bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pancreatic Cancer Presenting as New-Onset Diabetes
Authors: Patel Ruchir , Ede Jessica , Collins Joshua , Willens David
Published: March 2014

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma has an incidence rate nearly equal to the mortality rate and is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in the USA. This is largely due to late symptom onset and diagnosis. Evidence has emerged that new-onset diabetes may be a symptom caused by occult pancreatic cancer. We report the case of a middle-aged African American female who presented with hyperglycemia and persistent scapular tenderness. She was subsequently diagnosed with new-onset diabetes and metastatic pancreatic cancer confirmed by liver biopsy. She did not have diabetes or pre-diabetes in the 6 months prior to presentation. The following report will serve to emphasize the role of new-onset diabetes in certain patients as a warning sign necessitating further investigation for pancreatic cancer. New-onset diabetes associated with specific risk factors may prompt for early testing, detection and treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Role of the Autonomic Nervous System in Modulating Cardiac Arrhythmias
Authors: Shen Mark J. , Zipes Douglas P.
Published: March 2014

The autonomic nervous system plays an important role in the modulation of cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmogenesis. Decades of research has contributed to a better understanding of the anatomy and physiology of cardiac autonomic nervous system and provided evidence supporting the relationship of autonomic tone to clinically significant arrhythmias. The mechanisms by which autonomic activation is arrhythmogenic or antiarrhythmic are complex and different for specific arrhythmias. In atrial fibrillation, simultaneous sympathetic and parasympathetic activations are the most common trigger. In contrast, in ventricular fibrillation in the setting of cardiac ischemia, sympathetic activation is proarrhythmic, whereas parasympathetic activation is antiarrhythmic. In inherited arrhythmia syndromes, sympathetic stimulation precipitates ventricular tachyarrhythmias and sudden cardiac death except in Brugada and J-wave syndromes where it can prevent them. The identification of specific autonomic triggers in different arrhythmias has brought the idea of modulating autonomic activities for both preventing and treating these arrhythmias. This has been achieved by either neural ablation or stimulation. Neural modulation as a treatment for arrhythmias has been well established in certain diseases, such as long QT syndrome. However, in most other arrhythmia diseases, it is still an emerging modality and under investigation. Recent preliminary trials have yielded encouraging results. Further larger-scale clinical studies are necessary before widespread application can be recommended.
PCSK9
Authors: Seidah Nabil G. , Awan Zuhier , Chrétien Michel , Mbikay Majambu
Published: March 2014

Since the discovery of proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin 9 (PCSK9) in 2003, this PC has attracted a lot of attention from the scientific community and pharmaceutical companies. Secreted into the plasma by the liver, the proteinase K–like serine protease PCSK9 binds the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor at the surface of hepatocytes, thereby preventing its recycling and enhancing its degradation in endosomes/lysosomes, resulting in reduced LDL-cholesterol clearance. Surprisingly, in a nonenzymatic fashion, PCSK9 enhances the intracellular degradation of all its target proteins. Rare gain-of-function PCSK9 variants lead to higher levels of LDL-cholesterol and increased risk of cardiovascular disease; more common loss-of-function PCSK9 variants are associated with reductions in both LDL-cholesterol and risk of cardiovascular disease. It took 9 years to elaborate powerful new PCSK9-based therapeutic approaches to reduce circulating levels of LDL-cholesterol. Presently, PCSK9 monoclonal antibodies that inhibit its function on the LDL receptor are evaluated in phase III clinical trials. This review will address the biochemical, genetic, and clinical aspects associated with PCSK9’s biology and pathophysiology in cells, rodent and human, with emphasis on the clinical benefits of silencing the expression/activity of PCSK9 as a new modality in the treatment of hypercholesterolemia and associated pathologies.
History of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Future Risk of Atherosclerosis in Mid‐life: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study
Authors: Gunderson Erica P. , Chiang Vicky , Pletcher Mark J. , Jacobs David R. , Quesenberry Charles P. , Sidney Stephen , Lewis Cora E.
Published: March 2014

Background

History of gestational diabetes mellitus (
GDM
) increases lifetime risk of type 2 diabetes (
DM
) and the metabolic syndrome (MetS), which increase risk of cardiovascular disease. It is unclear, however, whether
GDM
increases risk of early atherosclerosis independent of pre‐pregnancy obesity and subsequent metabolic disease.

Methods and Results

Of 2787 women (18 to 30 years) enrolled in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (
CARDIA
) study, we studied 898 (47% black) who were free of
DM
and heart disease at baseline (1985‐1986), delivered ≥1 post‐baseline births, reported
GDM
history, and had common carotid intima media thickness (
ccIMT
, mm) measured in 2005‐2006. We used multivariable linear regression to assess associations between
GDM
and
ccIMT
adjusted for race, age, parity, and pre‐pregnancy cardiometabolic risk factors. We assessed mediators (weight gain, insulin resistance, blood pressure), and effect modification by incident
DM
or MetS during the 20‐year period. Of the 898 women, 119 (13%) reported
GDM
(7.6 per 100 deliveries). Average age was 31 at last birth and 44 at
ccIMT
measurement for
GDM
and non‐
GDM
groups. Unadjusted mean
ccIMT
was 0.023 mm higher for
GDM
than non‐
GDM
groups (
P
=0.029), but pre‐pregnancy
BMI
attenuated the difference to 0.016 mm (
P
=0.109). In 777 women without subsequent
DM
or the MetS, mean
ccIMT
was 0.023 mm higher for
GDM
versus non‐
GDM
groups controlling for race, age, parity, and pre‐pregnancy
BMI
(0.784 versus 0.761,
P
=0.039). Addition of pre‐pregnancy insulin resistance index had minimal impact on adjusted mean net
ccIMT
difference (0.22 mm). Mean
ccIMT
did not differ by
GDM
status among 121 women who developed
DM
or the MetS (
P
=0.58).

Conclusions

History of
GDM
may be a marker for early atherosclerosis independent of pre‐pregnancy obesity among women who have not developed type 2 diabetes or the metabolic syndrome.
The BRICS and the Future of R2P
Authors: Stuenkel Oliver
Published: March 2014

This article assesses the BRICS’ position on the emerging global norm of the Responsibility to Protect, analyses the year 2011, when all the BRICS occupied a seat on the UN Security Council, and asks how the rise of the BRICS will affect R2P’s prospects of turning into a global norm. It argues that while it is generally thought that ‘non-Western’ emerging powers are reluctant to embrace R2P, rising powers’ views on the norm in question are far more nuanced. Common accusations depicting the BRICS as ‘irresponsible stakeholders’ are misguided, as emerging powers have supported R2P in the vast majority of cases. The BRICS are in fundamental agreement about the principle that undergirds R2P, and their support for R2P’s pillar I and II is absolute. Regarding pillar III, the BRICS at times diverge from Western countries not about the existence of the norm, but about when and how to apply it.
Review of the Diplazontinae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae) of the Kuril islands, with descriptions of two new species
Authors: KLOPFSTEIN SERAINA
Published: March 2014

A sample of 346 specimens of Diplazontinae parasitoid wasps from the Kuril islands was studied. Twenty-six species are reported, Tymmophorus gelidus Dasch for the first time for the Eastern Palaearctic. Two new species are described, Diplazon kurilensis sp. n. and Homotropus formosus sp. n. Diplazon urupensis Uchida is removed from synonymy (stat. rev.), and Promethes persulcatus Nakanishi is suggested as a synonym of Promethes bridgmani Fitton. Reasons are discussed for the large proportion of species with a Holarctic or even multi-regional distribution in the sample, which amounts to17 of the species or 65%.
The genus Cerithideopsis Thiele, 1929 (Gastropoda: Potamididae) in the Indo-West Pacific region
Authors: REID DAVID G. , CLAREMONT MARTINE
Published: March 2014

The genus Cerithideopsis is most common in mangrove and salt marsh habitats of the New World tropics, but there is also a small radiation in the Indo-West Pacific region. Previously, these Indo-Pacific snails have generally been classified as Cerithidea largillierti (Philippi, 1848). Molecular phylogenetic analysis (partial sequences of mitochondrial COI and 16S rRNA, and nuclear 28S rRNA) of 15 specimens from 8 localities between Japan and Australia reveal three clades, among which there are small morphological differences and which show allopatric distributions. Cerithideopsis largillierti sensu stricto is restricted to Japan and China, while the two other species are described as new: C. australiensis occurs in tropical Australasia and C. malayensis is found from Malaysia to Java and the Philippines. All occur on mud and in pools with leaf litter, in the shaded landward and middle zones of mangrove forests, and do not climb the trees. The species accounts include full synonymies, detailed descriptions of shells based on 82 museum samples, descriptions of living animals, distribution records and maps, and notes on habitat and conservation status.
Stoneflies (Insecta: Plecoptera) from Serra Bonita, Bahia, Brazil: New species and updated records
Authors: DUARTE TÁCIO , LECCI LUCAS S. , CALOR ADOLFO R.
Published: March 2014

There are 176 species representing eight genera and two families of Plecoptera known from Brazil. However, only ten of these species are recorded from the State of Bahia. In this study, an inventory of stoneflies from the southern region of Bahia State, Serra Bonita, including the municipality of Camacan, was undertaken from 2007–2012. Stoneflies were collected using UV light pan traps, Malaise traps, and aerial nets. One new gripopterygid species, Tupiperla bispoi n. sp., is described and illustrated. Four genera representing ten other species are recorded: Gripopteryx cancellata, G. clemira, G. garbei, G. pinima, Paragripopteryx sp., and Tupiperla tessellata (Gripopterygidae), Kempnyia alterosarum, K. gracilenta, K. jatim, and K. neotropica (Perlidae). With the present study, the number of known species of stoneflies recorded from Bahia State is 17, ten of these recorded from the Serra Bonita region.
Ongoing adverse mental health impact of the earthquake sequence in Christchurch, New Zealand
Authors: Spittlehouse Janet K , Joyce Peter R , Vierck Esther , Schluter Philip J , Pearson John F
Published: March 2014

Objective:

In September 2010 Christchurch, New Zealand, was struck by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake, followed by a prolonged sequence of significant aftershocks including a fatal aftershock in February 2011. Christchurch City has experienced widespread damage, ongoing disruption and building demolitions resulting in many difficulties for the residents of the Christchurch area. We explore what impact the earthquakes have had on the mental and physical health of a random sample of 50-year-olds who live in the Christchurch area.

Methods:

The 295 participants were selected from the electoral rolls for participation in the CHALICE study, a longitudinal study of ageing. Self-reported health status was assessed using the standardised Short Form 36 version 2 health survey (SF-36v2), a 36-item questionnaire, and results from the eight subscales compared to a national health survey. Mood disorders were assessed and the results were compared to other local and national studies.

Results:

Since the onset of the earthquakes and throughout the study period, participating middle-aged Christchurch residents have mean SF-36v2 scores significantly lower than population norms in the mental health, vitality, social functioning and role-emotional subscales (Cohen’s d ranged from −0.270 to −0.357, all p < 0.001), while there was no evidence of reduced physical health. Rates of current major depressive disorder were 7.5% in the earthquake survivors compared to 5.1% and 3.7% in other historical, local and national surveys. Similarly, bipolar disorder prevalence was 2.8% in the earthquake survivors compared to 2.2% and 1.4% in other studies.

Conclusion:

Eighteen months after the first earthquake the significant adverse impact on mental health clearly continues. The ongoing provision of additional mental health services and consideration of these adverse mental health effects in relation to other social policies remains necessary and fundamental.
Exploring the efficacy and acceptability of Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy for young adults with anxiety and depression: An open trial
Authors: Johnston Luke , Dear Blake F , Gandy Milena , Fogliati Vincent J , Kayrouz Rony , Sheehan Joanne , Rapee Ronald M , Titov Nickolai
Published: March 2014

Background:

The highest prevalence of mental health problems is amongst people aged 18–24, with anxiety disorders and depression the most common disorders in this age group. Few young adults seek and receive effective care, prompting calls for the development of ‘youth friendly’ services. The Internet is a modality that has the potential to facilitate engagement with, and delivery of psychological treatments to, young adults. To date, however, no therapist-guided Internet-delivered treatments have been developed specifically for young adults experiencing depression and anxiety.

Aims:

To examine the efficacy and acceptability of a new therapist-guided Internet-delivered treatment for young adults aged 18–24 with symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Method:

Participants accessed the Mood Mechanic Course, which consisted of four lessons delivered over 5 weeks. Measures of depression, anxiety, distress and disability were gathered before and after treatment, and at 3-month follow-up. Results were provided by 78% and 83% of participants at post-treatment and 3-month follow-up, respectively. Data were analysed using mixed linear model analyses. The trial was registered as: ACTRN12612001099819.

Results:

Treatment significantly reduced depression and anxiety symptom severity, disability and distress at post-treatment and 3-month follow-up. Large within-group effect sizes were found at post-treatment and 3-month follow-up on all measures using both completer and estimated marginal means (Cohen’s d = 1.02 to 1.41 and 0.94 to 1.45, respectively). The therapist spent an average of 37 minutes (SD = 18 minutes) in contact with participants during treatment. Participants rated the treatment as acceptable.

Conclusions:

Treatment gains recorded at post-treatment were sustained at 3-month follow-up, and were consistent with those reported in meta-analyses of Internet-delivered treatments developed for the broader adult population with depression and anxiety. These results provide encouraging preliminary evidence for the efficacy of therapist-guided Internet-delivered treatments for anxiety and depression tailored for young adults.
International relations theory and Canadian foreign trade policy
Authors: Kukucha Christopher J
Published: March 2014

This study evaluates the application of international relations theory in the Canadian foreign trade policy literature. It determines that studies can now be categorized into several groups, including: traditional power-based approaches; the content and negotiation of international trade agreements; the globalization of public policy; federalism and international trade; North American integration; and alternative approaches and new directions. For the most part, however, international relations theory is applied unevenly and implicitly in studies of Canadian foreign trade policy, if at all, with an emphasis on realist and neo-liberal approaches highlighting Canada as a principal, dependent, or middle power. It is argued that a greater emphasis on international relations theory, focusing on the level-of-analysis problem, non-state actors, and normative considerations, would improve the understanding and evaluation of Canada’s global trade relations for academics and practitioners.
David Walker and the Political Power of the Appeal
Authors: Rogers Melvin L.
Published: March 2014

David Walker’s famous 1829 Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World expresses a puzzle at the very outset. What are we to make of the use of “Citizens” in the title given the denial of political rights to African Americans? This essay argues that the pamphlet relies on the cultural and linguistic norms associated with the term appeal in order to call into existence the political standing of black folks. Walker’s use of citizen does not need to rely on a recognitive legal relationship precisely because it is the practice of judging that illuminates one’s political, indeed, citizenly standing. Properly understood, the Appeal aspires to transform blacks and whites, and when it informs the prophetic dimension of the text, it tilts the entire pamphlet in a democratic direction. This is the political power of the pamphlet; it exemplifies the call-and-response logic of democratic self-governance.
Assessing Usual Care in Clinical Trials
Authors: Erlen Judith A. , Tamres Lisa K. , Reynolds Nancy , Golin Carol E. , Rosen Marc I. , Remien Robert H. , Banderas Julie W. , Schneiderman Neil , Wagner Glenn , Bangsberg David R. , Liu Honghu
Published: March 2014

Researchers designing clinical trials often specify usual care received by participants as the control condition expecting that all participants receive usual care regardless of group assignment. The assumption is that the groups in the study are affected similarly. We describe the assessment of usual care within the 16 studies in Multisite Adherence Collaboration in HIV (MACH 14), a multisite collaboration on adherence to antiretroviral therapy. Only five of the studies in MACH 14 assessed usual care. Assessment protocols varied as did the timing and frequency of assessments. All usual care assessments addressed patient education focused on HIV, HIV medications, and medication adherence. Our findings support earlier work that calls for systematic assessments of usual care within the study design, inclusion of descriptions of usual care in reports of the study, and the influence of usual care on the experimental condition in clinical trials.
Exploring constrained rates of adoption of total cost of ownership models: A service-dominant logic analysis
Authors: Freiling Jörg , Dressel Kathrin
Published: March 2014

This article examines the adoption of innovative total cost of ownership business models by small and medium-sized enterprises in business-to-business markets might be constrained. Whereas prior explanatory research focuses on suppliers and customers, relatively little attention has been afforded to relational factors, and even less to the dominant logics employed in business life. This study employs the concept of a service-dominant logic that allows for consideration of the above factors within a coherent framework. Based on research propositions developed from this framework, the article contains an explorative case study approach against the background of German mechanical engineering.
Modeling of sheet molding compound compression molding under non-isothermal conditions
Authors: Shokrieh Mahmood M , Mosalmani Reza
Published: March 2014

Sheet molding compound compression molding is a complicated manufacturing process. The main goal of the present research is to determine the required molding axial compression stress of the sheet molding compound in different conditions, using minimum experimental data. In the present research, the effective process parameters on molding forces such as the initial sheet molding compound temperature, the axial punch velocity, and the temperature of the mold surface are studied. It is shown that considering the charge under isothermal condition, especially in the filling stage is not a reasonable assumption. Thus, the applied rheological model of sheet molding compound flow is modified by accounting the thermal variations during the filling stage. The power law model is implemented to propose a novel model for prediction of the hydrodynamic friction as the dominant friction of the sheet molding compound compression molding process. Finally, a model has been developed to predict the molding axial compression stress under non-isothermal conditions. The proposed model is simple and general and does not need any extra experimental parameters. The results obtained by the model are in a very good agreement with the available experimental data.
The effect of the mixing routes of biodegradable polylactic acid and polyhydroxybutyrate nanocomposites and compatibilised nanocomposites
Authors: Gunning Michael A , Geever Luke M , Killion John A , Lyons John G , Chen Biqiong , Higginbotham Clement L
Published: March 2014

Biodegradable nanocomposites comprising of organically modified montmorillonite-reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) were assessed. This study investigates different nanocomposites mixing techniques as methods of achieving exfoliation. The incorporation of reverse flow mixing sections resulted in an increase in exfoliation of nanoclay platelets in PLA nanocomposites. PHB nanocomposites were shown to be more sensitive to thermal degradation and therefore benefited from a reduction in the number of processing steps utilised. Further development of the process was observed with the incorporation of compatibilisers for both polymers which led to considerable improvements in terms of mechanical properties exhibiting superior flexural properties. It was shown using x-ray diffraction that improvements in intercalation was observed which affected the compostability of both composites. Composites with increased interlayer spacing degraded faster and the nanocomposites in general degraded at a faster rate than the virgin polymers.
Disseminated Blastomyces dermatitidis, genetic group 2, infection in an alpaca (Vicugna pacos)
Authors: Imai Denise M. , McGreevey Nikole , Anderson Jennifer L. , Meece Jennifer K.
Published: March 2014

A 7-year-old, female Huacaya alpaca presented with a 3-week history of left-sided head tilt and mild ataxia. Despite aggressive supportive therapy with empirical antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, thiamine, and anthelminthic therapy, neurologic signs progressed to a right-sided head tilt, positional nystagmus, and episodes of severe ataxia and obtundation. On necropsy, discrete expansile to poorly delineated infiltrative masses with tan, creamy to grumous exudate were observed in the right petrous temporal bone, right middle and inner ear, right cerebellum and medulla as well as in lung, kidney, liver, spleen, lymph nodes, and the gastrointestinal tract. Impression cytology and histology revealed a myriad of intralesional yeast, 10–25 μm in diameter, with double-contoured walls, granular protoplasm, and broad-based budding. Culture characteristics, including conidial morphology and temperature-dependent yeast phase transformation, were consistent with Blastomyces sp. Positive Blastomyces antigenuria was identified on a postmortem sample of urine. Microsatellite typing and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region 2 identified the infecting strain as a genetic group 2 isolate of Blastomyces dermatitidis. The present report of camelid blastomycosis adds intracranial blastomycosis to the differential list for camelid neurologic disease in endemic regions.
Police Foot Patrol and Crime Displacement
Authors: Andresen Martin A. , Malleson Nicolas
Published: March 2014

Police patrol, motorized and foot, has a long history of being used as a crime prevention method. Scientific evaluations of this crime prevention technique have been undertaken for at least 40 years, with mixed results. One of the important questions to be answered regarding the implementation of a police patrol is the presence of crime displacement: criminal activity simply moving around the corner, away from the primary patrol area. Previous investigations of this phenomenon have found that, most often, crime displacement is nonexistent or less than crime reductions in the primary area of interest. In this article, we investigate local crime displacement. We use a spatial point pattern test that can identify changes in the spatial patterns/distribution of crime even if crime in all areas has decreased. We find moderate evidence for the presence of this spatial shift and discuss the implications.
Hot Spots Policing
Authors: Weisburd David , Telep Cody W.
Published: March 2014

After reviewing the evidence regarding the general effectiveness of hot spots policing (what we know), we focus on areas where new knowledge must be developed (what we need to know). These include the importance of considering the impact of hot spots approaches on non-spatial displacement; assessing what strategies are most effective in addressing hot spots; examining how hot spots policing affects police legitimacy; evaluating whether hot spots policing will be effective in smaller cities and rural areas; investigating the long-term impacts of hot spots policing; and considering whether the adoption of hot spots policing will reduce overall crime in a jurisdiction.
Perceptions Among Women With Gestational Diabetes
Authors: Parsons Judith , Ismail Khalida , Amiel Stephanie , Forbes Angus
Published: March 2014

Women with gestational diabetes are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, which could be prevented or delayed by lifestyle modification. Lifestyle interventions need to take into account the specific situation of women with gestational diabetes. We aimed to gain a deeper understanding of women’s experiences of gestational diabetes, their diabetes risk perceptions, and their views on type 2 diabetes prevention, to inform future lifestyle interventions. We conducted a metasynthesis that included 16 qualitative studies and identified 11 themes. Factors that require consideration when developing a type 2 diabetes prevention intervention in this population include addressing the emotional impact of gestational diabetes; providing women with clear and timely information about future diabetes risk; and offering an intervention that fits with women’s multiple roles as caregivers, workers, and patients, and focuses on the health of the whole family.
Preliminary Efficacy of a Behavioral Parent Training Program for Children With ADHD in Pakistan
Authors: Malik Tamkeen Ashraf , Rooney Mary , Chronis-Tuscano Andrea , Tariq Naeem
Published: March 2014

Objective: In an effort to address the lack of evidence-based interventions for ADHD in developing South Asian countries, we examined the preliminary efficacy of a behavioral parent training program in Pakistan. Method: A quasi-experimental design was utilized. Eighty-five 4- to 12-year-old children with clinically significant ADHD symptoms participated: 55 were recruited from hospital clinics (active treatment group) and 30 were recruited from schools (waitlist control group). Parent and teacher ratings of ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and conduct disorder (CD) symptoms and impairment were collected. Results: Using intent-to-treat analyses, the treatment group showed significant pre–post improvement on parent-reported ODD symptoms and ADHD-related impairment. Teacher ratings showed no improvement. Conclusion: This study provides preliminary evidence for the feasibility and effectiveness of behavioral parenting training for children with ADHD in Pakistan and represents a critical first step in identifying evidence-based treatments for Pakistani children with ADHD.
Risk factors for peripheral artery disease among patients with diabetes in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alzahrani Hasan A , Wang Dong , Bakhotmah Balkees A , Hu Frank B
Published: March 2014

Little is known about the risk factors for peripheral artery disease (PAD) among diabetic patients in Saudi Arabia. We therefore investigated the association of traditional and non-traditional PAD risk factors, as well as clinical markers, with the prevalence of PAD in 598 diabetic patients in Saudi Arabia. PAD was diagnosed as an ankle–brachial index (ABI) <0.9. Information on socio-demographic variables, smoking status, duration of diabetes, and medication were collected by questionnaire. Body weight, height, blood pressure and clinical markers were also measured. The prevalence of PAD in this population was 23.1%. Hypertension (OR (odds ratio) = 2.13, 95% CI: 1.29–3.52), obesity (OR=1.75, 95% CI: 1.13–2.73) and longer duration of diabetes (OR for ≥20 years vs 2–4 years = 3.30, 95% CI: 1.66–6.58) were independently and significantly associated with a higher prevalence of PAD. Participants with the highest quartile of fasting blood glucose and homocysteine levels had a 67% (OR=1.67, 95% CI: 0.89–3.31) and 78% (OR=1.78, 95% CI: 0.87–3.66) higher prevalence of PAD, respectively. Our study identified several important and largely modifiable risk factors for PAD in this Saudi population with diabetes. These findings underscored the importance of reducing cardiovascular risk factors in patients with diabetes.
Transoral Mucosal Excision Sutured Gastroplasty
Authors: Legner Andras , Altorjay Aron , Juhasz Arpad , Stadlhuber Rudolph , Reich Viktor , Hunt Brandon , Rothstein Richard , Filipi Charles
Published: March 2014

Introduction. An outpatient transoral endoscopic procedure for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and obesity would be appealing if safe, effective, and durable. We present the first in human experience with a new system. Methods. Eight patients with GERD (3) and obesity (5) were selected according to a preapproved study protocol. All GERD patients had preprocedure manometry and pH monitoring to document GERD as well as quality of life and symptom questionnaires. Obese patients (body mass index >35) underwent a psychological evaluation and tests for comorbidities. Under general anesthesia, a procedure was performed at the gastroesophageal junction including mucosal excision, suturing of the excision beds for apposition, and suture knotting. Results. One patient with micrognathia could not undergo the required preprocedural passage of a 60 F dilator and was excluded. The first 2 GERD patients had incomplete procedures due to instrument malfunction. The subsequent 5 subjects had a successfully completed procedure. Four patients were treated for obesity and had an average excess weight loss of 30.3% at 2-year follow-up. Of these patients, one had an 8-mm outlet at the end of the procedure recognized on video review—a correctable error—and another vomited multiple times postoperatively and loosened the gastroplasty sutures. The treated GERD patient had resolution of reflux-related symptoms and is off all antisecretory medications at 2-year follow-up. Her DeMeester score was 8.9 at 24 months. Conclusion. The initial human clinical experience showed promising results for effective and safe GERD and obesity therapy.
Making researchers moral: Why trustworthiness requires more than ethics guidelines and review
Authors: Johnsson Linus , Eriksson Stefan , Helgesson Gert , Hansson Mats G
Published: March 2014

Research ethics, once a platform for declaring intent, discussing moral issues and providing advice and guidance to researchers, has developed over time into an extra-legal regulatory system, complete with steering documents (ethics guidelines), overseeing bodies (research ethics committees) and formal procedures (informed consent). The process of institutionalizing distrust is usually motivated by reference to past atrocities committed in the name of research and the need to secure the trustworthiness of the research system. This article examines some limitations of this approach. First, past atrocities cannot provide the necessary justification unless institutionalized distrust is a necessary or efficient means to prevent future ones – and there are several reasons to doubt this. Second, the efficacy of ethics review in safeguarding morally acceptable research depends on the moral competence and integrity of individual researchers – the very qualities that institutionalized distrust calls into question. Third, ethics guidelines cannot, as is sometimes assumed, educate or guide researchers in moral behaviour unless they already possess considerable capacity for moral judgment. Fourth, institutionalized distrust is a potential threat to the moral competence and integrity of researchers by encouraging a blinkered view of ethical issues, inducing moral heteronomy through incentives, and alienating them to research ethics. We conclude that the moral problem posed by inappropriate short-term behaviour on behalf of researchers is dwarfed by the potential long-term consequences if their moral competence is allowed to deteriorate. Measures must therefore be taken to ensure that researchers are equipped to take their individual responsibility and are not obstructed from so doing.
A Political Economy of Privatization Contracts: The Case of Water and Sanitation in Ghana and Argentina
Authors: Dagdeviren Hulya , Robertson Simon A.
Published: March 2014

In general, the process and outcomes of privatization have been studied from the point of view of efficiency. In this article, we consider issues in the course of contract design, implementation, management and enforcement in privatized public services and utilities. The study is based on two case studies, involving several water concessions in Argentina and a management contract in the urban water sector in Ghana. Three key arguments are presented on the basis of these case studies. The first is that an individualistic analytical framework is often utilized by the mainstream economic perspectives, but these are inadequate for a comparative assessment of private versus public provision in public services where there are distinct collective or group interests and hence a wider socio-economic context and representation of different interests becomes highly important. Instead, the article proposes a political economy perspective, which pays due attention to distributional issues, group interests, ideology of states and power relations for the assessment of privatization contracts. Second, the administrative capacity of states and their resources play a key role for the outcomes of privatization. Finally, while some contractual issues could be resolved through resourcing and experience over time, others are inherent to the contractual relations with little prospect of remedy.
The Effect of Private Equity Ownership on Management Practices: A Research Agenda
Authors: Yeboah Humphrey J.N. , Tomenendal Matthias , Dörrenbächer Christoph
Published: March 2014

This article contributes to the growing literature on the private equity (PE) phenomenon by conducting a literature review on the effects of PE ownership on management practices. Evidence is provided for the importance of this relationship to value creation. The exploration of the issues embodied in this relationship sheds light on several research gaps. These gaps are synthesized into a future-orientated framework that provides informed suggestions regarding the direction of further research endeavours.
The impact of health care settings on survival time of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia
Authors: Lauseker Michael , Hasford Joerg , Pfirrmann Markus , Hehlmann Rüdiger
Published: March 2014

Key Points

CML patients enjoyed superior survival chances when treated in THs. Treatment centers having less experience with CML patients did not affect the patient’s survival chances.
The prevalence of psychosis in epilepsy; a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Clancy Maurice J , Clarke Mary C , Connor Dearbhla J , Cannon Mary , Cotter David R
Published: March 2014

Background

Epilepsy has long been considered to be a risk factor for psychosis. However there is a lack of consistency in findings across studies on the effect size of this risk which reflects methodological differences in studies and changing diagnostic classifications within neurology and psychiatry. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of psychosis in epilepsy and to estimate the risk of psychosis among individuals with epilepsy compared with controls.

Methods

A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted of all published literature pertaining to prevalence rates of psychosis in epilepsy using electronic databases PUBMED, OVIDMEDLINE, PsychINFO and Embase from their inception until September 2010 with the following search terms: prevalence, incidence, rate, rates, psychosis, schizophrenia, schizophreniform illness, epilepsy, seizures, temporal lobe epilepsy.

Results

The literature search and search of reference lists yielded 215 papers. Of these, 58 (27%) had data relevant to the review and 157 were excluded following a more detailed assessment. 10% of the included studies were population based studies. The pooled odds ratio for risk of psychosis among people with epilepsy compared with controls was 7.8. The pooled estimate of prevalence of psychosis in epilepsy was found to be 5.6% (95% CI: 4.8-6.4). There was a high level of heterogeneity. The prevalence of psychosis in temporal lobe epilepsy was 7% (95% CI: 4.9-9.1). The prevalence of interictal psychosis in epilepsy was 5.2% (95% CI: 3.3-7.2). The prevalence of postictal psychosis in epilepsy was 2% (95% CI: 1.2-2.8).

Conclusions

Our systematic review found that up to 6% of individuals with epilepsy have a co-morbid psychotic illness and that patients have an almost eight fold increased risk of psychosis. The prevalence rate of psychosis is higher in temporal lobe epilepsy (7%). We suggest that further investigation of this association could give clues to the aetiology of psychosis.
Fusarium inhibition by wild populations of the medicinal plant Salvia africana-lutea L. linked to metabolomic profiling
Authors: Nkomo Mpumelelo M , Katerere David DR , Vismer Hester HF , Cruz Thomas T , Balayssac Stephane S , Malet-Martino Myriam M , Makunga Nokwanda NP
Published: March 2014

Background

Salvia africana-lutea L., an important medicinal sage used in the Western Cape (South Africa), can be termed a ‘broad-spectrum remedy’ suggesting the presence of a multiplicity of bioactive metabolites. This study aimed at assessing wild S. africana-lutea populations for chemotypic variation and anti-Fusarium properties.

Methods

Samples were collected from four wild growing population sites (Yzerfontein, Silwerstroomstrand, Koeberg and Brackenfell) and one garden growing location in Stellenbosch. Their antifungal activities against Fusarium verticillioides (strains: MRC 826 and MRC 8267) and F. proliferatum (strains: MRC 6908 and MRC 7140) that are aggressive mycotoxigenic phytopathogens were compared using an in vitro microdilution assay. To correlate antifungal activity to chemical profiles, three techniques viz. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS); Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) were employed. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to the NMR data. The partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was used to integrate LC-MS and NMR data sets. All statistics were performed with the SIMCA-P + 12.0 software.

Results

The dichloromethane:methanol (1:1; v/v) extracts of the plant species collected from Stellenbosch demonstrated the strongest inhibition of F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 0.031 mg ml-1 and 0.063 mg ml-1 respectively. GC-MS showed four compounds which were unique to the Stellenbosch extracts. By integrating LC-MS and 1H NMR analyses, large chemotype differences leading to samples grouping by site when a multivariate analysis was performed, suggested strong plant-environment interactions as factors influencing metabolite composition. Signals distinguishing the Stellenbosch profile were in the aromatic part of the 1H NMR spectra.

Conclusions

This study shows the potential of chemotypes of Salvia africana-lutea in controlling fungal growth and consequently mycotoxin production. Products for use in the agricultural sector may be developed from such chemotypes.
Growth of 3-D flower/grass-like metal oxide nanoarchitectures based on catalyst-assisted oxidation method
Authors: Hu Lijiao , Ju Yang , Hosoi Atsushi
Published: March 2014

Cu2O grass-like and ZnO flower-like nanoarchitectures were fabricated directly on Cu powders and Zn powders using a novel thermal oxidation stress-induced (TOS) method based on catalyst assistance at a low temperature of 150°C under moderate humid atmosphere. The experiments of Al powder were also carried out based on TOS method. Overlapping migration (OLM) of Cu and Zn atoms and toothpaste squeezing migration (TSM) of Al atoms caused by different atom densities in metal oxide materials were studied.

PACS

81. Materials science; 81.07.-b Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; 81.16.Hc Catalytic methods
An active Catharanthus roseus desacetoxyvindoline-4-hydroxylase-like gene and its transcriptional regulatory profile
Authors: Zhou Chen , Zhang Jin , Zhao Shu-Juan , Hu Zhi-Bi
Published: March 2014

Background

Desacetoxyvindoline-4-hydroxylase is a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of vindoline, the important intermediate leading to vinblastine and vincristine in Catharanthus roseus.

Results

A d4h-like gene has been isolated from C. roseus C20hi cells based on an EST sequence from the Suppression Subtractive Hybridization cDNA library. The full length cDNA of d4h-like was 1427 bp encoding 372 amino acids. It had 66% identities and 80% positives with d4h at the amino acid level. It belonged to 2-oxoglutarate dependent oxygenase superfamily as d4h did. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that d4h-like was expressed high in roots, flowers and C20hi cells, very low in leaves and stems. Methyl jasmonate could significantly increase the accumulation of d4h-like transcripts. 2,4-D inhibited its expression. An approximate 2,910 bp of 5′-promoter region of d4h-like was obtained, fused to GUS reporter gene and analyzed with fluorescence quantitative assays using transient expression in C. roseus cell suspensions, indicating that d4h-like promoter could drive GUS gene expression in vivo.

Conclusion

These results suggest that d4h-like is closely related with d4h in the genetic evolution but with different transcriptional expression profiles. It may be revolved in the hormone-independency of C20hi cells.
Association of urinary bisphenol a concentration with type-2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Ahmadkhaniha Reza , Mansouri Masoumeh , Yunesian Masud , Omidfar Kobra , Jeddi Maryam Zare , Larijani Bagher , Mesdaghinia Alireza , Rastkari Noushin
Published: March 2014

Background

Bisphenol A as an endocrine-disrupting chemical is widely used chemical in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resin and has become ubiquitous environmental contaminants. Human exposure to Bisphenol A is widespread and recent studies have been shown to be associated with a higher risk for self-reported adverse health outcomes that may lead to insulin resistance and the development of type-2 diabetes mellitus. In this context, we sought to confirm the association between Bisphenol A and diabetes in a community-based analysis of Bisphenol A urinary concentrations investigation in adult population of Iran.

Methods

Regression models were adjusted for age, sex, Body Mass Index, serum triglyceride level and serum cholesterol level and serum creatinine concentration. Main outcomes were reported diagnoses of diabetes that defined according the latest American Diabetes Association guidelines.

Results

The median age of the 239 participants was 51.65 years and 119 people had type-2 diabetes mellitus. Urinary Bisphenol A was categorized into two groups based on the median for Bisphenol A (≤0. 85 to >0.85 μg/L). The results of statistical analysis revealed a clear association between hypertension, and type 2 diabetes (P < 0.05). The multi variable-adjusted odds ratio for type-2 diabetes mellitus associated with the group 1 (referent), of urinary Bisphenol A was 57.6 (95% confidence interval: 21.10-157.05; P-value < 0.001). A positive correlation between HbA1c and urinary BPA concentration was observed (r = 0.63, P = 0.001).

Conclusions

Urinary Bisphenol A levels are found to be associated with diabetes independent of traditional diabetes risk factors. Higher Bisphenol A exposure, reflected in higher urinary concentrations of Bisphenol A, is consistently associated with diabetes in the general adult population of the Iran. Studies to clarify the mechanisms of these associations are urgently needed.
Platelet-activating factor antagonists enhance intracellular degradation of amyloid-β42 in neurons via regulation of cholesterol ester hydrolases
Authors: Simmons Charlotte , Ingham Victoria , Williams Alun , Bate Clive
Published: March 2014

Introduction

The progressive dementia that is characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease is associated with the accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides in extracellular plaques and within neurons. Aβ peptides are targeted to cholesterol-rich membrane micro-domains called lipid rafts. Observations that many raft proteins undertake recycling pathways that avoid the lysosomes suggest that the accumulation of Aβ in neurons may be related to Aβ targeting lipid rafts. Here we tested the hypothesis that the degradation of Aβ by neurons could be increased by drugs affecting raft formation.

Methods

Primary neurons were incubated with soluble Aβ preparations. The amounts of Aβ42 in neurons or specific cellular compartments were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The effects of drugs on the degradation of Aβ42 were studied.

Results

Aβ42 was targeted to detergent-resistant, low-density membranes (lipid rafts), trafficked via a pathway that avoided the lysosomes, and was slowly degraded by neurons (half-life was greater than 5 days). The metabolism of Aβ42 was sensitive to pharmacological manipulation. In neurons treated with the cholesterol synthesis inhibitor squalestatin, less Aβ42 was found within rafts, greater amounts of Aβ42 were found in lysosomes, and the half-life of Aβ42 was reduced to less than 24 hours. Treatment with phospholipase A2 inhibitors or platelet-activating factor (PAF) antagonists had the same effects on Aβ42 metabolism in neurons as squalestatin. PAF receptors were concentrated in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) along with enzymes that constitute the cholesterol ester cycle. The addition of PAF to ER membranes triggered activation of cholesterol ester hydrolases and the release of cholesterol from stores of cholesterol esters. An inhibitor of cholesterol ester hydrolases (diethylumbelliferyl phosphate) also increased the degradation of Aβ42 in neurons.

Conclusions

We conclude that the targeting of Aβ42 to rafts in normal cells is a factor that affects its degradation. Critically, pharmacological manipulation of neurons can significantly increase Aβ42 degradation. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the Aβ-induced production of PAF controls a cholesterol-sensitive pathway that affects the cellular localization and hence the fate of Aβ42 in neurons.