bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of biosurfactant detection methods reveals hydrophobic surfactants and contact‐regulated production
Authors: Burch Adrien Y. , Browne Patrick J. , Dunlap Christopher A. , Price Neil P. , Lindow Steven E.
Published: September 2011

Biosurfactants are diverse molecules with numerous biological functions and industrial applications. A variety of environments were examined for biosurfactant‐producing bacteria including soil, water and leaf surfaces. Biosurfactant production was assessed with an atomized oil assay for a large number of bacterial isolates and compared with a commonly used drop collapse assay from broth and plate cultures. The atomized oil assay detected every strain that produced a biosurfactant detectable by the drop collapse test, and also identified additional strains that were not detected with the drop collapse assay because they produced low levels of surfactant or hydrophobic (low water solubility) surfactants such as pumilacidins. Not all strains that produced a biosurfactant detectable by the drop collapse when cultured on agar surfaces produced surfactants detectable by drop collapse when cultured in broth, and vice versa. Many bacterial strains exhibited preferential production of surfactants when grown on an agar surface compared with broth cultures, and such surface enhancement of production could also be stimulated by increasing the viscosity of liquid culture media. Surface induction of surfactant production in the epiphyte Pseudomonas syringae was regulated at the transcriptional level.
Upper urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma: location is not correlated with prognosis
Authors: Milojevic Bogomir , Djokic Milan , Sipetic‐Grujicic Sandra , Milenkovic‐Petronic Dragica , Vuksanovic Aleksandar , Bumbasirevic Uros , Vukovic Ivan , Dragicevic Dejan , Tulic Cane
Published: September 2011

Study Type – Therapy (case series)

Level of Evidence 4

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

Tumour location has been shown to be of prognostic importance in UUT‐TCC, with tumours of renal pelvis having a better prognosis than ureteral tumours.

Patients from Balkan Endemic Nephropathy (BEN) areas had a higher frequency of pelvis tumours. Also, we found that belonging to a BEN area is an independent predictor of disease recurrence.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the impact of tumour location on the disease recurrence and survival of patients who were treated surgically for upper urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma (UUT‐TCC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A single‐centre series of 189 consecutive patients who were treated surgically for UUT‐TCC between January 1999 and December 2009 was evaluated.

Patients who had previously undergone radical cystectomy, preoperative chemotherapy or contralateral UUT‐TCC were excluded.

In all, 133 patients were available for evaluation. Tumour location was categorized as renal pelvis or ureter based on the location of the dominant tumour.

Recurrence‐free probabilities and cancer‐specific survival were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression analyses.

RESULTS

The 5‐year recurrence‐free and cancer‐specific survival estimates for the cohort in the present study were 66% and 62%, respectively.

The 5‐year bladder‐only recurrence‐free probability was 76%. Using multivariate analysis, only pT classification (hazard ratio, HR, 2.46; P= 0.04) and demographic characteristics (HR, 2.86 for areas of Balkan endemic nephropathy, vs non‐Balkan endemic nephropathy areas; 95% confidence interval, 1.37–5.98; P= 0.005) were associated with disease recurrence

Tumour location was not associated with disease recurrence in any of the analyses.

There was no difference in cancer‐specific survival between renal pelvis and ureteral tumours (P= 0.476).

Using multivariate analysis, pT classification (HR, 8.04; P= 0.001) and lymph node status (HR, 4.73; P= 0.01) were the only independent predictors associated with a worse cancer‐specific survival.

CONCLUSION

Tumour location is unable to predict outcomes in a single‐centre series of consecutive patients who were treated with radical nephroureterectomy for UUT‐TCC.
Stage‐specific impact of pelvic lymph node dissection on survival in patients with non‐metastatic bladder cancer treated with radical cystectomy
Authors: Abdollah Firas , Sun Maxine , Schmitges Jan , Djahangirian Orchidee , Tian Zhe , Jeldres Claudio , Perrotte Paul , Shariat Shahrokh F. , Montorsi Francesco , Karakiewicz Pierre I.
Published: September 2011

Study Type – Therapy (cohort)

Level of Evidence 2b

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

In patients treated with radical cystectomy, pelvic lymph node dissection may have a beneficial effect on cancer control outcomes.

We examined the effect of pelvic lymph node dissection on stage‐specific cancer control outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the effect of stage‐specific pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) on cancer‐specific (CSM) and overall mortality (OM) rates at radical cystectomy (RC) for bladder cancer.

METHODS

Overall, 11 183 patients were treated with RC within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database.

Univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses tested the effect of PLND on CSM and OM rates, after stratifying according to pathological tumour stage.

RESULTS

Overall, PLND was omitted in 25% of patients, and in 50, 35, 27, 16 and 23% of patients with respectively pTa/is, pT1, pT2, pT3 and pT4 disease (P < 0.001).

For the same stages, the 10‐year CSM‐free rates for patients undergoing PLND compared with those with no PLND were, respectively, 80 vs 71.9% (P = 0.02), 81.7 vs 70.0% (P < 0.001), 71.5 vs 56.1% (P = 0.001), 43.7 vs 38.8% (P = 0.006), and 35.1 vs 32.0% (P = 0.1).

In multivariable analyses, PLND omission was associated with a higher CSM in patients with pTa/is, pT1 and pT2 disease (all P ≤ 0.01), but failed to achieve independent predictor status in patients with pT3 and pT4 disease (both P ≥ 0.05).

Omitting PLND predisposed to a higher OM across all tumour stages (all P ≤ 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that PLND was more frequently omitted in patients with organ‐confined disease.

The beneficial effect of PLND on cancer control outcomes was more evident in these patients than in those with pT3 or pT4 disease.

PLND at RC should always be considered, regardless of tumour stage.
Validation of a single‐sample urinary C‐peptide creatinine ratio as a reproducible alternative to serum C‐peptide in patients with Type 2 diabetes
Authors: Bowman P. , McDonald T. J. , Shields B. M. , Knight B. A. , Hattersley A. T.
Published: September 2011

Diabet. Med. 29, 90–93 (2012)

Aims  Serum C‐peptide can be used in Type 2 diabetes as a measure of endogenous insulin secretion, but practicalities of collection limit its routine clinical use. Urine C‐peptide creatinine ratio is a non‐invasive alternative that is stable for at least 3 days at room temperature in boric acid preservative. We aimed to assess the utility of urine C‐peptide creatinine ratio in individuals with Type 2 diabetes as an alternative to serum C‐peptide.

Methods  We assessed, in 77 individuals with Type 2 diabetes, the reproducibility of, and correlations between, fasting and postprandial urine C‐peptide creatinine ratio and serum C‐peptide, and the impact of renal impairment (estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 ml min−1 1.73 m−2) on these correlations.

Results  Urine C‐peptide creatinine ratio was at least as reproducible as serum C‐peptide [fasting coefficient of variation mean (95% CI): 28 (21–35)% vs. 38 (26–59)% and 2‐h post‐meal 26 (18–33)% vs. 27 (20–34)%. Urine C‐peptide creatinine ratio 2 h post‐meal was correlated with stimulated serum C‐peptide, both the 2‐h value (r = 0.64, P < 0.001) and the 2‐h area under the C‐peptide curve (r = 0.63, P < 0.001). The association seen was similar in patients with and without moderate renal impairment (P = 0.6).

Conclusions  In patients with Type 2 diabetes, a single urine C‐peptide creatinine ratio is a stable, reproducible measure that is well correlated with serum C‐peptide following meal stimulation, even if there is moderate renal impairment. Urine C‐peptide creatinine ratio therefore has potential for use in clinical practice in the assessment of Type 2 diabetes.
Stem cell‐based treatments for Type 1 diabetes mellitus: bone marrow, embryonic, hepatic, pancreatic and induced pluripotent stem cells
Authors: Godfrey K. J. , Mathew B. , Bulman J. C. , Shah O. , Clement S. , Gallicano G. I.
Published: September 2011

Diabet. Med. 29, 14–23 (2012)

Type 1 diabetes mellitus—characterized by the permanent destruction of insulin‐secreting β‐cells—is responsive to cell‐based treatments that replace lost β‐cell populations. The current gold standard of pancreas transplantation provides only temporary independence from exogenous insulin and is fraught with complications, including increased mortality. Stem cells offer a number of theoretical advantages over current therapies. Our review will focus on the development of treatments involving tissue stem cells from bone marrow, liver and pancreatic cells, as well as the potential use of embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells for Type 1 diabetes therapy. While the body of research involving stem cells is at once promising and inconsistent, bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation seems to offer the most compelling evidence of efficacy. These cells have been demonstrated to increase endogenous insulin production, while partially mitigating the autoimmune destruction of newly formed β‐cells. However, recently successful experiments involving induced pluripotent stem cells could quickly move them into the foreground of therapeutic research. We address the limitations encountered by present research and look toward the future of stem cell treatments for Type 1 diabetes.
The Past in the Present
Authors: Helliwell Christine , Hindess Barry
Published: September 2011

At least since John Locke's observation (in his Second Treatise of Government, 1690) that “in the beginning, all the world was America”, Western thinkers have engaged in the practice of treating non‐Western people as if they were living in the European past, a practice which remains pervasive within contemporary social and political thought. This article begins to chart the genealogy of this practice, exploring its classical (ancient Greek and Roman) antecedents as well as its European Renaissance and Enlightenment variants. We focus particularly, in this latter regard, on the European discovery of America and the revolt by sixteenth‐century Protestant historians against the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire.
Is the Future a Foreign Country?
Authors: Lawson Stephanie
Published: September 2011

The notion of the past as a foreign country has become a standard trope in contextual approaches to the study of history, emphasizing specificity, particularity and contingency. The logic of these approaches suggests that the future is equally foreign. While not dismissing the idea of context as useful and important in the study of history, politics, anthropology, sociology and most other disciplines in the humanities and social sciences for that matter, this article offers a critique of certain aspects of contextual approaches. More specifically, the discussion demonstrates that contextualist approaches posit an essential incommensurability between past and present, and by implication the future, that has quite profound implications for both normative theory and methodology. By way of illustration, the article considers the matter of responsibility or accountability for the past, present and future in relation to some specific examples. In concluding, it suggests a “project of commensuration” of past, present and future as both methodologically more coherent as well as more tenable in normative terms.
Traditional versus Secular Values and the Job–Life Satisfaction Relationship Across Europe
Authors: Georgellis Yannis , Lange Thomas
Published: August 2011

Using data from the European Values Survey (EVS), we examine the relationship between job and life satisfaction across Europe. We find that for the majority of employees job and life satisfaction are positively correlated, thus supporting the spillover hypothesis, whereby attitudes and practices developed in the life domain spill over into the work domain and vice versa. In contrast, we find little support for the compensation hypothesis, whereby employees who are dissatisfied in one domain seek compensatory rewards in the other domain. However, multivariate analysis reveals that the strength of the interaction between job and life satisfaction is mitigated by cultural values and interpersonal trust, as encapsulated in the ‘traditional versus secular values’ index reported in the EVS data. We thus find that predictors of the job–life satisfaction relationship vary across cultures and that such cross‐cultural variations are systematically related to salient cultural values and beliefs. The latter findings raise important questions about the universal application of existing theories in the subjective well‐being arena.
The goal to be accepted by friends as underlying function of overt aggressive behaviour in immigrant adolescents
Authors: STROHMEIER DAGMAR , FANDREM HILDEGUNN , STEFANEK ELISABETH , SPIEL CHRISTIANE
Published: September 2011

Strohmeier, D., Fandrem, H., Stefanek, E. & Spiel, C. (2012). The goal to be accepted by friends as underlying function of overt aggressive behaviour in immigrant adolescents. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 53, 80–88.

This study investigated (1) to what extent the goal to be accepted by friends is an underlying function of overt aggressive behavior in adolescents, and (2) whether this function is more predictive than reactive aggression for overt aggressive behavior in first and second generation immigrants compared with natives. The sample comprised 339 native Austrians (51.6% girls), 126 first generation immigrants (48.4% girls), and 175 second generation immigrants (54.3% girls) aged 14 to 19 (M = 15.61). Data were collected via self‐assessments. Multiple group latent means and covariance structures (MACS) models revealed that the goal to be accepted by friends was a stronger predictor than reactive aggression for overt aggressive behavior in first generation immigrants compared with second generation immigrants and natives. Furthermore, gender moderated these associations. The goal to be accepted by friends was a very strong predictor of overt aggressive behavior in first generation immigrant boys, but not in first generation immigrant girls. Results are discussed regarding the process of acculturation in first generation immigrant youth.
MODELING MONETARY MACROECONOMICS: KALECKI RECONSIDERED
Authors: Duménil Gérard , Lévy Dominique
Published: September 2011

This study is devoted to the financing of demand out of income and borrowing, a crucial aspect of Kalecki's analysis of investment. If the demand for loans moves procyclically, short‐term equilibrium is unstable. The borrowing of non‐financial agents must be checked by the action of central banks. Models in which both procyclical and countercyclical mechanisms are considered provide the basis of monetary macroeconomics. Money is neither endogenous nor exogenous but co‐determined by the behaviors of financial and non‐financial agents. The succession of phases in which the stability of the short‐term equilibrium is ensured or not defines an important aspect of the business cycle.
Postural adaptations to a suprapostural memory task among children with and without developmental coordination disorder
Authors: CHEN FU‐CHEN , TSAI CHIA‐LIANG , STOFFREGEN THOMAS A , CHANG CHIHU‐HUI , WADE MICHAEL G
Published: September 2011

Aim  The present study investigated the effects of varying the cognitive demands of a memory task (a suprapostural task) while recording postural motion on two groups of children, one diagnosed with developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and an age‐matched group of typically developing children.

Method  Two groups, each comprising 38 child volunteers (21 males, 17 females) aged 9 to 10 years, participated in the study. Each child performed a digital memory task at two levels of difficulty, low and high. Positional variability (standard deviation of position) of the head and torso were recorded as the biomechanical responses to the variation in task difficulty.

Results  Both groups significantly reduced postural motion when engaged in the high‐difficulty condition (p<0.05) compared with the low‐difficulty condition. Children with DCD exhibited significantly higher levels of postural motion (p<0.05) than the typically developing children. The typically developing children significantly reduced their postural motion in the high‐difficulty condition (p<0.05) compared with the low‐difficulty condition, whereas children with DCD did not.

Interpretation  Our results suggest that the postural responses of children with DCD differ from those of typically developing children while engaging in a memory task with various levels of difficulty.
Inclusive education and the cultural representation of disability and disabled people within the English education system: the influence of electronic media in the primary school
Authors: Hodkinson Alan
Published: September 2011

This paper examines the picture of disability portrayed within the electronic media presented to primary‐aged pupils in England. The study employed proto‐text analysis to examine 494 separate electronic resources which contained 4485 illustrations, 930 photographs and 59 video clips. The major finding of the research is that the media examined contained a limited picture of disability, one contextualised within medical deficit. The study highlights that the sample media examined promoted a social construction of disability based upon ‘inexact scholarship’ omission and imbalanced information. The research concludes that inclusive education must confront the resources and facilities that children encounter so as to overcome the current injustices which dominate the electronic media presented to primary‐aged pupils.
Modelling changes in species’ abundance in response to projected climate change
Authors: Renwick Anna R. , Massimino Dario , Newson Stuart E. , Chamberlain Dan E. , Pearce‐Higgins James W. , Johnston Alison
Published: September 2011

Aim Existing climate envelope models give an indication of broad scale shifts in distribution, but do not specifically provide information on likely future population changes useful for conservation prioritization and planning. We demonstrate how these techniques can be developed to model likely future changes in absolute density and population size as a result of climate change.

Location Great Britain.

Methods Generalized linear models were used to model breeding densities of two northerly‐ and two southerly‐distributed bird species as a function of climate and land use. Models were built using count data from extensive national bird monitoring data and incorporated detectability to estimate absolute abundance. Projections of likely future changes in the distribution and abundance of these species were made by applying these models to projections of future climate change under two emissions scenarios.

Results Models described current spatial variation in abundance for three of the four species and produced modelled current estimates of national populations that were similar to previously published estimates for all species. Climate change was projected to result in national population declines in the two northerly‐distributed species, with declines for Eurasian curlewNumenius arquataprojected to be particularly severe. Conversely, the abundances of the two southerly distributed species were projected to increase nationally. Projected maps of future abundance may be used to identify priority areas for the future conservation of each species.

Main conclusions The analytical methods provide a framework to make projections of impacts of climate change on species abundance, rather than simply projected range changes. Outputs may be summarized at any spatial scale, providing information to inform future conservation planning at national, regional and local scales. Results suggest that as a consequence of climate change, northerly distributed bird species in Great Britain are likely to become an increasingly high conservation priority within the UK.
Polar Partners or Poles Apart? On the discourses of two US think tanks on Russia's presence in the ‘High North’
Authors: VAN EFFERINK LEONHARDT A S
Published: September 2011

The discourses of two US think tanks show how representations of the Artic could make the difference between either an inclusionary or exclusionary Arctic regime. The Brookings Institution stresses that Russia's foreign policy focuses on international law and diplomacy; and recommends multilateral initiatives to address regional tensions. However, the Heritage Foundation emphasises Russia's willingness to use military force and strong language when dealing with Arctic matters, recommends ‘a strong response’ to Russia's policies and stresses the importance of ‘Western’ alliances. The comparison of discourses on the Arctic of two US think tanks lends support to the idea that geographers should play a prominent role in the debate on a regional governance framework. A constructive way to do so is by highlighting and explaining the region's complexity and uncertainty, in order to limit the (re)construction of degeographicalised representations of the Arctic in policy circles.
Use of CD9 and CD61 for the characterization of AML‐M7 by flow cytometry in a dog*
Authors: Valentini F. , Tasca S. , Gavazza A. , Lubas G.
Published: September 2011

Acute megakaryoblastic leukaemia (AML‐M7) is a rare myeloproliferative disorder in domestic animals. Recently, thanks to the greater availability of immunophenotype techniques, precise diagnosis is more easily made. The morphological evaluation has its limitations, especially in the study of poorly differentiated cells. Few reports have described AML‐M7 in dogs using flow cytometry. This clinical case points out the utility of flow cytometry in the characterization of AML‐M7 in a 3‐year‐old German Shepherd dog. Flow cytometry investigation has established megakaryocytic lineage involvement by showing the presence of two megakaryocyte/platelet associated antigens (CD9 and CD61). In human medicine CD9 may be used as a platelet and megakaryocyte marker. There is an evidence of cross‐reactivity of human anti‐CD9 monoclonal antibody with canine samples. To our knowledge, the use of CD9 has never been described before, for this purpose in the dog.
Characterization of herpes simplex virus 1 strains as platforms for the development of oncolytic viruses against liver cancer
Authors: Argnani Rafaela , Marconi Peggy , Volpi Ilaria , Bolanos Elixabet , Carro Elvira , Ried Christine , Santamaria Enrique , Pourchet Aldo , Epstein Alberto L. , Brocker Thomas , Corrales Fernando Jose , Manservigi Roberto , Goicoechea Ibai , Foschini Mariagiovanna , Hernandez‐Alcoceba Ruben
Published: September 2011

Background

Diverse oncolytic viruses (OV) are being designed for the treatment of cancer. The characteristics of the parental virus strains may influence the properties of these agents.

Aims

To characterize two herpes simplex virus 1 strains (HSV‐1 17syn+ and HFEM) as platforms for virotherapy against liver cancer.

Methods

The luciferase reporter gene was introduced in the intergenic region 20 locus of both HSV‐1 strains, giving rise to the Cgal‐Luc and H6‐Luc viruses. Their properties were studied in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells in vitro. Biodistribution was monitored by bioluminescence imaging (BLI) in athymic mice and immune‐competent Bab/c mice. Immunogenicity was studied by MHC‐tetramer staining, in vivo killing assays and determination of specific antibody production. Intratumoural transgene expression and oncolytic effect were studied in HuH‐7 xenografts.

Results

The H6‐Luc virus displayed a syncytial phenotype and showed higher cytolytic effect on some HCC cells. Upon intravenous or intrahepatic injection in mice, both viruses showed a transient transduction of the liver with rapid relocalization of bioluminescence in adrenal glands, spinal cord, uterus and ovaries. No significant differences were observed in the immunogenicity of these viruses. Local intratumoural administration caused progressive increase in transgene expression during the first 5 days and persisted for at least 2 weeks. H6‐Luc achieved faster amplification of transgene expression and stronger inhibition of tumour growth than Cgal‐Luc, although toxicity of these non‐attenuated viruses should be reduced to obtain a therapeutic effect.

Conclusions

The syncytial H6‐Luc virus has a strong oncolytic potential on human HCC xenografts and could be the basis for potent OV.
CORTICAL F‐ACTIN REORGANIZATION AND A CONTRACTILE RING‐LIKE STRUCTURE FOUND DURING THE CELL CYCLE IN THE RED CRYPTOMONAD, PYRENOMONAS HELGOLANDII1
Authors: Yamagishi Takahiro , Kawai Hiroshi
Published: September 2011

Cortical F‐actin reorganization during the cell cycle was observed in Pyrenomonas helgolandii U. J. Santore (SAG 28.87) for the first time in Cryptophyta using fluorescein‐isothiocyanate (FITC)–phalloidin staining. In interphase, a number of F‐actin bundles were observed as straight lines running parallel to the long axis of the cell on the cell cortical region. They extended from an F‐actin bundle that runs along the margin of the vestibulum. Although the F‐actin bundles running parallel to the long axis of the cell disappeared during anaphase, they gradually reappeared in telophase. By contrast, the F‐actin bundle along the vestibulum margin remained visible during cytokinesis and dynamically changed following the enlargement of the vestibulum, suggesting that F‐actin was involved in the mechanism of vestibulum enlargement. F‐actins were not found in the cytoplasmic and nucleoplasmic regions throughout the cell cycle. In addition, a contractile ring‐like structure appeared at the cleavage furrow during cytokinesis. Treatment with cytochalasin B and latrunculin B significantly inhibited the formation of cleavage furrow, resulting in forming an abnormal cell with two nuclei, suggesting that cytokinesis in P. helgolandii is controlled by the contractile ring‐like structure constituted of F‐actin.
Association Between Insomnia Symptoms and Weight Change in Older Women: Caregiver—Study of Osteoporotic Fractures Study
Authors: Ross Craig , Ancoli‐Israel Sonia , Redline Susan , Stone Katie , Fredman Lisa
Published: September 2011

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether self‐reported insomnia symptoms were associated with weight change in older women and whether caregiving, comorbidities, sleep medication, or stress modified this association.

DESIGN: One‐year prospective study conducted in four communities from 1999 to 2003 nested within a larger cohort study.

SETTING: Home‐based interviews.

PARTICIPANTS: Nine hundred eighty‐eight participants (354 caregivers and 634 noncaregivers) from the Caregiver—Study of Osteoporotic Fractures.

MEASUREMENTS: Self‐reported insomnia symptoms in the previous month: trouble falling asleep, trouble staying asleep, and waking early and having trouble getting back to sleep. Weight was measured at baseline and 12 months.

RESULTS: The average weight change was −1.9±7.8 pounds. Trouble staying asleep was significantly associated with an average weight loss of 1.3 pounds (P=.03) in multivariable analyses. Neither of the other insomnia symptoms was associated with weight change. Use of sleep medications modified the association between trouble falling asleep (interaction term P=.03) and weight change. Insomnia symptoms were associated with weight loss only in women not taking sleep medications. Neither caregiving status, presence of multiple comorbidities, nor stress modified the association.

CONCLUSION: Trouble staying asleep was associated with weight loss over 12 months in older women. Practitioners should inquire about sleep habits of patients presenting with weight loss, because this may identify a marker of declining health and may be a factor that can be modified.
Flow cytometry assessment of apoptotic CD34+ cells by annexin V labeling may improve prediction of cord blood potency for engraftment
Authors: Duggleby Richard C. , Querol Sergio , Davy Robert C. , Fry Laura J. , Gibson Daniel A. , Horton Roger B.V. , Mahmood Salmah N. , Gomez Susana G. , Madrigal J. Alejandro
Published: September 2011

BACKGROUND: Nonviable CD34+ cells are commonly assessed by standard flow cytometry using the nuclear stain 7‐aminoactinomycin D (7AAD). 7AAD, however, only detects necrotic and late apoptotic cells, not earlier apoptosis, which engraft poorly in animal models of cord blood (cord) transplantation. The standard method, therefore, may overestimate engraftment potency of cord units under certain conditions.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: To detect apoptotic events, costaining with 7AAD and annexin V (AnnV), in parallel with the quantitative, standard enumeration, was used. Cord units were assessed before and after cryopreservation using both staining methods and colony‐forming units (CFU) to determine if graft potency can be predicted using a “functional flow cytometry” approach.

RESULTS: Significant numbers of CD34+ AnnV+ events were found within the 7AAD‐gated population. Nonapoptotic cell dose (CD34+ AnnV−) correlated well with CFUs in both a small‐scale (n = 10) and a large‐scale banking study (n = 107). Finally, following samples postthaw with time showed increasing numbers of apoptotic CD34+ cells and consequently the AnnV assessed dose was better at predicting the CFU compared with just the standard enumeration.

CONCLUSION: Defining the apoptotic population of CD34+ cells improved the prediction of CFU, making this method a rapid test of potency for assessment of cord units for clinical use.
Bacterial screening of outdated buffy coat platelet pools using a culture system and a rapid immunoassay
Authors: Ramírez‐Arcos Sandra , Kou Yuntong , Mastronardi Cherie , Perkins Heather , Goldman Mindy
Published: September 2011

BACKGROUND: Canadian Blood Services performs bacterial screening of buffy coat platelet pools (BCPs) using aerobic BacT/ALERT cultures. This study aimed to determine the rate of detection failures during initial platelet (PLT) screening and evaluate the introduction of anaerobic cultures and immunoassay testing to assess the safety of extending PLT storage beyond 5 days.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Outdated (7‐ to 10‐day‐old) BCPs that tested negative during initial screening were assayed with BacT/ALERT and the Verax PLT Pan Genera detection (PGD) test, an immunoassay that detects Gram‐positive (GP) and Gram‐negative (GN) bacteria. BacT/ALERT aerobic and anaerobic culture bottles were inoculated with 8 to 10 mL of BCP and incubated for up to 6 days. The PGD test was performed following manufacturer's instructions. Positive results were confirmed using the BacT/ALERT and PGD tests, blood agar culture, and Gram staining. Invalid PGD results were investigated.

RESULTS: A total of 4002 BCPs were tested with one (0.025%) true positive (Staphylococcus epidermidis) found by both the BacT/ALERT and the PGD assays. Fifty‐four (1.35%) false‐positive BacT/ALERT cultures were obtained mainly due to instrument errors involving anaerobic cultures. Eleven (0.27%) false‐positive PGD tests were observed in the GP window of the strip. Forty‐nine (1.2%) invalid PGD results were obtained mostly before implementation of a humidity chamber.

CONCLUSION: Testing of outdated BCPs suggests that introducing anaerobic cultures would result in significant PLT wastage due to a high rate of false positives. Contaminated BCPs still escape detection during initial testing; therefore, extension of PLT storage may be possible if repeat screening is performed before transfusion.
Allogeneic single‐donor cryoseal produced from fresh‐frozen quarantine apheresis plasma as alternative for multidonor or autologous fibrin sealants
Authors: Hazelaar Sandra , Dijkstra‐Tiekstra Margriet J. , de Korte Dirk , de Wildt‐Eggen Janny
Published: September 2011

BACKGROUND: Fibrin sealant is a human blood product consisting of two components: cryoprecipitate and thrombin. Commercial fibrin sealants are produced from multidonors, increasing the viral risk, and contain fibrinolytic inhibitors such as tranexamic acid or bovine aprotinin. Autologous fibrin sealants reduce the viral risk and are mostly produced during a surgical procedure or well in advance. Alternatively, the allogeneic single‐donor fibrin sealant cryoseal can be used. In this study cryoseal was characterized and the manufacturing consistency of the production process was investigated.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Cryoseal was produced from plasma collected on apheresis machines using a commercial device. In a research setting the protein composition and recovery were determined. Also, the manufacturing consistency of the production process was tested in a research setting as well as in a routine setting.

RESULTS: In the research setting all produced cryoseal met the quality control requirements of a clotting time of less than 10 seconds and the presence of Factor (F)XIII (qualitative). In the routine setting, one procedure per year did not meet these requirements. The protein composition showed the following mean ± standard deviation (%recovery) results: thrombin 25.7 ± 11.1 IU/mL, fibrinogen 19.9 ± 4.6 (15%) mg/mL, FVIII 15.6 ± 5.4 (44%) IU/mL, FXIII 2.7 ± 0.7 (6%) IU/mL, and plasminogen 1.8 ± 0.2 (4%) U/mL. In both research and routine settings the production process resulted in a consistent product.

CONCLUSION: The cryoseal manufacturing process resulted in a consistent product, which meets the predetermined specifications. The single‐donor origin and the absence of fibrinolytic inhibitors make cryoseal a good alternative for multidonor and autologous fibrin sealants.
Anti‐U‐like as an alloantibody in S−s−U− and S−s−U+var black people
Authors: Peyrard Thierry , Lam Yin , Saison Carole , Arnaud Lionel , Babinet Jérôme , Rouger Philippe , Bierling Philippe , Janvier Daniel
Published: September 2011

BACKGROUND: S, s, and U antigens belong to the MNS system. They are carried by glycophorin B (GPB), encoded by GYPB. Black people with the low‐prevalence S−s− phenotype, either U− or U+var, can make a clinically significant anti‐U. Anti‐U‐like, a cold immunoglobulin G autoantibody quite commonly observed in S−s+U+ black persons, was previously described to be nonreactive with ficin‐, α‐chymotrypsin‐, and pronase‐treated red blood cells (RBCs); nonreactive or weakly reactive with papain‐treated RBCs; and reactive with trypsin‐treated RBCs. Here we describe, in S−s− people from different molecular backgrounds, an alloantibody to a high‐prevalence GPB antigen, which presents the same pattern of reactivity with proteases as autoanti‐U‐like.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Four S−s− patients with an alloantibody to a high‐prevalence GPB antigen were investigated by serologic and molecular methods.

RESULTS: An alloantibody was observed in two S−s−U−/Del GYPB, one S−s−U+var/GYPB(P2), and one S−s−U+var/GYPB(NY) patients. As this alloantibody showed the same pattern of reactivity with proteases as autoanti‐U‐like, we decided to name it “anti‐U‐like.” Anti‐U‐like made by the two S−s−U− patients was reactive with the S−s−U+var RBCs of the two other patients.

CONCLUSION: S−s−U−/Del GYPB, S−s−U+var/GYPB(P2), and S−s−U+var/GYPB(NY) patients can make an alloanti‐U‐like. Anti‐U‐like made by S−s−U− people appears reactive with GYPB(P2) and GYPB(NY) RBCs, which both express a weak and partial U‐like reactivity. We recommend transfusing S−s−U− RBCs in S−s−U− patients showing alloanti‐U‐like. Our study contributes to a better understanding of alloimmunization to GPB in black people and confirms importance of genotyping in S−s− patients, especially those with sickle cell disease to be frequently transfused.
Meta‐Analysis of Mass‐Balance Studies of Soil Ingestion in Children
Authors: Stanek III Edward J. , Calabrese Edward J. , Xu Bo
Published: September 2011

Ingestion of soil by young children may be an important source of exposure to environmental contaminants. Estimates of soil ingestion have been made by several studies using trace elements in a mass‐balance approach, but differ substantially between studies and trace elements. We conduct a meta‐analysis of four major mass‐balance soil ingestion studies conducted on children between one and seven in the summer/fall in the northern United States. The analysis takes advantage of primary data from all studies, and provides a more complete description of soil ingestion among children. The meta‐analysis uses data based on the two most reliable trace elements, Al and Si, that have passed a screening to identify and exclude measures with a high likelihood of bias. Details are described in a companion paper. The best linear unbiased predictor is used in a mixed model to estimate soil ingestion for study subjects. Overall, 11% of subject‐periods are identified as outliers and excluded from the analysis. An analysis on 216 children based on Al and Si as tracer elements indicates that the mean (median) soil ingestion is 26 mg/day (33 mg/day), with the 95th percentile estimated as 79 mg/day. This systematic approach provides more reliable estimates than individual study results. There is some evidence that soil ingestion increases with a child's age, but insufficient data to distinguish soil ingestion by gender.
Multivariate Analysis of Premium Dynamics in P&L Insurance
Authors: Lazar Dorina , Denuit Michel M.
Published: September 2011

Abstract

This article studies the dynamic relationship between premiums and losses on the U.S. property–casualty insurance market, accounting for the external impacts of GDP and interest rate. Compared to the existing literature, the present work innovates in that the dynamic relationships between premiums, losses, GDP, and interest rate are studied in a cointegration framework, single‐equation and vector approach, involving the long‐ and short‐run dynamics. The results suggest a stable long‐run equilibrium between premiums, losses, and general economy. On short term, the premiums adjust quickly and significantly to the long‐term disequilibrium and have a strong autoregressive behavior. External factors contribute to explain the dynamics of premiums.
Effective Nitrogen Doping for Fabricating Highly Conductive β‐SiC Ceramics
Authors: Kim Kwang Joo , Lim Kwang‐Young , Kim Young‐Wook
Published: September 2011

The effects of the yttrium nitrate (YN) content on nitrogen doping and the electrical resistivity of SiC ceramics were investigated. The YN was found to be an effective sintering additive for the full densification of SiC ceramics by hot‐pressing. The hot‐pressed bulk samples were identified as polycrystalline zincblende β‐SiC with a small amount of α‐SiC and Y2O3 crystallites. The SiC grains contained nitrogen (N) as an impurity that contributed to the decrease in electrical resistivity of the samples. An optimum YN composition exists for which the N concentration is maximized to give the lowest resistivity. The SiC samples exhibited a resistivity as low as ~10−3 Ω·cm and a carrier density of ~1020 cm−3, which was excited from the N donor levels. The resistivity of the samples was maintained in the same order of magnitude over a wide temperature range (4–300 K).
aV integrins and TGF‐β‐induced EMT: a circle of regulation
Authors: Mamuya Fahmy A. , Duncan Melinda K.
Published: September 2011

EMT and pathogenesis: the good,    the bad and the ugly

TGF‐b—a central player in EMT

Changes in cell–cell/cell–ECM adhesion in EMT—the role of integrins during EMT

TGF‐b as a regulator of integrin expression during EMT

aV integrins activate TGF‐b

   ‐   Conformational change activation mechanism

   ‐   Conformational change activation mechanism with proteolysis

TGF‐b and integrin signalling cross‐talk during EMT

Disease perspectives

Completing the circle

Acknowledgements

Conflicts of interest

Transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) has roles in embryonic development, the prevention of inappropriate inflammation and tumour suppression. However, TGF‐β signalling also regulates pathological epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT), inducing or progressing a number of diseases ranging from inflammatory disorders, to fibrosis and cancer. However, TGF‐β signalling does not proceed linearly but rather induces a complex network of cascades that mutually influence each other and cross‐talk with other pathways to successfully induce EMT. Particularly, there is substantial evidence for cross‐talk between αV integrins and TGF‐β during EMT, and anti‐integrin therapeutics are under development as treatments for TGF‐β‐related disorders. However, TGF‐β’s complex signalling network makes the development of therapeutics to block TGF‐β‐mediated pathology challenging. Moreover, despite our current understanding of integrins and TGF‐β function during EMT, the precise mechanism of their role during physiological versus pathological EMT is not fully understood. This review focuses on the circle of regulation between αV integrin and TGF‐β signalling during TGF‐β induced EMT, which pose as a significant driver to many known TGF‐β‐mediated disorders.
Characterization of SCCmec elements in methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis isolated from blood cultures from neonates during three decades
Authors: SVENSSON KAROLINA , HELLMARK BENGT , SÖDERQUIST BO
Published: September 2011

Svensson K, Hellmark B, Söderquist B. Characterization of SCCmec elements in methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis isolated from blood cultures from neonates during three decades. APMIS 2011; 119: 885–93.

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a major cause of nosocomial infections in immunocompromised patients and the predominant pathogen in catheter‐related infections and bloodstream infections. Approximately 70–80% of S. epidermidis carry the mecA gene encoding methicillin resistance. The mecA gene is located on a mobile genetic element, the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec). The aim of this study was to characterize the SCCmec elements as well as the adjacent arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME) in 30 clinical blood isolates of mecA positive S. epidermidis obtained from neonates and collected over a period of three decades. The ccr and mec gene complexes were identified using PCR. The SCCmec elements were found among 29/30 isolates and 13 different combinations of ccr gene complexes and mec gene complexes were identified. Staphylococcus epidermidis regularly carried multiple copies of ccr gene complexes, but only one class of mec gene complex. Three isolates could be assigned the SCCmec type III (3A). The combinations of ccr gene complexes and the mec gene complexes differed among the three decades. The most frequent combination was class B mec in combination with ccr1 and ccr2. Staphylococcus epidermidis may constitute a large reservoir for SCCmec elements, and frequent exchange of mobile genetic elements between staphylococcal species may explain the emergence of new MRSA strains.
Spatial distribution and habitat selection in coexisting species of mountain ungulates
Authors: Darmon Gaëlle , Calenge Clément , Loison Anne , Jullien Jean‐Michel , Maillard Daniel , Lopez Jean‐François
Published: August 2011

One of the main objectives of community ecology is to understand the conditions allowing species to coexist, which requires identifying how co‐occurring species use and share space and resources. Species of the same trophic level, such as large herbivores, are of fundamental interest in that context because competition for resources is likely. Segregation in space or on some axes of the ecological niche are processes allowing coexistence, yet, both are seldom studied jointly. Based on annual spring censuses collected for 11 yr, we analysed the degree of overlap in spatial distribution among chamois Rupicapra rupicapra and mouflon Ovis gmelini musimon, 2 species of similar size that coexist on the same alpine pastures. We further investigated whether they differed in terms of habitat selection processes, and identified which environmental factors led to species being aggregated or segregated. The areas of intensive use for 2 species were more spatially aggregated than expected by chance. Habitat selection was studied using multivariate methods based on the niche concept, considering the presence of 1 species as an environmental variable for the other. Despite a large overlap in niches (88%), segregation was significant as chamois preferred meadows dominated by Sesleria and Carex sempervirens while mouflon selected meadows dominated by Carex ferruginea and avoided being close to areas affected by human activities. Importantly, habitat selection within each species was not affected by the presence of the other species. Coexistence between these 2 species and spatial overlap may be permitted because resource partitioning occurs at a fine temporal and/or spatial scale. We underscore that joint approaches of spatial and ecological processes are necessary to disclose the type of interaction (neutral, facilitation or competition) at play within a community.
Comparison between oscillometric and invasive blood pressure measurements in critically ill premature infants
Authors: Takci Sahin , Yigit Sule , Korkmaz Ayse , Yurdakök Murat
Published: September 2011

Aim:  Blood pressure (BP) measurement techniques in neonates generally involve noninvasive measurements with a cuff (oscillometric) or invasive measurements through an arterial catheter. The aim of this study was to determine the reliability of the noninvasive oscillometric method in critically ill preterm infants when results were compared with the invasive technique.

Method:  Twenty‐seven premature infants with a mean birth weight of 1138 ± 552 g were enrolled in the prospective study. Invasive and noninvasive mean arterial pressure (MAP) levels were recorded simultaneously at each measurement in all patients. Low or lower range mean invasive MAP values (MAP ≤30) were evaluated separately as we aimed to assess the value of noninvasive measurements in hypotensive sick premature infants.

Results:  Totally, 431 paired BP measurements were taken during the first week of life. There was no statistically significant difference between invasive and noninvasive readings. However, noninvasive measurements were found significantly higher compared with invasive measurements in the presence of hypotension (p < 0.05).

Conclusion:  This study showed good agreement between oscillometric and invasive readings in critically ill premature infants, and further, comparable mean MAP values were found with the two methods. However, the accuracy of the oscillometric BP measurement technique fails in preterm infants with BP within the lower limits.