bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pituitary stem /progenitor cells: embryonic players in the adult gland?
Authors: Vankelecom Hugo
Published: December 2010

The pituitary gland represents the endocrine core of the body, and its hormonal output governs many key physiological processes. Because endocrine demands frequently change, the pituitary has to flexibly remodel its hormone‐producing cell compartment. One mechanism of pituitary plasticity may rely on the generation of new hormonal cells from resident stem/progenitor cells. Existence of such ‘master’ cells in the pituitary has in the past repeatedly been postulated. Only recently, however, very plausible candidates have been identified that express stem cell‐associated markers and signalling factors, and display the stem/progenitor cell characteristics of multipotency, efflux capacity (side population phenotype) and niche‐like organization. In other adult tissues, stem cells recapitulate the embryonic developmental path on their course towards mature specialized cells. Interestingly, the pituitary stem/progenitor cell compartment shows prominent expression of transcriptional regulators and signalling factors that play a pivotal role during pituitary embryogenesis. This review summarizes the recent progress in pituitary stem/progenitor cell identification, highlights their potential embryonic phenotype, sketches a tentative stem/progenitor cell model, and discusses further research and challenges. Recognizing and scrutinizing the pituitary stem/progenitor cells as embryonic players in the adult gland may profoundly impact on our still poor understanding of the mechanisms underlying pituitary cell turnover and plasticity.
Functional importance of blood flow dynamics and partial oxygen pressure in the anterior pituitary
Authors: Schaeffer Marie , Hodson David J. , Lafont Chrystel , Mollard Patrice
Published: December 2010

The pulsatile release of hormone is obligatory for the control of a range of important body homeostatic functions. To generate these pulses, endocrine organs have developed finely regulated mechanisms to modulate blood flow both to meet the metabolic demand associated with intense endocrine cell activity and to ensure the temporally precise uptake of secreted hormone into the bloodstream. With a particular focus on the pituitary gland as a model system, we review here the importance of the interplay between blood flow regulation and oxygen tensions in the functioning of endocrine systems, and the known regulatory signals involved in the modification of flow patterns under both normal physiological and pathological conditions.
Neuronal plasticity and seasonal reproduction in sheep
Authors: Lehman Michael N. , Ladha Zamin , Coolen Lique M. , Hileman Stanley M. , Connors John M. , Goodman Robert L.
Published: December 2010

Seasonal reproduction represents a naturally occurring example of functional plasticity in the adult brain as it reflects changes in neuroendocrine pathways controlling gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion and, in particular, the responsiveness of GnRH neurons to estradiol negative feedback. Structural plasticity within this neural circuitry may, in part, be responsible for seasonal switches in the negative feedback control of GnRH secretion that underlie annual reproductive transitions. We review evidence for structural changes in the circuitry responsible for seasonal inhibition of GnRH secretion in sheep. These include changes in synaptic inputs onto GnRH neurons, as well as onto dopamine neurons in the A15 cell group, a nucleus that plays a key role in estradiol negative feedback. We also present preliminary data suggesting a role for neurotrophins and neurotrophin receptors as an early mechanistic step in the plasticity that accompanies seasonal reproductive transitions in sheep. Finally, we review recent evidence suggesting that kisspeptin cells of the arcuate nucleus constitute a critical intermediary in the control of seasonal reproduction. Although a majority of the data for a role of neuronal plasticity in seasonal reproduction has come from the sheep model, the players and principles are likely to have relevance for reproduction in a wide variety of vertebrates, including humans, and in both health and disease.
Serious hazards of transfusion in children (SHOT)
Authors: Harrison Elaine , Bolton Philip
Published: December 2010

SHOT has been auditing information on transfusion practice for over ten years. Looking at this data allows us to determine the differences in the incidence of hazards seen in children compared to adults and to see which hazards are of particular importance for children of different ages undergoing surgery.
Simultaneous anti‐angiogenic therapy and single‐fraction radiosurgery in clinically relevant metastases from renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Staehler Michael , Haseke Nicolas , Nuhn Philipp , Tüllmann Cordula , Karl Alexander , Siebels Michael , Stief Christian G. , Wowra Berndt , Muacevic Alexander
Published: December 2010

Study Type – Therapy (case series)

Level of Evidence 4

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

To date radiation therapy has had no oncological implication in renal cell carcinoma. Its use was limited to palliation in painful bone lesions. Radiation therapy was considered ineffective as renal cell cancer is resistant to the commonly used doses of radiotherapy. Side effects in combination with systemic therapy were not known, but heavy skin toxicities were expected. Only a few cases of combined radiation with systemic therapy were published.

This is the only series where consecutive patients have been treated simultaneously with sunitnib and hypo‐fractionated high‐dose radiotherapy. Side effects were similar to those expected with systemic therapy or radiation therapy alone. Oncological results are extremely encouraging.

OBJECTIVE

• To analyse the safety and efficacy of simultaneous standard anti‐angiogenic therapy and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) in patients with spinal and cerebral metastases from renal cell carcinoma.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

• In all, 106 patients with spinal (n= 55) or cerebral (n= 51) metastatic lesions and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group status of 0 or 1 were treated with sorafenib or sunitinib and simultaneous SRS.

• The primary endpoint was local control.

• Secondary endpoints were toxicity and overall survival.

RESULTS

• Median follow up was 14.7 months (range 1–42 months). Forty‐five patients were treated with sunitinb and 61 patients with sorafenib. Two patients had asymptomatic tumour haemorrhage after SRS.

• No skin toxicity, neurotoxicity or myelopathy occurred after SRS, and SRS did not alter the adverse effects of anti‐angiogenic therapy.

• Local tumour control 15 months after SRS was 98% (95% confidence interval 89–99%). The median pain score before SRS was 5 (range 1–8) and was lowered to 0 (range 0–2, P < 0.01) after SRS. There were no treatment‐related deaths or late complications after SRS.

• Overall survival was 17.4 months in patients with spinal lesions and 11.1 month in patients with cerebral lesions (P= 0.038).

CONCLUSIONS

• Simultaneous systemic anti‐angiogenic therapy and SRS for selected patients with renal cell carcinoma who have spinal and cerebral metastases is safe and effective.

• Single‐fraction delivery allows for efficacious integration of focal radiation treatment into oncological treatment concepts without additional toxicity.

• Further studies are needed to determine the limits of SRS for renal cell carcinoma metastases outside the brain and spine.
Use of fluorescein isothiocyanate‐human serum albumin for the intravesical photodiagnosis of non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer: an in vitro study using multicellular spheroids composed of normal human urothelial and urothelial cell carcinoma cell lines
Authors: Roelants Mieke , Van Cleynenbreugel Ben , Van Poppel Hendrik , Lerut Evelyne , de Witte Peter A.M.
Published: December 2010

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate human serum albumin (HSA), fluorescently labelled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), as a potential intravesical photodiagnostic method for the early detection of non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

By using multicellular spheroids prepared from normal human urothelial (NHU) cells and from different urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) cell lines (T24, J82), we simulated three‐dimensionally the normal urothelium and non‐muscle‐invasive UCCs present in the bladder of patients.

The distribution of FITC‐HSA in these spheroids was investigated.

RESULTS

Our data showed that fluorescently labelled albumin is quite evenly dispersed throughout the spheroids. However, in the case of the 10 mg/mL incubations, the fluorescence intensity seems to increase slightly towards the spheroid core.

Using 1 mg/mL, the penetration of FITC‐HSA in T24 differed significantly from the penetration in NHU spheroids, but this was not the case for J82 spheroids.

When the concentration of FITC‐HSA was increased 10‐fold, all UCC spheroids exhibited a significantly different accumulation of FITC‐HSA.

CONCLUSIONS

As spheroids represent a suitable in vitro model for predicting the in vivo behaviour of compounds, our data suggest that FITC‐HSA could be used for the early detection of non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer.

Human serum albumin conjugates of new or already available intravesical drugs could be generated to create alternative bladder cancer therapies with increased selectivity.
GLOBALIZATION AND PRODUCTIVITY: A SURVEY OF FIRM‐LEVEL ANALYSIS
Authors: Hayakawa Kazunobu , Machikita Tomohiro , Kimura Fukunari
Published: December 2010

Abstract Recent empirical studies which utilize plant‐ or establishment‐level data to examine globalization's impact on productivity have discovered many causal mechanisms involved in globalization's impact on firms’ productivity. Because these pathways have been broad, there have been few attempts to summarize the several and detailed mechanisms of self‐selection and learning at the same time. This paper examines seven pathways so that the clear‐cut consequences of the broad picture of globalization become visible. This strategy is useful for detecting missing links within and across the existing studies as well as for finding possible synergy effects among different mechanisms. Insightful policy implications may be derived from the comprehensive comparisons between the seven different pathways of globalization.
SEASONALITY, FORECAST EXTENSIONS AND BUSINESS CYCLE UNCERTAINTY
Authors: Proietti Tommaso
Published: December 2010

Abstract Seasonality is one of the most important features of economic time series. The possibility to abstract from seasonality for the assessment of economic conditions is a widely debated issue. In this paper we propose a strategy for assessing the role of seasonal adjustment (SA) on business cycle measurement. In particular, we provide a method for quantifying the contribution to the unreliability of the estimated cycles extracted by popular filters, such as Baxter and King and Hodrick–Prescott (HP). The main conclusion is that the contribution is larger around the turning points of the series and at the extremes of the sample period; moreover, it much more sizeable for highpass filters, like the HP filter, which retain to a great extent the high‐frequency fluctuations in a time series, the latter being the ones that are more affected by SA. If a bandpass component is considered, the effect has reduced size. Finally, we discuss the role of forecast extensions and the prediction of the cycle. For the time series of industrial production considered in the illustration, it is not possible to provide a reliable estimate of the cycle at the end of the sample.
Environmental Policy and Speculation on Markets for Emission Permits
Authors: COLLA PAOLO , GERMAIN MARC , Van STEENBERGHE VINCENT
Published: December 2010

Speculators are active in large markets for emission permits such as those developing under the Kyoto Protocol. Since speculators help risk‐averse firms hedging the risk stemming from uncertain future demand, their entry reduces permits' expected returns and volatility. We characterize the optimal environmental policy by the agency setting the total amount of permits when speculators are active. Whenever the agency is sufficiently risk‐tolerant, speculators improve aggregate welfare by fostering firms' production. On the other hand, under a moderately risk‐averse agency, the increase in production volatility induced by speculators negatively affects social welfare.
Advertising and the Rise of Free Daily Newspapers
Authors: GABSZEWICZ JEAN J. , LAUSSEL DIDIER , SONNAC NATHALIE
Published: December 2010

This paper develops a model of the daily newspaper industry in order to provide a tentative explanation for the rise of free newspapers. This explanation is based on the growth of net advertising revenues per reader, i.e. of the difference between advertising revenue per reader and unit printing cost. Our analysis explains why the new entrant chooses to enter as a free newspaper with a minimum quality level, rather than as a traditional outlet with a positive price and a quality above the minimum. We also examine the welfare effects of this entry.
Multi‐scale Internet traffic forecasting using neural networks and time series methods
Authors: Cortez Paulo , Rio Miguel , Rocha Miguel , Sousa Pedro
Published: December 2010

This article presents three methods to forecast accurately the amount of traffic in TCP/IP based networks: a novel neural network ensemble approach and two important adapted time series methods (ARIMA and Holt‐Winters). In order to assess their accuracy, several experiments were held using real‐world data from two large Internet service providers. In addition, different time scales (5 min, 1 h and 1 day) and distinct forecasting lookaheads were analysed. The experiments with the neural ensemble achieved the best results for 5 min and hourly data, while the Holt‐Winters is the best option for the daily forecasts. This research opens possibilities for the development of more efficient traffic engineering and anomaly detection tools, which will result in financial gains from better network resource management.
Hybrid flowshop scheduling with sequence‐dependent setup times by hybridizing max–min ant system, simulated annealing and variable neighbourhood search
Authors: Behnamian J. , Fatemi Ghomi S. M. T. , Zandieh M.
Published: December 2010

This paper deals with the hybrid flowshop scheduling problems with sequence‐dependent setup times. To minimize the makespan, we propose hybrid metaheuristic approach, which integrates several features from ant colony optimization, simulated annealing and variable neighbourhood search in a new configurable scheduling algorithm. Our proposed algorithms are tuned by means of design of experiments approach. We present computational experiments on standard test problems and compare the results with the several algorithms presented previously. The results illustrate that the hybrid metaheuristic outperforms the other algorithms.
Morphological and genetic differentiation in populations of the dispersal‐limited coco de mer (Lodoicea maldivica): implications for management and conservation
Authors: Fleischer‐Dogley Frauke , Kettle Chris J. , Edwards Peter J. , Ghazoul Jaboury , Määttänen Kirsti , Kaiser‐Bunbury Christopher N.
Published: December 2010

Aims  Developing plant conservation strategies requires knowledge of ecological and genetic processes underlying population dynamics. We aimed to quantify morphological and genetic differentiation among remnant populations of the iconic coco‐de‐mer palm Lodoicea maldivica. We hypothesized that limited gene flow among widely spaced populations would result in high genetic variation and large phenotypic differences among populations.

Location  Islands of Praslin and Curieuse (CU), Seychelles, Indian Ocean.

Methods  We conducted an extensive population survey and recorded morphological parameters for 447 Lodoicea in the main populations at Vallée de Mai (VM) and Fond Ferdinand (FF) on Praslin, and on CU. We collected leaf material from 180 trees in these populations for DNA genotyping using amplified fragment length polymorphisms.

Results  A total of 16,766 Lodoicea trees were recorded in the three populations (72.6% of Lodoicea on both islands). Lodoicea trees at VM and FF showed similar morphology, but differed in most parameters from those at CU, which were shorter, grew more slowly and produced fewer seeds. Mean overall genetic diversity was 0.337, and percentage of polymorphic loci was 91.1. Genetic diversity of the CU population was lower than that at VM and FF. There was weak genetic differentiation between CU and Praslin populations, but 99% of all genetic diversity was within populations.

Main conclusions  Trees on CU differed in growth and morphology from those of the two Praslin populations. These phenotypic differences, however, were not mirrored in the genetic structure of the populations. All populations were relatively genetically diverse with remarkably little differentiation among populations. This suggests that the capacity of Lodoicea to dominate across a range of habitats may be because of high phenotypic plasticity. High genetic connectivity may be maintained through long‐distance wind pollination. Given the uncertainty about the extent of underlying adaptive variation, we recommend that restoration projects avoid transferring seeds between island populations.
Bridging the translation gap – new hopes, new challenges
Authors: Tageja Nishant
Published: December 2010

The complexity of modern biomedical research continues to increase. Research‐to‐practice gaps are now widely pervasive; these widening fissures between the disciplines of research and clinical medicine can only be abridged if the translational processes are methodically backed up by robust methods, many of which are yet to be developed. This primarily relates to the development of biomarkers, biostatistical methods, accelerated human study designs including phase 0 trials and smarter decision‐making tools among other features. This brief review highlights the tribulations that have contributed to the lack of technology transfer including lapses in communication between researchers and practitioners, and related factors in service deliverance such as the health care policies, public awareness, and financing. The paper also underscores the heightened attentiveness about the problem in recent years which has, in turn, paved the road for better opportunities to enable cross‐fertilization of ideas, collaboration across multiple disciplines and centers, training of students, residents and junior researchers, and promotion of practical research goals.
Randomised controlled trial of intermittent photic stimulation for treating amblyopia in older children and adults
Authors: Evans Bruce JW , Yu Charlotte S , Massa Emmanuelle , Mathews Jewlsy E
Published: December 2010

Citation information: Evans BJW, Yu CS, Massa E & Mathews JE. Randomised controlled trial of intermittent photic stimulation for treating amblyopia in older children and adults. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 2011, 31, 56–68.

The treatment of amblyopia is reviewed and it is noted that in addition to conventional ‘passive treatment’ in children with occlusion, it has been argued that ‘active treatment’ may be effective in older children and adults. Intermittent photic stimulation (IPS) is one such active treatment. In Study 1, we report a clinical audit of 21 patients treated with IPS, which demonstrated that the maximum improvement is reached after 6 half hour sessions. Study 2 is a double‐masked randomised controlled trial comparing IPS with a control treatment in 30 participants aged 10–57 years. Using a sensitive staircase measure of visual acuity (VA), the IPS group improved by about one line (p = 0.0053). The mean improvement was significantly greater (unpaired t‐test, p = 0.022) in the IPS group (mean 0.096; S.E.M. 0.029) than in the control group (mean 0.019; S.E.M. 0.022). The improvement occurred in participants with strabismic amblyopia, but not in those with anisometropic amblyopia. Follow up data after about 1 year showed that VA had regressed to pre‐treatment levels. The results are discussed within the context of another development in active amblyopia therapy, perceptual learning. The literature on this therapy reveals improvements in VA of about 2.5 lines in older children and adults with anisometropic amblyopia. It is concluded that perceptual learning is likely a better treatment option than IPS for anisometropic amblyopes, and probably also for strabismic amblyopes although a randomised controlled trial is required. It is noted that the existence of effective treatments for adults does not detract from the need to treat amblyopia in younger children.
An exploration of the initial effects of stereoscopic displays on optometric parameters
Authors: Fortuin Marten F , Lambooij Marc T , IJsselsteijn Wijnand A , Heynderickx Ingrid , Edgar David F , Evans Bruce JW
Published: December 2010

Citation information: Fortuin MF, Lambooij MT, IJsselsteijn WA, Heynderickx I, Edgar DF & Evans BJW. An exploration of the initial effects of stereoscopic displays on optometric parameters. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 2011, 31, 33–44.

Purpose:  To compare the effect on optometric variables of reading text presented in 2‐D and 3‐D on two types of stereoscopic display.

Methods:  This study measured changes in binocular visual acuity, fixation disparity, aligning prism, heterophoria, horizontal fusional reserves, prism facility and accommodation responses for near of subjects after completing ten consecutive reading tasks of 1 minute each. The tasks consisted of reading words on a polarized two‐view (n = 39) and an auto‐stereoscopic lenticular nine‐view display (n = 19) with the text presented without or with stereoscopic disparity at 3 m. Performance was assessed by measuring reading speed and symptoms were rated by the Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey (CISS) questionnaire.

Results:  With both types of display, CISS scores at least doubled immediately after subjects viewed the 3‐D text image in an extreme stereoscopic condition compared to the 2‐D condition (p < 0.001), while the mean reading speed slowed (p < 0.001). Mean changes in optometric test variables were not clinically or statistically significant (p values > 0.05). After the 3‐D task one participant showed consistent clinically meaningful decreases in convergent fusional break and recovery points for both displays.

Conclusion:  When healthy adult subjects with normal binocular vision viewed text images at 3 m in extreme 3‐D display settings for a short period of time there were no clinically significant mean changes in optometric test variables compared with 2‐D viewing.
Vanishing Optotype acuity: repeatability and effect of the number of alternatives
Authors: Shah Nilpa , Dakin Steven C , Redmond Tony , Anderson Roger S
Published: December 2010

Citation information: Shah N, Dakin SC, Redmond T & Anderson RS. Vanishing Optotype acuity: repeatability and effect of the number of alternatives. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 2011, 31, 17–22.

Purpose:  Vanishing Optotype letters have a pseudo high‐pass design so that the mean luminance of the target is the same as the background and the letters thus ‘vanish’ soon after the resolution threshold is reached. We wished to determine the variability of acuity measurements using these letters compared to conventional letters, and in particular how acuity is affected by the number of alternatives available to the subject.

Methods:  Acuity was measured using high contrast letters of both conventional and Vanishing Optotype design for three experienced normal subjects. Thresholds were determined for central vision in a forced choice paradigm for two alternatives (2AFC; AU and OQ), 4AFC (AQUO), 6AFC (QUANGO) and 26AFC (whole alphabet) using a QUEST procedure. Three measurements were made for each condition.

Results:  Threshold letter size was always larger for the Vanishing Optotypes than conventional letters, although the size of this difference (0.11–0.34 logMAR) depended on the number of alternatives and what they were. The effect of the number of AFC, and the individual letters employed, was smaller for the Vanishing Optotypes, implying that they are more equally legible than conventional optotypes. Variability was also lower for the Vanishing Optotype sets (0.01–0.03 logMAR) than the conventional letter sets (0.03–0.06).

Conclusions:  The smaller effect of the number of letter alternatives, combined with more equal discriminability and lower threshold variability, implies that Vanishing Optotypes may be appropriate targets from which to design letter charts to measure small clinical changes in acuity.
Support from early juvenile Jurassic, Cretaceous and Holocene thecideoid species for a postulated common early ontogenetic development pattern in thecideoid brachiopods
Authors: BAKER PETER G. , LOGAN ALAN
Published: December 2010

Abstract:  The analysis of morphological characters exhibited by the earliest ontogenetic stages of Middle Jurassic, Cretaceous and Holocene thecideoid species, together with the application of techniques that reveal the presence of early juvenile morphological characters buried in the shell fabric of adult representatives of the species concerned, reinforce the idea of a development pattern common to thecideoids from the early Middle Jurassic to the present day. Basic and long‐standing differences in the architecture of the brachidial skeleton of thecidellinids and lacazellins may be correlated with the morphology of thecospiroids and indicate that the Thecidellinidae and Thecideidae may have emerged as sister groups as early as the Triassic.
Mapping intergenerationalities: the formation of youthful religiosities
Authors: Hopkins Peter , Olson Elizabeth , Pain Rachel , Vincett Giselle
Published: December 2010

Recent geographical work has pointed to the complex and negotiated nature, and spatiality, of intergenerational relations. In this paper, we draw on research with young Scottish Christians and their guardians to explore the influence of intergenerationality on their religious identities, beliefs and practices. Our interest is to ask what these recent developments in the way we approach geographies of youth and age can tell us about the changing geographies of religion and vice versa. Much previous research has assumed a process of simple transmission, a static notion that is countered by interview data we present here. The diverse influences on the religiosity of young people – from institutions, religious leaders, culture, peers as well as the family – mean that intergenerational relations involve multiple and complex subject positions. We explore some of these positions, characterising them as correspondent, compliant, challenging and conflicting. We argue that intergenerational relations need to be understood as part of the site‐based practices that are central to the development and experience of young people’s religious identities.
Donor return after temporary deferral
Authors: Custer Brian , Schlumpf Karen S. , Wright David , Simon Toby L. , Wilkinson Susan , Ness Paul M. ,   for the NHLBI Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor Study‐II
Published: December 2010

BACKGROUND: The consequences of temporary predonation deferral are unsatisfactorily understood. Studies have found that deferral negatively impacts future donor return. However, the applicability of these findings across centers has not been established.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Using a cohort design, presenting donors with a temporary deferral in 2006 to 2008 in one of six categories (low hematocrit [Hct], blood pressure or pulse, feeling unwell, malaria travel, tattoos or piercing and related exposures, or could not wait or second thoughts) were passively followed for up to a 3‐year period for the time to first return after deferral expiration at six US blood centers. Time‐to‐event methods were used to assess return. We also analyzed which donor characteristics were associated with return using multivariable logistic regression.

RESULTS: Of 3.9 million donor presentations, 505,623 resulted in deferral in the six categories. Low Hct was the most common deferral, had the shortest median time to return (time in days when 50% of deferred donors had returned), and had the largest cumulative proportion of donors returning. Deferrals of shorter duration had better return. Longer‐term deferrals (up to 1 year in length) had the lowest cumulative return proportion, which did not exceed 50%. Return was associated with previously identified factors such as repeat donor status, older age, and higher educational attainment regardless of the type of deferral. In addition, return was associated with having been born in the United States and donation at fixed sites.

CONCLUSION: The category of temporary deferral influences the likelihood of future return, but the demographic and donation factors associated with return are largely consistent regardless of the deferral.
Automatic interface‐controlled apheresis collection of stem/progenitor cells: results from an autologous donor validation trial of a novel stem cell apheresis device
Authors: Reinhardt Peter , Brauninger Susanne , Bialleck Heike , Thorausch Kristin , Smith Richard , Schrezenmeier Hubert , Seifried Erhard , Wiesneth Markus , Bonig Halvard
Published: December 2010

BACKGROUND: Cryopreserved hematopoietic progenitor cells collected by apheresis from granulocyte–colony‐stimulating factor with or without chemotherapy–mobilized patients have become the preferred type of autograft to support treatment of diseases amenable to high‐dose chemotherapy. A novel apheresis system, the Spectra Optia v.5.0 (CaridianBCT), was constructed to meet certain shortcomings of manual apheresis systems such as the COBE Spectra MNC (CaridianBCT), including the need for continuous optical or manual monitoring and readjustment of buffy coat position and sensitivity to inconsistent blood flow. By use of optical sensors, which provide real‐time automatic interface (buffy coat) and collection line control, the Spectra Optia promises to automatically guide apheresis procedures, potentially freeing up operator time and reducing variability in collection efficiency (CE2).

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: In a two‐center clinical trial, 35 autologous stem cell donors were subjected to apheresis with the Spectra Optia to validate feasibility and effectiveness of apheresis procedures. Results were compared to data from 80 autologous apheresis procedures with the COBE Spectra MNC.

RESULTS: Usability and function of the automatic interface management were excellent. CD34+ cell quality, assessed by viability staining, colony‐forming unit–culture frequency, and engraftment kinetics, was equally good with both systems. CE2 of the Spectra Optia, calculated as CD34+ contents in the product divided by the number of CD34+ cells presented to the collection port, exceeded that of the COBE Spectra MNC. Spectra Optia product volumes were significantly smaller. Very high white blood cell and platelet counts modestly reduced CE2 with the Spectra Optia.

CONCLUSION: The Spectra Optia is a novel automatic apheresis system supporting autologous stem cell collection with at least equal efficiency and superior user‐friendliness compared to the COBE Spectra MNC.
“Who then is the Faithful, Insightful Steward?” Consumerism and Luke's Stewarding Vision
Authors: Carlson Rick
Published: December 2010

Abstract:  While at its face Luke's Gospel does not seem to address the realities of life and economics in a capitalistic, consumer‐oriented society, the complete rejection of first‐century economic and power structures presented in Luke offers opportunities to consider anew what it means for Christians in the twenty‐first century to live as faithful followers of Jesus Christ in today's overly consumer‐oriented society.
The Pursuit of Happiness: The Virtue of Consumption and the Consumption of Virtue
Authors: Makant Mindy G.
Published: December 2010

Abstract:  In a consumer culture we seek fulfillment and happiness through the act of consumption, often conflating purchasing power with freedom. The Christian tradition, however, teaches us that our telos is nothing less than friendship with God. It is through incorporation into a community of faith that we participate in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and thereby receive a foretaste of true happiness.
“Making Streets”: Planned Space and Unplanned Business in New Kujiang, Taiwan
Authors: HSU CHING‐WEN
Published: December 2010

New Kujiang, a shopping destination in Southern Taiwan known for youthful fashion and imported goods, emerged in the 1980s. As part of Taiwan's national project to modernize its business environment, New Kujiang was reconstructed in the image of Euro‐American shopping streets a decade later. Although the revitalization project and its cosmopolitan image fit in with the official vision of globalized urban space, its incorporation into this national project was not a seamless process. The ideal was confounded by incomplete execution of the project and troubled by customary practices that also sought participation in the market. Looking into ideas of urban commercial districts that informed the planning of New Kujiang and the actual process by which the space was constructed and occupied, this study seeks to understand the aspirations, contestations, and imaginations that enter into processes of constituting global/local spaces.
Special Economic Zones in India: Reconfiguring Displacement in a Neoliberal Order?
Authors: SAMPAT PREETI
Published: December 2010

In this paper I explore some legal and political strands in the schema of Special Economic Zones in India with specific reference to an immediate fallout of serious concern and contestation—the imminent displacement of thousands of people and livelihoods in the countryside where large SEZs are slated to come up. I examine the issues emerging from the peasant resistance to SALIM SEZ in the Nadigram block in West Bengal, to SEZs in Goa and ethnographic material from the Mumbai SEZ area of Raigad district in Maharashtra to offer a synoptic picture of the controversies around SEZs in India. In view of the developing scenario of dispossession and/ or distress, I argue for an anthropological praxis of political economic engagement.
African Americans as Placemakers in the Tamarack Triangle Community of Silver Spring, Maryland
Authors: KLUGH ELGIN
Published: December 2010

The Tamarack Triangle community of Silver Spring, Maryland, was formed largely during the 1960s. Although this was a time of much legislative progress toward integrated housing, many African Americans still struggled against blatant discrimination in the housing market. Furthermore, the damaging effects of blockbusting betrayed the hopes of many who were able to purchase a home. This research reveals how African American families seeking to purchase new homes in Montgomery County, Maryland, utilized agency and various forms of social capital to purchase homes in the Tamarack Triangle community. These families, along with white neighbors, protected their homes from the threat of displacement (in the form of blockbusting) and went on to forge a stable, integrated community
Cosmologies of Bungalow Preservation: Identity, Lifestyle, and Civic Virtue
Authors: LAWRENCE‐ZÚÑIGA DENISE
Published: December 2010

This paper examines the construction of identity and lifestyle through consumption practices associated with the restoration of humble early 20thcentury bungalows in Southern California. Homeowners engage in the historic preservation of their homes, endowing them with agency, and reveal in narratives personal transformation of identity and lifestyle. As preservationists they turn their experiences of private consumption into civic activism, collectively constructing local preservationist cosmologies with which to inspire and justify their advocacy of exclusionary aesthetic tactics in the public realm. Although preservation homeowners invoke legal protections to transform the appearance of multiethnic, multiclass localities, they also engage in educational outreach to win converts and mitigate the effects of gentrification in the continuing restructuring of older suburban landscapes.
Place for Personhood: Individual and Local Character in Lifestyle Migration
Authors: HOEY BRIAN A.
Published: December 2010

While drawing on literature of narrative interpretations of the construction of self and place‐based, embodied identity, this article will explore the impact of invasive market forces on intertwined processes of person, self, and place‐making. It considers how resources for these projects have changed in the face of translocal market forces and neoliberal ideals. Despite numerous proclamations of an essential placelessness to contemporary American society, place continues to be a basic part of the construction of the person. In fact, a variety of place‐making practices are increasingly pursued as ways of negotiating tension between personal experience with material demands in pursuit of a livelihood in the “flexible,” post‐industrial economy and prevailing cultural conventions for the good life. These personal acts become the basis for defining self‐identity within sustainable, moral narratives among lifestyle migrants. This article discusses how a sense of place, understood as manifest in personal attachment to real and imagined elements of particularity in place, which individuals understand as “local character,” may support people in their ability to form lasting autobiographical accounts, expressions of individual “character” critical to personhood. Examining the notion of “property for personhood,” particularly with reference to the category of “home,” this article offers a way of interpreting meaningful connections or attachments between the character of local place and individual character in the conduct of everyday life.
Wall Street Women: Engendering Global Finance in the Manhattan Landscape
Authors: FISHER MELISSA SUZANNE
Published: December 2010

The first generation of women on Wall Street has negotiated shifting gender roles from the fifties to the present, a period of transformation in global financial markets and business as well. Over much of this period, these women increasingly used city places—federal buildings, the stock exchange—to promote women's upward mobility on Wall Street. In this article, I focus on how two women's networks—The Financial Women's Association and the Women's Campaign Fund (now Forum)—deployed many tactics of visibility, including organizing events celebrating women's accomplishments in male dominated industries, using the press, and more recently incorporating feminist performance artist's autobiographical storytelling. The article traces the ways the women's networks shifted the sites of their spatial tactics in the eighties, from downtown financial spaces to more “democratic” professional‐managerial spaces throughout Manhattan. It also illuminates the ways the networks have increasingly incorporated tenets of liberal feminism into their events.
Comparison of Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy with Fluorine‐18 2‐Fluoro‐Deoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography for Assessment of Brain Tumor Progression
Authors: Imani Farzin , Boada Fernando E. , Lieberman Frank S. , Davis Denise K. , Deeb Erin L. , Mountz James M.
Published: December 2010

OBJECTIVES

We investigated the accuracy of high‐field proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) and fluorine‐18 2‐fluoro‐deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F‐FDG‐PET) for diagnosis of glioma progression following tumor resection, stereotactic radiation, and chemotherapy.

METHODS

Twelve post‐therapy patients with histology proven gliomas (six grade II and six grade III) presented with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical symptoms suggestive but not conclusive of progression were entered into the study. 1H MRS data were acquired and 3‐dimensional volumetric maps of choline (Cho) over creatine (Cr) were generated. Intensity of 18F‐FDG uptake was evaluated on a semiquantitative scale.

RESULTS

The accuracy of 1H MRS and 18F‐FDG‐PET imaging for diagnosis of glioma progression was 75% and 83%, respectively. Classifying the tumors by grade improved accuracy of 18F‐FDG‐PET to 100% in high‐grade gliomas and accuracy of 1H MRS to 80% in low‐grade tumors. Spearman's analysis demonstrated a trend between 18F‐FDG uptake and tumor grading (ρ= .612, P‐value = .272). The results of 18F‐FDG‐PET and 1H MRS were concordant in 75% (9/12) of cases.

CONCLUSION

The combination of 1H MRS data and 18F‐FDG‐PET imaging can enhance detection of glioma progression. 1H MRS imaging was more accurate in low‐grade gliomas and 18F‐FDG‐PET provided better accuracy in high‐grade gliomas. J Neuroimaging 2012;22:184‐190
Forensic Age Estimation on Digital X‐ray Images: Medial Epiphyses of the Clavicle and First Rib Ossification in Relation to Chronological Age*,†
Authors: Garamendi Pedro M. , Landa Maria I. , Botella Miguel C. , Alemán Inmaculada
Published: December 2010

Abstract:  In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in forensic sciences about forensic age estimation in living subjects by means of radiological methods. This research was conducted on digital thorax X‐rays to test the usefulness of some radiological changes in the clavicle and first rib. The sample consisted in a total of 123 subjects of Spanish origin (61 men and 62 women; age range: 5–75 years). From all subjects, a thorax posterior‐anterior radiograph was obtained in digital format. Scoring for fusion of medial epiphyses of the clavicle was carried out by Schmeling’s system and ossification of the costal cartilage of the first rib by Michelson’s system. Degree of ossification and epiphyseal fusion were analyzed in relation with known age and sex of these subjects. The results give a minimum age of >20 years for full fusion of the medial epiphysis of the clavicle (Stages 4 and 5). Concerning the first rib, all subjects with the final Stage 3 of ossification were above 25 years of age. These results suggest that the first rib ossification might become an additional method to the ones so far recommended for forensic age estimation in subjects around 21. New research would be desirable to confirm this suggestion.
Gene Expression During Blow Fly Development: Improving the Precision of Age Estimates in Forensic Entomology*,†
Authors: Tarone Aaron M. , Foran David R.
Published: December 2010

Abstract:  Forensic entomologists use size and developmental stage to estimate blow fly age, and from those, a postmortem interval. Since such estimates are generally accurate but often lack precision, particularly in the older developmental stages, alternative aging methods would be advantageous. Presented here is a means of incorporating developmentally regulated gene expression levels into traditional stage and size data, with a goal of more precisely estimating developmental age of immature Lucilia sericata. Generalized additive models of development showed improved statistical support compared to models that did not include gene expression data, resulting in an increase in estimate precision, especially for postfeeding third instars and pupae. The models were then used to make blind estimates of development for 86 immature L. sericata raised on rat carcasses. Overall, inclusion of gene expression data resulted in increased precision in aging blow flies.
Temperature mean and variance alter phytoplankton biomass and biodiversity in a long‐term microcosm experiment
Authors: Burgmer Tanja , Hillebrand Helmut
Published: December 2010

Global predictions of increasing mean temperature and its variance result in concerns about the fate of biodiversity under future climatic conditions. On the local scale of interacting species, the response of diversity to warming will depend much on the change in interspecific interactions such as competition or predation. Using a phytoplankton model community, we conducted a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial long‐term microcosm experiment (16 months) with an underlying seasonal temperature profile. We manipulated the mean temperature (Tmean), the temperature variance (Tvar), and the presence of consumers (ciliates) and monitored treatment effects on algal biomass, species composition and species richness. Temperature effects on algal biomass depended on the seasonal development and consumer presence. Algal biomass decreased with increasing Tmean at consumer absence, but increased at consumer presence. Overall, algal biomass decreased with increasing Tvar. Consumer presence reduced algal biomass from summer to winter, but then ciliates and the consumer effect disappeared. Almost all treatment combinations collapsed to monocultures after 16 months, but extinction occurred faster at higher Tmean (especially at consumer absence) and slower at consumer presence (especially at higher Tmean). Contrasting our predictions, increasing Tvar reduced richness and increased extinction rate. The treatment effects on biomass and richness were not independent, as algal species richness and biomass were positively correlated. Moreover, accelerated loss of species was consistently correlated to higher temporal variability in biomass. In conclusion, altered temperature regimes strongly affected algal biomass and diversity by interdependently altering competitive and consumer interactions.
Marathon of eponyms: 15 Osler–Rendu–Weber disease (Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia)
Authors: Scully C , Langdon J , Evans J
Published: December 2010

Oral Diseases (2010) 17, 125–127

The use of eponyms has long been contentious, but many remain in common use, as discussed elsewhere (Editorial: Oral Diseases. 2009: 15; 185). The use of eponyms in diseases of the head and neck is found mainly in specialties dealing with medically compromised individuals (paediatric dentistry, special care dentistry, oral and maxillofacial medicine, oral and maxillofacial pathology, oral and maxillofacial radiology and oral and maxillofacial surgery) and particularly by hospital‐centred practitioners. This series has selected some of the more recognised relevant eponymous conditions and presents them alphabetically. The information is based largely on data available from MEDLINE and a number of internet websites as noted below: the authors would welcome any corrections. This document summarises data about Osler–Rendu–Weber disease.
Tension‐type headache in paediatric age
Authors: Parisi Pasquale , Papetti Laura , Spalice Alberto , Nicita Francesco , Ursitti Fabiana , Villa Maria Pia
Published: December 2010

The aim of this paper is to review the main topics about the management of paediatric tension‐type headache. A Medline search was undertaken of all reports and reviews published between 1990 and 2010 using MeSH search terms ‘tension‐type headache (TTH), ‘treatment’ and ‘children’. TTH is a very common disorder in childhood and adolescents. In many cases, the frequency and intensity of episodes may be likely to interfere with school and social activities. For this reason, a correct diagnosis and appropriate management of TTH are essential. A detailed history and proper examination, as well as a headache diary, are essential for this purpose and help to distinguish secondary causes of headache. Lacking are studies to test the efficacy and safety of pharmacological treatment in children, and a few well‐tested drugs are available for this purpose. To date, relaxation techniques and biofeedback are therefore best placed as the first‐line therapies.

Conclusion:  A thorough evaluation of headache in paediatric age is necessary to make a correct diagnosis and start the appropriate treatment. In particular, an appropriate management requires an individually tailored strategy which should include both pharmacological and nonpharmacological therapies. New treatment options for elderly patients with headache including acute, prophylactic and interventional techniques are needed.