bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Paranasal sinus exostoses: Possible correlation with cold temperature nasal irrigation after endoscopic sinus surgery
Authors: Adelson Robert T. , Kennedy David W.
Published: August 2012

Exostoses of the external auditory canal (EEAC) are a commonly encountered clinical exam finding; however, exostoses in other locations are vanishingly rare. The postoperative paranasal sinuses are penetrated with cold water solutions, the reputed etiological agent for EEAC, and development of exostoses in this unexpected location may be observed endoscopically. The surprising appearance of these protuberant lesions within the sinuses could be mistaken for more ominous processes, subjecting the patient to biopsy, surgery, or unnecessary medical therapy. The radiologic appearance of exostoses within the paranasal sinuses is herein reported for the first time, and care is taken to distinguish these bony lesions from the osteoneogenesis of chronic inflammation. Laryngoscope, 2013
Copolythiophenes with Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Side Chains: Synthesis, Characterization, and Performance in Organic Field Effect Transistors
Authors: Bilkay Taybet , Schulze Kerstin , Egorov‐Brening Tatjana , Bohn Andreas , Janietz Silvia
Published: August 2012

Statistical copolymers of regioregular polythiophene with hydrophobic hexyl side chains (P3HT) and hydrophilic 3,6‐dioxaheptyl side chains (P3DOHT) are synthesized by the GRIM method. A comparable study on the different polymers has been accomplished regarding solubility, thin film structure, and performance in organic field effect transistors (OFETs). DSC and XRD measurements are done to investigate the crystallinity of the copolymers. The novel functionalized fully π‐conjugated copolymers P(3HT‐co‐3DOHT) with feed molar ratios of 1:1, 2:1, and 1:2 show hole mobilities in the range of 10−2 cm2 V−1 s−1. Using poly(methyl methacrylate) as the dielectric layer in a top gate device architecture leads to air stable transistors without significant losses in the OFET performance over several months.
Online Coupling of Size‐Exclusion Chromatography and IR Spectroscopy to Correlate Molecular Weight with Chemical Composition
Authors: Beskers Timo F. , Hofe Thorsten , Wilhelm Manfred
Published: August 2012

The determination of molecular weight and correlated chemical composition is of major interest for the advanced analysis of copolymers, blends, or unknown samples. In this work, we present a new way of online coupling IR spectroscopy and SEC to achieve a chemically sensitive, universally applicable SEC detector. Our method overcomes the limitations of existing spectroscopy–SEC combinations. We solved the major problems, like huge intensity of solvent signals (polymer concentration in detector <1 g L−1) and short measuring time (<30 s), by recording the IR spectra with fully optimized sensitivity and by following mathematical solvent suppression. The measuring time for a certain S/N was reduced in several optimization steps by a factor of more than 70 000. The resulting sensitivity allows online coupled IR–SEC measurements.
TOF‐SIMS analysis of cell membrane changes in functional impaired human macrophages upon nanosilver treatment
Authors: Tentschert J. , Draude F. , Jungnickel H. , Haase A. , Mantion A. , Galla S. , Thünemann A. F. , Taubert A. , Luch A. , Arlinghaus H. F.
Published: August 2012

Silver nanoparticles (SNP) are among the most commercialized nanoparticles. Here, we show that peptide‐coated SNP cause functional impairment of human macrophages. A dose‐dependent inhibition of phagocytosis is observed after nanoparticle treatment, and pretreatment of cells with N‐acetyl cysteine (NAC) can counteract the phagocytosis disturbances caused by SNP.

Using the surface‐sensitive mode of time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, in combination with multivariate statistical methods, we studied the composition of cell membranes in human macrophages upon exposure to SNP with and without NAC preconditioning. This method revealed characteristic changes in the lipid pattern of the cellular membrane outer leaflet in those cells challenged by SNP. Statistical analyses resulted in 19 characteristic ions, which can be used to distinguish between NAC pretreated and untreated macrophages. The present study discusses the assignments of surface cell membrane phospholipids for the identified ions and the resulting changes in the phospholipid pattern of treated cells. We conclude that the adverse effects in human macrophages caused by SNP can be partially reversed through NAC administration. Some alterations, however, remained. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nanostructured Metal‐Free Electrochemical Catalysts for Highly Efficient Oxygen Reduction
Authors: Zheng Yao , Jiao Yan , Jaroniec Mietek , Jin Yonggang , Qiao Shi Zhang
Published: August 2012

Replacing precious and nondurable Pt catalysts with cheap and commercially available materials to facilitate sluggish cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a key issue in the development of fuel cell technology. The recently developed cost effective and highly stable metal‐free catalysts reveal comparable catalytic activity and significantly better fuel tolerance than that of current Pt‐based catalysts; therefore, they can serve as feasible Pt alternatives for the next generation of ORR electrocatalysts. Their promising electrocatalytic properties and acceptable costs greatly promote the R&D of fuel cell technology. This review provides an overview of recent advances in state‐of‐the‐art nanostructured metal‐free electrocatalysts including nitrogen‐doped carbons, graphitic‐carbon nitride (g‐C3N4)‐based hybrids, and 2D graphene‐based materials. A special emphasis is placed on the molecular design of these electrocatalysts, origin of their electrochemical reactivity, and ORR pathways. Finally, some perspectives are highlighted on the development of more efficient ORR electrocatalysts featuring high stability, low cost, and enhanced performance, which are the key factors to accelerate the commercialization of fuel cell technology.
Enhancing the Humidity Sensitivity of Ga2O3/SnO2 Core/Shell Microribbon by Applying Mechanical Strain and Its Application as a Flexible Strain Sensor
Authors: Liu Kewei , Sakurai Makoto , Aono Masakazu
Published: August 2012

The humidity sensitivity of a single β‐Ga2O3/amorphous SnO2 core/shell microribbon on a flexible substrate is enhanced by the application of tensile strain and increases linearly with the strain. The strain‐induced enhancement originates from the increase in the effective surface area where water molecules are adsorbed. This strain dependence of humidity sensitivity can be used to monitor the external strain. The strain sensing of the microribbon device under various amounts of mechanical loading shows excellent reliability and reproducibility with a gauge factor of −41. The flexible device has high potential to detect both humidity and strain at room temperature. These findings and the mechanism involved are expected to pave the way for new flexible strain and multifunctional sensors.
Detection of Circulating Cancer Cells Using Electrocatalytic Gold Nanoparticles
Authors: Maltez‐da Costa Marisa , de la Escosura‐Muñiz Alfredo , Nogués Carme , Barrios Lleonard , Ibáñez Elena , Merkoçi Arben
Published: August 2012

A rapid cancer cell detection and quantification assay, based on the electrocatalytic properties of gold nanoparticles towards the hydrogen evolution reaction, is described. The selective labeling of cancer cells is performed in suspension, allowing a fast interaction between the gold nanoparticle labels and the target proteins expressed at the cell membrane. The subsequent electrochemical detection is accomplished with small volumes of sample and user‐friendly equipment through a simple electrochemical method that generates a fast electrochemical response used for the quantification of nanoparticle‐labeled cancer cells. The system establishes a selective cell‐detection assay capable of detecting 4 × 103 cancer cells in suspension that can be extended to several other cells detection scenarios.
Hyperbranched Conjugated Polyelectrolyte for Dual‐modality Fluorescence and Magnetic Resonance Cancer Imaging
Authors: Ding Dan , Wang Guan , Liu Jianzhao , Li Kai , Pu Kan‐Yi , Hu Yong , Ng Jason C. Y. , Tang Ben Zhong , Liu Bin
Published: August 2012

Herein is reported the synthesis of gadolinium ion (Gd(III))‐chelated hyperbranched conjugated polyelectrolyte (HCPE‐Gd) and its application in fluorescence and magnetic resonance (MR) dual imaging in live animals. The synthesized HCPE‐Gd forms nanospheres with an average diameter of ∼42 nm measured by laser light scattering and a quantum yield of 10% in aqueous solution. The absorption spectrum of HCPE‐Gd has two maxima at 318 and 417 nm, and its photoluminescence maximum centers at 591 nm. Confocal laser scanning microscopy studies indicate that the HCPE‐Gd is internalized in MCF‐7 cancer cell cytoplasm with good photostability and low cytotoxicity. Further fluorescence and MR imaging studies on hepatoma H22 tumor‐bearing mouse model reveal that HCPE‐Gd can serve as an efficient optical/MR dual‐modal imaging nanoprobe for in vivo cancer diagnosis.
Exploiting tag similarities to discover synonyms and homonyms in folksonomies
Authors: Eynard Davide , Mazzola Luca , Dattolo Antonina
Published: August 2012

Tag‐based systems are widely available, thanks to their intrinsic advantages, such as self‐organization, currency, and ease of use. Although they represent a precious source of semantic metadata, their utility is still limited. The inherent lexical ambiguities of tags strongly affect the extraction of structured knowledge and the quality of tag‐based recommendation systems. In this paper, we propose a methodology for the analysis of tag‐based systems, addressing tag synonymy and homonymy at the same time in a holistic approach: in more detail, we exploit a tripartite graph to reduce the problem of synonyms and homonyms; we apply a customized version of Tag Context Similarity to detect them, overcoming the limitations of current similarity metrics; finally, we propose the application of an overlapping clustering algorithm to detect contexts and homonymies, then evaluate its performances, and introduce a methodology for the interpretation of its results. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Furnished Imagination: The Impact of Preservice Teacher Training on Early Career Work in TESOL
Authors: Kiely Richard , Askham Jim
Published: August 2012

This article presents the findings of an impact study of a short teacher training course in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). Impact is conceptualised as teacher learning, particularly perceived achievements in learning, evidenced in the ways teachers talk about their work in TESOL. The theoretical framework for the research draws on sociocultural theories of learning, particularly situated learning theory and identity formation within communities of practice. In making these links and relating them to a specific programme for teachers in TESOL, this article furthers understanding of how teachers learn in a preservice course in ways which translate to readiness for work. The analysis of interview data from 27 novice teachers in their first months at work reflects a positive and intense learning experience on the course, which establishes both confidence and a clear idea of what the TESOL task involves. The authors relate these findings in the data to the construct of furnished imagination: the combination of knowledge, procedural awareness and skills, dispositions, and identity which the teachers take from the course as the conceptual toolkit for work in TESOL. The imagination is furnished through the intense, iterated cycles of input, observation, performance, and feedback as well as through interactions with admired teacher educators.
Large‐scale mouse knockouts and phenotypes
Authors: Ramírez‐Solis Ramiro , Ryder Edward , Houghton Richard , White Jacqueline K. , Bottomley Joanna
Published: August 2012

Standardized phenotypic analysis of mutant forms of every gene in the mouse genome will provide fundamental insights into mammalian gene function and advance human and animal health. The availability of the human and mouse genome sequences, the development of embryonic stem cell mutagenesis technology, the standardization of phenotypic analysis pipelines, and the paradigm‐shifting industrialization of these processes have made this a realistic and achievable goal. The size of this enterprise will require global coordination to ensure economies of scale in both the generation and primary phenotypic analysis of the mutant strains, and to minimize unnecessary duplication of effort. To provide more depth to the functional annotation of the genome, effective mechanisms will also need to be developed to disseminate the information and resources produced to the wider community. Better models of disease, potential new drug targets with novel mechanisms of action, and completely unsuspected genotype–phenotype relationships covering broad aspects of biology will become apparent. To reach these goals, solutions to challenges in mouse production and distribution, as well as development of novel, ever more powerful phenotypic analysis modalities will be necessary. It is a challenging and exciting time to work in mouse genetics. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2012, 4:547–563. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1183

This article is categorized under:

Laboratory Methods and Technologies > Genetic/Genomic Methods

Physiology > Mammalian Physiology in Health and Disease

Models of Systems Properties and Processes > Organismal Models

Physiology > Physiology of Model Organisms
From base pair to bedside: molecular simulation and the translation of genomics to personalized medicine
Authors: Wright David W. , Wan Shunzhou , Shublaq Nour , Zasada Stefan J. , Coveney Peter V.
Published: August 2012

Despite the promises made that genomic sequencing would transform therapy by introducing a new era of personalized medicine, relatively few tangible breakthroughs have been made. This has led to the recognition that complex interactions at multiple spatial, temporal, and organizational levels may often combine to produce disease. Understanding this complexity requires that existing and future models are used and interpreted within a framework that incorporates knowledge derived from investigations at multiple levels of biological function. It also requires a computational infrastructure capable of dealing with the vast quantities of data generated by genomic approaches. In this review, we discuss the use of molecular modeling to generate quantitative and qualitative insights at the smallest scales of the systems biology hierarchy, how it can play an important role in the development of a systems understanding of disease and in the application of such knowledge to help discover new therapies and target existing ones on a personal level. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2012, 4:585–598. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1186

This article is categorized under:

Biological Mechanisms > Chemical Biology

Analytical and Computational Methods > Computational Methods

Models of Systems Properties and Processes > Mechanistic Models

Translational, Genomic, and Systems Medicine > Translational Medicine
The role of regulatory T cells in neurodegenerative diseases
Authors: He Feng , Balling Rudi
Published: August 2012

A sustained neuroinflammatory response is the hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, and HIV‐associated neurodegeneration. A specific subset of T cells, currently recognized as FOXP3+CD25+CD4+ regulatory T cells (Tregs), are pivotal in suppressing autoimmunity and maintaining immune homeostasis by mediating self‐tolerance at the periphery as shown in autoimmune diseases and cancers. A growing body of evidence shows that Tregs are not only important for maintaining immune balance at the periphery but also contribute to self‐tolerance and immune privilege in the central nervous system. In this article, we first review the current status of knowledge concerning the development and the suppressive function of Tregs. We then discuss the evidence supporting a dysfunction of Tregs in several neurodegenerative diseases. Interestingly, a dysfunction of Tregs is mainly observed in the early stages of several neurodegenerative diseases, but not in their chronic stages, pointing to a causative role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, we provide an overview of a number of molecules, such as hormones, neuropeptides, neurotransmitters, or ion channels, that affect the dysfunction of Tregs in neurodegenerative diseases. We also emphasize the effects of the intestinal microbiome on the induction and function of Tregs and the need to study the crosstalk between the enteric nervous system and Tregs in neurodegenerative diseases. Finally, we point out the need for a systems biology approach in the analysis of the enormous complexity regulating the function of Tregs and their potential role in neurodegenerative diseases. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2013, 5:153–180. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1187

This article is categorized under:

Biological Mechanisms > Regulatory Biology

Translational, Genomic, and Systems Medicine > Therapeutic Methods

Translational, Genomic, and Systems Medicine > Translational Medicine
A Comparative Study of (Poly)ether Adducts of Alkaline Earth Iodides – An Overview Including New Compounds
Authors: Maudez William , Fromm Katharina M.
Published: August 2012

New homoligand and mixed‐ligand adducts of the heavier alkaline earth metal (Ca, Sr, Ba) halides with oxygen‐donor polyether ligands have been isolated and characterized and are compared with previously obtained compounds of the same class in order to give an overview on structures and properties. Homoligand halide adducts, discussed herein, are [CaI(DME)3]I (1), trans‐[SrI2(DME)3] (2), trans‐[BaI2(DME)3] (3), (DME = ethylene glycol dimethyl ether), [CaI(diglyme)2]I (4), cis‐[SrI2(diglyme)2] (5), trans‐[BaI2(diglyme)2] (6),(diglyme = diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, [SrI(triglyme)2]I (7), and [BaI(triglyme)2]I (8), (triglyme = triethylene glycol dimethyl ether). Introduction of the mono‐coordinating THF ligand (THF = tetrahydrofuran) in the coordination sphere of 1, 2, 3, 4 allows the formation of the new mixed‐ligand compounds trans‐[CaI2(DME)2(THF)] (9), trans‐[SrI2(DME)2(THF)] (10), trans‐[BaI2(DME)2(THF)2] (11), and trans‐[CaI2(diglyme)2(THF)2] (12). These compounds were obtained from the metal halide salts in solution with pure or mixtures of ether solvents. While compounds 1–8 appear to be very stable and non‐reactive, adducts 9–12 present a comparable reactivity to the well known THF adducts [MI2(thf)n] (M = Ca, n = 4; Sr, Ba, n = 5).
Stringy stability of charged dilaton black holes with flat event horizon
Authors: Ong Yen Chin , Chen Pisin
Published: August 2012

Abstract

Electrically charged black holes with flat event horizon in anti-de Sitter space have received much attention due to various applications in Anti-de Sitter/Conformal Field Theory (AdS/CFT) correspondence, from modeling the behavior of quark-gluon plasma to superconductor. Crucial to the physics on the dual field theory is the fact that when embedded in string theory, black holes in the bulk may become vulnerable to instability caused by brane pair-production. Since dilaton arises naturally in the context of string theory, we study the effect of coupling dilaton to Maxwell field on the stability of flat charged AdS black holes. In particular, we study the stability of Gao-Zhang black holes, which are locally asymptotically anti-de Sitter. We find that for dilaton coupling parameter α > 1, flat black holes are stable against brane pair production, however for 0 ≤ α < 1, the black holes eventually become unstable as the amount of electrical charges is increased. Such instability however, behaves somewhat differently from that of flat Reissner-Nordström black holes. In addition, we prove that the Seiberg-Witten action of charged dilaton AdS black hole of Gao-Zhang type with flat event horizon (at least in 5-dimension) is always logarithmically divergent at infinity for finite values of α, and is finite and positive in the case α → ∞. We also comment on the robustness of our result for other charged dilaton black holes that are not of Gao-Zhang type.
The tail nick augments Aeromonas sobria serine protease (ASP) activity in plasma through retarding inhibition by α2‐macroglobulin
Authors: Murakami Yoji , Wada Yoshihiro , Kobayashi Hidetomo , Hasegawa Makoto , Okamoto Keinosuke , Eto Masatoshi , Imamura Takahisa
Published: August 2012

ASP is a serine protease secreted by Aeromonas sobria, a sepsis‐causing bacterium, and induces sepsis‐mimicking disorders through plasma protein cleavage. The pathogen also secretes nASP that has a nick in the carboxy‐terminal region. Compared with single‐chain ASP (sASP), nASP had near‐equivalent activity for small peptide substrates but was less proteolytic. Surprisingly, nASP cleaved proteins more in plasma and was inhibited by human α2‐macroglobulin more slowly than sASP. Retarded inhibition by α2‐macroglobulin allows nASP to keep proteolytic activity for longer in the host and exacerbate disorders at Aeromonas sobria infection sites. nASP may be an evolutional form to augment ASP virulence.
Bacterial biosensors for screening isoform‐selective ligands for human thyroid receptors α‐1 and β‐1
Authors: Gierach Izabela , Li Jingjing , Wu Wan-Yi , Grover Gary J. , Wood David W.
Published: August 2012

Subtype‐selective thyromimetics have potential as new pharmaceuticals for the prevention or treatment of heart disease, high LDL cholesterol and obesity, but there are only a few methods that can detect agonistic behavior of TR‐active compounds. Among these are the rat pituitary GH3 cell assay and transcriptional activation assays in engineered yeast and mammalian cells. We report the construction and validation of a newly designed TRα‐1 bacterial biosensor, which indicates the presence of thyroid active compounds through their impacts on the growth of an engineered Escherichia coli strain in a simple defined medium. This biosensor couples the configuration of a hormone receptor ligand‐binding domain to the activity of a thymidylate synthase reporter enzyme through an engineered allosteric fusion protein. The result is a hormone‐dependent growth phenotype in the expressing E. coli cells. This sensor can be combined with our previously published TRβ‐1 biosensor to detect potentially therapeutic subtype‐selective compounds such as GC‐1 and KB‐141. To demonstrate this capability, we determined the half‐maximal effective concentration (EC50) for the compounds T3, Triac, GC‐1 and KB‐141 using our biosensors, and determined their relative potency in each biosensor strain. Our results are similar to those reported by mammalian cell reporter gene assays, confirming the utility of our assay in identifying TR subtype‐selective therapeutics. This biosensor thus provides a high‐throughput, receptor‐specific, and economical method (less than US$ 0.10 per well at laboratory scale) for identifying important therapeutics against these targets.
Models for inviscid wakes past a normal plate
Authors: Elcrat A. , Zannetti L.
Published: August 2012

Closed and open hollow wakes are considered as analytic models for the two-dimensional inviscid steady flow past a plate normal to the stream. It is shown that only open configurations which satisfy the Kutta condition exist. The main argument is based on considering a plate located on the edge of a step with varying height. It is shown that solutions for open wakes exist for backward-, null and forward-facing steps, while closed wakes only exist for backward-facing steps. The occurrence of secondary separation has been modelled by adding a hollow region attached to the downstream corner. Peculiar accuracy issues of the problem are pointed out which may explain other contradictory results from the literature. It is shown how the Kirchhoff wake is a limiting solution for certain values of the governing parameters.
Doubly symmetric finite-core heton equilibria
Authors: Makarov V. G. , Sokolovskiy M. A. , Kizner Z.
Published: August 2012

A finite-core heton is a baroclinic$f$-plane modon of a special type: it is composed of two patches of uniform quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity (PV) residing in different layers of a two-layer rotating fluid. This paper focuses on numerical construction of steadily translating, doubly symmetric, finite-core hetons and testing their stability. Such a heton, which possesses symmetry about the translation axis and the transverse axis, is a stationary solution to the equations of PV conservation in each of the layers when considered in a comoving frame of reference. When constructing the heton solutions and examining their bifurcations, we identify a heton by a pair of independent non-dimensional parameters, the half-length (in the translation direction) of a PV patch and the distance of the front point of the upper patch from the translation axis. The advantage of this method over other tried approaches is that it allows one to obtain solutions of new, previously unknown types. The results of testing the heton stability are presented on the plane made by a mean radius of a PV patch and the (horizontal) separation between the centroids of the patches. Two kinds of stability are tested separately, the stability to arbitrary perturbations that do not preserve the symmetry of the initial state and the stability to so-called symmetric perturbations that do not violate the initial symmetry. The hetons comparable in size with the Rossby radius, and smaller, are always stable in both senses. However, when some critical size is exceeded, the heton stability becomes dependent on the separation, and the larger the heton, the higher the separation required for stability. The separation guaranteeing the stability to symmetric perturbations is smaller than that required for the stability to arbitrary perturbations. Interrelations between instabilities and bifurcations are briefly discussed.
The Maternity Journey in an Organisational Context: A Case Study
Authors: Costa Beth M. , Walker Arlene , Zinkiewicz Lucy , Berman Hannah , Cartledge Amy , Nheng Susan
Published: August 2012

The transition to motherhood is a significant life event impacting on all spheres of a woman's life. In an organisational context, changes to women's relationships with their employer and to their social identity occur as they adjust to their new role. A case study was undertaken to describe and compare the workplace experiences of three female employees from one health organisation who were either preparing to commence, currently on or recently returned to work from maternity leave. At all stages of the maternity journey, women expected flexibility from their employer in negotiating their return to work and managing parenting responsibilities. Women's obligations to their employer included being open about their capacity to work and parenting situations which may interfere with their work, as well as maintaining their work performance. Within a supportive work environment that included a shared identity with managers who were also mothers, women's social identity as a worker was not significantly threatened and did not change. Social identity change may be most apparent during the transition to first-time motherhood.
Approaches for quantifying gastrointestinal nutrient absorption and metabolism in a native and a modern pig breed
Authors: RODRÍGUEZ-LÓPEZ J. M. , LACHICA M. , GONZÁLEZ-VALERO L. , FERNÁNDEZ-FÍGARES I.
Published: August 2012

When working with multi-catheterized animals, success and failure are separated by surgical procedures and minor details in catheter design and care. The current paper is a detailed description of novel approaches to multi-catheterization of pigs for investigations into nutrient absorption and metabolism of portal-drained viscera (PDV) in a native obese (Iberian) and a modern (Landrace) breed. Three Iberian and three Landrace gilts (25 kg average body weight; BW) were fitted with catheters in the carotid artery (CA), the portal vein (PV) and the ileal vein (IV). Tygon rings were attached to the catheter to mark the extent of introduction into the vessel and facilitate its fixing by means of a non-absorbable suture. The PV was catheterized through the visceral side of the left-lateral lobe of the liver and IV through a branch of the vein. The CA was secured directly in place with a purse-string suture where the artery was not occluded. Patency of the catheters was checked weekly and catheters filled with sterile heparinized saline and closed by two knots. Portal blood flow was determined to test the procedures. A 15 ml pulse dose of para-aminohippuric acid (PAH; 2% w/v) was infused into IV 45 min prior to blood sampling, followed by continuous infusion of 0·8 ml/min. Blood samples (4·5 ml) were taken simultaneously from CA and PV, using heparinized tubes, 5 min before feeding 0·25 of the total daily ration (barley–soybean meal diet; 160 g crude protein (CP)/kg; 14–14·5 MJ metabolizable energy (ME)/kg dry matter (DM); 2·4×ME for maintenance), and every 30 min for 4 h and then hourly until 6 h after feeding. Blood was centrifuged and plasma harvested and stored at −20 °C until PAH analysis. Whole-blood flow was based on the Fick principle. Post-prandial PDV blood flow was lower for the Iberian pigs than Landrace (866 and 1464 ml/min, respectively). The concurrence of access to the PV through the liver with a minimal wound, the non-occluded blood flow in CA, and the catheter design and care were all critical for the fast recovery of pigs and catheter patency. The procedures followed are recommended for studies of absorption of nutrients from the gastrointestinal tract and the impact of PDV on the metabolism of conscious, unrestrained, growing pigs.
Lorrie Moore Collection“Escape from the Invasion of the Love-Killers”: Lorrie Moore's Metafictional Feminism
Authors: MACPHERSON HEIDI SLETTEDAHL
Published: August 2012

Lorrie Moore's work offers up a comic exploration of the pain of womanhood and feminism, and a powerful metafictional critique of prevailing narratives. She melds a postmodern experimentation with a gendered sense of identity, focussing on the fragmented self not just as a reaction against the constraints of a realist narrative, but as an opportunity to explore multiplicity and artistic agency. The principal focus of this essay is onAnagrams, a collection of linked short stories that has also been marketed as a novel.Anagramsoffers a metafictional recycling of the alternative “stories” of the central character's life. This may be Moore's most overt play on masquerade and (re)invention, but, as will be explored, heroeuvreis suffused with women characters who attempt a variety of escapes from their presumed narrative closures and who also struggle with feminism and its consequent impact on their narrated lives. Moore admirably captures the angst attached to narrative disappointment; the desire for replication, reinvention and a shifting of responsibility; and the problematic landscape of feminism for her mature and maturing women characters. This essay explores Moore's fictional(ized) feminism and postfeminism and her characters' resort to masquerade as a legitimate response to contemporary angst and narrative tension.
Lorrie Moore Collection“A Little Ethnic Kink Is Always Good to See”: Jewish Performance Anxiety and Anti-passing in the Fiction of Lorrie Moore
Authors: BRAUNER DAVID
Published: August 2012

This essay explores the ways in which the performance of Jewish identity (in the sense both of representing Jewish characters and of writing about those characters’ conscious and unconscious renditions of their Jewishness) is a particular concern (in both senses of the word) for Lorrie Moore. Tracing Moore's representations of Jewishness over the course of her career, from the early story “The Jewish Hunter” through to her most recent novel, A Gate at the Stairs, I argue that it is characterized by (borrowing a phrase from Moore herself) “performance anxiety,” an anxiety that manifests itself in awkward comedy and that can be read both in biographical terms and as an oblique commentary on, or reworking of, the passing narrative, which I call “anti-passing.” Just as passing narratives complicate conventional ethno-racial definitions so Moore's anti-passing narratives, by representing Jews who represent themselves as other to themselves, as well as to WASP America, destabilize the category of Jewishness and, by implication, deconstruct the very notion of ethnic categorization.
The mucosal response of hamsters exposed to weekly repeated infections with the hookwormAncylostoma ceylanicum
Authors: Alkazmi L.M.M. , Behnke J.M.
Published: August 2012

An experiment was carried out to assess mucosal changes in hamsters exposed to weekly repeated low-intensity infections with the hookwormAncylostoma ceylanicum. The experiment included control groups of naïve, uninfected hamsters and groups that received a single-pulse primary infection. Changes in the intestinal architecture and in the density of inflammatory cells in the mucosa, including mast cells, goblet cells, Paneth cells and eosinophils were examined in relation to changes in hookworm burdens. As in the single-pulse primary infection, hamsters exposed to repeated infections responded with marked changes in the intestinal architecture and in mucosal populations of inflammatory cells. However, there were distinct differences in the kinetics of the responses to these two types of infection (primary single-pulse and repeated). The reduction in villous height and the increase in crypt depth in animals exposed to repeated infections were both initially slower but eventually equalled and exceeded the responses in hamsters given a chronic primary infection, despite the presence of fewer adult worms in the former. Similarly, changes in the mitotic figures of epithelial cells in the mucosa and the mast cell response were both initially slower and less intense in repeatedly infected hamsters, but eventually exceeded the response to primary infection. Furthermore, the eosinophil response was found to be initially greater in repeated infections and overall more persistent. In contrast, both goblet and Paneth cell responses were less marked in repeatedly infected animals compared to those carrying a primary infection. These results are discussed in the context of host protective resistance to infection withA. ceylanicum.
Cervical osteophytes causing vocal fold paralysis: case report and literature review
Authors: Virk J S , Majithia A , Lingam R K , Singh A
Published: August 2012

Objectives:

To increase awareness of cervical osteophytes as an extremely rare cause of recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy; to outline the clinical approach to patients with unilateral vocal fold paralysis and to provide an update on the current management of osteoarthritis and osteophytes.

Case report:

An elderly man presented with right unilateral vocal fold immobility and a small phonatory gap. By a diagnosis of exclusion, a cervical osteophyte at the level of the sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae was shown to be the cause. The patient responded to speech therapy and no further intervention was required.

Method:

A literature review, using Medline, identified only one previously published case of vocal fold paralysis due to osteophytes secondary to osteoarthritis.

Conclusion:

The aetiology of unilateral paralysis of the hemilarynx must be fully investigated, as the innervating system has a protracted course, particularly on the left side. Degenerative cervical spine disease, although rare, should be considered as part of the differential diagnosis.
Pre-operative embolisation of the thyroid artery in a patient with a large papillary carcinoma of the thyroid
Authors: Shojaku H , Takakura H , Watanabe Y , Seto H
Published: August 2012

Objective:

To demonstrate the usefulness of pre-operative selective embolisation of the thyroid arteries in an unusual case with a large, vascular thyroid tumour.

Case report:

A 29-year-old man presented with a large papillary carcinoma of the thyroid (weighing approximately 300 g on palpation) with extension to the mediastinum and compression of the trachea. A computed tomography scan of the neck and thorax revealed a large tumour the solid part of which was enhanced after contrast medium application, indicating a substantial vascular supply. Pre-operative selective embolisation of both superior thyroid arteries and one inferior thyroid artery, using gelatin sponge particles, was performed 4 days before surgery, under conventional angiography. After selective embolisation of these thyroid arteries, the patient experienced mild anterior neck pain and mild fever. This procedure allowed a significant reduction in blood perfusion to the tumour, which facilitated its surgical removal without blood transfusion.

Conclusion:

Pre-operative selective embolisation of both superior thyroid arteries and one inferior thyroid artery may be an effective, minimally invasive procedure for patients with a large, vascular thyroid tumour.
Pott's puffy tumour and intracranial complications of frontal sinusitis in pregnancy
Authors: Domville-Lewis C , Friedland P L , Santa Maria P L
Published: August 2012

Introduction:

A Pott's puffy tumour is a subperiosteal abscess and osteomyelitis of the frontal bone secondary to frontal sinusitis. Intracranial complications are seen in approximately 40 per cent of cases and are potentially life-threatening; such complications have not previously been reported in pregnancy.

Case report:

A 21-year-old woman at 35 weeks' gestation presented with a history of frontal headaches and swelling, periorbital oedema, pain and chemosis. Imaging confirmed Pott's puffy tumour with right-sided epidural empyema and periorbital cellulitis. A multidisciplinary team was involved in the patient's management. Intravenous antibiotics were commenced and initial percutaneous drainage through the frontal sinus skin was performed, followed by endoscopic sinus drainage. A caesarean section was performed 3 days later. Complete resolution of the sinus and intracranial collections was noted on imaging performed six weeks later.

Conclusion:

This case highlights the challenges of managing rare intracranial complications of sinusitis in pregnancy, and the importance of multidisciplinary care.
Outcomes of canalplasty for chronic obliterative otitis externa
Authors: Potter C P S , Bottrill I D
Published: August 2012

Introduction:

Chronic obliterative otitis externa is a rare cause of conductive hearing loss, characterised by stenosis of the deep ear canal secondary to chronic inflammation. A multitude of canalplasty techniques have been described, with variable success.

Method:

Fourteen patients undergoing canalplasty performed by the senior author for refractory obliterative otitis externa, over an 8-year period, were included in the study. All underwent split-skin grafting of the denuded canal and meticulous post-operative aural care. Outcome measures included the Glasgow Benefit Inventory and pure tone audiology.

Results:

At 3 months post-operatively, the four-tone average threshold had improved by a mean of 13.9 dB (95 per cent confidence interval –9.9 to 37.8 dB;t < 0.001) in the operated ear. The mean Glasgow Benefit Inventory score was 20 (95 per cent confidence interval −2.3 to 42.1).

Conclusion:

Significant improvements in both hearing and quality of life are achievable in patients with end-stage obliterative otitis externa treated surgically. Highly trained and competent aural care practitioners are a prerequisite for the success of the procedure, and a substantial number of patients must be prepared to submit to long-term follow-up care.
Richard von Krafft-Ebing's views on the etiology of major psychiatric illness
Authors: Engstrom E. J. , Kendler K. S.
Published: August 2012

While best known in the anglophonic world for his work on sexual deviations and his advocacy for degeneration theory, Richard Krafft-Ebing (RKE) (1840–1902) was a major figure in late-19th century European psychiatry and author of the most widely read German psychiatric textbook of that era. With the goal of (re-)introducing his work to an anglophonic audience, we review and provide an historical context for RKE's etiologic theory of major psychiatric illness. RKE saw psychiatric disorders as multifactorial, arising from two sets of etiologic factors: predisposing and exciting. Exciting causes were either psychological or physical, while predisposing causes were either general (e.g. sex, occupation, age) or individual-specific. Three major individual-specific risk factors were of particular importance: heredity, personality and education/rearing. Hereditary factors were typically the most important but were usually non-specific in their effect with the forms of psychiatric illness often differing in close relatives. He emphasized the importance of the ‘neuropathic personality,’ which rendered affected individuals sensitive to the pathogenic effects of various exciting influences. Poor rearing could also substantially increase risk for major mental illness. RKE saw the influences of hereditary and rearing factors on psychiatric illness as often mediated through a neuropathic personality. While RKE believed in degeneration theory and emphasized the potential etiologic importance of masturbation in psychiatric illness, his clinical writings were otherwise characterized by a broad-minded and sensible approach that lacked the narrowness of the strongly brain-based or psychoanalytic psychiatric schools which were very influential during and shortly after his life.
Disturbed microstructural integrity of the frontostriatal fiber pathways and executive dysfunction in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Shang C. Y. , Wu Y. H. , Gau S. S. , Tseng W. Y.
Published: August 2012

Background

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is recognized as an early-onset neuropsychiatric disorder with executive dysfunctions and neurobiological deficits. The authors compared executive functions and microstructural integrity of the frontostriatal circuit in children with ADHD and typically developing children.

Method

We assessed 25 children with ADHD and 25 age-, sex-, handedness- and intelligence-matched typically developing children by using psychiatric interviews, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – third edition, and the tasks involving executive functions in the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. The frontostriatal tracts were reconstructed by diffusion spectrum imaging tractography and were subdivided into four functionally distinct segments, including dorsolateral, medial prefrontal, orbitofrontal and ventrolateral tracts. Tract-specific and matched case-control analyses were used and generalized fractional anisotropy values were computed.

Results

Children with ADHD had lower generalized fractional anisotropy of all the bilateral frontostriatal fiber tracts and poorer performance in verbal and spatial working memory, set-shifting, sustained attention, cognitive inhibition and visuospatial planning. The symptom severity of ADHD and the executive functioning performance significantly correlated with integrity of the frontostriatal tracts, particularly the left orbitofrontal and ventrolateral tracts. Children with ADHD also demonstrated loss of the leftward asymmetry in the dorsolateral and medial prefrontal tracts that was present in typically developing children.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrate disturbed structural connectivity of the frontostriatal circuitry in children with ADHD and add new evidence of associations between integrity of the frontostriatal tracts and measures of core symptoms of ADHD and a wide range of executive dysfunctions in both groups.
Structural marginalisation among the long-term care workforce in England: evidence from mixed-effect models of national pay data
Authors: HUSSEIN SHEREEN , MANTHORPE JILL
Published: August 2012

The long-term care sector is generally characterised by low pay and difficult working conditions. Understanding pay structures and differentials within this sector is important in enhancing recruitment, retention, quality of care and productivity. This article uses new national data on the long-term care workforce in England to investigate employer and individual effects on pay levels and differentials, using mixed-effects modelling controlling for region, sector and employer hierarchical factors. We further examine whether gender and ethnic pay gaps exist among different groups of workers. The results indicate a significant relationship between sector and pay across different job roles. The analysis further identifies ethnic and gender pay differences even after controlling for the effects of sector and individual employers. The implications of this are discussed in relation to sustaining the care workforce in the context of an ageing society and the potential for structural employment marginalisation to reflect the marginalisation of older people receiving care.
Age-training gaps in the European Union
Authors: CARMICHAEL FIONA , ERCOLANI MARCO G.
Published: August 2012

This paper examines the relationship between age and training in the 15 European Union countries (EU-15) that were member states prior to the 2004 enlargement. The analysis is carried out using European Union Labour Force Survey data. We report cross-country comparisons of the training undertaken by older people (aged 50–64) and younger people (aged 20–49). We extend previous research by adding an analysis of the training undertaken by non-workers as well as that of workers. We also consider whether training is work-related, whether it is undertaken during normal work-hours and the time spent in training. Our results show that across the EU-15 not only are older people less likely to participate in training in general but, more importantly, they are less likely to participate in work-related training. Our evidence suggests that there is considerable scope for raising the training rates of older people and particularly older people who are out of work.
THE USE OF PROSODIC CUES IN LEARNING NEW WORDS IN AN UNFAMILIAR LANGUAGE
Authors: Kim Sahyang , Broersma Mirjam , Cho Taehong
Published: August 2012

The artificial language learning paradigm was used to investigate to what extent the use of prosodic features is universally applicable or specifically language driven in learning an unfamiliar language, and how nonnative prosodic patterns can be learned. Listeners of unrelated languages—Dutch (n= 100) and Korean (n= 100)—participated. The words to be learned varied with prosodic cues: no prosody, fundamental frequency (F0) rise in initial and final position, final lengthening, and final lengthening plus F0 rise. Both listener groups performed well above chance level with the final lengthening cue, confirming its crosslinguistic use. As for final F0 rise, however, Dutch listeners did not use it until the second exposure session, whereas Korean listeners used it at initial exposure. Neither group used initial F0 rise. On the basis of these results, F0 and durational cues appear to be universal in the sense that they are used across languages for their universally applicable auditory-perceptual saliency, but how they are used is language specific and constrains the use of available prosodic cues in processing a nonnative language. A discussion on how these findings bear on theories of second language (L2) speech perception and learning is provided.