bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Grb2 controls phosphorylation of FGFR2 by inhibiting receptor kinase and Shp2 phosphatase activity
Authors: Ahmed Zamal , Lin Chi-Chuan , Suen Kin M. , Melo Fernando A. , Levitt James A , Suhling Klaus , Ladbury John E.
Published: February 2013

Constitutive receptor tyrosine kinase phosphorylation requires regulation of kinase and phosphatase activity to prevent aberrant signal transduction. A dynamic mechanism is described here in which the adaptor protein, growth factor receptor–bound protein 2 (Grb2), controls fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) signaling by regulating receptor kinase and SH2 domain–containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 (Shp2) phosphatase activity in the absence of extracellular stimulation. FGFR2 cycles between its kinase-active, partially phosphorylated, nonsignaling state and its Shp2-dephosphorylated state. Concurrently, Shp2 cycles between its FGFR2-phosphorylated and dephosphorylated forms. Both reciprocal activities of FGFR2 and Shp2 were inhibited by binding of Grb2 to the receptor. Phosphorylation of Grb2 by FGFR2 abrogated its binding to the receptor, resulting in up-regulation of both FGFR2’s kinase and Shp2’s phosphatase activity. Dephosphorylation of Grb2 by Shp2 rescued the FGFR2–Grb2 complex. This cycling of enzymatic activity results in a homeostatic, signaling-incompetent state. Growth factor binding perturbs this background cycling, promoting increased FGFR2 phosphorylation and kinase activity, Grb2 dissociation, and downstream signaling. Grb2 therefore exerts constitutive control over the mutually dependent activities of FGFR2 and Shp2.
Antimicrobial Use in Outpatient Hemodialysis Units
Authors: Snyder Graham M. , Patel Priti R. , Kallen Alexander J. , Strom James A. , Tucker J. Kevin , D'Agata Erika M. C.
Published: February 2013

Objective.

To quantify and characterize overall antimicrobial use, including appropriateness of indication, among patients receiving chronic hemodialysis.

Design.

Retrospective and prospective observational study.

Setting.

Two outpatient hemodialysis units.

Patients.

All patients receiving chronic hemodialysis.

Methods.

The rate of parenteral antimicrobial use (number of doses per 100 patient-months) was calculated retrospectively from September 2008 through July 2011. Indication and appropriateness of antimicrobial doses were characterized prospectively from August 2010 through July 2011. Inappropriate administration was defined as occasions when criteria for infection based on national guidelines were not met, failure to choose a more narrow-spectrum antimicrobial on the basis of culture data, or occasions when indications for surgical prophylaxis were not met.

Results.

Over the 35-month retrospective study period, the rate of parenteral antimicrobial use was 32.9 doses per 100 patient-months. Vancomycin was the most commonly prescribed antimicrobial, followed by cefazolin and third- or fourth-generation cephalosporins. Over the 12-month prospective study, 1,003 antimicrobial doses were prescribed. Among the 926 (92.3%) doses for which an indication for administration was available, 276 (29.8%) were classified as inappropriate. Of these, a total of 146 (52.9%) did not meet criteria for infection, 74 (26.8%) represented failure to choose a more narrow-spectrum antimicrobial, and 56 (20.3%) did not meet criteria for surgical prophylaxis. The most common inappropriately prescribed antimicrobials were vancomycin and third- or fourth- generation cephalosporins.

Conclusions.

Parenteral antimicrobial use was extensive, and as much as one-third was categorized as inappropriate. The findings of this study provide novel information toward minimizing inappropriate antimicrobial use.
Standards opportunities around data-bearing Web pages
Authors: Karger David
Published: February 2013

The evolving Web has seen ever-growing use of structured data, thanks to the way it enhances information authoring, querying, visualization and sharing. To date, however, most structured data authoring and management tools have been oriented towards programmers and Web developers. End users have been left behind, unable to leverage structured data for information management and communication as well as professionals. In this paper, I will argue that many of the benefits of structured data management can be provided to end users as well. I will describe an approach and tools that allow end users to define their own schemas (without knowing what a schema is), manage data and author (not program) interactive Web visualizations of that data using the Web tools with which they are already familiar, such as plain Web pages, blogs, wikis and WYSIWYG document editors. I will describe our experience deploying these tools and some lessons relevant to their future evolution.
EventWeb: towards social life networks
Authors: Jain Ramesh
Published: February 2013

The Web has changed the way we live, work and socialize. The nodes in the current Web are documents and hence the current World Wide Web is a Document Web. Advances in technology and requirements of emerging applications require formation of a parallel and closely connected Web of events, the EventWeb, in which each node is an event. In this paper, we explore growth of EventWeb as a natural next step in the evolution of the Web with rich multimodal sensory information. Social networks use events extensively and have revolutionized communication among people. Mobile phones, equipped with myriads of sensors and being used by more than 75% of living humans, are bringing the next generation of social networks, not only to connect people with other people, but also to connect people with other people and essential life resources. We call these networks social life networks, and believe that this is the right time to focus efforts to discover and develop technology and infrastructure to design and build these networks and to apply them for solving some essential human problems.
Recent progress in the study of the next generation Internet in China
Authors: Liu Ying , Wu Jianping , Wu Qian , Xu Ke
Published: February 2013

The Internet has become a major part of the global communications infrastructure supporting modern-day socio-economic development, social progress and technological innovation. Invented 30 years ago, today the Internet is facing severe challenges. Many countries have funded research projects on the new-generation Internet, such as GENI, FIND, FIRE and CNGI, in an effort to solve these challenges. In addition, over the past few years, the networking research community has engaged in an ongoing conversation about how to move the Internet forward, and there are now two different approaches towards Internet research. The first approach is based on using the existing Internet architecture to solve the major technical challenges—this is called ‘evolutionary’ research. The other, which is called the ‘clean slate’, involves the design of an entirely new Internet architecture. In the first part of this paper, the basic features of the next generation Internet and its principal contradictions are analysed. Then a survey of recent progress in the study of the next generation Internet in China is discussed. Finally, the focus and direction for the next step in research are presented as based on fundamental research into the international next generation Internet architecture, and the many new innovative demands placed on Internet architecture in recent years.
Major similarities in the bacterial communities associated with lesioned and healthy Fungiidae corals
Authors: Apprill Amy , Hughen Konrad , Mincer Tracy
Published: February 2013

Cultivation‐based studies have demonstrated that yellow‐band disease (YBD), a lesion‐producing ailment affecting diverse species of coral, is caused by a consortium of Vibrio spp. This study takes the first cultivation‐independent approach to examine the whole bacterial community associated with YBD‐like lesioned corals. Two species of Fungiidae corals, Ctenactis crassa and Herpolitha limax, displaying YBD‐like lesions were examined across diverse reefs throughout the Red Sea. Using a pyrosequencing approach targeting the V1–V3 regions of the SSU rRNA gene, no major differences in bacterial community composition or diversity were identified between healthy and lesioned corals of either species. Indicator species analysis did not find Vibrio significantly associated with the lesioned corals. However, operational taxonomic units belonging to the Ruegeria genus of Alphaproteobacteria and NS9 marine group of Flavobacteria were significantly associated with the lesioned corals. The most striking trend of this dataset was that reef location was found to be the most significant influence on the coral–bacterial community. It is possible that more pronounced lesion‐specific bacterial signatures might have been concealed by the strong influence of environmental conditions on coral–bacteria. Overall, this study demonstrates inconsistencies between cultivation‐independent and cultivation‐based studies regarding the role of specific bacteria in coral diseases.
Molecular Tolerance of Voltage‐Gated Calcium Channels is Evident After Short Exposures to Alcohol in Vasopressin‐Releasing Nerve Terminals
Authors: Pietrzykowski Andrzej Z. , Ortiz‐Miranda Sonia , Knott Thomas K. , Custer Edward , Puig Sylvie , Lemos José R. , Treistman Steven N.
Published: February 2013

Background

Voltage‐gated calcium channels (VGCCs) in rat neurohypophysial terminals exhibit molecular tolerance to alcohol, including desensitization to the drug and increased current density, after 3 weeks of alcohol drinking. Moreover, after this time, terminals from drinking rats exhibit diminished alcohol inhibition of vasopressin (AVP) release.

Methods

We took advantage of organotypic cultures (explants) of the hypothalamo‐neurohypophysial system (HNS) to extend our analysis of molecular tolerance to 2 classes of the VGCC. The isolated HNS explant allows much finer temporal resolution of molecular tolerance than do voluntary drinking paradigms. After exposure of the HNS explant to alcohol, terminals are isolated by mechanical treatment and plated in a dish. Patch clamp recording techniques are used to obtain VGCC currents, and immunohistochemistry is used to determine VGCC distribution. A release assay is used to provide functional readout of AVP release.

Results

We show that even a brief, 1‐hour exposure to a clinically relevant concentration of alcohol is sufficient to evoke similar changes to those observed after several weeks of exposure. Acute ethanol (EtOH) exposure inhibits high K+‐induced AVP release from naïve terminals. However, terminals pre‐exposed to 20 mM EtOH for 1 hour become tolerant to EtOH, and subsequent exposure has significantly less effect on high K+‐induced AVP release. Electrophysiological recordings indicate that among different types of VGCCs present in the neuronal terminal, the L‐type is the most affected by alcohol. The current density of L‐type current is significantly increased (approximately 50%), while its responsiveness to alcohol is significantly diminished (approximately 50%), after brief alcohol exposure. Fluorescent imaging results were consistent with the electrophysiology and suggest that the increased current density of VGCCs after brief exposure is attributable to combined synthesis of 1.2 and 1.3 subtypes of the L‐type VGCC and redistribution of channel protein into terminal plasma membrane.

Conclusions

These data indicate that a brief alcohol exposure affects subsequent alcohol sensitivity of VGCCs and neuropeptide release from presynaptic terminals.
The Rationale for Probiotics Improving Reproductive Health and Pregnancy Outcome
Authors: Reid Jennifer N. S. , Bisanz Jordan E. , Monachese Marc , Burton Jeremy P. , Reid Gregor
Published: February 2013

Problem

Medical problems of most importance to reproductive health of women differ to some extent between the developed world and resource‐disadvantaged countries. Nevertheless, many share a common link in microbial involvement.

Method of study

A review of the peer‐reviewed literature on microbiota, probiotics, and reproductive health.

Results

Indigenous and probiotic lactobacilli express properties antagonistic to pathogens, but complementary to host immunity. These organisms are associated with conception, reducing the risk of infection, as well as potentially lowering the risk of a number of complications of pregnancy that otherwise lead to maternal and infant mortality and morbidity.

Conclusions

The ability to manipulate the microbiome and to improve immunity through probiotics holds much promise. The lack of improvements over the past 40 years in managing urogenital infections in women is incomprehensible. Support for innovative diagnostic and treatment options is needed, including testing and implementing probiotic therapies, especially for women with poor access to healthcare and good nutrition.
Cyclic Stretch Augments Production of Neutrophil Chemokines and Matrix Metalloproteinases‐1 (MMP‐1) from Human Decidual Cells, and the Production was Reduced by Progesterone
Authors: Zhao Yin , Koga Kaori , Osuga Yutaka , Izumi Gentaro , Takamura Masashi , Harada Miyuki , Hirata Tetsuya , Hirota Yasushi , Yoshino Osamu , Inoue Satoshi , Fujii Tomoyuki , Kozuma Shiro
Published: February 2013

Problem

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of mechanical stretch caused by uterine contraction and progesterone (P4) on decidual cells (DC), neutrophil chemokines, and MMP‐1 expression.

Method of study

DC were cultured, and cyclic stretch was applied using a computer‐operated cell stretch system. Interleukin (IL)‐8, growth‐regulated oncogene (GRO) α, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐1, and mRNA and/or protein expression/activity was measured using RT‐PCR and ELISA. Neutrophil chemotactic activity in conditioned media was evaluated using migration assays. The effect of P4 was also studied.

Results

Cyclic mechanical stretch increased IL‐8, GROα, mRNA and protein, and MMP‐1 production and activity level. Supernatant from stretched cells induced neutrophil chemotactic activity significantly. P4 suppressed the effect of stretch.

Conclusion

The current study demonstrates that cyclic mechanical stretch stimulates the production of neutrophil chemokines and MMP‐1 from human decidual cells, and the production was reduced by progesterone. These findings suggest that decidual cells are responding to mechanical and endocrine signals and induce biochemical factors and thereby contribute to the regulation of human labor.
Sleep patterns of Japanese preschool children and their parents: implications for co‐sleeping
Authors: Iwata Sachiko , Iwata Osuke , Matsuishi Toyojiro
Published: February 2013

Aim

The aim of this study was to investigate the direct relationship of sleep schedule and sleep quality variables between healthy preschool children and their parents, focusing on the influence of the difference in bedtime between each other.

Methods

Forty‐seven Japanese 5‐year‐old children and their primary parent were studied. The parents completed questionnaires including the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The children wore an actigraph for one week.

Results

Although sleep patterns of children were generally independent of their parents, late sleep end time and bedtime of children were associated with parents' late sleep end time on weekends. For 87% of children and parents who shared a bedroom, sleep quality was negatively affected by a shorter difference in bedtimes between child and parent, but not by co‐sleeping.

Conclusion

Sleep behaviours of parents can influence those of their children. For parents and children who share a bedroom, the timing of bedtime rather than co‐sleeping may be a key factor in modulating sleep patterns. Trying to get children asleep and subsequently falling asleep at a similar time may disturb parents' sleep quality, which may subsequently affect that of their children.
Efficacy or convenience? Model‐based approaches to phylogeny estimation using morphological data
Authors: Spencer Marc R. , Wilberg Eric W.
Published: February 2013

Model‐based approaches (e.g. maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference) are widely used with molecular data, where they might be more appropriate than maximum parsimony for estimating phylogenies under various models of molecular evolution. Recently, there has been an increase in the application of model‐based approaches with morphological (mainly fossil) data; however, there is some doubt as to the effectiveness of the model of morphological evolution. The input parameters (prior probabilities) for the model are unclear, particularly when concerned with unobserved character states. Despite this, some systematists are suggesting superiority of these model‐based methods over maximum parsimony based on, for example, increased resolution or, in the current study, the preferred phylogenetic placement of an iconic taxon. Here, we revisit a recently published analysis implying such superiority and document the discrepancies between parsimony‐based and model‐based approaches to phylogeny estimation. We find that although some taxa are shifted back to their “traditional” phylogenetic placement, other clades are disturbed. The model‐based phylogenies are better resolved; however, due to the lack of an appropriate model of morphological evolution, the increase in resolving power is probably not meaningful. Similarly, some of the preferred phylogenetic positions of taxa, particularly of labile taxa such as Archaeopteryx, are based solely on analyses employing maximum parsimony as the optimality criterion. Poor resolution and labile taxa indicate a need for further examination of the morphology and not a change in method.
Angiofibromas with multiple epidermoid cysts in tuberous sclerosis: new mutation or post‐traumatic?
Authors: Zheng Li‐qiang , Huang Yong , Han Xiang‐chun
Published: February 2013

Tuberous sclerosis is a genetic multisystem disorder characterized by widespread hamartomas in several organs. Clinically, more than 90% of affected patients have skin lesions including facial angiofibromas, periungual fibromas, hypomelanotic macule, etc. Periungual fibroma is one of the major diagnostic criteria of tuberous sclerosis and has the same pathology (angiofibroma) as the facial papules. We herein describe an interesting histologic variant of angiofibromas coupled with multiple epidermoid cysts in a 33‐year‐old patient with tuberous sclerosis.
Using a large international sample to investigate epilepsy in Rett syndrome
Authors: Bao Xinhua , Downs Jenny , Wong Kingsley , Williams Simon , Leonard Helen
Published: February 2013

Aim

The aim of this study was to identify characteristics of epilepsy in Rett syndrome (RTT), and relationships between epilepsy and genotype.

Method

Information on 685 females with RTT recruited to the international Rett syndrome database (InterRett) with a pathogenic MECP2 mutation was obtained from family and clinician questionnaires. Individuals with RTT were aged 1 year 4 months to 54 years 2 months (mean 11y 1mo; SD 9y 4mo).

Results

Among them, 61% had epilepsy, with half diagnosed by the age of 5 years. Those with a large deletion had the earliest median age at epilepsy onset and those with p.R133C the latest age at onset. The highest rate of active epilepsy (54%) was in those aged 12 to 17 years. Compared with those with a p.R133C mutation, active seizures were more likely to be reported in those with a large deletion (odds ratio 3.71; 95% confidence interval 1.13–12.17) or p.T158M (odds ratio 2.92; 95% confidence interval 1.04–8.20). Commonly used medicines included valproate (47%), carbamazepine (39%), lamotrigine (30%), levetiracetam (24%), and topiramate (19%).

Interpretation

Genotype influences the age at onset and severity of epilepsy in RTT. Large sample sizes as available through InterRett assist in understanding the complexity of epilepsy in RTT in relation to genotype.
Results of upper airway radiography and ultrasonography predict dynamic laryngeal collapse in affected horses
Authors: Fjordbakk C. T. , Chalmers H. J. , Holcombe S. J. , Strand E.
Published: February 2013

Reasons for performing study

The pathogenesis of dynamic bilateral laryngeal collapse (DLC) associated with poll flexion is unknown. Diagnosis is dependent upon exercise endoscopy while replicating the flexed head position harness racehorses experience during racing.

Objectives

To describe the effects of poll flexion on rostrocaudal laryngeal positioning and laryngeal lumen width in resting horses diagnosed withDLCcompared to controls, and to establish diagnostic criteria forDLCby use of diagnostic imaging.

Study design

Case‐control study.

Methods

Fifty harness racehorses were prospectively included in the study: 25 cases diagnosed withDLCby treadmill endoscopy and 25 controls in which treadmill endoscopy revealed no abnormal findings. Laryngeal radiography and ultrasonography were obtained in neutral and flexed head positions. Laryngeal positioning and laryngohyoid conformation were compared between the groups and head positions.

Results

Poll flexion induced a greater rostral advancement of the larynx in relation to the hyoid apparatus in resting harness racehorses affected withDLCcompared to controls (P= 0.007). At the level of the vocal folds, poll flexion resulted in a smaller laryngeal lumen width in horses affected withDLCcompared to controls (P= 0.04). Horses were significantly more likely to be affected withDLCwhen the thyrohyoid bone to thyroid cartilage distance was ≥12 mm in poll flexion (odds ratio 21.3, 95% confidence interval 3.65–124.8,P= 0.004) and when laryngeal lumen width at the level of the vocal folds was less in poll flexion than in the neutral head position (odds ratio 8.4; 95% confidence interval 1.6–44.1,P= 0.012).

Conclusions and potential relevance

InDLChorses, poll flexion advanced the larynx more rostrally and resulted in a decreased airway lumen width compared to control horses. Laryngeal ultrasound and radiography may facilitate the diagnosis ofDLCat rest.
Role of the Dinaric Karst (western Balkans) in shaping the phylogeographic structure of the threatened crayfish Austropotamobius torrentium
Authors: KLOBUČAR GÖRAN I. V. , PODNAR MARTINA , JELIĆ MIŠEL , FRANJEVIĆ DAMJAN , FALLER MATEJ , ŠTAMBUK ANAMARIA , GOTTSTEIN SANJA , SIMIĆ VLADICA , MAGUIRE IVANA
Published: February 2013

1. This study examines phylogeography and phylogeny of the threatened stone crayfish, Austropotamobius torrentium, in order to elucidate the role of the Dinaric Karst geology in shaping the evolutionary history and genetic diversity of aquatic fauna in the western Balkans. Mitochondrial 16S rRNA and COI genes were partially sequenced from 188 and 159 crayfish, respectively, sampled from 70 localities. Phylogenetic relationships were reconstructed using four methods of phylogenetic inference. Divergence times between phylogroups were estimated in a Bayesian framework, and their demographic history was examined using neutrality tests and mismatch distribution analysis.

2. Seven geographically localised phylogroups separated by pronounced genetic gaps were found. Five of them have a distribution range within the northern‐central Dinaric (NCD) region, while the remaining two include populations from the southern Balkans (SB) and central and south‐eastern Europe (CSE). The oldest divergence event separated two NCD lineages from the rest of populations in the Late Miocene or Early Pliocene. Divergences amongst the five NCD phylogroups and SB + CSE occurred in the Pliocene. The most recent split separated SB and CSE phylogroups during the Late Pliocene. For both genes, uncorrected pairwise divergences between most of the phylogroups (4.1–8.7% for COI and 1.6–4.8% for 16S rRNA) were of the same range as, or higher than, some of the interspecific distances previously reported for the genus Austropotamobius.

3. Geographically isolated and deeply divergent cryptic monophyletic phylogroups within A. torrentium in the NCD region arose in the course of intensification of Neotectonic movements during the Pliocene and the beginning of the Pleistocene and the development of karstification that has heavily fragmented the palaeohydrography of the area. The results confirm a gradual north–south expansion of stone crayfish during the pre‐Pleistocene that preceded the rapid northward post‐glacial re/colonisation of central Europe (CSE phylogroup) through the Danube drainage.

4. Austropotamobius torrentium comprises morphologically cryptic but molecularly distinct taxa. Considering the relatively small geographical areas they inhabit, the NCD phylogroups of stone crayfish should be given the highest conservation priority.
Floods in a Changing Climate
Authors: Andersen Theresa K. , Marshall Shepherd J.
Published: February 2013

Atmospheric warming and associated hydrological changes have implications for regional flood intensity and frequency. Climate models and hydrological models have the ability to integrate various contributing factors and assess potential changes to hydrology at global to local scales through the century. This survey of floods in a changing climate reviews flood projections based on sources of precipitation, ice and snow melt, and coastal inundation. Topographic and anthropogenic influences that exacerbate or reduce flood risks by altering surface runoff, infiltration, storage, and precipitation development are also considered. Flood mitigation and adaptation strategies for infrastructure, agriculture, public health, and local communities are explored along with uncertainties and challenges in flood research. Recent and upcoming datasets to help with future flood monitoring and prediction include satellite missions, advanced radar, and in‐situ networks.
Predictors for positive surgical margins after robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy: A single surgeon's series in Japan
Authors: Hashimoto Takeshi , Yoshioka Kunihiko , Gondo Tatsuo , Takeuchi Hisashi , Nakagami Yoshihiro , Nakashima Jun , Tachibana Masaaki
Published: February 2013

Objective

Positive surgical margin after radical prostatectomy has been shown to be an independent predictive factor for biochemical and local recurrence in patients with prostate cancer. The present study was undertaken to identify predictive factors for positive surgical margin after robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy in Japanese patients.

Methods

Between August 2006 and September 2011, a cohort of 244 men underwent robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy carried out by a single surgeon. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out to identify clinical covariates significantly associated with an increased positive surgical margin. The preoperative variables included age, body mass index, prostate‐specific antigen level, prostate‐specific antigen density, clinical T stage, prostate volume, surgeon volume, number of positive cores and percentage of positive cores.

Results

In the univariate analyses, serum prostate‐specific antigen level, prostate‐specific antigen density and surgeon volume were significantly associated with positive surgical margin. In the multivariate analysis, prostate‐specific antigen density (hazard ratio 3.13, 95% confidence interval 1.57–6.24; P = 0.001) and surgeon volume (hazard ratio 2.15, 95% confidence interval 1.06–4.35; P = 0.034) were independent predictive factors for positive surgical margin. Using these two independent factors, we divided the patients into four groups and calculated the predictive probability of positive surgical margin. The predictive probability for positive surgical margin in each group was well correlated with the rates at 10.8% and 10.2%, 19.8% and 20.0%, 26.4% and 26.4%, an 43.5% and 43.3%, respectively.

Conclusion

Prostate‐specific antigen density and surgeon volume are independent predictors of positive surgical margin after robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy. A combination of these two factors can provide useful information about positive surgical margins.
Effect of severity and duration of bladder outlet obstruction on catalase and superoxide dismutase activity
Authors: Callaghan Connor M , Schuler Catherine , Leggett Robert E , Levin Robert M
Published: February 2013

Objectives

To study the effects of partial bladder outlet obstruction on the cell's anti‐oxidant defense mechanisms, superoxide dismutase and catalase, in order to elucidate how the bladder responds to oxidative stress.

Methods

Four groups of eight rabbits were subjected to partial bladder outlet obstruction for 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Eight sham rabbits were used as the control group. The bladders were removed under anesthesia, and the muscle and mucosa were separated, frozen and stored at −80°C for analysis. Superoxide dismutase and catalase assays were carried out on these tissues. The groups were also categorized by severity (mild, intermediate and severe) of decompensation, as well as duration.

Results

When separated by duration, catalase activity of the mucosa was significantly higher in the control and the 12‐weeks obstructed rabbits. This activity was lower than the control in the 4‐ and 8‐weeks obstructed rabbits. When separated by severity, catalase activity of the mucosa was significantly higher and severely decompensated than the muscle in the controls. When separated by duration or severity, superoxide dismutase activity of the muscle was significantly lower than controls for all obstructed rabbits. The activities of both superoxide dismutase and catalase were significantly reduced in the severely decompensated bladder smooth muscle, but not in the 12‐weeks obstructed bladder smooth muscle.

Conclusions

Partial bladder outlet obstruction has significant effects on the activity of both superoxide dismutase and catalase in the bladder, with variations that are dependent on the severity and duration of the obstruction.
ICT for development in the context of the closure of Chernobyl nuclear power plant: an activity theory perspective
Authors: Karanasios Stan , Allen David
Published: February 2013

This paper provides an analysis of a broadband implementation in the town of Slavutych, Ukraine. Slavutych was purposefully built 50 km from Chernobyl shortly after the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) disaster in 1986 to house personnel of ChNPP and their families evacuated from the city of Prip'yat. Drawing on activity theory, and in particular the notion of activity systems, we demonstrate how an activity system approach can be used to frame Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICTD) intervention. We highlight the tools used to mediate the activity, the activity motivation and the relevant stakeholders and examine the role of ‘contradictions’. Using the notion of connected activities, we also provide some theoretical basis for understanding the emergence of activities and conceptualising the impact of development projects, arguing that the outcome of an activity leads to/is consumed by other related activities. This paper contributes to scholarship in the field of ICTD using an empirical case in a complex setting and furthers theoretical development by advancing an activity system perspective for understanding and theorising ICTD interventions.
Implementation of a successful electronic wound documentation system in rural Victoria, Australia: a subject of collaboration and community engagement
Authors: Khalil Hanan , Cullen Marianne , Chambers Helen , Steers Nicole , Walker Judi
Published: February 2013

To describe the steps needed for a successful implementation of an e‐health programme (the Mobile Wound Care system) in rural Victoria, Australia and to provide recommendations for future e‐health initiatives. Wound care is a major burden on the health care system. Optimal wound care was found to be impeded by issues that included the limited access to health care providers, incomplete and inconsistent documentation and limited access to expert review. This study trialled the use of a shared electronic wound reporting and imaging system in combination with an expert remote wound consultation service for the management of patients with chronic and acute wounds in Gippsland. The trial sites included four rural Home and Community Health Care providers. Considerable effort was put into designing a best practice e‐health care programme. There was support from managers and clinicians at regional and local levels to address an area of health care considered a priority. Various issues contributing to the successful implementation of the wound care project were identified: the training model, quality of data collected, demands associated with multiple sites across a vast geographic region, computer access, hardware and computer literacy.
Hyperhomocysteinaemia and chronic venous ulcers
Authors: de Franciscis Stefano , De Sarro Giovambattista , Longo Paola , Buffone Gianluca , Molinari Vincenzo , Stillitano Domenico M , Gallelli Luca , Serra Raffaele
Published: February 2013

Chronic venous ulceration (CVU) is the major cause of chronic wounds of lower extremities, and is a part of the complex of chronic venous disease. Previous studies have hypothesised that several thrombophilic factors, such as hyperhomocysteinaemia (HHcy), may be associated with chronic venous ulcers. In this study, we evaluated the prevalence of HHcy in patients with venous leg ulcers and the effect of folic acid therapy on wound healing.

Eighty‐seven patients with venous leg ulcers were enrolled in this study to calculate the prevalence of HHcy in this population. All patients underwent basic treatment for venous ulcer (compression therapy ± surgical procedures).

Patients with HHcy (group A) received basic treatment and administered folic acid (1·2 mg/day for 12 months) and patients without HHcy (group B) received only basic treatment. Healing was assessed by means of computerised planimetry analysis.

The prevalence of HHcy among patients with chronic venous ulcer enrolled in this study was 62·06%. Healing rate was significantly higher (P < 0·05) in group A patients (78·75%) compared with group B patients (63·33%).

This study suggests a close association, statistically significant, between HHcy and CVU. Homocysteine‐lowering therapy with folic acid seems to expedite wound healing. Despite these aspects, the exact molecular mechanisms between homocysteine and CVU have not been clearly defined and further studies are needed.
Reconfiguring Belonging in the Suburban US South: Diversity, ‘Merit’ and the Persistence of White Privilege
Authors: Nagel Caroline R.
Published: February 2013

In the past few decades, a diverse body of scholarship has complicated the image of American suburbs as spaces of white, middle‐class homogeneity. Revisionist suburban histories and accounts of African American and immigrant suburbanization have drawn attention to the longstanding presence of non‐white others in US suburbs. Yet despite diversification, white privilege remains deeply entrenched in suburbia. This article explores the shifting character of white privilege in the US — especially in the US South — and asks how whites interpret diversity and identify those with whom they are, or are not, willing to share their privileges. This article uses the results of a pilot study in a subdivision near Columbia, South Carolina, to explore how white suburbanites articulate belonging in neighborhood space. This discussion highlights the ways in which respondents reject the pre‐civil‐rights order marked by overt racial discrimination, but also reveals the ways in which they evaluate the relative merit of minority groups and identify certain differences as unacceptable. While limited in scope, this study encourages scholars to further explore the ways in which shifting configurations of race become intertwined with processes of contemporary suburban change.
We all live downstream: engaging partners and visitors in freshwater fish reintroduction programmes
Authors: George A. L. , Hamilton M. T. , Alford K. F.
Published: February 2013

Freshwater ecosystems in the south‐eastern United States, a global hotspot for temperate aquatic biodiversity, are increasingly threatened by human activity. For 14 years, the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute has partnered with many other organizations to lead reintroduction programmes for Lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens and Barrens topminnow Fundulus julisia. Consistent with our educational mission, new interactive exhibits and outreach programmes have been designed to connect more visitors with these programmes on‐site. While aquariums and zoos are natural partners to fulfil the public outreach needs of recovery teams, they have equally important roles within the project team to lead in propagation and reintroduction science. New research initiatives into best practices in captive propagation and conservation planning for imperilled fishes provide scientific leadership to our conservation community that also gives credibility to our work. By preparing for a long‐term investment and continuing to foster the good relationships already in place with the public and partners, we hope to continue building upon the success of our reintroduction programmes.
Cosmopolitanism Within Borders: On Behalf of Charter Cities
Authors: Freiman Christopher
Published: February 2013

Economist Paul Romer proposes the establishment of charter cities. Charter cities would resemble special economic zones; that is, small regions that experiment with economic rules that differ from those governing their larger ‘host’ countries. Yet unlike a special economic zone, a charter city would also experiment with its own legal and political rules. The rules, in turn, can be enforced by a third‐party coalition of representatives of foreign countries that enforce these rules at home. Host countries that face problems of economic stagnation or political instability can thus leverage the experience and credibility of ‘guarantor’ countries to gradually reform their own institutions. I defend charter cities as an instrument of cosmopolitan justice in nonideal global conditions. Contributing to efforts to establish charter cities is, in many cases, a more efficient use of a country's scarce resources than foreign aid or attempts to facilitate institutional change abroad. I argue that countries also have a moral reason to contribute to charter cities: they can serve as compensation for the coercive harms due to those countries' border closures. I conclude that cosmopolitans and nationalists can find common ground in their reasons to support the establishment of charter cities.
A Contemporary Review of White Spot Lesions in Orthodontics
Authors: Heymann Gavin C. , Grauer Dan
Published: February 2013

White spot lesions (WSL) associated with fixed orthodontic appliances are a common adverse effect of orthodontic treatment and represent a significant challenge to achieving esthetic excellence. The purpose of this article is to review the current evidence regarding diagnosis, risk assessment, prevention, intratreatment management, and postorthodontic treatment of WSL, and to provide clinical recommendations useful for both the orthodontist and the general dentist. Caries risk assessment should be incorporated into initial evaluations of orthodontic patients, and risk‐specific prevention and management protocols can help to eliminate or minimize this clinical problem. There are multiple options for treatment of WSL, ranging from conservative to invasive techniques; the severity of lesions is a determinant of which option is most appropriate.

Clinical Significance

White spot lesions associated with orthodontic treatment are a common problem that can be minimized with appropriate prevention, management, and treatment approaches.
Demanding, Giving, Sharing, and Keeping: Panará Ideas of Economy
Authors: Ewart Elizabeth
Published: February 2013

Este artigo trata das idéias Panará sobre economia e modos de troca, através de uma discussão sobre o que “propriedade,” “dinheiro” e “partilha” significam para pessoas Panará. Partindo da discussão de Lévi‐Strauss sobre comercio e guerra como aspectos de um único processo social, e sugerido que as atividades econômicas Panará podem ser entendidos como aspectos da relação dinâmica com a alteridade. O encontro e a interação da gente Panará com dinheiro revela idéias importantes sobre valor, equivalência, modalidades de troca, interdependência mútua e a relação entre pessoas e objetos.
The Politics of Identification in a Shrimp Conflict in Ecuador: The Political Subject, “Pueblos Ancestrales del Ecosistema Manglar” [Ancestral Peoples of the Mangrove Ecosystem]
Authors: Latorre Sara
Published: February 2013

Debido al éxito de las políticas de identidad ecuatorianas y (Latino Americanas) desde 1990 en adelante, actualmente las demandas sobre indigeneidad se han convertido en un poderoso leguaje para conseguir derechos territoriales colectivos en esta región. En este contexto, la literatura sobre identidades étnico‐raciales provee algunos ejemplos fascinantes sobre “indigeneidad” que cuestionan las concepciones dominantes de esta categoría. El presente caso de estudio va un poco más lejos en esta línea temática, al poner en cuestión la hegemónica premisa que considera las identificaciones étnicas en el marco de una única categoría racial. El movimiento social identificado con el sujeto político “Pueblos Ancestrales del Ecosistema Manglar” ha trascendido las divisiones “racializadas,” normalmente asociadas con las identidades étnicas, a través de la articulación de un contra‐discurso étnico basado en los conceptos de “ancestralidad” y “pueblos.” Este sujeto político se auto‐representa como “pueblos ancestrales” que pertenecen a un ecosistema natural específico, y al mismo tiempo está constituidos por un grupo “multi‐racial.”
Navigating Narrative: The Antinomies of “Mediated” Testimonios
Authors: Kohl Benjamin , Farthing Linda C.
Published: February 2013

En torno a la literatura testimonial latinoamericana ha surgido un áspero debate sobre las cuestiones de legitimidad, representación, relaciones de poder y posturas solidarias. Nosotros, al escribir From the Mines to the Streets: A Bolivian Activist's Life (Desde las minas a las calles: la vida de un activista boliviano), enfrentamos ese tipo de problemas, en la medida que nos tocó afrontar la necesidad de tomar en cuenta tanto las expectativas de los lectores del norte global como los requerimientos de los editores de esos países, y de adoptar una forma acorde a la tradición narrativa “occidental” para que sea más fácil de vender en los mercados globales. En este artículo discutimos cómo manejamos esas tensiones durante el proceso de traducción y elaboración del libro. Al final la experiencia nos convenció de que, a pesar de los desafíos y obstáculos, la literatura testimonial puede contribuir a propósitos educacionales y al activismo político de investigadores con compromiso social.
The Political Economy of the (Weak) Enforcement of Indirect Taxes
Authors: BESFAMILLE MARTIN
Published: February 2013

The objective of this paper is to understand the determinants of the enforcement level of indirect taxation in a positive setting. We build a sequential game where individuals, who differ in their willingness to pay for a taxed good, vote over the enforcement level. Firms then compete à la Cournot and choose the fraction of sales taxes to evade. We assume in most of the paper that the tax rate is set exogenously. Voters face the following trade‐off: more enforcement not only increases tax collection but also increases the consumer price of the goods sold in an imperfectly competitive market. We obtain that the equilibrium enforcement level is the one most preferred by the individual with the median willingness to pay, that it is not affected by the structure of the market (number of firms) and the firms’ marginal cost, and that it decreases with the resource cost of evasion and with the tax rate. We also compare the enforcement level chosen by majority voting with the utilitarian level. In the last section, we endogenize the tax rate by assuming that individuals vote simultaneously over tax rate and enforcement level. We prove the existence of a Condorcet winner and show that it entails full enforcement (i.e., no tax evasion at equilibrium). The existence of markets with less than full enforcement then depends crucially on the fact that tax rates are not tailored to each market individually.
Synergistic Effects of BAY 60-4552 and Vardenafil on Relaxation of Corpus Cavernosum Tissue of Patients with Erectile Dysfunction and Clinical Phosphodiesterase Type 5 Inhibitor Failure
Authors: Albersen Maarten , Linsen Loes , Tinel Hanna , Sandner Peter , Van Renterghem Koenraad
Published: February 2013

Introduction

Overall efficacy rates of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5-i) for erectile dysfunction (ED) are 60–70%. PDE5-i treatment failures currently have to resort to invasive treatment options for restoration of erectile function.

Aims

To assess changes in the nitric oxide (NO)/cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP)/protein kinase (PKG) pathway in human corpus cavernosum (HCC) of PDE5-i nonresponders compared with healthy controls. To evaluate the effects of BAY 60-4552, a stimulator of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), and vardenafil on relaxation of HCC strips from PDE5-i nonresponders.

Main Outcome Measures

mRNA expression, morphological localization of the NO/cGMP/PKG pathway, and relaxant capacity of both compounds alone or combined. Analysis of variance, t-test or Mann–Whitney test based upon number of groups and normality of data.

Methods

HCC tissues were harvested after consent from individuals undergoing penile prosthesis implantation (patients) and potent patients undergoing transurethral surgery (healthy controls, needle biopsy). HCC tissues of patients were compared with those of healthy controls for the expression of mRNA coding for PDE5A, eNOS, PKGα1, PKG2, sGCα1, sGCα2, sGCβ1, sGCβ2, α-smooth muscle actin (aSMA) and β-actin by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The respective proteins were localized using immunofluorescence. Tissue strips of patients were precontracted with phenylepinephrine followed by incubation with 1 μM of either vardenafil or BAY 60-4552, or both simultaneously.

Results

The main targets in the NO/cGMP/sGC pathway were downregulated in PDE5-i nonresponders. The pathway was morphologically located to HCC smooth muscle, of which the overall content was preserved in ED patients based on aSMA expression. BAY 60-4552 and vardenafil have synergistic effects on relaxation of HCC of PDE5-i nonresponders. The main limitation is the small amount of control tissue precluding functional testing on these samples.

Conclusion

Despite downregulation of the NO/cGMP/PKG pathway, combining BAY 60-4552 with vardenafil significantly enhanced relaxation HCC strips of PDE5-i nonresponders.