bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Off-Line Desalting of Peptide Mixtures: Figure 1.
Authors: Link Andrew J. , LaBaer Joshua
Published: March 2011

INTRODUCTION

Reversed-phase-trapping (desalting) cartridges are used for concentrating and desalting peptide samples before analysis by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI–MS). They provide a robust and efficient method for concentrating very dilute peptide solutions. Because large volumes of wash buffer can be used to wash away unbound salts and other contaminants, the trapping cartridges are frequently used to clean peptide samples before mass spectrometry analysis, as described in this protocol.
A Negative Effector of Blue Light-Induced and Gravitropic Bending in Arabidopsis
Authors: Knauer Torsten , Dümmer Michaela , Landgraf Frank , Forreiter Christoph
Published: March 2011

Although sessile, plants are able to grow toward or away from an environmental stimulus. Important examples are stem or leaf orientation of higher plants in response to the direction of the incident light. The responsible photoreceptors belong to the phototropin photoreceptor family. Although the mode of phototropin action is quite well understood, much less is known of how the light signal is transformed into a bending response. Several lines of evidence indicate that a lateral auxin gradient is responsible for asymmetric cell elongation along the light gradient within the stem. However, some of the molecular key players leading to this asymmetric auxin distribution are, as yet, unidentified. Previously, it was shown that phototropin gets autophosphorylated upon illumination and binds to a scaffold protein termed NPH3 (for nonphototropic hypocotyl 3). Using a yeast three-hybrid approach with phototropin and NPH3 as a bait complex, we isolated a protein, termed EHB1 (for enhanced bending 1), with a so far unknown function, which binds to this binary complex. This novel interacting factor negatively affects hypocotyl bending under blue light conditions in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and thus seems to be an important component regulating phototropism. Interestingly, it could be shown that the gravitropic response was also affected. Thus, it cannot be ruled out that this protein might also have a more general role in auxin-mediated bending toward an environmental stimulus.
Identification of the UMP Synthase Gene by Establishment of Uracil Auxotrophic Mutants and the Phenotypic Complementation System in the Marine DiatomPhaeodactylum tricornutum
Authors: Sakaguchi Toshiro , Nakajima Kensuke , Matsuda Yusuke
Published: March 2011

Uridine-5′-monophosphate synthase (UMPS), the critical step of the de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway, which is a housekeeping plastid process in higher plants, was investigated in a marine diatom, the most crucial primary producer in the marine environment. A mutagenesis using an alkylation agent, N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea, was carried out to the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum. Cells were treated with 1.0 mg mL−1  N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea and were screened on agar plates containing 100 to 300 mg L−1 5-fluoroorotidic acid (5-FOA). Two clones survived the selection and were designated as Requiring Uracil and Resistant to FOA (RURF) 1 and 2. The 50% effective concentration of 5-FOA on growth of RURF1 was about 5 mm, whereas that in wild-type cells was 30 μm. The ability to grow in the absence of uracil was restored by a P. tricornutum gene that potentially encoded UMPS or the human umps gene, HUMPS. Because the P. tricornutum gene was able to restore growth in the absence of uracil, it was designated as ptumps, encoding a major functional UMPS in P. tricornutum. RNA interference to the ptumps targeting the 5′ region of ptumps resulted in the occurrence of a clear RURF phenotype in P. tricornutum. This RNA interference phenotype was reverted to the wild type by the insertion of HUMPS, confirming that the ptumps encodes UMPS. These results showed direct evidence of the occurrence of novel-type UMPS in a marine diatom and also revealed the potential usage of this gene silencing and complementation system for molecular tools for this organism.
White sturgeon spawning and discharge augmentation
Authors: PARAGAMIAN V. L. , WAKKINEN V. D.
Published: March 2011

Abstract  Observed spawning events of endangered Kootenai River white sturgeon, Acipenser transmontanus (Richardson), during 1994–2002 were examined to evaluate the effects of discharge from Libby Dam on spawning. Discharge from Libby Dam was manipulated in most years to provide enhanced flows (hereafter, augmented discharge) for white sturgeon spawning. The annual onset of spawning appeared independent of augmented discharge because initial spawning occurred prior to augmented discharge in 4 of 6 years. Spawning began 2–11 days after the highest river discharge in 4 of 9 years. Linear regression analysis indicated the onset of spawning was positively related to mean daily discharge from the dam but not mean daily temperature, 1‐day change in discharge (Δ discharge) or 3‐day Δ discharge. Logistic regression analysis suggested the probability of a spawning event was influenced by Julian date, mean daily water temperature, mean daily discharge and the 7‐day Δ discharge, but the predictive indices were small. Minor fluctuations in temperature and discharge characteristics had little additional predictive benefit for spawning after the river reached spawning thresholds. The highest probability of spawning (0.48) was for the temperature interval 9.5–9.9 °C, and 93% of the estimated spawning events occurred above 8 °C. Sixty percent of the estimated spawning events occurred at discharges ≥600 m3 s−1, which comprised 45% of the range of discharge values.
Outcomes of a new residential scheme for adults with intellectual disabilities in Taiwan: a 2‐year follow‐up
Authors: Chou Y‐C. , Pu C. , Kröger T. , Lee W. , Chang S.
Published: March 2011

Background  The Taiwanese government launched a new programme in November 2004 to support adults with intellectual disabilities living in smaller facilities. This paper aims to evaluate the service outcomes of this new residential scheme over 2 years including those residents who moved from an institution and those who moved from their family.

Methods  A one‐group repeated‐measures analysis was conducted for five interviews after the adults with intellectual disabilities entered the new environment. Forty‐nine adults were initially studied (T1) and 29 adults remained in the homes until the end of the study (T5).

Results  This study found significant improvements over the 2 years in the residents' quality of life and family contact. The results also highlight a decrease in maladaptive behaviour among the residents moving from institution and an increase in choice making and family contact among the residents moving from family. No significant changes in adaptive behaviour and community inclusion were found.

Conclusion  Results revealed that further policy changes and financial support including service quality assurance are required in order to improve service outcomes for adults living in the new residential scheme.
Low‐cost protocol for the production of autologous serum eye drops by blood collection and processing centres for the treatment of ocular surface diseases
Authors: Partal A. , Scott E.
Published: March 2011

Objectives: To create a low‐cost protocol for the production of autologous serum eye drops (ASEs) by blood collection and processing centres using standard equipment and staff already available. The protocol must observe local and federal regulatory authorities' requirements for good manufacturing practice.

Aim: The final aim is to improve accessibility to ASEs for patients who need them and to implement similar production parameters at all institutions producing ASEs.

Background: Despite evidence of the beneficial effects of ASEs in the treatment of severe ocular surface diseases, ASEs are not approved by most federal regulatory bodies in the United States or Europe. In some countries, such as the United States, access to ASEs is extremely limited and cost‐prohibitive. Blood processing centres are in optimal position to help in increasing accessibility and lowering the cost of these products.

Materials/Methods: Standard blood processing equipment, staff and materials were chosen for the protocol. The protocol was designed to minimise the risk of contamination as much as possible.

Results: A low‐cost, open system protocol for production of ASEs was generated that can be implemented by most blood collection and processing centres in the United States and Europe.

Conclusion: Efforts should be made to propagate a similar protocol for the production of ASEs in blood centres capable of collecting and processing blood products, making this service affordable and uniformly accessible to patients.
Irreversible immunoexpression of matrix metalloproteinase‐9 in proximal tubular epithelium of renal allografts with acute rejection
Authors: Kitajima Kazuki , Koike Junki , Nozawa Shiari , Yoshiike Miki , Takagi Masayuki , Chikaraishi Tatsuya
Published: March 2011

Kitajima K, Koike J, Nozawa S, Yoshiike M, Takagi M, Chikaraishi T. Irreversible immunoexpression of matrix metalloproteinase‐9 in proximal tubular epithelium of renal allografts with acute rejection. Clin Transplant 2011: 25: E336–E344. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Abstract:  Background:  Matrix metalloproteinase‐9 (MMP‐9) is the most important member of the MMP family responsible for the development and progression of various renal diseases. Our study aims to investigate the localization of MMP‐9 in human renal allografts and to assess whether MMP‐9 immunostaining is contributory to detect pathological change in renal biopsy.

Methods:  We examined 150 renal allograft biopsies (48 baseline and 102 follow‐up) from 49 transplants and analyzed the associations of clinical and histopathological data with the MMP‐9 staining intensity using a semi‐quantitative scoring.

Results:  MMP‐9 immunostaining in proximal tubule epithelium was negative before transplantation, but positive in biopsies with episodes, particularly with acute cellular rejection (ACR) and acute calcineurin inhibitor (CNI) toxicity. Tubulitis was the most significant association factor (p < 0.0001) with increased MMP‐9 staining intensity. The expression in proximal tubules remained augmented in allografts recovered from ACR episodes, while it was disappeared or diminished in those recovered from acute CNI toxicity or ischemia/reperfusion effects.

Conclusion:  These findings suggest the necessary participation of MMP‐9 in the pathogenesis of tubulitis and the subsequent stage of pathogenesis in ACR. Up‐regulation of MMP‐9 expression in the proximal tubule could be a new indicator of tubular injury and a predictive factor for the prognosis of renal allograft.
Growth of a nation part II: impact of recipient obesity on whole‐organ pancreas transplantation
Authors: Fridell Jonathan A. , Mangus Richard S. , Taber Tim E. , Goble Michelle L. , Milgrom Martin L. , Good Jason , Vetor Ryan , Powelson John A.
Published: March 2011

Fridell JA, Mangus RS, Taber TE, Goble ML, Milgrom ML, Good J, Vetor R, Powelson JA. Growth of a nation part II: impact of recipient obesity on whole‐organ pancreas transplantation. Clin Transplant 2011: 25: E366–E374. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Abstract:  Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the USA. Consequently, there is an increasing number of obese diabetic patients who would otherwise be appropriate candidates for pancreas transplantation (PTx). This is a retrospective study of all PTx performed at Indiana University between 2003 and 2009 (n = 308) comparing recipients with body mass index (BMI) < 25, 25–29.9, and ≥30 kg/m2 Data included recipient and donor demographics, seven and 90‐d graft loss, one‐yr pancreas, kidney (for SPK only) and patient survival, causes of graft loss and death, peak amylase and lipase, length of stay, readmissions, complications, HbA1C, and c‐peptide. Of the 308 PTx, 100 (32%) were overweight and 42 (14%) were obese. Obese recipients were older and more likely to be men. Donor demographics were similar. There was no difference in seven‐d or 90‐d graft loss, one‐yr pancreas, kidney or patient survival, cause of graft loss or death, 30‐d peak amylase or lipase, HbA1C, or C‐peptide. The incidence of post‐transplant technical, immunological and infectious complications was similar except for an increased incidence of cytomegalovirus infection in the obese group. Two recipients returned to insulin therapy despite normal C‐peptide levels. Although technically challenging, PTx can be successful in select obese recipients with similar results compared to normal BMI recipients.
The Importance of Adequate Fixation for Immunofluorescent Staining of Bovine Embryos
Authors: Goossens K , Vandaele L , Wydooghe E , Thys M , Dewulf J , Peelman LJ , Van Soom A
Published: March 2011

Contents

Immunofluorescent staining is often used to investigate the expression of specific proteins in pre‐implantation embryos. The success of this method is determined by the specificity of the antibodies, but also by the protocol used for fixation and permeabilization of the samples. In this study, different fixatives are compared in combination with immunofluorescent staining of caudal‐type homeobox 2 (CDX2), fibronectin 1 (FN1) and integrins (ITGs) on bovine blastocysts. For both CDX2 and the ITGs, the outcome of the staining was largely dependent on the fixation methods. Paraformaldehyde fixation was best for the intracellular CDX2 protein, whereas acetone fixation gave the best results for the transmembrane ITGs. No difference was observed for the FN1 staining between samples fixed with paraformaldehyde or acetone. These examples demonstrate that the choice of fixation and permeabilization agents is very important for the outcome of the experiment, and this choice is dictated by the (extra)cellular location of the protein under investigation. Inappropriate fixation and/or permeabilization methods can lead to erroneous conclusions regarding the site and amount of protein expression.
Intravenous thrombolytic therapy in patients with stroke mimics: baseline characteristics and safety profile
Authors: Chen Y. , Bogosavljevic V. , Leys D. , Jovanovic D. , Beslac‐Bumbasirevic L. , Lucas C.
Published: March 2011

Background:  The decision to treat with intravenous (i.v.) rt‐PA a patient with acute cerebral ischaemia is based on clinical and imaging criteria recorded in emergency. In such an emergency situation stroke mimics may sometimes be misdiagnosed, and lead to an erroneous prescription of rtPA. The objective of this study was to determine the baseline profile and the outcome in patients with stroke mimics who received i.v. rtPA.

Methods:  We analysed clinical characteristics, and outcomes in patients diagnosed at discharge as having a stroke mimic who received rtPA in the university hospitals of Lille and Belgrade.

Results:  Amongst 488 patients, seven (1.4%) were diagnosed at discharge with stroke mimics: four had somatoform disturbances, one had migraine aura, one had Bell palsy, and one had a probable Todd’s palsy. Patients with stroke mimics were younger, and had milder deficits. Six were investigated by computed tomographic‐scan and the only one who had an emergency magnetic resonance imaging, had no abnormality on diffusion weighted images. Five patients had a modified Rankin scale 0–1 and there was no case of intracranial bleeding.

Conclusion:  Patients with stroke mimics have a good safety profile when treated with rt‐PA. In case of doubt, physicians should not postpone thrombolysis, because its potential benefit in confirmed ischaemic stroke might be higher than the risk of complications in stroke mimics. A combined analysis of such small series of cases would be useful to have a better delineation of the clinical profile of these patients.
Social disparities in children's vocabulary in early childhood. Does pre‐school education help to close the gap?1
Authors: Becker Birgit
Published: March 2011

Children start school with differing levels of skills. Thus, children of different social origin have different probabilities of educational success right from the start of their school career. This paper analyses how the gap in language abilities of children with different social backgrounds develops from age three to five. A focus lies on the question whether pre‐school education can help to close this gap. The data of the UK Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) show that children's score on a standardized vocabulary test strongly depends on their parents' education. These social differences remain stable or even increase slightly over the two‐year period. Using fixed effect models, it is demonstrated that children of higher educated parents can improve their vocabulary more strongly than children whose parents have a lower educational level. Participation in an early education institution positively affects the vocabulary development of children with lower educated parents while there is no significant pre‐school effect for children of higher educated parents. The results indicate that pre‐school attendance does not lead to a catching‐up process of children with lower educated parents. But without pre‐school attendance, the gap between children of higher and lower educated parents widens even further.
Do comprehensive schools reduce social mobility?1
Authors: Boliver Vikki , Swift Adam
Published: March 2011

This paper investigates the claim that the shift from a selective to a comprehensive school system had a deleterious effect on social mobility in Great Britain. Using data from the National Child Development Study, we compare the chances, for both class and income mobility, of those who attended different kinds of school. Where media attention focuses exclusively on the chances for upward mobility of those children from lowly origins who were (or would have been) judged worthy of selection into a grammar school, we offer more rounded analyses. We match respondents in a way that helps us to distinguish those inequalities in mobility chances that are due to differences between children from those due to differences between the schools they attended; we look at the effects of the school system on the mobility chances of all children, not merely those from less advantaged origins; and we compare comprehensive‐ and selective‐system schools, not merely comprehensive and grammar schools. After matching, we find, first, that going to a grammar school rather than a comprehensive does not make low‐origin children more likely to be upwardly mobile but it helps them move further if they are; second, that grammar schools do not benefit working‐class children, in terms of class mobility, more than they benefit service‐class children, but, in terms of income mobility, such schools benefit low‐income children somewhat more than they benefit higher‐income children – that benefit relating only to rather modest and limited movements within the income distribution. Finally, however, the selective system as a whole yields no mobility advantage of any kind to children from any particular origins: any assistance to low‐origin children provided by grammar schools is cancelled out by the hindrance suffered by those who attended secondary moderns. Overall, our findings suggest that comprehensive schools were as good for mobility as the selective schools they replaced.
State carnivals and the subvention of multiculturalism in Singapore1
Authors: Goh Daniel P.S.
Published: March 2011

Increasing attention is being paid to the specificities of Asian multiculturalism in relation to ethnic pluralism, citizenship and developmental state formation. This article examines these relationships by analysing three carnival events in colonial and postcolonial Singapore that were organized by the state to promote its official multiculturalism. Through its cultural logics of horizontal racial segmentation, cascading symbolic authority from the state to co‐opted communal representatives and multi‐modal ritual iteration, the 1937 King George VI coronation celebrations proffered an imperial multiculturalism based on mediating plural groups and procedural norms. Adopting the same cultural logics in the 1970s, the newly‐independent nation‐state revived and transformed Chingay, a creole Chinese religious procession, into an annual parade celebrating the nation as comprising racially plural groups bound together by the modern ethos of progress the developmental state exemplified. In the 2000s, Chingay has been turned into an international spectacle celebrating Singapore as a cosmopolitan global city of hybridizing multiculturalism. But indicative of new racial‐class segmentation, the old nation‐building pluralism is promoted by Racial Harmony Day carnivals held in suburban public housing neighborhoods. This bifurcated multiculturalism reflects the developmental state's attempts to deal with new citizenship trends as they grind against the old ethnic pluralism. While faced with the same issues globalization brings, this postcolonial multiculturalism is distinctively different from liberal multiculturalism, not least because the subvention of multiculturalism is achieved through the state appropriation of vernacular cultural practices through its carnivals.
‘Strange money’: risk, finance and socialized debt
Authors: Dodd Nigel
Published: March 2011

This paper explores an essential but neglected aspect of recent discussions of the banking and financial system, namely money itself. Specifically, I take up a distinction drawn by Susan Strange which has never been fully elaborated: between a financial system that is global, and an international monetary system that remains largely territorial. I propose a sociological elaboration of this distinction by examining each category, ‘finance’ and ‘money’, in terms of its distinctive orientation to risk and debt. Money is distinguished by its high degree of liquidity and low degree of risk, corresponding to expectations that derive from its status as a ‘claim upon society’– a form of socialized debt. But as Strange argued, these features of money are being undermined by the proliferation of sophisticated instruments of financial risk management –‘strange money’– that, as monetary substitutes, both weaken states' capacity to manage money, and more broadly, contribute to ‘overbanking’. The ultimate danger, according to Strange, is the ‘death of money’. The paper concludes by exploring the implications of the distinction for sociological arguments about the changing nature of money.
The sociology of popular music, interdisciplinarity and aesthetic autonomy1
Authors: Marshall Lee
Published: March 2011

This paper considers the impact of interdisciplinarity upon sociological research, focusing on one particular case: the academic study of popular music. ‘Popular music studies’ is an area of research characterized by interdisciplinarity and, in keeping with broader intellectual trends, this approach is assumed to offer significant advantages. As such, popular music studies is broadly typical of contemporary intellectual and governmental attitudes regarding the best way to research specific topics. Such interdisciplinarity, however, has potential costs and this paper highlights one of the most significant: an over‐emphasis upon shared substantive interests and subsequent undervaluation of shared epistemological understandings. The end result is a form of ‘ghettoization’ within sociology itself, with residents of any particular ghetto displaying little awareness of developments in neighbouring ghettos. Reporting from one such ghetto, this paper considers some of the ways in which the sociology of popular music has been limited by its positioning within an interdisciplinary environment and suggests two strategies for developing a more fully‐realized sociology of popular music. First, based on the assumption that a sociological understanding of popular music shares much in common with a sociological understanding of everything else, this paper calls for increasedintradisciplinaryresearch between sociologists of varying specialisms. The second strategy, however, involves a reconceptualization of the disciplinary limits of sociology, as it argues that a sociology of popular music needs to accept musical specificity as part of its remit. Such acceptance has thus far been limited not only by an interdisciplinary context but also by the long‐standing sociological scepticism toward the analysis of aesthetic objects. As such, this paper offers an intervention into wider debates concerning the remit of sociological enquiry, and whether it is ever appropriate for sociological analyses of culture to consider ‘internal’ aesthetic structures. In relation to the specific case study, the paper argues that considering musical specificity is a necessary component of a sociology of popular music, and some possibilities for developing a ‘materialist sociology of music’ are outlined.
Disconnections and exclusions: professionalization, cosmopolitanism and (global?) civil society
Authors: BAILLIE SMITH MATT , JENKINS KATY
Published: March 2011

In this article, we address the ways in which theories and practices of cosmopolitanism and professionalization intersect in the sphere of global civil society. We emphasize the experiences of grassroots development activists, arguing that although they have so far been pivotal to the legitimacy of these spaces and discourses, such activists are increasingly absent from the practices of global civic spaces. We explore this process of change over time using the example of grassroots health promoters in Peru, explaining it in terms of the articulation of neoliberal processes of professionalization with a particularly neoliberal version of cosmopolitanism. We argue that the two are mutually reinforcing and produce a particularly narrow, and arguably less cosmopolitan, rendition of global civil society, with implications for the possibility of building critical and transformative encounters across difference as a foundation for more equitable ideas and practices of development and democracy.
The contested spatialities of transnational activism: gendered gatekeeping and gender struggles in an African association of informal workers
Authors: LINDELL ILDA
Published: March 2011

In this article I explore the geographies of emerging transnational networks of organized informal workers, with empirical reference to a local association based in Mozambique and a transnational network of which it is part. I uncover the gendered spatialities of this transnational activism to demonstrate how participation is unequal and heavily mediated rather than direct. In particular, I show how influential actors have engaged in practices of gendered gatekeeping that tend to keep women in place. I also explore the tensions that emerged because of these practices and the negotiation of divergent gender ideologies and strategies within the network. In the article, I relate to recent theoretical work that problematizes the unequal and contested geographies of transnational activism, and introduce insights from feminist scholarship to reflect on gender inequalities and gender visions in transnational networks.
Dr. Susan W. Gray
Authors: Wallston Barbara Strudler , Cavallaro Sahli A. , Berger Michael , Hodges Walter , Stevens Joseph H.
Published: March 2011

While Susan W. Gray is known primarily for her work with the Early Training Project, a pioneering early intervention program with low-income black children, she has also influenced the development of school psychology and the creation of Early Childhood Education as a discipline. In addition, in her own quiet way, she has supported the career development of a number of professional women who have had impact on child development, early childhood education, and school psychology. Four major themes are used to present Susan Gray's biography: (1) being ahead of her time in terms of thinking which allowed her to take advantage of opportunities; (2) the role of serendipity versus long-range planning of career trajectories; (3) specific influences on her as a woman; and (4) a lifetime of courage and dedication. Examples of work which was in advance of psychology included work in early intervention with low-income children, an emphasis on the use of scientific experimental methodology in field research, an eclectic approach which crossed disciplinary boundaries, a consultative approach to school psychology, and the inclusion of affective and cognitive education in intervention curricula. The influences on her as a woman, including a rural background and attendance at a women's college helped shape her career commitment and ability to play other than the traditional female role, while maintaining her femininity.
Nurses’ perceived work‐related empowerment in Lithuanian context
Authors: Trus Marija , Suominen Tarja , Doran Diane , Razbadauskas Arturas
Published: March 2011

Scand J Caring Sci; 2011; 25; 599–607
 
Nurses’ perceived work‐related empowerment in Lithuanian context

Study’s rationale:  Empowerment is widely used within the nursing literature in different countries, but perceived empowerment of Lithuanian nurses has not been studied before. There is a lack of research which has analysed nurses’ views and feelings of empowerment.

Aims and objectives:  The aim of this study was to describe the perception of Lithuanian nurses’ work‐related empowerment. The study describes how empowered the nurses felt in their work and how background factors were related to empowerment.

Ethical issues:  The permission to use the questionnaire was given by copyright holders. The questionnaire was approved by the Ethics Committee.

Research methods and instrument:  The data were collected using a structured questionnaire comprised of two parts: the background questions and the Work Empowerment Questionnaire divided into three areas: verbal, behavioural, and outcome empowerment. The data were analysed statistically using SPSS, and Microsoft Excel programs. The descriptive statistics, non‐parametric tests and Spearman correlations were conducted. The sample consisted of 212 participants.

Results:  The nurses experienced strong general empowerment (mean 7.9; max 10.0). They were more confident in their abilities to perform actions related to behavioural (mean 8.3) and verbal (mean 8.0) empowerment, and less confident in outcome (mean 7.3) empowerment. All aspects of empowerment were closely related to each other (p ≤ 0.001). Several significant relations were found between the aspects of empowerment and the background variables.

Study limitations:  The Work Empowerment Questionnaire used in the study was originally developed in Canada. Differences in language, culture, health care organizations, and nursing practice may affect the validity of translated questionnaire in Baltic context.

Conclusions:  To prepare nurses for roles in which they may successfully exercise the power to create change, they need experience the process of empowerment during their education, and experience later supportive management.
A tutorial on branch and cut algorithms for the maximum stable set problem
Authors: Rebennack Steffen , Reinelt Gerhard , Pardalos Panos M.
Published: March 2011

This tutorial provides an overview of various characteristics of effective branch and cut type algorithms for the maximum stable set problem. We discuss several facet‐defining inequalities for the stable set polytope along with their separation routines. In particular, we review implementation tweaks for the separation routines and reference empirical studies, illustrating the performance of these cutting planes for benchmark graphs. In addition to the polyhedral study, we present basic preprocessing, discuss heuristic methods particularly suited within a branch and cut framework, and examine a branching rule.
A2B adenosine receptors inhibit superoxide production from mitochondrial complex I in rabbit cardiomyocytes via a mechanism sensitive to Pertussis toxin
Authors: Yang Xiulan , Xin Wenkuan , Yang Xi‐Ming , Kuno Atsushi , Rich Thomas C , Cohen Michael V , Downey James M
Published: March 2011

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE A2B adenosine receptors protect against ischaemia/reperfusion injury by activating survival kinases including extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) and phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K). However, the underlying mechanism(s) and signalling pathway(s) remain undefined.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH HEK 293 cells stably transfected with human A2B adenosine receptors (HEK‐A2B) and isolated adult rabbit cardiomyocytes were used to assay phosphorylation of ERK by Western blot and cation flux through cAMP‐gated channels by patch clamp methods. Generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by mitochondria was measured with a fluorescent dye.

KEY RESULTS In HEK‐A2B cells, the selective A2B receptor agonist Bay 60‐6583 (Bay 60) increased ERK phosphorylation and cAMP levels, detected by current through cAMP‐gated ion channels. However, increased cAMP or its downstream target protein kinase A was not involved in ERK phosphorylation. Pertussis toxin (PTX) blocked ERK phosphorylation, suggesting receptor coupling to Gi or Go proteins. Phosphorylation was also blocked by inhibition of PI3K (with wortmannin) or of ERK kinase (MEK1/2, with PD 98059) but not by inhibition of NO synthase (NOS). In cardiomyocytes, Bay 60 did not affect cAMP levels but did block the increased superoxide generation induced by rotenone, a mitochondrial complex I inhibitor. This effect of Bay 60 was inhibited by PD 98059, wortmannin or PTX. Inhibition of NOS blocked superoxide production because NOS is downstream of ERK.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Activation of A2B adenosine receptors reduced superoxide generation from mitochondrial complex I through Gi/o, ERK, PI3K, and NOS, all of which have been implicated in ischaemic preconditioning.
In vitro and in vivo evaluation of the anti‐angiogenic actions of 4‐hydroxybenzyl alcohol
Authors: Laschke MW , van Oijen AE Vorsterman , Scheuer C , Menger MD
Published: March 2011

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

4‐Hydroxybenzyl alcohol (HBA) is a phenolic plant compound, which has been shown to influence many cellular mechanisms. In the present study, we analysed in vitro and in vivo the anti‐angiogenic actions of this pleiotropic agent.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Migration and protein expression of HBA‐ and vehicle‐treated endothelial‐like eEND2 cells was assessed by cell migration assay and Western blot analyses. HBA action on vascular sprouting was analysed in an aortic ring assay. In vivo anti‐angiogenic actions of HBA were studied in the dorsal skinfold chamber model of endometriosis in mice.

KEY RESULTS

Western blot analyses demonstrated that HBA inhibited proliferation of eEND2 cells, as indicated by down‐regulation of proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression, and reduced expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and matrix metalloproteinase 9. HBA suppressed the migration of eEND2 cells, accompanied by inhibition of actin filament reorganization, revealed by fluorescence staining of the cytoskeleton. In addition, HBA reduced vascular sprouting in the aortic ring assay. Finally, we found, in the dorsal skinfold chamber model in vivo using intravital fluorescence microscopy, that HBA inhibited the vascularization of developing endometriotic lesions, as indicated by a decreased functional capillary density of lesions in HBA‐treated mice and a reduced lesion size, compared with control animals.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

HBA targets several angiogenic mechanisms and therefore represents a promising anti‐angiogenic agent for the treatment of angiogenic diseases, such as endometriosis.
A Surgical Technique for Implantation of the Vibrant Soundbridge Middle Ear Implant in Dogs
Authors: Ter Haar Gert , Mulder Jef J. , Venker‐van Haagen Anjop J. , van Sluijs Freek J. , Smoorenburg Guido F.
Published: March 2011

Objective:To report a surgical implantation of the Vibrant Soundbridge (VSB) middle ear implant in dogs.

Study Design:Pilot study.

Animals:Dogs (n=3).

Methods:A lateral approach to the tympanic bulla was used to insert the floating mass transducer of the VSB into the tympanic bulla. Using microscopic guidance the transducer was moved to and inserted into the round window niche by manipulation through the acoustic bony meatus, after reflection of the tympanic membrane. VSB position was confirmed by computed tomography (CT) imaging.

Results:No intraoperative complications occurred and CT images confirmed correct placement of the VSB.

Conclusions:A VSB can be safely implanted in the middle of dogs.
Reflections on the Spirit and Work of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations
Authors: McDowell Bruce D.
Published: March 2011

What did the U.S. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (ACIR) accomplish before it was disbanded in 1996? Were its accomplishments sufficiently valuable to justify reestablishing the organization? This article reviews the commission’s origins, history, and accomplishments, and addresses future intergovernmental needs. The ACIR’s accomplishments were substantial, but are largely unavailable today. Lessons learned from the ACIR suggest the need to (1) recreate a network of intergovernmental advocates within the legislative and executive branches of the federal government; (2) restart the information flows and high‐level federal, state, and local policy dialogues that withered after the ACIR’s demise; (3) strengthen boundary‐crossing institutions capable of addressing metropolitan and multistate problems; and (4) develop new opportunities to achieve public policy outcomes that can be attained only by the cumulative efforts of federal, state, and local governments working together—often with private parties as well.
Public Sector Labor Relations Scholarship: Is There a “There,” There?
Authors: Riccucci Norma M.
Published: March 2011

Public sector union membership is thriving compared to the private sector. Moreover, public employee unions play a significant role in policy making at every level of government. Yet research on public sector labor relations is sporadic and uneven, perhaps negligible. Why so? This article surveys the literature on public sector unionism and seeks to answer that question. Its conclusion points to a course of action for renewing interest in this seminal field among public administration, management, and policy scholars.
Waste in the Sewer: The Collapse of Accountability and Transparency in Public Finance in Jefferson County, Alabama
Authors: Howell‐Moroney Michael E. , Hall Jeremy L.
Published: March 2011

Following failed auctions for sewer debt in April 2008, major bond rating companies downgraded Jefferson County, Alabama’s bond rating to D (default) triggering massive mandatory payments by the county to its creditors. At the time of writing, the county teeters on the brink of actual default and bankruptcy, unable to pay service on its $3.3 billion sewer debt portfolio. If the county defaults, it will be the largest municipal bankruptcy in United States history, eclipsing Orange County, California’s 1994 default. The intriguingly complex tale of the Jefferson County debt crisis is recounted here by identifying and examining failures of transparency and accountability by local bureaucratic and political actors, private financial institutions, as well as the larger regulatory framework governing public finance. Enhanced regulation of local government and the financial sector plus greater local government capacity to close accountability gaps and thus prevent future crises of similar scale in this or other jurisdictions are recommended.
American Indian Tribal Governance and Management: Public Administration Promise or Pretense?
Authors: Ronquillo John C.
Published: March 2011

Research on tribal governance in the United States is scarce within modern public administration scholarship. Nonetheless, tribal governance is a pre‐Columbian practice that predates the U.S. Constitution and federal law. Drawing from several disciplines, John C. Ronquillo of the University of Georgia demonstrates that interdisciplinary sources offer rich information for present‐day public administration research about Native American tribes. Tribal governance literature is definitely not “missing,” but instead is moderately “unassembled” as a subfield of public administration. Building on what is available, the author suggests several key issues within tribal governance in need of urgent academic attention.
“A Beckon to the Makings, Workings and Doings of Human Beings”: The Critical Pragmatism of John Forester
Authors: Wagenaar Hendrik
Published: March 2011

John Forester's important research project of developing a critical pragmatist approach to planning and policy analysis now spans two decades. Common themes that give direction and coherence to his project are, first, a new view of public planning as the restructuring of communication between stakeholders with divergent and conflicting interests and large inequalities in power and influence; second, a redefinition of the role of the planner away from a handmaiden of power to a hands‐on professional who fosters inclusive, participatory forms of collective action; and, finally, a deliberate concern with the micropolitics of planning that enables participants to broaden their full potential for democratic transformation within the context of strong, enduring inequalities in agenda‐setting and decision‐making power. This review traces the roots of Forester's project in pragmatist thought and in particular themes from Emersonian moral philosophy, adding a notion of “critical” to Forester's radical pluralist stance. Forester subscribes to John Dewey's argument for democracy, which inherently requires diversity to arrive at warranted truth. For Forester, the core task of a planner is to safeguard the participation of those normally excluded from decision making by institutionalized inequalities.
Esophageal Perforation, the Most Feared Complication of TEE: Early Recognition by Multimodality Imaging
Authors: Bavalia Nisha , Anis Ather , Benz Michael , Maldjian Pierre , Bolanowski Paul J. , Saric Muhamed
Published: March 2011

Esophageal perforation is the most feared complication of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), although the overall risk is extremely low. We report a case of esophageal perforation in a 77‐year‐old woman who had no apparent contraindications to TEE. Chronic steroid therapy for symptoms of asthma as well as osteophytic changes of the cervical vertebrae contributed to her increased risk of perforation. Unlike in prior reports, the perforation in this case was fortuitously recognized rapidly due to ingestion of a carbonated beverage for evaluation of a hiatal hernia suspected during a subsequent transthoracic echocardiogram performed because of inadequate TEE images after a difficult intubation. The incidence of esophageal perforation in our series (1 in 5,000 TEEs, 0.02%) is similar to that reported in the literature. Early recognition and prompt surgical repair of the esophageal perforation led to favorable outcome in our patient. (Echocardiography 2011;28:E56‐E59)
Single Mothers Raising Children with “Male‐Positive” Attitudes
Authors: DOHERTY WILLIAM J. , CRAFT SHONDA M.
Published: March 2011

Among the challenges facing single mothers, a particularly difficult one is how to help children develop “male‐positive” attitudes in situations when the parents have broken up and children have no active relationship with the father. Despite a large academic literature on single mothering, there is strikingly little discussion on this topic. Using symbolic interactionism and family systems theory, we offer psychoeducational messages for single mothers who want to raise their children with male‐positive attitudes. We also call for a new cultural conversation on an issue ignored for too long.
Electrical Characteristics of Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3–Li0.45La0.52□0.03TiO3 System
Authors: Spreitzer Matjaž , Suvorov Danilo
Published: March 2011

In the present study, the dielectric, ferroelectric, and voltage‐tunable characteristics of the Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3–Li0.45La0.52□0.03TiO3 homogeneity range were investigated, together with the associated microstructural properties. The results revealed the polarization characteristics of the investigated samples, which enabled us to propose their possible structure at the microscopic and nanoscopic levels. With increases in the Li0.45La0.52□0.03TiO3 concentration, the Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3, which is macroscopically ferroelectric, first changes to a morphotropic composition with ferroelectric regions distributed within the nonpolar matrix. A further increase in the Li0.45La0.52□0.03TiO3 concentration reduces the size and the fraction of the polar regions, while at a certain concentration the sample becomes paraelectric. The applicability of the investigated samples for voltage‐tunable and other devices is also discussed.
Range of motion measurements diverge with increasing age for COL5A1 genotypes
Authors: Brown J. C. , Miller C.‐J. , Schwellnus M. P. , Collins M.
Published: March 2011

Increased and decreased joint range of motion (ROM) are modifiable risk factors for musculoskeletal soft‐tissue injuries. Certain heritable disorders of connective tissue, which have a unifying symptom of joint hypermobility, are caused by mutations within the COL5A1 gene. Furthermore, the COL5A1 BstUI restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) sequence variant is associated with ROM measurements in a mixed injured/uninjured cohort. The association between COL5A1 BstUI RFLP and sit and reach (SR) ROM in an apparently healthy and physically active cohort was investigated. The SR test was performed on 325 white subjects (204 males). Subjects were also genotyped for the BstUI RFLP (C/T) within the 3′‐untranslated region of the COL5A1 gene. The COL5A1 BstUI RFLP genotype was associated with SR ROM in older (≥35 years) subjects (TT: 225 ± 96 mm, TC: 245 ± 100 mm, CC: 32 ± 108 mm, N=96, P=0.017). Age and COL5A1 BstUI genotype interacted significantly for SR ROM. Sex and COL5A1 genotype accounted for 22.8% of the variance in SR ROM in the older group. The COL5A1 BstUI RFLP is associated with SR ROM, particularly with increasing age and is an important contributing factor to ROM variation, particularly in older, apparently healthy and physically active individuals.
Height gain during early childhood is an important predictor of schooling and mathematics ability outcomes
Authors: Gandhi Mihir , Ashorn Per , Maleta Kenneth , Teivaanmäki Tiina , Duan Xiaolian , Cheung Yin Bun
Published: March 2011

Aim:  To examine the association between height gain at different stages of early childhood and schooling and cognitive outcomes in 12‐year‐old Malawian children.

Methods:  A prospective cohort study looking at the growth and development of 325 rural Malawian children. Main outcome measures were highest school grade completed, number of times repeating grades and percentage of correctly answered mathematical questions at 12 years of age. Height‐for‐age at 1 month and conditional height gain for 6, 18 and 60 months were used as predictors. Ordinal logistic and linear regression analyses were used to estimate the association and adjust for confounder.

Results:  The conditional height gain during 18–60 months was positively associated with mathematics test results (p = 0.003) and negatively associated with number of times repeating grades (p = 0.011). It was not significantly associated with highest grade completed (p = 0.194) if those who never attended school were included as having completed zero grade, but was positively (p = 0.049) associated with this outcome among those who ever attended school.

Conclusion:  Height gain during the 18–60 months period of age was related to schooling and mathematics ability at age 12 years. The importance of promoting catch‐up growth after the period when stunting is common should receive attention.