bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Authors Say: ‘The Data Are Not So Robust because of Heterogeneity’ – So, How Should I Deal with This Systematic Review?
Authors: Sandercock Peter
Published: April 2011

Systematic reviews can, if done well, provide a convenient and unbiased summary of the evidence on a particular topic. The presence of substantial heterogeneity in a meta-analysis is always of interest. On the one hand, it may indicate that there is excessive clinical diversity in the studies included, and that it is inappropriate to derive an estimate of overall effect from that particular set of studies. On the other hand, appropriate exploration of the source of heterogeneity may either identify poor design of the studies included or perhaps not even identify the cause; in either case, investigating the source of the heterogeneity may be identified as a topic for future research.
Increased Incidence of Interatrial Block in Younger Adults with Cryptogenic Stroke and Patent Foramen Ovale
Authors: Cotter P.E. , Martin P.J. , Pugh P.J. , Warburton E.A. , Cheriyan J. , Belham M.
Published: April 2011

Background: Stroke is often unexplained in younger adults, although it is often associated with a patent foramen ovale (PFO). The reason for the association is not fully explained, and mechanisms other than paradoxical embolism may be involved. Young stroke patients with PFO have more atrial vulnerability than those without PFO. It is plausible that stretching of the interatrial septum may disrupt the interatrial conduction pathways causing interatrial block (IAB). IAB is associated with atrial fibrillation, dysfunctional left atria and stroke. Methods: Electrocardiogram (ECG) characteristics of prospectively recruited young patients (≤55 years of age) with unexplained stroke (TOAST and A-S-C-O) were compared with control data. All stroke cases underwent bubble contrast transthoracic and transoesophageal echography. IAB was defined as a P-wave duration of ≧110 ms. ECG data were converted to electronic format and analysed in a blind manner. Results: Fifty-five patients and 23 datasets were analysed. Patients with unexplained stroke had longer P-wave duration (p = 0.013) and a greater prevalence of IAB (p = 0.02) than healthy controls. Case status was an independent predictor of P-wave duration in a significant multivariate model. There was a significant increase in the proportion of cases with a PFO with IAB compared with cases without PFO and with controls (p = 0.005). Conclusions: Young patients with unexplained stroke, particularly those with PFO, exhibit abnormal atrial electrical characteristics suggesting atrial arrhythmia or atrial dysfunction as a possible mechanism of stroke.
Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss as Prodromal Symptom of Anterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery Infarction
Authors: Martines Francesco , Dispenza Francesco , Gagliardo Cesare , Martines Enrico , Bentivegna Daniela
Published: April 2011

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is a clinical condition characterized by a sudden onset of unilateral or bilateral hearing loss. In recent years sudden deafness has been frequently described in association with anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) infarction generally presenting along with other brainstem and cerebellar signs such as ataxia, dysmetria and peripheral facial palsy. The authors report a rare clinical case of a 53-year-old man who suddenly developed hearing loss and tinnitus without any brainstem or cerebellar signs. Computed tomography of his brain was normal, and the audiological results localized the lesion causing deafness to the inner ear. Surprisingly, magnetic resonance imaging showed an ischemic infarct in the right AICA territory. This case represents the fifth in the literature to date but it confirms that AICA occlusion can cause sudden deafness even without brainstem or cerebellar signs. Therefore, we recommend submitting the patient for neuroimaging, as an emergency, in order to exclude infarction of the AICA territory. By doing this, it may be possible to limit the extent of the lesion by commencing early therapy.
Physical Activity and the Risk of Incident Atrial Fibrillation in Women
Authors: Everett Brendan M. , Conen David , Buring Julie E. , Moorthy M.V. , Lee I-Min , Albert Christine M.
Published: April 2011

Background—

Physical activity (PA) is well known to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. We hypothesized that regular PA, possibly acting through reductions in blood pressure and body mass index (BMI), would reduce the risk of incident atrial fibrillation (AF) in women.

Methods and Results—

We prospectively followed 34 759 women who reported their leisure-time PA levels for the occurrence of AF. We estimated energy expenditure in metabolic equivalent (MET)-h/wk and validated self-reported AF with medical records. The mean (SD) age of the 34 759 participants was 54.6 (7.0) years, the mean BMI was 26.0 (5.0) kg/m
2
, 26.5% had hypertension, and the median (IQR) PA was 8.4 (2.8, 20.4) MET-h/wk. After a median of 14.4 years of observation, 968 women had development of AF. In age-, cholesterol-, smoking-, alcohol-, diabetes-, and race-adjusted models, increasing quintiles of PA were associated with reduced risks of AF (hazard ratio for extreme quintiles, 0.82; 0.66 to 1.01;
P
trend=0.007 over quintiles). Although this association was not substantially different after adjusting for hypertension (0.87; 0.70 to 1.07;
P
trend 0.02), it was attenuated after adjustment for BMI (0.99; 0.80 to 1.23;
P
trend=0.22). Women who achieved the federal government's recommendation of 7.5 MET-h/wk of PA were at reduced risk of AF compared with those who did not (0.86; 0.75 to 0.98;
P
=0.03). This association was also attenuated by BMI (0.96; 0.84 to 1.10;
P
=0.57).

Conclusions—

In middle-aged women, physical activity was associated with a modestly reduced risk of AF. However, this relationship was no longer significant after controlling for body mass index.
This Must Be the Place: Underrepresentation of Identity and Meaning in Climate Change Decision-Making
Authors: Adger W. Neil , Barnett Jon , Chapin F. S. , Ellemor Heidi
Published: April 2011

The dangers that future climate change poses to physical, biological, and economic systems are accounted for in analyses of risk and increasingly figure in decision-making about responses to climate change. Yet the potential cultural and social impacts of climate change have scarcely been considered. In this article we bring the risks climate change poses to cultures and social systems into consideration through a focus on places—those local material and symbolic contexts that give meaning and value to peoples' lives. By way of examples, the article reviews evidence on the observed and projected impacts of climate change on the Arctic and Pacific island atoll nations. It shows that impacts may result in the loss of many unique natural and cultural components of these places. We then argue that the risk of irreversible loss of places needs to be factored into decision-making on climate change. The article then suggests ways forward in decision-making that recognizes these non-market and non-instrumental metrics of risk, based on principles of justice and recognition of individual and community identity.
A Theory of Deep Stratification and Overturning Circulation in the Ocean
Authors: Nikurashin Maxim , Vallis Geoffrey
Published: April 2011

A simple theoretical model of the deep stratification and meridional overturning circulation in an idealized single-basin ocean with a circumpolar channel is presented. The theory includes the effects of wind, eddies, and diapycnal mixing; predicts the deep stratification in terms of the surface forcing and other problem parameters; makes no assumption of zero residual circulation; and consistently accounts for the interaction between the circumpolar channel and the rest of the ocean.

The theory shows that dynamics of the overturning circulation can be characterized by two limiting regimes, corresponding to weak and strong diapycnal mixing. The transition between the two regimes is described by a nondimensional number characterizing the strength of the diffusion-driven compared to the wind-driven overturning circulation. In the limit of weak diapycnal mixing, deep stratification throughout the ocean is produced by the effects of wind and eddies in a circumpolar channel and maintained even in the limit of vanishing diapycnal diffusivity and in a flat-bottomed ocean. The overturning circulation across the deep stratification is driven by the diapycnal mixing in the basin away from the channel but is sensitive, through changes in stratification, to the wind and eddies in the channel. In the limit of strong diapycnal mixing, deep stratification is primarily set by eddies in the channel and diapycnal mixing in the basin away from the channel, with the wind over the circumpolar channel playing a secondary role. Analytical solutions for the deep stratification and overturning circulation in the limit of weak diapycnal mixing and numerical solutions that span the regimes of weak to strong diapycnal mixing are presented.

The theory is tested with a coarse-resolution ocean general circulation model configured in an idealized geometry. A series of experiments performed to examine the sensitivity of the deep stratification and the overturning circulation to variations in wind stress and diapycnal mixing compare well with predictions from the theory.
Exploring Sources of Punitiveness Among German Citizens
Authors: Cochran Joshua C. , Piquero Alex R.
Published: April 2011

Prior research examining punitive attitudes has typically focused on the United States and citizens’ support for the death penalty or American “gettough” criminal policies. Yet, little is known as to how punitive attitudes and their sources vary internationally. Using Germany as a case study, this article expands the scope of punitiveness research by examining how factors typically examined in American studies, such as cynicism, institutional trust, law and order culture, and antiminority attitudes, relate to citizen beliefs about punishment in a different cultural context. Findings suggest that distrust of the judicial system, political prioritization of law and order, and antiminority attitudes predict citizens’ support for severe punishment as an effective crime-reduction technique. Implications and directions for future research are highlighted.
Placed Blame
Authors: Gardner Joby
Published: April 2011

A persistent problem in educational policy and research concerns how social (dis)advantage is reproduced in free societies built on ideologies of equality, opportunity, and social mobility. In this article, the author examines narratives by and for incarcerated young men about how they “got caught up” in illegal activity and eventually incarcerated. Young men and adults supervising them are found to contest choice and culpability in terms of generational and spatial legacies of possibility and social (dis-)advantage. This work is significant for what it suggests about juvenile culpability—specifically, how young people and those around them contest “choice(s)” and, subsequently “blame,” in narratives about childhood and young adulthood. The author argues that historical and geographic contexts frame universes of choices and developmental pathways that are always already present in young people’s lives. In doing so, the author challenges reductive and privatized framings of youth development to suggest a more balanced and comprehensive approach to working with and educating young offenders.
New Media and Urban Motilities: A Territoriologic Point of View
Authors: Brighenti Andrea Mubi
Published: April 2011

The paper aims to contribute to the study of new media technologies in urban environments. It unfolds at two levels, epistemological and substantive. First, it discusses the issue of the conceptual tools that we can deploy to understand new media, arguing in favour of notions and methods that enable research to capture the double nature, socio-technical and bio-political, of the new media in urban environments. In particular, the paper claims that new media can be seen as a continuation of the process of ‘urbanisation of territory’ described by Foucault, aimed at the creation of a flexibly controllable space of events. Secondly, it criticises substantively the techno-enthusiast user-empowerment ideology that surrounds new media and addresses issues of inequality, control and resistance in and through new media in the city. The argument is that the augmented, hybrid or mixed urban reality of new media like personal and locative media is neither determinist nor unboundedly mobile. While the freedom of movement and the diverging styles of mobility are becoming a crucial factor of stratification, new tensions and struggles over the nature of urban ‘events’ are likely to take place.
Argumentation Across the Curriculum
Authors: Wolfe Christopher R.
Published: April 2011

This study explores how different kinds of arguments are situated in academic contexts and provides an analysis of undergraduate writing assignments. Assignments were collected from the schools of business, education, engineering, fine arts, and interdisciplinary studies as well as the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences in the College of Arts and Science. A total of 265 undergraduate writing assignments from 71 courses were analyzed. Assignments were reliably categorized into these major categories of argumentative writing: explicitly thesis-driven assignments, text analysis, empirical arguments, decision-based arguments, proposals, short answer arguments, and compound arguments. A majority of writing assignments (59%) required argumentation. All engineering writing assignments required argumentation, as did 90% in fine arts, 80% of interdisciplinary assignments, 72% of social science assignments, 60% of education assignments, 53% in natural science, 47% in the humanities, and 46% in business. Argumentation is valued across the curriculum, yet different academic contexts require different forms of argumentation.
The race of nimble fingers: Changing patterns of children’s work in post-apartheid South Africa
Authors: Levine Susan
Published: April 2011

This article considers the socioeconomic changes that have impacted on the lives of poor children since the end of apartheid in South Africa. In particular, the article highlights the ways in which child labour legislation after 1994 has had the unintended consequence of deepening chronic hunger and childhood poverty on food-rich farms where children formerly participated as seasonal or part-time workers. Drawing on more than 10 years of ethnographic research beginning in 1996 in the Western Cape, this article demonstrates, through its focus on childhood poverty, the trappings of democracy in the post-apartheid era.
Interpreting for California’s Insured Deaf or Hard of Hearing Population
Authors: Moreland Christopher J. , Ritley Dominique , Romano Patrick S.
Published: April 2011

Deaf or hard of hearing (DHOH) people experience significant health disparities in the United States; signed language interpretation services may increase their access to health care via health insurance plans. The authors’ objective is to describe signed language interpretation (SLI) services provided by California’s health maintenance organizations (HMOs) to their DHOH members. They conducted a descriptive review of an annual state-administered survey of California HMOs from 2003 through 2008 via retrospective analysis of annual or biennial survey responses to questions regarding SLI services and DHOH members. From 2003 through 2008, California HMOs increased efforts to inform DHOH members of SLI services while using more formal methods to assess the quality of those services. DHOH members were increasingly discouraged from using family members for medical SLI. California’s HMOs have improved efforts to promote and evaluate SLI services for the DHOH community.
Gene Therapy in Mouse Models of Huntington Disease
Authors: Southwell Amber L. , Patterson Paul H.
Published: April 2011

Huntingtin, the protein that when mutated causes Huntington disease (HD), has many known interactors and participates in diverse cellular functions. Mutant Htt (mHtt) engages in a variety of aberrant interactions that lead to pathological gain of toxic functions as well as loss of normal functions. The broad symptomatology of HD, including diminished voluntary motor control, cognitive decline, and psychiatric disturbances, reflects the multifaceted neuropathology. Although currently available therapies for HD focus on symptom management, the autosomal dominant cause and the adult onset make this disease an ideal candidate for genetic intervention. A variety of gene therapy approaches have been tested in mouse models of HD, ranging from those aimed at ameliorating downstream pathology or replacing lost neuronal populations to more upstream strategies to reduce mHtt levels. Here the authors review the results of these preclinical trials.
A New Rapid Method to Measure Human Platelet Cholesterol
Authors: Jagroop I. Anita , Persaud Jahm Want , Mikhailidis Dimitri P.
Published: April 2011

Introduction: Platelet cholesterol (PC) could be used to assess “tissue” cholesterol of patients with vascular disease. However, the methods available so far to measure PC involve a complex extraction process. We developed a rapid method to measure PC and assessed its correlation with serum total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), LDL-C/HDL-C ratio, triglycerides (TG), and non-HDL-C. Methods: We assessed repeatability (20 times, 3 participants) and reproducibility (8 times, 2 participants). A group of 47 healthy participants was studied. Blood was collected to analyze serum TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, and TG. Citrated blood was used to prepare a platelet pellet. A “clear soup” was produced (by disrupting this pellet using freeze–thaw and sonication cycles) and used to measure PC. Results: Repeatability of PC showed a coefficient of variation (CV) of 4.8%. The reproducibility of PC over a period of 2 months was CV 7.5% and 8.1% (8 measurements for 2 participants). The PC of participants with serum LDL-C >2.6 mmol/L (treatment goal recommended by the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III) was 377 ± 120 μmol/10 12 platelets (n = 25). There was a significant correlation (Spearman, correlation coefficient) of PC (n = 25) with serum LDL-C ( rs = 0.45, P = .02), LDL-C/HDL-C ( rs = 0.45, P = .02), TG ( rs = 0.43, P = .03), and non-HDL-C ( rs = 0.53, P = .007). Conclusion: This technique of measuring PC has the advantage of being reproducible, fast, and simpler than previous methods. Thus, it may be useful for multiple sampling when investigating changes in PC in hypercholesterolemic patients. More extensive evaluation is necessary.
Intimate Partner Violence and HIV Risk Behaviors Among Socially Disadvantaged Chilean Women
Authors: Miner Sarah , Ferrer Lilian , Cianelli Rosina , Bernales Margarita , Cabieses Báltica
Published: April 2011

The objective of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between intimate partner v iolence (IPV) and HIV risk among socioeconomically disadvantaged Chilean women. A correlational analysis with data from the NIH-funded project, “Testing an HIV/AIDS Prevention Intervention for Chilean Women,” was conducted. Two hundred and sixty-one women were included in this analysis ( n = 261). Those women who had experienced any type of IPV in the past 3 months had significantly higher risk for HIV than those who had not ( t = -2.016, p < .05). Also a linear trend was found among those women who had experienced more than one type of IPV in the past 3 months and HIV risk.
Can We Talk? The Impact of Willingness to Recommend on a New-to-Market Service Brand Extension Within a Social Network
Authors: Aksoy Lerzan , Buoye Alexander , Cooil Bruce , Keiningham Timothy L. , Paul DeDe , Volinsky Chris
Published: April 2011

Adoption of new services in the marketplace, and the impact that word of mouth (WOM) has on adoption, has long been of interest to marketers. Managers have therefore become increasingly interested in measuring WOM activity most commonly through the recommend intention metric. The circumstances under which the predictive ability of this metric can be established, however, are not clear. This research provides the first longitudinal examination of the relationship bet ween recommend intention and the adoption of a new-to-market service (NTMS) brand extension. Analysis is conducted using anonymized data provided by a large U.S. telecommunications provider for 791 customers and their corresponding telephone network (11,552 individuals). The findings indicate an interaction effect where recommend intention predicts new service adoption only when the recommending customers are more recent adopters of the service and are in more frequent contact with the potential customer. Therefore, when managers are using the recommend intention metric to predict adoption, there is a need to take into consideration the exposure of the individual to others in their network and the timing of their adoption.
Smoking and workers’ autonomy: A qualitative study on smoking practices in manual work
Authors: Katainen Anu
Published: April 2011

A massive amount of research has brought out the association of daily smoking with social class. Smoking remains very common in the most disadvantaged groups, but it has also maintained its popularity among manual workers. The starting point of the article is that what needs to be taken into account in explaining the social differentiation of smoking is the social context in which smoking takes place. The study is based on interviews of daily smokers, ex-smokers and occasional smokers from different occupational backgrounds. In this article, the focus is on manual workers ( N = 19), and the main interest is in the meaning of smoking in working-class contexts and how it is attached to daily routines and social settings in manual work. Theoretically, the study draws on the pragmatist idea of habits and how they are formed in accordance with the context. As a shared ritual, smoking was a self-evident part of daily routines at the workplaces under scrutiny. The study shows how smoking was a legitimate way to challenge the official rules and to make the work more bearable by increasing social contacts and a sense of belonging. Paradoxically, smoking was to a great extent an unquestioned routine, but at the same time it increased the autonomy of the workers in terms of their daily tasks.
Physician Assistants in the ICU
Authors: Lizano Danny , Mehta Gargi , Keith David , Shiloh Ariel L. , Savel Richard H.
Published: April 2011

Since its inception, physician assistants (PAs) have been and continue to be successfully integrated into many critical care (CC) departments across the nation. The combination of both a projected shortage of intensivists and the recent house staff work hour restrictions, enforced by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), will increase the demand for PA coverage. Prior success in integrating PAs into ICUs has proven that PAs can fill the large gap created by the aforementioned factors and do so in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Given that PA naïve institutions still exist specifically within the field of CC medicine, this article aims to introduce and describe how PAs can be incorporated into an ICU. In addition, areas of focus will highlight hiring, training, credentialing/billing, and evolving continuing education.
Teamwork and Program Organization in Developing Countries
Authors: Fenton Kathleen N. , Castillo Sergio Hernandez , Claro Carlos Duarte , Novick William M.
Published: April 2011

Establishment of congenital heart surgery programs in developing countries is often impeded by competition among providers for scarce resources and opportunities. To avoid this problem, the authors have sought to focus program development on a domestic medical team that includes a visiting North American surgeon. A leadership group was formed consisting of a domestic cardiologist and surgeon, the visiting surgeon, and leading local benefactors. Surgery was initiated beginning with closed cases, and the volume and complexity were gradually increased. The team was mentored by the visiting surgeon, and full medical brigades visited periodically. All members of the leadership group interacted with local health care providers, missionary groups, and visiting medical teams from international organizations, aiming to develop a single congenital heart surgery center. Over a period of 3 years, 185 children have been operated on and the team has progressed to do more complex open and closed cases. Overall mortality is 6.5%. Actively working with the program are 3 of the 5 local pediatric cardiologists, 2 of 4 pediatric intensivists, the only pediatric perfusionist, and the only active pediatric heart surgeon. Three additional international organizations currently participate in program development. Fundraising by the domestic nonprofit organization has increased approximately 20-fold in 5 years, and the program has been evaluated and approved by the government-based health insurance program. Focusing program development around a domestic leadership team allows coordination of patient referrals and resources, which contributes to excellent patient care and program sustainability.
Echocardiography in Heterotaxy Syndrome
Authors: Marx Gerald R.
Published: April 2011

The important anatomic aspects of heterotaxy syndrome can be diagnosed by Doppler echocardiography in the newborn and infant. An organized approach and an understanding of asplenia (right atrial isomerism) and polysplenia (left atrial isomerism) are integral to the echocardiographic study. Detailed and precise depiction of the anatomy is the mainstay for staging subsequent medical and surgical management.
Politics of ‘Pasmanda’ Muslims
Authors: Ali Manjur
Published: April 2011

Muslim politics in India has gone mainly through two phases in the postindependence era. The first phase (1947–91) is marked by increasing political ghettoisation of Muslim, subsequently leading to the rise of identity politics. This phase lend credence to the idea that Muslims are a homogenised community. The political demands, in this phase, formulated as a process of collective bargaining by community were such as protection and promotion of Urdu; Aligarh Muslim University; non-interference of government into the personal laws, etc. This came as a handy tool for right wing to fuel the majority communalism. The second phase (1991 onwards) marks the onset of democratisation era. With the implementation of Mandal Commission and inclusion of backward Muslim castes into it, the political agenda has shifted from secularism and communalism to social justice; from security to development and equity. This article has tried to contextualise theoretically the marked shift into the Muslim politics due to the democratisation process initiated by inclusion of backward Muslims into the fold of reservation. This article is an attempt to look at the wider implication on Indian political process in post-Mandal phase by taking case study of Bihar. In the process, this article has tried to provide a detailed analysis of the role that is being now played by the Pasmanda Muslim (OBCs and Dalits) in Bihar politics.
Between ‘Minorityism’ and Minority Rights
Authors: Fazal Tanweer
Published: April 2011

Three years since the submission of the Sachar Report, the official paradigm remains shrouded with an intrinsic ‘minorityism’ insofar as devising ameliorative strategies is concerned. Quite opposed to the majoritarian invocation of minorityism as minority appeasement, this article claims to make a conceptual departure by making a distinction between ‘minorityism’ and minority rights. Minorityism is a culturalist myopia that appeals to identity mobilisations, religio-cultural symbolisms and homogenous profiling of communities while glossing over the inequities of power and deficits of development faced by such groups. Such a distinction, the article argues, is critical in dispelling obfuscation of reality through the formulation of generic categories like ‘minority’ that obscure intra-group differentiation along caste, class and gender. Equipped with these conceptual tools, the article interrogates the implementation of the Sachar Committee recommendations.
Prospects and Challenges of Peace-building
Authors: Samatha M.
Published: April 2011

This article is an attempt to understand and analyse the strategies of peace-building by international actors in Sri Lanka. The peace-building approach to conflict resolution was proposed and later developed by the UN to expand the activities of international actors even in ongoing internal conflicts and not merely in post-conflict situations. It looks at the reasons for the rise of internal conflicts in multi-ethnic states. It bases itself on the premise that such conflicts should be resolved by addressing not just the issues of identity and security but also issues such as socio-economic discrimination, scarce resources and denial of equal opportunities for all ethnic groups by the state as these issues have equal potential to prolong internal conflict. However, applying this approach to the Sri Lankan context particularly during the period from 1999 to 2004 has produced mixed results. Domestic politics and economy, the consequences of prolonged internal conflict on the society, the State’s economic and foreign policy, position of donors and interests of different players in the conflict had a bearing on the implementation of this approach.
Locating the ‘Indian Muslim’ Mind
Authors: Quaiser Neshat
Published: April 2011

This contribution to the ‘Commentary’ series is based on the conversation contained in fourteen letters exchanged electronically in January–February 2005 between Neshat Quaiser, Ahmad (full name withheld) and Satish Saberwal. The text rests in major part on Quaiser’s response to issues raised by Ahmad and Saberwal. The conversation focuses on the various facets of being an ‘Indian Muslim’, with reference to the binary opposition between the high caste elite and the Shudra Muslim sections of the community. The conversation is confined to processes affecting North Indian Muslims. However, the central argument on caste and revivalist thinking as crucial structuring principles is, it is felt, applicable equally to Muslims of other parts of the country. It identifies the ways in which the high caste elite hegemonise readings of the ‘Muslim’ role in India’s history and the agenda they advance to further the ‘community’s’ more favourable location in India’s polity, economy and society.
Norovirus gastroenteritis causes severe and lethal complications after chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Schwartz Stefan , Vergoulidou Maria , Schreier Eckart , Loddenkemper Christoph , Reinwald Mark , Schmidt-Hieber Martin , Flegel Willy A. , Thiel Eckhard , Schneider Thomas
Published: April 2011

Norovirus (NV) infections are a frequent cause of gastroenteritis (GE), but data on this disease in immunocompromised patients are limited. We analyzed an NV outbreak, which affected immunosuppressed patients in the context of chemotherapy or HSCT. On recognition, 7 days after admission of the index patient, preventive measures were implemented. Attack rates were only 3% (11/334) and 10% (11/105) among patients and staff members, respectively. The median duration of symptoms was 7 days in patients compared with only 3 days in staff members (P = .02). Three patients died of the NV infection. Commonly used clinical diagnostic criteria (Kaplan-criteria) were unsuitable because they applied to 11 patients with proven NV-GE but also to 15 patients without NV-GE. With respect to the therapeutic management, it is important to differentiate intestinal GVHD from NV-GE. Therefore, we analyzed the histopathologic patterns in duodenal biopsies, which were distinctive in both conditions. Stool specimens in patients remained positive for NV-RNA for a median of 30 days, but no transmission was observed beyond an asymptomatic interval of 48 hours. NV-GE is a major threat to patients with chemotherapy or HSCT, and meticulous measures are warranted to prevent transmission of NV to these patients.
Pro-inflammatory endothelial cell dysfunction is associated with intersectin-1s down-regulation
Authors: Singla Sunit , Predescu Dan , Bardita Cristina , Wang Minhua , Zhang Jian , Balk Robert A , Predescu Sanda
Published: April 2011

Background

The response of lung microvascular endothelial cells (ECs) to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is central to the pathogenesis of lung injury. It is dual in nature, with one facet that is pro-inflammatory and another that is cyto-protective. In previous work, overexpression of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-XL rescued ECs from apoptosis triggered by siRNA knockdown of intersectin-1s (ITSN-1s), a pro-survival protein crucial for ECs function. Here we further characterized the cyto-protective EC response to LPS and pro-inflammatory dysfunction.

Methods and Results

Electron microscopy (EM) analyses of LPS-exposed ECs revealed an activated/dysfunctional phenotype, while a biotin assay for caveolae internalization followed by biochemical quantification indicated that LPS causes a 40% inhibition in biotin uptake compared to controls. Quantitative PCR and Western blotting were used to evaluate the mRNA and protein expression, respectively, for several regulatory proteins of intrinsic apoptosis, including ITSN-1s. The decrease in ITSN-1s mRNA and protein expression were countered by Bcl-XL and survivin upregulation, as well as Bim downregulation, events thought to protect ECs from impending apoptosis. Absence of apoptosis was confirmed by TUNEL and lack of cytochrome c (cyt c) efflux from mitochondria. Moreover, LPS exposure caused induction and activation of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and a mitochondrial variant (mtNOS), as well as augmented mitochondrial NO production as measured by an oxidation oxyhemoglobin (oxyHb) assay applied on mitochondrial-enriched fractions prepared from LPS-exposed ECs. Interestingly, expression of myc-ITSN-1s rescued caveolae endocytosis and reversed induction of iNOS expression.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that ITSN-1s deficiency is relevant for the pro-inflammatory ECs dysfunction induced by LPS.
Community analysis of bacteria colonizing intestinal tissue of neonates with necrotizing enterocolitis
Authors: Smith Birgitte , Bodé Susan , Petersen Bodil L , Jensen Tim K , Pipper Christian , Kloppenborg Julie , Boyé Mette , Krogfelt Karen A , Mølbak Lars
Published: April 2011

Background

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is the most common gastrointestinal emergency in newborn neonates. Bacteria are believed to be important in the pathogenesis of NEC but bacterial characterization has only been done on human faecal samples and experimental animal studies. The aim of this study was to investigate the microbial composition and the relative number of bacteria in inflamed intestinal tissue surgically removed from neonates diagnosed with NEC (n = 24). The bacterial populations in the specimens were characterized by laser capture microdissection and subsequent sequencing combined with fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), using bacterial rRNA-targeting oligonucleotide probes.

Results

Bacteria were detected in 22 of the 24 specimens, 71% had moderate to high densities of bacteria. The phyla detected by 16S rRNA gene sequencing were:Proteobacteria(49.0%),Firmicutes(30.4%),Actinobacteria(17.1%) andBacteroidetes(3.6%). A major detected class of the phylumProteobacteriabelonged toδ-proteobacteria. Surprisingly,Clostridiumspecies were only detected in 4 of the specimens by FISH, but two of these specimens exhibited histological pneumatosis intestinalis and both specimens had a moderate to a high density ofC. butyricumandC. parputrificumdetected by using species specific FISH probes. A 16S rRNA gene sequence tag similar toRalstoniaspecies was detected in most of the neonatal tissues and members of this genus have been reported to be opportunistic pathogens but their role in NEC has still to be clarified.

Conclusion

In this study, in situ identification and community analysis of bacteria found in tissue specimens from neonates with NEC, were analysed for the first time. Although a large variability of bacteria was found in most of the analyzed specimens, no single or combination of known potential pathogenic bacteria species was dominating the samples suggestive NEC as non-infectious syndrome. However there was a significant correlation between the presence ofC. butyricum&C. parputrificumand histological pneumatosis intestinalis. Finally this study emphasizes the possibility to examine the microbial composition directly on excised human tissues to avoid biases from faecal samples or culturing.
A cDNA microarray, UniShrimpChip, for identification of genes relevant to testicular development in the black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon)
Authors: Leelatanawit Rungnapa , Uawisetwathana Umaporn , Klinbunga Sirawut , Karoonuthaisiri Nitsara
Published: April 2011

Background

Poor reproductive maturation in captive male broodstock of the black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) is one of the serious problems to the farming industries. Without genome sequence, EST libraries of P. monodon were previously constructed to identify transcripts with important biological functions. In this study, a new version of cDNA microarray, UniShrimpChip, was constructed from the Peneaus monodon EST libraries of 12 tissues, containing 5,568 non-redundant cDNA clones from 10,536 unique cDNA in the P. monodon EST database. UniShrimpChip was used to study testicular development by comparing gene expression levels of wild brooders from the West and East coasts of Thailand and domesticated brooders with different ages (10-, 14-, 18-month-old).

Results

The overall gene expression patterns from the microarray experiments revealed distinct transcriptomic patterns between the wild and domesticated groups. Moreover, differentially expressed genes from the microarray comparisons were identified, and the expression patterns of eight selected transcripts were subsequently confirmed by reverse-transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Among these, expression levels of six subunits (CSN2, 4, 5, 6, 7a, and 8) of the COP9 signalosome (CSN) gene family in wild and different ages of domesticated brooders were examined by RT-qPCR. Among the six subunits, CSN5 and CSN6 were most highly expressed in wild brooders and least expressed in the 18-month-old domesticated group; therefore, their full-length cDNA sequences were characterized.

Conclusions

This study is the first report to employ cDNA microarray to study testicular development in the black tiger shrimp. We show that there are obvious differences between the wild and domesticated shrimp at the transcriptomic level. Furthermore, our study is the first to investigate the feasibility that the CSN gene family might have involved in reproduction and development of this economically important species.
Inflammatory mediators in breast cancer: Coordinated expression of TNFα & IL-1β with CCL2 & CCL5 and effects on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition
Authors: Soria Gali , Ofri-Shahak Maya , Haas Ilana , Yaal-Hahoshen Neora , Leider-Trejo Leonor , Leibovich-Rivkin Tal , Weitzenfeld Polina , Meshel Tsipi , Shabtai Esther , Gutman Mordechai , Ben-Baruch Adit
Published: April 2011

Background

The inflammatory chemokines CCL2 (MCP-1) & CCL5 (RANTES) and the inflammatory cytokines TNFα & IL-1β were shown to contribute to breast cancer development and metastasis. In this study, we wished to determine whether there are associations between these factors along stages of breast cancer progression, and to identify the possible implications of these factors to disease course.

Methods

The expression of CCL2, CCL5, TNFα and IL-1β was determined by immunohistochemistry in patients diagnosed with: (1) Benign breast disorders (=healthy individuals); (2) Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS); (3) Invasive Ducal Carcinoma without relapse (IDC-no-relapse); (4) IDC-with-relapse. Based on the results obtained, breast tumor cells were stimulated by the inflammatory cytokines, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was determined by flow cytometry, confocal analyses and adhesion, migration and invasion experiments.

Results

CCL2, CCL5, TNFα and IL-1β were expressed at very low incidence in normal breast epithelial cells, but their incidence was significantly elevated in tumor cells of the three groups of cancer patients. Significant associations were found between CCL2 & CCL5 and TNFα & IL-1β in the tumor cells in DCIS and IDC-no-relapse patients. In the IDC-with-relapse group, the expression of CCL2 & CCL5 was accompanied by further elevated incidence of TNFα & IL-1β expression. These results suggest progression-related roles for TNFα and IL-1β in breast cancer, as indeed indicated by the following: (1) Tumors of the IDC-with-relapse group had significantly higher persistence of TNFα and IL-1β compared to tumors of DCIS or IDC-no-relapse; (2) Continuous stimulation of the tumor cells by TNFα (and to some extent IL-1β) has led to EMT in the tumor cells; (3) Combined analyses with relevant clinical parameters suggested that IL-1β acts jointly with other pro-malignancy factors to promote disease relapse.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that the coordinated expression of CCL2 & CCL5 and TNFα & IL-1β may be important for disease course, and that TNFα & IL-1β may promote disease relapse. Further in vitro and in vivo studies are needed for determination of the joint powers of the four factors in breast cancer, as well as analyses of their combined targeting in breast cancer.
An adaptable method using human mixed tissue ratiometric controls for benchmarking performance on gene expression microarrays in clinical laboratories
Authors: Pine P Scott , Rosenzweig Barry A , Thompson Karol L
Published: April 2011

Background

Molecular biomarkers that are based on mRNA transcripts are being developed for the diagnosis and treatment of a number of diseases. DNA microarrays are one of the primary technologies being used to develop classifiers from gene expression data for clinically relevant outcomes. Microarray assays are highly multiplexed measures of comparative gene expression but have a limited dynamic range of measurement and show compression in fold change detection. To increase the clinical utility of microarrays, assay controls are needed that benchmark performance using metrics that are relevant to the analysis of genomic data generated with biological samples.

Results

Ratiometric controls were prepared from commercial sources of high quality RNA from human tissues with distinctly different expression profiles and mixed in defined ratios. The samples were processed using six different target labeling protocols and replicate datasets were generated on high density gene expression microarrays. The area under the curve from receiver operating characteristic plots was calculated to measure diagnostic performance. The reliable region of the dynamic range was derived from log2 ratio deviation plots made for each dataset. Small but statistically significant differences in diagnostic performance were observed between standardized assays available from the array manufacturer and alternative methods for target generation. Assay performance using the reliable range of comparative measurement as a metric was improved by adjusting sample hybridization conditions for one commercial kit.

Conclusions

Process improvement in microarray assay performance was demonstrated using samples prepared from commercially available materials and two metrics - diagnostic performance and the reliable range of measurement. These methods have advantages over approaches that use a limited set of external controls or correlations to reference sets, because they provide benchmark values that can be used by clinical laboratories to help optimize protocol conditions and laboratory proficiency with microarray assays.
Target-selective homologous recombination cloning for high-throughput generation of monoclonal antibodies from single plasma cells
Authors: Kurosawa Nobuyuki , Yoshioka Megumi , Isobe Masaharu
Published: April 2011

Background

Molecular cloning of functional immunoglobulin genes from single plasma cells is one of the most promising technologies for the rapid development of monoclonal antibody drugs. However, the proper insertion of PCR-amplified immunoglobulin genes into expression vectors remains an obstacle to the high-throughput production of recombinant monoclonal antibodies.

Results

We developed a single-step cloning method, target-selective homologous recombination (TS-HR), in which PCR-amplified immunoglobulin variable genes were selectively inserted into vectors, even in the presence of nonspecifically amplified DNA. TS-HR utilizes Red/ET-mediated homologous recombination with a target-selective vector (TS-vector) with unique homology arms on its termini. Using TS-HR, immunoglobulin variable genes were cloned directly into expression vectors by co-transforming unpurified PCR products and the TS-vector intoE. coli. Furthermore, the high cloning specificity of TS-HR allowed plasmids to be extracted from pools of transformed bacteria without screening single colonies for correct clones. We present a one-week protocol for the production of recombinant mouse monoclonal antibodies from large numbers of single plasma cells.

Conclusion

The time requirements and limitations of traditional cloning procedures for the production of recombinant immunoglobulins have been significantly reduced with the development of the TS-HR cloning technique.
A comparison of conventional and retrospective measures of change in symptoms after elective surgery
Authors: Bitzer Eva M , Petrucci Marco , Lorenz Christoph , Hussein Rugzan , Dörning Hans , Trojan Alf , Nickel Stefan
Published: April 2011

Background

Measuring change is fundamental to evaluations, health services research and quality management. To date, the Gold-Standard is the prospective assessment of pre- to postoperative change. However, this is not always possible (e.g. in emergencies). Instead a retrospective approach to the measurement of change is one alternative of potential validity. In this study, the Gold-Standard 'conventional' method was compared with two variations of the retrospective approach: a perceived-change design (model A) and a design that featured observed follow-up minus baseline recall (model B).

Methods

In a prospective longitudinal observational study of 185 hernia patients and 130 laparoscopic cholecystectomy patients (T0: 7-8 days pre-operative; T1: 14 days post-operative and T2: 6 months post-operative) changes in symptoms (Hernia: 9 Items, Cholecystectomy: 8 Items) were assessed at the three time points by patients and the conventional method was compared to the two alternatives. Comparisons were made regarding the percentage of missing values per questionnaire item, correlation between conventional and retrospective measurements, and the degree to which retrospective measures either over- or underestimated changes and time-dependent effects.

Results

Single item missing values in model A were more frequent than in model B (e.g. Hernia repair at T1: model A: 23.5%, model B: 7.9%. In all items and at both postoperative points of measurement, correlation of change between the conventional method and model B was higher than between the conventional method and model A. For both models A and B, correlation with the change calculated with the conventional method was higher at T1 than at T2. Compared to the conventional model both models A and B also overestimated symptom-change (i.e. improvement) with similar frequency, but the overestimation was higher in model A than in model B. In both models, overestimation was lower at T1 than at T2 and lower after hernia repair than after cholecystectomy.

Conclusions

The retrospective method of measuring change was associated with a larger improvement in symptoms than was the conventional method. Retrospective assessment of change results in a more optimistic evaluation of improvement by patients than does the conventional method (at least for hernia repair and laparoscopic cholecystectomy).