bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Nature and Incidence of Workgroup Innovation in the Australian Public Sector: Evidence from the Australian 2011 State of the Service Survey
Authors: Torugsa Nuttaneeya (Ann) , Arundel Anthony
Published: January 2015

Using data from a nationally representative survey of all Australian Government employees, we explore the nature of innovation implemented at the workgroup level and assess the multi‐dimensionality of the workgroup's ‘most significant innovation’ (MSI). Of the 10222 survey respondents, 48% reported at least one innovation implemented by their workgroup, with an innovation more commonly reported with an increase in the respondent's age, seniority, and service experience; among men and university graduates. The results reveal that 54% of the reported MSIs incorporate between two and five dimensions of innovation types (policy, service, service delivery, administrative/organizational, and conceptual), and most of these dimensions reinforce each other. Different dimensions of the MSI draw on different sources of ideas (with senior leaders having the broadest impact), face different ‘revealed’ barriers, require different levels of workplace creativity, and produce different beneficial effects. Our findings help strengthen an understanding of the influencing factors and the effects of multi‐dimensional public sector innovations.
Can't Get No Satisfaction? The Association Between Community Satisfaction and Population Size for Victoria
Authors: Drew Joseph , Dollery Brian , Kortt Michael A.
Published: January 2015

Traditionally, the problem of determining the optimal size in local government has been empirically assessed by estimating the relationship between population size and the costs of services (usually measured in terms of per capita expenditure). These studies, however, have proved largely inconclusive. In comparison, an empirical analysis based on the relationship between the size of government and community satisfaction offers a potentially fruitful contribution to the debate regarding the optimal size of local government. However, to date, few studies have followed this approach. We therefore contribute to this literature by exploring the relationship between population size and community satisfaction for Victorian councils. Our findings provide evidence of an inverted ‘U‐shaped’ relationship, which predicts low community satisfaction at very largeandvery small population sizes.
Soft governance, restratification and the 2004 general medical services contract: the case of UK primary care organisations and general practice teams
Authors: Grant Suzanne , Ring Adele , Gabbay Mark , Guthrie Bruce , McLean Gary , Mair Frances S. , Watt Graham , Heaney David , O'Donnell Catherine
Published: January 2015

In the UK National Health Service, primary care organisation (PCO) managers have traditionally relied on the soft leadership of general practitioners based on professional self‐regulation rather than direct managerial control. The 2004 general medical services contract (nGMS) represented a significant break from this arrangement by introducing new performance management mechanisms for PCO managers to measure and improve general practice work. This article examines the impact of nGMS on the governance of UK general practice by PCO managers through a qualitative analysis of data from an empirical study in four UK PCOs and eight general practices, drawing on Hood's four‐part governance framework. Two hybrids emerged: (i) PCO managers emphasised a hybrid of oversight, competition (comptrol) and peer‐based mutuality by granting increased support, guidance and autonomy to compliant practices; and (ii) practices emphasised a broad acceptance of increased PCO oversight of clinical work that incorporated a restratified elite of general practice clinical peers at both PCO and practice levels. Given the increased international focus on the quality, safety and efficiency in primary care, a key issue for PCOs and practices will be to achieve an effective, contextually appropriate balance between the counterposing governance mechanisms of peer‐led mutuality and externally led comptrol.
Unstable terminality: negotiating the meaning of chronicity and terminality in motor neurone disease
Authors: Lerum Sverre Vigeland , Solbrække Kari Nyheim , Holmøy Trygve , Frich Jan C.
Published: January 2015

This paper explores the meaning of chronicity and terminality in motor neurone disease (MND), also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). There is no known cause or cure for MND, and expected survival is 2–5 years, but several interventions may improve or prolong life. This study draws on qualitative interview data with health professionals in hospitals and primary care, and family carers, in Norway. The actors emphasised chronic and terminal aspects in subtly different ways along the entire illness trajectory, also when recounting the trajectory in retrospect. As a consequence of improved health services and medical technology the distinction between chronicity and terminality has become more vague and sometimes ambiguous. We suggest the concept unstable terminality to describe this ambiguity. While MND is a fatal diagnosis; it may be contested, as contingencies and interventions create an indefinite time scope. The instability creates challenges for primary care which is dependent on prognostic information to organise their effort; hospitals tackle the instability by pre‐scheduled consultations allowing for avoidance of an explicit prognosis. Some carers experienced what we understand as a disruption within the disruption, living with chronic and terminal illness simultaneously, which made the limbo phase more challenging to overcome.
The business of care: the moral labour of care workers
Authors: Johnson Eleanor K.
Published: January 2015

Drawing on a case study conducted in a private residential care home, this article examines the emotional labour of care workers in relation to the moral construction of care and the practical experiences of work. An examination of the company's discursive attempts to construct, manage and demarcate its employees’ emotional labour was carried out alongside an exploration of the carers’ own interpretations of, and enrolment in, the care‐giving role. The potential economic and emotional consequences of these occurrences were a key focus of the inquiry. The study found that carers, encouraged by the company, naturalised their emotional labour, and that this had contradictory consequences. On the one hand it justified the economic devaluation of the carer's work and left her vulnerable to emotional over‐involvement and client aggression. On the other, it allowed the worker to defend the moral interests of those within her care and to see when those interests were in conflict with the economic motivations of her employer.
The association of beta‐2 adrenoceptor genotype with short‐cervix mediated preterm birth: a case–control study
Authors: Miller R , Smiley R , Thom EA , Grobman WA , Iams JD , Mercer BM , Saade G , Tita AT , Reddy UM , Rouse DJ , Sorokin Y , Blackwell SC , Esplin MS , Tolosa JE , Caritis SN ,   Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Maternal‐Fetal Medicine Units (MFMU) Network
Published: January 2015

Objective

To determine whether β2‐adrenoceptor (β2AR) genotype is associated with shortening of the cervix or with preterm birth (PTB) risk among women with a short cervix in the second trimester.

Design

A case–control ancillary study to a multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Setting

Fourteen participating centres of the Maternal‐Fetal Medicine Units Network of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Population

Four hundred thirty‐nine women, including 315 with short cervix and 124 with normal cervical length.

Methods

Nulliparous women with cervical length <30 mm upon a 16–22‐week transvaginal sonogram and controls frequency‐matched for race/ethnicity with cervical lengths ≥40 mm were studied. β2AR genotype was determined at positions encoding for amino acid residues 16 and 27.

Main outcome measures

Genotype distributions were compared between case and control groups. Within the short cervix group, pregnancy outcomes were compared by genotype, with a primary outcome of PTB <37 weeks.

Results

Genotype data were available at position 16 for 433 women and at position 27 for 437. Using a recessive model testing for association between short cervix and genotype, and adjusted for ethnicity, there was no statistical difference between cases and controls for Arg16 homozygosity (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.4–1.3) or Gln27 homozygosity (OR 0.9, 95% CI 0.3–2.7). Among cases, Arg16 homozygosity was not associated with protection from PTB or spontaneous PTB. Gln27 homozygosity was not associated with PTB risk, although sample size was limited.

Conclusions

β2AR genotype does not seem to be associated with short cervical length or with PTB following the second‐trimester identification of a short cervix. Influences on PTB associated with β2AR genotype do not appear to involve a short cervix pathway.
Understanding the effects of religious attendance on political participation among ethnic minorities of different religions
Authors: Sobolewska Maria , D. Fisher Stephen , Heath Anthony F. , Sanders David
Published: January 2015

In the United States, active church membership among ethnic and racial minorities has been linked to higher political participation. In Europe, the influence of religious attendance on political mobilisation of ethnic minorities has so far been little explored, despite the heated public debate about the public role of religion and particularly Islam. This study uses the 2010 Ethnic Minority British Election Study to theorise the relationship between religious attendance and political participation of ethnic minorities in a European context and extend existing theories to non‐Christian minority religions. The article shows that despite a significantly different context in which religion's place in political life is more contentious, regular religious attendance increases political participation rates of ethnic minorities. Some possible explanatory mechanisms are tested and an important distinction is introduced between those mechanisms that mediate, and those that moderate the impact of religion. The study finds that British minority churches and places of worships vary in how willing and effective they are in politically motivating their worshippers, and concludes that this relates to the political salience of certain religions within the United Kingdom context.
Oxidation‐Initiated Myosin Subfragment Cross‐Linking and Structural Instability Differences between White and Red Muscle Fiber Types
Authors: Liu Changqi , Xiong Youling L.
Published: January 2015

Both white and red muscles are commonly used in meat processing, and protein cross‐linking, which may be affected by oxidants, is a key factor affecting the product quality. In this study, myofibrillar proteins (MPs) extracted from postrigor chicken Pectoralis major (PM, predominantly white) and Gastrocnemius (GN, predominantly red) muscles were subjected to a •OH‐oxidizing system (10 μM FeCl3, 0.1 mM ascorbic acid, with 0, 5, 10, or 20 mM H2O2) at pH 6.2, 4 °C for 18 h. The solubility of nonoxidized (control) PM MPs (63%) was higher than that of control GN MPs (41%). After oxidation with •OH generated at 5 mM H2O2, protein solubility decreased by 46% and 21% for PM and GN, respectively, due to aggregation. Chemical and electrophoretic analyses indicated H2O2‐dose‐dependent losses of sulfhydryls and the concomitant formation of disulfides which were more pronounced in PM protein samples. Oxidation favored cross‐linking of myosin rod or tail in PM MPs compared to an equal susceptibility of myosin subfragment‐1 (s‐1) and rod to •OH in GN MPs. Both Ca‐ and K‐ATPase activities in GN myosin were more sensitive to •OH than their PM counterparts, indicating a less stable s‐1 region of GN myosin to oxidation. The uncoiling of rods from PM myosin was more rapid than that in GN myosin during heating. Oxidation induced cross‐linking via disulfide bonds hindered the unfolding of rod, particularly in PM myosin. These data revealed the molecular events that underscore the necessity of meat processing and formulation control based on muscle fiber types.
Adhesion, Cohesion, and Friction Estimated from Combining Cutting and Peeling Test Results for Thin Noodle Sheets
Authors: Wu Kao , Gunaratne Anil , Collado Lilia S. , Corke Harold , Lucas Peter W.
Published: January 2015

The aim of this study was to estimate the adhesive and cohesive fracture energies, and frictional characteristics of 7 types of cooked starch and flour sheets and combine these into a model framework for textural analysis. Cutting tests with wires of diameter 0.30 to 0.89 mm were performed with and without lubrication. Plots of the work done, normalized to the area cut by the wire, showed that this to be linearly related to wire diameter irrespective of lubrication. The oil had little impact on the intercept of these plots, giving cohesive fracture energy (Gc) ranges for these foods between 6.8 and 32.5 J/m2. However, lubrication had a strong influence on the slope of the plots. From a comparison of the slopes for lubricated versus unlubricated tests, the kinetic coefficient of friction could be calculated. Values for between 0.007 and 0.521 for different foods were obtained. Peeling tests were performed by lifting sheets vertically away from a fresh mica surface. The adhesive fracture energy Ga, varied from 2.5 to 4.8 J/m2. The results can be modeled by plotting the ratio of cohesive to adhesive fracture energy against the coefficient of friction. Thresholds in both axes suggest a physical basis for distinguishing textural perceptions. However, sensory testing with 12 subjects using the 7 food types could not establish whether this framework, however well‐established physically, would apply to oral sensations. A much larger test would be required.
Growing Pains: Audit Quality and Office Growth
Authors: Bills Kenneth L. , Swanquist Quinn T. , Whited Robert L.
Published: January 2015

This study provides evidence on how local office growth affects audit quality. We predict that significant recent growth will temporarily stress office resources, leading to a negative relation between office‐level growth and audit quality. To test this prediction, we examine a sample of 17,062 firm‐year observations from 2005 to 2010. Results indicate a consistent negative relation between changes in volume of audit work and audit quality. Specifically, clients of offices that experience increases in workload over the prior year have greater absolute discretionary accruals as well as an increased likelihood of restatement. Our tests also indicate that the effect of office growth is transient and vanishes after one year. We find limited evidence that the size of the auditor's national network of offices partially mitigates the negative effects of office growth on audit quality. We further show that proxies for audit quality are negatively related to office‐level growth from new and existing clients. These findings are robust to controls for client and auditor characteristics as well as alternative specifications of growth. Taken together, evidence indicates that while larger offices provide higher audit quality, the benefits of office size are not realized immediately and rapid growth temporarily impairs audit quality. These results are informative to regulators concerned with audit quality and to practitioners charged with adjusting to office growth.
Innovations in air sampling to detect plant pathogens
Authors: West J.S. , Kimber R.B.E.
Published: January 2015

Many innovations in the development and use of air sampling devices have occurred in plant pathology since the first description of the Hirst spore trap. These include improvements in capture efficiency at relatively high air‐volume collection rates, methods to enhance the ease of sample processing with downstream diagnostic methods and even full automation of sampling, diagnosis and wireless reporting of results. Other innovations have been to mount air samplers on mobile platforms such as UAVs and ground vehicles to allow sampling at different altitudes and locations in a short space of time to identify potential sources and population structure. Geographical Information Systems and the application to a network of samplers can allow a greater prediction of airborne inoculum and dispersal dynamics. This field of technology is now developing quickly as novel diagnostic methods allow increasingly rapid and accurate quantifications of airborne species and genetic traits. Sampling and interpretation of results, particularly action‐thresholds, is improved by understanding components of air dispersal and dilution processes and can add greater precision in the application of crop protection products as part of integrated pest and disease management decisions. The applications of air samplers are likely to increase, with much greater adoption by growers or industry support workers to aid in crop protection decisions. The same devices are likely to improve information available for detection of allergens causing hay fever and asthma or provide valuable metadata for regional plant disease dynamics.
Pre‐operative fibrinogen supplementation in cardiac surgery patients: an evaluation of different trigger values
Authors: RANUCCI M. , JEPPSSON A. , BARYSHNIKOVA E.
Published: January 2015

Background

Pre‐operative fibrinogen levels are negatively associated with postoperative bleeding in cardiac surgery patients. The guidelines of the European Society of Anaesthesiology consider the possibility of a prophylactic pre‐operative supplementation in patients with fibrinogen levels < 3.8 g/l. The present study is a reanalysis of published data aimed to define the diagnostic accuracy of different values of pre‐operative fibrinogen levels in predicting severe post‐operative bleeding.

Methods

Data were retrieved for 2154 patients in four different studies. Severe bleeding (SB) was defined as a post‐operative chest drain output > 1 l/12 h. Diagnostic accuracy for prediction of SB was tested at three cutoff values of pre‐operative fibrinogen (2.5 g/l, 3.0 g/l, and 3.8 g/l).

Results

At all the three cutoff values, pre‐operative fibrinogen levels had an excellent negative predictive value, ranging from 86% to 100%. Conversely, the positive predictive value was poor at all the cutoff levels: 12% (3.8 g/l), 14% (3.0 g/l), and 19% (2.5 g/l). Overall, the accuracy of pre‐operative fibrinogen levels for the prediction of SB was poor. A strategy based on pre‐operative fibrinogen supplementation would lead to inappropriate treatment in > 80% of the treated patients. Overall, a trigger value of 3.8 g/l would result in an inappropriate treatment in 52% of the patients, of 3.0 g/l in 20% of the patients, and of 2.5 g/l in 4% of the patients.

Conclusion

Correction of pre‐operative fibrinogen levels below 3.8 g/l would lead to an excessive rate of inappropriate interventions. Values below 2.5 g/l could be considered.
Biochemistry and molecular characterisation of chlorpyrifos resistance in field strains of the white‐backed planthopper Sogatella furcifera (Hemiptera: Delphacidae)
Authors: He Ming , Ai Zhen‐Xian , Jiang Zi‐Qiong , Long Yu‐Ning , Zhang Yue‐Liang , He Peng
Published: January 2015

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is the molecular target of organophosphate (OP) and carbamate (CB) insecticides. The white‐backed planthopper, Sogatella furcifera (Horváth, 1899), is a notorious rice pest in Asia and exhibits high resistance against a specific OP pesticide known as chlorpyrifos. To date, there has not yet been a study on the molecular mechanisms that confer resistance to this pesticide in S. furcifera. In this study, we cloned the full‐length cDNA of AChE type 1 and type 2 genes from S. furcifera (SfAChE1 and SfAChE2). Both genes appear to be functional and are composed of the classic AChE domains. An analysis of the gene family revealed that SfAChE1 and SfAChE2 cluster into in the insect AChE1 and AChE2 clades, respectively. We first performed qPCR experiments to detect AChE expression patterns in distinct developmental stages and tissues. Our results revealed that SfAChE1 is more highly expressed than SfAChE2. Both genes were most highly expressed during the first instar nymph stage, and then expressed at a decreasing rate until the end of the fifth instar nymph stage. Both SfAChE1 and SfAChE2 were more highly expressed than in other tested tissues. Furthermore, we investigated the association between AChE genes and chlorpyrifos resistance and found that Nanjing (NJ‐R) is a chlorpyrifos‐resistant strain with high frequencies of a Ser298Pro mutation in SfAChE1. Conversely, the chlorpyrifos‐susceptible Guangdong (GD‐S) strain did not carry this mutation.
Selection for high and low oxygen consumption altered hepatic mitochondrial energy efficiency in mice
Authors: Hong Yu , Ardiyanti Astrid , Kikusato Motoi , Shimazu Tomoyuki , Toyomizu Masaaki , Suzuki Keiichi
Published: January 2015

Selection for high (H) and low (L) oxygen consumption (OC) as an indirect estimation of maintenance energy requirement was determined. Feed intake and body weight were measured and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of 4–8‐week‐old mice was calculated. Respiratory activity of hepatic mitochondria was measured at 12 weeks. Total feed intake (H: 103.74 g, L: 97.92 g, P < 0.01), daily feed intake (H: 3.70 g/day, L: 3.50 g/day, P < 0.01) and FCR (H: 18.79, L: 15.50, P < 0.01) were significantly different between lines. The line by sex interaction was significant for FCR. No line differences were observed in males; and the FCR of the H line was greater than in the L line in females. H line mice had the highest hepatic mitochondrial respiratory activity in state 2 (P < 0.01), the highest uncoupled respiratory rate of mitochondria in the presence of an uncoupling agent (P < 0.001), and the mitochondrial proton leak. The adenosine diphosphate/ O ratio was highest in the L line (P < 0.05). This suggests that the selection for high and low OC induced differences in basal mitochondrial respiration and basal metabolism, resulting in difference in FCR between H and L lines.
Improving Aboriginal Women's Experiences of Antenatal Care: Findings from the Aboriginal Families Study in South Australia
Authors: Brown Stephanie Janne , Weetra Donna , Glover Karen , Buckskin Mary , Ah Kit Jackie , Leane Cathy , Mitchell Amanda , Stuart‐Butler Deanna , Turner May , Gartland Deirdre , Yelland Jane
Published: January 2015

Background

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families experience markedly worse maternal and child health outcomes than non‐Aboriginal families. The objective of this study was to investigate the experiences of women attending Aboriginal Family Birthing Program services in South Australia compared with women attending mainstream public antenatal care.

Method

Population‐based survey of mothers of Aboriginal babies giving birth in urban, regional, and remote areas of South Australia between July 2011 and June 2013.

Results

A total of 344 women took part in the study around 4–9 months after giving birth; 93 percent were Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders, and 7 percent were non‐Aboriginal mothers of Aboriginal babies. Of these, 39 percent of women lived in a major city, 36 percent in inner or outer regional areas, and 25 percent in remote areas of South Australia. Compared with women attending mainstream public antenatal care, women attending metropolitan and regional Aboriginal Family Birthing Program services had a higher likelihood of reporting positive experiences of pregnancy care (adjOR 3.4 [95% CI 1.6–7.0] and adjOR 2.4 [95% CI 1.4–4.3], respectively). Women attending Aboriginal Health Services were also more likely to report positive experiences of care (adjOR 3.5 [95% CI 1.3–9.4]).

Conclusions

In the urban, regional, and remote areas where the Aboriginal Family Birthing Program has been implemented, the program has expanded access to culturally responsive antenatal care for Aboriginal women and families. The positive experiences reported by many women using the program have the potential to translate into improved outcomes for Aboriginal families.
Creativity and Destructiveness in Art and Psychoanalysis
Authors: Townsend Patricia
Published: January 2015

This paper focuses on the creativity of the patient in analysis and compares it to that of the artist. Taking artists' descriptions of their practices as its starting point, the paper suggests that the relationship between patient and analyst parallels that between artist and medium. Psychoanalysis and artistic process can both be seen in terms of a complex interplay between oneness and separateness in which aggression and destructiveness play an essential part. The paper includes a discussion of different forms of aggression and destructiveness within the creative process with particular reference toWinnicott's paper ‘The use of an object’ (1969) andRozsikaParker's ‘Killing the angel in the house’ (1998). It suggests that a consideration of artists' creative processes can shed light both on the experience of the patient in analysis and on the role of the analyst in facilitating the development of the patient's creativity.
Forkhead box protein P3 (Foxp3) expression serves as an early chronic inflammation marker of squamous cell differentiation and aggressive pathology of urothelial carcinomas in neurological patients
Authors: Phé Véronique , Rouprêt Morgan , Cussenot Olivier , Chartier‐Kastler Emmanuel , Gamé Xavier , Compérat Eva
Published: January 2015

Objective

To establish whether the expression of forkhead box protein P3 (Foxp3) provides specific diagnostic information about neurological patients with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB).

Patients and Methods

UCB tissue samples from neurological patients were retrieved and compared with control samples. The expression of Foxp3 was analysed via immunohistochemistry of microarray tissue sections. The correlation between Foxp3 expression, histological parameters and tumour stage was assessed.

Results

Overall, 20 UCB tissue samples and 20 others without UCB from neurological patients, and 46 UCB tissue samples from non‐neurological patients were analysed. The distribution of pT of UCB in the neurological patients was as follows: one low‐grade pTa (5%), three high‐grade pTa (15%), three pT1(15%), one pT2(5%), seven pT3(35%) and five pT4(25%). Squamous cell differentiation was seen in nine UCB samples (45%). Foxp3 expression was detected in tumour tissues, including one pTa high grade, one pT1, one pT2, five pT3 and five pT4 tumours. Foxp3 was expressed in 11/13 muscle‐invasive tumours. All tumours displaying squamous cell differentiation expressed Foxp3. Foxp3 was not expressed in the pT3 tumours that displayed sarcomatoid and micropapillary properties. Among the bladder samples without UCB from neurological patients, no expression of Foxp3 was observed. Among the UCB samples from the non‐neurological patients, only seven displayed squamous cell differentiation. All tumours that displayed squamous cell differentiation expressed Foxp3, including one pTa high grade, four pT3 and two pT4 tumours. Other tumours displaying urothelial differentiation did not express Foxp3. The expression of Foxp3 correlated to squamous cell differentiation in neurological (P = 0.004) and non‐neurological UCB tissue (P < 0.001). In neurological, but not non‐neurological UCB tissue, the expression of Foxp3 correlated with the muscle‐invasive stage (P = 0.022).

Conclusions

Elevated expression of Foxp3 appears to be a characteristic of neurological patients presenting with aggressive UCB and squamous cell differentiation. Targeting Foxp3 may represent a novel strategy to improve anti‐tumour immunotherapy for UCB.
Intermediate analysis of a phase II trial assessing gemcitabine and cisplatin in locoregional or metastatic penile squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Houédé Nadine , Dupuy Laura , Fléchon Aude , Beuzeboc Philippe , Gravis Gwenaëlle , Laguerre Brigitte , Théodore Christine , Culine Stéphane , Filleron Thomas , Chevreau Christine
Published: January 2015

Objective

To perform a phase II study evaluating a combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin in a population of patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the penis and unresected locoregional lymph nodes and/or distant metastases, who had a poor prognosis with no standard of chemotherapy.

Patients and Methods

Eligible patients had histologically confirmed SCC of the penis with unresected locoregional lymph nodes and/or distant metastases, at initial diagnosis or at relapse, and measurable disease as defined by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria. Patients were treated with a combination of gemcitabine 1250 mg/m2 on day 1 over 30 min and cisplatin 50 mg/m2 on day 1 over 1 h, every 2 weeks. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate; secondary endpoints were time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS).

Results

In all, 25 patients were included in the first phase of the study between February 2004 and January 2010 and received a median of five cycles. For the intent‐to‐treat population, two patients (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.98–26.0) presented an objective response and 13 patients (52%) had stable disease (95% CI 35.5–76.8). The median TTP was at 5.48 months (95% CI 2.40–11.73). After a median follow‐up of 26.97 months (95% CI 17.77, not reached), nine patients were still alive. The median OS and 2‐year OS rate were respectively estimated at 14.98 months (95% CI 9.76–32.9) and 39.32% (95% CI 19.15–59.03). Eleven patients had a serious adverse event (44%), 24% being relied to chemotherapy.

Conclusion

Every 2 weeks' administration of the combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin showed non‐significant responses in patients with unresected locoregional or metastatic penile SCC. Despite manageable side‐effects, this combination cannot be recommended as a standard of care, due to disappointing response rates seen in this negative study. Further regimens should be explored to improve the OS of these patients with poor prognosis.
THE DETERMINANTS OF PRICE IN ONLINE AUCTIONS: MORE EVIDENCE FROM QUANTILE REGRESSION
Authors: Sun Chia‐Hung D. , Chiu Yi‐Bin , Hsu Ming‐Fei
Published: January 2015

This study explores how seller reputations affect auction prices and concludes that earlier findings may be biased due to the misspecification of seller reputation. This paper contributes to the literature by offering significant empirical evidence using Taiwanese internet auction data. Our study reveals that the influence of seller reputations on auction prices is significant, irrespective of the assumptions of linear or non‐linear relationships with price. However, failure to consider the non‐linear setting of seller reputation leads us to underestimate the impact of reputation when the seller's reputation score is low, but overestimates it when the seller's reputation becomes high. Using quantile regression, this study finds evidence of considerable differences in their impact on auction prices that are dependent on the distribution of price levels.
Role of the Copper(II) Complex Cu[15]pyN5 in Intracellular ROS and Breast Cancer Cell Motility and Invasion
Authors: Fernandes Ana S. , Flórido Ana , Saraiva Nuno , Cerqueira Sara , Ramalhete Sérgio , Cipriano Madalena , Cabral Maria Fátima , Miranda Joana P. , Castro Matilde , Costa Judite , Oliveira Nuno G.
Published: January 2015

Multiple mechanisms related to metastases undergo redox regulation. Cu[15]pyN5 is a redox‐active copper(II) complex previously studied as a chemotherapy sensitizer in mammary cells. The effects of a cotreatment with Cu[15]pyN5 and doxorubicin (dox) were evaluated in two human breast cancer cell lines: MCF7 (low aggressiveness) and MDA‐MB‐231 (highly aggressive). Cu[15]pyN5 decreased MCF7‐directed cell migration. In addition, a cotreatment with dox and Cu[15]pyN5 reduced the proteolytic invasion of MDA‐MB‐231 cells. Cell detachment was not affected by exposure to these agents. Cu[15]pyN5 and dox significantly increased intracellular ROS in both cell lines. This increase could be at least partially due to H2O2 accumulation. The combination of Cu[15]pyN5 with dox may be beneficial in breast cancer treatment as it could help reduce cancer cell migration and invasion. Moreover, the ligand [15]pyN5 has a high affinity for copper(II) and displays potential anti‐angiogenic properties. Overall, we present a potential drug that might arrest the progression of breast cancer by different and complementary mechanisms.
Number of teeth and 5‐year mortality in an elderly population
Authors: Hirotomi Toshinobu , Yoshihara Akihiro , Ogawa Hiroshi , Miyazaki Hideo
Published: January 2015

Objectives

Several epidemiological studies have shown the association between tooth loss and mortality. However, the impact of number of teeth on mortality has not yet been fully addressed in an elderly population with many teeth. Thus, the purpose of this cohort study was to assess the possible role of number of teeth as a predictor of mortality in the elderly.

Methods

The subjects included in this study were generated from a cohort study started in 1998. Oral examinations and the completion of a questionnaire were carried out. A total of 600 subjects aged 70 years were enrolled at baseline. All the subjects were in good general health and did not require any special care for their daily activities. The 5‐year mortality data were collected after the baseline survey. After excluding those with incomplete data, 569 subjects were analyzed. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to analyze survival curves and a Cox regression model to clarify the impact of the number of remaining teeth on the 5‐year mortality.

Results

During the follow‐up period, 25 (4.4%) subjects died. Subjects with 20 teeth or more had a significantly lower mortality rate (2.5%) than those with 19 teeth or fewer (6.1%, log‐rank test, P = 0.036). Even after adjusting for confounders including gender, BMI, serum albumin level, current smoking status, education, number of family members living together and a history of chronic diseases, the risk of all‐cause mortality was significantly associated with the number of remaining teeth (P = 0.047) with a hazard ratio of 0.96, indicating that there was a 4% point increase in the 5‐year survival rate per additional tooth retained at the age of 70.

Conclusion

The findings of this study suggest that retaining more teeth might be a useful indicator for longevity of older people.
Fel d 1‐derived synthetic peptide immuno‐regulatory epitopes show a long‐term treatment effect in cat allergic subjects
Authors: Couroux P. , Patel D. , Armstrong K. , Larché M. , Hafner R. P.
Published: January 2015

Background

Cat‐PAD, the first in a new class of synthetic peptide immuno‐regulatory epitopes (SPIREs), was shown to significantly improve rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms in subjects with cat allergy up to 1 year after the start of a short course of treatment.

Objective

To evaluate the long‐term effects of Cat‐PAD on rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms following standardized allergen challenge 2 years after treatment.

Methods

In a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, parallel group study, subjects were exposed to cat allergen in an environmental exposure chamber (EEC) before and after treatment with two regimens of Cat‐PAD (either eight doses of 3 nmol or four doses of 6 nmol) given intradermally over a 3‐month period. In this follow‐up study, changes from baseline in rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms were reassessed 2 years after the start of treatment.

Results

The primary endpoint showed a mean reduction in total rhinoconjunctivitis symptom scores of 3.85 units in the 4 × 6 nmol Cat‐PAD group compared to placebo 2 years after the start of treatment (P = 0.13), and this difference was statistically significant in the secondary endpoint at the end of day 4 when the cumulative allergen challenge was greatest (P = 0.02). Consistent reductions in nasal symptoms of between 2 and 3 units were observed for 4 × 6 nmol Cat‐PAD compared to placebo between the 2 and 3 h time points on days 1–4 of EEC challenge at 2 years (P < 0.05). The 8 × 3 nmol dose did not show a meaningful effect in this study.

Conclusion and Clinical Relevance

A persistent, clinically meaningful reduction in rhinoconjunctivitis symptoms was observed on EEC challenge 2 years after the start of a short course of treatment with 4 × 6 nmol Cat‐PAD. This study is the first to provide evidence of a long‐term therapeutic effect with this new class of SPIREs.
Children with atopic dermatitis show clinical improvement after Lactobacillus exposure
Authors: Wang I.‐J. , Wang J.‐Y.
Published: January 2015

Background

The role of probiotics in the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) is not clearly established. Further clinical trials with new probiotic formulations are warranted.

Objectives

To assess the effects of Lactobacillus paracasei (LP) and Lactobacillus fermentum (LF), and their mixture on the disease severity, quality of life, and immune biomarkers of children with AD.

Method

A double‐blind, prospective, randomized placebo‐controlled study was conducted on 220 children aged 1–18 years with moderate‐to‐severe AD (Trial number: NCT01635738). The children were randomized to receive LP, LF, LP + LF mixture, and placebo for 3 months. Changes in severity scoring of atopic dermatitis (SCORAD), Family Dermatology Life Quality Index (FDLQI), and Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) scores in the different groups and at different visits were evaluated. Skin prick tests, levels of IgE, IFN‐γ, IL‐4, TGF‐β, and TNF‐α, and urine biomarkers were also evaluated.

Results

Children who received LP, LF, and LP + LF mixture showed lower SCORAD scores than the placebo group (P < 0.001), and this difference remained even at 4 months after discontinuing the probiotics. The FDLQI and CDLQI scores were lower in the LP, LF, and LP + LF mixture group than in the placebo group (P = 0.02 and 0.03). IgE, TNF‐α, urine eosinophilic protein X, and 8‐OHdG levels decreased, whereas IFN‐γ and TGF‐β increased in the probiotic groups, but these did not reach statistical significance except for IL‐4 (P = 0.04). In subgroup analyses, SCORAD scores significantly decreased after probiotic treatment especially in children younger than age 12, with breastfeeding > 6 months, and with mite sensitization (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Supplementation of a probiotic mixture of LP and LF is associated with clinical improvement in children with AD.
Mechanism of glutamine inhibition of cytosolic phospholipase a2 (cPLA2): Evidence of physical interaction between glutamine-Induced mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 and cPLA2
Authors: Lee C-H , Kim H-K , Jeong J-S , Lee Y-D , Jin Z Wu , Im S-Y , Lee H-K
Published: January 2015

Non-essential amino acid L-glutamine (Gln) possesses anti-inflammatory activity via deactivating cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2). We showed previously that Gln deactivated cPLA2 indirectly via dephosphorylating p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), the major kinase for cPLA2 phosphorylation, through inducing MAPK phosphatase-1 (MKP-1). In this study, we investigated the precise mechanism underlying Gln deactivation of cPLA2. In lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated mice, Gln injection resulted in dephosphorylation of phosphorylated cPLA2 (p-cPLA2), which coincided with rapid Gln induction of MKP-1. MKP-1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) abrogated the ability of Gln to induce MKP-1 as well as the dephosphorylation of cPLA2. Co-immunoprecipitation and in-situ proximity ligation assay revealed a physical interaction between MKP-1 and p-cPLA2. In a murine model of allergic asthma, we also demonstrated the physical interaction between MKP-1 and p-cPLA2. Furthermore, Gln suppressed various allergic asthma phenotypes, such as neutrophil and eosinophil recruitments into the airway, airway levels of T helper type 2 (Th2) cytokines [interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5 and IL-13], airway hyperresponsiveness, mucin production and metabolites (leukotriene B4 and platelet-activating factor) through inhibiting cPLA2 in a MKP-1-dependent manner. These data suggest that MKP-1 uses cPLA2, in addition to p38, as a substrate, which further potentiates the anti-inflammatory action of Gln.
Indolamine 2,3-dioxygenase expression by monocytes and dendritic cell populations in hepatitis C patients
Authors: Schulz S , Landi A , Garg R , Wilson J A , van Drunen Littel-van den Hurk S
Published: January 2015

Dendritic cells (DCs) play an important role in the induction of the primary immune response to infection. DCs may express the tryptophan-catabolizing enzyme indolamine2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), which is an inducer of immune tolerance. Because there is evidence that chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection leads to functional impairment of certain DC populations, we analysed IDO expression in DCs and monocytes from chronically infected and recovered HCV patients. The IDO1 and -2 expression was increased significantly in the monocytes of chronic HCV patients but, interestingly, not in those from recovered patients. The myeloid DCs from chronically infected HCV patients also showed enhanced IDO1 expression, while no change in either IDO1 or -2 was found for plasmacytoid DCs. Up-regulation of IDO1 gene expression was confirmed by the presence of enhanced kynurenine/tryptophan ratios in the plasma from chronic HCV patients. Increased IDO1 and -2 expression was also observed in monocytes from healthy donors infected with an adapted mutant of the HCV JFH-1 strain ex vivo, confirming a direct effect of HCV infection. These changes in IDO expression could be prevented by treatment with the IDO inhibitor 1-methyl tryptophan (1-mT). Furthermore, maturation of monocyte-derived DCs from chronically infected HCV patients, as well as well as monocyte-derived DCs infected ex vivo with HCV, was impaired, but this was reversed by 1-mT treatment. This suggests that IDO inhibitors may be used to treat chronic HCV patients in vivo, in conjunction with current therapies, or to activate DCs from patients ex vivo, such that they can be administered back as a DC-based therapeutic vaccine.
Gender bias in lupus: does immune response initiated in the gut mucosa have a role?
Authors: Gaudreau M-C , Johnson B M , Gudi R , Al-Gadban M M , Vasu C
Published: January 2015

The risk of developing systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is approximately nine times higher among women compared to men. However, very little is understood concerning the underlying mechanisms that contribute to this gender bias. Further, whether there is a link between immune response initiated in the gut mucosa, the progression of SLE and the associated gender bias has never been investigated. In this report, we show a potential link between the immune response of the gut mucosa and SLE and the gender bias of lupus for the first time, to our knowledge. Both plasma cell- and gut-imprinted- α4β7 T cell frequencies were significantly higher in the spleen and gut mucosa of female (SWR × NZB)F1 (SNF1) mice compared to that of their male counterparts. Importantly, female SNF1 mice not only showed profoundly higher CD45+ immune cell densities, but also carried large numbers of interleukin (IL)-17-, IL-22- and IL-9-producing cells in the lamina propria (LP) compared to their male counterparts. Intestinal mucosa of female SNF1 mice expressed higher levels of a large array of proinflammatory molecules, including type 1 interferons and Toll-like receptors 7 and 8 (TLR-7 and TLR-8), even before puberty. Our work, therefore, indicates that the gut immune system may play a role in the initiation and progression of disease in SLE and the associated gender bias.
Ligation‐assisted endoscopic enucleation for the treatment of colorectal submucosal tumours originating in the muscularis propria
Authors: Guo J. , Wang S. , Liu Z. , Sun S. , Liu X. , Wang S. , Ge N. , Wang G.
Published: January 2015

Aim

A ligation‐assisted endoscopic enucleation (EE‐L) technique was developed and was evaluated to determine its efficacy and safety for treating colorectal submucosal tumours (< 10 mm) originating in the muscularis propria.

Method

EE‐L was used to treat 13 patients between January 2011 and January 2014. The tumour was sucked into a transparent cap and ligated at its base by a rubber band ligature attached to the tip of the endoscope. With the creation of a pseudo‐stalk, the tumour was then enucleated using endoscopic dissection and the wound was closed with clips.

Results

All tumours [median diameter 6.8 (4–10) mm] were successfully enucleated [procedure time 19 (11–27) min]. Histopathological examination identified 11 (84.6%) to be leiomyoma and 2 (15.4%) low‐risk gastrointestinal stromal tumours. No perforations or massive haemorrhage occurred and there were no recurrences during a follow‐up of 3–39 months.

Conclusion

EE‐L is a successful technique for the removal of small colorectal tumours in the muscularis propria with few complications and enables a histopathological diagnosis. In this study, all the resected lesions had a benign pathology.
The technique of sacral nerve modulation
Authors: Martellucci J.
Published: January 2015

Aim

The aim of this review was to summarize current knowledge and recommendations regarding the technique of implantation of the electrode in performing sacroneuromodulation (SNM) and the available information on programming parameters and implantation algorithms.

Method

All English‐language articles published from January 1985 to December 2013 that reported the SNM surgical technique and results were considered for inclusion. Data were considered useful for the present review only if related to: (i) peripheral nerve evaluation; (ii) temporary nerve stimulation; (iii) definitive impulse generator placement; and (iv) parameters programming.

Results

The literature search revealed 193 potentially relevant studies from initial electronic search terms and eligibility criteria, and these studies were evaluated in detail. In total, 41 studies were included in the final analysis. Of the studies reviewed, the majority (n = 37) were prospective or retrospective case series. Only three randomized clinical trials were eligible for inclusion.

Conclusion

Although the technique seems to be standardized, several steps still need to be clarified in order to define the best way to perform the procedure and then to maximize the outcome.