bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Endostatin expression in the murine model of ischaemia/reperfusion‐induced acute renal failure
Authors: BELLINI MARIA H , COUTINHO ENIA L , FILGUEIRAS THELMA C , MACIEL THIAGO T , SCHOR NESTOR
Published: September 2007

Background:  Renal ischaemia‐hypoxia is a leading cause of acute renal failure, a clinical condition associated with rapid loss of renal function and high rates of mortality. Renal proximal tubular cells are the most severely injured during renal ischaemia, caused by the breakdown of the extracellular matrix of the tubular basement membrane. Endostatin is the C‐terminal fragment of collagen XVIII generated by proteolytic cleavage and it is well‐known as being an inhibitor of angiogenesis. In vitro, endostatin inhibits endothelial cell proliferation and migration, as well as tubule formation. In vivo, it has a potent inhibitory effect on tumour growth. In this study, we analysed endostatin gene expression in C57BL/6 mouse kidneys subjected to ischaemia/reperfusion.

Methods:  Ischaemic renal failure was induced via 45 min of bilateral occlusion of the renal artery and vein, followed by 12 h or 24 h of reperfusion. Whole‐kidney homogenate and total RNA were extracted for examination by western blot analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The immunohistological examination revealed increased endostatin expression in injured kidney, mainly in the proximal tubule and collecting ducts.

Results:  Endostatin/collagen XVIII mRNA and protein expression increased during ischaemia and within 12 h of reperfusion. In the western blot assay, we identified increased expression of the 30 kDa endostatin‐related fragment and of matrix metalloproteinase‐9. CD31 was significantly expressed during reperfusion (P < 0.05). Immunohistological examination revealed glomerular and tubulointerstitial expression of endostatin.

Conclusion:  These data suggest the local synthesis of a 30 kDa endostatin‐related fragment following acute renal failure and suggest its role in the modulation of renal capillary density.
Current licensing authority standards for peripheral visual field and safe on‐road senior aged automobile driving performance
Authors: Silveira Sue , Jolly Neryla , Heard Robert , Clunas Nathan J , Kay Lynnette
Published: September 2007

Abstract

Background:  The current licensing authority's (Austroads) visual field standards are met when a person demonstrates an intact visual field extending horizontally at least 120 degrees within 10 degrees above and below the horizontal midline. A person cannot be licensed unconditionally if they have a hemianopia, quadrantanopia or any significant visual field loss (scotoma) that is likely to impede driving performance. Despite fairly rigorous implementation of these vision standards by licensing authorities, there is little scientific evidence available to demonstrate that a driver will or will not be safe on road depending on the extent of their visual field.

Methods:  This study was developed to examine if the current licensing authority vision standards predict safe on‐road driver performance in a cohort of 100 senior drivers. The study consisted of four stages in which participants underwent on‐road assessment by a multidisciplinary team including a driving instructor, orthoptist and occupational therapist; off‐road occupational therapy cognitive skills assessment using the Visual Recognition Slide Test (VRST‐USyd); off‐road orthoptic assessment including history, visual acuity and visual fields; and feedback from the team regarding the participant's visual and driving status. Visual fields were assessed using both the Goldmann and Esterman tests. Correlations were calculated to determine the relationship between visual field results and on‐road driving performance.

Results:  Generally it was found that visual field test results did not predict driving performance accurately for both participants with and without visual field loss.

Conclusion:  The results bring into question the current Austroads visual field standards for safe driving.
Correlation between anthropometric facial features and characteristics of nasolacrimal drainage system in connection to false passage
Authors: Narioka Junji , Matsuda Seiji , Ohashi Yuichi
Published: September 2007

Abstract

Background:  To determine the correlation between the anthropometric facial features and the anatomy of the nasolacrimal drainage system.

Methods:  Forty‐six mid‐sagittal halves of 23 cadavers were studied. The inclination of the lacrimal sac (LS) and nasolacrimal duct (NLD), and the LS‐NLD angle were measured in both the sagittal and coronal planes. For the facial features, the height, length and depth of the nose, the intercanthal distance, nasal breadth, nasofacial angle, distance between the external naris, and the inferior aperture of the NLD were measured. The correlations between the angles and the facial features were calculated.

Results:  The LS‐NLD angle was classified into three anatomical types according to the inclination of the LS and the NLD in the sagittal and coronal planes; the anterior‐inward type (43.5%), anterior‐outward type (37.0%), and posterior‐outward type (19.5%). The nasal depth was correlated with the sagittal LS‐NLD angle, and the nasal height and length were correlated with the coronal LS‐NLD angle.

Conclusions:  There is a large variation in the LS‐NLD angle, and nasal depth, height and length can be used to predict the direction of this angle.
Bioenergetic models for acetate and phosphate transport in bacteria important in enhanced biological phosphorus removal
Authors: Burow Luke C. , Mabbett Amanda N. , McEwan Alastair G. , Bond Philip L. , Blackall Linda L.
Published: September 2007

Most of our understanding of the physiology of microorganisms is the result of investigations in pure culture. However, in order to understand complex environmental processes, there is a need to investigate mixed microbial communities. This is true for enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR), an environmental process that results in the enrichment of the polyphosphate‐accumulating organism Accumulibacter spp. and the glycogen non‐polyphosphate accumulating organism Defluviicoccus spp. We investigated acetate and inorganic phosphate (Pi) uptake in enrichments of Accumulibacter spp. and acetate uptake in enrichments of Defluviicoccus spp. For both enrichments, anaerobic acetate uptake assays in the presence of the protonophore, carbonyl cyanide m‐chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) or the membrane potential (Δψ) uncoupler valinomycin, indicated that acetate is likely to be taken up by a permease‐mediated process driven by the Δψ. Further investigation with the sodium ionophore monensin suggested that anaerobic acetate uptake by Defluviicoccus spp. may in part be dependent on a sodium potential. Results of this study also suggest that Accumulibacter spp. generate a proton motive force (pmf or Δp) for anaerobic acetate uptake by efflux of protons in symport with Pi through an inorganic phosphate transport (Pit) system. In contrast, we suggest that the anaerobic Δp in Defluviicoccus spp. is generated by an efflux of protons across the cell membrane by the fumarate respiratory system, or by extrusion of sodium ions via decarboxylation of methylmalonyl‐CoA. Aerobic Pi uptake by the Accumulibacter spp. enrichment was strongly inhibited in the presence of an ATPase inhibitor, suggesting that the phosphate‐specific transport (Pst) system is important even under relatively high concentrations of Pi. Acetate permease activity in these microorganisms may play an important role in the competition for acetate in the often acetate‐limited EBPR process. Activity of a high‐velocity Pst system in Accumulibacter spp. may further explain its ability to compete strongly in EBPR.
The obligate aerobic actinomycete Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2) survives extended periods of anaerobic stress
Authors: Van Keulen Geertje , Alderson Jesse , White Janet , Sawers R. Gary
Published: September 2007

The actinomycete Streptomyces coelicolor is an obligate aerobe that is found in soil and aqueous habitats. The levels of oxygen in these environments can vary considerably, which raises the question of how these bacteria survive during periods of anaerobiosis. Although S. coelicolor cannot grow in the complete absence of oxygen, we demonstrate here that it is capable of microaerobic growth and maintaining viability through several weeks of strict anaerobiosis. Both resting and germinated spores are able to survive abrupt exposure to anaerobiosis, which contrasts the situation with Mycobacterium species where gradual oxygen depletion is required to establish a latent state in which the bacterium is able to survive extended periods of anaerobiosis. Growth of S. coelicolor resumes immediately upon re‐introduction of oxygen. Taken together these findings indicate that survival is not restricted to spores and suggest that the bacterium has evolved a mechanism to maintain viability and a membrane potential in the hyphal state. Furthermore, although we demonstrate that several members of the genus also survive long periods of anaerobic stress, one species, Streptomyces avermitilis, does not have this capacity and might represent a naturally occurring variant that is unable to adopt this survival strategy.
The Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Registry and Patient Survey: study design, methods and patient baseline characteristics
Authors: Roehrborn Claus G. , Nuckolls James G. , Wei John T. , Steers William ,   the BPH Registry and Patient Survey Steering Committee
Published: September 2007

The first paper describes the design and baseline characteristics of patients in the BPH Registry and Patient Survey in the USA. This important study will provide information on management practices and outcomes of men with this condition, as well as examining the effects of demographics, socio‐economics, comorbidities and medical therapies.

Another important study in the USA is the Boston Area Community Health Survey, and in this issue the authors estimate the future magnitude of urological symptoms in that country. They found that it might reach the current level of cardiovascular disease and suggested that this will have huge affects on health service policy.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the design and baseline cohort characteristics of the Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) Registry and Patient Survey, an ongoing, prospective, observational, disease registry documenting management practices and patient outcomes in men in the USA with lower urinary tract symptoms associated with BPH (LUTS/BPH) in actual clinical practice settings.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Men with LUTS/BPH who were either untreated or treated with α1‐adrenergic blockers (ABs), 5α‐reductase inhibitors (5ARIs), a combination of these medications, or anticholinergics, and who met selection criteria, were enrolled at sites throughout the USA. At each visit, standardized forms and validated questionnaires were completed to assess the physicians’ management practices and patients’ clinical characteristics, sexual function, and health‐related quality of life.

RESULTS

At the close of recruitment (February 2005), 6909 men (mean age 66.0 years) were enrolled at 402 sites by urologists and primary‐care physicians. Before enrolment, 49% of the men were managed with watchful waiting (WW), 21% with uroselective AB monotherapy, 11% with non‐uroselective AB monotherapy, 6% with 5ARI monotherapy, 11% with AB + 5ARI, and 2% with anticholinergics. After enrolment, 42% were on WW and 26% were on selective AB monotherapy; changes in other management groups were minimal. Overall, 33% of the men had mild, 52% had moderate and 15% had severe LUTS. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (53%), high cholesterol (45%) and sexual dysfunction (36%).

CONCLUSION

The BPH Registry and Patient Survey will provide information on physician management practices and outcomes of men with LUTS/BPH, while examining the effects of demographics, socio‐economics, comorbidities, and medical therapies.
Concurrent upper and lower urinary tract robotic surgery: strategies for success
Authors: Eun Daniel , Bhandari Akshay , Boris Ronald , Rogers Craig , Bhandari Mahendra , Menon Mani
Published: September 2007

Associate Editor

Ash Tewari

Editorial Board

Ralph Clayman, USA

Inderbir Gill, USA

Roger Kirby, UK

Mani Menon, USA

OBJECTIVE

To assess the feasibility of combined upper and lower urinary tract robot‐assisted laparoscopic surgery (RALS) during one operative session.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We describe strategies for port placement and the use of the new da Vinci® S surgical system (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA, USA), equipped with a fourth arm, for concurrent surgeries in a porcine model and in humans within one operative session. We studied various schemes of port placement, patient positioning and robotic arm manoeuvring while doing concurrent ipsilateral upper and lower urinary tract surgery on six pigs. The operative times and estimated blood loss were recorded prospectively. Qualitative data such as robotic arm ergonomics, advantages and disadvantages of various port placement strategies were noted. During the various surgical exercises, particular attention was given to the extent and the limits of instrument arm reach and mobility of the various port‐placement schemes. These concepts for port placement and patient positioning were then further evaluated in a cadaver followed by demonstration of feasibility by performing a robot‐assisted laparoscopic surgery (RAL) right nephroureterectomy in a patient.

RESULTS

We describe a four‐port ‘baseball diamond’ strategy to allow instrument access to the entire ipsilateral urinary tract in one operating session without repositioning the patient and re‐docking the robot. Furthermore, if additional instrument length is required to reach the deep pelvis, we describe a novel ‘pivoting triangle’ manoeuvre that incorporates the fourth arm and allows dual‐port cannulation and lens telescoping.

CONCLUSION

Single session, concurrent multiple quadrant RALS is facilitated by using the da Vinci® S surgical system with a ‘baseball diamond’ port‐placement strategy.
Patient outcomes and length of hospital stay after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer: analysis of Hospital Episodes Statistics for England
Authors: Judge Andrew , Evans Simon , Gunnell David J. , Albertsen Peter C. , Verne Julia , Martin Richard M.
Published: September 2007

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the morbidity and mortality after radical prostatectomy (RP) in relation to the numbers of RPs carried out at individual hospitals, as recent studies of complex surgery report worse outcomes in low‐volume hospitals, and there has been a large increase in RPs for localized prostate cancer.

METHODS

We analysed hospital episode statistics data for all 18 027 RPs in English National Health Service hospitals between 1997 and 2004.

RESULTS

In multivariate analysis, there was a U–shaped association of hospital volume with mortality (P for nonlinear trend, 0.004), but this finding was based on only 59 (0.3%) deaths. The mean length of stay was 6 days and decreased by 2.96% (95% confidence interval, CI, 1.98–3.92; P < 0.001) per quintile increase in hospital volume. In all, 16.1% of men had 30‐day in‐hospital complications; 20.3% were readmitted with complications within a year. The odds of 30‐day in‐hospital wound/bleeding complications decreased by 6% (95% CI 1–11; P = 0.02), and miscellaneous medical complications decreased by 10% (0–19; P = 0.04) per increase in hospital volume quintile. For re‐admissions within a year, the hazard of vascular complications decreased by 15% (6–22; P = 0.001), wound/bleeding complications decreased by 8% (2–13; P = 0.01) and genitourinary complications decreased by 5% (2–8; P = 0.002), per increase in hospital volume quintile.

CONCLUSION

In men undergoing RP the length of hospital stay and rates of some short‐ and long‐term postoperative complications afterward are lower in high‐volume hospitals. The magnitudes of these effects on the outcomes studied may be too small and inconsistent to indicate a policy of selective referral to high‐volume hospitals. Quality of life and oncological outcomes, however, could not be investigated in this dataset.
Influence of intravesical potassium on pelvic floor activity in women with recurrent urinary tract infections: comparative urodynamics might lead to enhanced detection of dysfunctional voiding
Authors: Akkad Thomas , Pelzer Alexandre E. , Mitterberger Michael , Rehder Peter , Leonhartsberger Nicolai , Bartsch Georg , Strasser Hannes
Published: September 2007

Authors from Austria present their 1‐year follow‐up of 117 patients with stress urinary incontinence treated with autologous myoblasts and fibroblasts obtained from skeletal muscle biopsies. This detailed study shows that such a procedure is highly effective and safe for treating this condition.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the influence of intravesical potassium on pelvic floor activity (PFA) during voiding in women with recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTIs) by using comparative urodynamics (CUD).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

CUD was conducted in 49 women (mean age 34.6 years, range 15–82) with rUTI. Every patient had two sessions of pressure‐flow studies with simultaneous measurement of PFA by perineal surface electromyography (EMG); the first was with 0.9% saline and in the second the bladder was filled with 0.2 m KCl solution. All patients had voiding cysto‐urethrography, and dysfunctional voiding (DV) was diagnosed when significant PFA was measured by EMG during voiding.

RESULTS

Overall, DV was diagnosed in 37 patients (76%) using CUD; 16 (32%) had DV with saline on the pelvic floor EMG. In all these patients there were significantly greater EMG signals in the presence of KCL. In 21 patients (43%) DV was only detected using KCL; this improvement in the detection rate of DV was statistically significant (P = 0.006). Filling with KCl also prompted a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05) in maximum bladder capacity, maximum and average flow rates and in postvoid residual urine volume.

CONCLUSION

The present data show that DV is present in most women with rUTI but cannot sufficiently be diagnosed by conventional urodynamics with standard 0.9% saline. The present study suggests that CUD might enhance the detection rates of DV.
Laparoscopic adrenalectomy for large pheochromocytoma
Authors: Indupur Ravish R. , Nerli Rajendra B. , Reddy Mallikarjun N. , Siddappa Suresh N. , Thakkar Rohan
Published: September 2007

OBJECTIVES

To determine the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic adrenalectomy for large adrenal pheochromocytomas as although the safety and efficacy for small pheochromocytomas is relatively well documented its use for large pheochromocytomas is controversial because of a perceived increased risk of malignancy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

All pheochromocytomas (>8 cm) managed prospectively using a laparoscopic approach between January 2002 and April 2006 were included. Blood loss, operative duration, complications, and hospital stay were assessed.

RESULTS

In all, 11 consecutive patients underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy for large pheochromocytomas. The adrenal sizes were 8–15 cm. The mean blood loss was <100 mL, the mean operative duration was 145 min and the mean postoperative stay was 3.6 days. Only one patient had an intraoperative hypertensive crisis, and recovery was uneventful in all.

CONCLUSIONS

Laparoscopic transperitoneal, lateral adrenalectomy is safe and efficient means of resecting large (>8 cm) adrenal pheochromocytomas. Although intraoperative catecholamine surges are a cause of major concern, early clipping and dividing of the adrenal vein helps to avoid a catecholamine‐induced hypertensive crisis.
SOURCES OF PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH IN AUSTRALIAN TEXTILE AND CLOTHING FIRMS*
Authors: WADUD I.K.M. MOKHTARUL
Published: September 2007

This paper estimates the sources of productivity growth in Australian textile and clothing firms based on the Business Longitudinal Survey (BLS) from 1995 to 1998. Productivity growth estimates have been obtained for each sub‐category of textile and clothing firms. Sources of growth in multifactor productivity (MFP) are examined with growth in technical efficiency and scale effects based on estimates of stochastic frontier production functions. Separate estimates of output growth have been compared with the productivity growth estimates for each of the product categories. MFP improved in all clothing firms and declined in textile firms over 1997–1998 by four‐digit level of Australia New Zealand Standard Industrial classification Scheme (ANZSIC). MFP declined in most major categories of both textile and clothing firms in 1995–1997. Changes in technical efficiency mostly dominated scale effects in the overall direction of MFPG in both textile and clothing firms. The findings of the study provide evidence for policies for improving the firms’ operative performance in the ongoing liberalised regime.
Changes in the Relative Economic Performance of Immigrants to Great Britain and the United States, 1980–2000
Authors: Schmitt John , Wadsworth Jonathan
Published: September 2007

We compare the relative labour market performance of immigrants in the USA and in Britain over the period 1980–2000, when the stocks of immigrants were rising in both countries alongside differential shifts in demand and changes to labour market institutions. We find that the average relative employment prospects of immigrants are generally better in the USA than in Britain, particularly for non‐white immigrants, while the average relative wage prospects for immigrants are generally better in Britain, particularly for men. Over time, relative wage and employment prospects for immigrants to the USA appear to have deteriorated, particularly among women, in a way that is not as apparent in Britain.
The Political Psychology of Liberation: From Politics to Ethics and Back
Authors: Montero Maritza
Published: September 2007

The origins and development of the psychology of liberation are described, detailing the intellectual and political context in which the concept of liberation emerged in Latin American social sciences. Its constitution as a mode of doing psychology, and the founding ideas of Ignacio Martin Baró, its pioneer, are analyzed. Primary concepts such as problematization, de‐ideologization, and de‐alienation are discussed, and I explain how they are integrated into a central process characterized as conscientization. The role of relatedness as an epistemological base for knowledge construction and liberation is highlighted. The dynamics in which these processes interact in order to facilitate and catalyze the transformation of negative living conditions through participatory action and reflection, to empower people so they become conscious citizens, and to strengthening civil society and democracy is also discussed. I argue that the ethical, critical, and political character of the liberating actions respond for the participatory, reflexive, and transformative conception of this form of psychology.
Expertise, Evaluative Motivation, and the Structure of Citizens’ Ideological Commitments
Authors: Federico Christopher M.
Published: September 2007

Political psychologists have typically argued that ideological commitments are structured in a bipolar fashion, where a positive evaluation of conservative objects implies a negative evaluation of liberal objects (and vice versa). Individual differences in conformity to this pattern are usually attributed to an ability‐related variable, i.e., political expertise. Departing from this strict focus on ability, this study examines the hypotheses that an important motivational variable—the need to evaluate, or the desire to form opinions of objects as “good” or “bad”—would (1) predict deviations from ideological bipolarity, even controlling for expertise; and (2) moderate the relationship between expertise and deviations from bipolarity. Data from two national surveys provided evidence for these hypotheses and indicated that the results extended to deviations from bipolarity in evaluations of presidential candidates and political parties.
Need for Cognitive Closure and Conservative Political Beliefs: Differential Mediation by Personal Worldviews
Authors: Golec de Zavala Agnieszka , Van Bergh Agnieszka
Published: September 2007

The paper investigates the relationships between motivated social cognition (need for cognitive closure), personal worldviews (traditional, modern, or postmodern), and conservative political beliefs. The relationships were analyzed in a sample of 189 Polish adults. High need for closure was associated with support for both traditional and modern worldviews. Although different in content (i.e., endorsing different values and assumptions about the methods and limits of cognition), the worldviews share similar formal characteristics: Both assume the absolute nature of values and the existence of definite truths. However, acceptance of the traditional worldview was related to political conservatism (i.e., support for nationalist and isolationist opinions and a stronger role for traditional, religious values in public life), whereas acceptance of the modern worldview was associated with a rejection of conservative political beliefs. Moreover, personal worldviews mediated the relationship between need for closure and political beliefs: Support for social conservatism was mediated by acceptance of the traditional worldview, whereas acceptance of the modern worldview predicted rejection of conservative values.
Exploring the differences in performance measurement between research and development: evidence from a multiple case study
Authors: Chiesa Vittorio , Frattini Federico
Published: September 2007

Researchers and practitioners have recently paid great attention to research and development (R&D) performance measurement, although it is acknowledged to be a very challenging task because of R&D intrinsic uncertainty and complexity levels. In this paper, the problem of designing a performance measurement system (PMS) for R&D activities is addressed; specifically, we investigate if and how the design of the PMS is influenced by the type of activity it is applied to, namely Basic and Applied Research or new product development (NPD). We first develop a theoretical framework that comprises the main constitutive elements of a PMS for R&D. Then the framework is used for supporting a multiple case study analysis involving eight Italian technology‐intensive firms. The research results show that the criteria for designing the constitutive elements of the PMS are radically different in Basic and Applied Research and NPD. The reasons behind the observed dissimilarities in the design criteria are widely discussed in the paper, as well as their implications for R&D managers.
Product‐based planning: the importance of project and project management deliverables in the management of clinical trials
Authors: Bryde David James , Joby Roger
Published: September 2007

As the cost of clinical trials continues to rise organisations are looking at ways of managing this part of the drug development process as effectively and efficiently as possible. As a tactical response, many pharmaceutical companies outsource the management of clinical trials to clinical research organisations on a fixed‐price contract basis. This paper presents an alternative approach based on the concept of Product‐Based Planning. Key elements of the approach are the creation of a deliverables budget and the establishment of project management‐related deliverables. The conceptual developments described in the paper are supported by a telephone survey of 10 UK practitioners. The survey confirms the prevalence and limitations of fixed‐price contracts while highlighting a willingness to try a deliverable‐based approach – initially through small pilot studies. The key barrier to implementing a new approach is resistance from key stakeholders, such as finance departments, which can be addressed through selling of the business case.
Is Latin America Catching Up? A Time‐Series Approach
Authors: King Alan , Ramlogan Carlyn
Published: September 2007

Most Latin American economies ended the twentieth century further behind the United States (in terms of productivity) than they had been in 1950. We investigate whether this reflects the effect of occasional economic setbacks or a systematic tendency to fall behind the United States. This is done using a time‐series approach that allows for up to two structural breaks in a series. We find evidence that relative productivity is a (broken) trend‐stationary process for most of the 18 countries considered but that only one, Chile, shows evidence of catching up with the United States at the century’s close.
Coffee Boom, Coffee Bust and Smallholder Response in Vietnam’s Central Highlands
Authors: Ha Dang Thanh , Shively Gerald
Published: September 2007

This paper studies the recent boom and bust in Vietnam’s coffee economy. Data from smallholder coffee farms in the Central Highlands are used to examine responses to a drop in producer coffee prices. A multinomial logistic regression model is used to identify several factors associated with four specific patterns observed among coffee farmers: no response to price change, reductions in use of purchased inputs, changes in crop mix, and responses aimed at enhancing liquidity through off‐farm work or borrowing. Patterns of response are shown to have differed systematically across sub‐groups of smallholders. Policy implications raised by the findings are discussed.
What Would You Sacrifice? Access to Top Management and the Work–life Balance
Authors: Guillaume Cécile , Pochic Sophie
Published: September 2007

This article is based on a current research, combining quantitative (human resources figures and statistics) and qualitative data (60 interviews with career managers, top managers and high potential talents, both men and women), conducted in a major French utility company on the subject of diversity and more specifically on the issue of women's access to top management positions. The main purpose of this research is to understand the difficulties women may encounter in the course of their occupational career linked to organizational aspects, including the ‘glass ceiling’ processes, informal norms related to management positions (such as time and mobility constraints) and social and cultural representations attached to leadership. The other perspective of this research focuses on the different strategies women and men build either to conform to the organizational norms or bypass them. The issue of work–life balance are therefore addressed both from a corporate/organizational standpoint and an individual and family perspective.
Open Wide! An Oral Examination of Thomas Mann's Early Fiction
Authors: Joy Stephen
Published: September 2007

ABSTRACT

The early fiction of Thomas Mann displays a particular fixation on the mouth as a privileged figure for the discursive fields of speech, consumption and desire. But this threefold model of oral function is, above all, a measure of pathology and dysfunction. This article investigates the symptomatology of oral disorder throughout Mann's early stories and views them as a challenge to the stability of identity. Read intertextually with the dream of Irma's injection from Freud's Traumdeutung, I argue that the mouth comes to signify one challenge in particular – the arch‐Freudian threat of castration. It is this subversive potential which Freud's ‘phallic’ interpretation cannot tolerate, and which he works hard to disavow. Mann's texts also recuperate ambivalence in the orders of gender and sexuality, crystallised around the figure of the mouth, through the dental practice of extraction. Hence, in Buddenbrooks, Thomas and Hanno are not cured of their disordered performances of identity, and are instead simply excised from the narrative. This article suggests, therefore, that Mann presides over his early fiction in the guise of a fatal dentist, exposing the organ of the mouth to special scrutiny, but also subjecting the symptoms of oral disorder to brutal extraction through death.
Risk factors for dating violence among teenage girls under child protective services
Authors: Manseau Hélène , Fernet Mylène , Hébert Martine , Collin‐Vézina Delphine , Blais Martin
Published: September 2007

The aim of the present study was to explore potential risk factors for severe physical victimisation in dating relationships of adolescent girls in the child protective system (CPS). A total of 196 adolescent Canadian girls within the care of the CPS completed questionnaires containing measures relating to dating and family violence, sexual history and socio‐demographic variables. Results showed that the majority of participants had experienced some types of victimisation in their dating relationships, with 53.1 per cent reporting at least one severe physical victimisation experience. Results from bivariate analyses revealed that a history of child sexual abuse and school failure or dropout were not associated with dating victimisation. History of parental physical abuse, living outside the family environment before placement, age of first sexual relationship, number of sexual partners and having been pregnant were related to sustained severe physical dating victimisation. Logistic regression analysis indicates that all factors, save for number of partners and living outside family environment, contributed to the prediction of dating victimisation in multivariate analysis. Having been pregnant increased the odds of sustaining severe physical abuse more than threefold (by 3.60). Implications for intervention and further research are discussed.
Adherence to treatment in patients with psoriasis vulgaris: Turkish experience
Authors: Gokdemir G , Arı S , Köşlü A
Published: September 2007

Background  Treatment adherence has been an important issue in therapies of chronic diseases such as psoriasis vulgaris. There are a few studies on treatment adherence in psoriasis patients in literature.

Objective  The goal of this study is to show treatment adherence and the factors that affect it in psoriasis patients in Turkish population.

Methods  A total of 109 patients with psoriasis vulgaris were enrolled in an 8‐week study. A standard questionnaire was completed by the patients. ‘Psoriasis Area and Severity Index’ and ‘Dermatology life quality index’ scores and treatment regimens of patients were recorded. At the end of the 8‐week therapy, treatment adherence scores were calculated by using self‐reported data given by the patients. The level of satisfaction and reasons for missing treatment were recorded.

Results  One hundred three patients (44 men, 59 women) completed the study. The overall rate of treatment adherence was 75%. Single or divorced patients had a significantly higher mean adherence than married ones. There was a significant correlation between adherence and education level. The average level of satisfaction was 44.3%, and the adherence of satisfied patients was statistically more significant than that of the unsatisfied patients. The major two reasons for non‐adherence to the therapy were being busy (25.45%) and fed up (21.81%).

Conclusion  In the present study, we found that marital status, education and satisfaction level were important for treatment adherence. We suggest that further studies with different contributing factors consisting of social, cultural and psychological effects may be useful for treatment adherence in psoriasis patients.
Mental health in patients with systemic sclerosis: a controlled investigation
Authors: Mozzetta A , Antinone V , Alfani S , Neri P , Bonda PG Foglio , Pasquini P , Puddu P , Picardi A
Published: September 2007

Background  Despite the undeniable impact of systemic sclerosis (SS) on quality of life, only a few studies so far have focused on its psychiatric or psychological aspects. We aimed at assessing psychiatric symptoms and self‐image in inpatients with SS and comparing them with patients with either a very mild skin condition or a serious skin condition.

Methods  Three groups were recruited: (i) 38 consecutive female inpatients with SS; (ii) 38 age‐matched female outpatients with melanocytic naevi; (iii) 35 age‐matched female inpatients with melanoma. All participants completed the Zung Anxiety Scale, the Zung Depression Scale and a self‐report questionnaire measuring self‐perceived personal qualities. Patients with SS were also clinically interviewed by a psychologist.

Results  The clinical interview revealed the presence of a psychiatric disorder in most (81%) patients with SS. The Zung scales corroborated the presence of mild to moderate anxiety and depression among patients with SS, who scored significantly higher than patients with either naevi or melanoma on both scales. Scores on the questionnaire assessing self‐perceived personal qualities were very similar in the three groups and indicated a fairly high level of self‐esteem.

Conclusions  This study suggested that psychosocial issues are quite relevant in patients with SS and underscored the need for a biopsychosocial approach to the clinical management of these patients. Timely detection of psychosocial difficulties and appropriate psychological or psychiatric intervention may represent important steps toward better adherence to medical treatment and improved psychological well‐being and quality of life.
Numerical modelling of 3D fluid flow and oxygen isotope exchange in fractured media: spatial distribution of isotope patterns
Authors: SAVARD C. , BEAUDOIN G. , THERRIEN R.
Published: September 2007

An understanding of fluid flow, mass transport and isotopic exchange in fractured rock is required to understand the origin of several geological processes including hydrothermal mineral deposits. The numerical model HydroGeoSphere simulates 3D advection, molecular diffusion, mechanical dispersion and isotopic exchange in a discretely fractured porous media, and can be used to better understand the processes of mass transport and isotopic exchange in fractured rocks. Study of 18O isopleth patterns for different types of fractures and fracture networks with a range of structural complexity and hydraulic properties shows that fracture properties and geometry control mass transport and isotopic exchange. The hydraulic properties, as well as the density, spacing, and connectivity of fractures determine the isotopic patterns. Asymmetries in the geometry of oxygen isotope patterns could be used to determine the direction of hydrothermal fluid flow.
Genetic diversity and differentiation between the two remaining populations of the critically endangered Mediterranean monk seal
Authors: Pastor T. , Garza J. C. , Aguilar A. , Tounta E. , Androukaki E.
Published: September 2007

The Mediterranean monk seal Monachus monachus, is a critically‐endangered species of which only two populations, separated by c. 4000 km, remain: the eastern Mediterranean (150–300 individuals) and the Atlantic/western Sahara populations (100–130 individuals). We measured current levels of nuclear genetic variation at 24 microsatellite loci in 12 seals from the eastern Mediterranean and 98 seals from the western Sahara population and assessed differences between them. In both populations, genetic variation was found to be low, with mean allelic richness for the loci polymorphic in the species of 2.09 and 1.96, respectively. For most loci, the observed allele frequency distributions in both populations were discontinuous and the size ranges similar. The eastern Mediterranean population had 14 private alleles and the western Sahara had 18, but with a much larger sample size. Highly significant differences in allele frequencies between the two populations were found for 14 out of 17 loci. FST between the two populations was 0.578 and the estimated number of migrants per generation was 0.046, both clearly indicating substantial genetic differentiation. From a conservation perspective, these results suggest that each population may act as a source for introducing additional genetic variation into the other population.
Genetic Analysis of FAM46A in Spanish Families with Autosomal Recessive Retinitis Pigmentosa: Characterisation of Novel VNTRs
Authors: Barragán I. , Borrego S. , Abd El‐Aziz M. M. , El‐Ashry M. F. , Abu‐Safieh L. , Bhattacharya S. S. , Antiñolo G.
Published: September 2007

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a group of retinal dystrophies characterised primarily by rod photoreceptor cell degeneration. Exhibiting great clinical and genetic heterogeneity, RP be inherited as an autosomal dominant (ad) and recessive (ar), X‐linked (xl) and digenic disorder. RP25, a locus for arRP, was mapped to chromosome 6p12.1‐q14.1 where several retinal dystrophy loci are located. A gene expressed in the retina, FAM46A, mapped within the RP25 locus, and computational data revealed its involvement in retinal signalling pathways. Therefore, we chose to perform molecular evaluation of this gene as a good candidate in arRP families linked to the RP25 interval. A comprehensive bioinformatic and retinal tissue expression characterisation of FAM46A was performed, together with mutation screening of seven RP25 families.

Herein we present 4 novel sequence variants, of which one is a novel deletion within a low complexity region close to the initiation codon of FAM46A. Furthermore, we have characterised for the first time a coding tandem variation in the Caucasian population.

This study reports on bioinformatic and moleculardata for the FAM46A gene that may give a wider insight into the putative function of this gene and its pathologic relevance to RP25 and other retinal diseases mapping within the 6q chromosomal interval.
An ultrastructural study of cell death in the CA1 pyramidal field of the hippocapmus in rats submitted to transient global ischemia followed by reperfusion
Authors: De Souza Pagnussat Aline , Faccioni‐Heuser Maria Cristina , Netto Carlos Alexandre , Achaval Matilde
Published: September 2007

In the course of ischemia and reperfusion a disruption of release and uptake of excitatory neurotransmitters occurs. This excitotoxicity triggers delayed cell death, a process closely related to mitochondrial physiology and one that shows both apoptotic and necrotic features. The aim of the present study was to use electron microscopy to characterize the cell death of pyramidal cells from the CA1 field of the hippocampus after 10 min of transient global ischemia followed by short reperfusion periods. For this study 25 adult male Wistar rats were used, divided into six groups: 10 min of ischemia, 3, 6, 12 and 24 h of reperfusion and an untouched group. Transient forebrain ischemia was produced using the 4‐vessel occlusion method. The pyramidal cells of the CA1 field from rat hippocampus submitted to ischemia exhibited intracellular alterations consistent with a process of degeneration, with varied intensities according to the reperfusion period and bearing both apoptotic and necrotic features. Gradual neuronal and glial modifications allowed for the classification of the degenerative process into three stages: initial, intermediate and final were found. With 3 and 6 h of reperfusion, slight and moderate morphological alterations were seen, such as organelle and cytoplasm edema. Within 12 h of reperfusion, there was an apparent recovery and more ‘intact’ cells could be identified, while 24 h after the event neuronal damage was more severe and cells with disrupted membranes and cell debris were identified. Necrotic‐like neurons were found together with some apoptotic bodies with 24 h of reperfusion. Present results support the view that cell death in the CA1 field of rat hippocampus submitted to 10 min of global transient ischemia and early reperfusion times includes both apoptotic and necrotic features, a process referred to as parapoptosis.
Distribution of potassium ion and water permeable channels at perivascular glia in brain and retina of the Largemyd mouse
Authors: Rurak Jennifer , Noel Geoffroy , Lui Leona , Joshi Bharat , Moukhles Hakima
Published: September 2007

The dystroglycan protein complex provides a link between the cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix (ECM). Defective O‐glycosylation of α‐dystroglycan (α‐DG) severs this link leading to muscular dystrophies named dystroglycanopathies. These are characterized not only by muscle degeneration, but also by brain and ocular defects. In brain and retina, α‐DG and ECM molecules are enriched around blood vessels where they may be involved in localizing the inwardly rectifying potassium channel, Kir4.1, and aquaporin channel, AQP4, to astrocytic endfeet. To investigate in vivo the role of ECM ligand‐binding to glycosylated sites on α‐DG in the polarized distribution of these channels, we used the Largemyd mouse, an animal model for dystroglycanopathies. We found that Kir4.1 and AQP4 are lost from astrocytic endfeet in brain whereas significant labeling for these channels is detected at similar cell domains in retina. Furthermore, while both α‐ and β1‐syntrophins are lost from perivascular astrocytes in brain, labeling for β1‐syntrophin is found in retina of the Largemyd mouse. These findings show that while ligand‐binding to the highly glycosylated isoform of α‐DG in concert with α‐ and β1‐syntrophins is crucial for the polarized distribution of Kir4.1 and AQP4 to functional domains in brain, distinct mechanisms may contribute to their localization in retina.
Catch crop strategy and nitrate leaching following grazed grass‐clover
Authors: Hansen E. M. , Eriksen J. , Vinther F. P.
Published: September 2007

Cultivation of grassland presents a high risk of nitrate leaching. This study aimed to determine if leaching could be reduced by growing spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) as a green crop for silage with undersown Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) compared with barley grown to maturity with or without an undersown conventional catch crop of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). All treatments received 0, 60 or 120 kg of ammonium‐N ha−1 in cattle slurry. In spring 2003, two grass‐clover fields (3 and 5 years old, respectively, with different management histories) were ploughed. The effects of the treatments on yield and nitrate leaching were determined in the first year, while the residual effects of the treatments were determined in the second year in a crop of spring barley/perennial ryegrass. Nitrate leaching was estimated in selected treatments using soil water samples from ceramic cups. The experiment showed that compared with treatments without catch crop, green barley/Italian ryegrass reduced leaching by 163–320 kg N ha−1, corresponding to 95–99%, and the perennial ryegrass reduced leaching to between 34 and 86 kg N ha−1, corresponding to a reduction of 80 and 66%. Also, in the second growing season, leaching following catch crops was reduced compared with the bare soil treatment. It was concluded that the green barley/Italian ryegrass offers advantages not only for the environment but also for farmers, for whom it provides a fodder high in roughage and avoids the difficulties with clover fatigue increasingly experienced by Danish farmers.
AN INVESTIGATION OF THE PROVENANCE OF THE ROMAN AMPHORA CARGO FROM THE PLEMMIRIO B SHIPWRECK
Authors: TAYLOR R. J. , GIBBINS D. J, L. , ROBINSON V. J.
Published: September 2007

Eighty‐six Roman amphora sherds from the Plemmirio B shipwreck, off Sicily, have been analysed by neutron activation analysis. A large group representative of the amphora cargo, mainly of forms Africana 1 and Africana 2A (from the area of modern Tunisia), was subsequently defined. No differences between Africana 1 and Africana 2A samples were observed, thus implying a similar origin for both forms. The provenance of this cargo group was then investigated by comparison with a Roman amphora kiln data base. After elimination of the more mobile elements it was shown that the cargo amphorae were more likely to have been manufactured at kilns around Sullecthum rather than Leptis Minor. The analytical conclusions are thoroughly consistent with the known archaeological information.