G. W. , Lee H. , Moon S. , Chang I.
Published: May 2009

Synopsis

The pH of the healthy skin is 5.5 and maintained by many regulatory mechanisms. The pH of the skin care product we use on a daily basis can have an influence on the skin properties. To investigate how the physical properties of skin change after the alkaline or acidic pH of the skin care products are applied on the skin for a long term, we adjusted the pH of the skin care products to 3, 5 and 8 (A, B, C), with glycolic acid and triethanolamine. For 5 weeks the skin care products were applied on 20 healthy subjects’ ventral forearm and the skin physical properties were measured. After 5 weeks, skin responses to the external stress of 1% (w/v) SLS (sodium lauryl sulphate) irritation and erythema by UV were measured. Skin colour and skin UV response were not altered by the pH. However, on the C‐applied site (pH 8) the transepidermal water loss of stratum corneum (SC) increased significantly, the water content increased and desquamation decreased, respectively, and the SLS significantly impaired the skin barrier in comparison with other sites. The alkaline skin care product impaired the skin barrier after repeated application over 5‐week period and the skin barrier was disrupted severely by 1% SLS exposure because SC was already impaired by alkaline pH and sensitive to external stress. This suggests that the pH of daily skin care products is very important for skin barrier homeostasis.
Determination of tocopheryl acetate and ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate in cosmetic formulations by HPLC
Authors: Almeida M. M. , Alves J. M. P. , Patto D. C. S. , Lima C. R. R. C. , Quenca‐Guillen J. S. , Santoro M. I. R. M. , Kedor‐Hackmann E. R. M.
Published: May 2009

Synopsis

A rapid HPLC method was developed for the assay of tocopheryl acetate and ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate in cosmetic formulations. The validated method was applied for quantitative determination of these vitamins in simulated emulsion formulation. Samples were analysed directly on a RP‐18 reverse phase column with UV detection at 222 nm. A mixture of methanol and isopropanol (25 : 75 v/v) was used as mobile phase. The retention time of tocopheryl acetate and ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate were 3.0 min and 5.9 min, respectively. Recovery was between 95% and 104%. In addition, the excipients did not interfere in the analysis. The method is simple, reproducible, selective and is suitable for routine analyses of commercial products.
Improvement of facial skin characteristics using copper oxide containing pillowcases: a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, parallel, randomized study
Authors: Borkow G. , Gabbay J. , Lyakhovitsky A. , Huszar M.
Published: May 2009

Synopsis

Copper plays a key role in several processes of skin formation and regeneration. Copper has been shown to be absorbed through intact skin. We hypothesized that sleeping on fabrics containing copper‐impregnated fibres would have a positive cosmetic effect on the skin. The aim of this study was to confirm our hypothesis. A 4‐week, double blind, parallel, randomized study was carried out in which 57 volunteers aged 40–60 years used either copper oxide containing pillowcases (0.4% weight/weight) or control pillowcases not containing copper. Photographs were taken by a professional photographer of each participant at the beginning of the study and at 2 and 4 weeks after the commencement of the study. Two expert graders (a dermatologist and a cosmetologist) evaluated the pictures for the effect on several cosmetic facial skin characteristics. The copper‐containing pillowcases had a positive effect for the following facial characteristics: reduction of wrinkles (P < 0.001) and crow’s feet/fine lines (P < 0.001) and improvement of general appearance (P < 0.001) at both 2 and 4 weeks. The differences were statistically significant (Wilcoxon scores and chi‐squared tests). Consistent sleeping for 4 weeks on copper oxide containing pillowcases caused a significant reduction in the appearance of facial wrinkles and crow’s feet/fine lines and significant improvement in the appearance of facial skin. In most trial participants, this effect was already noticeable within 2 weeks of using the copper oxide containing pillowcases.
The right to be heard and to be understood: a conceptual framework for consumer protection in emerging economies
Authors: Donoghue Suné , De Klerk Helena M.
Published: May 2009

In many emerging economies and developing countries, comprising consumers from different cultures and with varying degrees of sophistication (knowledge and skill) concerning consumer protection, the promotion of consumers' rights to develop a consumer‐oriented culture remains a very big challenge. One way of protecting the consumer, especially the consumer that has not been fully socialized to execute informed decisions when purchasing expensive durables, is by establishing a redress environment that would ensure fair redress as well as an understanding and appreciation of the consumer. Manufacturers and retailers are often not aware of the performance failures that consumers experience concerning their products because many people do not communicate their dissatisfactions to them. However, unless and until manufacturers and retailers fully comprehend their customers' complaint behaviour, their reasons for engaging in specific complaint behaviour and the reasoning (cognitive processes) and emotional processes behind their behaviour, they will not recognize the link between complaint handling and customer loyalty and profits.

The purpose of this paper was to develop a theoretical conceptual framework that would enable consumer scientists, consumer consultants, consumer behaviour researchers and those with the responsibility of handling consumer complaints to explore and understand consumer complaint behaviour in its entirety. We argue that, to be able to establish and manage a redress environment that is characterized by an understanding of the specific consumer as well as by effective complaint behaviour handling, it is of the utmost importance that the manufacturer, retailer, consumer consultant and all those that work with consumers' complaints understand the entire complaint process, including the underlying cognitive and emotional processes as well as the consumer's post‐complaint perception of justice and his/her satisfaction with the complaint handling. It is also important to understand the role that consumer‐, product‐ and redress environment‐related variables play in consumer complaint behaviour. The consumer who blames the retailer for the problem and who probably feels angry about the situation and decides to complain will expect redress. From a consumer's viewpoint, complaint‐related justice is, however, not only a matter of economic calculus but also a matter of procedure and interaction. We therefore argue for a holistic approach where consumer complaint behaviour is addressed in its entirety. Practical suggestions that could enhance customer satisfaction are given for manufacturers, retailers and those who deal with consumers' complaints.
Fostering nursing students’ use of ethical theory and decision‐making models: teaching strategies
Authors: Garity Joan
Published: May 2009

Nurses, including students, continue to report moral distress when facing ethical dilemmas in the clinical setting. Some nurses have even expressed wanting to leave the profession because of their frustration, fatigue and lack of power in this area. One of the possible reasons for this may lie in the type of educational preparation they have received to confidently analyse and successfully resolve ethical dilemmas. This manuscript describes the ethics content of an integrated ethics, legal and health policy course in the nursing curriculum of a large urban university. Teaching strategies such as discussion questions, case studies, ethical decision‐making models and debate will be illustrated. Data from student course evaluations are provided. The influence of external agencies such as the American Nurses Association, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing on the development of ethical content in nursing curriculums is discussed. Future research directions are suggested.
Between ideology and social representations: Four theses plus (a new) one on the relevance and the meaning of the political left and right
Authors: CORBETTA PIERGIORGIO , CAVAZZA NICOLETTA , ROCCATO MICHELE
Published: May 2009

This study analyses the relevance and the meaning given by Italians to the political labels ‘left’ and ‘right’ between 1975 and 2006. Based on responses to the open‐ended question ‘What do you mean by “left/right” in politics?’, the study compares five alternative hypotheses on the meaning of the left‐right axis and show that, despite the alleged end of ideologies, the relevance of the axis has increased over time. A core of abstract meanings persists throughout the thirty‐year period considered. As the importance of abstract meanings has increased over time, reference to more concrete contents (such as ‘parties’ and ‘leaders’) has decreased. The findings thus support the hypothesis that the left‐right axis has the functional characteristics of social representations.
Party government in Europe? Parliamentary and semi‐presidential democracies compared
Authors: SCHLEITER PETRA , MORGAN‐JONES EDWARD
Published: May 2009

Control over government portfolios is the key to power over policy and patronage, and it is commonly understood to lie with parties in European democracies. However, since the democratic transitions of the 1990s, Europe has had nearly equal numbers of parliamentary and semi‐presidential regimes, and there is evidence that the ability of parties to control government posts in these two regime types differs. As yet, political scientists have a limited understanding of the scale and causes of these differences. In this article a principal‐agent theoretical explanation is proposed. Data are examined on 28 parliamentary and semi‐presidential democracies in Europe that shows that differences in party control over government portfolios cannot be understood without reference to the underlying principal‐agent relationships between voters, elected politicians and governments that characterise Europe's semi‐presidential and parliamentary regimes.
Actor alignments in the European Union before and after enlargement
Authors: THOMSON ROBERT
Published: May 2009

What impact has the 2004 enlargement had on legislative decision making in the European Union (EU)? This study answers this question by examining the controversies raised by a broad selection of legislative proposals from before and after the 2004 enlargement. The analyses focus on the alignments of decision‐making actors found on those controversies. Member State representatives, the European Commission and the European Parliament vary considerably in the positions they take on controversial issues before and after enlargement. Consistent patterns in actor alignments are found for only a minority of controversial issues. To the extent that consistent patterns are found, the most common involve differences in the positions of Northern and Southern Member States and old and new Member States. The North‐South alignment was more common in the EU‐15 and reflected Northern Member States' preference for low levels of regulatory intervention. The new‐old alignment that has been evident in the post‐2004 EU reflects new Member States' preference for higher levels of financial subsidies. This study argues that the persistent diversity in actor alignments contributes to the EU's capacity to cope with enlargement.
Spheres of trust: An empirical analysis of the foundations of particularised and generalised trust
Authors: FREITAG MARKUS , TRAUNMÜLLER RICHARD
Published: May 2009

While the literature on trust has produced various conceptual models, there is also some confusion concerning different types of trust and their formation. In this article, three contested points are empirically clarified. First, are there really different forms of trust as much of the literature suggests? Second, if so, then how are these different types of trust related to each other? Third, what are the foundations of these different forms of trust? Relying on data from the German Socio‐Economic Panel, it is concluded that two types of trust can be empirically identified: an intimate trust in people close to the truster, as well as an abstract trust in people in general. Although these types of trust constitute separate dimensions, they are positively related to each other. Furthermore, this article challenges the widely held assumption that experiences are most relevant for particularised trust, while generalised trust is based on psychological predispositions. It is argued instead for a sphere‐specific logic of trust formation: It is the radius of experiences and predispositions that matters for the radius of trust. Finally, the analysis goes beyond the existing research by highlighting hitherto unknown conditions under which trust in familiar domains is more or less likely to extend to generalised trust.
Immune mechanisms in heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia: no evidence for immunoglobulin M anti‐idiotype antibodies
Authors: Selleng Kathleen , Warkentin Theodore E. , Sheppard Jo‐Ann I. , Greinacher Andreas
Published: May 2009

BACKGROUND: Heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), which is caused by platelet (PLT)‐activating immunoglobulin (Ig)G antibodies against platelet factor 4 (PF4)/heparin complexes, differs from other immune responses seen in immunohematology: IgG antibodies are formed as early as 5 days even without previous heparin exposure; antibodies are remarkably transient (<100 days); HIT is more frequent in postsurgery patients compared with medical patients despite administering the same type and dose of heparin; and increasing evidence implicates autoantibody‐like reactivity of anti‐PF4/heparin antibodies. We hypothesized that these unusual features could be caused by loss of regulatory anti‐idiotype IgM antibodies due to disturbance (e.g., by surgery) of an idiotype–anti‐idiotype network.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Sera were obtained prospectively before heparin administration and during the immunization phase of HIT and also from patients with previous HIT after waning of antibodies to nondetectable levels. To detect inhibitory IgM anti‐idiotype antibodies, we performed serum coincubation experiments and IgG purification by protein G and size filtration to exclude coprecipitating IgM. Sera (n = 3) containing known anti‐PF4/heparin IgG or IgM antibodies and normal sera (n = 20) were processed as controls.

RESULTS: Fifteen preimmune response sera (seroconverting in the PF4/heparin‐IgG enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay only [n = 4] or additionally in a PLT activation assay [n = 5] or in both assays plus thrombosis [n = 6]) and four sera of previously immunized patients were included. Neither did the neat sera inhibit binding of anti‐PF4/heparin antibodies nor did the purified IgG fractions show enhanced binding to PF4/heparin complexes.

CONCLUSION: The atypical immunologic features of HIT do not appear to be caused by disruption of an idiotype (IgG)–anti‐idiotype (IgM) network.
Sterilization of platelet concentrates at production scale by irradiation with short‐wave ultraviolet light
Authors: Mohr Harald , Gravemann Ute , Bayer Anette , Müller Thomas H.
Published: May 2009

BACKGROUND: Bacterial contamination of platelet concentrates (PCs) is recognized as a serious threat to transfusion safety. We developed a simple method for sterilization of PCs with short‐wave ultraviolet light (UVC). The effects of treatment on the sterility of contaminated PCs and in vitro platelet (PLT) variables were evaluated.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Plasma‐reduced PCs were prepared from pools of five buffy coats. Irradiation with UVC (wavelength, 254 nm) under vigorous agitation was from both sides of the irradiation bags. Kinetics of the inactivation of Bacillus cereus, Propionibacterium acnes, and Staphylococcus epidermidis were determined. PCs spiked with approximately 10 to 100 colony‐forming units (CFUs)/mL of 10 bacteria species (n = 12/species) were irradiated with UVC doses between 0.25 and 0.4 J/cm2 and tested for sterility by a commercially available bacterial detection system (BacT/ALERT, bioMérieux) after storage at 22°C for 3 or 6 days. The influence of a dose of 0.3 J/cm2 on PLT variables was investigated on Days 1, 4, and 6 after irradiation.

RESULTS: At 0.3 J/cm2 all bacteria species tested were inactivated by more than 4 log. At this dose the influence of UVC on in vitro PLT variables was marginal; the storage stability for up to 6 days after treatment was maintained. PCs spiked with approximately 10 to 100 CFUs/mL were reproducibly sterilized in the dose range tested. In individual experiments with the spore former B. cereus, PCs were, however, unsterile after treatment.

CONCLUSION: Irradiation at UVC doses not detrimental to in vitro PLT variables sterilizes PCs contaminated with a wide range of different bacteria species.
Are citrus species favorable hosts for the Mediterranean fruit fly? A demographic perspective
Authors: Papachristos Dimitrios P. , Papadopoulos Nikos T.
Published: May 2009

We studied, under laboratory conditions, demographic parameters of adult Mediterranean fruit flies,Ceratitis capitata(Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae) (medfly), obtained from three sweet orange varieties, lemon, and bitter oranges. These data were combined with immature developmental rates and survival on the same hosts to estimate host‐specific population parameters. Pairs of newly emerged adults from each citrus variety were held individually in transparent plastic cages, and females were allowed to oviposit in either red domes (artificial, pre‐punctured plastic oviposition devices), or intact, whole citrus fruits. We found strong effects of larval host (citrus fruits) on adult longevity and fecundity. In all five citrus varieties, females did not manage to deposit eggs into fruit pulp. The proportion of eggs laid in either the flavedo or albedo area of the fruit peel differed depending on the citrus variety. In all cases except bitter oranges, females oviposited fewer eggs in citrus fruits than in the artificial oviposition substrates, suggesting that most citrus fruits cause a significant reduction in the reproductive potential of medflies. Negative correlations were found between fecundity and (a) the density of oil glands, and (b) the amount of essential oils in the flavedo area of citrus fruits. There was no correlation between fecundity and other fruit physical characteristics, such as resistance of fruit peel to pressure and thickness of the flavedo. Apparently, resistance of citrus fruits to medfly infestation is directly related to citrus essential oils. The intrinsic rate of increase (r) was higher in bitter oranges than in the three sweet orange varieties tested. A negative r was estimated for flies that developed and oviposited in lemons, indicating a tendency for population decrease in this host. The suitability of citrus fruits for medfly development and the practical implications of our findings for management of medflies in citrus orchards are discussed.
Host‐plant mediated interactions between two aphid species
Authors: Brunissen Laurence , Cherqui Anas , Pelletier Yvan , Vincent Charles , Giordanengo Philippe
Published: May 2009

Herbivory induces numerous defence reactions in plants, which can in turn alter the plant quality for insects. The potato aphid, Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas), and the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (both Hemiptera: Aphididae), are two important sympatric potato pests in northern France. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a previous infestation of a potato plant, Solanum tuberosum L. (Solanaceae), by M. persicae or M. euphorbiae on the host attractiveness, feeding behaviour, and biological performance of M. euphorbiae subsequently colonising the plant. The preference of aphids was studied with a dual‐choice olfactometer and their feeding behaviour was monitored using the electrical penetration graph technique. Their biological performance was assessed by an in planta bioassay. Non‐infested plants were significantly more attractive to M. euphorbiae than plants pre‐infested by conspecific individuals. Aphids showed a strong reduction in the time spent ingesting phloem sap when feeding on pre‐infested plants. The biological performance of M. euphorbiae was not affected by previous conspecific infestation. Conversely, M. euphorbiae feeding behaviour was not affected on plants previously infested by M. persicae but aphids were more attracted to and had a faster population build‐up on those plants. Our results show that plant response and its effect on M. euphorbiae differed depending on the aphid species previously feeding on the potato plant. This variability in plant response could lead to competition or facilitation between aphids temporally and spatially separated, and promote dispersal under field conditions.
Gender differences in bipolar disorder type I and II
Authors: Suominen K. , Mantere O. , Valtonen H. , Arvilommi P. , Leppämäki S. , Isometsä E.
Published: May 2009

Objective:  We investigated gender differences in bipolar disorder (BD) type I and II in a representative cohort of secondary care psychiatric in‐ and out‐patients.

Method:  In the prospective, naturalistic Jorvi Bipolar Study of 191 secondary care psychiatric in‐ and out‐patients, 160 patients (85.1%) could be followed up for 18 months with a life chart.

Results:  After adjusting for confounders, no marked differences in illness‐related characteristics were found. However, female patients with BD had more lifetime comorbid eating disorders (P < 0.001, OR = 5.99, 95% CI 2.12–16.93) but less substance use disorders (P < 0.001, OR = 0.29, 95% CI 0.16–0.56) than males. Median time to recurrence after remission was 3.1 months longer among men than women, female gender carrying a higher hazard of recurrence (P = 0.006, HR = 2.00, 95% CI 1.22–3.27).

Conclusion:  Men and women with type I and II BD have fairly similar illness‐related clinical characteristics, but their profile of comorbid disorders may differ significantly, particularly regarding substance use and eating disorders. In medium‐term follow‐up, females appear to have a higher hazard of recurrence than males.
Unidirectional startle responses and disrupted left–right co‐ordination of motor behaviors in robo3 mutant zebrafish
Authors: Burgess H. A. , Johnson S. L. , Granato M.
Published: May 2009

The Roundabout (Robo) family of receptors and their Slit ligands play well‐established roles in axonal guidance, including in humans where horizontal gaze palsy with progressive scoliosis (HGPPS) is caused by mutations in the robo3 gene. Although significant progress has been made toward understanding the mechanism by which Robo receptors establish commissural projections in the central nervous system, less is known about how these projections contribute to neural circuits mediating behavior. In this study, we report cloning of the zebrafish behavioral mutant twitch twice and show that twitch twice encodes robo3. We show that in mutant hindbrains the axons of an identified pair of neurons, the Mauthner cells, fail to cross the midline. The Mauthner neurons are essential for the startle response, and in twitch twice/robo3 mutants misguidance of the Mauthner axons results in a unidirectional startle response. Moreover, we show that twitch twice mutants exhibit normal visual acuity but display defects in horizontal eye movements, suggesting a specific and critical role for twitch twice/robo3 in sensory‐guided behavior.
A spontaneous mutation of the Wwox gene and audiogenic seizures in rats with lethal dwarfism and epilepsy
Authors: Suzuki H. , Katayama K. , Takenaka M. , Amakasu K. , Saito K. , Suzuki K.
Published: May 2009

The lde/lde rat is characterized by dwarfism, postnatal lethality, male hypogonadism, a high incidence of epilepsy and many vacuoles in the hippocampus and amygdala. We used a candidate approach to identify the gene responsible for the lde phenotype and assessed the susceptibility of lde/lde rats for audiogenic seizures. Following backcross breeding of lethal dwarfism with epilepsy (LDE) to Brown Norway rats, the lde/lde rats with an altered genetic background showed all pleiotropic phenotypes. The lde locus was mapped to a 1.5‐Mbp region on rat chromosome 19 that included the latter half of the Wwox gene. Sequencing of the full‐length Wwox transcript identified a 13‐bp deletion in exon 9 in lde/lde rats. This mutation causes a frame shift, resulting in aberrant amino acid sequences at the C‐terminal. Western blotting showed that both the full‐length products of the Wwox gene and its isoform were present in normal testes and hippocampi, whereas both products were undetectable in the testes and hippocampi of lde/lde rats. Sound stimulation induced epileptic seizures in 95% of lde/lde rats, with starting as wild running (WR), sometimes progressing to tonic–clonic convulsions. Electroencephalogram (EEG) analysis showed interictal spikes, fast waves during WR and burst of spikes during clonic phases. The Wwox protein is expressed in the central nervous system (CNS), indicating that abnormal neuronal excitability in lde/lde rats may be because of a lack of Wwox function. The lde/lde rat is not only useful for understanding the multiple functions of Wwox but is also a unique model for studying the physiological function of Wwox in CNS.
Forest response to chronic hurricane disturbance in coastal New England
Authors: Busby Posy E. , Canham Charles D. , Motzkin Glenn , Foster David R.
Published: May 2009

Question: Hurricanes and cyclones cause a wide range of damage to coastal forests worldwide. Most of these storms are not catastrophic in ecological terms, but forest responses to storms of moderate intensities are poorly understood. In regions with a high frequency of moderate hurricanes, how does variation in disturbance intensity affect the magnitude of ecological responses?

Location: Naushon Island, Massachusetts, USA.

Methods: We use historical records and dendroecological methods to characterize establishment and growth of Fagus grandifolia, Quercus alba, and Quercus velutina in response to seven non‐catastrophic hurricanes of varying intensity, and a major logging event, relative to baseline conditions, over the past 150 years. Our aim was to document variation in the magnitude of responses to known disturbance events of varying intensity, and to determine whether tree growth after moderate hurricanes differs from growth during periods of no disturbance.

Results: Forest harvesting in 1824‐1827 had a strong impact on forest composition and growth. Since then, the study region has been characterized by little harvesting but frequent hurricanes. However, only one of the seven storms examined caused substantial increases in growth and new establishment for the dominant species; most moderate disturbances had minimal impact on growth and regeneration dynamics. We also document highly variable responses among species to individual storms, including substantial growth decreases that may not be detected by standard analytical approaches.

Conclusions: Our results caution against the use of simple metrics such as wind speed to predict forest response to specific hurricanes, and highlight the importance of individual disturbance events in controlling long‐term forest dynamics, even in regions characterized by high disturbance frequency. In addition, we show that standard approaches to reconstructing disturbance history based on increases in radial growth and pulses of tree establishment are likely to underestimate the frequency of moderate disturbances.
Habitat fragmentation and plant populations: is what we know demographically irrelevant?
Authors: Bruna Emilio M. , Fiske Ian J. , Trager Matthew D.
Published: May 2009

Abstract:Habitat fragmentation is considered a leading cause of plant extinction, and matrix models provide a powerful set of tools with which to identifying mechanisms that influence population declines. We surveyed the ecological literature to determine what components of plant demography have been studied in fragmented habitats, and determined the elasticity values of the vital rates influenced by these components. We found that there is a major disparity between the ecological processes and stages of life history with large demographic impacts and the focus of empirical research on plants in fragmented habitats. While the growth and survivorship of large, established individuals have the highest elasticity values, the focus of empirical research has been on components of reproduction and seedling dynamics. We argue that elucidating the demographic mechanisms underlying population declines in fragmented habitats, and developing strategies for mitigating these declines, will be challenging without a greater focus on understanding how fragmentation alters adult plant growth and survivorship.