bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A novel DFNB1 deletion allele supports the existence of a distant cis‐regulatory region that controls GJB2 and GJB6 expression
Authors: Wilch E , Azaiez H , Fisher RA , Elfenbein J , Murgia A , Birkenhäger R , Bolz H , Da Silva‐Costa SM , Del Castillo I , Haaf T , Hoefsloot L , Kremer H , Kubisch C , Le Marechal C , Pandya A , Sartorato EL , Schneider E , Van Camp G , Wuyts W , Smith RJH , Friderici KH
Published: February 2010

Wilch E, Azaiez H, Fisher RA, Elfenbein J, Murgia A, Birkenhäger R, Bolz HJ, da Silva‐Costa SM, del Castillo I, Haaf T, Hoefsloot L, Kremer H, Kubisch C, Le Marechal C, Pandya A, Sartorato EL, Schneider E, Van Camp G, Wuyts W, Smith RJH, Friderici KH. A novel DFNB1 deletion allele supports the existence of a distant cis‐regulatory region that controls GJB2 and GJB6 expression.

Eleven affected members of a large German–American family segregating recessively inherited, congenital, non‐syndromic sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) were found to be homozygous for the common 35delG mutation of GJB2, the gene encoding the gap junction protein Connexin 26. Surprisingly, four additional family members with bilateral profound SNHL carried only a single 35delG mutation. Previously, we demonstrated reduced expression of both GJB2 and GJB6 mRNA from the allele carried in trans with that bearing the 35delG mutation in these four persons. Using array comparative genome hybridization (array CGH), we have now identified on this allele a deletion of 131.4 kb whose proximal breakpoint lies more than 100 kb upstream of the transcriptional start sites of GJB2 and GJB6. This deletion, del(chr13:19,837,344–19,968,698), segregates as a completely penetrant DFNB1 allele in this family. It is not present in 528 persons with SNHL and monoallelic mutation of GJB2 or GJB6, and we have not identified any other candidate pathogenic copy number variation by arrayCGH in a subset of 10 such persons. Characterization of distant GJB2/GJB6 cis‐regulatory regions evidenced by this allele may be required to find the ‘missing’ DFNB1 mutations that are believed to exist.
Conquering the complex world of human septins: implications for health and disease
Authors: Peterson EA , Petty EM
Published: February 2010

Peterson EA and Petty EM. Conquering the complex world of human septins: implications for health and disease.

Septins are highly conserved filamentous proteins first characterized in budding yeast and subsequently identified in must eukaryotes. Septins can bind and hydrolyze GTP, which is intrinsically related to their formation of septin hexamers and functional protein interactions. The human septin family is composed of 14 loci,SEPT1‐SEPT14, which encode dozens of different septin proteins. Their central GTPase and polybasic domain regions are highly conserved but they diverge in their N‐terminus and/or C‐terminus. The mechanism by which the different isoforms are generated is not yet well understood, but one can hypothesize that the use of different promoters and/or alternative splicing could give rise to these variants.

Septins perform diverse cellular functions according to tissue expression and their interacting partners. Functions identified to date include cell division, chromosome segregation, protein scaffolding, cellular polarity, motility, membrane dynamics, vesicle trafficking, exocytosis, apoptosis, and DNA damage response. Their expression is tightly regulated to maintain proper filament assembly and normal cellular functions. Alterations of these proteins, by mutation or expression changes, have been associated with a variety of cancers and neurological diseases. The association of septins with cancer results from alterations of expression in solid tumors or translocations in leukemias [mixed lineage leukemia (MLL)]. Expression changes in septins have also been associated with neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, as well as retinopathies, hepatitis C, spermatogenesis and Listeria infection. Pathogenic mutations ofSEPT9were identified in the autosomal dominant neurological disorder hereditary neuralgic amyotrophy (HNA).

Human septin research over the past decade has established their importance in cell biology and human disease. Further functional characterization of septins is crucial to our understanding of their possible diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic applications.
Identification and molecular characterization of two novel chromosomal deletions associated with autism
Authors: Chien W‐H , Gau SS‐F , Wu Y‐Y , Huang Y‐S , Fang J‐S , Chen Y‐J , Soong W‐T , Chiu Y‐N , Chen C‐H
Published: February 2010

Chien W‐H, Gau SS‐F, Wu Y‐Y, Huang Y‐S, Fang J‐S, Chen Y‐J, Soong W‐T, Chiu Y‐N, Chen C‐H. Identification and molecular characterization of two novel chromosomal deletions associated with autism.

Autism is a childhood‐onset neurodevelopmental disorder with a strong genetic basis in its etiology. Conventional karyotype analysis has revealed that chromosomal structural aberrations such as translocation, inversion, deletion, and duplication play a role in causing autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In addition, recent array‐based comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH) studies discovered that submicroscopic deletion and duplication of DNA segments also contributed significantly to the genetic etiology of ASD. Together, these studies indicate that genomic rearrangement is an important genetic mechanism of ASD. Using karyotyping analysis and array CGH technology, we identified a subtelomeric deletion of approximately 6.8 Mb at 4q35.1‐35.2 and a terminal deletion of approximately 2.4 Mb at 8p23.2‐pter in two autistic boys, respectively. These two deletions were further validated using fluorescent in situ hybridization and real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and their breakpoints were delineated using high‐resolution array CGH. The 4q deletion is a rare de novo mutation, while the transmission of 8p deletion is unknown, because the father of the patient was unavailable for study. These two deletions are rare mutations and were not found in the additional 282 patients with ASD and in the 300 control subjects in our population. The identification of these two chromosomal deletions contribute to our understanding of the genetic basis of ASD, and the haploinsufficiency of several genes located at the deleted regions of chromosome 8p and 4q may contribute to the clinical phenotypes of autism.
Effects of Rapid Broadband Trills on Responses to Song Overlapping in Nightingales
Authors: Sprau Philipp , Schmidt Rouven , Roth Tobias , Amrhein Valentin , Naguib Marc
Published: February 2010

In communication, animals often use complex signals with different traits carrying different information. In the song of some songbirds, both trills and song overlapping signal arousal or the readiness to escalate a contest in male‐male interactions, yet they also differ inherently from each other. Song overlapping is restricted to interactions and has a clear directive function as the songs are timed specifically to the songs of a counterpart. Trills, however, can be used without opponents actively singing and do not have such a directional character unless when combined with directed traits. This difference raises the question whether trills can enhance the agonistic function of song overlapping when being used simultaneously. Here, we exposed male nightingales (Luscinia megarhynchos) prior to pairing to overlapping playback treatments differing in the presence or absence of rapid broadband trills. Males responded differently to the two playback treatments suggesting that song overlapping and rapid broadband trills have some synergistic effects. Consequently, the separate or simultaneous use of trills and of song overlapping may allow males to adjust information encoded in their singing on a fine scale. Furthermore, males that remained unpaired throughout the breeding season responded differently to the playbacks than did subsequently paired males, emphasizing the implications of differences in territory defence behaviour on males subsequent pairing success.
Mapping QTLs for nitrogen‐deficiency tolerance at seedling stage in rice (Oryza sativaL.)
Authors: Feng Y. , Cao L. Y. , Wu W. M. , Shen X. H. , Zhan X. D. , Zhai R. R. , Wang R. C. , Chen D. B. , Cheng S. H.
Published: February 2010

With 2 figures and 4 tables

A recombinant inbred line (RIL) population, consisting of 238 F12lines derived from ‘R9308’/’Xieqingzao B’, the parents of a super hybrid rice in China, was developed for mapping quantitative trait locus (QTL) for nitrogen deficiency tolerance. A genetic linkage map with 198 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers was constructed. Six traits of shoot dry weight (SW), root dry weight (RW), plant dry weight (PW), maximum root length (RL), chlorophyll content (Chl), plant height (PH) were used to assess the N‐deficiency tolerance. The ratio of the parameters from the two treatments was calculated as derived parameters. QTL analysis detected seven QTLs on chromosomes 1, 2, 3 and 8 associated with N‐deficiency tolerance in this mapping population. These QTLs explained 9.07–14.45% of the phenotypic variation. The ‘R9308’ alleles increased the relative traits except that of locus on chromosome 8. One of the major QTL clusters was detected in the interval RM5385–RM7192 on chromosome 1, which was associated with N recycling in rice. This chromosomal region may be enriched with the key N metabolism genes.
Ubiquitin C‐terminal hydrolase‐L1 as a biomarker for ischemic and traumatic brain injury in rats
Authors: Liu Ming C. , Akinyi Linnet , Scharf Dancia , Mo Jixiang , Larner Stephen F. , Muller Uwe , Oli Monika W. , Zheng Wenrong , Kobeissy Firas , Papa Linda , Lu Xi‐Chun , Dave Jitendra R. , Tortella Frank C. , Hayes Ronald L. , Wang Kevin K. W.
Published: February 2010

Ubiquitin C‐terminal hydrolase‐L1 (UCH‐L1), also called neuronal‐specific protein gene product 9.5, is a highly abundant protein in the neuronal cell body and has been identified as a possible biomarker on the basis of a recent proteomic study. In this study, we examined whether UCH‐L1 was significantly elevated in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) following controlled cortical impact (CCI) and middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO; model of ischemic stroke) in rats. Quantitative immunoblots of rat CSF revealed a dramatic elevation of UCH‐L1 protein 48 h after severe CCI and as early as 6 h after mild (30 min) and severe (2 h) MCAO. A sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay constructed to measure UCH‐L1 sensitively and quantitatively showed that CSF UCH‐L1 levels were significantly elevated as early as 2 h and up to 48 h after CCI. Similarly, UCH‐L1 levels were also significantly elevated in CSF from 6 to 72 h after 30 min of MCAO and from 6 to 120 h after 2 h of MCAO. These data are comparable to the profile of the calpain‐produced αII‐spectrin breakdown product of 145 kDa biomarker. Importantly, serum UCH‐L1 biomarker levels were also significantly elevated after CCI. Similarly, serum UCH‐L1 levels in the 2‐h MCAO group were significantly higher than those in the 30‐min group. Taken together, these data from two rat models of acute brain injury strongly suggest that UCH‐L1 is a candidate brain injury biomarker detectable in biofluid compartments (CSF and serum).
Mechanical feedback amplification in Drosophila hearing is independent of synaptic transmission
Authors: Kamikouchi Azusa , Albert Jörg T. , Göpfert Martin C.
Published: February 2010

Vertebrate inner‐ear hair cells use mechanical feedback to amplify sound‐induced vibrations. The gain of this ‘cochlear amplifier’ is centrally controlled via efferent fibres that, making synaptic contacts with the hair cells, modulate the feedback gain. The sensory neurons of the Drosophila ear likewise employ mechanical feedback to assist sound‐evoked vibrations, yet whether this neuron‐based feedback is also subject to efferent control has remained uncertain. We show here that the function of Drosophila auditory neurons is independent of efferent modulation, and that no synaptic transmission is needed to control the gain of mechanical feedback amplification. Immunohistochemical, mechanical and electrophysiological analyses revealed that the Drosophila auditory organ lacks peripheral synapses and efferent innervations, and that blocking synaptic transmission in a pan‐neural manner does not affect the afferent electrical activity of the sensory neurons or the mechanical feedback gain. Hence, unlike the cochlear amplifier of vertebrates, mechanical feedback amplification in Drosophila is not associated with an efferent control system but seems to be a purely local process that is solely controlled peripherally within the ear itself.
Endogenous control of waking brain rhythms induces neuroplasticity in humans
Authors: Ros Tomas , Munneke Moniek A. M. , Ruge Diane , Gruzelier John H. , Rothwell John C.
Published: February 2010

This study explores the possibility of noninvasively inducing long‐term changes in human corticomotor excitability by means of a brain–computer interface, which enables users to exert internal control over the cortical rhythms recorded from the scalp. We demonstrate that self‐regulation of electroencephalogram rhythms in quietly sitting, naive humans significantly affects the subsequent corticomotor response to transcranial magnetic stimulation, producing durable and correlated changes in neurotransmission. Specifically, we show that the intrinsic suppression of alpha cortical rhythms can in itself produce robust increases in corticospinal excitability and decreases in intracortical inhibition of up to 150%, which last for at least 20 min. Our observations may have important implications for therapies of brain disorders associated with abnormal cortical rhythms, and support the use of electroencephalogram‐based neurofeedback as a noninvasive tool for establishing a causal link between rhythmic cortical activities and their functions.
Immunocytochemical evidence that monkey rod bipolar cells use GABA
Authors: Lassová Luisa , Fina Marie , Sulaiman Pyroja , Vardi Noga
Published: February 2010

Certain bipolar cells in most species immunostain for GABA or its synthesizing enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase. However, it is unknown whether they actually release GABA and, if so, from which cellular compartment and by what release mechanism. We investigated these questions in monkey retina where rod bipolar cells immunostain for GABA. We found that rod bipolar cells immunostain for one isoform of GAD (GAD65) in their somas, dendrites and axon terminals. Near the fovea, the somatic stain of rod bipolar cells is weaker than that of horizontal cells but, at the periphery, it is stronger. Staining for the vesicular GABA transporter in monkey rod bipolar cells is negative. However, staining for the GABA transporter GAT3 is positive in the soma and primary dendrites (but not in the axon terminals). Staining for GAT3 is also positive in horizontal cells. Double staining of rod bipolar cells and the alpha subunit of the GABAA receptor reveals scarce GABAA puncta that appose rod bipolar dendrites. We conclude that monkey rod bipolar cells use GABA and discuss the possibility that they tonically release GABA from their dendrites using a reverse action of GAT3.
Incubation of nicotine seeking is associated with enhanced protein kinase A‐regulated signaling of dopamine‐ and cAMP‐regulated phosphoprotein of 32 kDa in the insular cortex
Authors: Abdolahi Amir , Acosta Glen , Breslin Florence J. , Hemby Scott E. , Lynch Wendy J.
Published: February 2010

A recent clinical study demonstrated that damage to the insular cortex can disrupt tobacco addiction. The neurobiological mechanisms for this effect are not yet understood. In this study we used an animal model of nicotine addiction to examine the possibility that changes in insular cortex levels of dopamine (DA)‐ and cAMP‐regulated phosphoprotein of 32 kDa (DARPP‐32), a phosphoprotein enriched in DA neurons containing DA D1 receptors, may be associated with changes in vulnerability to nicotine addiction. Once rats acquired self‐administration, they were given unlimited access to nicotine (0.01 mg/kg/infusion) for 23 h/day for a total of 10 days. Each infusion was paired with a visual cue (stimulus light) and auditory cue (sound of pump). Nicotine seeking, as assessed under a cue‐induced reinstatement paradigm, and markers of DARPP‐32 signaling, as assessed using western blot analysis, were examined in separate groups of rats at two different abstinent intervals: 1 and 7 days. Consistent with findings with other drugs of abuse, rats in the 7‐day abstinence group took longer to extinguish and responded at higher levels during reinstatement testing as compared with rats in the 1‐day reinstatement group. Relative to saline controls, rats in the 7‐day but not the 1‐day abstinence group had higher levels of DARPP‐32 phosphorylated at the protein kinase A site in the insular cortex. These results demonstrate incubation of drug seeking following extended access to nicotine self‐administration and suggest that enhanced protein kinase A signaling in the insular cortex via phosphorylation of DARPP‐32 at Thr34 is associated with this effect.
A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study of the efficacy and safety of bupropion for treating hypoactive sexual desire disorder in ovulating women
Authors: Safarinejad Mohammad Reza , Hosseini Seyyed Yousof , Asgari Majid Ali , Dadkhah Farid , Taghva Arsia
Published: February 2010

Study Type – Therapy (RCT) Level of Evidence 1b

OBJECTIVE

To compare the efficacy of sustained‐release (SR) bupropion to placebo in treating hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in ovulating women.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

After a 1‐week, placebo lead‐in phase, 232 treatment‐seeking women with regular menstrual cycles were randomly assigned to bupropion SR 150 mg/daily (116) or placebo (116) for 12 weeks under double‐blind conditions. Efficacy was assessed with the Brief Index of Sexual Functioning for Women (BISF‐W), the Personal Distress Scale (PDS), the global efficacy question (GEQ; ‘Did the treatment you received during the 12‐week improve meaningful your sexual desire?’) and overall patient satisfaction question (‘Are you satisfied with the efficacy of your treatment?’).

RESULTS

The mean (sd) composite score on the BISF‐W, increased from 15.8 (2.6) and 15.5 (2.2) at baseline to 33.9 (4.2) and 16.9 (2.6) in the bupropion and placebo groups, respectively (P= 0.001). The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for response in the bupropion group relative to placebo was 3.2 (2.1–6.3). The thoughts/desire score more than doubled in patients treated with bupropion (P= 0.001). At the 12‐week evaluation the reduction in the PDS scale was 29.4% in bupropion and 4.7% in the placebo group (P= 0.01). In response to the GEQ, of patients in the bupropion and placebo groups, 65.3%, and 4.3%, respectively, responded ‘Definitely yes’ (P= 0.001). Of patients in the bupropion and placebo groups, 71.8%, and 3.7%, respectively, were definitely satisfied with the efficacy of their treatment, (P= 0.001). After 12 weeks of treatment, 82 women (78.1%) in the bupropion and five (4.9%) in the placebo group were willing to continue therapy (P= 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The results from this study indicate that bupropion SR is an effective and well‐tolerated treatment for HSDD in ovulating women. Further controlled trials are warranted.
Evaluation of fluorodeoxyglucose positron‐emission tomography with computed tomography for staging of urothelial carcinoma
Authors: Lodde Michele , Lacombe Louis , Friede Juan , Morin Francis , Saourine Alexandre , Fradet Yves
Published: February 2010

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

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the role of 18F‐fluorodeoxyglusose positron‐emission tomography (FDG‐PET), combined with computed tomography (CT) and forced diuresis, in the staging and follow‐up of urothelial carcinoma (UC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We recruited 44 patients with muscle‐invasive urothelial bladder cancer (UBC) before radical cystectomy (RC), 19 under follow‐up after RC and seven after systemic chemotherapy. For those who had RC, histopathology was used as the reference standard to compare the sensitivity and specificity of FDG‐PET/CT and standard CT in detecting UBC and pelvic lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, 36 patients with ≥6 months of follow‐up imaging were considered to describe the progression of UC and extrapelvic positive FDG‐PET/CT images.

RESULTS

For the detection of primary UBC, FDG‐PET/CT was slightly more sensitive than CT (85% vs 77%) but less specific (25% vs 50%). For the detection of pelvic node metastasis FDG‐PET/CT was more sensitive than CT (57% vs 33%) with a specificity of 100% for both imaging techniques. In 20 patients, extrapelvic FDG‐PET/CT images showed suspected disease at the first evaluation. UC progressed in nine of the 10 patients who had synchronous multiple PET‐positive retroperitoneal or mediastinal lymph nodes, and in only two of the nine with unique hyperactive lesions in the lung. FDG‐PET/CT also detected a pT1G3 UC of the renal pelvis and all bone metastases detected by bone scintigraphy.

CONCLUSIONS

FDG‐PET/CT could replace standard CT and bone scintigraphy in the presurgical staging and monitoring of patients with UC after surgery or chemotherapy.
Ownership as a Form of Corporate Governance
Authors: Connelly Brian L. , Hoskisson Robert E. , Tihanyi Laszlo , Certo S. Trevis
Published: February 2010

abstract

Firm ownership is an increasingly influential form of corporate governance. Although firms might be owned by different types of owners, most studies examine owner influence on a particular firm outcome in isolation. This study synthesizes research from multiple disciplines on different types of owners and offers a unifying framework of governance through ownership. Using this framework, we describe the motivations of various types of owners, the tactics owners use to affect firms in which they are invested, and the dominant firm outcomes these owners seek to influence. We note how heightened managerial awareness of heterogeneous owner interests increases owner influence on firm‐level outcomes. We also provide a roadmap for future study and offer research questions about where scholars might turn their attention to better understand the role of owners in directing firm actions. Our study draws attention to emerging forms of ownership, such as hedge funds and sovereign wealth funds, and highlights the changing (and often competing) interests of shareholders and how this impacts theories of governance.
Is social support associated with greater weight loss after bariatric surgery?: a systematic review
Authors: Livhits M. , Mercado C. , Yermilov I. , Parikh J. A. , Dutson E. , Mehran A. , Ko C. Y. , Shekelle P. G. , Gibbons M. M.
Published: February 2010

Social support may be associated with increased weight loss after bariatric surgery. The objective of this article is to determine impact of post‐operative support groups and other forms of social support on weight loss after bariatric surgery. MEDLINE search (1988–2009) was completed using MeSH terms including bariatric procedures and a spectrum of patient factors with potential relationship to weight loss outcomes. Of the 934 screened studies, 10 reported on social support and weight loss outcomes. Five studies reported on support groups and five studies reported on other forms of social support (such as perceived family support or number of confidants) and degree of post‐operative weight loss (total n = 735 patients). All studies found a positive association between post‐operative support groups and weight loss. One study found a positive association between marital status (being single) and weight loss, while three studies found a non‐significant positive trend and one study was inconclusive. Support group attendance after bariatric surgery is associated with greater post‐operative weight loss. Further research is necessary to determine the impact of other forms of social support. These factors should be addressed in prospective studies of weight loss following bariatric surgery, as they may represent ways to improve post‐operative outcomes.
FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS AND TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY: SOME EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FOR ITALIAN PRODUCERS' COOPERATIVES
Authors: Maietta Ornella Wanda , Sena Vania
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACT**:  In this paper, we test the extent to which producers’ cooperatives can experience an increase in technical efficiency following a tightening of financial constraints. This hypothesis is tested on a sample of Italian conventional and cooperative firms for the wine production and processing sector, using frontier analysis. The results support the hypothesis that increasing financial pressure can affect positively the cooperatives efficiency.
THE UNPAID LEADERS OF FRENCH VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATIONS
Authors: Prouteau Lionel , Tabaries Muriel
Published: February 2010

ABSTRACT**:  This paper focuses on the voluntary workers who take on responsibilities in French voluntary associations. First, drawing on a national association survey, we contrast the characteristics of leadership volunteers, especially chairpersons, with those of the French population as a whole. We show that leaders are very different from the overall population even if these differences seem to diminish for organizations created more recently. Second, from a national household survey, we compare board members with other members of associations. Among other results, we find that the former are more rooted in their local environment and they participate more frequently in several associations. They are driven by more activist motives than are the other members. They give more time to their associations and they use more skills in their voluntary tasks than do the other volunteers.
The choice of fuel in the eighteenth‐century iron industry: the Coalbrookdale accounts reconsidered
Authors: KING PETER
Published: February 2010

Disquiet has remained over Hyde's conclusions as to the costs of coke‐ironmaking in the early eighteenth century. A detailed re‐examination of the production costs at Coalbrookdale has confirmed his conclusions for pig iron, but not for bar iron. Coalbrookdale Forge was merely small and inefficient. Any technological difficulties in the use of coke pig iron in finery forges were overcome before 1728. However, the iron industry was depressed in the 1730s due to Russian bar iron imports. After the Swedes increased their prices from 1747, new Shropshire furnaces began making pig coke iron for forges in 1754.
Risk factors for periodic breathing in acute stroke: tracheobronchial infection
Authors: Tong D. M. , Liao J. F.
Published: February 2010

Background and purpose:  Despite evidence from clinical and population studies, the aim of the present study was to suggest that multiple factors contribute to periodic breathing (PB). However, little information has been focused on episodes of tracheobronchial infections (TBI) preceding PB onset.

Methods:  Thirty subjects with acute stroke who had PB and 41 subjects with acute stroke that of a sex‐ and age‐matched control group without PB were retrospectively evaluated. Stroke location, extent of stroke (demonstrated on CT or MRI), and characteristics of TBI before PB were assessed. PB diagnosis was carried out using a portable device and a pulse oximeter. Risk factors for patients with PB were compared with those without PB by univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results:  Twenty‐four TBI in 30 patients with PB and 11 TBI in 41 patients with non‐PB were diagnosed. There was no significant difference in age, sex, body mass index, stroke type, stroke location, or underlying diseases between the two groups (P > 0.05). There was a significant difference in snoring, first recurrent stroke, Glasgow Coma Scale, congestive heart failure, TBI, and inflammatory responses between the PB and non‐PB group (P < 0.05). Multiple logistic regression analyses showed a difference in the prevalence of snoring (OR = 10.813, CI = 2.131–54.866, P < 0.01), TBI (OR = 5.313, CI = 1.241–22.740, P < 0.05), and inflammatory responses (OR = 7.315, CI = 1.253–43.123, P < 0.05) between the two groups.

Conclusions:  In addition to snoring, TBI and inflammatory responses are the two independent predictors for PB in patients with acute stroke. Clinicians should be encouraged to systematically evaluate TBI and inflammatory responses before PB in patients with acute stroke.
Left temporal low‐frequency rTMS for the treatment of tinnitus: clinical predictors of treatment outcome – a retrospective study
Authors: Frank G. , Kleinjung T. , Landgrebe M. , Vielsmeier V. , Steffenhagen C. , Burger J. , Frank E. , Vollberg G. , Hajak G. , Langguth B.
Published: February 2010

Background:  There is increasing evidence that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can reduce chronic tinnitus. However, treatment results are characterized by high interindividual variability. Therefore, the identification of predictors for treatment response is of high clinical relevance.

Methods:  Clinical data of 194 patients with tinnitus were evaluated. All patients were treated with a standardized rTMS procedure (1 Hz, 10 days, 2000 stimuli/day, over the left temporal cortex). A potential influence on the outcome was analysed for the following parameters: age, gender, depression scores in Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and tinnitus severity (TQ) before rTMS, lateralization, frequency and duration of tinnitus and extent of hearing loss.

Results:  An effect of tinnitus laterality was observed. In patients with left‐sided or bilateral tinnitus, rTMS resulted in a statistically significant reduction of TQ scores, whereas patients with right‐sided tinnitus did not show a significant improvement after rTMS treatment. However, in correlation analyses, we found a trend which did not reach statistical significance that in the subgroup of treatment responders tinnitus duration influenced rTMS outcome. In addition, a multiple regression analysis identified the TQ score at baseline as a significant predictor for treatment outcome. For all other investigated parameters, no statistically significant effects were found.

Conclusions:  This study suggests that left temporal low‐frequency rTMS has beneficial effects in left‐sided and bilateral tinnitus, but not in right‐sided tinnitus. In line with the results from earlier studies involving smaller samples, tinnitus duration was found to influence rTMS outcome.
Financial self‐sufficiency or return to welfare? A longitudinal study of mothers among the working poor
Authors: Cheng Tyrone
Published: February 2010

Cheng T. Financial self‐sufficiency or return to welfare? A longitudinal study of mothers among the working poor

Int J Soc Welfare 2010: 19: 162–172 © 2010 The Author(s), Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and International Journal of Social Welfare.

This study investigated how working‐poor mothers who withdrew from a US government assistance program were affected by the economy, welfare reform policies, and their own human capital, in terms of their likelihood of returning to welfare and their likelihood of becoming nonpoor through work. The study employed longitudinal data (covering 42 months) extracted from a national data set. The sample for the current study, which relied on event history analysis, consisted of 228 working‐poor former welfare mothers. Results showed that the women's return to welfare was correlated to high unemployment, restrictive welfare policies, enrollment in Medicaid and food‐stamp programs, possession of service‐job skills, and being Hispanic. The women were most likely to attain relative financial independence in the presence of generous government assistance program policies, housing assistance, full‐time employment, operative‐job skills, college education, and marriage. African American ethnicity also made achievement of financial independence more likely.
Remember Remember the 6th of December . . . A Rebellion or the Constituting Moment of a Radical Morphoma?
Authors: MENTINIS MIHALIS
Published: February 2010

This essay discusses two complementary dimensions of the December 2008 events in Greece: one, the obvious anger against the brutal capitalist order being established in the country; the other, the disincorporation of a sector of the working class from the body of passivity and apathy that characterizes the working and middle classes. It is argued that the riots could mark the beginning of a new cycle of class struggle, while they did mark the formation of a radical ‘morphoma’; a coming‐together of radicalized sectors of the working class. Violence during the events should be seen in the light of these two dimensions. The essay concludes by questioning the designation of the events as a rebellion by radical leftists.

Cet essai analyse deux dimensions complémentaires des événements de décembre 2008 en Grèce: l’une est la colère manifeste à l’encontre de l’ordre capitaliste brutal instauré dans le pays, l’autre est la rupture d’une partie de la classe ouvrière avec la masse de passivité et d’apathie caractéristique des classes populaire et moyenne. Il défend l’idée que les émeutes pourraient indiquer le début d’un nouveau cycle de lutte des classes, tout en marquant la formation d’un ‘morphome’ radical, rassemblement de secteurs radicalisés de la classe ouvrière. Il faut observer la violence durant cette période à la lumière de ces deux dimensions. La conclusion remet en question la désignation de ces événements comme une rébellion menée par des extrémistes de gauche.
Neoliberalism, Identification Process and the Dialectics of Crisis
Authors: MEMOS CHRISTOS
Published: February 2010

In Athens, on 6 December 2008, a policeman shot 15‐year‐old Alexis Grigoropoulos in cold blood and killed him. After the killing, spontaneous protests began in the Greek capital and within days the insurrection had spread all over Greece. Radical actions took place even in the more remote and politically conservative areas. The Greek insurrection was not an isolated and temporary episode, nor an abstraction. This essay reflects on the revolt and endeavours to shed light on the context in which it broke out. It considers it as a result of the crisis of capital and neoliberal values and, at the same time, of our negation of capital and its state — the crisis of capital being produced by our struggles and refusal to identify ourselves with neoliberal norms and values. Considered dialectically, the crisis intensifies our struggles and reproduces the crisis of identification with capitalist bearings.

À Athènes, le 6 décembre 2008, un policier tirait de sang froid sur Alexis Grigoropoulos, âgé de 15 ans, et le tuait. À la suite du meurtre, des manifestations sont nées spontanément dans la capitale grecque et, en quelques jours, l’insurrection avait gagné tout le pays. Des actes extrêmes ont eu lieu même dans les contrées les plus reculées et conservatrices sur le plan politique. L’insurrection grecque n’a pas été un événement isolé et passager, ni une abstraction. En revenant sur la révolte, ce travail tente d’éclairer le contexte dans lequel elle a éclaté. Il estime qu’elle résulte de la crise des valeurs néolibérales et du capital et, parallèlement, de notre reniement du capital et de l’État capitaliste. En effet, la crise du capital est générée par nos luttes et par notre refus de nous reconnaître dans des normes et valeurs néolibérales. D’un point de vue dialectique, cette crise accentue nos conflits et reproduit la crise du processus de reconnaissance dans des marqueurs capitalistes.
The ‘Right to the City’: Institutional Imperatives of a Developmental State
Authors: PARNELL SUSAN , PIETERSE EDGAR
Published: February 2010

Under conditions of globalization large cities present unique challenges for poverty reduction and the realization of rights. The urbanization of poverty also underscores the imperative of downscaling the emerging debate about the developmental state to the city scale. The arguments in this article start from the proposition that a universal rights agenda can and should be fulfilled as an alternative to neoliberal aspirations, and that to achieve this development action will be needed on a series of different scales. The article is structured in three main parts. The first section explores the implications for the state of adopting a rights‐based agenda in the urban context, giving particular emphasis to defining those rights whose meaning arises from settlement planning or management‐based policies and interventions on the individual, household, neighbourhood and more macro‐environmental scale (what we call 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation rights or the ‘right to the city’). The second part of the article is dedicated to illustrating the particular nature of how rights to the city are blocked or achieved, using the experiences of the Greater Cape Town area. The final section of the article makes a more general case for a more radical rights‐based agenda for cities.

Dans un environnement mondialisé, les grandes villes présentent des problèmes particuliers de réduction de la pauvreté et de concrétisation des droits. De plus, l’urbanisation de la pauvreté met en avant la nécessité impérative de ramener au niveau de la ville l’échelle du débat naissant sur ‘l’État en développement’. Les arguments partent ici de la proposition selon laquelle un programme de droits universels peut et devrait être réalisé en tant qu’alternative aux aspirations néolibérales et que, pour ce faire, il faudra des actions de développement sur une série d’échelles différentes. La première partie de l’article explore les implications, pour l’État, d’adopter un projet basé sur des droits dans le contexte urbain; ce faisant, elle souligne l’importance de définir ces droits dont la signification naît de politiques ou d’interventions sur l’aménagement de l’habitat ou basées sur la gestion, à la fois à l’échelon de l’individu, du foyer, du quartier et d’un environnement plus vaste (ce que nous appelons respectivement les droits de 2ème, 3èmeet 4èmegénération ou ‘droit à la ville’). La deuxième partie illustre la manière particulière dont les droits à la ville sont soit bloqués soit atteints, à partir des expériences de Greater Cape Town. La dernière partie défend plus généralement un programme pour les villes qui soit basé sur des droits et plus radical.
Building and Contesting Neoliberalism at the Local Level: Reflections on the Symposium and on Recent Experience in Bolivia
Authors: GEDDES MIKE
Published: February 2010

This final article first reflects on the previous articles in the symposium, positioning the diverse trajectories of local governance which they exhibit in relation to two contrasting ideal types — the one neoliberal, the other contesting neoliberalism from a progressive, left perspective. Differences between these ideal types, and among the actually existing patterns of local governance discussed in the symposium (in relation to their economic and social objectives and governance institutions and practices) are highlighted. The second part of the article offers a consideration of local governance in Bolivia, a country which encapsulates some of the key issues at stake in the ongoing struggles to either build, or contest, neoliberalism at the local level. Here a distinction is advanced between ‘expansive’ and ‘consolidatory’ moments of neoliberal local governance, which may take the form of consecutive phases, but may have different, overlapping temporalities. In conclusion, it is suggested the challenges which the impact of the financial crisis and global recession pose both to neoliberal forms of local governance and to contestatory forces should be a primary concern for future research.

Ce dernier article revient d’abord sur les articles précédents du symposium, pour replacer les diverses voies de gouvernance locale présentées par rapport à deux idéaltypes mis en opposition: l’un néolibéral, l’autre contestant le néolibéralisme d’un point de vue progressiste de gauche. Il met en évidence les différences entre ces idéaltypes, et entre les modèles actuels de gouvernance locale débattus dans le symposium (en lien avec leurs objectifs économiques et sociaux et avec les institutions et pratiques de gouvernance). La seconde partie s’intéresse à la gouvernance locale en Bolivie, un pays qui incarne certains des principaux enjeux dans les luttes en cours visant à bâtir ou à contester un néolibéralisme au niveau local. Une distinction est proposée entre les moments d’‘expansion’ et de ‘consolidation’ de la gouvernance locale néolibérale, lesquels peuvent se présenter de manière consécutive, mais aussi sur des plages temporelles différentes en chevauchement. Pour conclure, les défis que les conséquences de la crise financière et la récession mondiale posent aux formes néolibérales de gouvernance locale ainsi qu’aux forces contestataires devraient constituer une priorité dans les recherches à venir.
Efficacy of sulfasalazine in the treatment of generalized lichen planus: randomized double‐blinded clinical trial on 52 patients
Authors: Omidian M , Ayoobi A , Mapar MA , Feily A , Cheraghian B
Published: February 2010

Background  Oral sulfasalazine has been reported to be effective in patients with idiopathic cutaneous lichen planus (LP).

Objectives  Our purpose was to evaluate the efficacy of this drug in the treatment of generalized cutaneous lichen planus (GLP). In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of the anti‐inflammatory drug sulfasalazine for the treatment of GLP.

Methods  A total of 52 patients with GLP presenting at the outpatient clinic were enrolled in this double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled, prospective study. Of these patients, 44 completed the period of study. The patients were randomly divided into two groups. One group received placebo and the other was given sulfasalazine maximum 2.5 g/day. The patients were evaluated at the third and sixth weeks of treatment for improvement rate and occurrence of complications.

Results  After 6 weeks of treatment, the rate of cutaneous lesions improvement was 9.6% (two patients) in the placebo group and 82.6% (19 patients) in the sulfasalazine group. The improvement rate of pruritus was 14.3% in the placebo group and 91.3% in the sulfasalazine group. Side‐effects which were mild and tolerable were detected in 30.7% of patients, but three patients left the study because of side effects. Most of the reported side‐effects included gastrointestinal upset and headache.

Conclusions  Statistically, sulfasalazine was more effective than placebo in reducing cutaneous lesions and improving pruritus after 6 weeks of treatment. According to our study, sulfasalazine is a relatively safe and effective treatment option and may be an alternative therapy for the treatment of generalized lichen planus.
HPA‐suppressive effects of aqueous clobetasol propionate in the treatment of patients with oral lichen planus
Authors: Gonzalez‐Moles MA , Scully C
Published: February 2010

Background  Oral topical corticosteroids have potential to produce inhibition of the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis.

Objective  To assess whether clobetasol propionate (CP) in aqueous solution causes HPA inhibition.

Patients and methods  Sixty‐two patients with oral lichen planus or oral lichenoid lesions presenting with severe lesions were treated with topical oral 0.05% CP plus 100 000 IU/cm3 nystatin in aqueous solution. Initial treatment of three 5‐min mouthwashes (10 mL) daily was reduced, when the response was deemed complete or excellent, to a maintenance treatment of one 5‐min mouthwash on alternate days for 6 months; treatment was then withdrawn and patients were followed up for 1 year. HPA function was assessed by plasma cortisol measurement and adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) stimulation at the end of the initial and maintenance treatment regimens.

Results  The HPA axis was more frequently inhibited during initial (53/62; 85.5%) vs. maintenance (2/49; 4%) regimens of aqueous CP.

Limitations  In patients with morning plasma cortisol levels between 3 and 18 μg/dL, a normal result for the ACTH stimulation test only moderately reduces the possibility that a patient has secondary adrenal insufficiency. This can be considered a minor limitation in our study, as only three patients required additional assessment with the ACTH stimulation test.

Conclusions  Hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal inhibition is substantial during initial treatment with aqueous CP three times daily.
Linear programming with interval right hand sides
Authors: Gabrel Virginie , Murat Cécile , Remli Nabila
Published: February 2010

In this paper, we study general linear programs in which right hand sides are interval numbers. This model is relevant when uncertain and inaccurate factors make difficult the assignment of a single value to each right hand side. When objective function coefficients are interval numbers in a linear program, classical criteria coming from decision theory (like the worst case criterion) are usually applied to determine robust solutions. When the set of feasible solutions is uncertain, we identify a class of linear programs for which these classical approaches are no longer relevant. However, it is possible to compute the worst optimum solution. We study the complexity of this optimization problem when each right hand side is an interval number. Then, we exhibit some duality relationships between the worst optimum solution problem and the best optimum solution to the dual problem.
One‐phase algorithm for the determination of minimal vertex separators of chordal graphs
Authors: Markenzon Lilian , Da Costa Pereira Paulo Renato
Published: February 2010

The set of minimal vertex separators of chordal graphs is usually obtained by two‐phase algorithms. Based on properties of the lexicographic breadth‐first search, we propose a new one‐phase algorithm. We present also a characterization for planar chordal graphs; using our proposed algorithm as an initial step, the implementation of the recognition algorithm becomes trivial.
Effect of lifestyle factors and hormone therapy on heart function by serial echocardiography in postmenopausal women
Authors: KHOO Soo‐Keat , O’NEILL Sheila , SCALIA Gregory , TRIPCONY Lee
Published: February 2010

Background:  There is conflicting information on the effects of oestrogen on the heart in women, especially those using postmenopausal hormone therapy. Whilst some studies reported a beneficial effect, others showed adverse outcomes. The interplay of lifestyle factors and type/timing of therapy remains to be clarified.

Aim:  The aim of this study was to determine the effects of lifestyle and hormone therapy on heart function and structure in postmenopausal women.

Method:  As part of a large longitudinal study of women randomly recruited from an urban population, the study assessed 410 suitable women by echocardiography in Year 1 and Year 5 of the study by two independent cardiologists.

Results:  In lifestyle characteristics, the difference in age and body mass (as markers of cardiovascular risk) was in favour of never‐users versus hormone therapy‐users. Using an arbitrary cut‐off ≥15% change for an effect, we found lifestyle factors had minimal effect on the two measured parameters – ejection fraction, left ventricular mass. Effects of hormone therapy were variable and mixed; greatest effect was found for an ‘early start’ of hormone therapy with oestrogen‐only preparation – the risk of reduced ejection fraction was decreased [hazard ratio (HR) 0.42, confidence interval = 0.17–1.03, P = 0.06] and risk of increased left ventricular mass was increased (HR 2.21, 1.09–4.49, P = 0.03).

Conclusion:  Our findings add to the evidence that oestrogen given to postmenopausal women has a mixed effect on the heart, with effect best shown when started early.
Laparoscopic management of primary hepatic pregnancy
Authors: CHIN Pui‐See , WEE Horng‐Yen , CHERN Bernard Su‐Min
Published: February 2010

A 30‐year‐old woman presented with epigastric pain with elevated serum human chorionic gonadotropin level (hCG), absence of intrauterine gestational sac and absence of an abnormal adnexal mass on pelvic ultrasonography. Laparoscopy revealed a ruptured hepatic ectopic pregnancy. This was removed by laparoscopic suctioning and haemostasis secured with Surgicel® Fribrilla™ Absorbable Hemostat. Intramuscular methotrexate was administered post‐operatively. Patient recovered uneventfully and serum hCG returned to normal.