bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Storage time of transfused red blood cells and impact on clinical outcomes in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Kekre Natasha , Chou Andrew , Tokessey Melanie , Doucette Steve , Tinmouth Alan , Tay Jason , Allan David S.
Published: May 2011

BACKGROUND: Red blood cell (RBC) transfusion may prolong recovery in some patients, perhaps due to changes that occur during more prolonged RBC storage. We examined the impact of RBC transfusion and the age of transfused RBC units on clinical outcomes in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Data concerning RBC transfusions between Day 0 and Day +30 were analyzed for patients undergoing HSCT (n = 555) at a single institution. “Old” RBC units were defined as those stored for 15 days or longer.

RESULTS: The proportion of old RBC units transfused and the mean age of transfused units did not correlate with 100‐day nonrelapse mortality, organ‐specific toxicity, length of stay (LOS), or incidence of intensive care unit (ICU) admission (p > 0.05). In comparing the 71 patients who received only old RBC units with 218 patients who received only “new” RBC units, there was no increase in adverse clinical outcomes after HSCT. Autologous transplant recipients (n = 355, 3.8 units/patient) were more likely to avoid RBC transfusion and received fewer units compared with allogeneic recipients (n = 200, 6.4 units/patient, p < 0.0001). The mean number of transfused RBC units was greater in patients admitted to the ICU (10.5 units vs. 3.7 units/patient, p < 0.01), correlated with longer LOS (p < 0.0001), and correlated with increasing number of organ systems with toxicity of at least Grade 2 (p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION: The importance of RBC storage time does not appear to influence clinical outcomes in HSCT. Patients with increased RBC transfusion requirements have greater toxicity after HSCT. Whether RBC transfusion contributes to toxicity, however, remains unclear.
Information Technology and Organizational Morphology: The Case of the Korean Central Government
Authors: Im Tobin
Published: May 2011

This study explores the effects of information technology (IT) in terms of longitudinal changes in organizational structures at the central government level. Interestingly, although IT has increased the ratio of middle managers to subordinates, the number of middle managers has not changed radically and, in some cases, has steadily increased, while the proportion of lower‐level employees has decreased. Contrary to the belief in a pyramid structure, the actual form of an agency looks like a rocket. The analysis shows that IT effects on the agency’s morphology differ according to the core technology of the agency. However, these effects seem to be constrained by the rigidity of the Korean government in terms of organizational management. This article proposes that agency autonomy in fitting the organizational structure to the real work situation is a necessary condition for seeing the full effects of e‐government.
The Executive Budget in the Federal Government: The First Century and Beyond
Authors: Meyers Roy T. , Rubin Irene S.
Published: May 2011

This article reviews the history of executive budgeting in the United States a century after President William Howard Taft's Economy and Efficiency Commission proposed an executive budget. This history, the authors argue, does not suggest that giving more budget power to the president will improve budget outcomes. Instead, what is needed is more cooperation between the branches of government and a better‐educated public—goals that were shared by budget reformers when the Taft report was published.
The (Il)logics of Federal Budgeting, and Why Crisis Must Come
Authors: Andrews Matt
Published: May 2011

The U.S. federal budgeting system faces severe challenges in coming years. Deficits are being recorded at levels and with regularity not seen in prior periods. This article suggests that such problems reflect the uncomfortable mix of logics informing budgetary and political institutions—that is, the rules of the game. Logics make it appropriate to expect that government be limited in its tax demands but simultaneously responsive in providing expensive services necessary for the achievement of the American dream, for example. Crisis is needed to allow the emergence of institutional forms that mediate between these conflicting logics.
State Performance‐Based Budgeting in Boom and Bust Years: An Analytical Framework and Survey of the States
Authors: Hou Yilin , Lunsford Robin S. , Sides Katy C. , Jones Kelsey A.
Published: May 2011

The authors examine the track record of applying performance‐based budgeting (PBB) across three time periods within a sample of U.S. state governments: (1) throughout the 1990s, (2) in the early 2000s, and (3) during the Great Recession. State‐level PBB is analyzed according to four elements: (1) the development of performance measures, (2) its applicability to budgeting and management processes, (3) its utility across the business cycle, and (4) its usefulness for budget players. An analytical framework is devised that highlights the “publicness” of American government, draws on the principal–agent model, and considers incentive mechanisms theory. Findings confirm that a good performance measurement system takes time to develop and operate well and that PBB functions more effectively for executive management than legislative purposes. PBB is used more by the states during strong economic times as opposed to during economic downturns. More importantly, PBB is only selectively applied by legislators in most states, whereas top executive policy makers, middle managers, and staff embrace and utilize PBB systems more extensively.
Assembling E‐Government Research Designs: A Transdisciplinary View and Interactive Approach
Authors: Hardy Catherine A. , Williams Susan P.
Published: May 2011

There is a growing recognition in the field of e‐government that improving the quality and impact of research requires taking into account their complex contexts and drawing on more interdisciplinary and collaborative research. Limited attention so far has been directed toward the conduct of such research, particularly in contract‐based research arrangements for developing e‐government policy. A four‐nation study of public e‐procurement policy is used here to make transparent the process of designing and conducting transdisciplinary and interactive research. Further sharing of research designs and accounts is needed to advance theory, policy, and practice, and to develop a history of ideas in the e‐government research field.
Left High and Dry? Climate Change, Common‐Pool Resource Theory, and the Adaptability of Western Water Compacts
Authors: Schlager Edella , Heikkila Tanya
Published: May 2011

Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are falling far short of what a consensus of scientists argues is necessary to avoid potentially catastrophic increases in the mean global temperature. Increasingly, attention is devoted to understanding the vulnerability and adaptability of social and ecological systems to climate change in particular areas of the world. In the Western United States and other semi‐arid regions of the world, possibly the most immediate, direct impacts of climate change involve the availability of water resources. Scientific evidence suggests that the West is likely to become hotter and drier and will experience greater variability in precipitation. These changes will affect tens of millions of residents in Western states, and nearly every sector of the economy, especially agriculture. The logic of common‐pool resource theory is applied in this Theory to Practice essay to assess the vulnerability and adaptability to climate change of interstate river compacts and to offer recommendations for coping with climate change. Future areas of research on this critical topic are also outlined.

Expert e‐commentaries by Richard Kashmanian and Roger Gorke of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and by Elisabeth Graffy of the U.S. Geological Survey, can be found on the PAR website (go to aspanet.org, click on the link to PAR, and then on the Theory to Practice link).
Predictors of Acute and Long‐Term Success of Slow Pathway Ablation for Atrioventricular Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia: A Single Center Series of 1,419 Consecutive Patients
Authors: FELDMAN ALEXANDER , VOSKOBOINIK ALEKSANDR , KUMAR SAURABH , SPENCE STEVEN , MORTON JOSEPH B. , KISTLER PETER M. , SPARKS PAUL B. , VOHRA JITENDRA K. , KALMAN JONATHAN M.
Published: May 2011

Background: Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) is the most common mechanism of supraventricular tachycardia. Slow pathway (SP) ablation is the first‐line treatment approach with a high acute success rate and a low risk of inadvertent complete atrioventricular (AV) block. However, there is still some uncertainty as to the most appropriate procedural endpoints and the impact of these on risk of recurrence. We report the acute and long‐term results of SP ablation in a large single‐center consecutive series and analyze predictors of acute success and late recurrence.

Methods: The study included 1,448 consecutive procedures in 1,419 patients with AVNRT (mean age 49 ± 17 years, 66% women) who underwent SP ablation using a combined electrophysiologic and anatomic approach. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed for potential predictors of acute success and late recurrence.

Results: Acute success was achieved in 98.1%. Transient (first, second, or third degree) AV block occurred during the procedure in 20 (1.41%) patients. One patient (0.07%) had persistent first‐degree and transient second‐degree AV block after ablation and underwent pacemaker implant at day 21. Of the 1,391 patients with successful ablation, 22 patients (1.5%) developed AVNRT recurrence during a follow‐up period of 63 ± 38 months. The only independent predictor of reduced procedural success was the presence of atypical AVNRT (hazard ratio 3.1, P = 0.04). Independent predictors of AVNRT recurrence were age <20 years and female gender (hazard ratios 14.1 and 3.7, respectively). No significant difference in the incidence of late recurrence was observed in patients with or without residual slow‐pathway conduction, or according to use of isoproterenol testing or general anesthesia. However, patients with a single echo with recurrence had a significantly larger echo window (median 85 ms) than those without (median 30 ms, P = 0.01).

Conclusions: This study demonstrates in a large consecutive single‐center series that SP ablation using radiofrequency energy is a highly effective procedure with an extremely low risk of inadvertent AV block and a low recurrence rate. We found that single‐AV nodal echo beats represented a procedural endpoint that did not predict AVNRT recurrence but that a large echo window is associated with recurrence. Recurrence rates in this series were higher in young women, possibly reflecting a more conservative approach to ablation in this age group. (PACE 2011; 34:927–933)
Tsukubamonas globosa n. gen., n. sp., A Novel Excavate Flagellate Possibly Holding a Key for the Early Evolution in “Discoba”
Authors: YABUKI AKINORI , NAKAYAMA TAKESHI , YUBUKI NAOJI , HASHIMOTO TETSUO , ISHIDA KEN‐ICHIRO , INAGAKI YUJI
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACT. We report the ultrastructure and phylogenetic position of a free‐living heterotrophic flagellate, Tsukubamonas globosa n. gen., n. sp. This flagellate was isolated from a pond in the University of Tsukuba, Japan. Under light microscopy, the spherical vegetative cells were naked and highly vacuolated, and always swam with rotating motion. Electron microscopic observations revealed that T. globosa possessed a ventral feeding groove, which is one of the hallmark characteristics of the supergroup Excavata. The position of T. globosa was unresolved in the small subunit ribosomal RNA phylogeny. On the other hand, a multigene phylogeny using α‐tubulin, β‐tubulin, actin, heat shock protein 90, and translation elongation factor 2 robustly united T. globosa with members of the “Discoba” clade of Excavata, composed of jakobids, euglenozoans, and heteroloboseans, although the precise position of T. globosa in this clade remained unresolved. Our detailed morphological comparisons elucidated that T. globosa possessed a novel set of morphological features, and could not be classified into any taxa in the Discoba clade. Instead we classified T. globosa into Tsukubamonadidae n. fam. under Tsukubamonadida n. ord.
Morphology and Small Subunit rDNA Phylogeny of a New Soil Ciliate, Bistichella variabilis n. sp. (Ciliophora, Stichotrichia)
Authors: HE YINGYING , XU KUIDONG
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACT. We isolated a new ciliate, Bistichella variabilis n. sp., from slightly saline soil of the Yellow River Delta in China and studied it using live observation, protargol staining, and small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene sequencing. Bistichella variabilis is elongated ellipsoidal and about 220 × 70 μm in vivo, with a variable number and arrangement of cirri— ventral row VI mostly very short, but a long row observed also in one specimen, and an extra row occasionally exists besides the left or the right marginal row. Bistichella variabilis differs from all congeners except Bistichella buitkampi (Foissner, 1982) in the macronuclear pattern (four vs. two or many nodules); and from B. buitkampi by the usual oblique arrangement of transverse cirri (vs. perpendicular); and the ventral row VI mostly restricted in the posterior quarter of the cell (vs. long and stretching to the anterior quarter). Phylogenetic analyses of SSU rDNA sequences indicated that B. variabilis grouped with the clade of Orthoamphisiella breviseries and Uroleptoides magnigranulosus with high support values. Despite their distinct differences in morphology, these three species have sequence similarities of 99.5–99.7%. Nonetheless, it is still premature to assign Bistichella together with Uroleptoides to the family Orthoamphisiellidae because of the taxonomic uncertainties and undersampling.
Pneumocystis carinii Sterol 14α‐Demethylase Activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae erg11 Knockout Mutant: Sterol Biochemistry
Authors: NKININ STEPHENSON W. , STRINGER JAMES R. , KEELY SCOTT P. , SETCHELL KENNETH D.R. , GINER JOSÉ‐LUIS , KANESHIRO EDNA S.
Published: May 2011

ABSTRACT.  Pneumocystis carinii is an unusual fungus that can cause pneumonitis in immunosuppressed laboratory rats. Reactions in sterol biosynthesis are attractive targets for development of antimycotic drugs. A key enzyme in sterol biosynthesis is sterol 14α‐demethylase (14DM), which is coded by the erg11 gene. Here we describe detailed sterol analysis of wild‐type Saccharomyces cerevisiae and in an erg11 knockout mutant expressing either P. carinii or S. cerevisiae 14DM from a plasmid‐borne cDNA. Sterols of the three strains were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed using thin‐layer chromatography, high‐performance liquid chromatography, and gas‐liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Biochemical evidence for functional complementation was provided by detecting the same major sterols in all three strains with ergosterol being by far the most abundant. A total of 25 sterols was identified, 16 of which were identified in all three strains. The ratios of lanosterol:14‐desmethyllanosterol in the three strains indicate that the mutant transformed with erg11 showed more 14DM activity than wild‐type yeast. The sterol analyses also indicated that the P. carinii 14DM can utilize the sterol substrates used by the S. cerevisiae 14DM and suggested that the yeast 14DM in the yeast cell utilizes 4α‐methyl sterols better than the P. carinii enzyme.
To Keep an Incessant Watch
Authors: Smith Kurt A.
Published: May 2011

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2011; 18:545–548 © 2011 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Medical residency is an educational enterprise directed toward producing clinicians who recognize and correctly manage disease. While formal graduate medical education provides didactics and bedside teaching to improve knowledge, individual learning efforts are essential to the educational experience. Keeping track of patient outcomes after disposition from the emergency department (ED) is a useful exercise in reviewing gaps in knowledge of the individual and deficiencies in systems‐based care. In reviewing the agreement between admission and discharge diagnoses of a single resident over 4 years of residency, significant improvement in diagnostic accuracy was observed. This method of self‐correction has potential to supplement formal residency education in emergency medicine.
Emergency Department Quality: An Analysis of Existing Pediatric Measures
Authors: Alessandrini Evaline , Varadarajan Kartik , Alpern Elizabeth R. , Gorelick Marc H. , Shaw Kathy , Ruddy Richard M. , Chamberlain James M. ,   for the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network
Published: May 2011

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2011; 18:519–526 © 2011 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Objectives:  The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has recommended the development of national standards for the measurement of emergency care performance. The authors undertook this study with the goals of enumerating and categorizing existing performance measures relevant to pediatric emergency care.

Methods:  Potential performance measures were identified through a survey of 1) the peer‐reviewed literature, 2) websites of organizations and societies pertaining to quality improvement, and 3) emergency department (ED) directors. Performance measures were enumerated and categorized, using consensus methods, on three dimensions: 1) the IOM quality domains; 2) Donabedian’s structure/process/outcome framework; and 3) general, cross‐cutting, or disease‐specific measures.

Results:  A total of 405 performance measures were found for potential use for pediatric emergency care. When categorized by IOM domain, nearly half of the measures were related to effectiveness, while only 6% of measures addressed patient‐centeredness. In the Donabedian dimension, 67% of measures were categorized as process measures, with 29% outcome and 4% structure measures. Finally, 31% of measures were general measures relevant to every ED visit. Although 225 measures (55%) were disease‐specific, the majority (56%) of these measures related to only five common conditions.

Conclusions:  A wide range of performance measures relevant to pediatric emergency care are available. However, measures lack a systematic and comprehensive approach to evaluate the quality of care provided.
Is Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography a Resource Sparing Strategy in the Risk Stratification and Evaluation of Acute Chest Pain? Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Miller Adam H. , Pepe Paul E. , Peshock Ron , Bhore Rafia , Yancy Clyde C. , Xuan Lei , Miller Margarita M. , Huet Gisselle R. , Trimmer Clayton , Davis Rene , Chason Rebecca , Kashner Micheal T.
Published: May 2011

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2011; 18:458–467 © 2011 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Objectives:  Annually, almost 6 million U.S. citizens are evaluated for acute chest pain syndromes (ACPSs), and billions of dollars in resources are utilized. A large part of the resource utilization results from precautionary hospitalizations that occur because care providers are unable to exclude the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD) as the underlying cause of ACPSs. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the addition of coronary computerized tomography angiography (CCTA) to the concurrent standard care (SC) during an index emergency department (ED) visit could lower resource utilization when evaluating for the presence of CAD.

Methods:  Sixty participants were assigned randomly to SC or SC + CCTA groups. Participants were interviewed at the index ED visit and at 90 days. Data collected included demographics, perceptions of the value of accessing health care, and clinical outcomes. Resource utilization included services received from both the primary in‐network and the primary out‐of‐network providers. The prospectively defined primary endpoint was the total amount of resources utilized over a 90‐day follow‐up period when adding CCTA to the SC risk stratification in ACPSs.

Results:  The mean (± standard deviation [SD]) for total resources utilized at 90 days for in‐network plus out‐of‐network services was less for the participants in the SC + CCTA group ($10,134; SD ±$14,239) versus the SC‐only group ($16,579; SD ±$19,148; p = 0.144), as was the median for the SC + CCTA ($4,288) versus SC only ($12,148; p = 0.652; median difference = –$1,291; 95% confidence interval [CI] = –$12,219 to $1,100; p = 0.652). Among the 60 total study patients, only 19 had an established diagnosis of CAD at 90 days. However, 18 (95%) of these diagnosed participants were in the SC + CCTA group. In addition, there were fewer hospital readmissions in the SC + CCTA group (6 of 30 [20%] vs. 16 of 30 [53%]; difference in proportions = –33%; 95% CI = –56% to –10%; p = 0.007).

Conclusions:  Adding CCTA to the current ED risk stratification of ACPSs resulted in no difference in the quantity of resources utilized, but an increased diagnosis of CAD, and significantly less recidivism and rehospitalization over a 90‐day follow‐up period.
Cost‐effectiveness of Point‐of‐care Biomarker Assessment for Suspected Myocardial Infarction: The Randomized Assessment of Treatment Using Panel Assay of Cardiac Markers (RATPAC) Trial
Authors: Fitzgerald Patrick , Goodacre Steve W. , Cross Elizabeth , Dixon Simon
Published: May 2011

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2011; 18:488–495 © 2011 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Objectives:  Chest pain due to suspected myocardial infarction (MI) is responsible for many hospital admissions and consumes substantial health care resources. The Randomized Assessment of Treatment using Panel Assay of Cardiac markers (RATPAC) trial showed that diagnostic assessment using a point‐of‐care (POC) cardiac biomarker panel consisting of CK‐MB, myoglobin, and troponin increased the proportion of patients successfully discharged after emergency department (ED) assessment. In this economic analysis, the authors aimed to determine whether POC biomarker panel assessment reduced health care costs and was likely to be cost‐effective.

Methods:  The RATPAC trial was a multicenter individual patient randomized controlled trial comparing diagnostic assessment using a POC biomarker panel (CK‐MB, myoglobin, and troponin, measured at baseline and 90 minutes) to standard care without the POC panel in patients attending six EDs with acute chest pain due to suspected MI (n = 2,243). Individual patient resource use data were collected from all participants up to 3 months after hospital attendance using self‐completed questionnaires at 1 and 3 months and case note review. ED staff and POC testing costs were estimated through a microcosting study of 246 participants. Resource use was valued using national unit costs. Health utility was measured using the EQ‐5D self‐completed questionnaire, mailed at 1 and 3 months. Quality‐adjusted life‐years (QALYs) were calculated by the trapezium rule using the EQ‐5D tariff values at all follow‐up points. Mean costs per patient were compared between the two treatment groups. Cost‐effectiveness was estimated in terms of probability of dominance and incremental cost per QALY.

Results:  Point‐of‐care panel assessment was associated with higher ED costs, coronary care costs, and cardiac intervention costs, but lower general inpatient costs. Mean costs per patient were £1217.14 (standard deviation [SD] ± 3164.93), or $1,987.14 (SD ±$4,939.25), with POC versus £1005.91 (SD ±£1907.55), or $1,568.64 (SD ±$2,975.78), with standard care (p = 0.056). Mean QALYs were 0.158 (SD ± 0.052) versus 0.161 (SD ± 0.056; p = 0.250). The probability of standard care being dominant (i.e., cheaper and more effective) was 0.888, while the probability of the POC panel being dominant was 0.004. These probabilities were not markedly altered by sensitivity analysis varying the costs of the POC panel and excluding intensive care costs.

Conclusions:  Point‐of‐care panel assessment does not reduce costs despite reducing admissions and may even increase costs. It is unlikely to be considered a cost‐effective use of health care resources.
Paranoia, Public Spheres and Time in Tokyo: A Report from the Ground Six Days after the March 11 Quake
Authors: White Daniel
Published: May 2011

[dialogue, earthquake, Fukushima, energy, environment]
Energopolitics and the Anthropology of Energy
Authors: Boyer Dominic
Published: May 2011

[energy, energopolitics, environment, anthropology of energy, energy transition, political anthropology]
Oil into Culture: Energopolitics in the Russian Urals
Authors: Rogers Douglas
Published: May 2011

[energy, energopolitics, anthropology of energy, petrostate, Lukoil, Perm, Russian oil]
Logics of the Wind: Development Desires over Oaxaca
Authors: Howe Cymene
Published: May 2011

[energy, energopolitics, anthropology of energy, oil production, wind farm, wind energy, sustainability]
Oedipal Roots of Revolt in the Middle East
Authors: Borneman John
Published: May 2011

[knowledge exchange, middle east, revolution, conflict and war]
Reclaiming Dignity: Arab Revolutions of 2011
Authors: Kazam Azza
Published: May 2011

[public affairs, Human Rights Forum, nationalism, revolution]

Gretchen E Schafft is the contributing editor of Human Rights Forum, the AN column of the AAA Committee for Human Rights.
Transdisciplinary Anthropology at Arizona State: The School of Human Evolution and Social Change
Authors: Brewis Alexandra , Roberts Christopher , Stotts Rhian , Wutich Amber
Published: May 2011

[academic affairs, human evolution, program development]
Death Notices
Authors: Murphy Timothy D , Conant Francis Paine
Published: May 2011

[Timothy Murphy, Francis Conant]
Neutrophil defensins but not interleukin‐6 in vaginal fluid after preterm premature rupture of membranes predict fetal/neonatal inflammation and infant neurological impairment
Authors: LUCOVNIK MIHA , KORNHAUSER‐CERAR LILIJANA , PREMRU‐SRSEN TANJA , GMEINER‐STOPAR TANJA , DERGANC METKA
Published: May 2011

Objective. To determine whether neutrophil defensins (HNP1–3) and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) in vaginal fluid after preterm premature rupture of membranes predict fetal inflammatory response syndrome (FIRS), neurological impairment or chorioamnionitis. Design. Prospective study. Setting. Tertiary referral university hospital. Population. Forty‐two patients with preterm premature rupture of membranes at <32 weeks. Methods. Levels of HNP1–3 and IL‐6 were measured in vaginal fluid obtained by swabs. Mann–Whitney U‐test was used to compare HNP1–3 and IL‐6 levels in groups with vs. without FIRS, infant death or neurological impairment, and chorioamnionitis (p<0.05 significant). Logistic regression was used to control for potential confounders. Diagnostic accuracies of HNP1–3 and IL‐6 were determined by receiver operator characteristics analysis. Main Outcome Measures. Fetal inflammatory response syndrome was defined as neonatal inflammation within 72hours postpartum. Neurological impairment was defined as motor and/or tone abnormalities at one year of corrected age. Chorioamnionitis was diagnosed histologically. Results. Levels of HNP1–3, but not IL‐6, were higher in 12 cases of FIRS (p=0.019 and p=0.256, respectively). Levels of HNP1–3, but not IL‐6, were higher in 14 cases of infant death or neurological impairment (p=0.015 and p=0.100, respectively) and, when only survivors were analyzed, in nine cases of neurological impairment (p=0.030 and p=0.187, respectively). Levels of HNP1–3 and IL‐6 were higher in 29 cases of chorioamnionitis (p=0.005 and p=0.003, respectively). The differences remained significant after adjustment for gestational age. Levels of HNP1–3 predicted FIRS, infant death or neurological impairment and chorioamnionitis with an area under the curve of 0.75, 0.79 and 0.78, respectively. Conclusions. Elevated vaginal fluid HNP1–3 and IL‐6 levels are associated with histological chorioamnionitis. Elevated HNP1–3 can also identify FIRS and predict infant death or neurological impairment.
Likelihood ratios for the prediction of preterm delivery with biomarkers
Authors: HEE LENE
Published: May 2011

Objective. To conduct a literature search for selected biomarkers on preterm delivery and estimate their likelihood ratios (LR). Design. Structured review. Population. Low and high‐risk populations and women with symptoms of preterm delivery. Methods. Publications were identified in PubMed. Main outcome measures. LR on selected biomarkers for preterm delivery. Results. In asymptomatic women with low risk of preterm delivery, the following biomarkers gave major shifts in probability (LR above 5): twins (LR+ 10), Ureaplasma urealyticum in amniotic fluid (LR+ of 10), cervical length <25mm (LR+ 6), salival estriol (LR+ 5) and various combined tests. In asymptomatic women with high risk of preterm delivery, short cervical length (LR+ 11, LR– 0.7), high serum tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (LR+ 10, LR– 0.6) gave major shifts in probability. In women with symptoms of preterm delivery, major shifts in probability can be obtained from the following amniotic fluid biomarkers: high matrix metalloproteinase‐8 (LR+ 23, LR– 0.6), Ureaplasma urealyticum (LR+ 19, LR– 0.8), high interleukin (IL)‐6 (LR+ 9, LR– 0.2), IL‐8 (LR+10, LR– 0.2) and tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (LR+ 8, LR– 0.4). In serum IL‐6 (LR+ 12, LR– 0.2), Cluster of Differentiation 163 (LR+9, LR‐0.8) and various combined tests. Vaginal fetal fibronectin (LR+ 3 and LR– 0.5) and short cervical length (LR+ 2, LR– 0.3) gave LRs of some importance (LR below 5). Conclusion. Several biomarkers have been identified for assessment of risk of preterm delivery. Their clinical relevance depends on the efficacy of the interventions which can be offered to these patients.
Daughters Who Remember. The Omnipresent Mother in Sarraute’s Enfance and the Absent Mother in Modiano’s La Petite Bijou
Authors: Kupper Nelly Grossman
Published: May 2011

Pairing the novel of Enfance by Nathalie Sarraute with La Petite Bijou by Patrick Modiano lends a new perspective to the struggle of the female protagonist in both texts. Where the dominant critical view of both novels separately has presented the daughter as achieving a positive resolution to her struggle at the end of the text, deeper affinities between the narratives reveal a common denominator that debunks this perspective. Rereading the novels from the psychological framework of family systems theory, I suggest that the daughter wades unsuccessfully through issues of attachment and differentiation from her mother. In the two contrasting cases of Enfance, where attachment is too intense, and La Petite Bijoux, where it is too feeble, the daughter is caught in the same persistent cycle of struggle and failure to gain autonomy, thereby demonstrating that a resolution that other critics want to see is equally impossible.
Aphorisms: Problems of ‘Empirically Based Research’
Authors: Ángel‐Lara Marco A.
Published: May 2011

This article proves the existence of an epistemological problem in the use of some sources for research on the genre of aphorisms. Currently, collections and anthologies of aphoristic texts constitute the main documentary evidence for many scholars and critics of the genre, who rely on them to provide their conclusions as ‘empirically’ based. I will argue that such anthologies and collections are made on the grounds of a flawed observation, which affects their findings and, therefore, affects any critical conclusions based on these texts. Editors’ searches for texts are based on their own ideas of aphorisms which determine the features of their findings, which are later used to discuss the very (aphoristic) nature of the texts. My argument proves the existence of this biased view and is but a first step in establishing a new ground for a necessary discussion on the genre of aphorisms.
Sentinelles de l’oubli et reflets furtifs. Permanence, rupture et régimes d’historicité dansDora Bruder
Authors: Xanthos Nicolas
Published: May 2011

En cherchant à dire, au présent, une histoire vieille de plus de cinquante ans, discrète et presque totalement effacée,Dora Bruderne peut manquer de problématiser les liens entre le présent et le passé. Cet article veut montrer le caractère central, et peut‐être même fondateur, de cette problématisation dans le texte de Modiano. On examine la manière dontDora Brudermet en scène une lutte entre deux modes de relation entre présent et passé : la rupture et la permanence. Massive, la première prend appui autant sur le seul passage du temps que sur des actions concrètes accomplies durant la Seconde Guerre mondiale et dans l’immédiat après‐guerre. Marginale, la seconde se manifeste discrètement dans une étrange mémoire des lieux, une extrême sensibilité narratoriale et une poétique romanesque qui superpose et relie les strates temporelles. On essaie enfin de montrer que ces modes de relation peuvent se lire comme des régimes d’historicité, et queDora Bruder, comme énonciation, dit, même dans ses manques, la réussite du projet visant à saisir quelque chose de la vie de Dora, et donc à assurer, malgré tout, une certaine permanence du passé dans le présent.
Binding of ATP at the active site of human pancreatic glucokinase – nucleotide‐induced conformational changes with possible implications for its kinetic cooperativity
Authors: Molnes Janne , Teigen Knut , Aukrust Ingvild , Bjørkhaug Lise , Søvik Oddmund , Flatmark Torgeir , Njølstad Pål Rasmus
Published: May 2011

Glucokinase (GK) is the central player in glucose‐stimulated insulin release from pancreatic β‐cells, and catalytic activation by α‐d‐glucose binding has a key regulatory function. Whereas the mechanism of this activation is well understood, on the basis of crystal structures of human GK, there are no similar structural data on ATP binding to the ligand‐free enzyme and how it affects its conformation. Here, we report on a conformational change induced by the binding of adenine nucleotides to human pancreatic GK, as determined by intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence, using the catalytically inactive mutant form T228M to correct for the inner filter effect. Adenosine‐5′‐(β,γ‐imido)triphosphate and ATP bind to the wild‐type enzyme with apparent [L]0.5 (ligand concentration at half‐maximal effect) values of 0.27 ± 0.02 mm and 0.78 ± 0.14 mm, respectively. The change in protein conformation was further supported by ATP inhibition of the binding of the fluorescent probe 8‐anilino‐1‐naphthalenesulfonate and limited proteolysis by trypsin, and by molecular dynamic simulations. The simulations provide a first insight into the dynamics of the binary complex with ATP, including motion of the flexible surface/active site loop and partial closure of the active site cleft. In the complex, the adenosine moiety is packed between two α‐helices and stabilized by hydrogen bonds (with Thr228, Thr332, and Ser336) and hydrophobic interactions (with Val412 and Leu415). Combined with enzyme kinetic analyses, our data indicate that the ATP‐induced changes in protein conformation may have implications for the kinetic cooperativity of the enzyme.
The catalytic mechanism of dye‐decolorizing peroxidase DyP may require the swinging movement of an aspartic acid residue
Authors: Yoshida Toru , Tsuge Hideaki , Konno Hiroki , Hisabori Toru , Sugano Yasushi
Published: May 2011

The dye‐decolorizing peroxidase (DyP)‐type peroxidase family is a unique heme peroxidase family. The primary and tertiary structures of this family are obviously different from those of other heme peroxidases. However, the details of the structure–function relationships of this family remain poorly understood. We show four high‐resolution structures of DyP (EC1.11.1.19), which is representative of this family: the native DyP (1.40 Å), the D171N mutant DyP (1.42 Å), the native DyP complexed with cyanide (1.45 Å), and the D171N mutant DyP associated with cyanide (1.40 Å). These structures contain four amino acids forming the binding pocket for hydrogen peroxide, and they are remarkably conserved in this family. Moreover, these structures show that OD2 of Asp171 accepts a proton from hydrogen peroxide in compound I formation, and that OD2 can swing to the appropriate position in response to the ligand for heme iron. On the basis of these results, we propose a swing mechanism in compound I formation. When DyP reacts with hydrogen peroxide, OD2 swings towards an optimal position to accept the proton from hydrogen peroxide bound to the heme iron.
Concepts and tools to exploit the potential of bacterial inclusion bodies in protein science and biotechnology
Authors: Gatti‐Lafranconi Pietro , Natalello Antonino , Ami Diletta , Doglia Silvia Maria , Lotti Marina
Published: May 2011

Cells have evolved complex and overlapping mechanisms to protect their proteins from aggregation. However, several reasons can cause the failure of such defences, among them mutations, stress conditions and high rates of protein synthesis, all common consequences of heterologous protein production. As a result, in the bacterial cytoplasm several recombinant proteins aggregate as insoluble inclusion bodies. The recent discovery that aggregated proteins can retain native‐like conformation and biological activity has opened the way for a dramatic change in the means by which intracellular aggregation is approached and exploited. This paper summarizes recent studies towards the direct use of inclusion bodies in biotechnology and for the detection of bottlenecks in the folding pathways of specific proteins. We also review the major biophysical methods available for revealing fine structural details of aggregated proteins and which information can be obtained through these techniques.
Factors involved in the feelings related to school avoidance among high school students in Nagano Prefecture, Japan
Authors: ARUGA Mieko , SUZUKI Eiko , TAGAYA Akira
Published: May 2011

Aim:  The present study aimed to identify the factors that are involved in the feelings related to school avoidance of high school students in order to develop a support method and a strategy for preventing school maladjustment.

Method:  A total of 1756 students from three public high schools in Nagano Prefecture in Japan agreed to participate in the study. They were asked to complete the Feelings of School Avoidance (FSA) Scale, as well as information relating to their demographic details, living environment, lifestyle, and psychosocial factors.

Results:  Valid responses were obtained from 1178 students. The mean scores of all three subscales of the FSA Scale increased with the students' grade. In the hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis, the students' age, family size, and social support were excluded from the predictors and the anthropophobic tendency and social skills were analyzed separately in order to avoid multicollinearity. When the anthropophobic tendency was included, the students' grade, anthropophobic tendency, self‐esteem, and support by school friends were significant predictors for all the FSA subscales. When the level of social skills was included instead of the anthropophobic tendency, the analysis yielded similar results, except that the students' social skills and unidentified complaints were selected instead of the anthropophobic tendency.

Conclusion:  Among the high school students, the anthropophobic tendency contributed to their feelings related to school avoidance most strongly. These results suggest the necessity of understanding students' anthropophobic tendency in detail, developing effective support in order to promote their social skills and self‐esteem, and helping them to make friends, as well as improving their human relationships in order to prevent school maladjustment.
Favorable Female Sexual Function is Associated with Patient Satisfaction after Inflatable Penile Prosthesis Implantation
Authors: Moskovic Daniel J. , Gittens Paul , Avila Jr. Desiderio , Chandrashekar Aravind , Khera Mohit , Lipshultz Larry I.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

The interrelationship between male and female sexual function suggests that partner outcomes after inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) implantation must be assessed.

Aim

We examined predictors of patient and partner satisfaction, and the relationship between patient satisfaction and female sexual function, after IPP implantation.

Methods

We designed a questionnaire (scored 1–5) assessing satisfaction with various domains related to the IPP (e.g., overall satisfaction and satisfaction related to: length, width, ease of use, and partner perception). Scores ≥3 were classified as satisfied. The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) was administered to the female partners of patients that underwent an IPP.

Main Outcome Measures

Independent samples Students' t-test was used to compare various FSFI domain scores in relation to male and female satisfaction. Analysis of variance test was used to assess linear regression correlation between various continuous variables.

Results

45 men and 32 partners with a mean follow-up of 2.2 years were contacted. Overall satisfaction for men and women was 3.60 and 3.62 (out of 5), respectively. Partner FSFI scores were higher, respectively, in men with higher implant satisfaction than those with lower implant satisfaction (25.09 ± 6.79 vs. 13.67 ± 12.70, P < 0.001). Regression analysis suggests a direct correlation between FSFI scores and the degree of patient (r = 0.50, r2 = 0.23; P = 0.001) and partner (r = 0.70 r2 = 0.50; P < 0.001) satisfaction with the IPP.

Conclusion

Patient satisfaction after IPP implantation implies favorable partner sexual function compared to that of unsatisfied patients. The correlation observed suggests that patients not satisfied with their IPP are likely to have female partners at high risk for female sexual dysfunction. Further interventions may be needed to improve patient and partner sexual function, particularly unsatisfied men and their female partners.
Associations of Unhealthy Lifestyle Factors with Sexual Inactivity and Sexual Dysfunctions in Denmark
Authors: Christensen Birgitte S. , Grønbæk Morten , Pedersen Bo V. , Graugaard Christian , Frisch Morten
Published: May 2011

Introduction

Studies have linked obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, and tobacco smoking to erectile dysfunction, but the evidence linking unhealthy lifestyle factors to other sexual dysfunctions or to sexual inactivity is conflicting.

Aim

To examine associations between unhealthy lifestyle factors and sexual inactivity with a partner and four specific sexual dysfunctions in each sex.

Methods

We used nationally representative survey data from 5,552 Danish men and women aged 16–97 years in 2005. Cross-sectional associations of lifestyle factors with sexual inactivity and sexual dysfunctions were estimated by logistic regression-derived, confounder-adjusted odds ratios (ORs).

Main Outcome Measures

We calculated ORs for sexual inactivity with a partner and for sexual dysfunction and sexual difficulties overall in both sexes, for erectile dysfunction, anorgasmia, premature ejaculation, and dyspareunia in men, and for lubrication insufficiency, anorgasmia, dyspareunia, and vaginismus in women.

Results

Obesity (body mass index [BMI]≥30 kg/m2) or a substantially increased waist circumference (men ≥102 cm; women ≥88 cm), physical inactivity, and, among women, tobacco smoking were each significantly associated with sexual inactivity in the last year. Among sexually active men, both underweight (BMI <20 kg/m2) and obesity, a substantially increased waist circumference, physical inactivity in leisure time, high alcohol consumption (>21 alcoholic beverages/week), tobacco smoking, and use of hard drugs were each significantly positively associated with one or more sexual dysfunctions (ORs between 1.71 and 22.0). Among sexually active women, the only significant positive association between an unhealthy lifestyle factor and sexual dysfunction was between hashish use and anorgasmia (OR 2.85).

Conclusion

In both sexes, several unhealthy lifestyle factors were associated with sexual inactivity with a partner in the last year. Additionally, among sexually active participants, men with unhealthy lifestyles were significantly more likely to experience sexual dysfunctions. Considering the importance of a good sex life, our findings may be useful in attempts to promote healthier lifestyles.
Oxidation Behavior of SiC Platelet‐Reinforced ZrB2 Ceramic Matrix Composites
Authors: Wang Mingfu , Wang Chang‐An , Yu Lei , Huang Yong , Zhang Xinghong
Published: May 2011

Zirconium diboride (ZrB2) ceramic matrix composites reinforced by silicon carbide platelets (SiCpl) were prepared by hot pressing. Five groups of specimens were prepared, in which the contents of SiC platelets were 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 vol%, respectively. The oxidation behaviors of specimens at different temperatures from 800° to 1600°C for 1 h and at 1200°C for different times from 0.5 to 4 h were investigated. With the increase of SiCpl content, the mass gain exhibited a decreasing trend. Oxidation thermodynamics and kinetics of the SiCpl/ZrB2 composites were discussed. A characteristic structure of hollow quadrangular prismy ZrO2 crystal emerged on the sample surface after oxidation was found and the possible formation mechanism was also presented. The surface element analysis indicated that the main products of oxidation were m‐ZrO2, SiO2, and borosilicate (aluminosilicate).
Influence of the Addition of Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes in the Sintering of Nanostructured Yttria‐Stabilized Tetragonal Zirconia Polycrystalline
Authors: Garmendia Nere , Sanstacruz Isabel , Moreno Rodrigo , Obieta Isabel
Published: May 2011

The properties of yttria‐stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystalline (YTZP) ceramics, such as low thermal conductivity, excellent biocompatibility, high fracture toughness, high strength, and low wear rates, make them suitable for many applications. To further increase these properties, the use of nanostructured materials and/or the addition of reinforcing second phases such as carbon nanotubes are being investigated. In the present work, it has been demonstrated that with the addition of zirconia partially coated multiwall carbon nanotubes to a nanostructured YTZP matrix the densification is enhanced at lower temperatures and a finer microstructure is obtained.
Phase Structure and Enhanced Piezoelectric Properties of Lead‐Free Ceramics (1−x)(K0.48Na0.52)NbO3–(x/5.15) K2.9Li1.95Nb5.15O15.3 with High Curie Temperature
Authors: Wang Youliang , Lu Yiqing , Wu Mengjia , Wang Dong , Li Yongxiang , Wang Youliang
Published: May 2011

Lead‐free (1−x)(K0.48Na0.52)NbO3–(x/5.15)K2.9Li1.95Nb5.15O15.3 (KNN–KLN100x, x=0–0.25) piezoelectric ceramics have been prepared by a conventional solid‐state sintering technique. The effects of potassium lithium niobate (KLN) content on the phase structure and piezoelectric properties were investigated. The addition of KLN markedly increased the paraelectric cubic‐ferroelectric tetragonal phase transition temperature (TC), but greatly shifted the polymorphic phase transition from the ferroelectric orthorhombic to the ferroelectric tetragonal phase (TO–T) to near room temperature. At room temperature, coexistence of the orthorhombic and tetragonal phases was identified at approximately 0.12≤x≤0.18 by the analysis of X‐ray diffraction patterns and dielectric spectroscopy, which led to a significant enhancement of the piezoelectric properties. The ceramics with x=0.16 exhibited excellent piezoelectric properties: piezoelectric constant d33=235 pC/N, planar electromechanical coupling factor kp=41.6%, and Curie temperature TC=473°C. Moreover, they also have an excellent thermal stability in the severe aging test up close to their Curie temperatures. These results indicated that the KNN–KLN100x ceramics are very promising lead‐free piezoelectric candidates, especially for high‐temperature applications.