bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparing graduate students for graduate‐level study and research
Authors: O'Clair Katherine
Published: June 2013

Purpose

This paper aims to describe a graduate level course in information research for thesis‐based Master's degree students in the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences at California Polytechnic State University for which the College Librarian served as the instructor of record. It also seeks to report the results of research conducted to investigate the impact of the course and its effect on graduate student confidence and preparedness.

Design/methodology/approach

Questionnaires were used to measure student perception of their confidence and preparedness for graduate study and research before and after completing a for‐credit course.

Findings

Students' self‐perceived levels of confidence and preparedness increased after taking the course. Most felt the course was useful and the content would help them to complete their theses more efficiently and effectively. The majority of students also completed the administrative tasks that are required for graduate‐level study.

Originality/value

For‐credit, course‐based information literacy instruction is common for undergraduates at institutions throughout the US, yet similar offerings for graduate students are rare. Graduate students have specific information needs that require a particular set of skills. A for‐credit course designed to meet the needs of graduate students is an effective way to prepare students. Research conducted in conjunction with the offering of this course examines the impact on graduate students' self‐perceived confidence and preparedness.
Fugitive filing: ready reference technologies as cultural artifacts
Authors: Sweeney Miriam
Published: June 2013

Purpose

This paper seeks to position ready reference technologies as cultural artifacts that have meaning and value beyond pure functionality as a reference tool. The case study aims to assert that locally created reference tools and technologies have much to offer as artifacts that encode cultural knowledge about the community, institution and profession.

Design/methodology approach

This case study consists of semi‐structural interviews with six library reference staff members about their experiences and interpretations of a collaboratively created ready reference technology that is used in their reference practice at a public library.

Findings

The results demonstrate there is value is exploring technologies as cultural artifacts in that they reveal otherwise hidden or obscured institutional values, labor practices, tensions associated with changing times in the profession, and the community culture throughout time.

Practical implications

There is benefit in exploring locally created ready reference tools as cultural artifacts to uncover hidden cultural knowledge about institutions, communities, and professional practices.

Originality/value

While there are studies of ready reference tools, they largely focus on the transition of these materials from print‐to‐digital. There was a gap in the literature about the meaning of the ready reference tools to their librarian creators/users. This study is a contribution to ready reference literature and starts to address this gap.
Assessing state government financial transparency websites
Authors: Thornton Joel B. , Thornton Elaine
Published: June 2013

Purpose

This study aims to examine the content of, and the extent to which, the 50 state governments make online spending data available to citizens. Additionally, it seeks to analyze the typical access points available for searching financial transparency websites and to evaluate each for the presence of learning aids to assist average citizens in deciphering the data provided.

Design/methodology/approach

A content analysis of 50 state government financial transparency websites was conducted to determine access points available for searching and the presence of learning aids and explanatory materials to facilitate citizen understanding of government spending.

Findings

The study results revealed that, despite state government's efforts to provide increased access to financial information, little has been done to assist in improving citizens' skill in using the information and making it more understandable.

Practical implications

Librarians can play an integral role in assisting average citizens in navigating and understanding state government financial transparency websites.

Originality/value

This study demonstrates the importance of including learning aids on state government financial transparency websites and highlights the role that information professionals can play in assisting citizens with website navigation and data interpretation.
Exploring the role of intellectual capital in the development of e‐business models
Authors: Namvar Morteza , Khalilzadeh Pejman
Published: June 2013

Purpose

This paper aims at exploring the role of structural capital (SC) dimensions – customer, process and innovational – in the development of e‐business models (eBM). The Iranian carpet industry is tested regarding five types of eBMs: Direct to customer, Full Service Provider, Virtual Community, Shared Infrastructure and Value Net Integrator.

Design/methodology/approach

First, measures for SC dimensions and required core competencies for eBMs are extracted from the literature. Then, the correlation level between SC dimensions and different eBMs are hypothesized. Finally, after using a questionnaire in 30 Iranian carpet companies, the hypotheses are tested.

Findings

This study indicates that three dimensions of SC influence different eBMs in their own way. While one instant dimension is strongly effective for one eBM, it does not significantly affect the other one.

Research limitations/implications

The role of human capital – the second part of intellectual capital – on the development of eBM as well as the dependency of some other eBMs such as intermediaries on intellectual capital should be investigated in further research.

Practical implications

Using the help of this study, firstly, companies will concentrate on the most effective dimensions of SC in developing a special eBM. Secondly, they will exclude those eBMs which are not applicable regarding their knowledge capabilities.

Originality/value

This study brings together two disciplines that have not been considered together before: the development of eBMs and the management of intellectual capital.
Board members' education and firm performance: evidence from a developing economy
Authors: Darmadi Salim
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The purpose of the present paper is to examine the influence of the educational qualifications of board members, including the CEO, on the financial performance of Indonesian listed firms. Indonesia is a developing economy that adopts a two‐tier board system.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employs a sample comprising 160 firms listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). Tobin's Q and return on assets (ROA) are used as measures of financial performance. It uses four proxies for board members' educational qualifications, namely postgraduate degrees, degrees obtained from prestigious universities, degrees obtained from developed countries, and degrees in financial disciplines. Regressions are performed separately for the supervisory board, management board, and CEO.

Findings

This study provides empirical evidence that the educational qualifications of board members and the CEO matter, to a particular extent, in explaining either ROA or Tobin's Q. For example, CEOs holding degrees from prestigious domestic universities perform significantly better than those without such qualifications.

Practical implications

Even though intellectual competence should appear to be one of the considerations in the appointment of board members, educational qualification is not always a good proxy for superior advising or managerial quality. There may be many other factors that need to be considered, such as experiences, managerial skills, networks, and other skills obtained outside schools. As such, the establishment of a nomination committee, which is expected to provide independent recommendations on qualified candidates to serve in the boardrooms, plays an important role.

Originality/value

Empirical studies focusing on the influence of the educational backgrounds of board members and the CEO on financial performance are still rare in the literature. This study is among the first to address such an issue in the context of a developing economy.
A scientometric analysis of literature on performance assessment of microfinance institutions (1995‐2010)
Authors: Roy Arup , Goswami Chandana
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to conduct a scientometric analysis of the body of literature contained in international peer‐reviewed journals, university publications, reports of development organizations and conference publications on the performance management of the microfinance institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 71 research papers (1995‐2010) published in international peer‐reviewed journals, reports of developmental organizations, university reports and international conference publications, which aim to provide insights into the assessment of the microfinance institutions, was reviewed. The review was done along different parameters, namely financial performance, social performance, outreach, sustainability, efficiency, productivity, institutional characteristics and governance.

Findings

Based on the literature review, a new conceptual model is proposed that focuses on the overall performance of the MFIs. The study also documents the various dimensions of the performance measurement of the MFIs done so far. It is expected that this study would help turn the attention of microfinance researchers, microfinance practitioners, and various rating agencies to the various dimensions affecting the overall assessment of microfinance institutions.

Research limitations/implications

Attempt was made to make the sample as inclusive and exhaustive as possible, but some research work may inadvertently have not found a place in this study.

Originality/value

A scientometric analysis of the MFI performance measurement is done in terms of longitudinal spread as well as geographical spread focusing the various performance dimensions of microfinance institutions.
Evaluating operational efficiency of a bookshop chain in Turkey and identifying efficiency drivers
Authors: Uyar Ali , Bayyurt Nizamettin , Dilber Mustafa , Karaca Vehbi
Published: June 2013

Purpose

Comparative shop efficiency within a chain is a key factor in strategic management decisions such as evaluation, promotion and development of shop personnel. Furthermore, overall efficiency of the firm depends on the efficiency of individual shops within the chain. The purpose of this paper is to assess operational efficiency of a bookshop chain in Turkey, and identify efficiency drivers.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample includes 79 bookshops within a bookshop chain. The study uses two‐step procedure. In the first stage, data envelopment analysis (DEA) is utilised to evaluate the comparative efficiency of bookshops. The second stage attempts to determine what drives efficiency by using Tobit regression.

Findings

After assessment of shops’ efficiency by DEA, the results of Tobit regression revealed that shop age has positive significant influence on bookshop efficiency, whereas manager experience, staff experience, and education level of the shop manager do not.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of the paper are based on a single bookshop chain. Thus, one should be cautious while interpreting results.

Originality/value

The contribution of the paper to the literature is of great importance, since no prior Turkish study has dealt with the subject to this extent. Furthermore, although there are studies conducted on various subsectors of retail industry in other countries, there seems to be no study at all conducted on bookshop chains.
Promoting resource sharing through consortia: a case study of Shanghai Library
Authors: Chen Shunzhong
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the relationship between Shanghai Library and consortia in China and around the world, and examine the effect those relationships have had upon the library's resource sharing services.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a case study approach.

Findings

Library consortia can improve and enhance interlibrary loan and document delivery services by introducing those services to new users, broadening the pool of materials available for resource sharing, and increasing the requisite skill sets of ILL practitioners.

Originality/value

Library consortia are a relatively recent phenomenon in China. This paper examines the experiences of the first Chinese library to loan its collections internationally through OCLC WorldCat or enter into the first Sino‐German document delivery agreement.
Serious game evaluation as a meta‐game
Authors: Hall Lynne , Jones Susan Jane , Aylett Ruth , Hall Marc , Tazzyman Sarah , Paiva Ana , Humphries Lynne
Published: June 2013

Purpose

This paper aims to briefly outline the seamless evaluation approach and its application during an evaluation of ORIENT, a serious game aimed at young adults.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors detail a unobtrusive, embedded evaluation approach that occurs within the game context, adding value and entertainment to the player experience whilst accumulating useful data for the development team.

Findings

The key result from this study was that during the “seamless evaluation” approach, users were unaware that they had been participating in an evaluation, with instruments enhancing rather than detracting from the in‐role game experience.

Practical implications

This approach, seamless evaluation, was devised in response to player expectations, perspectives and requirements, recognising that in the evaluation of games the whole process of interaction including its evaluation must be enjoyable and fun for the user.

Originality/value

Through using seamless evaluation, the authors created an evaluation completely embedded within the “magic circle” of an in‐game experience that added value to the user experience whilst also yielding relevant results for the development team.
Fear begets function in the ‘brown’ world of detrital food webs
Authors: Nichols Elizabeth
Published: June 2013

Species of predaceous beetle (top: Agonum impressum) and large (middle: Pheretima aspergillum) and small earthworms (bottom: Aporrectodea
nocturna) used to quantify the direct effects of predation on earthworm density and behavior, and indirect effects of predation
on soil properties and above‐ground plant biomass.

image

Species of predaceous beetle (top: Agonum impressum) and large (middle: Pheretima aspergillum) and small earthworms (bottom: Aporrectodea
nocturna) used to quantify the direct effects of predation on earthworm density and behavior, and indirect effects of predation
on soil properties and above‐ground plant biomass.

Zhao, C., Griffin, J., Wu, X. & Sun, S. (2013) . Journal of Animal Ecology, 82, 749–758.

Theory suggests that predators in detritus‐based food webs should negatively influence plants, through direct effects on plant‐facilitating detritivores. In a three‐level food web of predaceous beetles, earthworms and plants, Zhao et al. () report evidence to the contrary. They found that predators drove positive indirect effects on both plant‐facilitating soil properties and above‐ground plant biomass and that these positive effects were driven by predator‐mediated vertical shifts in detritivore habitat use. Their study reinforces the importance of trait‐mediated indirect interactions across both ‘green’ and ‘brown’ trophic cascades and emphasizes that understanding the spatial dimension of trophic cascade mechanisms remains a critical research priority.
Reduced availability of rhizobia limits the performance but not invasiveness of introduced Acacia
Authors: Wandrag Elizabeth M. , Sheppard Andy , Duncan Richard P. , Hulme Philip E.
Published: June 2013

The ability to form effective mutualisms with nitrogen‐fixing bacteria (rhizobia) is implicated in the success of introduced leguminous plant species, such as Acacia. While Acacia appear to associate with rhizobia where introduced, there is evidence that the extent of this may limit success during early stages of colonization.

We examine three Australian Acacia species that have been introduced to New Zealand and ask whether variation in their ability to form rhizobial associations can explain differences in the degree to which they have established and spread since introduction.

In both Australia and New Zealand, we used glasshouse experiments to measure growth and nodulation of Acacia seedlings grown under two soil treatments: soils taken from underneath conspecifics (Host+ soils) and soils taken from the same sites but away from Acacia trees (Host−). We predicted that suitable rhizobia would be widespread in Australia leading to similar growth and nodulation in Host+ and Host− soils. However, we predicted lower growth and nodulation in New Zealand Host− soils, relative to New Zealand Host+ soils, due to limited availability of suitable rhizobia away from established conspecifics. We also predicted that differences between Host+ and Host− soils would be less marked in Acacia that were more widespread in New Zealand. Finally, we examined whether the establishment of one Acacia species might facilitate the establishment of other species by planting seedlings into soils associated with each of the two congeners.

As predicted, seedling growth and nodulation were lower in Host− than Host+ soils in New Zealand but there was no significant difference in Australia. In both countries, the difference between Host+ and Host− soils was similar for all three species and in conspecific and congeneric soils.

Synthesis. In New Zealand, Acacia seedlings that colonize sites away from established conspecifics or congeners are likely to suffer reduced growth and nodulation, which may limit their ability to establish and spread away from introduction sites. However, this limitation was the same for all three species, implying that interactions with soil biota cannot explain differences in the degree to which these Acacia have spread in New Zealand.
Linking abundances of the dung fungus Sporormiella to the density of bison: implications for assessing grazing by megaherbivores in palaeorecords
Authors: Gill Jacquelyn L. , McLauchlan Kendra K. , Skibbe Adam M. , Goring Simon , Zirbel Chad R. , Williams John W.
Published: June 2013

Megaherbivores likely had important influences on past vegetation dynamics, just as they do in modern ecosystems. The exact nature of megaherbivores' role can be studied using a relatively new suite of palaeoecological techniques, including the quantification of fossil spores from Sporormiella and other coprophilous fungi as indicators of megafaunal biomass in sediment records. However, a quantitative linkage of spore abundance with megaherbivore biomass or grazing intensity has been lacking.

Konza Prairie Biological Station (Kansas, USA), located in the midcontinent of North America, contains native tallgrass prairie grazed by a herd of bison (Bison bison) in a 1000‐ha enclosure, providing an excellent opportunity to test the effects of megaherbivores on grassland community composition and their potential signature in the palynological record. We collected pollen and spores during 2009 and 2010 from a network of 28 modified Tauber traps. The precise locations of the bison herd were recorded using GPS collars; we calculated bison grazing intensity (kg m−2 year−1) to high spatial precision within concentric circles around each trap (radii from 25 to 500 m).

Both relative (per cent) and absolute (concentration) abundances of Sporormiella were significantly higher in traps inside the enclosure and were positively correlated with bison grazing intensity. The cut‐off for distinguishing between bison‐grazed and ungrazed traps was determined to be 2.8% Sporormiella of the total pollen and spore sum, consistent with previous palaeoecological reconstructions. The relationship between Sporormiella abundances and available grazing area around each trap was strongest at short radii (25–100 m), suggesting that spores do not disperse far from their source. Sporormiella should thus be considered a local‐scale indicator of megaherbivore presence.

Traps in the grazed area had significantly higher percentages of Ambrosia and lower percentages of Poaceae pollen than traps from ungrazed areas. This suggests that the pollen record has the potential to detect the ecological effects of bison grazing on grassland community composition.

Synthesis. This study refines the use of Sporormiella as a proxy for local megaherbivore presence, especially in grassland systems. Multiproxy Sporormiella and pollen analyses may help elucidate the past drivers of grassland dynamics, including the possible role of bison in mediating grass–forb interactions during the variable moisture regimes of the last 12,000 years.
Can exercise partly cure the cardiorenal syndrome?
Authors: Joles Jaap A.
Published: June 2013

See original article on page 617
Oxidative stress inhibits adhesion and transendothelial migration, and induces apoptosis and senescence of induced pluripotent stem cells
Authors: Wu Yi , Zhang Xueqing , Kang Xueling , Li Ning , Wang Rong , Hu Tiantian , Xiang Meng , Wang Xinhong , Yuan Wenjun , Chen Alex , Meng Dan , Chen Sifeng
Published: June 2013

Oxidative stress caused by cellular accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a major contributor to disease and cell death. However, how induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) respond to different levels of oxidative stress is largely unknown. Here, we investigated the effect of H2O2‐induced oxidative stress on iPSC function in vitro.

Mouse iPSC were treated with H2O2 (25–100 μmol/L). IPSC adhesion, migration, viability, apoptosis and senescence were analysed. Expression of adhesion‐related genes, stress defence genes, and osteoblast‐ and adipocyte‐associated genes were determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.

The present study found that H2O2 (25–100 μmol/L) decreased iPSC adhesion to matrix proteins and endothelial cells, and downregulated gene expression levels of adhesion‐related molecules, such as integrin alpha 7, cadherin 1 and 5, melanoma cell adhesion molecule, vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, and monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1. H2O2 (100 μmol/L) decreased iPSC viability and inhibited the capacity of iPSC migration and transendothelial migration. iPSC were sensitive to H2O2‐induced G2/M arrest, senescence and apoptosis when exposed to H2O2 at concentrations above 25 μmol/L. H2O2 increased the expression of stress defence genes, including catalase, cytochrome B alpha, lactoperoxidase and thioredoxin domain containing 2. H2O2 upregulated the expression of osteoblast‐ and adipocyte‐associated genes in iPSC during their differentiation; however, short‐term H2O2‐induced oxidative stress did not affect the protein expression of the pluripotency markers, octamer‐binding transcription factor 4 and sex‐determining region Y‐box 2.

The present results suggest that iPSC are sensitive to H2O2 toxicity, and inhibition of oxidative stress might be a strategy for improving their functions.
From Risk to Waste: Global Food Waste Regimes
Authors: Gille Zsuzsa
Published: June 2013

This article utilizes the concept of waste regimes in order to understand the global connections involved in generating food waste. This concept treats waste as a social relationship and assumes that in any economy there is a waste circulation in addition to a value circulation, and that the two are interdependent. For this reason, the author critiques metaphors, such as value chains or supply chains, that have dominated the scholarship on food and agriculture. Creatively utilizing secondary empirical data on the Global North and South from that scholarship, the findings indicate that the unequal organization of uncertainty is a key structural determinant of food waste production in both. The relationship between risk and waste stretches across not only geographical but also scalar boundaries, revealing that solutions to the ‘food waste problem’ limited to technological innovation and a few sites or even countries will prove insufficient and will likely exacerbate existing inequalities.
The Performativity of Food Packaging: Market Devices, Waste Crisis and Recycling
Authors: Hawkins Gay
Published: June 2013

Packaging is central to the economic and cultural organization of food. This mundane material has become fundamental to extending shelf life, brand strategies, the qualities of food and more. From the early twentieth century, packaging has unarguably functioned as a market device, helping to assemble and extend food markets and transforming consumer practices. Over that century, packaging also became a major source of solid waste: filling up landfills, littering streets and clogging waterways around the world. The rise of the waste crisis in urban governance from the mid-1960s has been directly connected to the proliferation of food packaging. This paper takes the stuff of food packaging seriously. Here, I seek to understand its activity as both a market device and major waste problem, and aim to develop an analysis attentive to packaging's performative agency. Rather than see packaging as a passive instrument of economic processes or as an environmental problem, my focus is on how it is enrolled and performs in different arrangements, and also how it acquires the capacity to affect those arrangements in specific ways. A performative analysis focuses on how packaging becomes implicated in producing ontological effects: that is, how it brings new realities and practices into being that have socially binding effects.
Practising Thrift at Dinnertime: Mealtime Leftovers, Sacrifice and Family Membership
Authors: Cappellini Benedetta , Parsons Elizabeth
Published: June 2013

Exploring our relationship with mealtime leftovers tells us a lot about not only our relationships with waste, but with one another, in the home. In our study of British mealtimes we explore how leftovers are transformed and reused as meals. We refer to theories of disposal in exploring the skills involved in transforming leftovers. We also explore the motivations behind these transformations. Drawing on the work of Miller (1998) we examine how the reuse of leftovers involves sacrifice by individual family members for the greater good of the whole family. We also find that reusing and eating up leftovers involves a collective sacrifice by family members which marks out their membership to the family unit.
The Impact of Disclosures of Internal Control Weaknesses and Remediations on Investors' Perceptions of Earnings Quality
Authors: He Luo , Thornton Daniel B.
Published: June 2013

We hypothesize and find that firms making SOX‐mandated disclosures of material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting (ICOFR) exhibit lower investor‐perceived earnings quality (IPEQ) than nondisclosers. We measure IPEQ using e‐loading, a market‐returns–based representation of earnings quality developed by Ecker, Francis, Kim, Olsson, and Schipper (2006). Firms do not exhibit decreases in IPEQ after initially disclosing material weaknesses. This is consistent with investors having anticipated ICOFR strength based on observable firm characteristics. However, firms exhibit increases in IPEQ after receiving their first clean audit reports that confirm the remediation of previously disclosed weaknesses. This indicates that, although investors do not find initial weakness disclosures to be incrementally informative, SOX motivates firms to remediate weak controls and provides a venue for credible remediation disclosures, thus enhancing investors' perception of financial reporting reliability. These findings are consistent with the existence of regulatory benefits associated with SOX's internal control disclosure and audit requirements.
Investor Attention and Earnings Management around the World
Authors: Jin Justin Y.
Published: June 2013

This study examines the determinants of earnings management in an international setting using the limited investor attention model of Hirshleifer and Teoh (). The model predicts that investor attention reduces earnings management. I use analyst following, institutional ownership, and Big N auditor choice to proxy for investor attention. I have four key findings. First, I document that financial analysts curb earnings management in U.S. firms but not in non‐U.S. firms. Second, I document that institutional block‐holdings curb earnings management across the world. Third, Big N auditors reduce earnings management in U.S. firms but not in non‐U.S. firms. Fourth, I document that corporate governance mechanisms reduce earnings management in U.S. firms but not in non‐U.S. firms.
Moderate‐Level Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Enhances Acoustic Startle Magnitude and Disrupts Prepulse Inhibition in Adult Rhesus Monkeys
Authors: Schneider Mary L. , Larson Julie A. , Rypstat Craig W. , Resch Leslie M. , Roberts Andrew , Moore Colleen F.
Published: June 2013

Background

Prenatal alcohol exposure can contribute to a wide range of neurodevelopmental impairments in children and adults including behavioral and neuropsychiatric disorders. In rhesus monkeys, we examined whether moderate‐level prenatal alcohol exposure would alter acoustic startle responses and prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle. PPI is a highly quantifiable measure of inhibitory neural processes or sensorimotor gating associated with neuropsychiatric disorders.

Methods

Acoustic startle and PPI of the acoustic startle were tested in 37 adult rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) from 4 experimental conditions: (i) moderate‐level prenatal alcohol‐exposed, (ii) prenatally stressed, (iii) moderate‐level prenatal alcohol‐exposed + prenatally stressed, and (iv) sucrose controls.

Results

Prenatal alcohol‐exposed monkeys showed a higher magnitude of acoustic startle response and disrupted PPI compared with monkeys not exposed to alcohol prenatally. Monkeys in all conditions showed higher hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical (HPA) axis responses after undergoing the startle procedure, but HPA responses were unrelated to startle response magnitude, latency, or PPI.

Conclusions

Finding altered PPI in monkeys prenatally exposed to a moderate dose of alcohol suggests that reduced sensorimotor gating is 1 effect of prenatal alcohol exposure. Because reduced sensorimotor gating is observed in many neuropsychiatric disorders, sensorimotor gating deficits could be an aspect of the comorbidity between fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and mental health conditions.
Binge Ethanol‐Drinking Potentiates Corticotropin Releasing Factor R1 Receptor Activity in the Ventral Tegmental Area
Authors: Sparta Dennis R. , Hopf Frederic Woodward , Gibb Stuart L. , Cho Saemi L. , Stuber Garret D. , Messing Robert O. , Ron Dorit , Bonci Antonello
Published: June 2013

Background

Corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) and urocortin play an important role in many stress responses and also can regulate ethanol (EtOH) intake. Adaptations in CRF signaling in the central amygdala promote EtOH consumption after long‐term EtOH intake in dependent animals and also after brief periods of binge EtOH intake. Thus, even brief episodes of EtOH consumption can alter the function of the CRF system, allowing CRF to regulate EtOH intake. Here, we examined whether brief binge EtOH consumption leads to CRF receptor adaptations within the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a structure involved in signaling rewarding and aversive events and important in the development and expression of drug and alcohol addiction.

Methods

We utilized a mouse model of binge drinking known as drinking in the dark (DID), where C57BL/6J mice drink approximately 6 g/kg in 4 hours and achieve blood EtOH concentrations of approximately 100 mg/dl, which is equivalent to binge drinking in humans. We used ex vivo whole‐cell recordings from putative VTA dopamine (DA) neurons to examine CRF regulation of NMDA receptor (NMDAR) currents. We also examined the impact of CRF receptor antagonist injection in the VTA on binge EtOH intake.

Results

Ex vivo whole‐cell recordings from putative VTA DA neurons showed enhanced CRF‐mediated potentiation of NMDAR currents in juvenile mice that consumed EtOH in the DID procedure. CRF‐induced potentiation of NMDAR currents in EtOH‐drinking mice was blocked by administration of CP‐154,526 (3 μM), a selective CRF1 receptor antagonist. Furthermore, intra‐VTA infusion of CP‐154,526 (1 μg) significantly reduced binge EtOH consumption in adult mice. These results were not due to alterations of VTA NMDAR number or function, suggesting that binge drinking may enhance signaling through VTA CRF1 receptors onto NMDARs.

Conclusions

Altered CRF1 receptor‐mediated signaling in the VTA promotes binge‐like EtOH consumption in mice, which supports the idea that CRF1 receptors may therefore be a promising pharmacological target for reducing binge drinking in humans.
Gender Differences in Lifetime Alcohol Dependence: Results from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions
Authors: Khan Sharaf , Okuda Mayumi , Hasin Deborah S. , Secades‐Villa Roberto , Keyes Katherine , Lin Keng‐Han , Grant Bridget , Blanco Carlos
Published: June 2013

Background

An extensive clinical literature has noted gender differences in the etiology and clinical characteristics of individuals with alcohol dependence (AD). Despite this knowledge, many important questions remain.

Methods

Using the 2001 to 2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (n = 43,093), we examined differences in sociodemographic characteristics, psychiatric and medical comorbidities, clinical correlates, risk factors, and treatment‐utilization patterns of men (N = 2,974) and women (N = 1,807) with lifetime AD.

Results

Men with lifetime AD were more likely than women to be diagnosed with any substance use disorder and antisocial personality disorder, whereas women were more likely to have mood and anxiety disorders. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and gender differences in psychiatric comorbidity in the general population, AD was associated with externalizing disorders and any mood disorder among women only. Men with AD met more criteria, had longer episodes, and were younger at the age of first drink. There were no gender differences in remission rates. Women with AD were more likely to have a family and a spouse with history of alcohol use disorders. Treatment rates were low for both genders, and women were more likely to report social stigmatization as a treatment barrier.

Conclusions

There are important gender differences in the psychiatric comorbidities, risk factors, clinical characteristics, and treatment‐utilization patterns among individuals with lifetime AD.
Health‐related quality of life – using the 15D instrument – of young adults with type 1 diabetes since childhood. Population‐based Oulu cohort study of diabetic retinopathy
Authors: Hannula Virva , Hautala Nina , Sintonen Harri , Falck Aura
Published: June 2013

Purpose:  The aim of this study was to evaluate the health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) of young adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) since childhood using the 15D instrument. The possible impact of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) on the HRQoL was focused on.

Methods:  During the years 1989–1990, the prevalence of DR was evaluated from ocular fundus photographs of a population‐based cohort of children with T1D living in the Northern Osthrobothnia Hospital District, Finland. These 216 individuals were contacted 18 years later and invited for assessment of the 15D HRQoL as well as current stage of DR. The results were compared with age‐ and gender‐standardized Finnish general population.

Results:  The 15D data were obtained from 123 patients aged 29 ± 3 years with a duration of diabetes of 23 ± 4 years. The mean 15D score was similar in the patients with T1D and the general population [0.954 ± 0.062 versus 0.964 ± 0.052, respectively (p = 0.085)]. However, the subgroup of patients with PDR (N = 38) had a statistically significantly lower mean 15D score than those subjects with nonproliferative or no DR [0.931 ± 0.086 versus 0.965 ± 0.044, respectively (p = 0.026)].

Conclusion:  Young adults with T1D since childhood had 15D HRQoL score equal to that of age‐ and gender‐standardized general population as long as no more severe than nonproliferative DR was present. Presence of PDR, not T1D of long duration per se, significantly impaired the 15D score.
Cytotoxic, Antitumour and Antimetastatic Activity of Two New Polyacetylenes Isolated from Vernonia scorpioides (Lam.) Pers
Authors: Klein Juliana B. , Nowill Alexandre E. , Franchi Gilberto C. , Biavatti Maique W. , Quintão Nara L.M. , de Freitas Rilton A.
Published: June 2013

Vernonia scorpioides (Lam.) Pers., popularly known as Enxuga, Erva‐de‐São Simão and Piracá, has been used in folk medicine for its anti‐inflammatory, wound healing and antimicrobial properties. Two polyacetylenes, 5‐octa‐2,4,6‐triynyl‐furan‐2(5H)‐one (1) and 8′‐hydroxy 3‐4 dihydrovernoniyne (2), were isolated from the dichloromethane extract fraction of V. scorpioides. In this study, polyacetylene 1 demonstrated a more potent cytotoxic activity than 2 in the tumour cell lines examined, and cytotoxicity was found to be comparable to a commercial drug (p > 0.05) in melanoma cells. No significant cytotoxic effect was observed in normal cell lines. Furthermore, polyacetylene 1 induced an in vitro increase in caspase‐3 activity in B16F10 cells. When polyacetylene 1 was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) in mice, a reduction in solid tumour volume and metastasis was observed in mice injected with B16F10 cells. An increase in locomotor activity was also observed in mice with solid tumours, and an inhibition of mechanical hypersensitivity was observed in a mouse model of metastasis. Notably, no significant morphological change was observed in several organs harvested from the treated mice. In conclusion, in vitro and in vivo anticancer activity of polyacetylene 1 was consistently observed and involved the induction of apoptosis by the activation of caspase‐3. The anticancer activity demonstrated by polyacetylene 1, together with the absence of preliminary toxicological effects, represents a new and interesting option for the management of neoplastic disease.
Application of 11C‐acetate positron‐emission tomography (PET) imaging in prostate cancer: systematic review and meta‐analysis of the literature
Authors: Mohsen Beheshti , Giorgio Treglia , Rasoul Zakavi Seyed , Werner Langsteger , Ali Ghodsi Rad Mohammad , Reza Dabbagh Kakhki Vahid , Ramin Sadeghi
Published: June 2013

To review the literature on the application of 11C‐acetate positron‐emission tomography (PET) imaging in prostate cancer.

We systematically reviewed the available literature and presented the results in meta‐analysis format.

PubMed, SCOPUS, ISI web of knowledge, Science Direct, Springer, and Google Scholar were searched with ‘Acetate AND PET AND Prostate’ as keywords.

All studies that evaluated accuracy of 11C‐acetate imaging in primary or recurrent prostate cancer were included, if enough data could be extracted for calculation of sensitivity and/or specificity.

In all, 23 studies were included in the study. For evaluation of primary tumour, pooled sensitivity was 75.1 (69.8–79.8)% and specificity was 75.8 (72.4–78.9)%.

For detection of recurrence, sensitivity was 64 (59–69)% and specificity was 93 (83–98)%. Sensitivity for recurrence detection was higher in post‐surgical vs post‐radiotherapy patients and in patients with PSA at relapse of >1 ng/mL.

Studies using PET/computed tomography vs PET also showed higher sensitivity for detection of recurrence.

Imaging with 11C‐acetate PET can be useful in patients with prostate cancer. This is especially true for evaluation of patients at PSA relapse, although the sensitivity is overall low.

For primary tumour evaluation (localisation of tumour in the prostate and differentiation of malignant from benign lesions), 11C‐acetate is of limited value due to low sensitivity and specificity.

Due to the poor quality of the included studies, the results should be interpreted with caution and further high‐quality studies are needed.
Systematic review and meta‐analysis of the clinical effectiveness of bipolar compared with monopolar transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP)
Authors: Omar Muhammad Imran , Lam Thomas B. , Alexander Cameron E. , Graham John , Mamoulakis Charalampos , Imamura Mari , Maclennan Steven , Stewart Fiona , N'Dow James
Published: June 2013

To compare monopolar and bipolar transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) for clinical effectiveness and adverse events.

We conducted an electronic search of MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, Science Citation Index, and also searched reference lists of articles and abstracts from conference proceedings for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing monopolar and bipolar TURP.

Two reviewers independently undertook data extraction and assessed the risk of bias in the included trials using the tool recommended by the Cochrane Collaboration.

The quality of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.

From the 949 abstracts that were identified, 94 full texts were assessed for eligibility and a total of 24 trials were included in the review.

No statistically significant differences were found in terms of International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) or health‐related quality of life (HRQL) score.

Results for maximum urinary flow rate were significant at 3, 6 and 12 months (all P < 0.001), but no clinically significant differences were found and the meta‐analysis showed evidence of heterogeneity

Bipolar TURP was associated with fewer adverse events including transurethral resection syndrome (risk ratio [RR] 0.12, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.05–0.31, P < 0.001), clot retention (RR 0.48, 95% CI 0.30–0.77, P = 0.002) and blood transfusion (RR 0.53, 95% CI 0.35–0.82, P = 0.004)

Several major methodological limitations were identified in the included trials; 22/24 trials had a short follow‐up of ≤1 year, there was no evidence of a sample size calculation in 20/24 trials and the application of GRADE showed the evidence for most of the assessed outcomes to be of moderate quality, including all those in which statistical differences were found.

Whilst there is no overall difference between monopolar and bipolar TURP for clinical effectiveness, bipolar TURP is associated with fewer adverse events and therefore has a superior safety profile.

Various methodological limitations were highlighted in the included trials and as such the results of this review should be interpreted with caution.

There is a need for further well‐conducted, multicentre RCTs with long‐term follow‐up data.
Live surgical education: a perspective from the surgeons who perform it
Authors: Khan Shahid A.A. , Chang Richard T.M. , Ahmed Kamran , Knoll Thomas , van Velthoven Roland , Challacombe Ben , Dasgupta Prokar , Rane Abhay
Published: June 2013

Objective

To evaluate the experience and views regarding live surgical broadcasts (LSB) among European urologists attending the European Association of Urology Robotic Urology Society (ERUS) congress in September 2012.

Materials and Methods

An anonymous survey was distributed via email inviting the participants of the ERUS congress with experience of LSB to share their opinions about LSB.

The outcomes measured included; personal experience of LSB, levels of anxiety faced and the perceived surgical quality.

The impact of factors, such as communication/team‐working, travel fatigue and lack of specific equipment were also evaluated.

Results

In all, 106 surgeons responded with 98 (92.5%) reporting personal experience of LSB; 6.5% respondents noted ‘significant anxiety’ increasing to 19.4% when performing surgery away from home (P < 0.001).

Surgical quality was perceived as ‘slightly worse’ and ‘significantly worse’ by 16.1% and 2.2%, which deteriorated further to 23.9% and 3.3% respectively in a ‘foreign’ environment (P = 0.005).

In all, 10.9% of surgeons ‘always’ brought their own surgical team compared with 37% relying on their host institution; 2.4% raised significant concerns with their team and 18.8% encountered significantly more technical difficulties.

Lack of specific equipment (10.3%), language difficulties (6.2%) and jet lag (7.3%) were other significant factors reported.

In all, 75% of surgeons perceived the audience wanted a slick demonstration; however, 52.2% and 42.4% respectively also reported the audience wished the surgeon to struggle or manage a complication during a LSB.

Conclusions

A small proportion of surgeons had significantly heightened anxiety levels and lower perceived performance during LSB, which in a ‘foreign’ environment seemed to affect a greater proportion of surgeons.

Various factors appear to impact surgical performance raising concerns about the appropriateness of unregulated LSB as a teaching method.

To mitigate these concerns, surgeons' performing live surgery feel that the operation needs to be well planned using appropriate equipment; with many considering bringing their own team or operating from home on a video link.
Use of donor bladder tissues for in vitro research
Authors: Garthwaite Mary , Hinley Jennifer , Cross William , Warwick Ruth M. , Ambrose Anita , Hardaker Henry , Eardley Ian , Southgate Jennifer
Published: June 2013

Objectives

To evaluate deceased non‐heart beating (DNHB) donors and deceased heart beating (DHB) brain‐stem dead donors, as sources of viable urological tissue for use in biomedical research.

To identify sources of viable human bladder tissue as an essential resource for cell biological research aimed at understanding human diseases of the bladder and for developing new tissue engineering and regenerative medicine strategies for bladder reconstruction. Typically, normal human urinary tract tissue is obtained from adult or paediatric surgical patients with benign urological conditions, but few surgical procedures yield useful quantities of healthy bladder tissue for research.

Patients and Methods

Research ethics committee approval was obtained for collection of donor bladder tissue. Consent for DHB donors was undertaken by the Donor Transplant Coordinators. Tissue Donor Coordinators were responsible for consent for DNHB donors and the retrieval of bladders was coordinated through the National Blood Service Tissue Banking Service.

All retrievals were performed by practicing urologists and care was taken to maintain sterility and to minimise bacterial contamination.

Two bladders were retrieved from DNHB donors and four were retrieved from DHB donors.

Results

By histology, DNHB donor bladder tissue exhibited marked urothelial tissue damage and necrosis, with major loss or absence of urothelium. No cell cultures could be established from these specimens, as the urothelial cells were not viable in primary culture.

Bladder urothelium from DHB donors was intact, but showed some damage, including loss of superficial cells and variable separation from the basement membrane.

All four DHB bladder specimens yielded viable urothelial cells that attached in primary culture, but cell growth was slow to establish and cultures showed a limited capacity to form a functional barrier epithelium and a propensity to senesce early.

Conclusions

We have shown that normal human bladder urothelial cell cultures can be established and serially propagated from DHB donor bladders.

However, our study suggests that rapid post‐mortem changes to the bladder affect the quality and viability of the urothelium, rendering tissue from DNHB donors an inadequate source for urothelial cell culture.

Our experience is that whereas patients are willing to donate surgical tissue for research, there is a barrier to obtaining consent from next of kin for retrieved tissues to be used for research purposes.