bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improving cord blood transplantation in children
Authors: Locatelli Franco
Published: October 2009

Umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) is widely used to treat children affected by many disorders. In comparison to bone marrow transplantation, the advantages of UCBT are represented by lower incidence and severity of graft‐versus‐host disease, easier procurement and prompter availability of cord blood cells, and by the possibility of using donors showing human leucocyte antigen disparities with the recipient. Despite these advantages, the large experience gained over the last decade has clearly demonstrated that UCBT patients may be exposed to an increased risk of early fatal complications, due to the lower engraftment rate of donor haematopoiesis, delayed kinetics of neutrophil recovery and lack of adoptive transfer of pathogen‐specific memory T‐cells. An inverse correlation between the number of nucleated cord blood cells infused per kilogramme recipient body weight and the risk of dying from transplantation‐related causes exists. Thus, it is not surprising that strategies aimed at increasing the number of cord blood progenitors, favouring stem cell homing, and transferring pathogen‐specific lymphocytes, have been recently investigated. In particular, selection of the richest cord blood units, infusion of 2 units in the same recipient, intrabone injection of cord blood cells, and transplantation of ex‐vivo expanded progenitors can contribute to improve the results of UCBT.
Linking reductionist science and holistic policy using systematic reviews: unpacking environmental policy questions to construct an evidence‐based framework
Authors: Pullin Andrew S. , Knight Teri M. , Watkinson Andrew R.
Published: October 2009

1. There is a mismatch between broad holistic questions typically posed in policy formation and narrow reductionist questions that are susceptible to scientific method. This inhibits the two‐way flow of information at the science‐policy interface and weakens the impact of applied ecology on environmental policy.

2. We investigate the approaches to building policy in the health services as a model to help establish a framework in applied ecology and environmental management by which reductionist science can underpin decision making at the policy level.

3. A comparison of policy documents in the health and environmental sectors reveals many similarities in identifying approaches and specific interventions that might achieve policy objectives. The difference is that in the health services, information on the effectiveness of potential interventions is far more readily available through the collaborative process of systematic review.

4.
Synthesis and applications. Decision makers are increasingly looking to produce policies that are shaped by evidence through evidence‐based policy making. The approach that we outline here provides a framework for structuring systematic reviews to deliver the evidence on key policy issues in a way that will see a faster return and provide better use of the systematic review methodology in environmental management.
Marked elevation of serum macrophage migration inhibitory factor levels in patients with pemphigus vulgaris
Authors: Namazi Mohammad Reza , Fallahzadeh Mohammad Kazem , Shaghelani Hassan , Kamali‐Sarvestani Eskandar
Published: October 2009

Background  There is ample evidence for involvement of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

Objective  The aim of this study was to determine whether MIF levels were raised in the sera of patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV).

Methods  Serum MIF levels were measured using ELISA method in 22 patients with active PV and 21 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls and the results were compared with each other.

Results  The mean serum MIF levels was significantly higher in PV patients than in control subjects (11.99 ± 1.63 pg/m vs. 1.83 ± 0.22 pg/ml; P‐value = 0.0001).

Conclusions  Elevated MIF levels in the sera of PV patients could participate in disease induction by activation of T cells as well as induction of autoantibody production by B cells. Given that MIF counter‐regulates the effects of steroids, MIF antagonists may prove to be very effective, novel steroid‐sparing agents for this life‐threatening conundrum.
A network analysis of the single nucleotide polymorphisms in acute allergic diseases
Authors: Renkonen J. , Mattila P. , Parviainen V. , Joenväärä S. , Toppila‐Salmi S. , Renkonen R.
Published: October 2009

Background:  Genetics of acute allergies has focused on identifying single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within genes relevant in the pathogenesis. In this study, we begin a systems biology analysis of the interconnectivity and biological functions of these genes, their transcripts and their corresponding proteins.

Methods:  The literature (Pubmed) was searched for SNPs within genes relevant in acute allergic diseases. The SNP‐modified genes were converted to corresponding proteins and their protein–protein interactions were searched from six different databases. This interaction network was analysed with annotated vocabularies (ontologies), such as Gene Ontology, Reactome and Nature pathway interaction database. Time‐series transcriptomics was performed with nasal epithelial cells obtained from allergic patients and their healthy control subjects.

Results:  A total of 39 genes with SNPs related to acute allergic diseases were found from a literature search. The corresponding proteins were then hooked into a large protein–protein interaction network with the help of various databases. Twenty‐five SNP‐related proteins had more than one interacting protein and a network contained 95 proteins, and 182 connections could be generated. This network was 10‐fold enriched with protein kinases and proteins involved in the host–virus interaction compared with background human proteome. Finally, eight of the 95 nodes on our network displayed nasal epithelial transcriptomal regulation in a time‐series analysis collected from birch allergic patients during the spring pollen season.

Conclusions:  Signal transduction with special reference to host–virus interactions dominated in the allergy‐related protein interaction network. Systems level analysis of allergy‐related mutation can provide new insights into pathogenetic mechanisms of the diseases.
Characterization and comparison of commercially available mite extracts for in vivo diagnosis
Authors: Brunetto B. , Tinghino R. , Braschi M. C. , Antonicelli L. , Pini C. , Iacovacci P.
Published: October 2009

To cite this article: Brunetto B, Tinghino R, Braschi MC, Antonicelli L, Pini C, Iacovacci P. Characterization and comparison of commercially available mite extracts for in vivo diagnosis. Allergy 2010; 65: 184–190.

Background:  Assessment of sensitization by allergen‐specific IgE testing and skin prick testing (SPT) are primary tools in routine clinical diagnosis of allergies. To perform a correct diagnosis, it is critical that the allergen reagent used contains an adequate amount of all relevant components. This study aimed at evaluating commercially available mite extracts for in vivo diagnosis from eight manufacturers.

Methods:  Eight extracts from Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and eight from Dermatophagoides farinae were analysed for total protein content by Bradford and for major allergen content by ELISA. SDS‐PAGE, immunoblotting and SPT were also carried out.

Results:  The protein amount ranged from 27.7 μg/ml extract to 361.1 μg/ml (D. pteronyssinus) and from 20.3 to 353.0 μg/ml (D. farinae). In regards major allergen concentration, Der p 1 ranged from 9.6 to 36.2 μg/ml, Der f 1 26.5–196.1 μg/ml, mite group 2 0.7–31.7 μg/ml in D. pteronyssinus and 1.3–10.4 μg/ml in D. farinae. SDS‐PAGE experiments showed that some components are poorly represented or absent in extracts from most manufacturers. Similar results were obtained by IgE‐immunoblotting and SPT with 10 mite allergic patients confirmed a broad spectrum of reactivity of the extracts in the same subject.

Conclusions:  Immunochemical analysis showed a heterogeneous amount of component/s among mite extracts from different manufacturers. These data were confirmed by in vivo testing, suggesting that, for some of the patient tested, the absence of relevant allergens could strongly affect the diagnosis.
Inhaled vs subcutaneous effects of a dual IL‐4/IL‐13 antagonist in a monkey model of asthma
Authors: Tomkinson A. , Tepper J. , Morton M. , Bowden A. , Stevens L. , Harris P. , Lindell D. , Fitch N. , Gundel R. , Getz E. B.
Published: October 2009

Background:  Pitrakinra is a recombinant protein derived from human interleukin‐4 (IL‐4) that binds to IL‐4Rα and acts as a competitive antagonist of IL‐4 and IL‐13. The studies reported here compare the dose‐ranging effects of pitrakinra on allergen‐induced airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) and airway eosinophilia when administered subcutaneously (s.c.) or by inhalation to the Ascaris suum‐sensitive cynomolgus monkey for the purpose of elucidating the primary site of pitrakinra’s anti‐asthmatic action.

Methods:  Airway responsiveness to inhaled methacholine and bronchoalveolar lavage cell composition was determined before and after three allergen exposures with a 1‐week course of twice‐daily (b.i.d.) s.c. or inhaled pitrakinra or placebo treatment.

Results:  Treatment with s.c. pitrakinra significantly reduced allergen‐induced AHR, with a maximum effect of a 2.8‐ to 3.8‐fold increase in methacholine PC100 relative to control (P < 0.05) observed at b.i.d. s.c. doses of 0.05–0.5 mg/kg. Inhaled pitrakinra also significantly reduced AHR with a similar maximum effect of a 2.8‐ to 3.2‐fold increase in methacholine PC100 relative to control (P < 0.05) at nominal b.i.d. doses of 3–100 mg. The maximal effect on AHR following inhalation was observed at a plasma concentration which exhibited no efficacy via the subcutaneous route. The effect of pitrakinra on lung eosinophilia was not statistically significant following either route of administration, although lung eosinophil count was reduced in all studies relative to control.

Conclusion:  Local administration of pitrakinra to the lung is sufficient to inhibit AHR, one of the cardinal features of asthma, indicating the therapeutic potential of inhaled pitrakinra in the treatment of atopic asthma.
Polymorphisms in IL13 pathway genes in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Beghé B. , Hall I. P. , Parker S. G. , Moffatt M. F. , Wardlaw A. , Connolly M. J. , Fabbri L. M. , Ruse C. , Sayers I.
Published: October 2009

To cite this article: Beghé B, Hall IP, Parker SG, Moffatt MF, Wardlaw A, Connolly MJ, Fabbri LM, Ruse C, Sayers I. Polymorphisms in IL13 pathway genes in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Allergy 2010; 65: 474–481.

Background:  Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are chronic respiratory diseases involving an interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Interleukin‐13 (IL13) has been suggested to have a role in both asthma and COPD. We investigated whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the IL13 pathway may contribute to the susceptibility and severity of asthma and COPD in adults.

Methods:  Twelve SNPs in IL13 pathway genes –IL4, IL13, IL4RA, IL13RA1, IL13RA2 and STAT6– were genotyped in subjects with asthma (n = 299) and in subjects with COPD or healthy smokers (n = 992). Genetic association was evaluated using genotype and allele models for asthma severity, atopy phenotypes and COPD susceptibility. Linear regression was used to determine the effects of polymorphism on baseline lung function (FEV1, FEV1/FVC).

Results:  In asthmatics, three IL13 SNPs – rs1881457(–1512), rs1800925(–1111) and rs20541(R130Q) – were associated with atopy risk. One SNP in IL4RA1 [rs1805010(I75V)] was associated with asthma severity, and several IL13 SNPs showed borderline significance. IL13 SNPs rs1881457(–1512) and rs1800925(–1111) were associated with better FEV1 and FEV1/FVC in asthmatics. IL13 SNPs rs2066960(intron 1), rs20541(R130Q) and rs1295685(exon 4) were associated with COPD risk and lower baseline lung function in the recessive model. In females, but not in males, rs2250747 of the IL13RA1 gene was associated with COPD and lower FEV1.

Conclusion:  These data suggest that IL13 SNPs (promoter and coding region) and, to a lesser extent, IL4RA SNPs may contribute to atopy and asthma. We also provide tentative evidence that IL13 SNPs in the coding region may be of significance in COPD susceptibility.
Silent mysteries: epigenetic paradigms could hold the key to conquering the epidemic of allergy and immune disease
Authors: Martino D. J. , Prescott S. L.
Published: October 2009

Epigenetic mechanisms provide new insights into how environmental changes may mediate the increasing propensity for complex immune diseases such as allergic disease. There is now strong evidence that early environmental exposures play a key role in activating or silencing genes by altering DNA and histone methylation, histone acetylation and chromatin structure. These modifications determine the degree of DNA compaction and accessibility for gene transcription, altering gene expression, phenotype and disease susceptibility. While there is already evidence that a number of early environmental exposures are associated with an increased risk of allergic disease, several new studies indicate in utero microbial and dietary exposures can modify gene expression and allergic disease propensity through epigenetic modification. This review explores the evidence that immune development is under clear epigenetic regulation, including the pattern of T helper (Th)1 and Th2 cell differentiation, regulatory T cell differentiation, and more recently, Th17 development. It also considers the mechanisms of epigenetic regulation and early immune defects in allergy prone neonates. The inherent plasticity conferred by epigenetic mechanisms clearly also provides opportunities for environmental strategies that can re‐programme gene expression for disease prevention. Identifying genes that are differentially silenced or activated in relation to subsequent disease will not only assist in identifying causal pathways, but may also help identify the contributing environmental factors.
Small CGG repeat expansion alleles of FMR1 gene are associated with parkinsonism
Authors: Loesch DZ , Khaniani MS , Slater HR , Rubio JP , Bui QM , Kotschet K , D’Souza W , Venn A , Kalitsis P , Choo AKH , Burgess T , Johnson L , Evans A , Horne M
Published: October 2009

Fragile X‐associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) affects older males carrying premutation, that is, expansions of the CGG repeat (in the 55–200 range), in the FMR1 gene. The neurological changes are linked to the excessive FMR1 messenger RNA (mRNA), becoming toxic through a ‘gain‐of‐function’. Because elevated levels of this mRNA are also found in carriers of the smaller expansion (grey zone) alleles, ranging from 40 to 54 CGGs, we tested for a possible role of these alleles in the origin of movement disorders associated with tremor.

We screened 228 Australian males affected with idiopathic Parkinson's disease and other causes of parkinsonism recruited from Victoria and Tasmania for premutation and grey zone alleles. The frequencies of either of these alleles were compared with the frequencies in a population‐based sample of 578 Guthrie spots from consecutive Tasmanian male newborns (controls). There was a significant excess of premutation carriers (Fisher's exact test p = 0.006). There was also a more than twofold increase in grey zone carriers in the combined sample of the Victorian and Tasmanian cases, with odds ratio (OR ) = 2.36, and 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.20–4.63, as well as in Tasmanian cases only (OR = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.06–5.13), compared with controls. The results suggest that the FMR1 grey zone alleles, as well as premutation alleles, might contribute to the aetiology of disorders associated with parkinsonism.
Predicting potential distribution of chestnut phylloxerid (Hemiptera: Phylloxeridae) based on GARP and Maxent ecological niche models
Authors: Wang X. Y. , Huang X. L. , Jiang L. Y. , Qiao G. X.
Published: October 2009

The chestnut phylloxerid, Moritziella castaneivora, has been recently recorded as a forest pest in China. It heavily damaged chestnut trees and has caused serious economic losses in some main chestnut production areas. In order to effectively monitor and manage this pest, it is necessary to investigate its potential geographical distribution worldwide. In this study, we used two ecological niche models, Genetic Algorithm for Rule‐set Production (GARP) and Maximum Entropy (Maxent), along with the geographical distribution of the host plants, Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata) and Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima), to predict the potential geographical distribution of M. castaneivora. The results suggested that the suitable distribution areas based on GARP were general consistent with those based on Maxent, but GARP predicted distribution areas that extended more in size than did Maxent. The results also indicated that the suitable areas for chestnut phylloxerid infestations were mainly restricted to Northeast China (northern Liaoning), East China (southern Shandong, northern Jiangsu and western Anhui), North China (southern Hebei, Beijing and Tianjin), Central China (eastern Hubei and southern Henan), Japan (Kinki, Shikoku and Tohoku) and most parts of the Korean Peninsula. In addition, some provinces of central and western China were predicted to have low suitability or unsuitable areas (e.g. Xinjiang, Qinghai and Tibet). A jackknife test in Maxent showed that the average precipitation in July was the most important environmental variable affecting the distribution of this pest species. Consequently, the study suggests several reasonable regulations and management strategies for avoiding the introduction or invasion of this high‐risk chestnut pest to these potentially suitable areas.
The Adverse Effect of Phytoestrogens on the Synthesis and Secretion of Ovarian Oxytocin in Cattle
Authors: Mlynarczuk J , Wrobel MH , Kotwica J
Published: October 2009

Contents

The current investigations were undertaken to study the mechanism of the adverse effect of phytoestrogens on the function of bovine granulosa (follicles >1< cm in diameter) and luteal cells from day 1–5, 6–10, 11–15, 16–19 of the oestrous cycle. The cells were incubated with genistein, daidzein or coumestrol (each at the dose of 1 × 10−6 m). The viability and secretion of estradiol (E2), progesterone (P4) and oxytocin (OT) were measured after 72 h of incubation. Moreover, the expression of mRNA for neurophysin‐I/OT (NP‐I/OT; precursor of OT) and peptidyl‐glycine‐α‐amidating monooxygenase (PGA, an enzyme responsible for post‐translational OT synthesis) was determined after 8 h of treatment. None of the phytoestrogens used affected the viability of cells except for coumestrol. The increased secretion of E2 and P4 was only obtained by coumestrol (p < 0.05) from granulosa cells from follicles <1 cm in diameter and decreased from luteal cells on days 11–15 of the oestrous cycle, respectively. All three phytoestrogens stimulated (p < 0.05) OT secretion from granulosa and luteal cells in all stages of the oestrous cycle and the expression of NP‐I/OT mRNA in the both types of cells. The expression of mRNA for PGA was stimulated (p < 0.05) by daidzein and coumestrol in granulosa cells, and by genistein and coumestrol in luteal cells. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that these phytoestrogens can impair the ovary function in cattle by adversely affecting the synthesis of OT in follicles and in corpus luteum. However, their influence on the ovarian steroids secretion was less evident.
Laparoscopic upper gut surgery
Authors: Gotley David C
Published: October 2009

Australian surgeons have been prominent in the introduction, development, and consolidation of laparoscopic surgery of the upper gut. In doing this, some of the very best principles of surgical innovation have been in evidence: preliminary animal work in which to test hypotheses and techniques, followed by careful application and documentation in the clinical setting, randomized clinical trials and finally academic reporting and ongoing development. This review documents the introduction of laparoscopic surgery for gastroesophageal reflux, hiatus hernia, achalasia, gastroesophageal malignancy, obesity, and a range of emergency conditions in Australia. Those involved are regarded as world leaders in their field. A vital component of this success has been the close cooperation between surgeons and gastroenterologists within the Gastroenterological Society of Australia.
Discovery of rotavirus: Implications for Child health
Authors: Bishop Ruth
Published: October 2009

For centuries, acute diarrhea has been a major worldwide cause of death in young children, and until 1973, no infectious agents could be identified in about 80% of patients admitted to hospital with severe dehydrating diarrhea. In 1973 Ruth Bishop, Geoffrey Davidson, Ian Holmes, and Brian Ruck identified abundant particles of a ‘new’ virus (rotavirus) in the cytoplasm of mature epithelial cells lining duodenal villi and in feces, from such children admitted to the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne. Rotaviruses have now been shown to cause 40–50% of severe acute diarrhea in young children worldwide in both developing and developed countries, and > 600 000 young children die annually from rotavirus disease, predominantly in South‐East Asia and sub‐Saharan Africa. Longitudinal surveillance studies following primary infection in young children have shown that rotavirus reinfections are common. However the immune response that develops after primary infection is protective against severe symptoms on reinfection. This observation became the basis for development of live oral rotavirus vaccines. Two safe and effective vaccines are now licensed in 100 countries and in use in 17 countries (including Australia). Rotarix (GSK) is a single attenuated human rotavirus, representative of the most common serotype identified worldwide (G1P[8]). RotaTeq (Merck) is a pentavalent mixture of naturally attenuated bovine/human rotavirus reassortants representing G1, G2, G3, G4, and P(8) serotypes. Preliminary surveillance of the numbers of children requiring hospitalization for severe diarrhea, in USA, Brazil, and Australia, after introduction of these vaccines, encourages the hope that rotavirus infection need no longer be a threat to young children worldwide.
Liver transplantation: Issues for the next 20 years
Authors: Perera M Thamara PR , Mirza Darius F , Elias Elwyn
Published: October 2009

The growing numbers of potential transplant recipients on waiting lists is increasingly disproportionate to the supply of cadaveric donor organs. The hope for the next 20 years is that supply will satisfy demand. This requires both a reduction in indications for the procedure and an increase in the transplants performed. A multi‐pronged approach is needed to increase cadaveric organ donation, generating enthusiasm for donation among both the general public and hospital staff. Accurate assessment of marginal grafts with stringent criteria known to predict graft function will diminish wastage of organs. Methods of rehabilitating marginal grafts during extracorporeal perfusion will increase organ availability. Supply of non‐heart beating donors can be greatly expanded and protocols developed with ethical consent to optimize their initial function despite warm ischemia. Splitting livers that fulfill selection criteria, thus providing for two recipients, should be universally applied with acceptable incentives to those units who do not directly benefit. A proportion of recipients, though not those transplanted for autoimmune disease, will be spared the side‐effects of immunosuppression thanks to immune tolerance. Protocols for close monitoring of those patients for rejection during treatment withdrawal must be carefully observed. In addition to gene therapy, it is highly likely that hepatocyte transplantation will replace orthotopic grafting in patients without cirrhosis, especially for inherited metabolic diseases. It is much more difficult to envisage that heterologous stem cell transplantation or xenotransplantation will have clinical impact in the next 20 years, although research in those areas has obvious long‐term potential.
Obstacles to the establishment of liver transplantation in Australia
Authors: Strong Russell W
Published: October 2009

A quarter of a century ago the commencement of liver transplantation in Australia was controversial and surrounded by medical and political intrigue. The medical opposition to its establishment was led by the Medical Journal of Australia with scathing condemnation, especially with regard to the transplantation of children. Interstate political rivalry, most prominently between the Queensland and Victorian and Federal Governments was at the forefront and was a fertile field for media attention. Despite all the obstacles, liver transplantation came to fruition and the results achieved have more than justified its introduction and continued performance. In addition, contributions from Australia have had a significant impact around the world.
The nature of tobacco resistance against Botrytis cinerea depends on the infection structures of the pathogen
Authors: El Oirdi Mohamed , Trapani Adeline , Bouarab Kamal
Published: October 2009

To protect themselves, plants have evolved an armoury of defences in response to pathogens and other stress situations. These include the production of pathogenesis‐related (PR) proteins and the accumulation of antimicrobial molecules such as phytoalexins. Here we report that resistance of tobacco to Botrytis cinerea is cultivar specific. Nicotiana tabacum cv. Petit Havana but not N. tabacum cv. Xanthi or cv. samsun is resistant to B. cinerea. This resistance is correlated with the accumulation of the phytoalexin scopoletin and PR proteins. We also show that this resistance depends on the type of B. cinerea stage. Nicotiana tabacum cv. Petit Havana is more resistant to spores than to mycelium of B. cinerea. This reduced resistance of N. tabacum cv. Petit Havana to the mycelium compared with spores is correlated with the suppression of PR proteins accumulation and the capacity of the mycelium, not the spores, to metabolize scopoletin. These data present an important advance in understanding the strategies used by B. cinerea to establish its disease on tobacco plants.
Seasonal population dynamics and trophic role of planktonic nanoflagellates in coastal surface waters of the Southern Baltic Sea
Authors: Piwosz Kasia , Pernthaler Jakob
Published: October 2009

We investigated the temporal dynamics and trophic role of different nanoflagellates in surface waters of the Gulf of Gdańsk (Baltic Sea) between April and October 2007. Two 18S rRNA gene clone libraries were constructed from samples collected in spring and summer, and weekly changes in the abundances of five phylogenetic groups were studied by fluorescence in situ hybridization with newly designed probes. Stramenopiles affiliated with MAST‐6 and Pedinellales were most numerous in spring but rare in summer. Both groups formed short‐lived blooms during a sudden drop of salinity due to riverine influx (from 7.1 to 6.2 practical salinity units). The analysis of food vacuole content suggested that MAST‐6 nanoflagellates were herbivorous, whereas bacterivory was found both in plastidic and aplastidic pedinellid populations. Members of an uncultured lineage of aplastidic, bacterivorous cercozoans distantly related to Ebria tripartita were more abundant in summer when water temperatures exceeded 17°C. Multicellular trophonts and/or free‐living single cell stages of two lineages of Group 1 parasitic Syndiniales (alveolates) were present in spring and early summer. One of these alveolate populations repeatedly peaked before and after the freshwater influx, but was conspicuously absent throughout the period of decreased salinity. Our results indicate that nanoflagellate populations in coastal surface waters may form short‐lived blooms that can only be detected by high‐frequency sampling, and that may be related both to seasonal development and to sporadic (e.g. mixing) events. In view of their trophic diversity we moreover suggest that nanoflagellates in eutrophic coastal waters should not be regarded as a single functional unit.
EFFICIENCY OF THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM: A SUB‐STATE LEVEL ANALYSIS FOR WEST BENGAL (INDIA)
Authors: Purohit Brijesh C.
Published: October 2009

This paper attempts a sub‐state level analysis of health system efficiency, focusing on West Bengal, a low income Indian state. Using a stochastic frontier model, it provides an idealized yardstick for evaluation. Our results suggest that overall efficiency of the public health delivery system remains low due to considerable disparities across districts. This is owing to differentials in availability and utilization of inputs such as the per capita availability of hospitals, beds, and manpower, and adversely affects life expectancy. Overcoming these factoral disparities may help the deficient districts to improve life expectancy. It may require a considerable increase in medical and public health expenditure in rural areas in the state and especially calls for resource mobilization to improve infrastructure facilities and maintain essential supplies at primary health centers. This could be attempted partly through funds from the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and by improving rural sanitation in poorer districts.
MAKING INDONESIA MORE ATTRACTIVE TO FOREIGN INVESTORS: A COMPUTABLE GENERAL EQUILIBRIUM ANALYSIS OF REDUCING THE RISK PREMIUM IN CENTRAL JAVA
Authors: Pambudi Djauhari , Smyth Russell
Published: October 2009

Indonesia aims to increase inward foreign direct investment. However, widespread discrimination in how investments are treated, the weak application of the rule of law and opaque regulations have increased the risk premium confronting potential investors and impaired foreign direct investment. This study employs a Computable General Equilibrium Model to simulate the economic effect of a reduction in the risk premium in Central Java on investors in the chemical sector and a select range of sectors nominated by the Central Java government as representing investment opportunities. The results suggest capital flows to Central Java increase, generating higher employment, labor productivity, real wages and GDP in Central Java. At the national level, real investment, aggregate capital stock and GDP increase for Indonesia as a whole. The policy implications are that greater transparency and consistency in the application of the rule of law, will increase capital inflow and result in improved macroeconomic performance.
ON THE LONG‐TERM EFFECTS OF FISCAL POLICY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM: THE CASE FOR A GOLDEN RULE
Authors: Creel Jérôme , Monperrus‐Veroni Paola , Saraceno Francesco
Published: October 2009

This paper uses the SVAR methodology to investigate the effects of public investment on GDP and, more specifically, the effects of the introduction of a golden rule of public finance. We extend the existing literature by estimating a model for the British economy that takes into account long‐run factors such as public debt accumulation and policy interactions. We find that in such a long‐run framework, public investment has a significant and permanently positive effect on GDP; this result runs counter to the most recent literature on the topic using SVAR, which was limited to a short‐run specification. We further find, by comparing different subsamples, that the introduction of the golden rule in 1997 strengthened the positive effect of public investment.
CONFRONTING OBJECTIONS TO PERFORMANCE PAY: THE IMPACT OF INDIVIDUAL AND GAIN‐SHARING INCENTIVES ON JOB SATISFACTION
Authors: Pouliakas K. , Theodossiou I.
Published: October 2009

The increasing use of incentive pay schemes in recent years has raised concerns about their potential detrimental effect on intrinsic job satisfaction (JS), job security and employee morale. This study explores the impact of pay incentives on the overall JS of workers in the United Kingdom and their satisfaction with various facets of jobs. Using data from eight waves (1998–2005) of the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) and a uniquely designed well‐being dataset (EPICURUS), a significant positive impact on JS is only found for those receiving fixed‐period bonuses. These conclusions are robust to unobserved heterogeneity, and are shown to depend on a number of job‐quality characteristics that have not been controlled for in previous studies.
Learning Through Shared Christian Praxis: Reflective Practice in the Classroom
Authors: Wong Arch Chee Keen , McAlpine Bill , Moore Tim , Brotherton Dave , Charter Ian R. , Emgård Emma , Buszowski Fern
Published: October 2009

The cultivation of reflective practice has become a commonly accepted goal of theological education. However, theological educators must face the challenge of teaching and assessing reflective practice. Hypothesizing that this concern is best addressed in community, the authors of this article devised a collaborative action‐research project using Thomas Groome's “shared Christian praxis” model. They describe the ways in which they have, over the course of the project, modified their pedagogy to improve their students' reflection on practice.
Challenging the Objectivist Paradigm: Teaching Biblical Theology with J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Guillermo del Toro
Authors: Lief Jason
Published: October 2009

The dissimilarity that exists between the historical and cultural situation of North American college students and the world described by the biblical authors poses a problem for theological and religious education. While the biblical authors tell fantastic stories of miracle and magic, the scientific and technological paradigm prevalent in western culture emphasizes the gathering of objective facts in the name of efficiency and pragmatism. Theological education tends to respond to this situation by embracing either a program of historical criticism or a form of Biblicism, both of which reinforce an objectivist approach to education. What is needed in theological education is an approach that “re‐mythologizes” the Bible, enabling students to hear the theological message of the text addressed to their cultural and historical situation. One way this approach can be encouraged is through the teaching of the biblical text in conversation with the contemporary stories found in popular culture.
Human Timeline: A Spatial‐Kinesthetic Exercise in Biblical History
Authors: Wolfe Lisa M.
Published: October 2009

The Human Timeline invites students to physically re‐create biblical history. Each student holds a card that denotes an event randomly selected from the biblical timeline. They then arrange themselves chronologically to learn the correct flow of biblical history. Because of the movement involved and the arbitrary layout of the cards among their classmates, learners engage their spatial‐kinesthetic intelligences through this activity. The exercise proves popular among students who identify themselves as “visual” learners, and ultimately serves the biblical studies classroom by reinforcing biblical history as a necessary framework for understanding the biblical text.
Let Me Entertain You: The Exciting Perks and Perils of Teaching American Religion as a Vaudeville (or Burlesque?) Performer
Authors: Shrout Katy E.
Published: October 2009

While teaching a course on religion and consumer culture in the United States, the author was intensely preoccupied with holding the interest of her undergraduate students during class sessions. Inspired in part by the subject matter of the course, she reflects here upon the extent that her courses on American religion drew upon the semiotics of commercial entertainment. While acknowledging the limitations and distortions possible in thinking of the teacher as an entertainer, this paper explores the teaching metaphor of the Vaudevillian Performer, arguing that if put in context with the work on reception in cultural studies, it can be a helpful model in the classroom.
INTRODUCTION: HETEROGENEITY AT DIFFERENT SPATIAL SCALES*
Authors: Brakman Steven , Van Marrewijk Charles
Published: October 2009

ABSTRACT Spatial heterogeneity at the city level is crucial for explaining local inequality. This heterogeneity will continue from a cultural perspective, an age profile perspective, and a productivity perspective. The process of catching up to the technological leader is influenced by geographic proximity and local input–output linkages, particularly to upstream industries. Heterogeneity of urbanization patterns and spatial linkages affect foreign direct investment flows. The relative power of the economic agglomerating and spreading forces are not scale neutral but heterogeneous, more specifically: spatial linkages are found to be more important at higher levels of aggregation.
FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT AND URBAN CONCENTRATIONS: UNBUNDLING SPATIAL LAGS*
Authors: Poelhekke Steven , Van Der Ploeg Frederick
Published: October 2009

ABSTRACT Foreign direct investment (FDI) is seen as a way to import technology and catch up with economic leaders. It is therefore important to understand why some countries attract more investments by multinationals than others. We expand the set of common determinants of FDI with urban agglomerations and ask the question whether the accessibility of market potential and the number of potential investment locations, in the shape of urban concentrations, matters, since the importance of urban agglomeration economies for FDI has not been investigated before. We show that countries with several medium‐sized cities attract more foreign investment, especially if they are close to main agglomerations, but too much concentration (primacy) reduces the inflow of FDI. Moreover, we unbundle spatially lagged FDI by including spatial lags of the determinants of FDI. It is important to disentangle such third‐country effects in order to understand how FDI flows depend on the complex ways in which multinationals fragment sales and production across countries. Using a panel of U.S. affiliates’ sales in foreign countries between 1984 and 1998, we find evidence that cities are important drivers of FDI. Furthermore, third‐country effects suggest that horizontal and complex forms of FDI coexist.
Immunophenotypic aspects of cylindroma and nodular hidradenoma
Authors: Canedo T , De Almeida MP , Cuzzi T , Ramos‐e‐Silva M
Published: October 2009

Background  Some adnexal tumours have many controversies about their histogenesis.

Objectives  To evaluate the eccrine and/or apocrine differentiation phenotype in cases of cylindroma and clear cell hidradenoma with CD15 and p63 antibodies.

Methodology  Slides and blocks of six cases of cylindroma and seven cases of nodular hidradenoma (clear cells) were analyzed by the technique of immunohistochemistry with CD15 and p63 antibodies.

Results  In all cases of cylindroma we obtained negative results for CD15 antibody and positive for p63 antibody. In five of seven cases of nodular hidradenoma (clear cell), we could easily observe clear cells between 20% and 50% of tumour cells. In the two other cases, cystic lesions were present and occasional clear cells could be seen. The reaction with CD15 antibody was positive in granular and cytoplasmic pattern in six of seven cases, especially in cells with suggestive clear cytoplasm in lower proportion than this clear cells could be seen in haematoxylin and eosin. The positivity for p63 antibody, nuclear pattern, was observed in six of seven cases, in the major part of tumour cells. In only one case, the positivity was in 20% of cells.

Limitation  Samples are in small number because these are relatively rare tumours.

Conclusions  The present study suggests eccrine origin for both tumours: cylindroma and clear cell hidradenoma.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Being a member of a self‐advocacy group: experiences of intellectually disabled people
Authors: Gilmartin Ann , Slevin Eamonn
Published: October 2009

Accessible summary

People with intellectual disabilities talked about how it felt to be a member of a self‐advocacy group.

They felt their lives had improved and were more fulfilled as a result of being part of their self‐advocacy group.

It is important that people know how self advocacy groups help people with intellectual disabilities.

A phenomenological methodology was used to explore the lived experiences of belonging to a self‐advocacy group for people with intellectual disabilities. Thirteen persons with intellectual disabilities who attend three self‐advocacy day centre based groups in a city in the west of Ireland were the sample identified for the study. Changes affected by self‐advocacy group membership occurred in the day centres the self‐advocating participants attended. In addition being a member of a self‐advocate group was found to enhance the personal lives of the participants. Empowerment occurred for the participants’ both at an individual and collective basis. The evidence produced suggests that opportunities should be provided for adults with an intellectual disability who are not attending day services to join self‐advocacy groups in a community setting as there were clear benefits identified in this study from group membership. A recognition that service providers need to take on board the value that can result from self‐advocacy groups was apparent. The need to conduct larger scale studies over larger geographical areas and longitudinal research in this area is highlighted.
The elastin network: its relationship with collagen and cells in articular cartilage as visualized by multiphoton microscopy
Authors: Mansfield Jessica , Yu Jing , Attenburrow Don , Moger Julian , Tirlapur Uday , Urban Jill , Cui Zhanfeng , Winlove Peter
Published: October 2009

A combination of two‐photon fluorescence (TPF), second harmonic generation (SHG) and coherent anti‐Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) imaging has been used to investigate the elastin fibre network in healthy equine articular cartilage from the metacarpophalangeal joint. The elastin fibres were identified using their intrinsic two‐photon fluorescence and immuno‐staining was used to confirm the identity of these fibres. SHG was used to reveal the collagen matrix and the collagen fibre orientations were determined from their SHG polarization sensitivity, while CARS was used to clearly delineate the cell boundaries. Extensive elastin fibre networks were found in all the joint regions investigated. The elastin was found predominantly in the superficial zone (upper 50 μm) and was aligned parallel to the articular surface. Elastin was also detected in the pericellular matrix surrounding the superficial chondrocytes; however, individual fibres could not be resolved in this region. Variations in the density and organization of the fibres were observed in different regions on the joint surface.
Gait analysis in elderly adult patients with mild cognitive impairment and patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease: simple versus dual task: a preliminary report
Authors: Maquet D. , Lekeu F. , Warzee E. , Gillain S. , Wojtasik V. , Salmon E. , Petermans J. , Croisier J. L.
Published: October 2009

Background/Aims: The aim of this study was to assess gait characteristics during simple and dual task in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and compare them with those of healthy elderly subjects and mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients.

Methods: We proposed a gait analysis to appreciate walking (simple task and dual task) in 14 MCI, 14 controls and six AD subjects who walked at their preferred speed. A 20‐second period of stabilized walking was used to calculated stride frequency, stride length, symmetry and regularity. Speed walking was measured by electrical photocells.

Results: Variables measured during simple and dual tasks showed an alteration of motor function as well in mild AD patients as in MCI patients.

Conclusion: At the end of this preliminary study, we defined a specific gait pattern for each cognitive profile. Further researches appear necessary to enlarge the study cohort.
Prevalence of elevated alanine transaminase activity in dogs treated with CCNU (Lomustine)*
Authors: Hosoya K. , Lord L. K. , Lara‐Garcia A. , Kisseberth W. C. , London C. A. , Couto C. G.
Published: October 2009

The purpose of this study was to evaluate prevalence of serum alanine transaminase (ALT) elevation in dogs receiving lomustine (CCNU) and to analyse the pattern of occurrence and potential risk factors. Serum ALT activity in 109 dogs during single‐agent CCNU chemotherapy was retrospectively analysed. The median initial dose, dose‐intensity and cumulative dose of CCNU were 64 mg m−2, 21 mg m−2 week−1 and 171 mg m−2, respectively. The overall prevalence of major ALT elevation [> 5‐fold upper reference limit (URL)] was 29% (32/109) and developed most commonly after one to three doses of CCNU. These ALT elevations occurred without preceding mild ALT elevation in 53% (17/32) of the cases. Three dogs (2.8%) developed clinical hepatopathy. For severe ALT elevation (>10‐fold URL), age ≤5‐year‐old was associated with higher risk. The findings of this study showed that elevation of ALT is common during CCNU chemotherapy in dogs and severe elevation can develop on a sudden onset.
A Vascular Access Team Can Increase AV Fistula Creation in Pediatric ESRD Patients: A Single Center Experience
Authors: Chand Deepa H. , Bednarz Dale , Eagleton Matthew , Krajewski Leonard
Published: October 2009

The National Kidney Foundation Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative (NKF‐DOQI) recommends the use of a permanent vascular access for pediatric hemodialysis (HD) patients; however, central venous catheters are the most common vascular access used among children. In children receiving HD, central venous catheters, while suboptimal, are the most common vascular access used. As such, it is imperative that pediatric HD providers optimize vascular access techniques. We report outcomes of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) creation by a single surgeon in pediatric HD patients dialyzed at a single center. We further describe our experience and outcomes with the use of the operating microscope in the United States in children receiving HD under 15 kg in weight and as young as 4 years of age. AVF usage rates as well as short‐ and long‐term patency rates can be quite high with proper management. We further illustrate that the Fistula First principles can be applied to the pediatric population in the setting of a single surgeon with single center experience. As such, we have surpassed the current NKF‐DOQI recommendation of 50% fistula use in prevalent HD patients.