bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oviposition preference and offspring performance of Crocidolomia pavonana (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) on different host plants
Authors: Karungi J. , Lubanga U. K. , Kyamanywa S. , Ekbom B.
Published: March 2010

The cabbage head caterpillar Crocidolomia pavonana (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is an increasingly devastating pest on white cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) in Uganda. Screen house and field trials were used to assess oviposition preference and offspring performance of C. pavonana on six hosts in the genus Brassica: kale (B. oleracea var. acephala), cauliflower (B. oleracea var. botrytis), broccoli (B. oleracea var. italica), Chinese cabbage (B. campestris spp. pekinensis), Indian mustard (B. juncea (L.) Czern.) and white cabbage (B. oleracea var. capitata). To assess oviposition preference, the hosts were offered to C. pavonana in multiple‐choice (all six); two‐choice (cabbage with each of the other hosts) or cabbage‐only situations. After specified oviposition periods, egg numbers on individual plants were recorded. To determine C. pavonana offspring performance on the six hosts, whole plants were placed in individual cages, where larvae were monitored for development time, pupal weight and foliage consumption. Results of the choice tests indicated that C. pavonana preferred Chinese cabbage and broccoli for oviposition. In two‐choice arrangements, all the tested host plants were able to greatly reduce oviposition on white cabbage (69–100%) when compared with the monocrop. Chinese cabbage was the most suitable host with regard to C. pavonana offspring performance as demonstrated by the shortest development time and highest pupal weight. Chinese cabbage and broccoli can be used as traps for the pest but the resulting larvae should be destroyed regularly to prevent accumulation in the system.
Genetic diversity and association analysis of protein and oil content in food‐grade soybeans from Asia and the United States
Authors: Shi A. , Chen P. , Zhang B. , Hou A.
Published: March 2010

With 1 figure and 3 tables

Food‐grade soybean has generated tremendous public interests in various soyfoods including tofu, soymilk, natto and edamame because of their nutritional value and health benefits. In this study, genetic diversity and association analysis were performed among 105 food‐grade soybean genotypes using 65 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers distributed on 20 soybean chromosomes. Based on the SSR marker data, the 105 soybean genotypes were divided into four clusters with six sub‐groups. A negative correlation was obtained between protein and oil content (r = −0.67). Thirteen SSR markers distributed on 11 chromosomes were identified to be significantly associated with oil content (P = 0.001 and R2% = 14.4–43.5) and 19 SSR markers distributed on 14 chromosomes with protein content (P = 0.001, R2% = 14.3–45.6). Twelve of the SSR markers were associated with both protein and oil QTL (quantitative trait loci). Results from this research will be facilitatory for breeders to select parents for crossing and use marker‐assisted selection in food‐grade soybean breeding and to map QTL for protein and oil content in soybean.
QTL analysis for heading date and yield traits using recombinant inbred lines of indica rice grown in different cropping seasons
Authors: Cao L.‐Y. , Wu J.‐L. , Fan Y.‐Y. , Cheng S.‐H. , Zhuang J.‐Y.
Published: March 2010

With 1 figure and 4 tables

Understanding the genetic control of heading date and yield traits has significant implications for rice improvement. A recombinant inbred population of the indica rice cross ‘Zhong 156’/‘Gumei 2’ was grown with sowing date corresponding to the early, mid and late cropping in the Southern China rice growing region, respectively. Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for heading date and six yield traits were determined with a linkage map consisting of 198 markers and spanning 1630.2 cM. Totally 42 QTLs were detected, of which 13 showed significant additive effects and additive‐by‐environment interaction effects, 28 showed significant additive effects only, and one displayed a significant effect in one trial only. QTLs showing major effects on yield traits were identified in the pericentromeric regions of chromosomes 3 and 7, clustering with QTLs for heading date in coupling phase. Three more QTL clusters were detected, including two for yield traits and one for yield traits and heading date. In the utilization of potentially valuable QTLs for yield traits, their relationships with QTLs for heading date should be carefully considered.
Sarcoidosis with cutaneous granulomatous vasculitis
Authors: Wei Chia‐Hung , Huang Yu‐Huei , Shih Yi‐Chin , Tseng Fang‐Wen , Yang Chi‐Hsun
Published: March 2010

Ulceration of non‐caseating granulomas is a rare cutaneous presentation of sarcoidosis. Granulomatous vasculitis is classically associated with Wegener's granulomatosis, lymphomatoid granulomatosis or Churg–Strauss syndrome. It is also commonly noted in pulmonary sarcoidosis, but has seldom been reported in cutaneous sarcoidosis, particularly the ulcerative variant. We present a rare case of sarcoidosis with multiple purpuric leg ulcers showing a granulomatous vasculitis histologically.
From rural beginnings to statewide roll‐out: Evaluation of facilitator training for a group‐based diabetes prevention program
Authors: Vaughan Clare , Reddy Prasuna , Dunbar James
Published: March 2010

Objective:  To evaluate the approach used to train facilitators for a large‐scale group‐based diabetes prevention program developed from a rural implementation research project.

Participants:  Orientation day was attended by 224 health professionals; 188 submitted the self‐learning task; 175 achieved the satisfactory standard for the self‐learning task and attended the workshop; 156 completed the pre‐ and post‐training questionnaires.

Main outcome measures:  Two pre‐ and post‐training scales were developed to assess knowledge and confidence in group‐based diabetes prevention program facilitation. Principal component analysis found four factors for measuring training effectiveness: knowledge of diabetes prevention, knowledge of group facilitation, confidence to facilitate a group to improve health literacy and confidence in diabetes prevention program facilitation. Self‐learning task scores, training discontinuation rates and satisfaction scores were also assessed.

Results:  There was significant improvement in all four knowledge and confidence factors from pre‐ to post‐training (P < 0.001). The self‐learning task mean test score was 88.7/100 (SD = 7.7), and mean assignment score was 72.8/100 (SD = 16.1). Satisfaction with training scores were positive and ‘previous training’ interacted with ‘change in knowledge of diabetes prevention program facilitation’ but not with change in ‘confidence to facilitate.’

Conclusions:  The training program was effective when analysed by change in facilitator knowledge and confidence and the positive mean satisfaction score. Learning task scores suggest tasks were manageable and the requirement contributed to facilitator self‐selection. Improvement in confidence scores in facilitating a group‐based diabetes prevention program, irrespective of previous training and experience, show that program‐specific skill development activities are necessary in curriculum design.
Usefulness of procalcitonin rapid test for the diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis in children in the emergency department
Authors: Nikfar Roya , Khotaee Ghamartaj , Ataee Nematolah , Shams Sedigheh
Published: March 2010

Background:  Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common problem in children. The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of the procalcitonin (PCT) rapid test in the diagnosis of renal involvement in children with urinary tract infection.

Methods:  Through a case series study, PCT and C‐reactive protein rapid tests were measured in children with proven UTI at the Tehran Children's Medical Center, Iran. One‐hundred patients aged 1 month–14 years old (19 boys and 81 girls) with documented UTI were enrolled in the study.

Results:  Of 100 children, 62 patients (62%) had renal involvement on the basis of abnormal Tc‐dimercaptosuccinic acid scintigraphy and 38 patients (38%) had infection restricted to the lower urinary tract. There were no differences related to age or gender among the groups. The sensitivity and specificity of PCT were 77% and 89%, respectively, in prediction of renal involvement, whereas C‐reactive protein had a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 65%.

Conclusion:  We concluded that a rapid determination of PCT concentration could be useful for the management of children with febrile UTI in the emergency room.
Health‐related and diabetes‐related quality of life in Japanese children and adolescents with type 1 and type 2 diabetes
Authors: Nakamura Nobue , Sasaki Nozomu , Kida Kaichi , Matsuura Nobuo
Published: March 2010

Background:  The aim of this study was to assess (i) the health‐related quality of life (HR‐QOL) of primary, junior and high school children with type 1 and type 2 diabetes and to compare it with that of healthy school children; and (ii) to compare the diabetes‐related QOL (DR‐QOL) and the QOL of parents of children with diabetes, between type 1 and type 2 diabetes in Japan.

Methods:  Overall, 471 patients aged 9–18 years (368 with type 1 and 103 with type 2 diabetes) and their parents were involved. QOL was assessed using a self‐administered questionnaire.

Results:  The total score for HR‐QOL of primary and junior school children with type 1 diabetes was significantly higher than that of those with type 2 diabetes and healthy controls. However, there were no significant differences in high school children. Some subscales regarding HR‐QOL were significantly lower for children with type 2 diabetes than for children with type 1 diabetes or healthy controls. The DR‐QOL of children with type 1 and type 2 diabetes did not significantly differ. The Family Burden and Family Involvement were significantly greater in parents of children with type 1 diabetes. There were significantly positive correlations between HR‐QOL and DR‐QOL in both groups. In type 1 diabetes only, there were significant negative correlations between glycated hemoglobin and some subscales of the HR‐QOL and QOL of parents of children with diabetes, and weak positive correlation between glycated hemoglobin and Family Burden.

Conclusions:  The HR‐QOL of school children with type 1 diabetes was higher than that of those with type 2 diabetes and healthy school children. The QOL of school children with type 1 diabetes was not impaired.
Predicting occult malignancy in nipple discharge
Authors: Alcock Chris , Layer Graham T.
Published: March 2010

Background:  This study was a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent minor or major duct surgery for pathological nipple discharge. The results of clinical examination, mammography, ultrasonography and cytodiagnosis of the nipple discharge were studied in order to predict those patients at risk of underlying or occult malignancy.

Methods:  Between January 2004 and December 2006, 55 female patients aged between 24 and 82 years old underwent major or minor duct excision, 49 of which were for pathological nipple discharge. Results of several preoperative investigations were compared with the surgical pathology to determine how their sensitivity and specificity faired in predicting malignant ductal pathology.

Results:  Of the 49 patients undergoing surgery for nipple discharge, 21 were diagnosed with intraductal papilloma, 19 with duct ectasia, 6 with carcinoma, 2 with benign breast disease and 1 with lobular carcinoma in situ. In all of the patients determined to have malignancy, none demonstrated malignant changes on mammography or ultrasonography. Only 2 of the 6 patients with malignancy were found to have atypical cells on cytological analysis. The sensitivity of blood detected in nipple discharge at predicting malignancy was 0.83, specificity of 0.53, positive predictive value of 0.20 and negative predictive value 0.96.

Conclusions:  Despite the various tests used in the assessment of pathological nipple discharge, this study highlights their limited help at predicting the cause. This, together with several other studies, demonstrates that ductal surgery remains the only reliable way of providing a diagnosis, in addition to being the major therapeutic measure.
Desmoplastic small round cell tumor in the ovary: Report of two cases and literature review
Authors: Ota Shunichiro , Ushijima Kimio , Fujiyoshi Naoki , Fujimoto Takefumi , Hayashi Ryunosuke , Murakami Fumihiro , Komai Kan , Fujiyoshi Keizo , Hori Daizo , Kamura Toshiharu
Published: March 2010

Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is a rare intra‐abdominal tumor of uncertain histogenesis that occurs predominantly in young males. We report two cases of DSRCT in young women that presented clinically as ovarian tumor with extensive pelvic and abdominal dissemination. Both patients underwent debulking surgery and combined chemotherapy. After primary therapy, the tumors recurred and both women died of the disease. The clinical presentation and differential diagnosis, as well as the treatment, including surgical debulking and combined chemotherapy are discussed.
Effect of adiponectin and sex steroid hormones on bone mineral density and bone formation markers in postmenopausal women with subclinical hyperthyroidism
Authors: Ahn Ki Hoon , Lee Seung Hyeun , Park Hyun Tae , Kim Tak , Hur Jun Young , Kim Young Tae , Kim Sun Haeng
Published: March 2010

Aim:  The relationship between adiponectin and sex hormones with bone mineral density (BMD) and bone formation markers was investigated in postmenopausal women with subclinical hyperthyroidism (SCH).

Methods:  Seventy‐five postmenopausal women were selected among the patients who participated in a health screening program in 2007. Thirty‐seven control women with normal thyroid function were matched to 38 women with SCH by age, body mass index (BMI), and years since menopause (YSM). The associations between adiponectin and sex hormones with lumbar spine BMD and bone turnover markers were investigated.

Results:  Adiponectin, testosterone (T; total and free forms), and thyroid‐stimulating hormone were significantly different between the women with SCH and euthyroid. After adjusting for age, BMI, and YSM, free T (r = 0.351; P = 0.029) and estradiol (E2; r = −0.368; P = 0.024) had significant associations with bone alkaline phosphatase (B‐ALP). Total T (r = 0.388; P = 0.021) and E2 (r = −0.376; P = 0.026) had significant associations with osteocalcin. However, there were no significant associations between adiponectin and sex hormones with the BMD levels in the SCH subjects.

Conclusion:  There were correlations between sex hormones with B‐ALP and osteocalcin, but no associations between adiponectin and sex hormones with the lumbar spine BMD in postmenopausal SCH patients.
Dramatic response of a patient with pregnancy induced idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension to sildenafil treatment
Authors: Taçoy Gülten , Ekim Numan Nadir , Çengel Atiye
Published: March 2010

Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) is characterized by a progressive increase in pulmonary vascular resistance, which may lead to right ventricular failure and death. Major cardiovascular and pulmonary alterations occur during pregnancy and therefore worsen or increase the complications of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). A patient diagnosed with IPAH after a successful full‐term pregnancy and cesarean section with epidural anesthesia is presented. The postoperative course was complicated by progressive dyspnea, and lower limb edema. The outcome of treatment with sildenafil during puerperium was favorable in this patient. The clinical course was complicated by an unexpected spontaneous pregnancy after primary infertility.
Spontaneous in utero recovery of a fetus in a brain death‐like state
Authors: Ueda Keiko , Ikeda Tomoaki , Katsuragi Shinji , Parer Julian T.
Published: March 2010

A healthy pregnant woman at 28 weeks of gestation was admitted with complete loss of fetal movement. Fetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring showed a fixed flat FHR pattern with no variability. Ultrasound examination revealed no fetal breathing movement. The fetus showed heart failure with extremely diminished left heart contractility. No abnormalities were found in the fetus. We assessed that the fetus was in a brain death‐like status. After discussion, we decided not to deliver the baby but to monitor it carefully using FHR monitoring and continuous fetal ultrasound examinations, assuming the baby was dying or at least had little possibility of survival. However, 8 h after admission, FHR monitoring showed some variability and after another 12 h the fetus recovered completely. The baby was born at 35 week of gestation by cesarean section. The baby sustained some white matter brain damage, but with no significant clinical delay of motor development. This is a rare case of in utero recovery from a fetal brain death‐like status.
Gene expression profiles and microsatellite instability in uterine corpus endometrioid adenocarcinoma
Authors: Koyamatsu Yasuko , Sakamoto Masaru , Miyake Kiyohiko , Muroya Tetsuya , Sugano Kokichi , Nakao Yoshifumi , Yokoyama Masatoshi , Iwasaka Tsuyoshi
Published: March 2010

Aim:  We examined corpus cancer to identify whether there are distinctive patterns of global gene expression and microsatellite instability, and to gain molecular understanding of its carcinogenesis and progression.

Methods:  Thirty endometrioid corpus cancer tissue samples (21 of G1 and nine of G2/3) were analyzed by cDNA microarray based on 637 cancer‐associated genes and by a polymerase chain reaction method for microsatellite instability.

Result:  Of the 30 cases, 10 (33%) were recognized as having microsatellite instability. In all cases, four genes were overexpressed and five genes were underexpressed. There were six microsatellite instability‐specific overexpressed or high‐frequency genes and 15 underexpressed or low‐frequency genes. Furthermore, we identified several genes by grade analysis.

Conclusions:  These results may be useful resources for the development of diagnostic assays, prognostic factors, or therapeutic targets for corpus endometrioid cancer.
The management of menopause with complementary and alternative medicine using an experimental model: Ovariectomized rats
Authors: Bello Suely R. , Batestusso Rosana S. , De Oliveira Cláudia G. B. , Fonseca Fernando L. A. , De Almeida Renata G. , Azzalis Ligia A.
Published: March 2010

Aim:  The purpose of this research was to assess the effects of the flower essences She Oak and Bush Fuchsia on behavioral anxiety in ovariectomized (OVX) rats.

Methods:  For four weeks, OVX rats received the flower essences She Oak, Bush Fuchsia or a combination of the two. After flower therapy, the animals were subjected to an elevated plus maze (EPM) behavioral anxiety‐test. Cortisol blood level was also evaluated.

Results:  OVX rats treated with the flower essence She Oak became less anxious and had more entries in the EPM open arms. On the other hand, OVX rats treated with the Bush Fuchsia essence spent more time in the EPM closed arms. This finding is similar to those obtained with controls. In addition, OVX rats that received She Oak and Bush Fuchsia in combination presented the same results as those receiving the Bush Fuchsia alone.

Conclusions:  Our results suggest that the flower essence She Oak could have an anxiolytic effect in OVX rats, but that the combination therapy of the She Oak and Bush Fuchsia could avoid the effects of the She Oak.
Peripartum outcomes of high‐risk pregnancies complicated by oligo‐ and polyhydramnios: A prospective longitudinal study
Authors: Magann Everett F. , Doherty Dorota A. , Lutgendorf Monica A. , Magann Marcia I. , Chauhan Suneet P. , Morrison John C.
Published: March 2010

Aim:  To determine pregnancy outcomes in high‐risk non‐anomalous singleton pregnancies with oligo‐ and polyhydramnios.

Methods:  In high‐risk pregnancies undergoing antenatal testing, the last amniotic fluid index (AFI) prior to delivery in pregnancies with polyhydramnios (>97.5th percentile) and oligohydramnios (<2.5th percentile) was correlated with pregnancy outcomes.

Results:  There were 2597 pregnancies with a normal AFI (2.5th–97.5th percentile), 73 with hydramnios (AFI > 97.5th percentile) and 72 with oligohydramnios (<2.5th percentile). Polyhydramnios and oligohydramnios adversely influenced different pregnancy outcomes. Pregnancies with polyhydramnios versus normal AFI were more likely to have: an abnormal tracing influencing delivery (29% vs 17%, odds ratio [OR] = 2.03, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.19–3.45, P = 0.009), cesarean delivery performed due to fetal labor intolerance (21% vs 7%, OR = 3.89, 95%CI 2.10–7.18, P < 0.001), increased birthweight (P = 0.016), Apgar score <7 at 5 min (8% versus 1%, OR = 6.41, 95%CI 1.12–16.22, P = 0.001) and newborn intensive care unit admission (10% versus 5%, OR = 2.24, 95%CI 1.12–4.49, P = 0.023). Pregnancies with oligohydramnios versus normal AFI had a greater risk of labor induction (18% vs 9%, OR = 3.18, 95%CI 1.62–6.25, P = 0.001), intrauterine growth restriction (25% vs 9%, OR = 3.4, 95%CI 1.94–5.97, P < 0.001) and preterm delivery (29% vs 17%, OR = 1.97, 95%CI 1.17–3.31, P = 0.010).

Conclusions:  Fetal heart rates influencing delivery, cesarean deliveries for fetal labor intolerance, low 5‐min Apgar scores, increased neonatal birthweight, and newborn intensive care unit admissions were more common with polyhydramnios. The fetuses of pregnancies complicated by oligohydramnios had a greater risk of labor induction, intrauterine growth restriction and preterm delivery.
Lower urinary tract injuries diagnosed after hysterectomy: Seven‐year experience at a cancer hospital
Authors: Lim Myong Cheol , Lee Bo‐Yon , Lee Dong Ock , Joung Jae Young , Kang Sokbom , Seo Sang‐Soo , Chung Jinsoo , Park Sang‐Yoon
Published: March 2010

Aim:  The aim of this study was to determine the incidence, patterns of development and treatment outcomes of lower urinary tract injuries (LUTI) after hysterectomy.

Methods:  A retrospective analysis was conducted on 1443 hysterectomy cases (678 total laparoscopic hysterectomies, 65 laparoscopic radical hysterectomies, 455 total abdominal hysterectomies and 245 radical hysterectomies). LUTI diagnosed intraoperatively were excluded.

Results:  The incidence of post‐hysterectomy LUTI was 0.8% (11/1443). LUTI were more commonly associated with laparoscopic hysterectomies (1.1%) than hysterectomies performed via laparotomy (0.4%). Amongst 11 patients with LUTI, six had gynecological malignancies. Ureteral and bladder injuries were identified in eight and three patients, respectively; one patient had bilateral ureteral injuries. Most of the cases involving post‐hysterectomy LUTI developed within 2–4 weeks. The high incidence of LUTI following laparoscopic hysterectomies, and the time of development after hysterectomy, are suggestive of electrocautery injuries rather than physical trauma as the cause of delayed diagnosis of LUTI. Four of five surgeons experienced LUTI in the first 10 hysterectomies. Proper training and guidance by an experienced attending physician are required when first performing hysterectomies.

Conclusions:  The incidence of post‐hysterectomy LUTI was 0.8%. Five of the nine ureteral injuries and one of the three bladder injuries healed after double‐J stents and a Foley catheter were inserted, respectively.
Effect of psychosocial stress and physical activity on preterm birth: A cohort study
Authors: Abeysena Chrishantha , Jayawardana Pushpa , Seneviratne Rohini de A.
Published: March 2010

Aim:  To determine trimester‐specific effects of risk factors for preterm birth (PTB).

Methods:  A prospective study was carried out in a district of Sri Lanka. A total of 885 pregnant mothers were recruited at equal to or less than 16 weeks of gestation and followed up until partus. Trimester‐specific exposure statuses and potential confounding factors were gathered on average at the 12th, 28th, and 36th weeks of gestation. Physical activities were assessed by obtaining information about the duration of specific postures adopted per day by housewives during each trimester at home and both at home and during working hours for those who were engaged in paid employment. Psychosocial stress was assessed using the Modified Life Events Inventory and the General Health Questionnaire 30. Multiple logistic regression analysis was applied and the results were expressed as adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI).

Results:  Standing equal to or less than 2.5 h/day during the first or second or both trimesters (OR 1.83, 95%CI 1.03, 3.25), maternal age of <25 years (OR 1.73, 95%CI 1.02, 2.95), education up to primary school level (OR 3.30, 95%CI 1.3, 8.36) and past history of low birthweight (OR 2.52, 95%CI 1.16, 5.48) were risk factors for PTB. Psychosocial stress was not found to be a risk factor for PTB.

Conclusions:  Standing equal to or less than 2.5 h/day during the early trimesters was a risk factor for PTB among uncomplicated pregnancies. Further studies are recommended to assess the trimester‐specific effect of psychosocial stress on PTB.
Can a ring pessary have a lasting effect to reverse uterine prolapse even after its removal?
Authors: Matsubara Shigeki , Ohki Yoichi
Published: March 2010

A vaginal ring pessary for uterine prolapse has been considered only to reposition the uterus during fitting and is thus palliative. A ring pessary was fitted in a 71‐year‐old woman with uterine prolapse to reposition the uterus. When the pessary was removed after 73 months, the prolapse disappeared and did not recur. In another five patients with uterine prolapse who were fitted with a ring pessary, prolapse also disappeared after pessary removal. In these six patients, the median duration of pessary implantation and observation after its removal was 27.5 and 42.0 months, respectively. In some women, a vaginal ring pessary may reposition the uterus not only during implantation but also after its removal.
Carcinomatous meningitis from adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix: A case report and literature review
Authors: Yamauchi Noriyuki , Sameshima Hiroshi , Osato Kazuhiro , Fukushima Kazuko , Sato Yuichiro , Ikenoue Tsuyomu
Published: March 2010

Carcinomatous meningitis from uterine cervix‐related malignancies is a rare complication. We found only eight cases of meningeal metastasis from primary cervical carcinoma in the English‐language medical literature. However, its incidence has increased recently, probably because carcinomatous meningitis is being identified more often and survival time for the primary disease is extended. Thus, the clinical signs and methods for diagnosis are of great importance. A 47‐year‐old Japanese woman had a stage IIIb uterine cervical adenocarcinoma. She chose initial chemotherapy followed by radical hysterectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy. Ten months after initial chemotherapy and 6 weeks after the last chemotherapy, she suddenly presented with unexplained neurological signs. We performed a lumbar puncture, which demonstrated adenocarcinoma cells compatible with metastases from the primary cervical adenocarcinoma. She died 7 weeks later. This rare complication occurs in the advanced stage of cervical cancer. Lumbar punctures for neoplastic cells are advised, and the prognosis remains poor.
Treatment with agalsidase beta during pregnancy in Fabry disease
Authors: Politei Juan M.
Published: March 2010

Fabry disease is an X‐linked lysosomal storage disease caused by a deficiency of α‐galactosidase A, which leads to excessive accumulation of glycosphingolipids in most tissues in the body, with life‐threatening clinical consequences in the kidney, heart, and cerebrovascular system. Enzyme replacement therapy using exogenously produced α‐galactosidase has been available for treatment of this multisystem progressive disease since 2001. Two different preparations of enzyme replacement therapy for Fabry disease are available outside of the USA: agalsidase alfa and agalsidase beta. Despite being X‐linked, Fabry disease affects many female patients, and this report presents a successful pregnancy of a female patient receiving agalsidase beta.
Effects of in vitro antagonism of endocannabinoid‐1 receptors on the glucose transport system in normal and insulin‐resistant rat skeletal muscle
Authors: Lindborg K. A. , Teachey M. K. , Jacob S. , Henriksen E. J.
Published: March 2010

Objective: We determined the direct effects of modulating the endocannabinoid‐1 (CB1) receptor on the glucose transport system in isolated skeletal muscle from insulin‐sensitive lean Zucker and insulin‐resistant obese Zucker rats.

Methods: Soleus strips were incubated in the absence or presence of insulin, without or with various concentrations of the CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716 or with the CB1 receptor agonist arachidonyl‐2‐chloroethylamide (ACEA).

Results: CB1 receptor protein expression in visceral adipose (57%), soleus (40%) and myocardial (36%) tissue was significantly (p < 0.05) decreased in obese compared to lean animals, with a trend for a reduction (17%, p = 0.079) in the liver. In isolated soleus muscle from both lean and obese Zucker rats, CB1 receptor antagonism directly improved glucose transport activity in a dose‐dependent manner. Basal glucose transport activity was maximally enhanced between 100 and 200 nM SR141716 in lean (26–28%) and obese (22–31%) soleus. The maximal increase in insulin‐stimulated glucose transport for lean muscle (∼30%) was achieved at 50 nM SR141716 and for obese muscle (∼30%) at 100 nM SR141716. In contrast, CB1 receptor antagonism did not alter hypoxia‐stimulated glucose transport activity. CB1 receptor agonism (1 mM ACEA) significantly decreased both basal (15%) and insulin‐stimulated (22%) glucose transport activity in isolated lean soleus. This effect was reversed by 200 nM SR141716. In both lean and obese muscle, the functionality of key signalling proteins (insulin receptor β‐subunit, Akt, glycogen synthase kinase‐3β (GSK‐3β), AMP‐dependent protein kinase (AMPK), p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK)) was not altered by either CB1 receptor agonism or antagonism.

Conclusion: These results indicate that the engagement of CB1 receptor can negatively modulate both basal and insulin‐dependent glucose transport activity in lean and obese skeletal muscles, and that these effects are not mediated by the engagement of elements of the canonical pathways regulating this process in mammalian skeletal muscle.
Active immunization against (Pro3)GIP improves metabolic status in high‐fat‐fed mice
Authors: Montgomery I. A. , Irwin N. , Flatt P. R.
Published: March 2010

Aim: Ablation of gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) receptor signalling can prevent many of the metabolic abnormalities associated with dietary‐induced obesity‐diabetes. The present study was designed to assess the ability of active immunization against (Pro3)GIP to counter metabolic dysfunction associated with diet‐induced obesity in high‐fat‐fed mice.

Methods: Normal male Swiss NIH mice were injected (s.c.) once every 14 days for 98 days with complexed (Pro3)GIP peptide, with transfer to a high‐fat diet on day 21.

Results: Active immunization against (Pro3)GIP resulted in circulating GIP antibody production and significantly (p < 0.05 p < 0.01) reduced circulating blood glucose concentrations compared to high‐fat control mice from day 84 onwards. Glucose levels were not significantly different from lean controls. The glycaemic response to i.p. glucose was correspondingly improved (p < 0.01) in (Pro3)GIP‐immunized mice. Furthermore, circulating and glucose‐stimulated plasma insulin levels were significantly (p < 0.01 to p < 0.001) depressed compared to high‐fat control mice. Liver triglyceride, pancreatic insulin and circulating LDL‐cholesterol levels were also significantly reduced in (Pro3)GIP‐immunized mice. These changes were independent of any effects on food intake or body weight. The glucose‐lowering effect of native GIP was annulled in (Pro3)GIP‐immunized mice consistent with the induction of biologically effective GIP‐specific neutralizing antibodies.

Conclusion: These results suggest that immunoneutralization of GIP represents an effective means of countering the disruption of metabolic processes induced by high‐fat feeding.
Management of prostate cancer in older men: recommendations of a working group of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology
Authors: Droz Jean‐Pierre , Balducci Lodovico , Bolla Michel , Emberton Mark , Fitzpatrick John M. , Joniau Steven , Kattan Michael W. , Monfardini Silvio , Moul Judd W. , Naeim Arash , van Poppel Hendrik , Saad Fred , Sternberg Cora N.
Published: March 2010

Prostate cancer is the most prevalent cancer in men and predominantly affects older men (aged ≥70 years). The median age at diagnosis is 68 years; overall, two‐thirds of prostate cancer‐related deaths occur in men aged ≥75 years. With the exponential ageing of the population and the increasing life‐expectancy in developed countries, the burden of prostate cancer is expected to increase dramatically in the future. To date, no specific guidelines on the management of prostate cancer in older men have been published. The International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) conducted a systematic bibliographic search based on screening, diagnostic procedures and treatment options for localized and advanced prostate cancer, to develop a proposal for recommendations that should provide the highest standard of care for older men with prostate cancer. The consensus of the SIOG Prostate Cancer Task Force is that older men with prostate cancer should be managed according to their individual health status, which is mainly driven by the severity of associated comorbid conditions, and not according to chronological age. Existing international recommendations (European Association of Urology, National Comprehensive Cancer Network, and American Urological Association) are the backbone for localized and advanced prostate cancer treatment, but need to be adapted to patient health status. Based on a rapid and simple evaluation, patients can be classified into four different groups: 1, ‘Healthy’ patients (controlled comorbidity, fully independent in daily living activities, no malnutrition) should receive the same treatment as younger patients; 2, ‘Vulnerable’ patients (reversible impairment) should receive standard treatment after medical intervention; 3, ‘Frail’ patients (irreversible impairment) should receive adapted treatment; 4, Patients who are ‘too sick’ with ‘terminal illness’ should receive only symptomatic palliative treatment.
Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy vs ureteroscopy as first‐line therapy for patients with single, distal ureteric stones: a prospective randomized study
Authors: Verze Paolo , Imbimbo Ciro , Cancelmo Gennaro , Creta Massimiliano , Palmieri Alessandro , Mangiapia Francesco , Buonopane Roberto , Mirone Vincenzo
Published: March 2010

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

OBJECTIVE

To compare extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) and ureteroscopy (URS) as first‐line treatments for patients with distal ureteric stones.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In all, 273 patients with single, monolateral, radiopaque, distal ureteric stones of 0.5–1.5 cm were enrolled in a prospective randomized trial. Patients were randomized to undergo ESWL (137) or URS (136). The electromagnetic Modulith SLX lithotripter (Storz Medical, Switzerland) was used for ESWL and a semi‐rigid ureteroscope was used for URS. Patients in both groups were compared for overall stone‐free rates (SFRs), re‐treatment rates, need for auxiliary procedures and complication rates. A subgroup analysis was performed in both groups according to stone size of ≤1 cm and >1 cm.

RESULTS

Patients in the ESWL group achieved a 92.70% overall SFR with a 44.88% re‐treatment rate and an 11.02% auxiliary procedure rate. Complications occurred in 15.32% of patients treated with ESWL. Patients in the URS group achieved a 94.85% overall SFR with a re‐treatment rate of 7.75% and an auxiliary procedure rate of 18.60%. Complications occurred in 19.11% of patients treated with URS. In the ESWL group, the need for re‐treatments and for auxiliary procedures as well as the incidence of complications was significantly higher in patients with stones of >1 cm. In patients with stones of ≤1 cm treated with ESWL the need for re‐treatments and for auxiliary procedures as well as the incidence of complications was significantly lower than for those treated with URS.

CONCLUSION

In centres where both techniques are available, ESWL should be the preferred treatment for patients with single distal ureteric stones of ≤1 cm and URS should be reserved for patients with stones of >1 cm.
Citizenship at war: Passports and nationality in the 2008 Russian‐Georgian conflict (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate)
Authors: Mühlfried Florian
Published: March 2010

By analyzing the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia, this paper stretches the limits of the anthropology of war and citizenship. Trying to overcome anthropologists' usual unease about commenting on ‘big topics’, I examine citizenship policies ‘from above’ and ‘from below’ that potentially lead to conflict and war. Special attention is paid to the role of nationality as a crucial feature of post‐Soviet citizenship, and to citizenship as an effective means of neo‐imperial expansion. In my conclusion, I contextualize my findings within anthropological debates about citizenship and argue that the recent stress on rights and entitlements needs to be balanced by an analysis of the repressive dimensions of citizenship regimes.
Death on the farm: Culling badgers in North Pembrokeshire (Respond to this article at http://www.therai.org.uk/at/debate)
Authors: Caplan Pat
Published: March 2010

The Welsh Assembly Government has recently announced its intention to cull all badgers from North Pembrokeshire on the grounds that they are vectors of bovine tuberculosis. This article considers some local reactions to this news, ranging from those who support the cull wholeheartedly to those who argue against it, and some of the reasons why people adopt different standpoints. The article considers a range of issues which help explain why people think as they do; these include perception of risk, ethnicity, ideas about animals and wildlife, the selective uses of both scientific literature and emotion, and finally some of the local and regional politics involved.
Now and Then1
Authors: Watts Michael J.
Published: March 2010

Abstract:  Antipode was launched into the firmament of the 1970s. We might reflect upon how well the journal and its contributors fully appreciated the historical gravity and weight of what was surrounding the project to create “a radical journal of geography”. What sort of radicalism was on offer? The language was “social relevance” from “a radical (Left) political viewpoint”. In writing to celebrate Antipode's birthday, this time in another, and similar, firmament there is still the need to confront the challenge of radicalism and its meanings. Whether we agree with Perry Anderson that the last vestiges of the 1960s have been finally swept away, that the “fluent vision” of the Right has no equivalent on the Left and that embedded liberalism is now as remote as “Arian bishops”, where do radical alternatives stand in relation to the fractured hegemony of neoliberalism? At the very least the need for alternatives is more pressing than ever. David Harvey has proposed rethinking the idea of “the right to the city”. But what other rights might we rethink? I reflect upon this question by returning to the 1960s and 1970s and Marxist debates over the law, and by thinking about the possibilities offered by this Polanyian moment.
The Revolutionary Imperative
Authors: Smith Neil
Published: March 2010

Abstract:  In the last three decades in the advanced capitalist world, the idea of revolution has largely slipped from political view. The neoliberal moment seemed to smother any political possibility other than capitalism, but with that historical phase now itself fading, it may be a good time to revive the idea of revolution if for no other reason than that revolutions do happen. Certainly, the political right is concerned about the possibility of revolts resulting from the social privation resulting, in turn, from the global economic crisis. This essay attempts to explore and reanimate the notion of revolution, both historically and in the present context.
To Make Live or Let Die? Rural Dispossession and the Protection of Surplus Populations
Authors: Li Tania Murray
Published: March 2010

Abstract: A biopolitics of the population, when it succeeds in securing life and wellbeing, is surely worth having. It has become urgent in rural Asia, where a new round of enclosures has dispossessed large numbers of people from access to land as a way to sustain their own lives, and neoliberal policies have curtailed programs that once helped to sustain rural populations. At the same time, new jobs in manufacturing have not emerged to absorb this population. They are thus “surplus” to the needs of capital, and not plausibly described as a labour reserve. Who, then, would act to keep these people alive, and why would they act? I examine this question by contrasting a conjuncture in India, where a make live program has been assembled under the rubric of the “right to food”, and Indonesia, where the massacre of the organized left in 1965 has left dispossessed populations radically exposed.
D/developments after the Meltdown
Authors: Hart Gillian
Published: March 2010

Abstract:  Part of what makes the current conjuncture so extraordinary is the coincidence of the massive economic meltdown with the implosion of the neoconservative Project for a New American Century, and the reappearance of US liberal internationalism in the guise of “smart power” defined in terms of Diplomacy, Development, and Defence. This essay engages these challenges through a framework that distinguishes between “Development” as a post‐war international project that emerged in the context of decolonization and the Cold War, and capitalist development as a dynamic and highly uneven process of creation and destruction. Closely attentive to what Gramsci calls “the relations of force at various levels”, my task in this essay is to suggest how the instabilities and constant redefinitions of official discourses and practices of Development since the 1940s shed light on the conditions in which we now find ourselves.
Is the Globalization Consensus Dead?
Authors: Wade Robert
Published: March 2010

Abstract: The development economist Dani Rodrik recently declared that “the globalization consensus is dead”. The claim has momentus implications, because this consensus has steered economic policy around the world for the past quarter century. It emanates from the heartland of neoclassical economics, and defines the central tasks of the Washington‐based organizations which claim to speak for the world. This essay answers two main questions. First, is Rodrik's claim true, and by what measures of “consensus”? Second, to the extent that the consensus has substantially weakened, is the state returning to the heart of economic life, as Karl Polanyi might have predicted? The answers? First, the globalization consensus about desirable economic policy has weakened, though it is far from “dead”. Second, the western state is returning to the heart of economic life in response to the current global economic crisis, but will retreat soon after national economies recover—because unless the crisis becomes a second Great Depression, the norms of more free markets and more global economic integration will be politically challenged only at the margins. New rules of finance may be introduced, but with enough loopholes that by 2015 Wall Street and the City will operate in much the same way as in the recent pre‐crisis past.
Who Counts? Dilemmas of Justice in a Postwestphalian World
Authors: Fraser Nancy
Published: March 2010

Abstract:  Who counts as a subject of justice? Not so long ago, it was widely assumed that those “who counted” were simply the citizens of a bounded territorial state. Today, however, as activists target injustices that cut across borders, that “Westphalian” view is contested and the “who” of justice is an object of hot dispute. This new situation calls for a new kind of justice theorizing, whose contours I sketch in this essay. Arguing, first, for a reflexive mode of theorizing, I introduce the concept of “misframing”, which can subject the Westphalian “who” to critical scrutiny. Arguing, second, for the necessity of a substantive normative principle to evaluate competing “who’s”, I introduce the “all‐subjected principle” as superior to three better known alternatives: namely, membership, humanism, and the all‐affected principle.
The Communist Hypothesis and Revolutionary Capitalisms: Exploring the Idea of Communist Geographies for the Twenty‐first Century
Authors: Swyngedouw Erik
Published: March 2010

Abstract: This essay starts from the presumption that “the communist hypothesis” is still a good one, but argues that the idea of communism requires urgent re‐thinking in light of both the “obscure” disaster of twentieth century really existing socialism and the specific conditions of twenty‐first century capitalism. I explore the contours of the communist hypothesis, chart the characteristics of the revolutionary capitalism of the twenty‐first century and consider how our present predicament relates to the urgency of rethinking and reviving the communist hypothesis. Throughout, I tentatively suggest a number of avenues that require urgent intellectual and theoretical attention and interrogate the present condition in light of the possibilities for creating communist geographies for the twenty‐first century.
CONTINUING THE DEFINITION OF DEATH DEBATE: THE REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL ON BIOETHICS ON CONTROVERSIES IN THE DETERMINATION OF DEATH
Authors: THOMAS ALBERT GARTH
Published: March 2010

The President's Council on Bioethics has recently released a report supportive of the continued use of brain death as a criterion for human death. The Council's conclusions were based on a conception of life that stressed external work as the fundamental marker of organismic life. With respect to human life, it is spontaneous respiration in particular that indicates an ability to interact with the external environment, and so indicates the presence of life. Conversely, irreversible apnoea marks an inability to carry out the necessary work of life, an inability which the Council considers an indicator of death. This conception has been conceived to circumvent criticisms of the previous model of loss of somatic integration, a model the Council admits that, in the presence of evidence of continuing functional integration in brain dead patients, was looking less than convincing. Nevertheless, by focusing on external work and ignoring the more essential work of integrative unity, the Council's conception of the nature of life is untenable, and of no assistance in supporting a relation of equivalence between the concepts of brain death and death. Consequently, the Council's conclusions do little to advance the definition of death debate, a potentially intractable debate that may necessitate the investigation of alternate ethical justifications for organ harvesting.