bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electron microscopy of a porcine adenovirus
Authors: CHANDLER R. L. , HAIG D. A. , SMITH K.
Published: November 2011

SYNOPSIS

A virus isolated from the pig and showing characteristics of an adenovirus has been examined by electron microscopy in both the purified state and in tissue culture cells. The virus is icosahedral in shape, has 252 capsomeres per capsid, and is characteristic of the adenovirus group. Examination of infected cells shows that the virus is predominantly intranuclear but virus has also been demonstrated in the cytoplasm. The cellular relationships characterise the adenovirus as more likely to be a member of the sub‐group containing types 3, 4 and 7 than that containing type 5. The virus is closely associated with the chromatin of the nucleus, in which parallel densely staining fibres have been demonstrated. Other structures with a rectilinear profile have been observed which have dense cores, evidence of a helical component and loci resembling the spheroidal form of virus.

The first report of the isolation from a pig of a virus resembling an adenovirus was made by Haig et al. (1946): the results of serological tests indicated that the virus possessed the adenovirus group antigen but there was no neutralisation against several of the commoner human adenoviruses; the cytopathic changes in tissue culture were of the type described for the sub‐group of human adenoviruses types 3, 4 and 7. This paper records an electron‐microscope study of the morphology of the virus, the changes in infected tissue‐culture cells and the micro‐ecology of the virus.
Cytochemical studies on the non‐specific esterases of the rat ovary
Authors: BULMER D.
Published: November 2011

SYNOPSIS

The indoxyl and naphthol AS techniques, used in association with Mipafox and E600, indicate the presence of both organophosphate‐sensitive and organophosphate‐resistant esterases in the rat ovary. Organophosphate‐sensitive type B enzymes occur in the theca interna and interstitial cells; a B‐esterase activity is particularly prominent in the corpus luteum of pregnancy. The organophosphate‐resistant type C enzymes are demonstrated in macrophages, interstitial cells, theca interna, germinal epithelium and granulosa cells of atretic follicles. In corpora lutea the C‐esterase activity increases with the ageing and degeneration of the luteal cells. The distribution of organophosphate‐resistant esterase is very similar to that of acid phosphatase and the high content of these lysosomal enzymes in the ovary may be an important factor in its responses to hormonal stimuli.
Experiments on phagocytosis and lipid absorption in the alimentary system of Helix
Authors: SUMNER A. T.
Published: November 2011

SYNOPSIS

Carmine particles and lipids are taken up by the digestive cells of the digestive gland of Helix. These substances are taken up by phagocytosis, and the apical and “green” granule vacuoles (Sumner, 1965) of the digestive cells are phagocytosis vacuoles. Carmine eventually becomes incorporated into the small yellow granules showing that they are derived from the “green” granules. Lipids are also taken up by the epithelia of the digestive‐gland ducts, intestine, and rectum. Phagocytosis has not been found in these sites, and the process appears to resemble that found in vertebrates.
The topography of thin sections of keratin fibres
Authors: ANDREWS M. W.
Published: November 2011

SYNOPSIS

Non‐uniformity in thickness of thin sections of wool fibres has been observed and shown to be associated with the histological structure. In the case of natural and supercontracted fibres the non‐uniformity is probably caused by shrinkage of the specimen when subjected to vacuum; in the case of wool fibres containing acrylonitrile that has been polymerized in situ it is thought to be caused by deformation effects during cutting. Any contribution from the effects of electron bombardment in vacuo is negligible.
Preservation of tissue mucins by freeze‐drying and vapour fixation
Authors: TOCK E. P. C. , PEARSE A. G. E.
Published: November 2011

SYNOPSIS

The fixation of tissue mucins with liquid fixatives is unsatisfactory because of their solubility. Diffusion may be avoided, however, if the mucins are fixed in situ without contact with any liquid fixative. The method of fixation here described consists of freeze‐drying followed immediately by treatment with fixatives in the gaseous state, at elevated temperatures.

Rat submaxillary salivary gland was used as test material since it contains several types of mucin with distinct localizations. The results of fixation of freeze‐dried tissues with formaldehyde vapour, osmium tetroxide vapour, and glutaraldehyde vapour, are far superior to those of the methods generally employed. With acrolein vapour and chromyl chloride vapour preservation of mucins is unsatisfactory.

The chemical effects of vapour fixation have been explored by studying the protein histochemistry of the tissues.
Further observations on the cetacean reniculus
Authors: CAVE A. J. E. , AUMONIER F. J.
Published: November 2011

SYNOPSIS

The histological structure of the reniculus is described for the first time in the cetacean forms Delphinaptera leucas, Delphinus bairdi, Stenella styx, Stenella attenuata and Sousa plumbea. A sporta perimedullaris musculosa is shown to be present in all. A common pattern of renicular vascular arrangements is described and renicular venous return is shown to be effected by alternative renicular and perirenicular pathways. Such pathways constitute the sole radicles of the renal vein and no “wandering” veins emerge from the kidney surface.
Combined protein and DNA measurements in plant cells using the dinitrofluorobenzene and Feulgen techniques
Authors: MITCHELL J. P.
Published: November 2011

SYNOPSIS

The dinitrofluorobenzene reaction without subsequent chemical treatment has been shown to be suitable for combination with the Feulgen procedure to provide a means of measuring protein and DNA in the same cell. The density of dinitrofluorobenzene colouration per cell is affected by the fixation procedure and by the composition and temperature of the DNFB solution but with all the treatments used, the same reproducible maximum optical density per cell was obtained by increasing the temperature at which the reaction was carried out. The Feulgen procedure has no effect on the optical density of cells previously treated with dinitrofluorobenzene and is not affected itself by this previous staining procedure.
Histochemical studies of the formazan reaction: I. A theoretical review of some of the factors that can affect the conversion of periodate‐oxidized mucosubstances into formazans
Authors: WARD PETER J. STO
Published: November 2011

SYNOPSIS

At present, the chemical structures of macromolecules actually in tissues cannot be determined, mainly because histochemical techniques are rarely specific for a particular chemical group. This field might prosper if it were possible to make use of the unique ability of aldehydes to be converted into highly‐coloured formazans. This is achievedin vitroby condensing aldehydes with an arylhydrazine and coupling the hydrazone thus formed with a diazotized aromatic amine at a pH around 9. However,in situthis may be more complicated. For example, when periodate‐oxidized mucosubstances (containing engendered aldehydes) are converted into formazans by a similar sequence, coloured tetrazenes and azo‐derivatives, among other products, may be formed as well. Some of the many factors which can affect the conversion of periodate‐oxidized mucosubstances into formazans are reviewed in this paper. They include the nature of the “aldehydes” engendered in mucosubstances by periodic acid; the stabilities of periodate‐oxidized mucosubstance arylhydrazones; the course of the coupling reaction between diazon‐ium salts and mucosubstance arylhydrazones; and the presence of groups other than ofc‐glycols in the mucosubstance macromolecule (e.g. sulphate, carboxyl).
Some observations on the electron microscopy of lipids
Authors: CASLEY‐SMITH J. R.
Published: November 2011

SYNOPSIS

The preservation and identification of free lipids is most difficult because they are very readily dissolved by the usual embedding media. At present only unsaturated triglycerides fixed by postchromation and lipofuscins can survive this extraction. There is no general fixative for lipids. A few unusual embedding media will preserve small droplets of lipids, but they are technically far from satisfactory. Included in this group is a new medium—urea‐formaldehyde. Some general stains for lipids have been developed; the results are, again, usable but rather unsatisfactory.
Changes in neuromuscular transmission in the W/Wv mouse internal anal sphincter
Authors: Duffy A. M. , Cobine C. A. , Keef K. D.
Published: November 2011

Background  Intramuscular interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC‐IM) have been shown to participate in nitrergic neuromuscular transmission (NMT) in various regions of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, but their role in the internal anal sphincter (IAS) is still uncertain. Contractile studies of the IAS in the W/Wv mouse (a model in which ICC‐IM numbers are markedly reduced) have reported that nitrergic NMT persists and that ICC‐IM are not required. However, neither the changes in electrical events underlying NMT nor the contributions of other non‐nitrergic neural pathways have been examined in this model.

Methods  The role of ICC‐IM in NMT was examined by recording the contractile and electrical events associated with electrical field stimulation (EFS) of motor neurons in the IAS of wildtype and W/Wv mice. Nitrergic, purinergic, and cholinergic components were identified using inhibitors of these pathways.

Key Results  Under NANC conditions, purinergic and nitrergic pathways both contribute to EFS‐induced inhibitory junction potentials (IJPs) and relaxation. Purinergic IJPs and relaxation were intact in the W/Wv mouse IAS, whereas nitrergic IJPs were reduced by 50–60% while relaxation persisted. In the presence of L‐NNA (NOS inhibitor) and MRS2500 (P2Y1 receptor antagonist), EFS gave rise to cholinergic depolarization and contractions that were abolished by atropine. Cholinergic depolarization was absent in the W/Wv mouse IAS while contraction persisted.

Conclusions & Inferences  ICC‐IM significantly contributes to the electrical events underlying nitrergic and cholinergic NMT, whereas contractile events persist in the absence of ICC‐IM. The purinergic inhibitory neural pathway appears to be independent of ICC‐IM.
Visual cues collimate the trajectories of almond moth Cadra cautella males flying in wind and still air within a wind‐formed plume of pheromone
Authors: WISNIEWSKA JOANNA , CARDÉ RING T.
Published: November 2011

Male Cadra cautella (Walker) moths are videotaped in three dimensions in a 3‐m long wind tunnel as they fly within a 65‐cm wide plume of pheromone. Moths are presented two floor patterns, either ‘aligned’, a 25‐cm wide ‘trail’ of solid red circles along the tunnel's midline, or ‘offset’, in which the trail veers 25 cm to the left at the tunnel's midpoint. These visual patterns are presented either in a continuous airflow or airflow that is stopped before moths reach the tunnel's halfway point. Moths fly relatively straight paths over the aligned pattern in still air after the wind is stopped. With the offset pattern in wind and when the wind is stopped, moths swerve towards the offset pattern before again progressing along the plume. Prominent visual cues appear to ‘collimate’ (i.e. align with a directional cue) the moth's course as long as the moth remains in contact with pheromone. In wind, these moths appear to favour trajectories that enhance visual feedback, even if the path taken is not directly upwind. During wind lulls, this manoeuvre may enable moths to continue progress towards calling females along a visually set course. The centring of trajectory over prominent visual cues suggests that these moths favour a route that enhances visual feedback.
Challenges in non‐muscle invasive bladder cancer: lessons from a regional review
Authors: Siddins Mark T. , Wong Vun Vun , Fitzgerald Jude Thomas , Bamberg Lisa Jane
Published: November 2011

Background:  Surveillance programmes for bladder cancer are invasive and expensive. Existing guidelines are complex, and the capacity to implement these is untested. The present study examined treatment consistency, and ease of guideline implementation, for patients undergoing surveillance of non‐muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Method:  Eligible cancers treated between 1 January 2005 and 30 June 2009 were identified from a prospective database in a regional South Australian Urology service. Each was analysed with respect to the timing of cystoscopic surveillance and the use of intraoperative chemotherapy. For high‐risk patients, the use of urine cytology, upper tract imaging, adjuvant therapy and re‐resection of T1 cancers was reviewed.

Results:  Eight hundred and nineteen cystoscopies were performed in the surveillance of 313 cancers in 193 patients. Within each risk category, the pattern of cystoscopic surveillance varied widely. In high‐risk patients, the use of cytology, upper tract imaging, adjuvant therapy and re‐resection was infrequent (3–56%). An attempt was made to standardize management through the implementation of guidelines. No overall practice improvement was observed after 18 months. Difficulty incorporating new algorithms into practice and ensuring a consistent longitudinal focus in care were felt contributory. Of 78 low‐risk cancer patients, 55% underwent more cystoscopies than would have been expected. In 235 cancer patients at high or intermediate risk, 43% received less follow‐up than would have been recommended.

Conclusion:  Surveillance patterns were inconsistent across all risk categories. The development of consensus recommendations did not significantly alter clinical practice. Implementation of clinical guidelines for this important disease represents a significant challenge in acute hospital settings.
Management of low (favourable)‐risk prostate cancer
Authors: Carter H. Ballentine
Published: November 2011

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Most men who are diagnosed with favourable‐risk prostate cancer undergo some form of active intervention, despite evidence that treatment will not improve health outcomes for many. The decision to undergo treatment after diagnosis is, in part, related to the inability to precisely determine the long‐term risk of harm without treatment. Nevertheless, physicians should consider patient age, overall health, and preferences for living with cancer and the potential side effects of curative treatments, before recommending a management option. This is especially important for older men, given the high level of evidence that those with low‐risk disease are unlikely to accrue any benefit from curative intervention.

What is known on the subject: Over treatment of favourable‐risk prostate cancer is common, especially among older men.

What does the study add: A review of the natural history of favourable‐risk prostate cancer in the context of choices for management of the disease.

• The management of favourable‐risk prostate cancer is controversial, and in the absence of controlled trials to inform best practice, choices are driven by personal beliefs with resultant wide variation in practice patterns.

• Men with favourable‐risk prostate cancer diagnosed today often undergo treatments that will not improve overall health outcomes.

• A shared‐decision approach for selecting optimal management of favourable‐risk disease should account for patient age, overall health, and preferences for living with cancer and the potential side effects of curative treatments.
Transatlantic Consensus Group on active surveillance and focal therapy for prostate cancer
Authors: Ahmed Hashim U. , Akin Oguz , Coleman Jonathan A. , Crane Sarah , Emberton Mark , Goldenberg Larry , Hricak Hedvig , Kattan Mike W. , Kurhanewicz John , Moore Caroline M. , Parker Chris , Polascik Thomas J. , Scardino Peter , van As Nicholas , Villers Arnauld ,   on behalf of the Transatlantic Consensus Group on Active Surveillance and Focal Therapy for Prostate Cancer (appendix)
Published: November 2011

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Active surveillance for prostate cancer is gaining increasing acceptance for low risk prostate cancer. Focal therapy is an emerging tissue preservation strategy that aims for treat only areas of cancer. Early phase trials have shown that side‐effects can be significantly reduced using focal therapy.

There is significant uncertainty in both active surveillance and focal therapy. This consensus group paper provides a road‐map for clinical practice and research for both tissue‐preserving strategies in the areas of patient population, tools for risk stratification and cancer localisation, treatment interventions as well as comparators and outcome measures in future comparative trials.

OBJECTIVE

• To reach consensus on key issues for clinical practice and future research in active surveillance and focal therapy in managing localized prostate cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

• A group of expert urologists, oncologists, radiologists, pathologists and computer scientists from North America and Europe met to discuss issues in patient population, interventions, comparators and outcome measures to use in both tissue‐preserving strategies of active surveillance and focal therapy.

• Break‐out sessions were formed to provide agreement or highlight areas of disagreement on individual topics which were then collated by a writing group into statements that formed the basis of this report and agreed upon by the whole Transatlantic Consensus Group.

RESULTS

• The Transatlantic group propose that emerging diagnostic tools such as precision imaging and transperineal prostate mapping biopsy can improve prostate cancer care. These tools should be integrated into prostate cancer management and research so that better risk stratification and more effective treatment allocation can be applied.

• The group envisaged a process of care in which active surveillance, focal therapy, and radical treatments lie on a continuum of complementary therapies for men with a range of disease grades and burdens, rather than being applied in the mutually exclusive and competitive way they are now.

CONCLUSION

• The changing landscape of prostate cancer epidemiology requires the medical community to re‐evaluate the entire prostate cancer diagnostic and treatment pathway in order to minimize harms resulting from over‐diagnosis and over‐treatment. Precise risk stratification at every point in this pathway is required alongside paradigm shifts in our thinking about what constitutes cancer in the prostate.
Evaluation of GSTP1 and APC methylation as indicators for repeat biopsy in a high‐risk cohort of men with negative initial prostate biopsies
Authors: Trock Bruce J. , Brotzman Michelle J. , Mangold Leslie A. , Bigley Joseph W. , Epstein Jonathan I. , McLeod David , Klein Eric A. , Jones J. Stephen , Wang Songbai , McAskill Theresa , Mehrotra Jyoti , Raghavan Bhargavi , Partin Alan W.
Published: November 2011

Study Type – Diagnostic (exploratory cohort)

Level of Evidence 2b

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Hypermethylation of genes such as glutathione‐S‐transferase P1 (GSTP1) and adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) occurs with high frequency in prostate tumour tissue but is much less common in the benign prostate; however, the potential value of gene methylation biomarkers as an adjunct to biopsy histopathology has had little study.

When measured in histologically benign prostate biopsy tissue, APC gene hypermethylation was found to have high negative predictive value and high sensitivity. GSTP1 hypermethylation was found to have lower performance than APC.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the performance of DNA methylation biomarkers in the setting of repeat biopsy in men with an initially negative prostate biopsy but a high index of suspicion for missed prostate cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We prospectively evaluated 86 men with an initial histologically negative prostate biopsy and high‐risk features.

All men underwent repeat 12‐core ultrasonography‐guided biopsy.

DNA methylation of glutathione‐S‐transferase P1 (GSTP1) and adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) was determined using tissue from the initially negative biopsy and compared with histology of the repeat biopsy.

The primary outcome was the relative negative predictive value (NPV) of APC compared with GSTP1, and its 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS

On repeat biopsy, 21/86 (24%) men had prostate cancer.

APC and GSTP1 methylation ratios below the threshold (predicting no cancer) produced a NPV of 0.96 and 0.80, respectively. The relative NPV was 1.2 (95% CI: 1.06–1.36), indicating APC has significantly higher NPV.

Methylation ratios above the threshold yielded a sensitivity of 0.95 for APC and 0.43 for GSTP1.

Combining both methylation markers produced a performance similar to that of APC alone.

APC methylation patterns were consistent with a possible field effect or occurrence early in carcinogenesis.

CONCLUSIONS

APC methylation provided a very high NPV with a low percentage of false‐negatives, in the first prospective study to evaluate performance of DNA methylation markers in a clinical cohort of men undergoing repeat biopsy.

The potential of APC methylation to reduce unnecessary repeat biopsies warrants validation in a larger prospective cohort.
General application of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance for active surveillance for men with prostate cancer is not appropriate in unscreened populations
Authors: Wong Lih‐Ming , Johnston Richard , Sharma Naomi , Shah Nimish C. , Warren Anne Y. , Neal David E.
Published: November 2011

Study Type – Therapy (case series)

Level of Evidence 4

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Active surveillance (AS) is a well‐recognised management strategy to minimise the morbidity associated with radical treatment of prostate cancer. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines initially suggested that all men with low‐risk prostate cancer should first be offered AS. The cohort of men with upstaging and upgrading of prostate cancer from diagnosis to final pathology has been described in North American and European populations.

As the rate of PSA testing in Britain is lower than North America and parts of Europe, the risk of more advanced disease at diagnosis of prostate cancer is higher. The present study is one of the first to examine this cohort in a British population and found the rate of features of advanced disease (extracapsular extension, seminal vesicle involvement and Gleason 4 + 3, or 8–10) to be 37.2%.

OBJECTIVE

To determine if the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for men with low‐risk prostate cancer were generally applicable in unscreened populations.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected case series from a single tertiary care centre in England.

In all, 700 consecutive men treated for prostate cancer from 2005 by robot‐assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) were included.

Patients satisfying NICE criteria for low‐risk disease (PSA level < 10 ng/mL and Gleason score ≤ 6 and cT1–2a) had their pathological samples analysed for advanced disease, defined as extracapsular extension (ECE: pT3), seminal vesicle involvement (SVI), Gleason sum 7, or 8–10 or node‐positive disease.

RESULTS

In all, 275 patients (39.2%) met the NICE low‐risk criteria, but pathologically advanced disease was found in 37.2% of this group.

There was ECE in 71 patients (25.8%), 10 had SVI (3.6%), nine (3.3%) had Gleason score 7 (4 + 3), and 12 had Gleason sum 8–10 (4.4%).

CONCLUSIONS

The NICE guidance was developed largely on data from North America where populations are highly screened using PSA testing. In the UK, many men with low‐risk disease features have high‐risk disease and the general applicability of the NICE guidance is questionable in unscreened populations.

We recommend that radical therapy is discussed as an alternative option to active surveillance.
Screening urine analysis before bacille Calmette‐Guérin instillation does not reduce the rate of infectious complications
Authors: Zhao Lee C. , Meeks Joshua J. , Helfand Brian T. , Ross Finlay R. , Herr Harry W. , Kundu Shilajit D.
Published: November 2011

Study Type – Therapy (case series)

Level of Evidence 4

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Infectious complication is a risk of bacille Calmette‐Guérin instillation. Urine analysis in asymptomatic patients has been used as a measure to reduce infections.

This study suggests that screening urine analysis prior to bacille Calmette‐Guérin instillation did not affect the rate of urinary tract infections.

OBJECTIVE

To discover if the routine use of urine analysis decreases the rate of urinary tract infection (UTI) complications after bacille Calmette‐Guérin (BCG) administration.

METHODS

A retrospective review of the outcomes of 202 patients undergoing BCG treatment for bladder cancer at two medical centres with different pre‐BCG screening strategies was performed.

The medical records of 100 patients who received BCG by one urologist at Memorial Sloan‐Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) were reviewed. No patient received a urine analysis immediately prior to BCG treatment.

Similarly, 102 patients who received BCG at Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) were reviewed. Patients at NMH were screened by urine analysis for pyuria and bacteriuria before BCG treatment, and, if clinically indicated, BCG instillation was delayed for the results of the urine culture.

If the urine culture confirmed infection, then the patient was treated before restarting BCG instillation.

RESULTS

At MSKCC, 100 patients underwent 600 BCG treatments.

After BCG administration, symptomatic UTI occurred in three patients (3%), successfully treated with antibiotics.

No patients developed BCG sepsis or required hospitalization due to infection.

At NMH, 102 patients underwent 612 BCG treatments.

Pre‐BCG urine analysis was positive for pyuria (defined as white blood cells >5 per high‐power field) in 27.8%, and positive for bacteriuria (defined as any bacteria on microscopy) in 18.1%.

Based on the results of pre‐screening urine analysis, BCG instillation was delayed 15 times (2.5%).

Overall, three patients (3%) had culture‐proven UTIs after BCG instillation.

No patients developed BCG sepsis or required hospitalization in either group and there were no significant differences in the frequency of UTIs.

CONCLUSIONS

Urine analysis can safely be omitted before administration of BCG in asymptomatic patients.

Omission of urine analysis could save time and expense during the office‐based treatment of bladder cancer.
Leaf element concentrations of terrestrial plants across China are influenced by taxonomy and the environment
Authors: Zhang Shi‐Bao , Zhang Jiao‐Lin , Slik J. W. Ferry , Cao Kun‐Fang
Published: November 2011

Aim  The productivity, functioning and biogeochemical cycles of terrestrial ecosystems are strongly affected by leaf element concentrations. Understanding the biological and ecological factors affecting leaf element concentrations is therefore important for modelling the productivity and nutrient fluxes of ecosystems and their responses to global change. The present study aimed to determine how leaf element concentrations are linked to taxonomy and the environment.

Location  China.

Methods  The concentrations of 10 leaf elements of 702 terrestrial plant species from different biomes were extracted from publications. The links between environmental variables, taxonomy and leaf elements were analyzed using phylogenetically comparative methods and partial Mantel tests.

Results  Taxonomy had stronger effects on leaf S and SiO2 than latitude, explaining 40.2–43.9% of total variation, whereas latitude had stronger effects on leaf N, P, K, Fe, Al, Mn, Na and Ca concentrations, explaining 19.5–52.1% of total variation. Leaf N, S, Al, Fe and Na concentrations were correlated with mean annual precipitation (MAP), while leaf N, P and Fe concentrations were correlated with mean annual temperature (MAT). Latitude, MAP and MAT were significantly correlated with the first axis of a principal components analysis (PCA). This first axis was associated with leaf elements involved in protein synthesis and photosynthesis. The other PCA axes, which were not correlated with MAT, latitude and MAP, were associated with leaf elements responsible for cell structure and enzymes.

Main conclusions  Leaf element concentrations of terrestrial plants in China were correlated with climate, latitude and taxonomy. With the exception of S and SiO2, the environmental factors were more important in explaining leaf element variation than taxonomy. Therefore, changes in temperature and precipitation will directly affect the spatial patterns of leaf elements and thus the associated nutrient fluxes and ecosystem functioning.
Exploring attitudes to financial reporting in the Australian not‐for‐profit sector
Authors: Palmer Philip D.
Published: November 2011

The current level of satisfaction among different stakeholders about the current approaches and practises of financial reporting of not‐for‐profit (NFP) entities is underexplored (Christensen and Mohr, 2003; Lee, 2004; Gray et al., 2006; Parker, 2007). This paper uses content analysis to examine submissions to the 2008 Australian Senate Economics Standing Committee for its inquiry into the disclosure regimes of charities and NFP organisations, which aimed to explore attitudes about financial reporting in the NFP sector. Financial reporting is viewed as an important part of accountability, but the sector identifies deficiencies in the current regime in terms of consistency, efficiency and transparency. Respondents to this inquiry believed that a sector‐specific accounting standard was important. Financial reporting standards, regulations and legal structures should be uniform across the entire sector, but with some variation allowed for smaller NFPs. The cost of complying with standards was a significant issue for smaller NFPs.
Understanding the relationship between attachment style, pain appraisal and illness behavior in women
Authors: MARTÍNEZ M. PILAR , MIRÓ ELENA , SÁNCHEZ ANA I. , MUNDO ANTONIO , MARTÍNEZ ELENA
Published: November 2011

Martínez, M. P., Miró, E., Sánchez, A. I., Mundo, A. & Martínez, E. (2012). Understanding the relationship between attachment style, pain appraisal and illness behavior in women. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 53, 54–63.

Insecure attachment has been hypothesized to be an important factor for understanding the experience of pain. Considering the Attachment‐Diathesis Model of Chronic Pain developed by Meredith, Ownsworth, and Strong (2008), this cross‐sectional study examines the relationship between attachment style, pain appraisal, and illness behavior. Two hundred healthy women recruited from community contexts completed a battery of self‐report measures including the Short‐form McGill Pain Questionnaire, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale‐20, Pain Vigilance and Awareness Questionnaire, Illness Attitude Scales, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, and the Experiences in Close Relationships Questionnaire‐Revised. The results showed that attachment anxiety was significantly correlated with pain catastrophizing, pain‐related fear, depression, and illness behavior. However, attachment anxiety and avoidance were not associated with pain intensity. Attachment anxiety moderated the relationship between pain catastrophizing and illness behavior, and between pain hypervigilance and illness behavior. Pain catastrophizing and pain‐related fear partially mediated the effect of attachment anxiety on illness behavior. The findings highlight potential contributions of attachment style and pain appraisal for explaining illness behavior. This study supports earlier reports and suggests the usefulness of assessing attachment style for early identification of people who might exhibit a high risk of dysfunctional responses to pain. Our findings also suggest that increasing people’s insight about their attachment style and modifying some associated dysfunctional responses may be important in the treatment of chronic pain.
India’s Financial Sector: The Regulatory and Supervisory Landscape
Authors: Nachane Dilip M.
Published: November 2011

As the Indian financial sector started undergoing extensive liberalization in the 1990s, important lacunae started emerging in the regulatory and supervisory environment, which was inherited from the earlier decades of a highly regimented financial sector. To identify these shortcomings and suggest improvements, the government of India appointed two committees—the High Powered Expert Committee on Making Mumbai an International Financial Centre (2007) and the Committee on Financial Sector Reforms (2009). These two committees made a number of far‐reaching suggestions and the primary purpose of this paper is to critically appraise these recommendations, especially in the light of the lessons for financial sector oversight emerging from the recent global crisis. In particular, the paper argues that three of the suggestions advocated by these committees viz. (i) the shift to a principles‐based regulatory system, (ii) integrated supervision of all financial trading activities and (iii) divesting the central bank of its bank supervisory responsibility, need to be approached with considerable circumspection in the Indian context. The paper also stresses the importance of maintaining the independence of regulators and supervisors from government interference on the one hand and market influence on the other.
FDI versus Exports: Multiple Host Countries and Empirical Evidence
Authors: Oberhofer Harald , Pfaffermayr Michael
Published: November 2011

There are two main options for companies to serve foreign markets: exports and foreign direct investment (FDI). Based on the Helpman et al. (2004) model for multiple host countries, this paper derives a clear theoretical prediction for the decision between both strategies. A bivariate probit model is estimated using a large data set of European companies to analyse the probability of using one or the other strategy. The empirical evidence indicates that more productive firms less (more) probably use the export (FDI) strategy to serve foreign markets. Moreover, a considerable number of companies use a combination of both the strategies to serve foreign markets, which is in line with a multiple‐country model.
Measurements of genomic GC content in plant genomes with flow cytometry: a test for reliability
Authors: Šmarda Petr , Bureš Petr , Šmerda Jakub , Horová Lucie
Published: November 2011

Knowledge of the phylogenetic pattern and biological relevance of the base composition of large eukaryotic genomes (including those of plants) is poor. With the use of flow cytometry (FCM), the amount of available data on the guanine + cytosine (GC) content of plants has nearly doubled in the last decade. However, skepticism exists concerning the reliability of the method because of uncertainty in some input parameters.

Here, we tested the reliability of FCM for estimating GC content by comparison with the biochemical method of DNA temperature melting analysis (TMA). We conducted measurements in 14 plant species with a maximum currently known GC content range (33.6–47.5% as measured by FCM). We also compared the estimations of the GC content by FCM with genomic sequences in 11 Oryza species.

FCM and TMA data exhibited a high degree of correspondence which remained stable over the relatively wide range of binding lengths (3.39–4.09) assumed for the base‐specific dye used. A high correlation was also observed between FCM results and the sequence data in Oryza, although the latter GC contents were consistently lower.

Reliable estimates of the genomic base composition in plants by FCM are comparable with estimates obtained using other methods, and so wider application of FCM in future plant genomic research, although it would pose a challenge, would be supported by these findings.
Cyclomaltodextrin glucanotransferase from Bacillus circulans E 192. I. Purification and characterization of the enzyme
Authors: Bovetto L. , Backer D. , Villette J. , Sicard P. , Bouquelet S.
Published: November 2011

The cyclomaltrodextrin glucanotransferase (CGTase) [1,4‐alpha‐D‐glucan:4‐alpha‐D‐(1,4‐alpha‐D‐glucano)‐transferase (cyclizing), EC 2.4.1.19] from Bacillus circulans E 192 has been purified to homogeneity by Cetavlon treatment, ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE Trisacryl M chromatography, Q Fast Flow chromatography, and affinity on beta‐cyclodextrin‐Sepharose 4B. Two isoenzymes were separated by FPLC on a Mono Q column. Their isoelectric points were estimated as 6.7 and 6.9 and they represented 13 and 87%, respectively, of the initial activity. Their molecular weight, pH, and temperature optima were estimated as 78,000, 5.5, and 60 degrees C, respectively. Kinetic parameters indicated that both enzymes had the same properties; they preferentially modified high‐molecular‐weight substrates to produce cyclodextrins. The apparent Vmax and Km values for soluble starch were 43 mumol of beta‐cyclodextrin/min/mg of protein and 0.57% (w/v), respectively. Although this CGTase is not markedly thermostable, it is protected against heat denaturation by substrate, product, and/or calcium ions. The ratios of alpha‐, beta‐, and gamma‐cyclodextrins produced have been determined as 1/7/2 in the initial phase of the reaction and 3/3/1 at equilibrium.
Cloning, analysis, and heterologous expression of a polyketide synthase gene cluster of Streptomyces curacoi
Authors: Bergh S. , Uhlen M.
Published: November 2011

Streptomyces curacoi produces curamycin, an antibiotic based on a modified orsellinic acid skeleton that is synthesized by the polyketide pathway. We have cloned, characterized, and partly sequenced a polyketide synthase gene cluster of S. curacoi. The sequence data reveal an organization of open reading frames that is similar to those of other polyketide synthetic clusters, although the biosynthetic products differ considerably in size and structure. We propose that one of the predicted open reading frames (curA) encodes polykeptide synthase, on the basis of its homology with other enzymes with similar functions. Expression of the cloned chromosomal fragment in the heterologous host S. lividans leads to the production of a brown pigment in large quantities. The analysis and expression of the cur genes for detailed molecular studies of the mechanism of polyketide biosynthesis is discussed.
Evaluation of a new reagent for covalent attachment of polyethylene glycol to proteins.“
Authors: Zalipsky S. , Seltzer R. , Menon‐Rudolph S.
Published: November 2011

Methoxypolyethylene glycol of molecular weight 5000 was converted to a reactive succinimidyl carbonate form (SC‐PEG). The usefulness of this new polymeric reagent for the covalent attachment of polyethylene glycol to proteins was evaluated. SC‐PEG was found to be sufficiently reactive to produce extensively modified proteins under mild conditions within 30 min, showing the highest reactivity around pH 9.3. The commonly used succinimidyl succinate derivative of methoxypolyethylene glycol (SS‐PEG) served as a reference standard to which the new reagent was compared. The stability of the polymer‐protein linkages, studied on a series of PEG‐modified bovine serum albumins, provided the single most important difference between the two activated polymers. Urethane‐linked PEG‐proteins obtained through the use of SC‐PEG showed considerably higher chemical stability than SS‐PEG‐derived conjugates. The measured rate constants of aminolysis (using N alpha‐acetyllysine) and hydrolysis showed that SC‐PEG is slightly less reactive yet more selective of the two reagents. Hydrolysis of the active groups on SC‐PEG was on average twofold slower than that on SS‐PEG. The differences in the rates of aminolysis were even smaller than those in hydrolysis. PEG‐trypsin conjugates produced by both activated polymers showed similar properties: they had no proteolytic activity, well‐preserved esterolytic activity, and enhanced activity toward p‐nitroanilide substrates. Michaelis‐Menten constants of the modified enzymes were determined using N alpha‐benzyloxycarbonyl‐L‐arginine p‐nitroanilide. These measurements indicated that the attachment of PEG to trypsin caused an increase in both the rate of turnover of the substrate and its affinity toward the modified enzymes. Through a series of experiments involving the appropriate polymeric and low‐molecular‐weight model compounds, it was demonstrated that these increases in amidolytic activity were unrelated to tyrosyl residues acylation by either one of the activated polymers.
Microbial reduction of structural iron in interstratified illite‐smectite minerals by a sulfate‐reducing bacterium
Authors: LIU D. , DONG H. , BISHOP M. E. , ZHANG J. , WANG H. , XIE S. , WANG S. , HUANG L. , EBERL D. D.
Published: November 2011

Clay minerals are ubiquitous in soils, sediments, and sedimentary rocks and could coexist with sulfate‐reducing bacteria (SRB) in anoxic environments, however, the interactions of clay minerals and SRB are not well understood. The objective of this study was to understand the reduction rate and capacity of structural Fe(III) in dioctahedral clay minerals by a mesophilic SRB, Desulfovibrio vulgaris and the potential role in catalyzing smectite illitization. Bioreduction experiments were performed in batch systems, where four different clay minerals (nontronite NAu‐2, mixed‐layer illite‐smectite RAr‐1 and ISCz‐1, and illite IMt‐1) were exposed to D. vulgaris in a non‐growth medium with and without anthraquinone‐2,6‐disulfonate (AQDS) and sulfate. Our results demonstrated that D. vulgaris was able to reduce structural Fe(III) in these clay minerals, and AQDS enhanced the reduction rate and extent. In the presence of AQDS, sulfate had little effect on Fe(III) bioreduction. In the absence of AQDS, sulfate increased the reduction rate and capacity, suggesting that sulfide produced during sulfate reduction reacted with the phyllosilicate Fe(III). The extent of bioreduction of structural Fe(III) in the clay minerals was positively correlated with the percentage of smectite and mineral surface area of these minerals. X‐ray diffraction, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy results confirmed formation of illite after bioreduction. These data collectively showed that D. vulgaris could promote smectite illitization through reduction of structural Fe(III) in clay minerals.
The washout rate of a subcutaneous 99mTc‐HSA depot in lower extremity lymphoedema
Authors: Jensen Mads R. , Simonsen Lene , Karlsmark Tonny , Bülow Jens
Published: November 2011

Purpose:  Lymphoscintigraphy is currently the leading diagnostic modality of lower extremity lymphoedema but has been criticized for being unreliable. Washout rate constants have been investigated and proven to be of diagnostic value in several studies of breast‐cancer‐related lymphoedema; however, the applicability in lower extremity lymphoedema needs further evaluation. The aim of the study was to verify if washout of 99mTc‐Human Serum Albumin (99mTc‐HSA) is a reliable diagnostic tool in lower extremity lymphoedema.

Methods:  Twenty healthy volunteers and eight patients (11 legs) with lymphoscintigraphy verified lower extremity lymphoedema participated in the study. A depot consisting of 0·1 ml 10 MBq/ml 99mTc‐HSA was injected subcutaneously into the dorsum of each foot. The depot washout rate was measured using a portable scintillation detector system and time‐activity curves were generated. After 30 min of supine rest and 10 min of standardized ergometric exercise, measurements were recorded for 20 min. Following correction for physical decay of 99mTc, the depot washout rate constant was calculated using linear regression analysis. Finally depot half‐life was calculated from the washout rate constant.

Results:  Median half‐life for healthy volunteers was 9·4 h (range 2·5–28·3 h). Median half‐life for lymphoedema patients was 10·7 h (range 1·5–35·1 h). No statistical significant difference could be detected between healthy volunteers and lymphoedema patients (P = 0·78).

Conclusions:  The washout rate of a subcutaneous 99mTc‐HSA depot is not a reliable diagnostic tool in examination of lower extremity lymphoedema. Additional examinations revealed in vivo instability of the utilized 99mTc‐HSA as the likely reason.
Vasovagal reactions in whole blood donors at three REDS‐II blood centers in Brazil
Authors: Gonçalez Thelma T. , Sabino Ester C. , Schlumpf Karen S. , Wright David J. , Leao Silvana , Sampaio Divaldo , Takecian Pedro L. , Proitetti Anna B. , Murphy Edward , Busch Michael , Custer Brian ,   for the NHLBI Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor Study‐II (REDS‐II), International Component
Published: November 2011

BACKGROUND: In Brazil little is known about adverse reactions during donation and the donor characteristics that may be associated with such events. Donors are offered snacks and fluids before donating and are required to consume a light meal after donation. For these reasons the frequency of reactions may be different than those observed in other countries.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A cross‐sectional study was conducted of eligible whole blood donors at three large blood centers located in Brazil between July 2007 and December 2009. Vasovagal reactions (VVRs) along with donor demographic and biometric data were collected. Reactions were defined as any presyncopal or syncopal event during the donation process. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of VVRs.

RESULTS: Of 724,861 donor presentations, 16,129 (2.2%) VVRs were recorded. Rates varied substantially between the three centers: 53, 290, and 381 per 10,000 donations in Recife, São Paulo, and Belo Horizonte, respectively. Although the reaction rates varied, the donor characteristics associated with VVRs were similar (younger age [18‐29 years], replacement donors, first‐time donors, low estimated blood volume [EBV]). In multivariable analysis controlling for differences between the donor populations in each city younger age, first‐time donor status, and lower EBV were the factors most associated with reactions.

CONCLUSION: Factors associated with VVRs in other locations are also evident in Brazil. The difference in VVR rates between the three centers might be due to different procedures for identifying and reporting the reactions. Potential interventions to reduce the risk of reactions in Brazil should be considered.
Severe hemorrhage because of delayed iliac vein rupture after dialysis catheter placement: Is it preventable?
Authors: Sirvent Ana E. , Enríquez Ricardo , Millán Isabel , García‐Marco Jose M. , Rodríguez‐Czaplicki Elías , Redondo‐Pachón Maria D. , González César , Amorós Francisco
Published: November 2011

Mechanical complications of femoral catheterization for hemodialysis include pseudoaneurysm, arteriovenous fistulae, neurological injury, and vessel perforation. With regard to the latter, severe hemorrhage is a rare but devastating and potentially fatal complication. We report the case of a 76‐year‐old female who underwent femoral catheterization for hemodialysis using ultrasound guidance. The first hemodialysis session was conducted without incident. Unfortunately, inadvertent injury and delayed perforation of the iliac vein resulted in severe hemorrhage and retroperitoneal hematoma. Surgical repair was performed. The patient was asymptomatic after the procedure and was discharged 15 days later. Based on this case and a review of the literature, we present mechanisms and ways to prevent this complication.