bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structural basis of specific TraD–TraM recognition during F plasmid‐mediated bacterial conjugation
Authors: Lu Jun , Wong Joyce J. W. , Edwards Ross A. , Manchak Jan , Frost Laura S. , Glover J. N. Mark
Published: August 2008

F plasmid‐mediated bacterial conjugation requires interactions between a relaxosome component, TraM, and the coupling protein TraD, a hexameric ring ATPase that forms the cytoplasmic face of the conjugative pore. Here we present the crystal structure of the C‐terminal tail of TraD bound to the TraM tetramerization domain, the first structural evidence of relaxosome‐coupling protein interactions. The structure reveals the TraD C‐terminal peptide bound to each of four symmetry‐related grooves on the surface of the TraM tetramer. Extensive protein–protein interactions were observed between the two proteins. Mutational analysis indicates that these interactions are specific and required for efficient F conjugation in vivo. Our results suggest that specific interactions between the C‐terminal tail of TraD and the TraM tetramerization domain might lead to more generalized interactions that stabilize the relaxosome‐coupling protein complex in preparation for conjugative DNA transfer.
Molecular basis of halorespiration control by CprK, a CRP‐FNR type transcriptional regulator
Authors: Levy Colin , Pike Katharine , Heyes Derren J. , Joyce M. Gordon , Gabor Krisztina , Smidt Hauke , van der Oost John , Leys David
Published: August 2008

Certain bacteria are able to conserve energy via the reductive dehalogenation of halo‐organic compounds in a respiration‐type metabolism. The transcriptional regulator CprK from Desulfitobacterium spp. induces expression of halorespiratory genes upon binding of o‐chlorophenol ligands and is reversibly inactivated by oxygen through disulphide bond formation. We report crystal structures of D. hafniense CprK in the ligand‐free (both oxidation states), ligand‐bound (reduced) and DNA‐bound states, making it the first member of the widespread CRP‐FNR superfamily for which a complete structural description of both redox‐dependent and allosteric molecular rearrangements is available. In conjunction with kinetic and thermodynamic ligand binding studies, we provide a model for the allosteric mechanisms underpinning transcriptional control. Amino acids that play a key role in this mechanism are not conserved in functionally distinct CRP‐FNR members. This suggests that, despite significant structural homology, distinct allosteric mechanisms are used, enabling this protein family to control a very wide range of processes.
The chloroplast avoidance response decreases internal conductance to CO2 diffusion in Arabidopsis thaliana leaves
Authors: THOLEN DANNY , BOOM CAROLINA , NOGUCHI KO , UEDA SHINGO , KATASE TAKAO , TERASHIMA ICHIRO
Published: August 2008

The relationship between chloroplast arrangement and diffusion of CO2 from substomatal cavities to the chloroplast stroma was investigated in Arabidopsis thaliana. Chloroplast position was manipulated by varying the amount of blue light and by cytochalasin D (CytD) treatment. We also investigated two chloroplast positioning mutants. Chloroplast arrangement was assessed by the surface area of chloroplasts adjacent to intercellular airspaces (Sc). Although it has been previously shown that long‐term acclimation to high light is linked with a large Sc, we found that the short‐term chloroplast avoidance response reduces Sc. This effect was not apparent in the blue‐light‐insensitive phot2 mutant, which did not show the avoidance response. As expected, the smaller Sc induced by the avoidance response was coupled to a similar decrease in internal conductance. This reduction in internal conductance resulted in an increased limitation of the rate of photosynthesis. The limiting effect of Sc on internal conductance and photosynthesis was also shown in chup1, a mutant with a constant small Sc as the result of an unusual chloroplast arrangement. We conclude that chloroplast movements in A. thaliana can rapidly alter leaf morphological parameters, and this has significant consequences for the diffusion of CO2 through the mesophyll.
Divergent timing of egg‐laying may maintain life history polymorphism in potentially multivoltine insects in seasonal environments
Authors: VÄLIMÄKI P. , KIVELÄ S. M. , JÄÄSKELÄINEN L. , KAITALA A. , KAITALA V. , OKSANEN J.
Published: August 2008

The length of the favourable season determines voltinism in insect populations. In some insects, there is variation in fecundity and timing of reproduction among females. If the length of the favourable season does not allow all offspring to develop into adults without diapause, the benefits of high early fecundity may outweigh the associated cost of low lifetime fecundity. We tested this by exploring mating frequencies of Pieris napi females along a latitudinal gradient in different generations. Pieris napi is a bivoltine butterfly, and genetically polyandrous females enjoy higher lifetime fecundity than monandrous ones. Polyandry is, however, coupled with a relatively low early fecundity. We found that monandrous females are more likely to produce an additional generation than polyandrous ones under conditions that allow production of only a partial summer generation. Monandrous females were also the first to emerge and slightly over‐represented in the summer generation under conditions that allow the development of a complete summer generation. Further, a stochastic model shows that variation in the timing of reproduction between strategies is sufficient to explain the observed patterns. Thus, seasonality may counter‐select against polyandry, or more generally against low early reproductive rate, and promote maintenance of polymorphism in life history strategies.
Maximized virulence in a sterilizing pathogen: the anther‐smut fungus and its co‐evolved hosts
Authors: SLOAN D. B. , GIRAUD T. , HOOD M. E.
Published: August 2008

Host sterilization is a common feature of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Because host reproductive failure may free up resources for pathogen reproduction and transmission, theory predicts that selection on sterilizing pathogens will favour maximum virulence (i.e. complete sterilization). We examined patterns of infection in sexually transmitted anther‐smut fungi (Microbotryum) on four of their host species in the Caryophyllaceae. Using controlled fungal matings and experimental inoculations, we compared disease expression in inoculations ranging from host‐specific pathogens to hybrids and cross‐species treatments. Our data support the existence of host‐specific sibling species within the genus Microbotryum based on a low infection rate from cross‐inoculations and reduced fitness for hybrid pathogens. These patterns of host specificity and reproductive isolation, however, were not absolute. We did observe some successful cross‐species and hybrid infections, but the expression of disease was frequently incomplete, including only partial host sterilization and the failed dehiscence of pathogen spores. The prevalence of these maladapted disease phenotypes may greatly inhibit the emergence of novel host pathogen combinations. Infections by hybrid pathogen genotypes were intermediate, in terms of both infection rate and the normality of disease symptoms, between host‐specific and cross‐inoculated pathogens. In addition, the frequency with which hybrid and cross‐inoculated anther‐smut pathogens were able to infect but not sterilize new hosts supports the prediction that sterilizing STDs are under selection to maximize virulence in natural populations.
Increased melibiose/rhamnose ratio in bile of rats with acute cholestasis
Authors: Tomsik Pavel , Sispera Ludek , Rezacova Martina , Niang Mohamed , Stoklasova Alena , Cerman Jaroslav , Knizek Jiri , Brcakova Eva , Cermanova Jolana , Micuda Stanislav
Published: August 2008

Background and Aim:  Melibiose/rhamnose permeability test is used for noninvasive intestinal mucosa barrier testing. However, the possible escape route of the absorbed saccharides through either intact or impaired blood–biliary barriers has not so far been explored. The objective of the present study was therefore two‐fold: First, to describe in detail the biliary pharmacokinetics of melibiose and rhamnose in rats; second, to evaluate the changes of both sugars' pharmacokinetics upon impairment of the blood–biliary barrier by acute extrahepatic cholestasis in rats.

Methods:  Bile duct obstructed (BDO), sham‐operated and intact (unoperated) male Wistar rats were administered, 24 h after the appropriate intervention, with a single intravenous dose of melibiose and rhamnose, and a 4‐h pharmacokinetic study was performed.

Results:  In intact animals, the biliary excretion of melibiose and rhamnose was only 0.06% and 0.4% of the administered dose, respectively, while the urinary excretion accounted for 70.6% and 61.7%, respectively. In BDO animals, the biliary excretion rate of both saccharides, especially that of melibiose, was increased with a consequent 4.4‐fold rise of the biliary melibiose/rhamnose ratio, the accepted paracellular permeability indicator. Both, the renal clearance of melibiose and the urinary melibiose/rhamnose ratio remained uninfluenced by cholestasis.

Conclusion:  The present study is the first to describe in detail pharmacokinetic parameters and the biliary excretion of melibiose and rhamnose in healthy and cholestatic rats. The altered melibiose/rhamnose biliary excretion ratio in BDO rats indicates that the test is able to detect the impairment of the blood–biliary barrier in acute extrahepatic cholestasis.
Case‐crossover study of hospitalization for acute hepatitis in Chinese herb users
Authors: Lee Chang‐Hsing , Wang Jung‐Der , Chen Pau‐Chung
Published: August 2008

Background and Aim:  Despite the increase in popularity of herbal products, there is growing concern over potential health hazards caused by the Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) that are regularly reimbursed under the National Health Insurance system in Taiwan. This study attempts to determine the association between CHM prescriptions and acute hepatitis–related hospitalizations.

Methods:  A case‐crossover study was designed on 200 000 randomly selected individuals from the National Health Insurance Research Database who were then followed from 1997 to 2002. All medications taken in the 30‐ and 60‐day periods prior to hospitalization were explored and compared with four control periods (the 180‐ and 360‐day periods prior to and after the hospitalization). A conditional logistic regression model was then constructed to determine the odds of CHM being prescribed during these risk periods.

Results:  There were a total of 12 cases with nonviral, nonalcoholic hepatitis patients who took CHM prescriptions during the 30‐day risk or control periods. After adjustment for conventional hepatotoxic drugs, the odds ratio during the 30‐day risk period was 3.4 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.1, 9.8) for nonviral, nonalcoholic acute hepatitis. A detailed historical review of CHMs for each patient revealed that the odds ratio increased to 4.2 for those prescribed formulae containing Radix Paeoniae (95% CI: 1.1, 15.7) and Radix Glycyrrhizae (95% CI: 1.2, 15.2).

Conclusions:  Chinese herbal users revealed a slightly increased risk of acute hepatitis. We therefore recommend pharmacovigilance and active surveillance for CHMs suspected with hepatotoxicity.
Transition in chronic illness: Who is going where?
Authors: Steinbeck Katharine S , Brodie Lynne , Towns Susan J
Published: August 2008

Aim:  With increasing survival rates for chronic childhood illness, there has been an increasing focus on the transition of clinical care from paediatric to adult services. Data regarding patient numbers are essential for strategic planning and for optimal management. We report on a data collection exercise from the New South Wales Greater Metropolitan Clinical Taskforce Transition Program.

Methods:  Data were collected between August 2004 and October 2005 through face‐to‐face interviews with over 200 clinicians in 68 clinical services in tertiary paediatric hospitals in New South Wales, providing information on approximately 4200 patients.

Results:  Sixty‐eight services kept a database on patients with chronic illness but less than half were electronic. Eight services (12%) could specifically identify patients in the active phase of transition on their databases. The five most prevalent clinical groups requiring transition to adult specialist health care (excluding cerebral palsy and developmental disability) were diabetes, other endocrinology, neurology, spina bifida and gastroenterology.

Conclusions:  There are large numbers of young people with chronic illness and disability who need effective transition to long‐term adult care. This study has enabled the identification of paediatric aspects of the transition process that require attention.
Paediatric bilateral adrenal phaeochromocytomas in association with a novel mutation in the von Hippel Lindau gene
Authors: Kim Leo , Holland Andrew JA , Srinivasan Shubha , Cowell Chris T , Benn Dindy E , Robinson Bruce G
Published: August 2008

Abstract:  Functional phaeochromocytoma and paraganglioma are rare in children and adolescents. We report a 12‐year‐old male with bilateral phaeochromocytoma in whom germ line testing identified a novel mutation in the von Hippel Lindau gene. Early age of onset, bilateral phaeochromocytoma and other clinical features should prompt germ line DNA testing for mutations in genes associated with familial phaeochromocytoma and paraganglioma syndromes.
Implementing a strategic plan for child health: A Sydney case study
Authors: Alperstein Garth , Sainsbury Peter , O'Grady Sharyn
Published: August 2008

Aim:  The aim of this paper is to describe the implementation of a strategic plan, Health Gain for Children and Youth of Central Sydney, over a 10‐year period to December 2005.

Methods:  Descriptive information was obtained from the records and minutes of all relevant committees, interviews with key workers who were involved with the committees, managers and senior health professionals, and from the involvement of the authors throughout the process of the implementation.

Results:  An implementation steering committee was established to oversee the implementation of the plan. Rather than adopting a uniform approach to assigning responsibility for the implementation of each strategy in the plan or developing specific costs and time frames for each strategy, a more pragmatic, flexible and opportunistic approach was taken. Most of the plan's strategies were implemented over a 7‐year time frame using a combination of service reorientation and implementation of new programmes, some of which were funded from sources not anticipated during the development of the plan. Implementation required a dedicated driver, commitment at senior level and participation by many staff at many levels. Outcomes, monitored through data collected at 5‐year intervals, revealed positive trends in a number of child and youth health indicators.

Conclusions:  The successful implementation of the strategic plan required pragmatism, flexibility, opportunism and the commitment and involvement of staff at all organisational levels. It is envisaged that this approach provides a firm base for future evidence‐based developments to benefit the health and well‐being of children, youth and their families and reduce health inequities.
Attitudes to HIV testing among carers of children admitted to Port Moresby General Hospital, Papua New Guinea
Authors: Allison Waridibo E , Iobuna Varina , Kalebe Veronica , Kiromat Mobumo , Vince John , Schaefer Myrto , Kaldor John
Published: August 2008

Aim:  To assess the acceptability of voluntary counselling and testing among the carers of children admitted to hospital in Papua New Guinea.

Methods:  Forty semistructured interviews were carried out between February and April 2007.

Results:  All the carers interviewed were women, mostly from Port Moresby. Virtually all of them attended primary school. About half of them attended secondary school but none completed it. Half of them knew an adult or child with HIV. Three quarters of the women interviewed would consent to having a child in their care tested for HIV, and over half of those who had never been tested would agree to be tested themselves. Correct answers to more than half the HIV knowledge questions posed were significantly related to agreement to an HIV test.

Conclusions:  This study supports the need for further evaluation of knowledge about HIV/AIDS and opportunities for health promotion in this group of women, particularly in view of the implication for voluntary counselling and testing and prevention of mother‐to‐child HIV transmission programmes in Papua New Guinea.
Diagnostic pitfall: Optic neuritis mimicking optic nerve glioma
Authors: Bergmann Markus , Brück Wolfgang , Neubauer Uwe , Probst‐Cousin Stefan
Published: August 2008

We report a case of optic neuritis with enlargement of the optic nerve on MRI. This neuroradiological finding is most commonly seen in tumours of the optic nerve and led together with an inconclusive intraoperative frozen section to an incorrect tentative diagnosis of optic nerve glioma which fatally resulted in the resection of the optic nerve.
Angiogenic cytokines in induced sputum of patients with sarcoidosis
Authors: FIREMAN Elizabeth , GILBURD Daniel , MARMOR Silvia
Published: August 2008

Background and objective:  Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disorder of unknown aetiology involving multiple organs and often associated with non‐granulomatous microangiopathic lesions in various organs. Increased angiogenesis‐inducing ability of activated alveolar macrophages was found in bronchoalveolar specimens from patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis and from patients with extrapulmonary involvement. In contrast, decreased levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were found in BAL fluid recovered from sarcoid‐associated pulmonary fibrosis. This study evaluated whether sarcoidosis is associated with abnormalities of VEGF and IL‐8 in induced sputum (IS) samples.

Methods:  Twenty‐three sarcoid patients and 13 controls performed IS. CD4/CD8 T‐cell subsets were measured, as were pulmonary function tests and VEGF and IL‐8.

Results:  Sarcoid patients showed significantly higher mean %lymphocytes (P = 0.04), significantly higher mean CD4/CD8 ratio (P = 0.0001) and significantly lower VEGF levels (P = 0.03) than controls. Patients with stages III–IV sarcoidosis showed a lower level of VEGF compared with those with stages I–II sarcoidosis (P = 0.048). IL‐8 was detected in 10/35 samples and positively correlated with % neutrophils (P = 0.054) and eosinophils (P = 0.045). VEGF immunohistochemical staining showed a mixed pattern of expression in the same tissue samples and was low in fibrotic tissue areas.

Conclusion:  VEGF in IS samples may reflect impairment in angiogenesis associated with the extent of sarcoid fibrosis and functional disorders.
Should lung transplant recipients routinely perform airway clearance techniques? A randomized trial
Authors: MUNRO Prue E , BUTTON Brenda M. , BAILEY Michael , WHITFORD Helen , ELLIS Samantha J , SNELL Gregory I.
Published: August 2008

Background and objective:  Despite the widespread use of airway clearance (AC) techniques to clear excessive secretions and improve lung function, little is known about their efficacy following lung transplantation (LTx). This study compared the effects of two AC strategies (proactive vs reactive) on a range of clinical outcomes following LTx.

Methods:  A prospective randomized trial was conducted. Uncomplicated patients were recruited 1 month postoperatively. Patients performed AC using positive expiratory pressure either twice daily (proactive strategy) or only in the presence chest infection (reactive strategy). Lung function (FEV1 and FVC), CXR (Brasfield score) and bronchoscopic airway characteristics (anastomotic healing, patency and secretions) were assessed at 1, 2 and 3 months postoperatively. Adherence was measured.

Results:  Of 60 consecutive patients, 36 (18 proactive, 18 reactive) were recruited and completed the study. Both groups improved lung function (FEV1 72 ± 4% to 81 ± 4%, P < 0.0001; FVC 69 ± 3% to 81 ± 3%, P < 0.0001) and Brasfield scores (17.8 ± 0.5 to 19.8 ± 0.5, P < 0.002) over the study period. No significant differences for any outcome were found between the two groups. The vast majority of patients had fully healed, 100% patent anastomoses without secretions at 3 months. There were no significant differences between the two groups in airway characteristics and the incidence of chest infection. Adherence to both strategies was high (84% proactive, 100% reactive).

Conclusions:  Proactive AC following lung transplantation was not associated with a reduced incidence of respiratory infection, alteration of CXR findings or improvement in airway characteristics.
Lowered cAMP and cGMP signalling in the brain during levodopa‐induced dyskinesias in hemiparkinsonian rats: new aspects in the pathogenetic mechanisms
Authors: Giorgi M. , D’Angelo V. , Esposito Z. , Nuccetelli V. , Sorge R. , Martorana A. , Stefani A. , Bernardi G. , Sancesario G.
Published: August 2008

Dysregulation of dopamine receptors is thought to underlie levodopa‐induced dyskinesias in experimental models of Parkinson’s disease. It is unknown whether an imbalance of the second messengers, cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), is involved in the alterations of levodopa/dopamine signal transduction. We examined cAMP and cGMP signalling in the interconnected cortico‐striatal‐pallidal loop at the peak of levodopa‐induced dyskinesias in rats with 6‐hydroxydopamine lesions in the substantia nigra. In addition, we examined the role of phosphodiesterase (PDE) and the rate of cAMP and cGMP degradation on the severity of levodopa‐induced dyskinesias in animals pretreated with PDE inhibitor, zaprinast. Unilateral lesion of substantia nigra led to an increase in cAMP but a decrease in cGMP levels in the ipsilateral basal ganglia. After chronic levodopa treatment, cAMP and cGMP were differentially regulated in eukinetic animals: the cAMP level increased in the cortex and striatum but decreased in the globus pallidus of both hemispheres, whereas the cGMP decreased below baseline levels in the contralateral cortico‐striatal‐pallidal regions. In dyskinetic animals chronic levodopa treatment led to an absolute decrease in cAMP and cGMP levels in cortico‐striatal‐pallidal regions of both hemispheres. Pretreatment with zaprinast reduced the severity of levodopa‐induced dyskinesias, and partly prevented the decrease in cyclic nucleotides compared with pretreatment with saline‐levodopa. In conclusion, using a rat model of hemiparkinsonism, we observed a significant reduction in the levels of cyclic nucleotides in both hemispheres at the peak of levodopa‐induced dyskinesias. We propose that such a decrease in cyclic nucleotides may partly result from increased catabolism through PDE overactivity.
Effects of dexmedetomidine on intraoperative motor and somatosensory evoked potential monitoring during spinal surgery in adolescents
Authors: TOBIAS JOSEPH D. , GOBLE TIMOTHY J. , BATES GUY , ANDERSON JOHN T. , HOERNSCHEMEYER DANIEL G.
Published: August 2008

Background:  Dexmedetomidine may be a useful agent as an adjunct to an opioid–propofol total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) technique during posterior spinal fusion (PSF) surgery. There are limited data regarding its effects on somatosensory (SSEPs) and motor evoked potentials (MEPs).

Methods:  The data presented represent a retrospective review of prospectively collected quality assurance data. When the decision was made to incorporate dexmedetomidine into the anesthetic regimen for intraoperative care of patients undergoing PSF, a prospective evaluation of its effects on SSEPs and MEPs was undertaken. SSEPs and MEPs were measured before and after the administration of dexmedetomidine in a cohort of pediatric patients undergoing PSF. Dexmedetomidine (1 μg·kg−1 over 20 min followed by an infusion of 0.5 μg·kg−1·h−1) was administered at the completion of the surgical procedure, but prior to wound closure as an adjunct to TIVA which included propofol and remifentanil, adjusted to maintain a constant depth of anesthesia as measured by a BIS of 45–60.

Results:  The cohort for the study included nine patients, ranging in age from 12 to 17 years, anesthetized with remifentanil and propofol. In the first patient, dexmedetomidine was administered in conjunction with propofol at 110 μg·kg−1·min−1 which resulted in a decrease in the bispectral index from 58 to 31. Although no significant effect was noted on the SSEPs (amplitude or latency) or the MEP duration, there was a decrease in the MEP amplitude. The protocol was modified so that the propofol infusion was incrementally decreased during the dexmedetomidine infusion to achieve the same depth of anesthesia. In the remaining eight patients, the bispectral index was 52 ± 6 at the start of the dexmedetomidine loading dose and 49 ± 4 at its completion (P = NS). There was no statistically significant difference in the MEPs and SSEPs obtained before and at completion of the dexmedetomidine loading dose.

Conclusion:  Using the above‐mentioned protocol, dexmedetomidine can be used as a component of TIVA during PSF without affecting neurophysiological monitoring.
An overview of recent developments in corneal immunobiology: potential relevance in the etiogenesis of corneal disease in the horse
Authors: Matthews A. G.
Published: August 2008

This paper overviews some recent developments in mammalian corneal immunobiology, and discusses how these may act as pointers towards understanding the immunology underlying some common corneal diseases in the horse, including infectious ulceration and presumptively immune‐mediated non‐ulcerative disease. Specifically, three aspects of corneal immunobiology are examined: the role of Toll‐like receptors in surface immunity and in the etiogenesis of microbial ulceration, the relationship between conjunctiva associated lymphoid tissue (CALT) and immunoprotection of the corneal surface, and the mechanisms determining corneal immune privilege (IP) and how down regulation of IP may be an important factor in the genesis of corneal immunoinflammatory disease.
Epibulbar melanoma in a foal
Authors: McMullen Richard J. , Clode Alison B. , Pandiri Arun Kumar R. , Malarkey David E. , Michau Tammy Miller , Gilger Brian C.
Published: August 2008

A case of epibulbar melanoma in a 6‐month‐old, gelded, chestnut Hanoverian foal is reported. The location and clinical appearance upon initial presentation led to the tentative diagnosis of staphyloma or a congenital mass of unknown origin. An attempt was made to surgically excise the mass under general anesthesia, but due to its infiltrative nature and intraoperative appearance, most, but not all was removed without compromising the integrity of the globe. Histopathological evaluation revealed a multinodular to packeted, poorly demarcated, unencapsulated, infiltrative exophytic melanocytic neoplasm composed of bundles and nests of plump spindloid to polygonal heavily pigmented epithelioid neoplastic cells interspersed with pigment‐laden macrophages within a fine fibrovascular stroma. Upon examination after enucleation, neoplastic cells were found to infiltrate into the lateral cornea, sclera and the choroid. This is a unique case of an epibulbar melanoma with choroidal invasion in a foal. Based on the sudden onset and rapid growth as well as the histological evidence of invasion, well‐differentiated features, heavy pigmentation, and no apparent mitoses, this neoplasm was considered to be a low‐grade malignant melanoma. At 14 months after excision there is no evidence of recurrence.
Blindness, optic atrophy and sinusitis in the horse
Authors: Barnett K. C. , Blunden A. S. , Dyson S. J. , Whitwell K. E. , Carson D. , Murray R.
Published: August 2008

Objective  The case histories described each presented with a visual deficit, varying from permanent total blindness with ophthalmoscopic evidence of optic atrophy to variable and transient visual disturbances, including occasional blindness, but with absence of ophthalmoscopic or any other ocular abnormality.

Animals studied  Three horses of widely different age and type, but all with an original history of upper respiratory tract infection.

Procedure  All three cases were examined by a specialist veterinary ophthalmologist. In addition, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and, where possible, postmortem and histopathological examinations were performed.

Results  The common factor to all three cases proved to be infection of the spheno‐palatine sinuses with subsequent distension and compression of adjacent optic nerve(s) and optic chiasm.

Conclusions  Specialist veterinary ophthalmological examination proved of extremely limited value. The importance of MRI (and CT) scans for accurate diagnosis, and therefore possible successful treatment, is emphasized. Our cases were compared with similar cases in man, where visual disturbances due to spheno‐palatine sinus involvement are recognized, but rare, in similar situation.
Photodynamic therapy for the treatment of periocular squamous cell carcinoma in horses: a pilot study
Authors: Giuliano Elizabeth A. , MacDonald Ian , McCaw Dudley L. , Dougherty Thomas J. , Klauss Gia , Ota Juri , Pearce Jacqueline W. , Johnson Philip J.
Published: August 2008

Objective Local photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a novel cancer therapy in veterinary ophthalmology. A prospective pilot study seeking to demonstrate proof of principle and safety for the treatment of equine periocular squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC) was therefore conducted. We hypothesized that surgical excision with adjunctive local PDT is an effective and safe treatment for equine PSCC.

Procedures Nine horses (10 eyes) with PSCC were treated with surgical resection, local infiltration of resulting wound beds with 2‐[1‐hexyloxyethyl]‐2‐devinylpyropheophorbide‐a (HPPH) and irradiation with 665‐nm wavelength diode laser. Regular follow‐up ophthalmic examinations were performed.

Results Surgical resection and PDT yielded disease‐free intervals of 25–68 months in our study horses as of January, 2008. These results were obtained following a single treatment in seven horses and two treatments in one horse. In one horse, carcinomain situdeveloped 2.5 months after partial surgical excision and PDT, requiring local excision under standing sedation.

Conclusions Preliminary results suggest that surgical resection and adjunctive local PDT is a safe and effective novel treatment for PSCC in horses. More research is needed before PDT for the treatment of equine PSCC can be adequately compared with other current modalities. Important to future investigations regarding PDT, tumor recurrence rate, length of hospitalization, number of treatment episodes required to effect tumor remission, and total treatment costs should be examined in a controlled manner. Our present results and experiences suggest that this treatment may be useful in the treatment of equine PSCC.
Deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty in 10 horses
Authors: Plummer C. E. , Kallberg M. E. , Ollivier F. J. , Barrie K. P. , Brooks D. E.
Published: August 2008

Objective  To describe and evaluate a surgical technique utilized for the therapy of deep corneal stromal abscesses (DSA) in horses. The DSA is excised and replaced with a partial thickness corneal lamellar allograft.

Methods  A retrospective clinical study describing the indications for the surgical technique utilized and the outcomes of this procedure in 10 eyes of 10 horses.

Results  Each affected eye had a discrete DSA within the posterior stroma. An initial partial thickness semicircular corneal incision was made at the limbus, followed by anterior stromal lamellar dissection over the lesion. After excision of the DSA and replacement with a larger diameter split‐thickness donor button, the anterior stroma was replaced into its original position and the initial corneal incision was repaired. All of the animals that underwent deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty (DLEK) procedure healed appropriately and with subjectively less postoperative scarring and complications than previously described surgical approaches to DSA.

Conclusions  This procedure is an effective technique for surgical removal of DSA in horses and, in most cases, results in a visual and cosmetically acceptable globe. The advantages of this technique compared to other surgical approaches to DSA are the peripheral location of the incision, shortened anesthesia times, the resultant minimal scarring and shorter healing times associated with DLEK.
Experimental Research and the Managerial Attitude: a tension to be resolved?
Authors: BENNINGHOFF MARTIN , SORMANI PHILIPPE
Published: August 2008

This article analyses some typical consequences of a specific research policy on experimental research in biology. The policy is conducted by a national funding agency — the Swiss National Science Foundation — through a particular programme, the ‘National Centres of Competence in Research’ which is designed to promote both ‘scientific excellence’and‘managerial professionalism’. To study the possible tension between the two objectives, as a practical matter for researchers, the proposed analysis focuses on the interaction between two laboratory scientists and the administrators of a genomic platform. Access to the instruments of this platform is granted through a preliminary interview with those in charge of the platform. During that interview, researchers are required to explain why they want to use the platform services and what their expectations concerning their envisaged activities are. A tape‐recorded interview is analysed in order to describe how turns at talking by the various parties, as well as the formulation of the problems encountered by a researcher, prove category‐bound. The first part of the meeting (‘problem exposition’) is structured by the categorical device ‘generalist researcher vs. specialist researcher’, whilst the second part (‘problem solving’) is organised by the categorical device ‘manager vs. user of the platform’. The ‘scientific’ problem becomes a ‘technical’ one and the choice of technique is partly based on financial reasons. The situation shows how managerial injunctions of research policy are not without practical consequences for research activities in situ.
From Voluntary Participation to Monitored Coordination: why European countries feel increasingly bound by their commitment to the Bologna Process
Authors: RAVINET PAULINE
Published: August 2008

Beginning in the year 2000, higher education policies all over Europe were transformed by the launching and evolution of the Bologna Process, otherwise known as the process of creating a European Higher Education Area (EHEA). Initially, this process was flexible and informal, which makes the rapidity and scope of the changes it brought about surprising: why did European governments commit themselves to achieving the Bologna Objectives, and why so quickly, when there was no legal obligation to do so?

I will argue the following: to understand the development of such a sense of obligation, we must take into account the special interests at stake when Bologna objectives are implemented at a national level. We must also consider the legitimacy lent to the process by the Bologna ideals of a knowledge‐based economy and society. These elements are present in other studies on this topic. However, and this is rarely considered, we also have to take into account the specific dynamics of the process of creating an institutional coordination and monitoring mechanism. This mechanism has a formal institutional structure and tools for evaluation and monitoring. Our analysis of the way in which it was developed and formalised enriches previous research on the topic and also sheds light on how a flexible European process of voluntary participation became a monitored system of coordinated national higher education policies.
Ethnicity, politics and inequality: post‐tsunami humanitarian aid delivery in Ampara District, Sri Lanka
Authors: Amarasiri de Silva M.W.
Published: August 2008

The provision of humanitarian aid at times of disaster in multi‐ethnic community settings may lead to conflict, tension and even the widening of the distance between various ethnic groups. That aid agencies distribute humanitarian aid directly to affected communities, to speed up recovery, may often lead to chaos and the intensification of ethnic sentiments. The new distribution mechanisms introduced for the delivery of tsunami aid in Ampara District, Sri Lanka, did not recognise local networks and the culture of the ethnically mixed community setting. This paper analyses post‐tsunami aid distribution in Ampara and shows how such an extemporised effort in an ethnically cognisant context increased ethnic division, inequality and disorder, while marginalising the poor segments of the affected population. It recommends the inclusion of local networks in aid dissemination as a measure for improving ethnic neutrality and social harmony in disaster‐hit multi‐ethnic communities.
Multiple disasters and policy responses in pre‐ and post‐independence Orissa, India
Authors: Ray‐Bennett Nibedita S.
Published: August 2008

‘Multiple disasters’ or disasters that occur in ‘one specific place’ are regular events in coastal parts of the state of Orissa in eastern India. Yet the policy framework for addressing multiple disasters is weak. This paper aims to show that policy responses in pre‐ and post‐independence Orissa have overlooked the effects of multiple disasters. Evidence based on a review of the literature and onfieldwork indicates that Orissa has a long history of experience of multiple disasters due to its unique geographic location, political dislocation, and ineffective disaster policies that have focused only on single events. One can observe the effects of this even today in Orissa, notably inadequate measures to counteract the consequences of multiple disasters at the household level and to build people's capacity. This study posits, therefore, that multiple disasters deserve good representation in integrated disaster reduction strategies designed to mitigate their impacts.
Institutional, policy and farmer responses to drought: El Niño events and rice in the Philippines
Authors: Dawe David , Moya Piedad , Valencia Shiela
Published: August 2008

Droughts are common recurring natural hazards in Asia, and El Niño events are particularly severe in the Philippines. This paper explores responses by farm households, irrigation system managers, and macro policymakers in the Philippines to El Niño. In response to the large 1997–98 El Niño, farmers in one major irrigation system significantly diversified their economic activities, hut the drought was so acute that many of these activities were not successful. Communication between meteorologists and irrigation system managers is strong, and irrigation system managers are aware of El Niño events in advance. Communication between irrigation system managers and farmer irrigation associations is also strong, and together they have developed response options that attempt to augment supplies of and more efficiently allocate scarce water. Water pricing is not used, however, and lack of cooperation among farmers results in sub‐optimal outcomes. Macro‐level policy responses in terms of rice imports and buffer stock management to protect poor consumers have improved substantially over time.
Tasmania's Tamar Valley Pulp Mill: A Comparison of Planning Processes Using a Good Environmental Governance Framework
Authors: Gale Fred
Published: August 2008

In November 2004, the Tasmanian government requested the state's planning body, the Resource Planning and Development Commission (RPDC), to undertake an evaluation of a proposal to establish a pulp mill at Long Reach near Bell Bay on Tasmania's Tamar Estuary. In early 2007, Gunns Limited, the project's proponent, pulled out of the RPDC process and the government established an alternative, ‘fast‐track’ process under the Pulp Mill Assessment Act (PMAA). This article evaluates the RPDC and the PMAA assessment processes using a ‘good environmental governance’ framework composed of eight criteria – transparency, accountability, openness, balance, deliberation, efficiency, science and risk. The comparison reveals that although the RPDC process fell short of the ideal, it was markedly superior to the PMAA process that replaced it. The case highlights how political economic power can be used to the detriment of public planning and the communities and environment that rely on it.
Making Child Protection Policy: The Crime and Misconduct Commission Inquiry into Abuse of Children in Foster Care in Queensland
Authors: Tilbury Clare , Mazerolle Paul
Published: August 2008

Internationally as well as in Australia, public inquiries have become one of the dominant means of scrutinising child protection services. As such, inquiries have become a policy mechanism for defining the problem of child abuse, and developing possible solutions. This article examines the 2004 Crime and Misconduct Commission Inquiry into the Abuse of Children in Foster Care in Queensland. It discusses both the problems and potential of public inquiries in promoting positive change in a contested policy field like child protection.
Epistemic Community or Tower of Babel? Theoretical Diffusion in Public Administration
Authors: Candler Gaylord George
Published: August 2008

This article takes a comparative look at the development of the public administration discipline in three countries: Australia, Brazil and Canada. The nature of the international public administration academic community is assessed through content analysis of articles in the Australian Journal of Public Administration (AJPA), Revista de Administração Pública (RAP), and Canadian Public Administration (CPA). The method is based on that used by existing United States (US) research, allowing for comparison with that national context. The focus is on the diffusion of theoretical approaches between these national contexts, assessing whether the international public administration discipline better approximates an epistemic community, in which theoretical approaches move seamlessly between the national contexts; or a ‘Tower of Babel’, in which the different national contexts remain largely isolated.
Independence and Responsiveness – Re‐tying the Gordian Knot
Authors: Wanna John
Published: August 2008

Striking the Balance: Public Service Independence and Responsiveness ‐ an Institute of Public Administration Australia roundtable in conjunction with the Australia and New Zealand School of Government and the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia, 14 March 2008. The roundtable consisted of around 60 participants consisting of former federal and state/territory ministers, ministerial advisers, current and former public servants, media and think tank representatives and a multi‐disciplinary range of academics.
Optimizing Design of Highway Horizontal Alignments: New Substantive Safety Approach
Authors: Easa Said M. , Mehmood Atif
Published: August 2008

Abstract:  Highway agencies are continually facing safety problems on highways, especially on horizontal alignments. Traditionally, the geometric design implicitly considers safety through satisfying minimum design requirements for different geometric elements. This article presents a new substantive‐safety approach for the design of horizontal alignments based not only on minimum design guidelines, but also on actual collision experience. The curve radii, spiral lengths, lane width, shoulder width, and tangent lengths are determined to optimize the mean collision frequency along the highway. The model allows the parameters of the horizontal alignment to vary within specified ranges. The model also considers any specified physical obstructions in selecting the optimal alignment. Collision experience is addressed using existing collision prediction models for horizontal alignments and cross sections. The model is applicable to two‐lane rural highways for which collision prediction models exist. Application of the model is presented using numerical examples. The proposed substantive‐safety approach takes horizontal alignment design one step further beyond the minimum‐guideline concept, and therefore should be of interest to highway designers.
Geopolitics and the Making of Regions: The Fall and Rise of East Asia
Authors: Beeson Mark
Published: August 2008

There is a good deal of scepticism about the prospects for regionalism in East Asia. There are, however, grounds for supposing that the outlook for regional integration in East Asia is brighter than it has ever been, partly as a consequence of the rise of China. This article explains why an earlier attempt to integrate the region under Japanese imperialism failed, why US foreign policy has effectively foreclosed any possibility of East Asian integration up to now and why it may be accelerating as a consequence of China's growing economic and political impact on the region. To explain these different historical experiences I draw on a form of critical geopolitics which has recently emerged in economic and political geography and which can usefully be incorporated into international relations scholarship.
Global Fields and Imperial Forms: Field Theory and the British and American Empires
Authors: Go Julian
Published: August 2008

This article develops a global fields approach for conceptualizing the global arena. The approach builds upon existing approaches to the world system and world society while articulating them with the field theory of Bourdieu and organizational sociology. It highlights particular structural configurations (“spaces of relations”) and the specific cultural content (“rules of the game” and “symbolic capital”) of global systems. The utility of the approach is demonstrated through an analysis of the different forms of the two hegemonic empires of the past centuries, Great Britain and the United States. The British state tended toward formal imperialism in the 19th century, characterized by direct territorial rule, while the United States since WWII has tended toward informal imperialism. The essay shows that the difference can be best explained by considering the different historical global fields in which the two empires operated.
Enchanting Pasts: The Role of International Civil Religious Pilgrimage in Reimagining National Collective Memory
Authors: West Brad
Published: August 2008

The burgeoning activity of Australian backpacker tourists visiting the WWI Gallipoli battlefields is analyzed to explore the rite of international civil religious pilgrimage. Drawing on Maurice Halbwachs, it is argued that this ritual form plays an important role in reimagining and enchanting established national mythologies. At Gallipoli, this occurred through the development of a dialogical historical narrative combining Australian and Turkish understandings of the past. The broader influence of this narrative on Australian historical understanding illustrates how global forces can be integrated within the study of national collective memory.