bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Morphological features of microglial cells in the hippocampal dentate gyrus of Gunn rat: a possible schizophrenia animal model
Authors: Liaury Kristian , Miyaoka Tsuyoshi , Tsumori Toshiko , Furuya Motohide , Wake Rei , Ieda Masa , Tsuchie Keiko , Taki Michiyo , Ishihara Kotomi , Tanra Andi Jayalangkara , Horiguchi Jun
Published: March 2012

Background

Schizophrenia is a debilitating and complex mental disorder whose exact etiology remains unknown. There is growing amount of evidence of a relationship between neuroinflammation, as demonstrated by microglial activation, and schizophrenia. Our previous studies have proposed that hyperbilirubinemia plays a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Furthermore, we suggested the Gunn rat, an animal model of bilirubin encephalopathy, as a possible animal model of schizophrenia. However, the effects of unconjugated bilirubin on microglia, the resident immune cell of the CNS, in Gunn rats have never been investigated. In the present study, we examined how microglial cells respond to bilirubin toxicity in adult Gunn rats.

Methods

Using immunohistochemical techniques, we compared the distribution, morphology, and ultrastructural features of microglial cells in Gunn rats with Wistar rats as a normal control. We also determined the ratio of activated and resting microglia and observed microglia-neuron interactions. We characterized the microglial cells in the hippocampal dentate gyrus.

Results

We found that microglial cells showed activated morphology in the hilus, subgranular zone, and granular layer of the Gunn rat hippocampal dentate gyrus. There was no significant difference between cell numbers between in Gunn rats and controls. However, there was significant difference in the area of CD11b expression in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. Ultrastructurally, microglial cells often contained rich enlarged rich organelles in the cytoplasm and showed some phagocytic function.

Conclusions

We propose that activation of microglia could be an important causal factor of the behavioral abnormalities and neuropathological changes in Gunn rats. These findings may provide basic information for further assessment of the Gunn rat as an animal model of schizophrenia.
Low levels of Human Cytomegalovirus Infection in Glioblastoma multiforme associates with patient survival; -a case-control study
Authors: Rahbar Afsar , Stragliotto Giuseppe , Orrego Abiel , Peredo Inti , Taher Chato , Willems Jan , Söderberg-Naucler Cecilia
Published: March 2012

Background

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) represent the most aggressive brain tumor with a median overall survival of about 12-15 months. Over 90% of GBM tumors have recently been shown to be infected with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). In this case-control study, we evaluated whether there was an association between the grade of HCMV infection and long-term survival (> 18 months) in GBM patients.

Material and methods

Brain tumor tissue sections from consecutive GBMs patients who survived more than 18 months (n = 40), and an equal number of GBM patients, matched to date of diagnosis and surgery, operated at Karolinska University Hospital in 2000-2005 were selected. HCMV infection grade was determined by estimation of the number of HCMV positive cells (scored negative or grade 1-4) in tumor tissue specimens. Using Chi-Square test and logistic regression analysis, we analyzed whether there was an association between long-term survival and HCMV low-grade infection or other clinical parameters known to be associated with prolonged survival of GBM patients; age under 50 years, radical surgery or low recursive partition analysis (RPA) subclass.

Results

HCMV infection was detected in tumor samples from 79 of 80 patients (99%). Among patients surviving > 18 months, HCMV infection grade 1 in the GBM tumor was predominant. A low grade HCMV infection was found in 19 patients, of these 16 survived > 18 months. Thus, 16 of 40 (40%) GBM patients who lived > 18 months had low-grade HCMV infection while only 3 of 40 (8%) GBM patients who lived < 18 months did (p .0006, Chi-Square test). Multiple logistic regression analyses yielded an odds ratio estimate of 6.604 with 95% confidence interval (1.36-32.1) (p .019) for low grade HCMV after adjustment for RPA class III and IV, radical surgery, age and gamma knife treatment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we found that low-grade HCMV infection was strongly associated with long-term survival in GBM patients.
Caveat Oncologist: Clinical Findings and Consequences of Distributing Counterfeit Erythropoietin in the United States
Authors: Qureshi Zaina P. , Norris LeAnn , Sartor Oliver , McKoy June M. , Armstrong John , Raisch Dennis W. , Garg Vishvas , Stafkey-Mailey Dana , Bennett Charles Lee
Published: March 2012

Wider use of FDA anti-counterfeit initiatives, limiting pharmaceutical suppliers to reputable distributors, and educating providers and patients about signs of counterfeit drugs can improve the safety of cancer pharmaceuticals.
Consent Timing and Experience: Modifiable Factors That May Influence Interest in Clinical Research
Authors: Gerber David E. , Rasco Drew W. , Skinner Celette Sugg , Dowell Jonathan E. , Yan Jingsheng , Sayne Jennifer R. , Xie Yang
Published: March 2012

Factors related to the consent process, including consenter experience and timing of study enrollment, are significantly associated with or have a trend toward association with markers of patient interest in clinical research.
Drug-Addicted Oncology Practice: The Drug Test
Authors: Barth Neil M. , Donegan Beau
Published: March 2012

Purpose:

The buy-and-bill model of pharmaceuticals has been an economic reality for medical oncology practices for more than 30 years. Infusion services, once just a supportive service, grew exponentially in most practices between 1991 and 2000, to the point at which revenue from these services created a high, which made all things possible, including care of underinsured or uninsured patients. This altered state was further enhanced in the early part of this past decade when the introduction of high-cost chemotherapeutics and biologic agents created the euphoria of big business and a true dollar distortion for even the smallest oncology practice.

Results:

In 2005, government and payer intervention forced average wholesale price to average sales price conversion to reduce the drug effect. Concurrently, payer scrutiny of utilization and medical necessity with further dose reductions, equating to margins, led many practices to experience painful drug withdrawal symptoms. Despite the enormous financial risk for unreimbursed expense and acknowledged spiraling decline of drug margins of greater than 30% since 2002, the seductive possibility of a financial fix keeps the practices hooked.

Conclusion:

Many practices will make poor financial choices and will gamble with their financial health by consuming precious resources to support the habit. We propose the drug test: Run your practice financials without drugs. Can you cover the total practice expense without drugs? If not, determine your level of dependency on the drug margin, and adjust your service lines and salaries accordingly. We issue the following warning: Drug dependencies may be hazardous to the financial health of your organization.
Oncology Professional Services Agreements: A Model for Hospital Affiliation That Preserves Private Practice
Authors: Blau Michael L.
Published: March 2012

Professional services agreements enable community-based oncology groups to affiliate with local hospitals in a win-win transaction that preserves a significant level of independence for the oncology group. This article describes the business and legal aspects of such agreements.
Low-Density Lipoprotein Induced Expression of Connective Tissue Growth Factor via Transactivation of Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptors in Mesangial Cells
Authors: El-Shewy Hesham M. , Sohn Mimi , Wilson Parker , Hye Lee Mi , Hammad Samar M. , Luttrell Louis M. , Jaffa Ayad A.
Published: March 2012

The pro-fibrotic connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) has been linked to the development and progression of diabetic vascular and renal disease. We recently reported that low-density lipoproteins (LDL) induced expression of CTGF in aortic endothelial cells. However, the molecular mechanisms are not fully defined. Here, we have studied the mechanism by which LDL regulates CTGF expression in renal mesangial cells. In these cells, treatment with pertussis toxin abolished LDL-stimulated activation of ERK1/2 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), indicating the involvement of heterotrimeric G proteins in LDL signaling. Treatment with LDL promoted activation and translocation of endogenous sphingosine kinase 1 (SK1) from the cytosol to the plasma membrane concomitant with production of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). Pretreating cells with SK inhibitor, dimethylsphinogsine or down-regulation of SK1 and SK2 revealed that LDL-dependent activation of ERK1/2 and JNK is mediated by SK1. Using a green fluorescent protein-tagged S1P1 receptor as a biological sensor for the generation of physiologically relevant S1P levels, we found that LDL induced S1P receptor activation. Pretreating cells with S1P1/S1P3 receptor antagonist VPC23019 significantly inhibited activation of ERK1/2 and JNK by LDL, suggesting that LDL elicits G protein-dependent activation of ERK1/2 and JNK by stimulating SK1-dependent transactivation of S1P receptors. Furthermore, S1P stimulation induced expression of CTGF in a dose-dependent manner that was markedly inhibited by blocking the ERK1/2 and JNK signaling pathways. LDL-induced CTGF expression was pertussis toxin sensitive and inhibited by dimethylsphinogsine down-regulation of SK1 and VPC23019 treatment. Our data suggest that SK1-dependent S1P receptor transactivation is upstream of ERK1/2 and JNK and that all three steps are required for LDL-regulated expression of CTGF in mesangial cells.
Recobrando Recovering The Struggle against Racial Discrimination: The Journey of the Pablo O'higgins Mural for the Seattle Ship Scalers Union
Authors: Peterson Gigi
Published: March 2012

This article analyzes how the thirty-year journey of a mural illustrates changes in a community and the nature of its civil rights activism. Painted by Pablo O'Higgins in 1945 for the Seattle Ship Scalers union hall, The Struggle Against Racial Discrimination depicted aspirations of union coalitions that flourished in the Depression and wartime eras. Mexican and US labor-left collaboration shaped these interracial and international coalitions. Ties with Mexico also transformed the Pacific Rim city of Seattle, and by the 1970s a new generation mobilized for the fresco's restoration. Donated to the University of Washington in 1955, the mural had been “misplaced” in storage for some twenty years, its radical imagery lost to the public. In a new context of civil rights and workplace mobilization, local Chicano activists called for the fresco to be returned “to the people.” Facing various accusations of bias in the early 1970s, the UW administration responded to activists on this issue. The process of recobrando, or recovering, the mural revealed a “struggle against discrimination” both rooted in and different from the struggles of the past, and dramatically shaped by transnational ties.
“Acute Depression … in … the Age of Plenty”: Capital Migration, Economic Dislocation, and the Missing “Social Contract” of the 1950s
Authors: Friedman Tami J.
Published: March 2012

Scholars and popular commentators have long depicted the first decades following World War II as a prosperous time when US workers, through a “social contract” with management, achieved economic progress and union security in exchange for industrial peace. This article reconsiders that perspective by exploring how, during the 1950s and early 1960s, employers' investment (and disinvestment) strategies undercut labor's leverage across much of the United States. Through capital flight, mechanization, and other cost-cutting measures, corporate leaders in a range of sectors — including textiles, auto, steel, mining, and meatpacking — produced severe economic hardship in many industrial communities and rendered workers increasingly vulnerable to business demands. When labor's advocates pursued federal aid to mitigate the crisis, business-minded adversaries — bolstered by the ethos of individualism so prevalent in this period — stood in their way. The article also examines how, among other factors, gendered and racial perceptions of working-class identity have helped perpetuate the dominant image of the 1950s as an affluent era in which a labor-management accord prevailed.
Ducking for Cover: Chicago's Irish Nationalists in the Haymarket Era
Authors: Cowan Mimi
Published: March 2012

This article explores the effects of the 1886 Haymarket violence and executions on Chicago's other “radical” group: Irish nationalists. Although Chicago's Irish nationalists were mainly concerned with freedom for Ireland and not radical social change in the United States, their support for violent and immediate action, and especially their use of dynamite, caused many Americans to see them in the same light as other “European radicals.” Therefore, when the execution of the Haymarket martyrs demonstrated the state's intolerance for radical discourse, Chicago's Irish nationalists took pains to separate their cause from anarchism. Their reputation as an organization of violent foreigners was hard to overcome because of the lingering effects of nativism caused by the Haymarket incident.
Exploring molecular genetics of bladder cancer: lessons learned from mouse models
Authors: Ahmad Imran , Sansom Owen J. , Leung Hing Y.
Published: March 2012

Urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) of the bladder is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, causing considerable morbidity and mortality. It is unusual among the epithelial carcinomas because tumorigenesis can occur by two distinct pathways: low-grade, recurring papillary tumours usually contain oncogenic mutations in FGFR3 or HRAS, whereas high-grade, muscle-invasive tumours with metastatic potential generally have defects in the pathways controlled by the tumour suppressors p53 and retinoblastoma (RB). Over the past 20 years, a plethora of genetically engineered mouse (GEM) models of UCC have been developed, containing deletions or mutations of key tumour suppressor genes or oncogenes. In this review, we provide an up-to-date summary of these GEM models, analyse their flaws and weaknesses, discuss how they have advanced our understanding of UCC at the molecular level, and comment on their translational potential. We also highlight recent studies supporting a role for dysregulated Wnt signalling in UCC and the development of mouse models that recapitulate this dysregulation.
Syntaxin 1C, a soluble form of syntaxin, attenuates membrane recycling by destabilizing microtubules
Authors: Nakayama Takahiro , Kamiguchi Hiroyuki , Akagawa Kimio
Published: March 2012

Syntaxin 1C (STX1C), produced by alternative splicing of the stx1A gene, is a soluble syntaxin lacking a SNARE domain and a transmembrane domain. It is unclear how soluble syntaxin can control intracellular membrane trafficking. We found that STX1C affected microtubule (MT) dynamics through its tubulin-binding domain (TBD) and regulated recycling of intracellular vesicles carrying glucose transporter-1 (GLUT1). We demonstrated that the amino acid sequence VRSK of the TBD was important for the interaction between STX1C and tubulin and that wild-type STX1C (STX1C-WT), but not the TBD mutant, reduced the Vmax of glucose transport and GLUT1 translocation to the plasma membrane in FRSK cells. Moreover, by time-lapse analysis, we revealed that STX1C-WT suppressed MT stability and vesicle-transport motility in cells expressing GFP–α-tubulin, whereas TBD mutants had no effect. We also identified that GLUT1 was recycled in the 45 minutes after endocytosis and that GLUT1 vesicles moved along with MTs. Finally, we showed, by a recycling assay and FCM analysis, that STX1C-WT delayed the recycling phase of GLUT1 to PM, without affecting the endocytotic process of GLUT1. These data indicate that STX1C delays the GLUT1 recycling phase by suppressing MT stability and vesicle-transport motility through its TBD, providing the first insight into how soluble syntaxin controls membrane trafficking.
When Do Firms Divest Foreign Operations?
Authors: Berry Heather
Published: March 2012

Extant literature on divestment has repeatedly found that firms are likely to divest their poorly performing operations. In this paper, I consider how product market relatedness and geographic market differences in growth, policy stability, and exchange rate volatility can moderate the negative relationship between performance and divestment. Results from a comprehensive panel of U.S. multinational corporations (MNCs) reveal that conventional arguments about poor performance hold for both related and unrelated firm operations in countries characterized by low growth, policy stability, and exchange rate stability. However, the results also show that there are significant differences across the divestment decisions of firms for their related and unrelated foreign operations in countries characterized by high growth, policy instability, and exchange rate volatility. Although poor performance has been called the most significant predictor of divestment, this paper considers how interactions across multilevel factors influence the divestment decisions of firms and reveals how U.S. MNCs respond to both product and geographic market characteristics when making divestment decisions for their foreign operations.
Becoming Aware of the Unknown: Decision Making During the Implementation of a Strategic Initiative
Authors: Klingebiel Ronald , De Meyer Arnoud
Published: March 2012

This qualitative study analyzes the decision-making process involved in adapting preconceived courses of action during the implementation of a strategic initiative. We observe that the type of decision-making process hinges on the nature of managers' emerging awareness of future events. When managers become aware of new uncertainty, the process involves selectiveness, deliberateness, and diligence. By contrast, when managers become aware of new certainty, the process conforms to the problem-solving adhocracy and decision-making messiness emphasized in prior literature. We summarize our findings in a framework, proposing that decision-level differences in awareness and uncertainty can explain the observed variation in strategic decision-making processes during implementation. We also discuss implications for theory on procedural rationality and analytical comprehensiveness.
Comparison of serum testosterone and estradiol measurements in 3174 European men using platform immunoassay and mass spectrometry; relevance for the diagnostics in aging men
Authors: Huhtaniemi Ilpo T , Tajar Abdelouahid , Lee David M , O'Neill Terence W , Finn Joseph D , Bartfai György , Boonen Steven , Casanueva Felipe F , Giwercman Aleksander , Han Thang S , Kula Krzysztof , Labrie Fernand , Lean Michael E J , Pendleton Neil , Punab Margus , Silman Alan J , Vanderschueren Dirk , Forti Gianni , Wu Frederick C W , _ _
Published: March 2012

Background

The limitations of serum testosterone and estradiol (E2) measurements using non-extraction platform immunoassays (IAs) are widely recognized. Switching to more specific mass spectrometry (MS)-based methods has been advocated, but directly comparative data on the two methods are scarce.

Methods

We compared serum testosterone and E2 measurements in a large sample of middle-aged/elderly men using a common platform IA and a gas chromatography (GC)–MS method, in order to assess their limitations and advantages, and to diagnose male hypogonadism. Of subjects from the European Male Aging Study (n=3174; age 40–79 years), peripheral serum testosterone and E2 were analyzed using established commercial platform IAs (Roche Diagnostics E170) and in-house GC–MS methods.

Results

Over a broad concentration range, serum testosterone concentration measured by IA and MS showed high correlation (R=0.93, P<0.001), which was less robust in the hypogonadal range (<11 nmol/l; R=0.72, P<0.001). The IA/MS correlation was weaker in E2 measurements (R=0.32, P<0.001, at E2 <40.8 pmol/l, and R=0.74, P<0.001, at E2 >40.8 pmol/l). Using MS as the comparator method, IA ascertained low testosterone compatible with hypogonadism (<11 nmol/l), with 75% sensitivity and 96.3% specificity. The same parameters with IA for the detection of low E2 (<40.7 pmol/l) were 13.3 and 99.3%, and for high E2 (>120 pmol/l) 88.4 and 88.6%.

Conclusion

A validated platform IA is sufficient to detect subnormal testosterone concentrations in the diagnosis of male hypogonadism. The IA used for E2 measurements showed poor correlation with MS and may only be suitable for the detection of high E2 in men.
Nano Superlattice-like Materials as Thermal Insulators for Phase-Change Random Access Memory
Authors: Loke D. , Shi L. P. , Wang W. J. , Zhao R. , Ng L. T. , Lim K. G. , Yang H. X. , Chong T. C. , Yeo. Y. C.
Published: March 2012

Nanoscale superlattice-like (SLL) dielectric was employed to reduce the power consumption of the Phase-change random access memory (PCRAM) cells. In this study, we have simulated and found that the cells with the SLL dielectric have a higher peak temperature compared to that of the cells with the SiO2 dielectric after constant pulse activation, due to the interface scattering mechanism. Scaling of the SLL dielectric has resulted in higher peak temperatures, which can be even higher after material/structural modifications. Furthermore, the SLL dielectric has good material properties that enable the cells to have high endurance. This shows the effectiveness of the SLL dielectric for advanced memory applications.
Diabetes gestacional: um algoritmo de tratamento multidisciplinar
Authors: Weinert Letícia Schwerz , Silveiro Sandra Pinho , Oppermann Maria Lúcia , Salazar Cristiano Caetano , Simionato Bárbara Marina , Siebeneichler Aline , Reichelt Angela Jacob
Published: March 2012

O tratamento do diabetes gestacional é importante para evitar a morbimortalidade materno-fetal. O objetivo deste artigo é descrever o tratamento atualmente disponível para o manejo otimizado da hiperglicemia na gestação e sugerir um algoritmo de tratamento multidisciplinar. A terapia nutricional é a primeira opção de tratamento para as gestantes, e a prática de exercício físico leve a moderado deve ser estimulada na ausência de contraindicações obstétricas. O tratamento medicamentoso está recomendado quando os alvos glicêmicos não são atingidos ou na presença de crescimento fetal excessivo à ultrassonografia. O tratamento tradicional do diabetes gestacional é a insulinoterapia, embora mais recentemente a metformina venha sendo considerada uma opção segura e eficaz. A monitorização do tratamento é realizada com aferição da glicemia capilar e com avaliação da circunferência abdominal fetal por meio de ultrassonografia obstétrica a partir da 28ª semana de gestação.
Hypertension-related factors in patients with active and inactive acromegaly
Authors: Fedrizzi Daniela , Rodrigues Ticiana Costa , Costenaro Fabíola , Scalco Rosana , Czepielewski Mauro Antônio
Published: March 2012

INTRODUCTION: There are several complications of the cardiovascular system caused by acromegaly, especially hypertension. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate hypertension characteristics in patients with cured/controlled acromegaly and with the active disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study of the follow-up of forty-four patients with acromegaly submitted to clinical evaluation, laboratory tests and cardiac ultrasound. Patients with cured and controlled disease were evaluated as one group, and individuals with active disease as second one. RESULTS: Forty-seven percent of the patients had active acromegaly, and these patients were younger and had lower blood pressure levels than subjects with controlled/cured disease. Hypertension was detected in 50% of patients. Subjects with active disease showed a positive correlation between IGF-1 and systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels (r = 0.48, p = 0.03; and r = 0.42, p = 0.07, respectively), and a positive correlation between IGF-1 and urinary albumin excretion (UAE) rates. In patients with active disease, IGF-1 was a predictor of systolic blood pressure, although it was not independent of UAE rate. For individuals with cured/controlled disease, waist circumference and triglycerides were the predictors associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that blood pressure levels in patients with active acromegaly are very similar, and depend on excess GH. However, once the disease becomes controlled and IGF-1 levels decrease, their blood pressure levels will depend on the other cardiovascular risk factors.
Critical patch sizes for food‐web modules
Authors: Martinson Holly M. , Fagan William F. , Denno Robert F.
Published: March 2012

Because patch size and connectivity may strongly impact the assemblage of species that occur on a patch, the types of food‐web interactions that occur among those species may also depend on spatial structure. Here, we identify whether food‐web interactions among salt‐marsh‐inhabiting arthropods vary with patch size and connectivity, and how such changes in trophic structure might feed back to influence the spatial distribution of prey. In a multiyear survey, patch‐restricted predators exhibited steeper occupancy–patch‐size relationships than herbivores, and species' critical patch sizes were correlated with overall rarity. As a result, the presence of food‐web modules depended strongly on patch size: large and well‐connected patches supported complex food‐web modules, but only the simplest modules involving the most abundant species were found on small patches. Habitat‐generalist spiders dominated on small patches, and predation pressure from such species may contribute to the observed lower densities of mesopredators on small patches. Overall, patch size and connectivity influenced the types of modules present on a patch through differential loss of rare, patch‐restricted predators, but predation by generalist predators may be a key mechanism influencing the spatial structure of certain prey species.
Impact of Local and Systemic Alendronate on Simvastatin‐Induced New Bone Around Periodontal Defects
Authors: Killeen Amy C. , Rakes Pota A. , Schmid Marian J. , Zhang Yijia , Narayana Nagamani , Marx David B. , Payne Jeffrey B. , Wang Dong , Reinhardt Richard A.
Published: March 2012

Background: Simvastatin has been shown to stimulate new bone growth on rat mandibles, but much of the bone is lost over time. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of a locally or systemically applied antiresorptive agent (alendronate) on simvastatin‐induced bone formation in and adjacent to a rat periodontal defect.

Methods: Fenestration defects were created over mandibular molar roots in 65 mature female Sprague‐Dawley rats. Two weeks later, animals were divided into eight groups of eight to nine rats, and three weekly injections around the defect were applied: 1) 0.5 mg simvastatin in ethanol (SIM‐EtOH); 2) 0.5 mg simvastatin in alendronate–cyclodextrin conjugate (SIM‐ALN‐CD); 3) EtOH alone; 4) ALN‐CD alone; or 5) no injections. Twenty‐four animals were evaluated for new bone width around the defect 21 days after the last injections (short‐term) and 41 rats were followed for 48 days (long‐term). Three SIM‐EtOH groups of long‐term rats also were subjected to 2 weeks of daily systemic ALN or saline either during or 3 to 4 weeks after SIM‐EtOH injections. Decalcified, hematoxylin‐and‐eosin‐stained cross‐sections of the defect area were analyzed for new bone width and groups were compared using mixed‐model analyses of variance.

Results: All groups showed nearly 100% bone fill, with no differences among the short‐term groups. However, in the long‐term animals, two‐fold to three‐fold more new bone width (≤0.004) was seen around the periphery of the defect with the use of systemic ALN after SIM‐EtOH injections (0.93 ± 0.12 and 0.78 ± 0.11 mm with early and late systemic ALN, respectively) compared to local SIM/ALN‐CD preparations (0.32 ± 0.10 mm) or short‐term SIM‐EtOH injections (0.35 ± 0.10 mm). No significant new cementum formation or ankylosis was noted.

Conclusion: The use of a short course of systemic ALN during the healing period after bone anabolic SIM injections has the potential to enhance local bone augmentation.
Protein-Signaled Guided Bone Regeneration Using Titanium Mesh and Rh-BMP2 in Oral Surgery: A Case Report Involving Left Mandibular Reconstruction after Tumor Resection
Authors: Cicciù M , Herford A.S , Stoffella E , Cervino G , Cicciù D
Published: March 2012

Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) is an osteoinductive protein approved for use in oral and maxillofacial defect reconstruction. Growth factors act as mediators of cellular growth on morphogenesis and mythogenesis phases. Utilized as recombinant proteins, these growth factors need the presence of local target cells capable of obtaining the required results. This cell population may be present at the wound site or added to scaffolding material before implantation at the surgical site.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical and radiographic results of a reported case with a large bone defect, treated with an absorbable collagen sponge, rhBMP-2 and a titanium plate and mesh. The Authors want to report a case which shows the resulting effectiveness of the rhBMP2 action regarding a large, mandibular defect reconstruction. This case also shows how the removal of a rare tumor such as a ghost cell tumor of the jaw may be treated without harvesting bone from another body site. A quick diagnosis of the lesions is important in order to perform the most suitable treatment. The Authors also underline the clinical and histological steps to insure the correct treatment is carried out to solve the case.

Moreover, from results obtained from this case, it is possible to highlight several clinical benefits for the patient by adding rhBMP-2 to the common allograft to not only have alveolar reconstruction defects and sinus floor augmentation, but also to have alveolar cleft reconstruction and to treat segmental defects.
Modeling Differential Item Functioning Using a Generalization of the Multiple-Group Bifactor Model
Authors: Jeon Minjeong , Rijmen Frank , Rabe-Hesketh Sophia
Published: March 2012

The authors present a generalization of the multiple-group bifactor model that extends the classical bifactor model for categorical outcomes by relaxing the typical assumption of independence of the specific dimensions. In addition to the means and variances of all dimensions, the correlations among the specific dimensions are allowed to differ between groups. By including group-specific difficulty parameters, the model can be used to assess differential item functioning (DIF) for testlet-based tests. The model encompasses various item response models for polytomous data by allowing for different link functions, and it includes testlet and second-order models as special cases. Importantly, by assuming that the testlet dimensions are conditionally independent given the general dimension, the authors show, using a graphical model framework, that the integration over all latent variables can be carried out through a sequence of computations in two-dimensional subspaces, making full-information maximum likelihood estimation feasible for high-dimensional problems and large datasets. The importance of relaxing the orthogonality assumption and allowing for a different covariance structure of the dimensions for each group is demonstrated in the context of the assessment of DIF. Through a simulation study, it is shown that ignoring between-group differences in the structure of the multivariate latent space can result in substantially biased estimates of DIF.
Correlation of Weightbearing Radiographs and Stability of Stress Positive Ankle Fractures
Authors: Hoshino C. Max , Nomoto Edward Kazuhisa , Norheim Elizabeth P. , Harris Thomas G.
Published: March 2012

Background: A positive external rotation stress test has been used as an indication for operative treatment of fractures of the lateral malleolus. The objective of the current study was to ascertain the results of a protocol initially treating stress positive ankle fractures nonoperatively and utilizing weightbearing radiographs in surgical decision making. Methods: We performed a prospective study of lateral malleolar fractures with an associated medial ligamentous injury. All patients with fractures of the lateral malleolus with medial sided symptoms and/or signs, and an intact ankle mortise underwent an external rotation stress test to confirm injury to the deltoid ligament (stress positive). Patients with a positive stress test were placed in a short-leg walking cast and seen in 7 days where weightbearing radiographs of the ankle were obtained. If the radiographs demonstrated an intact mortise, then nonoperative treatment was continued. If the weightbearing radiographs demonstrated medial clear space widening, then the patient was offered operative treatment to restore the congruency of the ankle mortise. Patients were assessed for conversion to operative treatment, complications, and functional outcome. Thirty-eight patients were enrolled in the study. Using Lauge-Hansen classification 36 (95%) were stress positive supination-external rotation fractures and 2 (5%) were stress positive pronation-external rotation fractures. Followup assessment was performed at a minimum of 6 months and averaged 12 months. Results: Weightbearing radiographs at the first post-injury clinic visit had an average medial clear space of 2.9 ± 0.9 mm. Three (8%) patients met our criteria for medial clear space widening and underwent operative treatment. Of these three patients, two were pronation-external rotation fracture patterns. Therefore, 3% of the supination-external rotation IV fractures, and all of the pronation-external III/IV rotation fractures ultimately required operative treatment. At final followup, the average AOFAS hindfoot score was 92 ± 8.1. Conclusion: Ligamentous supination-external rotation Stage IV fractures with an intact mortise on static radiographs can be initially treated nonoperatively. Weightbearing radiographs should be utilized to assess congruency of the ankle mortise during an early post-injury visit. Utilizing this approach, a significant number of surgeries were avoided, and good to excellent results were obtained. From our early experience, nonoperative treatment of pronation-external rotation III/IV injuries using this protocol is not recommended.

Level of Evidence: III, Prospective Comparative Study
Surgical Management of Charcot Neuroarthropathy of the Foot and Ankle: A Systematic Review
Authors: Lowery Nicholas J. , Woods Jason B. , Armstrong David G. , Wukich Dane K.
Published: March 2012

Background: Charcot neuroarthropathy (CN) of the foot and ankle is an extremely challenging clinical dilemma and surgical management can be highly complicated. The current literature on this topic is comprised of manuscripts that are retrospective case series and expert opinions. Furthermore, surgery in patients with CN of the foot and ankle is guided by studies with low levels of evidence to support our current surgical practices. Methods: A Medline/CINAHL search was performed and a systematic review of articles discussing the surgical management of CN was undertaken. Results: Ninety-five articles fit the inclusion criteria for our study. As hypothesized, all reports detailing the surgical management of Charcot neuroarthropathy constituted Level IV or V evidence. Conclusion: Surgical algorithms for the treatment of CN of the foot are based almost entirely on level four or five evidence. Uncontrolled retrospective case series and case reports guide the use of exostectomy, fusion, and Achilles tendon lengthening for CN. There is inconclusive evidence concerning timing of treatment and use of different fixation methods. Prospective series and randomized studies, albeit difficult to perform, are necessary to support and strengthen current practice.

Level of Evidence: II, Systematic Review
Information literacy as an important competency for the 21st century: conceptual approaches
Authors: Virkus Sirje
Published: March 2012

This paper considers information literacy as an important competency for the 21st century.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbayr.v1i2.10028
Youth vision on development through effective aid: Bangladesh perspective
Authors: Murshed Mustafa
Published: March 2012

No abstract.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbayr.v1i2.10033
Five Year Field Evaluation of Prosopis alba Clones on pH 9–10 Soils in Argentina Selected for Growth in the Greenhouse at Seawater Salinities (45 dS m−1)
Authors: Ewens Mauricio , Gezan Salvador , Felker Peter
Published: March 2012

Prosopis alba seedlings, that grew at the 45 dS m−1 salinity level in a previous study of growth and survival of Argentine and Peruvian Prosopis, were propagated by rooting cuttings and established in a seed orchard/long term evaluation trial on soils with low salinity (EC 5.1–7.5 dS m−1) but high pH (8.9 to 10.2). A pH gradient occurred in the field with values ranging from pH 9.4 in block 1 to pH 10.3 in block 5. After five years growth, almost all of the clones had a mean height greater than 4 m and one clone was more than 5 m. Ten of the 21 tested clones had significantly greater biomass growth than the three seed propagated check varieties. The broad-sense (i.e., clone mean) heritability was estimated to be 0.45 for biomass, 0.53 for diameter and 0.59 for height indicating that strong genetic gains should be possible by selecting and vegetatively propagating the best genotypes. In the block with the highest pH values, two clones that appear to be P. alba × P. ruscifolia hybrids (i.e., P. vinallilo) had the greatest biomass. Correlations between growth during the last two months in the high salinity hydroponic greenhouse selection system and growth in the field were significant (R2 = 0.262) and positive, although the relationship was negative for putative P. vinallilo clones (R2 = 0.938). The several fold increase in biomass of some of the clones over the three check varieties, suggests that the greenhouse screen was successful in identifying superior salt tolerant clones. Apparently whether the greenhouse seedlings had lesser (~1 cm) to greater (~3 cm) height growth was not as important as just having a healthy live apical meristem. The observed salt tolerance of the putative P. vinalillo clones may prove useful as rootstocks for recently described high pod producing P. alba clones.
Autophagy in Premature Senescent Cells Is Activated via AMPK Pathway
Authors: Guo Liujing , Xie Bushan , Mao Zebin
Published: March 2012

Autophagy is a highly regulated intracellular process involved in the turnover of most cellular constituents and in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. In this study, we show that the activity of autophagy increases in H2O2 or RasV12-induced senescent fibroblasts. Inhibiting autophagy promotes cell apoptosis in senescent cells, suggesting that autophagy activation plays a cytoprotective role. Furthermore, our data indicate that the increase of autophagy in senescent cells is linked to the activation of transcription factor FoxO3A, which blocks ATP generation by transcriptionally up-regulating the expression of PDK4, an inhibitor of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, thus leading to AMPK activation and mTOR inhibition. These findings suggest a novel mechanism by which FoxO3A factors can activate autophagy via metabolic alteration.
Perhydroazulene-based liquid-crystalline materials with smectic phases
Authors: Hussain Zakir , Hopf Henning , Eichhorn S Holger
Published: March 2012

New liquid-crystalline materials with a perhydroazulene core were synthesized and the stereochemistry of these compounds was investigated. The mesomorphic properties of the new LC compounds were investigated by differential scanning colorimetry, polarizing optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction. We report here on the LC properties of nonchiral materials, which predominantly exhibit smectic phases and display nematic phases only within narrow temperature ranges. The dependence of the mesogenic behavior of the new materials on the stereochemistry of the core system was also investigated. All newly synthesized compounds were fully characterized by the usual spectroscopic and analytical methods.
The blind man of John 9 as a paradigmatic figure of the disciple in the Fourth Gospel
Authors: Muderhwa B. Vincent
Published: March 2012

This article seeks to compare Christian discipleship with Mosaic discipleship. The Pharisees, needing to survive, rejected the Christological revelation the Son of Man brought in order to make God known on earth. The study of discipleship in John 9 leads us to understand that ‘discipleship in Moses’ which seeks to please God by upholding the Law or Torah is no longer defensible. Discipleship in chapter 9 redefines the believer’s covenant relationship with God and demonstrates how it takes place in the person of Jesus (the envoy motif) and in his work (functional Christology) in order that the disciple may follow him into the light. The portrayal of the blind man as a role model of the disciple implicitly explains how Christology played a major role in an environment of conflict and ideology and how it relates discipleship to the devotion of Jesus as the plenary manifestation of God.
A reproducible assay for measuring partial resistance to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in soybean
Authors: Bastien Maxime , Huynh Tung Thanh , Giroux Geneviève , Iquira Elmer , Rioux Sylvie , Belzile François
Published: March 2012

Bastien, M., Huynh, T. T., Giroux, G., Iquira, E., Rioux, S. and Belzile, F. 2012. A reproducible assay for measuring partial resistance to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in soybean. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 279–288. In eastern Canada, Sclerotinia stem rot in soybean is an important disease, and resistance is systematically assessed in cultivar performance trials. The reference method used in these trials closely mimics the natural infection process, but is very demanding, and its success is highly subject to environmental conditions. Here we describe a simple, quick and reproducible inoculation method to measure resistance to pathogen progression on the main stem. Importantly, this method is the first to reproducibly identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) conferring partial resistance to Sclerotinia stem rot in soybean. In this method, a cotton pad saturated with a mycelial suspension is applied to a floral bud and resistance is estimated by measuring lesion length on the main stem. The method was found to discriminate clearly between known resistant and susceptible checks in both the field and greenhouse. Clear discrimination between 26 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) contrasted for QTLs controlling resistance to Sclerotinia stem rot was also achieved in four independent trials, and lesion length was significantly correlated among all trials. When tested on 38, 42 and 40 lines in registration trials, the results of this method were significantly correlated with those of the reference method in 2 of 3 yr.
Facteurs predictifs de mortalite par accident vasculaire cerebral (AVC) a la Clinique Neurologique du chu de Fann, Dakar - Senegal
Authors: Touré K , Diagne SN , Seck LB , Sow A , Ndiaye M , Diop MS , Gueye L , Diop AG , Ndiaye MM
Published: March 2012

Description Les AVC constituent un problème de santé publique avec une mortalité élevée. Objectif Identifier les facteurs prédictifs de mortalité par accidents vasculaires cérébraux à la Clinique Neurologique du CHU de Fann, Dakar. Méthodes Il s’agit d’une étude rétrospective du 1er Janvier 2001 au 01 Novembre 2003 portant sur des patients avec AVC et ayant eu un examen tomodensitométrique cérébral. Les données sociodémographiques, les antécédents médicaux et chirurgicaux, les signes de gravité associés au tableau neurologique et le pronostic vital ont été collectés. Des analyses uni, bi et multivariées par la régression logistique multiple ont été effectuées. Résultats La population de patients (314) était composée de 56,1% de femmes avec une moyenne d’âge de 61,3 ans (±13,8), un délai moyen d’admission de 8,4 jours (±23,5). Les facteurs de risque d’AVC étaient dominés par l’HTA, l’antécédent d’AVC et le diabète. Les AVCI représentaient 60,2%. Un coma et une HTA étaient associés au tableau neurologique. Soixante dix huit (78) patients sont décédés soit un taux de létalité de 24,8%. Lors de l’analyse de régression logistique multivariée, seuls les antécédents d’AVC et l’existence de coma étaient associés de manière indépendante à la mortalité par AVC. Conclusion Ces résultats démontrent la nécessité d’une amélioration de la prise en charge des patients en unité de soins intensifs et la prévention des récidives d’AVC par une éducation sanitaire des malades.Mots-clés: accident vasculaire cérébral, mortalité, pronostic, Sénégal.
Fractures de hangman : a propos de cinq cas
Authors: Diop AA , Kpelao S , Tine I , Beketi AK , Zabsonre S
Published: March 2012

Objectifs l’absence de consensus dans le traitement des fractures de Hangman complique la prise en charge. L’objectif de cette étude était de proposer différentes méthodes thérapeutiques accessibles toutes dans les conditions de travail d’un pays à revenu faible. Introduction Le fracture de Hangman ou fracture bipédiculaire de l’axis pose le problème de codification de sa prise en charge (traitement conservateur ou chirurgie). Nous exposons nos résultats à travers cinq dossiers de patients opérer à la lumière des données de la littérature. Patients et méthode Il s’agissait d’une étude rétrospective portant sur cinq patients admis en urgence entre janvier 2006 et décembre 2008 et opérés pour quatre d’entre eux après examen clinique, bilan radiographique et cotation suivant la classification d’EFFENDI (avant et après chirurgie). Le suivi s’est déroulé sur une période moyenne de 12 mois. Résultats Il s’agissait de cinq patients d’âge moyen de 34,6 ans (extrêmes de 22 et 54 ans), avec un sex ratio de 4, admis dans le service pour traumatisme du rachis cervical suite à un accident de la voie publique dans trois cas (dont une chute de charrette) et de travail dans deux cas. Leur symptomatologie était dominée par un syndrome rachidien cervical sans déficit neurologique. Ainsi quatre (04) patients ont subit une ostéosynthèse par voie postérieure selon différentes techniques dont une visée pédiculaire. Un patient a bénéficié d’un traitement orthopédique par minerve cervicale pendant 4 mois. Nous n’avons eu aucune complication à long terme. Conclusion Les « Hangman’s fracture » sont peu fréquentes. Leur traitement n’est pas encore codifié. Le traitement chirurgical est privilégié pour nous du fait des contraintes de port de minerve au long cours dans nos régions tropicales chaudes et humides.Mots-clés: hangman fracture, arthrodèse postérieure.
Kyste epidermoïde du quatrieme ventricule : a propos d’un cas
Authors: Aggouri M , Moussaoui A , Benzagmout M , Chakour K , Chaoui MEF
Published: March 2012

Les kystes épidermoïdes sont des tumeurs bénignes rares développées à partir d’inclusions ectodermiques. Ils siègent habituellement au niveau de l’angle ponto-cérébelleux, la région para-sellaire et la fosse temporale. Leur siège au niveau du quatrième ventricule est inhabituel. Nous rapportons le cas d’une jeune patiente de 44 ans admise pour un syndrome d’hypertension intracrânienne associé à des troubles de la marche. Le diagnostic de kyste épidermoïde du V4 fut évoqué sur les données de l’IRM puis confirmé en per opératoire et en histologie. L’exérèse chirurgicale a été subtotale en raison d’une adhérence de la capsule à la partie supérieure du plancher du V4. Après un recul de 18 mois, la patiente ne manifeste aucun signe de ré-évolution tumorale.Mots clés : chirurgie, IRM de diffusion, kyste épidermoïde, quatrième ventricle