bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plasma rotation effects on magnetic island formation and the trigger of disruptions in reversed shear plasma
Authors: Ishii Y. , Smolyakov A.I. , Takechi M.
Published: July 2009

Plasma rotation effects on the trigger and the evolution of MHD activities in reversed shear profiles are studied by nonlinear MHD simulations. It is found that, in a rotating plasma, magnetic islands formed around the inner and outer magnetic resonant surfaces, which are stable for the tearing mode, by an external perturbation (driven magnetic island), evolve with different growth rates during an initial growth phase. After the initial growth phase, an outer magnetic island grows rapidly prior to the inner one and triggers a rapid growth of the inner magnetic island. At the final phase, enlarged magnetic islands flatten a q-profile in a wide radial region including the plasma centre. Though this final phase closely resembles a nonlinear destabilization of a spontaneous double tearing mode (Ishii et al 2002 Phys. Rev. Lett.
89 205002), this process can explain the time delay of a plasma edge oscillation in triggering an internal MHD event and disruption.
Increased late sodium currents are related to transcription of neuronal isoforms in a pressure‐overload model
Authors: Xi Yutao , Wu Geru , Yang Lin , Han Ke , Du Yuan , Wang Tingzhong , Lei Xinjun , Bai Xiaojun , Ma Aiqun
Published: July 2009

Aims

The late and persistent sodium current (INa) has been identified as a target for anti‐arrhythmia drugs in patients with heart failure (HF). However, the underlying mechanism of late INa (INaL) production remains uncertain. We hypothesized that transcriptional alteration among sodium channel (NaCh) isoforms may contribute to INaL in failing cardiomyocytes.

Methods and results

Pressure‐overload rat models were created by 16‐week constriction of the ascending aorta (HF). Haemodynamic and electrocardiographic variables were studied in sham operation and HF rats. Action potential (AP) and INa were recorded using whole‐cell patch‐clamp techniques. The expression of various NaCh isoforms was evaluated by immunocytochemistry, RT‐PCR, and western blot. The HF group exhibited left ventricular enlargement, systolic dysfunction, and prolongation of QTc intervals (P < 0.05). Current‐clamp recording indicated that AP durations (APDs) were more sensitive to tetrodotoxin. Voltage‐clamp recordings showed that INaL was increased (−1.54 ± 0.43 vs. −1.08 ± 0.38 pA/pF, P < 0.01) in HF, but transient INa (INaT) density was decreased (−14.61 ± 2.30 vs. −26.15 ± 5.17 pA/pF, P < 0.01). Correspondingly, the relative mRNA levels of the neuronal isoforms SCN1a and SCN8a increased 2.5‐ and 2.7‐fold, respectively; SCN3a did not change, whereas SCN5a decreased by ~60% in HF. Protein levels paralleled their mRNA expression.

Conclusion

The up‐regulated expression of the neuronal NaCh isoforms SCN1a and SCN8a could be one mechanism of INaL production, which may contribute to prolongation of APD in the failing heart.
Exploration of Sugar Functionality in Sugar‐Snap and Wire‐Cut Cookie Baking: Implications for Potential Sucrose Replacement or Reduction
Authors: Kweon Meera , Slade Louise , Levine Harry , Martin Ron , Souza Edward
Published: July 2009

The sugar series—xylose, glucose, fructose, and sucrose—can be used diagnostically to explore the effects of sugar type on differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Rapid Visco‐Analyser (RVA), and cookie baking performance because of the differences in glass‐forming abilities (related to plasticization) and solubility parameters (related to solvent preference) of different sugars. Sugar concentration (% S), total solvent (TS), and dough formulation defined a core experimental design for cookie baking with the four sugar types and two baking methods. Although wire‐cut cookie baking (66% S and 64 TS) showed the same trends as sugar‐snap cookie baking (73% S and 79 TS) for diameter, height, and moisture content, the wire‐cut formulation enabled greater discrimination among the effects of different sugar types on dough and cookie responses. Use of two different crystal sizes of sucrose confirmed the dominant impact of both gluten development during dough mixing and starch pasting during cookie baking on collapse: the greater rate of dissolution of smaller sucrose crystals resulted in greater surface crack for sugar‐snap cookies, and lower height for wire‐cut cookies. Because the historical definition of an “excellent quality cookie flour” is based on the performance of a flour in a cookie formulated with sucrose, the effect of sugar type on cookie making is to transform the apparent baking performance of a flour. Whereas formulation with sucrose optimizes the flour performance for cookie baking, formulation with xylose exaggerates the worst aspects of cookie flour functionality and makes even the best cookie flour look like a “poor quality cookie flour”. Use of solvent retention capacity (SRC), DSC, RVA, and wire‐cut cookie baking as predictive research tools demonstrated that identification of a flour with an optimized SRC pattern is the key to successful mitigation of the detrimental effects of sucrose replacement on cookie processing and product attributes.
Shoot Na+ Exclusion and Increased Salinity Tolerance Engineered by Cell Type–Specific Alteration of Na+ Transport in Arabidopsis
Authors: Møller Inge S. , Gilliham Matthew , Jha Deepa , Mayo Gwenda M. , Roy Stuart J. , Coates Juliet C. , Haseloff Jim , Tester Mark
Published: July 2009

Soil salinity affects large areas of cultivated land, causing significant reductions in crop yield globally. The Na+ toxicity of many crop plants is correlated with overaccumulation of Na+ in the shoot. We have previously suggested that the engineering of Na+ exclusion from the shoot could be achieved through an alteration of plasma membrane Na+ transport processes in the root, if these alterations were cell type specific. Here, it is shown that expression of the Na+ transporter HKT1;1 in the mature root stele of Arabidopsis thaliana decreases Na+ accumulation in the shoot by 37 to 64%. The expression of HKT1;1 specifically in the mature root stele is achieved using an enhancer trap expression system for specific and strong overexpression. The effect in the shoot is caused by the increased influx, mediated by HKT1;1, of Na+ into stelar root cells, which is demonstrated in planta and leads to a reduction of root-to-shoot transfer of Na+. Plants with reduced shoot Na+ also have increased salinity tolerance. By contrast, plants constitutively expressing HKT1;1 driven by the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter accumulated high shoot Na+ and grew poorly. Our results demonstrate that the modification of a specific Na+ transport process in specific cell types can reduce shoot Na+ accumulation, an important component of salinity tolerance of many higher plants.
Phylogenomic Analysis Demonstrates a Pattern of Rare and Ancient Horizontal Gene Transfer between Plants and Fungi
Authors: Richards Thomas A. , Soanes Darren M. , Foster Peter G. , Leonard Guy , Thornton Christopher R. , Talbot Nicholas J.
Published: July 2009

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) describes the transmission of genetic material across species boundaries and is an important evolutionary phenomenon in the ancestry of many microbes. The role of HGT in plant evolutionary history is, however, largely unexplored. Here, we compare the genomes of six plant species with those of 159 prokaryotic and eukaryotic species and identify 1689 genes that show the highest similarity to corresponding genes from fungi. We constructed a phylogeny for all 1689 genes identified and all homolog groups available from the rice (Oryza sativa) genome (3177 gene families) and used these to define 14 candidate plant-fungi HGT events. Comprehensive phylogenetic analyses of these 14 data sets, using methods that account for site rate heterogeneity, demonstrated support for nine HGT events, demonstrating an infrequent pattern of HGT between plants and fungi. Five HGTs were fungi-to-plant transfers and four were plant-to-fungi HGTs. None of the fungal-to-plant HGTs involved angiosperm recipients. These results alter the current view of organismal barriers to HGT, suggesting that phagotrophy, the consumption of a whole cell by another, is not necessarily a prerequisite for HGT between eukaryotes. Putative functional annotation of the HGT candidate genes suggests that two fungi-to-plant transfers have added phenotypes important for life in a soil environment. Our study suggests that genetic exchange between plants and fungi is exceedingly rare, particularly among the angiosperms, but has occurred during their evolutionary history and added important metabolic traits to plant lineages.
Hypothalamic‐Pituitary‐Adrenal Axis Abnormalities in Response to Deletion of 11β‐HSD1 is Strain‐Dependent
Authors: Carter R. N. , Paterson J. M. , Tworowska U. , Stenvers D. J. , Mullins J. J. , Seckl J. R. , Holmes M. C.
Published: July 2009

Inter‐individual differences in hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis activity underlie differential vulnerability to neuropsychiatric and metabolic disorders, although the basis of this variation is poorly understood. 11β‐Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β‐HSD1) has previously been shown to influence HPA axis activity. 129/MF1 mice null for 11β‐HSD1 (129/MF1 HSD1−/−) have greatly increased adrenal gland size and altered HPA activity, consistent with reduced glucocorticoid negative feedback. On this background, concentrations of plasma corticosterone and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) were elevated in unstressed mice, and showed a delayed return to baseline after stress in HSD1‐null mice with reduced sensitivity to exogenous glucocorticoid feedback compared to same‐background genetic controls. In the present study, we report that the genetic background can dramatically alter this pattern. By contrast to HSD1−/− mice on a 129/MF1 background, HSD1−/− mice congenic on a C57Bl/6J background have normal basal plasma corticosterone and ACTH concentrations and exhibit normal return to baseline of plasma corticosterone and ACTH concentrations after stress. Furthermore, in contrast to 129/MF1 HSD1−/− mice, C57Bl/6J HSD1−/− mice have increased glucocorticoid receptor expression in areas of the brain involved in glucocorticoid negative feedback (hippocampus and paraventricular nucleus), suggesting this may be a compensatory response to normalise feedback control of the HPA axis. In support of this hypothesis, C57Bl/6J HSD1−/− mice show increased sensitivity to dexamethasone‐mediated suppression of peak corticosterone. Thus, although 11β‐HSD1 appears to contribute to regulation of the HPA axis, the genetic background is crucial in governing the response to (and hence the consequences of) its loss. Similar variations in plasticity may underpin inter‐individual differences in vulnerability to disorders associated with HPA axis dysregulation. They also indicate that 11β‐HSD1 inhibition does not inevitably activate the HPA axis.
A Glucocorticoid Sensitive Biphasic Rhythm of Testosterone Secretion
Authors: Waite E. , Kershaw Y. , Spiga F. , Lightman S. L.
Published: July 2009

Studies of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis and the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐testicular (HPT) axis have revealed a reciprocal relationship between these two endocrine pathways. In rats, for example, disruption of the HPT axis alters the circadian secretion of corticosterone. Stress, on the other hand, can have varying effects on testosterone secretion in both rats and humans. Furthermore, in contrast to humans, where several pulses of testosterone secretion can be detected across the 24‐h period with the largest in the morning, rats appear to exhibit a diurnal rhythm of testosterone secretion. In the present study, we used an automated blood sampling system to investigate the true circadian pattern of testosterone secretion under basal conditions and investigated how this responds to changes in levels of circulating corticosteroids. Analysis of plasma testosterone revealed the expected bimodal pattern of basal testosterone secretion. The two secretory episodes were 12.59 h ± 41 min apart and 4.04 h ± 16 min long, with one in the light phase and the other in the dark phase of the cycle. Interestingly, when both testosterone and corticosterone diurnal profile were compared, we found that the circadian rise in plasma corticosterone levels falls neatly between the two testosterone secretory episodes. Treatment of rats with the synthetic glucocorticoid methylprednisolone in their drinking water abolished the normal bimodal profile of testosterone secretion. These rats show transient pulses of testosterone throughout the 24 h, but no circadian pattern. By contrast, adrenalectomised rats maintain their bimodal circadian pattern, suggesting that an intact HPA axis is not necessary for generation of the endogenous HPT rhythm. Thus, although the circadian rhythm of testosterone does not depend on normal HPA function, increased levels of glucocorticoids can abolish normal HPT rhythmicity.
Identification of amino acid residues of the pheromone‐binding domain of the transcription factor TraR that are required for positive control
Authors: Costa Esther D. , Cho Hongbaek , Winans Stephen C.
Published: July 2009

Genes required for replication and for conjugal transfer of the Agrobacterium tumefaciens Ti plasmid are regulated by the quorum sensing transcription factor TraR, whose N‐terminal domain binds to the pheromone 3‐oxo‐octanoylhomoserine lactone (OOHL) and whose C‐terminal domain binds to specific DNA sequences called tra boxes. Here, we constructed 117 mutants, altering 103 surface‐exposed amino acid residues of the TraR N‐terminal domain. Each mutant was tested for activation of the traI promoter, where TraR binds to a site centred 45 nucleotides upstream of the transcription start site, and of the traM promoter, where TraR binds a site centred 66 nucleotides upstream. Alteration of 18 residues blocked activity at the traI promoter. Of these, alteration at three positions impaired TraR abundance or DNA binding, leaving 15 residues that are specifically needed for positive control. Of these 15 residues, nine also blocked or reduced activity at the traM promoter, while six had no effect. Amino acid residues required for activation of both promoters probably contact the C‐terminal domain of the RNA polymerase α subunit, while residues required only for traI promoter activation may contact another RNA polymerase component.
Conspecifics and Their Posture Influence Site Choice and Oviposition in the DamselflyArgia moesta
Authors: Byers Catherine J. , Eason Perri K.
Published: July 2009

Finding a suitable oviposition site can be costly because of energy and time requirements, and ovipositioning can be dangerous because of the risk of predation and harassment by males. The damselflyArgia moestaoviposits, contact‐guarded by her mate, on vegetation in streams. Oviposition aggregations are commonly observed in this species, despite their territorial nature during other behaviors. We conducted experiments in the field to test the hypothesis that aggregations are the result of conspecific attraction. In the first experiment, two oviposition sites (sycamore leaves) were provided, one with models of ovipositing pairs, and one without. In the second experiment, one leaf again had ovipositing models, while the other had models of uncoupled males and females in a resting posture. In both experiments, damselfly pairs preferred the site with ovipositing models. In general, they visited the ovipositing models first more often than expected by chance, stayed longer there, were more likely to oviposit there, and laid a greater total number of eggs there. These results support the hypothesis that conspecific attraction is responsible for ovipositing aggregations inA. moestaand that posture is an important cue for attraction. Using conspecific cues could be a beneficial strategy to save in search costs while taking advantage of the presence of ovipositing conspecifics to dilute the effects of harassment and predation.
Males Exhibit Novel Relationships of Dominance with Nest Departure in the Social Paper WaspMischocyttarus mastigophorus(Hymenoptera: Vespidae)
Authors: Molina Yamile , O’Donnell Sean
Published: July 2009

In many animal societies, an individual’s opportunities to reproduce correspond to their position in a dominance hierarchy. In primitively eusocial paper wasps, female social dominance and direct reproduction are positively associated with taking food from nest mates, but both negatively correlate with foraging flights. Female paper wasps reproduce by laying eggs in their nest, while males reproduce by leaving the nest to copulate. Males ofMischocyttarus mastigophorusare unusual because they reside on their natal nests for prolonged periods, and males direct aggression towards female nestmates.Mischocyttarus mastigophorusmales provide an opportunity to further analyse the relationships between dominance, nutrition and nest departure. We found males’ rates of social aggression, food taking behaviour, and rates of nest departure were positively correlated. Furthermore, males that initiated aggression at younger ages also began flying earlier, and males engaged in all three behaviours at younger ages than females. Male social aggression may lead to nutrient acquisition, which enable males to depart from the nest. We hypothesise that male nest departure could be adaptive if it increases male mating opportunities. This could account for the positive relationship between dominance and nest departure for males.
No Coolidge Effect in Decorated Crickets
Authors: Gershman Susan N. , Sakaluk Scott K.
Published: July 2009

Female decorated crickets, Gryllodes sigillatus, obtain genetic benefits by mating with different males and, when given a choice, prefer novel males over previous mates. It is unknown, however, whether males exhibit a similar preference for novel females. Although female crickets control copulation, there are at least two ways in which males can exercise choice: (1) the amount of courtship directed towards prospective mates and (2) the size of the spermatophore transferred to the female at mating. To determine whether males devote more courtship effort to novel females while controlling for female behavioral cues, male courtship effort toward two dead females, one, a previous mate and the other, a novel female, was measured. To determine whether males manufacture larger spermatophores when paired with novel females, males were mated to novel or previous mates, and the different components of the spermatophore weighed. Males did not spend more time courting dead novel females than previous mates. There was no difference in the latency to remating of males confined with novel females and those paired with previous mates, and there was no difference in the mass of spermatophores transferred to novel and familiar females. Contrary to previous studies in other taxa, this study suggests that male crickets do not prefer novel mates and thus, are not subject to the Coolidge effect. Although mating with novel females may be beneficial to males, selection on males to identify and discriminate against previous mates may be relaxed because of a strong female preference for novel males.
Calling Patterns in Male Responses to Conspecific Playbacks in the Johnstone’s Whistling Frog Eleutherodactylus johnstonei
Authors: Tárano Zaida , Fuenmayor Eloisa
Published: July 2009

Vocal interactions are common in chorusing frogs. Changes in the calling patterns of Eleutherodactylus johnstonei males were analyzed by recording their responses to playbacks of conspecific calls repeated at fixed periods (long: 1.7 s, short: 0.98 s). The call period and timing, estimated through the onset response time, were determined for each male. Males reduced and regularized the period of their calls in response to both stimuli, regardless of their absolute and relative period (i.e., the difference between the male’s period and the stimulus period). Males avoided initiating their calls during ongoing stimuli, but did not time their calls in the silent gap between successive stimuli in ways that reduced the probability of overlap: the proportion of calls without overlap did not depart from random expectations when the silent gap was long, and was smaller than expected when the gap was short. This result indicated that males react to the presence of the virtual competitor but not to its particular characteristics. Fixed responses have been described in other anurans, and often relate to trade‐offs between female attraction, male competition, predator attraction, and depletion of energy reserves. Lack of coordination with the stimuli, beyond inhibition of calling during an ongoing stimulus, also indicates somewhat rigid vocal strategies, at least under the experimental conditions. Results from the short period trials suggested a compromise between maintaining a call period and avoiding call overlap. Whether female behavior is influenced by call interference and whether males pay selective attention to distant males instead of to close neighbors must be investigated to better understand the vocal behavior of E. johnstonei.
Does Manipulation by the Parasitoid WaspCotesia glomerata(L.) Cause Attachment Behaviour of Host Caterpillars on Cocoon Clusters?
Authors: Tanaka Shingo , Ohsaki Naota
Published: July 2009

Some parasitoid wasps appear to control the behaviour of their hosts. However, altered behaviours of parasitised hosts are not necessarily caused by parasitoids but are sometimes the result of traumatic side effects of parasitism. However, it was difficult for us to discriminate the cause of host’s behaviours between manipulation by parasitoids and traumatic side effects. Larvae of the parasitoid waspCotesia glomerataform cocoon clusters after egression from the parasitised host caterpillarPieris brassicae. Following parasitoid egression, host caterpillars survive for several days and remain near the cocoon clusters. These caterpillars may repel solitary pteromalid hyperparasitoid wasps,Trichomalopsis apanteloctena, that attempt to parasitise freshC. glomeratapupae. We allowed hyperparasitoids to attack cocoon clusters in the field and laboratory and then assessed the costs and benefits toC. glomerataof attachment by the parasitised caterpillars. The eclosion success ofC. glomeratain cocoon clusters with attached caterpillars was higher than that in clusters without attached caterpillars in both field and laboratory experiments. This difference was attributed to shorter hyperparasitoid visits to cocoon clusters with attached host caterpillars. However, large cluster size was potentially costly for host attachment, because the duration of host caterpillar attachment decreased with increasing numbers ofC. glomerataper caterpillar. This trade‐off may be related to shortages of fat body resources, which are shared between the development of wasp larvae and the survival of host caterpillars. Therefore, we concluded that caterpillar attachment satisfied some requirements of host manipulation byC. glomerata.
Past Experiences Affect Interaction Patterns Among Foragers and Hive‐Mates in Honeybees
Authors: Grüter Christoph , Farina Walter M.
Published: July 2009

Social insect colonies face the challenge of adjusting the behavior of individuals performing various tasks to a changing environment. It has been shown in several species that characteristics of interaction patterns between nestmates provide social information that allows individuals to adjust their behavior in adaptive ways. A well‐studied example is the modulation of recruitment by dancing in honeybees (Apis mellifera) in response to the time, the foragers have to search for unloading partners and the number of unloading bees. Here we tested if experiences that hive bees acquired during past social interactions affect interactions with the incoming foragers. Bees returning with food containing a floral scent that was familiar to the hive bees from previous interactions had more food receivers during unloading and more followers during dancing displays compared with foragers returning with food containing a novel scent or unscented food. We also confirm that the number of receivers during food unloading is positively related to the motivation to dance immediately after unloading. Our results show that prior social experiences affect the ways in which individuals interact in the context of honeybee nectar collection and, therefore, how learning in hive bees contributes to the organization of this collective task.
Effect of welding processes on fatigue crack growth behaviour of AISI 409M ferritic stainless steel joints fabricated using duplex stainless steel fillers
Authors: LAKSHMINARAYANAN A. K. , SHANMUGAM K. , BALASUBRAMANIAN V.
Published: July 2009

The present investigation aims to study the effect of welding processes such as shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) on fatigue crack growth behaviour of the ferritic stainless steel (FSS) conforming to AISI 409M grade. Rolled plates of 4 mm thickness were used as the base material and AISI 2209 grade duplex stainless steel (DSS) was used as filler metal, for preparing single pass butt welded joints. Centre cracked tensile (CCT) specimens were used to evaluate the fatigue crack growth behaviour. From this investigation, it is found that the GTAW joints showed superior fatigue crack growth resistance compared with SMAW and GMAW joints. The reasons for the superior performance were discussed in detail.
Analysis of apparent fracture toughness of a thick‐walled FGM cylinder with two diametrically opposed edge cracks
Authors: AFSAR A. M. , SONG J. I.
Published: July 2009

This study focuses on the analysis of apparent fracture toughness of a thick‐walled functionally graded material (FGM) cylinder with two diametrically opposed edge cracks emanating from the inner surface of the cylinder. The crack surfaces and the inner surface of the cylinder are subjected to an internal pressure. The incompatible eigenstrain developed in the cylinder due to non‐uniform coefficient of thermal expansion after cooling from sintering temperature is taken into account. Based on a generalized method of evaluating stress‐intensity factor developed in our previous study, an approach is presented to evaluate apparent fracture toughness. To demonstrate the approach, some numerical results of apparent fracture toughness are presented for a TiC/Al2O3 FGM cylinder. The effects of material distribution, cylinder wall thickness, application temperature and number of cracks on apparent fracture toughness are investigated in details. It is found that all these factors play an important role in controlling apparent fracture toughness of a thick‐walled FGM cylinder.
Brittle failures from U‐ and V‐notches in mode I and mixed, I + II, mode: a synthesis based on the strain energy density averaged on finite‐size volumes
Authors: LAZZARIN P. , BERTO F. , ELICES M. , GÓMEZ J.
Published: July 2009

A large bulk of static test results carried out on notched specimens are presented in a unified way by using the mean value of the strain energy density (SED) over a given finite‐size volume surrounding the highly stressed regions. In plane problems, when cracks or pointed V‐notches are considered, the volume becomes a circle or a circular sector, respectively, with RC being the radius. RC depends on the fracture toughness of the material, the ultimate tensile strength and the Poisson's ratio. When the notch is blunt, the control area assumes a crescent shape and RC is its width as measured along the notch bisector.

About 900 experimental data, taken from recent literature, are involved in the local SED‐based synthesis. They have been obtained from (a) U‐ and V‐notched specimens made of different materials tested under mode I loading; (b) U‐ and V‐notched specimens made of polymethyl‐metacrylate (PMMA) and an acrylic resin, respectively, tested in mixed, I + II, mode; (c) U‐notched specimens made of ceramics materials tested under mode I.

The local SED values are normalized to the critical SED values (as determined from unnotched specimens) and plotted as a function of the R/RC ratio. A scatter band is obtained whose mean value does not depend on R/RC, whereas the ratio between the upper and the lower limits are found to be about equal to 1.6. The strong variability of the non‐dimensional radius R/RC (ranging here from about zero to around 1000) makes stringent the check of the approach based on the mean value of the local SED on a material‐dependent control volume.
Does intrafascial dissection during nerve‐sparing laparoscopic radical prostatectomy compromise cancer control?
Authors: Neill Mischel G. , Louie‐Johnsun Mark , Chabert Charles , Eden Christopher
Published: July 2009

OBJECTIVE

To assess whether oncological outcomes are compromised by adopting the curtain dissection (CD) technique (high incision of the peri‐prostatic fascia) during nerve‐preserving radical prostatectomy (RP).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In all, 973 laparoscopic RPs (LRPs) were performed or supervised by one surgeon between March 2000 and October 2007 for cT1–3 N0M0 prostate cancer, of which 510 included bilateral neurovascular bundle preservation. A CD technique was used in 240 men and a standard dissection (StD) technique was used in 270, considered the control group. The technique was extraperitoneal, used five ports and included preservation of the seminal vesicle tips. Thermal energy was not used posterior or lateral to the prostate in either group. Patient, operative and oncological outcome variables were compared using an independent‐sample t‐test if continuous or with Fisher’s exact test for rates.

RESULTS

Patient and cancer characteristics before LRP were similar for the CD and StD groups, and there were no significant perioperative differences either. Positive margins occurred in 11.7% of the CD group and 11.1% of the StD group (P = 0.95). At a mean (range) follow‐up of 11.7 (3–24) months for the CD group and 13.1 (3–24) months for the StD group, biochemical recurrence rates were 0% and 1.1%, respectively (P = 0.30). Potency (CD, 62%; StD, 61%; P = 0.89) and continence rates (StD, 97%; CD, 98%; P = 0.83) were comparable between the groups, but there was a statistically significant earlier return to continence in the CD group (P < 0.001 at 3 months).

CONCLUSIONS

For carefully selected men there appears to be no compromise in cancer control with intrafascial dissection in the short term. However, equally there appears to be no significant improvement in potency after LRP. The earlier return to continence after intrafascial nerve‐sparing suggests reduced dissection of periurethral supports rather than preservation of additional autonomic nerve fibres.
Incidental prostate cancer at radical cystoprostatectomy: implications for apex‐sparing surgery
Authors: Gakis Georgios , Schilling David , Bedke Jens , Sievert Karl D. , Stenzl Arnulf
Published: July 2009

Study Type – Therapy (case series)  Level of Evidence 4

OBJECTIVE

To analyse retrospectively the clinicopathological features of incidental prostate cancer in patients undergoing radical cystoprostatovesiculectomy (RCP) for invasive bladder cancer, as recent studies suggest that prostatic apex‐sparing surgery in patients undergoing RCP improves urinary continence and erectile function after surgery, but in those with incidental prostate cancer, leaving the apical region endangers the oncological outcome.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From 2004 to 2007, at our institution, 95 men had RCP for invasive bladder cancer. We reviewed their clinicopathological variables, especially apical involvement, and the course of prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) levels before and after surgery. We compared clinically significant and insignificant prostate cancers.

RESULTS

Of the 95 patients, 26 had incidental prostate cancer (mean age 68 years, range 53–80) on definitive histological examination. The mean (sd, range) preoperative PSA level in all 26 men was 3.6 (0.8, 0.2–14) ng/mL, but six of the 26 patients had preoperative PSA levels of >4 ng/mL and one other had suspicious findings on a digital rectal examination. Involvement of the apex was histologically confirmed in seven of the 26 patients (27%), including four with significant prostate cancer (P = 0.039). Preoperative PSA levels did not differ significantly between the seven patients with significant and 19 with insignificant prostate cancer, but seven patients with apical involvement had significantly higher PSA levels before RCP than the 19 who did not (P < 0.04). PSA levels after RCP remained below the limit of detection in all patients over a mean (range) follow‐up 14.3 (3–32) months.

CONCLUSION

In our series, preserving the apex of the prostate to decrease morbidity after RCP carried a 7.3% risk (seven of 95 patients) of leaving significant cancer in the residual prostatic tissue. No preoperative clinical value could exclude apical involvement. Therefore, our findings stress the oncological need for a careful and complete excision of the prostate during RCP.
Locally advanced prostate cancer: the role of surgical management
Authors: Stratton Kelly L. , Chang Sam S.
Published: July 2009

Among the heterogeneous population of patients with prostate cancer, a high‐risk group with locally advanced prostate cancer (LAPC) present a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma. Although the incidence of LAPC has decreased with screening since the introduction of prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) testing, significantly many patients are still diagnosed with LAPC. These patients are by definition at higher risk of metastatic disease and worse outcomes. The role of radical prostatectomy (RP) in this population has been debated, as the combination of radiotherapy and hormonal therapy is becoming used more frequently for LAPC. Unfortunately, the clinical staging and evaluation of LAPC is a challenge that results in possibly understaging or overstaging these patients. This further complicates therapeutic decision‐making, and as a result no established standard treatment has been proposed. Like other patients with prostate cancer, individualized therapeutic choices are essential and depend on a multitude of factors. Herein we examine the role of RP for managing LAPC and attempt to emphasize how the risk of distant disease and difficulty with clinical staging might favour incorporating a surgical approach as part of the therapy for patients with LAPC.
The presence of prostate cancer on saturation biopsy can be accurately predicted
Authors: Ahyai Sascha A. , Isbarn Hendrik , Karakiewicz Pierre I. , Chun Felix K.H. , Reichert Mathias , Walz Jochen , Steuber Thomas , Jeldres Claudio , Schlomm Thorsten , Heinzer Hans , Salomon Georg , Budäus Lars , Perrotte Paul , Huland Hartwig , Graefen Markus , Haese Alexander
Published: July 2009

Study Type – Diagnostic (non‐consecutive) Level of Evidence 3b

OBJECTIVE

To improve the ability of our previously reported saturation biopsy nomogram quantifying the risk of prostate cancer, as the use of office‐based saturation biopsy has increased.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Saturation biopsies of 540 men with one or more previously negative 6–12 core biopsies were used to develop a multivariable logistic regression model‐based nomogram, predicting the probability of prostate cancer. Candidate predictors were used in their original or stratified format, and consisted of age, total prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) level, percentage free PSA (%fPSA), gland volume, findings on a digital rectal examination, cumulative number of previous biopsy sessions, presence of high‐grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia on any previous biopsy, and presence of atypical small acinar proliferation (ASAP) on any previous biopsy. Two hundred bootstraps re‐samples were used to adjust for overfit bias.

RESULTS

Prostate cancer was diagnosed in 39.4% of saturation biopsies. Age, total PSA, %fPSA, gland volume, number of previous biopsies, and presence of ASAP at any previous biopsy were independent predictors for prostate cancer (all P < 0.05). The nomogram was 77.2% accurate and had a virtually perfect correlation between predicted and observed rates of prostate cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

We improved the accuracy of the saturation biopsy nomogram from 72% to 77%; it relies on three previously included variables, i.e. age, %fPSA and prostate volume, and on three previously excluded variables, i.e. PSA, the number of previous biopsy sessions, and evidence of ASAP on previous biopsy. Our study represents the largest series of saturation biopsies to date.
Biochemical recurrence rate in patients with positive surgical margins at radical prostatectomy with further negative resected tissue
Authors: Rabbani Farhang , Vora Kinjal C. , Yunis Luis Herran , Eastham James A. , Guillonneau Bertrand , Scardino Peter T. , Touijer Karim
Published: July 2009

OBJECTIVE

To determine the biochemical recurrence (BCR) rate in patients with positive surgical margins (PSMs) on the prostate specimen who have additional negative tissue resected from that site (M+ −), compared to patients with negative margins (M−) and those with persistent PSM (M+), as those with PSM at radical prostatectomy (RP) are at greater risk of BCR, and in some instances where suspicious tissue is noted in the prostate bed or when frozen‐section analysis shows PSM, additional tissue is resected from the suspect site of the PSM.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between January 1999 and June 2007, 4217 consecutive patients underwent open or laparoscopic RP with no previous radiotherapy or hormonal therapy. The median (interquartile range) follow‐up was 37.4 (21.1–60.7) months.

RESULTS

Pathological organ‐confined (OC) cancer was present in 2901 men, of whom 2659 had M−, 216 had M+, and 26 had M+ −. Extracapsular extension (ECE) alone with no seminal vesicle or lymph node involvement was present in 843 men, of whom 657 had M−, 174 had M+ and 12 had M+ −. For patients with OC cancer, the 36‐month actuarial BCR‐free probability was 97.9% (95% confidence interval 97.3–98.5) for M−, vs 89.0 (84.1–93.9)% for M+ vs 100% for M+ −. For patients with ECE, the 36‐month actuarial BCR‐free probability was 83.7 (80.0–87.4)% for M− vs 73.7 (66.1–81.3)% for M+ vs 90.0 (71.4–100)% for M+ −. The main limitation of the study was its retrospective nature, with the reason for resection of additional tissue not always well documented.

CONCLUSIONS

While the few patients with PSMs and further negative resected tissue limited the statistical analysis, it would appear that in these patients the disease behaves as in those with negative margins.
36‐month‐olds conceal visual and auditory information from others
Authors: Melis Alicia P. , Call Josep , Tomasello Michael
Published: July 2009

By three years of age, children are skilled at assessing under which circumstances others can see things. However, nothing is known about whether they can use this knowledge to guide their own deceptive behaviour. Here we investigated 3‐year‐olds’ ability to strategically inhibit or conceal forbidden actions that a nearby adult experimenter could see or hear. In the first experiment, children were more likely to disobey the adult when she did not have visual access to their activities than they were when she was looking at them. In the second experiment, in which the adult could never see the child, children refrained from making noise when engaging in a prohibited action that the adult might hear. These results suggest that by three years of age children use their knowledge of others’ perceptual states to decide whether it is safe to commit a transgression and, moreover, actively conceal perceptual cues that could reveal to others their ongoing transgression.
The neural basis of speech parsing in children and adults
Authors: McNealy Kristin , Mazziotta John C. , Dapretto Mirella
Published: July 2009

Word segmentation, detecting word boundaries in continuous speech, is a fundamental aspect of language learning that can occur solely by the computation of statistical and speech cues. Fifty‐four children underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while listening to three streams of concatenated syllables that contained either high statistical regularities, high statistical regularities and speech cues, or no easily detectable cues. Significant signal increases over time in temporal cortices suggest that children utilized the cues to implicitly segment the speech streams. This was confirmed by the findings of a second fMRI run, in which children displayed reliably greater activity in the left inferior frontal gyrus when listening to ‘words’ that had occurred more frequently in the streams of speech they had just heard. Finally, comparisons between activity observed in these children and that in previously studied adults indicate significant developmental changes in the neural substrate of speech parsing.
Children’s attention to sample composition in learning, teaching and discovery
Authors: Rhodes Marjorie , Gelman Susan A. , Brickman Daniel
Published: July 2009

Two studies compared children’s attention to sample composition – whether a sample provides a diverse representation of a category of interest – during teacher‐led and learner‐driven learning contexts. In Study 1 (n = 48), 5‐year‐olds attended to sample composition to make inferences about biological properties only when samples were presented by a knowledgeable teacher. In contrast, adults attended to sample composition in both teacher‐led and learner‐driven contexts. In Study 2 (n = 51), 6‐year‐olds chose to create diverse samples to teach information about biological kinds to another child, but not to discover new information for themselves, whereas adults chose to create diverse samples for both teaching and information discovery. Results suggest that how children approach the interpretation and selection of evidence varies depending on whether learning occurs in a pedagogical or a non‐pedagogical context.
HUMAN DIGNITY IN INTERNATIONAL POLICY DOCUMENTS: A USEFUL CRITERION FOR PUBLIC POLICY?
Authors: DE MELO‐MARTÍN INMACULADA
Published: July 2009

Current developments in biomedicine are presenting us with difficult ethical decisions and raising complex policy questions about how to regulate these new developments. Particularly vexing for governments have been issues related to human embryo experimentation. Because some of the most promising biomedical developments, such as stem cell research and nuclear somatic transfer, involve such experimentation, several international bodies have drafted documents aimed to provide guidance to governments when developing biomedical science policy. Here I focus on two such documents: the Council of Europe's Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being and the Additional Protocol to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being.

I argue that by using human dignity as a criterion to determine the permissibility of particular human embryo research practices, these documents cannot aid in identifying research that would be contrary to human dignity. Thus, they fail to guide public policy on embryo experimentation. Their use of human dignity as a criterion makes their task of offering guidance unfeasible because the concept as used in these documents is too vague and is applied in contradictory ways. I discuss the main goals of these documents and their claims in relation to human embryo research. I then discuss how they have influenced public policy in several countries. Finally, I show that although these Council of Europe treaties attempt to serve as public policy guides in the area of embryo research, they fail to do so.
Using Frontier Analysis to Evaluate Company Performance
Authors: Devinney Timothy M. , Yip George S. , Johnson Gerry
Published: July 2009

The measurement of performance is critical to nearly all managerial disciplines. Yet little is known about the aggregation characteristics of the components of performance and how our notion of a ‘good performing firm’ relates to what we use as a dependent variable. In this paper we propose an approach to the measurement of performance that uses the logic of frontier analysis and the technique of data envelopment analysis. The approach is shown to be a reasonable representation of the multidimensional nature of performance and is shown to replicate, effectively, the components that strategic management scholars typically consider when discussing performance. It is also shown to be superior to the simpler alternatives based on traditional approaches to performance measurement.
Fuzziness in Action: What Consequences Has the Linguistic Ambiguity of the Core Competence Concept for Organizational Usage?
Authors: Nicolai Alexander T. , Dautwiz Jörg M.
Published: July 2009

Linguistic ambiguity is one of the most prominent characteristics of management fashions. Using the example of one of the most popular management concepts in the 1990s, the core competence approach, we analyse the consequences of linguistic ambiguity on the level of organizational usage. We pursue an in‐depth case study of a German corporation which can be seen as a ‘heavy adopter’ of the core competence concept. A central implication of our study is that the term ‘ambiguity’ itself has several meanings depending on the level of analysis. On a general level the managers interpreted the core competence concept relatively homogeneously. They simplified and generalized it to an organizational principle and perceived it as guiding action. At the same time, each manager defined his or her own set of core competences. Thus, underneath a seeming consensus, a large variety of practices may hide. This novel kind of ‘contextual ambiguity’ does not originate from the linguistic ambiguity of the management fashion but from the plurality of local contexts in which the concept is interpreted. The managers' pragmatic attitude to the core competence ‘principle’ contributed to the high contextual ambiguity and the – compared to the media discourse – high longevity of the fashion within the case company. Our findings urge management fashion scholars to pay more attention to the distributed and polyphonic character of organizations and the organizational nature of the ‘consumption’ of ambiguous management knowledge.
Fixed‐price contracts, learning, and outsourcing: explaining the continuous growth of output and labour productivity in the German aircraft industry during the Second World War1
Authors: BUDRASS LUTZ , SCHERNER JONAS , STREB JOCHEN
Published: July 2009

In this article it is claimed that, at least in the aircraft industry, the development of German armament production and productivity was much more continuous than Wagenführ's armament index and both the Blitzkrieg thesis and the inefficiency thesis suggest. In order to prove this new thesis of continuity, we show on the basis of firm‐level data, firstly, that investment in production capacities had already started before the war and was especially high in the early phase of the war, and secondly, that the regulatory setting of aircraft production management was rather constant and was not dramatically changed after 1941. In addition, we demonstrate that the driving forces of productivity growth were primarily learning‐by‐doing and outsourcing, the latter being generally neglected by economic historians.