bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of High School Leadership on Subsequent Educational Attainment*
Authors: Rouse Kathryn E.
Published: January 2012

Objectives

Universities increasingly emphasize the importance of leadership skills, but budget shortfalls in public high schools threaten the availability of leadership opportunities for many youths. Few studies, however, have examined the impact of high school leadership experience on key economic outcomes. This study narrows this gap by estimating the causal impact of leadership in high school on educational attainment measured several years later.

Methods

The article uses data from the National Education Longitudinal Study. To address selection bias, the effect of high school leadership is estimated using ordinary least squares, propensity score matching, and instrumental variables models.

Results

Every estimation method and model specification examined implies that high school leadership has a large, positive impact on postsecondary educational attainment.

Conclusions

This article indicates the impact of high school leadership is, at a minimum, nontrivial. This result implies decisions regarding financial cutbacks for extracurricular activities should not be taken lightly.
Moral Disengagement Through Displacement of Responsibility: The Role of Leadership Beliefs
Authors: HINRICHS KIM T. , WANG LEI , HINRICHS ANDREW T. , ROMERO ERIC J.
Published: January 2012

The present study examined the relationship between a person's leadership beliefs and the propensity to justify his or her unethical behavior by shifting responsibility to those people in leadership positions who ordered or condoned the behavior. Theoretical support for this relationship comes from the moral disengagement branch of social cognitive theory, which proposes that one cognitive mechanism people employ to justify unethical behavior involves displacing responsibility for their action onto someone else (Bandura, 1999b). The study's results revealed that leadership self‐efficacy, affective and noncalculative motivation to lead, and shared orientation toward leadership were related to moral disengagement through the displacement of responsibility.
Lay Beliefs About Psychological and Social Problems Among Adolescents: Motivational and Cognitive Antecedents1
Authors: CHEN SYLVIA XIAOHUA , HARRIS BOND MICHAEL
Published: January 2012

This study attempted to apply theoretical concepts from personality and social psychology to understand the nomological network informing clinical models held by laypersons. Personal values and social axioms predicted the lay beliefs of Chinese adolescents about the causes and cures of 2 psychological problems (agoraphobia and schizophrenia) and 2 social problems (child abuse and corruption). Using path analyses, we developed a model of lay beliefs for each specific problem, and found that social problems were perceived to be caused by social‐personal factors, whereas psychological problems varied in their perceived etiology, with agoraphobia perceived to be caused by the environmental/hereditary factor and schizophrenia by the social‐personal factor. Clinical methods were perceived to be the important curative factor in overcoming most problems.
The role of CK7, Ki‐67, CD34 and vimentin in the differentiation between biliary atresia and idiopathic neonatal hepatitis in Egyptian cholestatic neonates
Authors: AIAD HAYAM ABDEL SAMIE , KANDIL MONA ABDEL HALIM , SAMAKA REHAB MONIR , SULTAN MERVAT MAHMOUD , BADR MOHAMED TAWFIK , NADA GAMMAL ELDIN MAHMOUD
Published: January 2012

Aiad HAS, Kandil MAH, Samaka RM, Sultan MM, Badr MT, Nada GEM. The role of ck7, ki‐67, cd34 and vimentin in the differentiation between biliary atresia and idiopathic neonatal hepatitis in egyptian cholestatic neonates. APMIS 2012; 120: 529–38.

The differentiation between biliary atresia (BA) and idiopathic neonatal hepatitis (INH) is challenging with many histological overlaps especially in the first weeks of life. This study aimed to investigate the role of immunohistochemical staining of CK7, Ki67, CD34, and vimentin in addition to other clinicopathological features in the differentiation between BA and INH. Cases included 30 infants with BA and 30 infants with INH. The diagnosis was based on clinical, laboratory, and liver biopsy examination. Female gender and elevated serum gamma glutamyle transferase were in favor of BA. Portal tract changes, such as bile ductular proliferation documented by CK7, Ki67 immunostaining and angiogenesis documented by CD34 immunostaining, favored the diagnosis of BA. Copper associated protein was positive in 70% of BA cases, but not detected in INH cases. Parenchymatous changes, such as giant cell transformation and positive iron deposition and Kupffer cell proliferation documented by vimentin immunostaining, favored the diagnosis of INH.CK7, Ki67, CD34, and vimentin are helpful adjuvant immunostaining in the differentiation between BA and INH.
Induction of Cyclooxygenase (COX)‐2 in Human Vaginal Epithelial Cells in Response to TLR ligands and TNF‐α
Authors: Joseph Theresa , Zalenskaya Irina A. , Yousefieh Nazita , Schriver Suzanne D. , Cote Lyn C. , Chandra Neelima , Doncel Gustavo F.
Published: January 2012

Problem

Mucosal inflammation caused by infections of the female lower genital tract is considered to be an important cofactor for HIV transmission. We hypothesize that COX‐2, a key inflammation‐related enzyme, is involved in these responses and is upregulated by microbial ligands and pro‐inflammatory cytokines.

Method of study

Human vaginal epithelial cells (VK‐2/E6E7) and ectocervical biopsy tissues were stimulated with TLR ligands and the cytokine TNF‐α, used as surrogates of vaginal infections, and assessed for COX‐2 expression and activity by microarray, real‐time RT‐PCR, immunoblotting, immunohistochemistry, and ELISA.

Results

TLR agonists and TNF‐α induce transcriptional and translational expression of COX‐2 in vaginal cells. TLR ligands, MALP2, Pam3CSK4, LTA, and imiquimod induced high epithelial COX‐2 expression, while zymosan and poly dI:dC induced very low enzyme expression. Induced mRNA and protein expression correlated with increased COX‐2 activity, which led to increased levels of PGE2 in the cell culture supernatant. These cell‐based findings were confirmed in primary cervicovaginal tissue explants.

Conclusion

Induction of COX‐2 expression and activity and the consequent increased levels of prostaglandins are common inflammatory pathways in human cervicovaginal epithelial cells and tissues in response to diverse TLR ligands and pro‐inflammatory cytokines. These findings are relevant to the understanding of genital mucosal inflammation, its potential treatment, and its possible relationship with increased tissue susceptibility to HIV‐1 infection.
In vitroeffect of antipsychotics on brain energy metabolism parameters in the brain of rats
Authors: Scaini Giselli , Rochi Natália , Morais Meline O. S. , Maggi Débora D. , De-Nês Bruna T. , Quevedo João , Streck Emilio L.
Published: January 2012

Objective

Typical and atypical antipsychotic drugs have been shown to have different clinical, biochemical and behavioural profiles. It is well described that impairment of metabolism, especially in the mitochondria, leads to oxidative stress and neuronal death and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of diseases in the brain. In this context, we investigated thein vitroeffect of antipsychotic drugs on energy metabolism parameters in the brain of rats.

Methods

Clozapine (0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/ml), olanzapine (0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/ml) and aripiprazole (0.05, 0.15 and 0.3 mg/ml) were suspended in buffer and added to the reaction medium containing rat tissue homogenates and the respiratory chain complexes, succinate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase (CK) activities were evaluated.

Results

Our results showed that olanzapine and aripriprazole increased the activities of respiratory chain complexes. On the other hand, complex IV activity was inhibited by clozapine, olanzapine and aripriprazole. CK activity was increased by clozapine at 0.5 and 1.0 mg/ml in prefrontal cortex, cerebellum, striatum, hippocampus and posterior cortex of rats. Moreover, olanzapine and aripiprazole did not affect CK activity.

Conclusion

In this context, if the hypothesis that metabolism impairment is involved in the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders is correct and these results also occurin vivo, we suggest that olanzapine may reverse a possible diminution of metabolism.
Development of the breast milk expression experience measure
Authors: Flaherman Valerie J. , Gay Barbara , Scott Cheryl , Aby Janelle , Stewart Anita L. , Lee Kathryn A.
Published: January 2012

Exclusive breastfeeding provides optimal nutrition through 6 months. Recent research has shown that milk expression may affect breastfeeding duration. A woman's experience with milk expression might mediate the effect of milk expression on breastfeeding duration. The objective of this study was to develop a measure to evaluate women's experiences of expressing milk. Based on the available literature, we developed a brief measure of the Breast Milk Expression Experience (BMEE) assessing three dimensions: (1) social support for milk expression; (2) ease of learning how to express milk; and (3) personal experiences of milk expression. All items used 1–5 Likert scales, with higher scores indicating better experiences. We administered the items immediately after expression to 68 mothers who expressed milk post‐partum. We evaluated this measure for reliability using Cronbach's alpha. Mothers completing the BMEE were 57% primiparous with 75% vaginal births. The BMEE demonstrated appropriate reliability with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.703 for the summary index and 0.719–0.763 for social support, learning experience and personal experience subscales. The BMEE also indicated good predictive validity; of the six mothers who had a mean score <3 on the 11‐item scale post‐partum, two (33.3%) were expressing breast milk at 1 month, compared with 37 (80.4%) of the 46 mothers who had a mean score ≥3 on the 11‐item scale post‐partum (P = 0.012). The BMEE is a promising measure of milk expression experience in this population. Use of this measure may allow improved understanding of women's experiences expressing milk.
New insights into cancer‐related proteins provided by the yeast model
Authors: Pereira Clara , Coutinho Isabel , Soares Joana , Bessa Cláudia , Leão Mariana , Saraiva Lucília
Published: January 2012

Cancer is a devastating disease with a profound impact on society. In recent years, yeast has provided a valuable contribution with respect to uncovering the molecular mechanisms underlying this disease, allowing the identification of new targets and novel therapeutic opportunities. Indeed, several attributes make yeast an ideal model system for the study of human diseases. It combines a high level of conservation between its cellular processes and those of mammalian cells, with advantages such as a short generation time, ease of genetic manipulation and a wealth of experimental tools for genome‐ and proteome‐wide analyses. Additionally, the heterologous expression of disease‐causing proteins in yeast has been successfully used to gain an understanding of the functions of these proteins and also to provide clues about the mechanisms of disease progression. Yeast research performed in recent years has demonstrated the tremendous potential of this model system, especially with the validation of findings obtained with yeast in more physiologically relevant models. The present review covers the major aspects of the most recent developments in the yeast research area with respect to cancer. It summarizes our current knowledge on yeast as a cellular model for investigating the molecular mechanisms of action of the major cancer‐related proteins that, even without yeast orthologues, still recapitulate in yeast some of the key aspects of this cellular pathology. Moreover, the most recent contributions of yeast genetics and high‐throughput screening technologies that aim to identify some of the potential causes underpinning this disorder, as well as discover new therapeutic agents, are discussed.
Protein profiles in human ovarian cancer cell lines correspond to their metabolic activity and to metabolic profiles of respective tumor xenografts
Authors: Fabian Christian , Koetz Lisa , Favaro Elena , Indraccolo Stefano , Mueller‐Klieser Wolfgang , Sattler Ulrike G. A.
Published: January 2012

Many solid tumors show a large variability in glycolytic activity and lactate accumulation, which has been correlated with different metastatic spread, radioresistance and patient survival. To investigate potential differences in protein profiles underlying these metabolic variances, the highly glycolytic human ovarian cancer cell line OC316 was investigated and compared with the less glycolytic line IGROV‐1. Extracellular acidification and oxygen consumption were analyzed with an extracellular flux analyzer. Glycolysis‐associated proteins, including specific membrane transporters, were quantified through in‐cell western analyses. Metabolic properties of corresponding tumor xenografts were assessed via induced metabolic bioluminescence imaging. Extracellular flux analyses revealed elevated bioenergetics of OC316 cells. Hexokinase II, pyruvate kinase, pyruvate dehydrogenase E1 beta subunit and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1, as well as the glucose transporter 1 and the monocarboxylate transporter 4, were overexpressed in these cells compared with IGROV‐1. When generating tumor xenografts in SCID mice, cells maintained their glycolytic behavior, i.e. OC316 showed higher lactate concentrations than IGROV‐1 tumors. In summary, a congruency between protein profiles and metabolic properties has been demonstrated in the human ovarian cancer lines investigated. Also, a perpetuation of glycolytic characteristics during the transition from in vitro to the in vivo situation has been documented. This model system could be useful for systematic studies on therapeutic intervention by manipulation of tumor glycolysis and associated pathways.
A comparative profile of the microRNA transcriptome in immature and mature porcine testes using Solexa deep sequencing
Authors: Lian Chuanjiang , Sun Boxing , Niu Shuling , Yang Runjun , Liu Boyang , Lu Chunyan , Meng Jilun , Qiu Zhengyan , Zhang Liying , Zhao Zhihui
Published: January 2012

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding regulatory RNAs that play key roles in many diverse biological processes such as spermatogenesis. However, no study has been performed on the miRNA transcriptome of developing porcine testes. Here, we employed Solexa deep sequencing technology to extend the repertoire of porcine testis miRNAs and extensively compare the expression patterns of sexually immature and mature porcine testes. Solexa sequencing of two small RNA libraries derived from immature (30 days) and mature (180 days) pig testis samples yielded over 25 million high‐quality reads. Overall, the two developmental stages had significantly different small RNA compositions. A custom data analysis pipeline identified 398 known and/or homologous conserved porcine miRNAs, 15 novel pig‐specific miRNAs and 56 novel candidate miRNAs. We further observed multiple mature miRNA variants and identified a new bidirectional transcribed miRNA locus, ssc‐mir‐181a. A total of 122 miRNAs were differentially expressed in the immature and mature testes, and 10 were validated using quantitative RT‐PCR. Furthermore, GO and KEGG pathway analyses of the predicted miRNA targets further illustrate the likely roles for these differentially expressed miRNAs in spermatogenesis. This study is the first comparative profile of the miRNA transcriptome in immature and mature porcine testes using a deep sequencing approach, and it provides a useful resource for future studies on the role of miRNAs in spermatogenesis and male infertility treatment.
Alternative folding pathways of the major porin OprF of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Sugawara Etsuko , Nagano Keiji , Nikaido Hiroshi
Published: January 2012

OprF is the major porin of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and allows very slow, nonspecific, diffusion of solutes. The low permeability of this porin channel is a major factor that enhances other types of resistance mechanisms and often creates strong multidrug resistance in this nosocomial pathogen. We have previously shown that the low permeability is caused by the folding of OprF into two conformers: a majority, two‐domain closed‐channel conformer containing the N‐terminal transmembrane β‐barrel and the C‐terminal periplasmic, globular domain; and a minority, one‐domain open‐channel conformer comprising < 5% of the protein population. Our analysis of the bifurcate folding pathway using site‐directed mutagenesis showed that slowing down the folding of the two‐domain conformer increases the fraction of the open, one‐domain conformer. Use of outer membrane protein assembly machinery mutants showed that the absence of the Skp chaperone led to an increased proportion of open conformers. As many environmental pathogens causing nosocomial infections appear to have outer membrane protein (OmpA)/OprF homologs as the major porin, efforts to understand the low permeability of these ‘slow porins’ are important in our fight against these organisms.
Association of Erectile Dysfunction with Atopic Dermatitis: A Population-Based Case-Control Study
Authors: Chung Shiu-Dong , Keller Joseph J. , Lin Herng-Ching
Published: January 2012

Introduction

Some studies have highlighted the high prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) in patients with dermatological diseases such as psoriasis, chronic hand eczema, and systemic sclerosis. However, to date, there is still no study that has explored the relationship between ED and atopic dermatitis (AD).

Aim

Using a population-based data set, this case-control study aimed to examine the association of ED with prior AD by comparing the risk of prior AD between patients with ED and matched controls in Taiwan.

Methods

This study used administrative claims data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance program. We identified 3,997 patients with newly diagnosed ED as cases and randomly selected 19,985 subjects without a history of ED as controls. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) for previously diagnosed AD between cases and controls.

Main Outcome Measure

The prevalence and risk of having been previously diagnosed with AD between cases and controls were calculated.

Results

Of the 23,982 sampled subjects, 1,758 (7.3%) had been previously diagnosed with AD; it was found among 425 (10.6%) cases and among 1,333 (6.7%) controls (P < 0.001). Conditional logistic regression analysis demonstrated that cases were more likely to have prior AD than controls (OR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.42–1.80, P < 0.001) after adjusting for monthly income, geographic location, urbanization level, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemia, obesity, and alcohol abuse/alcohol dependence syndrome.

Conclusions

There was an association between ED and prior AD. We suggest that clinicians should be more attentive to sexual complaints from patients with AD.
Treatment of Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder in Premenopausal Women: Efficacy of Flibanserin in the DAISY Study
Authors: Thorp John , Simon James , Dattani Dan , Taylor Leslie , Kimura Toshio , Garcia Jr. Miguel , Lesko Lynna , Pyke Robert
Published: January 2012

Introduction

Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (HSDD) is characterized by low sexual desire that causes marked distress or interpersonal difficulty.

Aim

To assess the efficacy and tolerability of flibanserin, a postsynaptic 5-HT1A agonist/5-HT2A antagonist, in the treatment of premenopausal women with HSDD.

Methods

North American premenopausal women with HSDD (mean age 35 years) were randomized to 24 weeks’ treatment with flibanserin 25 mg twice daily (N = 396), 50 mg twice daily (N = 392), 100 mg once daily at bedtime (N = 395), or placebo (N = 398).

Main Outcome Measures

Co-primary endpoints were changed from baseline to study end in number of satisfying sexual events (SSE) and sexual desire score, measured daily using an eDiary. Secondary endpoints included change in Female Sexual Distress Scale-Revised (FSDS-R) total score and Item 13 score (distress due to low sexual desire), Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) total and desire domain scores, and Patient’s Global Impression of Improvement.

Results

Flibanserin 100 mg once daily was associated with an increase in SSE (P < 0.01 vs. placebo) but the 25 mg and 50 mg twice daily doses were not. No group showed a significant increase in eDiary desire score vs. placebo. All flibanserin regimens improved FSDS-R total, FSDS-R Item 13, FSFI total, and FSFI desire domain scores vs. placebo (P < 0.05, for all). More women receiving flibanserin 50 mg twice daily and 100 mg once daily considered their HSDD to have improved than women receiving placebo (44.1% and 47.0% vs. 30.3%, respectively) (P < 0.000, 1 vs. placebo). The most frequently reported adverse events in women receiving flibanserin were somnolence (11.8%), dizziness (10.5%), and fatigue (10.3%).

Conclusion

In premenopausal women with HSDD, flibanserin 100 mg once daily was well tolerated and associated with statistically significant improvements in SSE, sexual desire (FSFI desire domain score but not eDiary desire score), sexual function, and decrease in sexual distress vs. placebo.
Stigma, Abortion, and Disclosure—Findings from a Qualitative Study
Authors: Astbury-Ward Edna , Parry Odette , Carnwell Ros
Published: January 2012

Introduction

This study qualitatively explores perceptions of women who have experienced abortion care. It explores women’s journey through abortion from confirmation of pregnancy to post-abortion.

Aim

The study seeks to understand the implications of these perceptions for policy and practice.

Main Outcome Measures

A qualitative study involving in-depth semi-structured interviews with 17 women, aged between 22 and 57 years, who had undergone legal induced abortion in the UK when they were 16 years or older. Participants were not recruited under the age of 16 because of the ethical and legal complexities of interviewing minors. Additionally, 16 years was deemed to be the most appropriate age as this is the legal age of consent in the UK.

Methods

Participants were recruited from 12 community contraception and sexual health clinics in two NHS trusts, one in England and one in Wales. Participant recruitment was set at a minimum of 12 and participants were recruited on a “first come first served basis” (i.e., the first 12 who contacted the researcher). The number of participants was raised to seventeen as this was the number deemed to be the most suitable for data saturation in this particular qualitative research.

Results

Women in this study understood abortion as highly taboo and a potentially personally stigmatizing event. These perceptions continued to affect disclosure to others, long after the abortion, and affected women’s perceptions of the response of others, including society in general, significant others, and health professionals.

Conclusion

Women’s experiences of abortion may be influenced by perceived negative social attitudes. Health professionals and abortion service providers might combat the perceived isolation of women undergoing abortion by attending not only to clinical/technical aspects of the procedure but also to women’s psychological/emotional sensitivities surrounding the event.
An Event-Level Analysis of Adding Exogenous Lubricant to Condoms in a Sample of Men Who Have Vaginal Sex with Women
Authors: Reece Michael , Mark Kristen , Herbenick Debby , Hensel Devon J. , Jawed-Wessel Sofia , Dodge Brian
Published: January 2012

Introduction

Little is known about the characteristics of sexual events during which individuals choose to use lubricant with condoms.

Aims

The aims of this article were to evaluate the determinants of adding lubricant to condoms during baseline and at the event level, to assess the event-level variables’ influence on adding lubricants to condoms, and to assess the event-level influence of using condoms with lubricant on event-level condom attitudes.

Methods

A total of 1,874 men completed a 30-day Internet-based prospective daily diary study of sexual behavior and condom use.

Main Outcome Measures

Baseline data included demographic variables and information about condom education. Daily diary data included reports of penile-vaginal sex regarding intercourse duration, intercourse intensity, intoxication level, condom application method, partner contraceptive method, and partner and relationship characteristics.

Results

Lubricant was added to 24.3% of the study-provided condoms and 26.2% of the condoms selected by study participants. Those with more education and those who were married were more likely to add lubrication to condoms. Adding lubricant to condoms, a female partner putting the condom on with her hands and using contraception, and the event occurring with a wife (vs. girlfriend) was significantly associated with longer intercourse. Event-level lubricant and condom use significantly predicted lower willingness to buy the condom it was used with, as well as to recommend the condom. Adding exogenous lubricant was not related to the participants’ confidence in condoms as a method to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.

Conclusions

The event-level nature of this study provided for a more comprehensive assessment of the situational factors that are associated with applying lubricant to condoms. Findings from this study suggest that men are adding lubricant to condoms for reasons other than to increase condom efficacy.
Self-Castration by a Transsexual Woman: Financial and Psychological Costs: A Case Report
Authors: St. Peter Matthew , Trinidad Anton , Irwig Michael S.
Published: January 2012

Introduction

The out-of-pocket cost for an elective orchiectomy, which is often not covered by health insurance, is a significant barrier to male-to-female transsexuals ready to proceed with their physical transition. This and other barriers (lack of access to a surgeon willing to perform the operation, waiting times, and underlying psychological and psychiatric conditions) lead a subset of transsexual women to attempt self-castration. Little information has been published on the financial costs and implications of self-castration to both patients and health care systems.

Aim

We compare the financial and psychological costs of elective surgical orchiectomy vs. self-castration in the case of a transsexual woman in her 40s.

Methods

We interviewed the patient and her providers and obtained financial information from local reimbursement and billing specialists.

Results

After experiencing minor hemorrhage following the self-castration, our patient presented to the emergency department and underwent a bilateral inguinal exploration, ligation and removal of bilateral spermatic cords, and complicated scrotal exploration, debridement, and closure. She was admitted to the psychiatric service for a hospital stay of three days. The total bill was US $14,923, which would compare with US $4,000 for an elective outpatient orchiectomy in the patient’s geographical area.

Conclusions

From a financial standpoint, an elective orchiectomy could have cost the health care system significantly less than a hospital admission with its associated additional costs. From a patient safety standpoint, elective orchiectomy is preferable to self-castration which carries significant risks such as hemorrhage, disfigurement, infection, urinary fistulae, and nerve damage. Healthcare providers of transsexual women should carefully explore patient attitudes toward self-castration and work toward improving access to elective orchiectomy to reduce the number of self-castrations and costs to the overall health care system. Further research on the financial implications of self-castration from different health care systems and from a series of patients is needed.
Erectile Function Outcome After Bilateral Nerve Sparing Radical Prostatectomy: Which Patients May Be Left Untreated?
Authors: Gallina Andrea , Ferrari Matteo , Suardi Nazareno , Capitanio Umberto , Abdollah Firas , Tutolo Manuela , Bianchi Marco , Saccà Antonino , Salonia Andrea , Rigatti Patrizio , Montorsi Francesco , Briganti Alberto
Published: January 2012

Introduction

Several studies have shown that erectile function (EF) recovery in patients undergoing bilateral nerve sparing radical prostatectomy (BNSRP) improves significantly when phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5) are administered following surgery.

Aim

The aim of this article was to identify patients who may recover EF after retropubic BNSRP (BNSRRP) without PDE5.

Methods

We included 293 patients treated with BNSRRP at a single center. Postoperative EF recovery was defined as an EF domain score of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) ≥22. No patient received any treatment for postoperative erectile dysfunction (ED). Kaplan–Meier curves assessed time to EF recovery according to patient age, preoperative EF, and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI). Univariable and multivariable Cox regression models tested the association between predictors and EF recovery. Finally, the rate of EF recovery of untreated patients after BNSRP was compared with a subset of patients with similar preoperative characteristics but receiving PDE5.

Main Outcome Measure

The main outcome measure of this article was the IIEF-EF domain score.

Results

Overall, 105/293 (35.8%) reached an IIEF-EF ≥22 after a mean follow-up of 26.8 months. At multivariable analyses, age, preoperative IIEF-EF, and CCI achieved independent predictor status (all P ≤ 0.04). Patients <55 years had a 72.4% EF recovery rate compared with 30% of patients >70 years (P < 0.001). Similarly, preoperatively fully potent patients (IIEF-EF ≥26) had a 56.6% chance of recovering EF after surgery compared with 18% of patients with severe ED before surgery (P < 0.001). The rate of EF recovery in untreated patients <55 years and with a pre-op IIEF-EF ≥22 was higher but did not differ significantly from comparable patients receiving PDE5 (P = 0.11).

Conclusions

Overall, the rate of EF postoperative recovery in patients left untreated after surgery is modest (35.8%). Although younger patients with a good preoperative EF may experience good EF recovery rates even without any treatment, use of PDE5 after surgery further improved their functional outcomes. Therefore, a therapy for ED should be offered to all patients treated with BNSRP.
Couples’ Reasons for Adherence to, or Discontinuation of, PDE Type 5 Inhibitors for Men with Erectile Dysfunction at 12 to 24-Month Follow-Up After a 6-Month Free Trial
Authors: Conaglen Helen M. , Conaglen John V.
Published: January 2012

Introduction

The history of treatments for erectile dysfunction (ED) has involved a repeated pattern of uptake, followed by abandonment of the various therapies in the medium term. Even effective and simple to use medications are not necessarily continued; discontinuation rates range between 15% and 60%. Despite the association between partner sexual function and men’s use of PDE5, no previous studies have reported any contact with partners of men taking PDE5 for their ED. This study involved both partners in couples followed up at least 1 year after treatment of ED.

Aim

The study sought clarification of factors influencing adherence to, or discontinuation of, oral ED medications from couples. We hypothesized that many factors contribute to decision making about ED medication use at >12 months.

Main Outcome Measures

The main outcome measures of this article were interviews and International Index of Erectile Function-erectile function domain.

Methods

A total of 155 interviews were conducted seeking details of frequency of usage and preference for the drugs available; reasons for that choice, or for discontinuation of use, were also sought.

Results

Of men interviewed, 71% were using PDE5 at 18 months. Most men interviewed were using the oral medications either 1–2x/week or 1–2x/month. Forty-four percent of men who had decreased their use of the medications reported less need for them. Thirty-four men said the main reason they were using less medication was cost. “Partner issues” from the men’s perspective were seldom reported in this study. However, for a number of women, “partner issues” meant a range of problems from separation to alcohol abuse, lack of communication, and lack of confidence, or fear of failure.

Conclusions

This is the first study to ask couples why they decided to continue or stop using PDE5 when followed up. Female partners provided a different perspective on “partner issues” often cited as reasons for discontinuing PDE5 use. It was also clear that discontinuation did not mean couples were no longer sexually active.
Life and Spirit in Max Scheler’s Philosophy
Authors: Sandmeyer Robert
Published: January 2012

Max Scheler was a philosopher of intuition who rarely worked out his ideas systematically. Consequently, his philosophical writings present something of a challenge for the reader. There is little unifying his disparate studies. In this paper, I suggest that a distinction between life and spirit which Scheler formulated early and held onto throughout his career can provide a heuristic principle by which to study his works. This paper is a clarification of this distinction. In the first part of the paper, I show that Scheler’s dualistic metaphysics has its roots in Rudolf Eucken’s idealistic philosophy. In the second and third parts of this essay, I clarify Scheler’s concept of spirit as he develops it in confrontation with Edmund Husserl’s phenomenological philosophy. Particularly, in the second part, I show that as he confronts Husserl’s conception of philosophy as rigorous science he postulates a radically different idea of the nature of philosophy, an idea that is rooted in this distinction between life and spirit. I explicate in the next section the unique theory of the phenomenological reduction Scheler develops on the basis of this distinction. In the last part, I briefly present how this conception of life and spirit are worked out in Scheler’s philosophical anthropology, particularly in his last work, The Human Place in the Cosmos.
Schopenhauer’s Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art
Authors: Shapshay Sandra
Published: January 2012

This essay focuses on Schopenhauer’s aesthetics and philosophy of art, areas of his philosophy which have attracted the most philosophical attention in recent years. After discussing the subjective and objective aspects of aesthetic experience on his account, I shall offer interpretations of Schopenhauer’s theory of the sublime and solution to the problem of tragedy. In addition, I shall touch upon the liveliest interpretive debates concerning his aesthetic theory: the intelligibility of the “Platonic Ideas” as the objects of aesthetic experience and the very possibility of aesthetic experience within Schopenhauer’s system. Another aim of this essay is to suggest how some of Schopenhauer’s aesthetic doctrines may be interpreted in a less metaphysically extravagant way. When understood in this manner, contemporary aestheticians might be inclined to take a closer look at Schopenhauer’s aesthetic theory and philosophy of art, for it is distinctive in the tradition of Western philosophical aesthetics in its attempt to highlight and balance the hedonic and cognitive importance of aesthetic experiences; in its sensitivity both to the aesthetic experience of nature as well as of art; in the high value placed on the experience of music (a higher value than afforded by any previous aesthetic theory); and in the innovative solution to the problem of tragedy it offers.
Test–retest reliability and practice effects of the Wechsler Memory Scale‐III
Authors: Lo Ada H. Y. , Humphreys Michael , Byrne Gerard J. , Pachana Nancy A.
Published: January 2012

Although serial administration of cognitive tests is increasingly common, there is a paucity of research on test–retest reliabilities and practice effects, both of which are important for evaluating changes in functioning. Reliability is generally conceptualized as involving short‐lasting changes in performance. However, when repeated testing occurs over a period of years, there will be some longer lasting effects. The implications of these longer lasting effects and practice effects on reliability were examined in the context of repeated administrations of the Wechsler Memory Scale‐III in 339 community‐dwelling women aged 40–79 years over 2 to 7 years. The results showed that Logical Memory and Verbal Paired Associates subtests were consistently the most reliable subtests across the age cohorts. The magnitude of practice effects varied as a function of subtests and age. The largest practice effects were found in the youngest age cohort, especially on the Faces, Logical Memory, and Verbal Paired Associates subtests.
Development and function of interleukin 17–producing γδ T cells
Authors: Korn Thomas , Petermann Franziska
Published: January 2012

Interleukin (IL) 17 is a phylogenetically ancient cytokine that has been adopted by the adaptive immune system, and the investigation of adaptive T helper (Th) 17 cells has substantially contributed to our understanding of the molecular requirements for the induction, regulation, and function of IL‐17. However, IL‐17 is in fact produced by a large variety of innate immune cells and exerts its most significant biological functions at the interface of the organism with its environment, such as, for example, at epithelial surfaces, where γδ T cells are a prominent source of IL‐17. In this review, we will give an overview on the concepts of commitment of γδ T cells to effector phenotypes, focusing on IL‐17–producing γδ T cells (γδT17 cells). The role of γδT17 cells in animal models of autoimmunity will be discussed as well as the prerequisites for the development of human γδT17 cells and their potential importance for human disease conditions.
Generation of a cholangiocyte‐specific cDNA expression library for the identification of B and T cell autoantigens in murine biliary disease
Authors: Tucker Rebecca M. , Mack Cara L.
Published: January 2012

Aim:  Several mouse models of inflammatory cholangiopathies exist, including biliary atresia, primary biliary cirrhosis, autoimmune hepatitis, and primary sclerosing cholangitis. In an ongoing effort to identify the target antigens of both infiltrating autoreactive T cells and serum autoantibodies, we aimed to generate a cholangiocyte‐derived cDNA library capable of expressing a wide variety of proteins.

Methods:  mRNA was isolated from a normal mouse cholangiocyte cell line and reverse transcribed into cDNA. After initial cloning of the cDNA into a transfer vector (pDONR222), the entire library was shuttled into an Escherichia coli expression vector (pDEST160).

Results:  The library contains 2.3 × 106 independent clones and expresses proteins up to 100 kD in molecular weight. Using a variety of techniques, including western blot analysis, mass spectrometry of individual clones, and direct DNA sequencing of plasmids, a number of both ubiquitously expressed and cholangiocyte‐specific proteins (e.g. cytokeratin 19) have been identified within.

Conclusion:  A comprehensive mouse cholangiocyte cDNA expression library has been generated and is available for use as a source of multiple cholangiocyte‐specific antigens for immunological studies. The library can be used to screen for specificity of T cell lines or hybridomas. Furthermore, this library has potential uses in SEREX analysis of autoantibody reactivity. The cholangiocyte‐specific cDNA library is a powerful tool for the identification of target antigens in murine inflammatory cholangiopathies and is available as a shared resource.
Tissue‐specific differences in inflammatory infiltrate and matrix metalloproteinase expression in adipose tissue and liver of mice with diet‐induced obesity
Authors: de Meijer Vincent E. , Sverdlov Deanna Y. , Le Hau D. , Popov Yury , Puder Mark
Published: January 2012

Aim:  While low grade inflammation persists in both visceral fat and hepatic tissue in obesity, these changes often result in progressive disease and fibrosis only in the liver and not in adipose tissue. We hypothesized that a tissue‐specific difference in obesity‐induced inflammatory cell infiltrate may be responsible for such organ difference in susceptibility to fibrosis.

Methods:  Mice were fed either standard chow or a high fat diet over 19 weeks. Hepatic steatosis was assessed by histology and quantified via magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Immunohistochemistry staining for macrophage subsets and quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction for matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐ and fibrosis‐related gene expression was performed in paired livers and visceral (epididymal) fat pads at early (9 weeks) and advanced (19 weeks) stages of progressive diet‐induced obesity.

Results:  Up to 19 weeks of high fat feeding led to the development of obesity and hepatic steatosis, as well as increased gene expression of Mmp12, Mmp13 and Timp1 in predominantly adipose tissue, and to a lesser extent of liver tissue. In contrast to visceral fat, cell counts for macrophages as well as profibrogenic gene signaling in liver tissue during development of diet‐induced obesity remained largely unchanged.

Conclusions:  Development of diet‐induced obesity in the mouse increased inflammatory macrophages counts in adipose tissue rather than the liver. This was associated with greater increases in MMP expression in adipose tissue compared with liver. We propose that attenuated hepatic MMP expression in livers and adipose tissue of obese mice shifts the balance of fibrogenesis/fibrolysis and predispose the liver to development of fibrosis.
Follow up of the 987 blood donors found with hepatitis C virus infection over 9–18 years
Authors: Matsuo Junko , Mizui Masaaki , Okita Hajime , Katayama Keiko , Aimitsu Shiomi , Sakata Tatsuro , Obayashi Makoto , Nakanishi Toshio , Chayama Kazuaki , Miyakawa Yuzo , Yoshizawa Hiroshi , Tanaka Junko ,   for the Hiroshima Hepatitis Study Group
Published: January 2012

Aim:  To follow up blood donors found with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, to improve the outcome by antiviral treatments.

Methods:  Between 1991 and 2001, 3377 of the 1 925 860 donors (0.18%) were found to have HCV infection at the Hiroshima Red Cross Blood Center in Japan. Of them, 987 were able to be followed regularly over 9–18 years until 2009, and received antiviral treatments as required.

Results:  At the start, chronic hepatitis was diagnosed in 541 (54.8%), cirrhosis in five (0.5%) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in one (0.1%), whereas the remaining 439 (44.5%) had persistently normal aminotransferase levels (PNAL). Hospital visits were terminated voluntarily in 24.3% within the first year, 46.8% by 10 years and 50.9% by 17 years. Liver disease improved in 178 (18.0%), remained stable in 606 (61.4%) and aggravated in 170 (17.2%). Of the 541 donors with chronic hepatitis, HCC developed in 28 (5.2%) and cirrhosis in 11 (2.0%), whereas HCV infection was cleared in 107 (19.8%) by antiviral treatments. In addition, HCV infection resolved in 54 of the 439 donors (12.3%) with PNAL after they had developed chronic hepatitis and received treatments. In donors with chronic hepatitis, the cumulative incidence of HCC was 4.1% at 10 years. By multivariate analysis, age and diagnosis of chronic hepatitis at the entry were found to be independent risk factors for the development of HCC.

Conclusion:  Individuals with undiagnosed HCV infection need to be identified and receive medical care. They have to be motivated to merit from this health‐care program.
Air sampling in the breathing zone of neonatal foals for prediction of subclinical Rhodococcus equi infection
Authors: CHICKEN C. , MUSCATELLO G. , FREESTONE J. , ANDERSON G. A. , BROWNING G. F. , GILKERSON J. R.
Published: January 2012

Reasons for performing the study: Disease caused by Rhodococcus equi is a significant burden to the horse breeding industry worldwide. Early detection of rhodococcal pneumonia, albeit important to minimise treatment costs, is difficult because of the insidious nature of the disease and the lack of definitive diagnostic tests.

Objectives: To investigate air sampling from the breathing zone of neonatal foals as a predictor of subsequent rhodococcal pneumonia.

Methods: Air samples were collected from the breathing zone of 53 neonatal foals (age ≤10 days) and again at the time of routine ultrasonographic screening for R. equi pneumonia (age 1–2 months).

Results: Pneumonia was diagnosed ultrasonographically in 23% of foals. Virulent R. equi was detected in air from the breathing zone of 19% of neonatal foals and 45% of foals at age 1–2 months. There was no association between virulent R. equi in the breathing zone of foals and the subsequent ultrasonographic diagnosis of rhodococcal pneumonia. The median concentration of virulent R. equi in the breathing zone of both neonates (0 [range 0–4] colony‐forming units [cfu]/250 l) and older foals (0 [range 0–3] cfu/250 l) was not significantly different from that in background air samples (0 [range 0–6] cfu/250 l). There was no difference in the concentration of virulent R. equi in the breathing zone of older foals that were diagnosed with rhodococcal pneumonia or clinically normal foals.

Conclusion: Detection of virulent R. equi in air from the breathing zone was not a positive predictor of rhodococcal pneumonia in foals up to age ≤2 months.

Potential relevance: Selective culture of air samples from the breathing zone of young foals is not better at diagnosing rhodococcal pneumonia than early ultrasonographic screening. However, culture of air samples from the breathing zone of older foals remains a useful herd‐based epidemiological tool.
Cancellation of Unnatural Reaction Torque in Variable-Gear-Ratio
Authors: Sugita Sumio , Tomizuka Masayoshi
Published: January 2012

Variable-gear-ratio steering, also known as active steering, is an advanced steering technology which enhances the driver’s comfort and vehicle operability. However, one big problem, namely the unnatural reaction torque created by the variable actuator, restricts the further practical-use of the variable-gear-ratio steering. This paper proposes a control method to cancel the unnatural torque using a simple concept called friction relocation. Effectiveness of the method is experimentally confirmed using a hardware-in-the-loop simulator.
Bubblegrams Reveal the Inner Body of Bacteriophage ϕKZ
Authors: Wu Weimin , Thomas Julie A. , Cheng Naiqian , Black Lindsay W. , Steven Alasdair C.
Published: January 2012

Radiation damage is used to locate proteins embedded in dense DNA in a megavirus.
Gamma-Ray Binaries Revealed
Authors: Mirabel I. F.
Published: January 2012

The Fermi Large Area Telescope is unveiling a large population of otherwise hidden sources of gamma rays.
Al Bids to Vie With Li in Battery Wars
Authors: Service Robert F.
Published: January 2012

At the meeting, researchers described materials that could pave the way for making rechargeable batteries from aluminum, which could lead to cheaper and safer rechargeables.
Comparison of Immunoglobulin G Subclass Concentrations in Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia and Severe Pandemic 2009 Influenza A (H1N1) Infection
Authors: Gordon Claire L. , Holmes Natasha E. , Grayson M. Lindsay , Torresi Joseph , Johnson Paul D. R. , Cheng Allen C. , Charles Patrick G. P.
Published: January 2012

We compared immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclasses in patients with severe noninfluenza community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) to those in patients with severe pandemic 2009 influenza (H1N1) virus infection. Low IgG1 and IgG2 levels occurred often in the CAP group; however, H1N1 patients had lower IgG1 and IgG2 levels (5.4 versus 3.3 g/liter [P= 0.008] and 2.5 versus 1.2 g/liter [P< 0.001], respectively). Low IgG2 levels may be specifically linked to severe H1N1; however, it is not clear whether this association is related to H1N1 or to other features of severity.