bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A survey of the management of neonatal hypoglycaemia within the Australian and New Zealand Neonatal Network
Authors: Harris Deborah L , Weston Philip J , Battin Malcolm R , Harding Jane E
Published: October 2009

Background:  Neonatal hypoglycaemia is a common problem linked to both brain damage and death. There is controversy regarding both the definition of and best treatment for neonatal hypoglycaemia.

Aim:  To determine current management of neonatal hypoglycaemia within the Australian and New Zealand Neonatal Network (ANZNN).

Methods:  Four questionnaires were sent to the Director of each of the 45 nurseries within the ANZNN. The Director was asked to complete one questionnaire and give the remaining three to other doctors involved with the management of babies with hypoglycaemia in the nursery.

Results:  One hundred and eighty surveys were sent and 127 were returned (71%), including at least one from each nursery. Almost all respondents (120, 94%) reported using a protocol to treat hypoglycaemia. Only 2 (2%) reported screening all babies for neonatal hypoglycaemia, with the remainder screening babies at risk. Only 67, (53%) reported that blood glucose levels were tested on an analyser generally considered to be reliable at low levels. Most respondents (99, 78%) reported the clinical threshold for treatment was <2.6 mmol/L. However, when provided with clinical scenarios, respondents reported a variety of interventions, including no treatment.

Conclusion:  Doctors within the ANZNN are consistent about definition and screening for neonatal hypoglycaemia. However, frequently, the diagnosis is made using unreliable analysers. There is also wide variation in treatment, suggesting a lack of reliable evidence on which to base practice.
Adolescent and young adult health in a children's hospital: Everybody's business
Authors: Tan Jamie , Cox Robyn , Shannon Penny , Payne Donald
Published: October 2009

Background: To guide the development of adolescent health training and the planning of future services, accurate data describing health service use by adolescents and young adults are needed.

Aim: To describe admission rates for adolescents (12–17 years) and young adults (age 18 years and over) attending a specialist children's hospital over an 8‐year period. Specific objectives were to describe the (i) proportion of adolescents and young adults admitted under different specialties; (ii) age range, with emphasis on those 18 years and over; and (iii) proportion of patients admitted to the general adolescent ward.

Methods: Data on adolescent and young adult admissions to Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) were collected prospectively from July 2000 to June 2008.

Results: Adolescents and young adults accounted for one fifth (range 18–22%) of all admissions to PMH. Over the 8‐year period, the number of adolescent and young adult admissions increased from 3935 (54% males) to 4967 (56% males) per year. The proportion admitted to the general adolescent ward ranged from 22% to 36%. The three specialties admitting the most adolescents and young adults were General Surgery (11–13%), Orthopaedics (11–13%) and Oncology/Haematology (10–14%). The age range was: 12–14 years (57–67%); 15–17 (30–39%); 18+ (2–5%). At least 15 patients aged 20 or over were admitted each year, mostly for Dental or Plastic Surgery.

Conclusions: Adolescent and young adult health is part of the core business of paediatrics. This should be reflected in the planning of future paediatric services. All trainees require some basic training, regardless of heir specialty area.
The impact of ear, nose and throat surgery on children's subsequent use of health services: An 8‐year cohort study
Authors: Rob Marilyn I , Westbrook Johanna I
Published: October 2009

Aim:  High rates of paediatric ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgery persist. Little is known about its impact on health service utilisation. This study investigated whether children who had ENT surgery used more health services prior to surgery (excluding the perisurgery period), and, if so, whether surgery resulted in reduced utilisation.

Methods:  A retrospective population cohort study of health services use (measured by Medicare claims) by 6239 New South Wales children from the time of their birth in January 1990 until December 1997. We compared: (i) number of claims during the 8‐year period for the 359 children who had privately‐funded ENT surgery (tonsillectomy, myringotomy or adenoidectomy) with claims made by 5880 children who did not have ENT surgery; and (ii) among children who had surgery: we compared claims made before surgery with those made after surgery.

Results:  Children who had privately funded ENT surgery (comprising 59% of all paediatric ENT surgery) used significantly more services than other children in total (103.8 claims vs. 57.1 over 8 years) and in each three months of age from birth to eight years, including services for non‐ENT‐related conditions. Tonsillectomy resulted in a decline in claims, but not to the level of children who did not have surgery. Most children who had myringotomy continued high‐level health services use following surgery.

Conclusions:  High volume health services utilisation is a potential predictor of ENT surgery in this population. These results suggest a need to investigate non‐clinical factors that influence service utilisation, which may include higher parental expectations or anxiety regarding their children's health.
Food‐entrainable circadian oscillators in the brain
Authors: Verwey M. , Amir S.
Published: October 2009

Circadian rhythms in mammalian behaviour and physiology rely on daily oscillations in the expression of canonical clock genes. Circadian rhythms in clock gene expression are observed in the master circadian clock, the suprachiasmatic nucleus but are also observed in many other brain regions that have diverse roles, including influences on motivational and emotional state, learning, hormone release and feeding. Increasingly, important links between circadian rhythms and metabolism are being uncovered. In particular, restricted feeding (RF) schedules which limit food availability to a single meal each day lead to the induction and entrainment of circadian rhythms in food‐anticipatory activities in rodents. Food‐anticipatory activities include increases in core body temperature, activity and hormone release in the hours leading up to the predictable mealtime. Crucially, RF schedules and the accompanying food‐anticipatory activities are also associated with shifts in the daily oscillation of clock gene expression in diverse brain areas involved in feeding, energy balance, learning and memory, and motivation. Moreover, lesions of specific brain nuclei can affect the way rats will respond to RF, but have generally failed to eliminate all food‐anticipatory activities. As a consequence, it is likely that a distributed neural system underlies the generation and regulation of food‐anticipatory activities under RF. Thus, in the future, we would suggest that a more comprehensive approach should be taken, one that investigates the interactions between multiple circadian oscillators in the brain and body, and starts to report on potential neural systems rather than individual and discrete brain areas.
Timing and anticipation: conceptual and methodological approaches
Authors: Balsam Peter , Sanchez‐Castillo Hugo , Taylor Kathleen , Van Volkinburg Heather , Ward Ryan D.
Published: October 2009

Anticipation occurs on timescales ranging from milliseconds to hours to days. This paper relates the theoretical and methodological developments in the study of interval timing in the seconds, minutes and hours range to research on the anticipatory activity induced by regularly timed daily meals. Daily food‐anticipatory activity (FAA) is entrained by procedures which are formally identical to procedures studied in Pavlovian and operant conditioning except for the long duration of the interval between feeding opportunities. As in FAA, the conditioning procedures induce orderly anticipatory activity in advance of food presentation. During the interval between foods the behaviors that express anticipation change as the interval progresses. Consequently, no single response represents a pure measure of anticipation. The ability to distinguish between properties of general anticipatory timing mechanisms such as the scalar property (Gibbon, 1977) and dynamic properties of specific response output systems has been facilitated by teaching animals to use arbitrary anticipatory responses like bar‐pressing to obtain food. Interval timing research highlights the importance of identifying the mechanisms of perception, memory, decision making and motivation that all contribute to food anticipation. We suggest that future work focused on the similarities and differences in the neural bases of FAA and interval timing may be useful in unravelling the mechanisms mediating timing behavior.
Theoretical and conceptual issues in time–place discrimination
Authors: Crystal Jonathon D.
Published: October 2009

The need to discover resources that are available under specific environmental constraints represents a fundamental environmental pressure on the evolution of behavior. Time–place discrimination refers to the ability to secure resources when they are available under specific temporal and spatial contingencies. This article reviews a number of examples of time–place discrimination. The review highlights theoretical and conceptual issues that are needed to behaviorally identify the mechanisms responsible for time–place performance. Next, limitations on time–place performance that may be imposed by a circadian system are described. Finally, a number of lines of research that broaden these limitations are discussed. These lines of research include studies that suggest that (i) a broad range of long intervals (outside the limited range of circadian entrainment) are timed, (ii) at least some long intervals (16–21 h) are timed with an endogenous self‐sustaining oscillator, (iii) short intervals (in the range of 1–3 min) are timed with an endogenous self‐sustaining oscillator, and (iv) memory for specific unique events (including when and where they occurred) is based on a circadian representation of time. It is concluded that a unified theory of timing that can retain the times of occurrence of individual events is needed. The time of occurrence of an event may be encoded not only with respect to a circadian oscillator but also with respect to other oscillators in the long‐interval and short‐interval ranges.
Relationship of arousal to circadian anticipatory behavior: ventromedial hypothalamus: one node in a hunger–arousal network
Authors: Ribeiro Ana C. , LeSauter Joseph , Dupré Christophe , Pfaff Donald W.
Published: October 2009

The mechanisms by which animals adapt to an ever‐changing environment have long fascinated scientists. Different forces, conveying information regarding various aspects of the internal and external environment, interact with each other to modulate behavioral arousal. These forces can act in concert or, at times, in opposite directions. These signals eventually converge and are integrated to influence a common arousal pathway which, depending on all the information received from the environment, supports the activation of the most appropriate behavioral response. In this review we propose that the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMN) is part of the circuitry that controls food anticipation. It is the first nucleus activated when there is a change in the time of food availability, silencing of VMN ghrelin receptors decreases food‐anticipatory activity (FAA) and, although lesions of the VMN do not abolish FAA, parts of the response are often altered. In proposing this model it is not our intention to exclude parallel, redundant and possibly interacting pathways that may ultimately communicate with, or work in concert with, the proposed network, but rather to describe the neuroanatomical requirements for this circuit and to illustrate how the VMN is strategically placed and connected to mediate this complex behavioral adaptation.
Complex regional influence of photoperiod on the nycthemeral functioning of the dorsal and median raphé serotoninergic system in the Syrian hamster
Authors: Nexon Laurent , Poirel Vincent‐J. , Clesse Daniel , Pévet Paul , Raison Sylvie
Published: October 2009

The Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) is a widely used species for the study of biological clock synchronization and photoperiodism. The serotoninergic system arising from the median (MnR) and the dorsal raphé (DR) is a major actor in circadian clock synchronization. This serotoninergic system is also associated with functions and behaviours influenced by seasonal changes. The aim of the present study was to assess the influence of photoperiod on the daily functioning of the MnR and DR serotoninergic system. The morphology of both raphé nuclei was analysed in hamsters kept under long and short photoperiod by immunocytochemical detection of two markers of the serotoninergic system, serotonin and tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH, the rate‐limiting enzyme of serotonin synthesis). The morphological analysis revealed a fairly complex morphological organization of the DR and MnR along their caudo‐rostral extent. This morphological organisation was similar in the two photoperiods. However, quantification of several markers of serotonin (5‐HT) synthesis in the DR and MnR revealed a time‐dependent functioning of serotoninergic cells that was locally influenced by photoperiod. In particular, the significant daily variations of tph2‐mRNA and TPH levels in the rostral MnR, and of the 5‐HT/5‐HIAA (5‐hydroxyindoleacetic acid) ratio within the suprachiasmatic nuclei, were abolished under short photoperiod. The results are discussed with regard to the known physiological role of the serotoninergic system on the biological clock.
Proliferation ofStreptococcus zooepidemicusandPseudomonas aeruginosawithin a simulated subpalpebral lavage flushed with equine serum
Authors: Jacobi Susan , Townsend Wendy M. , Bolin Carole A.
Published: October 2009

Objective To evaluate whether equine serum administered via a simulated subpalpebral lavage system (SPL) supports proliferation ofStreptococcus zooepidemicusorPseudomonas aeruginosawithin the tubing.

Procedures A sterile i.v. catheter with injection cap was inserted into sterilized silicone tubing (Mila®). To mimic an SPL within the dorsal conjunctival fornix, the tubing was secured to an elevated platform. The tip of the tubing extended from the platform into a vial containing culture medium just inoculated with approximately 1.5 × 108CFU/mLP. aeruginosaorS. zooepidemicus. To mimic administration of medication, the tubing was infused twice daily with equine serum, sterile saline (negative control), or culture medium (positive control) followed by air. Incubation was at 25 or 37 °C. At 24, 48, and 72 h postinoculation, samples were obtained for bacterial culture from one simulated SPL for each experimental variant. The following sections were cultured: (i) tubing tip previously submerged in the inoculated culture medium, (ii) tubing mid‐section, and (iii) tip of the i.v. catheter. The experiment was performed in triplicate.

Results Streptococcus zooepidemicusorP. aeruginosawere isolated from 100% of the tubing tips.Streptococcus zooepidemicuswas isolated from one mid‐section flushed with culture medium incubated at 37 °C. All other samples were negative for growth of the inoculated agents.

Conclusions Streptococcus zooepidemicusandP. aeruginosadid not proliferate within silicone tubing infused with equine serum. These data suggest that topical serum can be safely administered through a superiorly placed SPL in clinical cases.
Intracapsular lensectomy and sulcus intraocular lens fixation in dogs with primary lens luxation or subluxation
Authors: Stuhr Charles M. , Schilke Hillary K. , Forte Christina
Published: October 2009

Objective  To evaluate the postoperative results of lensectomy and sulcus intraocular lens fixation (SIOLF) via an ab interno approach in dogs with progressive lens subluxation or early luxation.

Study design  Retrospective study.

Animals studied  Twenty eyes from 19 dogs presented to the Animal Eye Clinic for lens luxation or subluxation between 1999 and 2006.

Methods  Medical records were reviewed to evaluate preoperative lens position, vision status, intraocular pressure (IOP), and whether surgery was performed on an emergent or elective nature. Lensectomy and SIOLF were performed and postoperative status including vision, glaucoma, and retinal detachment was assessed.

Results  Average age was 8.6 years (range 4–14 years) and 55% (11/20) were terriers. Patients were followed a mean of 29.2 months (range 1–92 months) after surgery. Retinal detachment or secondary glaucoma was observed in 1 of 20 (5%) and 5 of 20 (20%) eyes, respectively, with 1 of 20 (5%) exhibiting both. Mean preoperative IOP was 16 mmHg and preoperative lens position was equally divided between luxated and subluxated lenses. Surgery was performed more frequently as an elective procedure (18/20; 90%) due to normalized IOP vs. an emergency procedure (2/20; 10%). Vision was retained in 70% (14/20) of eyes with a mean time to vision loss of 41 months in the remaining eyes due to glaucoma, retinal detachment, or retinal degeneration.

Conclusions  Complications of glaucoma and retinal detachment after SIOLF in this study were less when compared with previously reported incidence rates in the literature for lensectomy alone which may reflect improved patient selection.
The histopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics of pigmentary and cystic glaucoma in the Golden Retriever
Authors: Esson Douglas , Armour Micki , Mundy Patricia , Schobert Charles S. , Dubielzig Richard R.
Published: October 2009

A clinical syndrome comprising the formation of thin‐walled cysts within the posterior chamber, proteinaceous exudation, and pigment dispersion, which typically culminates in glaucoma is recognized in the Golden Retriever breed. Although not uncommon, this syndrome has been relatively infrequently documented in the literature, particularly from a histological standpoint. Fifteen globes from Golden Retrievers presented to Eye Care for Animals between 2003 and 2009 were evaluated by routine hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) as well as immunohistochemical staining. Alcian blue, periodic acid Schiff (PAS), Masson’s trichrome, Cytokeratin, Vimentin, Neuron Specific Enolase (NSE), S‐100, and smooth muscle actin staining were performed. The thin‐walled cysts stained positive with Vimentin, NSE, and S‐100 in 15/15 globes, consistent with a ciliary body epithelial cellular origin. No globes demonstrated goniodysgenesis. All 15 globes exhibited free pigment within the trabecular meshwork. Little to no inflammatory infiltrate was noted in 15/15 eyes. These findings suggest that the term ‘uveitis’ may be an inappropriate description of this syndrome.
Single‐port, single‐operator‐light endoscopic robot‐assisted laparoscopic urology: pilot study in a pig model
Authors: Crouzet Sebastien , Haber Georges‐Pascal , White Wesley M. , Kamoi Kazumi , Goel Raj K. , Kaouk Jihad H.
Published: October 2009

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

OBJECTIVES

To present our initial operative experience in which single‐port‐light endoscopic robot‐assisted reconstructive and extirpative urological surgery was performed by one surgeon, using a pig model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This pilot study was conducted in male farm pigs to determine the feasibility and safety of single‐port, single‐surgeon urological surgery. All pigs had a general anaesthetic and were placed in the flank position. A 2‐cm umbilical incision was made, through which a single port was placed and pneumoperitoneum obtained. An operative laparoscope was introduced and securely held using a novel low‐profile robot under foot and/or voice control. Using articulating instruments, each pig had bilateral reconstructive and extirpative renal surgery. Salient intraoperative and postmortem data were recorded. Results were analysed statistically to determine if outcomes improved with surgeon experience.

RESULTS

Five male farm pigs underwent bilateral partial nephrectomy and bilateral pyeloplasty before a completion bilateral radical nephrectomy. There were no intraoperative complications and there was no need for additional ports to be placed. The mean (range) operative duration for partial nephrectomy, pyeloplasty, and nephrectomy were 120 (100–150), 110 (95–130) and 20 (15–30) min, respectively. The mean (range) estimated blood loss for all procedures was 240 (200–280) mL. The preparation time decreased with increasing number of cases (P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

The combination of a single‐port, a robotic endoscope holder and articulated instruments operated by one surgeon is feasible. With a single‐port access, the robot allows more room to the surgeon than an assistant.
Regional variations in small intestinal submucosa evoke differences in inflammation with subsequent impact on tissue regeneration in the rat bladder augmentation model
Authors: Ashley Richard A. , Roth Christopher C. , Palmer Blake W. , Kibar Yusuf , Routh Jonathan C. , Fung Kar‐Ming , Frimberger Dominic , Lin Hsueh‐Kung , Kropp Bradley P.
Published: October 2009

OBJECTIVE

To examine the histological differences in the inflammatory response and regenerative outcomes of distal vs proximal porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) grafts in the rat bladder, as SIS from distal small intestine yields reliable and reproducible bladder regeneration, while SIS from proximal portions of small intestine does not provide similar results.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In all, 30 Sprague‐Dawley rats underwent hemi‐cystectomy followed by anastomosis of a bladder patch of SIS prepared from either distal or proximal small intestine. After bladder harvest, immunohistochemistry was used to quantify mast cells, eosinophils, macrophages, and neutrophils (PMNs). Total cell count per unit area was compared across the time course in univariate and logistic regression modelling.

RESULTS

There were more eosinophils and mast cells in proximal SIS grafts, while there were more macrophages and PMNs in distal SIS grafts (all P < 0.05). Trichrome analysis showed increased collagen deposition in proximal SIS grafts and little smooth muscle regeneration. There was also significant graft contracture in proximal SIS grafts compared with distal SIS grafts (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that the location of SIS origin may evoke different inflammatory responses, which results in altered bladder tissue regeneration.
The role of nocturia in the quality of life of men with lower urinary tract symptoms
Authors: Van Dijk Marleen M. , Wijkstra Hessel , Debruyne Frans M. , De La Rosette Jean J.M.C.H. , Michel Martin C.
Published: October 2009

Study Type – Symptom prevalence (retrospective cohort) Level of Evidence 2b

OBJECTIVES

To determine the role of treatment‐associated improvement in nocturia in health‐related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia, and secondarily to confirm the role of nocturia in HRQL at baseline and to compare the effects of watchful waiting, transurethral microwave treatment (TUMT) and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) to those of α1‐adrenoceptor antagonists (α‐blockers) on nocturia.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively analysed using multiple regression a large single‐centre database of patients receiving routine care for treatment‐associated alterations of symptoms and HRQL (assessed at baseline, 2611 men) and 6–12 months after initiation of treatment (1258 men).

RESULTS

Among the symptoms assessed using the International Prostate Symptom Score, nocturia (together with urgency and weak stream) had the strongest correlation with HRQL at baseline and after treatment. Watchful waiting, α‐blockers, TUMT and TURP reduced nocturia episodes by a mean (sd) of 7 (53)%, 17 (40)%, 32 (47)% and 75 (23)%, respectively. The treatment‐associated improvements in nocturia (together with those of weak stream) had the strongest association with those of HRQL.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that among all LUTS assessed in the IPSS, nocturia has one of the strongest associations with HRQL, and that treatment‐associated improvements in nocturia contribute considerably to overall improvements in HRQL.
The 12‐year symptomatic outcome of transurethral resection of the prostate for patients with lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic obstruction compared to the urodynamic findings before surgery
Authors: Masumori Naoya , Furuya Ryoji , Tanaka Yoshinori , Furuya Seiji , Ogura Hiroshi , Tsukamoto Taiji
Published: October 2009

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

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether bladder outlet obstruction (BOO), detrusor underactivity (DUA) and detrusor overactivity (DO) affect the long‐term outcome of transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) for patients having lower urinary tract symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic obstruction.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Of 92 patients who had TURP after a urodynamic study between 1995 and 1997, 43 (47%) were alive at the time of the survey in February 2008. Nine patients were excluded because of prostate cancer, neurological diseases and the impossibility of symptomatic examination. The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and quality‐of‐life (QoL) index were determined at baseline, 3 months, 3, 7 and 12 years after surgery for 34 patients.

RESULTS

Although the improved IPSS and QoL index at 3 months gradually deteriorated with time, patients at 12 years were still significantly better than those at baseline. The IPSS in patients without BOO deteriorated faster than in those with it, whereas neither DUA nor DO influenced the slope of change in IPSS. Regardless of the preoperative urodynamic findings, the QoL index remained improved for 12 years. Two‐thirds of patients with DUA but not BOO were satisfied with their urinary condition at 12 years.

CONCLUSION

The symptomatic improvement provided by TURP lasts for >10 years, although there is a gradual deterioration with time. The QoL index remained improved for 12 years regardless of the preoperative urodynamic findings.
Development and validation of an Arabic version of the International Prostate Symptom Score
Authors: Hammad Fayez T. , Kaya Mohammed A.
Published: October 2009

OBJECTIVE

To develop and validate an Arabic version of the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS).

PATIENTS, SUBJECTS AND METHODS

An Arabic version of the IPSS (IPSS‐Arb) was developed through a series of translations and modifications which involved the authors, urology and non‐urology medical and nursing staff. The validity and reliability were assessed in 76 patients with urinary symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and in 63 control subjects without BPH; 25 patients had transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) whereas the remaining 51 patients were treated with terazosin. The reliability of the IPSS‐Arb was assessed by determining the internal consistency (Cronbach’s α coefficient) and by assessing the test‐retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient, ICC). Construct validity was assessed by determining the correlation between the IPSS‐Arb scores and the quality‐of‐life question (QoL‐Arb), and by determining the ability of the IPSS‐Arb to discriminate between the patients and controls by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

RESULTS

The Cronbach’s α coefficient (internal consistency) for the IPSS‐Arb was 0.85, and 0.78–0.88 for the individual items. The test‐retest reliability (ICC) was 0.88 (P < 0.001). In addition, the IPSS‐Arb had a high correlation with the QoL‐Arb (Spearman rank correlation coefficient 0.82, P = 0.01). The mean (sem, 95% confidence interval) area under the ROC curve for the IPSS‐Arb was 0.93 (0.09, 0.89–0.97), whereas the area for its individual questions was 0.79–0.90. The IPSS‐Arb also showed a high sensitivity to change. The mean (sd) IPSS‐Arb scores before and after TURP were 23.1 (6.4) and 6.9 (1.8), respectively (P < 0.001); in the terazosin group, the scores were 12.6 (7.4) and 8.2 (4.0), respectively (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The IPSS‐Arb was shown to be a reliable and valid instrument for patients with BPH. We recommend using it for patient assessment and follow‐up, and as a research tool in Arabic‐speaking patients both in the Middle East and worldwide. In addition, this study provided another proof of the wide suitability of the IPSS among various nations worldwide.
The effect of nitric oxide on adherence of P‐fimbriated uropathogenic Escherichia coli to human renal epithelial cells
Authors: Svensson Lovisa , Säve Susanne , Persson Katarina
Published: October 2009

OBJECTIVES

To examine the effect of nitric oxide (NO), an endogenous component of the host defence in urinary tract infection, on the adherence of P‐fimbriated uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) to human renal epithelial cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two wild‐type UPEC strains (AD110 and IA2) and the P‐fimbriated recombinant strain HB101pPIL‐75 were used. Bacteria were allowed to adhere to the human renal epithelial cell line A498 and attachment was evaluated in the absence or presence of the NO donor DETA/NONOate (1 mm). Total RNA was extracted from NO‐exposed bacteria in static urine cultures, followed by semi‐quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) analysis of the papG gene that encodes the P‐fimbriae adhesin PapG.

RESULTS

Bacterial adherence to A498 cells was fimbriae‐dependent and the ability to agglutinate human P1 positive erythrocytes confirmed that the used strains were P‐fimbriated. UPEC strains AD110 and IA2 attached by a mean of 8 bacteria/cell and 20 bacteria/cell, respectively. In the presence of DETA/NONOate, the attachment of AD110 and IA2 to A498 cells was significantly reduced by a mean (sem) of 34 (3.9)% and 45 (14)%, respectively. The expression of papG was decreased after DETA/NONOate exposure as shown by semiquantitative RT‐PCR.

CONCLUSION

NO disrupted functional adhesion of P‐fimbriated UPEC to kidney epithelial cells, suggesting that NO‐production from epithelial cells in the urinary tract may limit bacterial colonization at the mucosal surface. The reduced adherence may involve transcriptional effects of NO on papG expression, but further studies are needed to establish the underlying mechanisms.
A double‐blind placebo‐controlled study of the efficacy and safety of pentoxifylline in early chronic Peyronie’s disease
Authors: Safarinejad Mohammad Reza , Asgari Majid Ali , Hosseini Seyyed Yousof , Dadkhah Farid
Published: October 2009

Study Type – Therapy (RCT) Level of Evidence 1b

OBJECTIVE

To analyse the safety and efficacy of pentoxifylline sustained‐release (PTX‐SR) treatment in patients with early chronic Peyronie’s disease (PD).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In all, 228 patients with a mean (sd) age of 51 (9) years who had early chronic PD were randomized to receive 400 mg PTX‐SR (Apo‐Pentoxifylline, Apotex Inc., Toronto, Canada) twice daily (group 1, 114) or similar regimen of placebo (group 2, 114) for 6 months. A medical history was taken and the men had a complete physical examination. The following variables were assessed before and after therapy: penile curvature and penile artery spectral traces (end‐diastolic velocity, EDV, peak systolic velocity, PSV, and resistivity index, RI, of the right and left cavernous arteries assessed with dynamic penile duplex ultrasonography), plaque characteristics (assessed by penile X‐ray and penile ultrasonography), pain (assessed by visual analogue scale), erectile function (assessed by the International Index of Erectile Function, IIEF questionnaire), treatment satisfaction (assessed by Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction questionnaire), and side‐effects. Patient perception of penile curvature and plaque size, and mean weekly intercourse attempts were also assessed.

RESULTS

Overall, 36.9% of patients who received PTX‐SR reported a positive response, vs only 4.5% in the placebo group. Of patients in PTX‐SR group, 12 (11%) had disease progression, vs 46 (42%) in placebo group (P = 0.01). Improvement in penile curvature (P = 0.01), and plaque volume (P = 0.001) was significantly greater in patients treated with PTX‐SR than placebo. The increase in IIEF total score was significantly higher in the PTX‐SR group (P = 0.02). Mean PSV changes after therapy compared to baseline were statistically significant between PTX‐SR (right, +11.4%, left, +11.7%) and placebo‐treated (+0.2% and −4.2%, respectively) patients (both P = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

PTX‐R was moderately effective in reducing penile curvature and plaque volume in patients with early chronic PD. Further studies with different treatment regimens are needed to better elucidate the beneficial effects of PTX‐SR in PD.
Community cohesion after a natural disaster: insights from a Carlisle flood
Authors: Chang Kirk
Published: October 2009

This project analysed changes in community cohesion following a natural disaster. Data were collected from a flood‐affected community using a questionnaire survey. Analyses revealed that community cohesion was not predicted by the length of residence, or any other demographic characteristic of residents, but rather by a sense of community, community cognition and the degree of community participation. Cohesion alteration was not uniform, but varied along levels of hazard severity (degree of flood invasion). Cohesion increased in line with hazard severity at the initial flood stage, as residents recognised the importance of community unity and came together to cope with their losses. When the severity increased, residents transferred their focus to individual interests, which resulted in decreased cohesion. This project distinguishes itself in examining community cohesion in the wake of a natural disaster in the real world. Implications regarding community reconstruction and suggestions for hazard researchers are discussed accordingly.
Urban earthquake hazard: perceived seismic risk and preparedness in Dhaka City, Bangladesh
Authors: Paul Bimal Kanti , Bhuiyan Rejuan Hossain
Published: October 2009

Bangladesh is vulnerable to seismic events. Experts suspect that if an earthquake with a 7.0 magnitude occurred in large cities of Bangladesh, there would be a major human tragedy due to the structural failure of many buildings. The primary objectives of this paper are to examine seismic risk perception among residents of Dhaka City and investigate their levels of earthquake preparedness. A questionnaire survey conducted among 444 residents of the city provided the major source of data for the paper. The survey results suggest that an overwhelming majority of the respondents were not prepared for a major earthquake, which is anticipated to occur in Dhaka. Multivariate analysis of survey data reveals that value of residential unit and respondent educational levels appear as the most significant determinants of preparedness status of the respondents. This study recommends increasing earthquake awareness and preparedness among residents of Dhaka City.
Organisational socialisation in a crisis context
Authors: Lalonde Carole
Published: October 2009

The objective of this paper is to highlight the dimensions characterising the socialisation process in a crisis context. Based on the definition of organisational socialisation advanced by Van Maanen and Schein (1979) and employed later by Jones (1986), a crisis is presented as a passage from a ‘normal’ situation to an ‘exceptional’ situation. A crisis represents a socialisation context in the sense that it is a novel state in which actors must develop a different way of mobilising their knowledge, utilising their skills, and practicing their trade or profession. The paper discusses certain findings that have emerged from the literature on organisational socialisation, as well as from the testimony of actors who participated in efforts to manage the Quebec ice‐storm crisis of early 1998. It is hoped that this exploratory study's data will give rise to fruitful interaction between the field of organisational socialisation and that of crisis management.
The Meaning of ‘Most’: Semantics, Numerosity and Psychology
Authors: PIETROSKI PAUL , LIDZ JEFFREY , HUNTER TIM , HALBERDA JUSTIN
Published: October 2009

The meaning of ‘most’ can be described in many ways. We offer a framework for distinguishing semantic descriptions, interpreted as psychological hypotheses that go beyond claims about sentential truth conditions, and an experiment that tells against an attractive idea: ‘most’ is understood in terms of one‐to‐one correspondence. Adults evaluated ‘Most of the dots are yellow’, as true or false, on many trials in which yellow dots and blue dots were displayed for 200 ms. Displays manipulated the ease of using a ‘one‐to‐one with remainder’ strategy, and a strategy of using the Approximate Number System to compare of (approximations of) cardinalities. Interpreting such data requires care in thinking about how meaning is related to verification. But the results suggest that ‘most’ is understood in terms of cardinality comparison, even when counting is impossible.
The Vernacular Concept of Innateness
Authors: GRIFFITHS PAUL , MACHERY EDOUARD , LINQUIST STEFAN
Published: October 2009

The proposal that the concept of innateness expresses a ‘folk biological’ theory of the ‘inner natures' of organisms was tested by examining the response of biologically naive participants to a series of realistic scenarios concerning the development of birdsong. Our results explain the intuitive appeal of existing philosophical analyses of the innateness concept. They simultaneously explain why these analyses are subject to compelling counterexamples. We argue that this explanation undermines the appeal of these analyses, whether understood as analyses of the vernacular concept or as explications of that concept for the purposes of science.
SUBJECTIVE PROBABILITIES IN GAMES: AN APPLICATION TO THE OVERBIDDING PUZZLE*
Authors: Armantier Olivier , Treich Nicolas
Published: October 2009

This article illustrates how the joint elicitation of subjective probabilities and preferences may help us understand behavior in games. We conduct an experiment to test whether biased probabilistic beliefs may explain overbidding in first‐price auctions. The experimental outcomes indicate that subjects underestimate their probability of winning the auction, and indeed overbid. When provided with feedback on the precision of their predictions, subjects learn to make better predictions, and to curb significantly overbidding. The structural estimation of different behavioral models suggests that biased probabilistic beliefs are a driving force behind overbidding, and that risk aversion plays a lesser role than previously believed.
HETEROGENEOUS BORROWERS IN QUANTITATIVE MODELS OF SOVEREIGN DEFAULT*
Authors: Hatchondo Juan Carlos , Martinez Leonardo , Sapriza Horacio
Published: October 2009

We extend the model used in recent quantitative studies of sovereign default, allowing policymakers of different types to stochastically alternate in power. We show that a default episode may be triggered by a change in the type of policymaker in office, and that such a default is likely to occur only if there is enough political stability and if policymakers encounter poor economic conditions. Under high political stability, political turnover enables the model to generate a weaker correlation between economic conditions and default decisions, a higher and more volatile spread, and lower borrowing levels after a default episode.
SIMULTANEOUS MEASUREMENT OF TIME AND RISK PREFERENCES: STATED PREFERENCE DISCRETE CHOICE MODELING ANALYSIS DEPENDING ON SMOKING BEHAVIOR*
Authors: Ida Takanori , Goto Rei
Published: October 2009

Measuring time and risk preferences and relating them to economic behaviors are important topics in behavioral economics. We developed a new method to simultaneously measure the rate of time preference and the coefficient of risk aversion. Analyzing the individual‐level relationships between preference parameters and cigarette smoking, we conclude that current smokers are more impatient and risk‐prone than nonsmokers. Heavy smokers are the most impatient and risk‐prone, whereas ex‐smokers are the most patient and risk‐averse. Among nonsmokers, neither age‐related nor gender‐related differences were found. On the other hand, risk and time preferences are significantly different according to age and gender for smokers.
DEMAND FOR AND REGULATION OF CARDIAC SERVICES*
Authors: Trogdon Justin G.
Published: October 2009

Centralization of cardiac services can increase hospital surgery volumes and decrease access for patients. This study estimates the effects of changes in the regulation of cardiac services on treatments, mortality, and utility. Demand for surgery services by heart attack victims who form expectations of the need for and productivity of surgery in their choice of hospital and treatment is estimated. The results indicate that mortality and ex ante utility are insensitive to moderate changes in policy: Changes in surgery volume and travel costs offset one another. Despite similar health outcomes, the competing policies have different implications for taxpayers.
THE TRANSMISSION OF MONETARY POLICY IN A MULTISECTOR ECONOMY*
Authors: Bouakez Hafedh , Cardia Emanuela , Ruge‐Murcia Francisco J.
Published: October 2009

This article constructs and estimates a sticky‐price, Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium model with heterogeneous production sectors. Firms in different sectors vary in their price rigidity, production technology, and the combination of material and investment inputs. In particular, firms buy inputs from all sectors using the actual Input–Output Matrix and Capital Flow Table of the U.S. economy. By relaxing the standard assumption of symmetry, this model allows idiosyncratic sectoral dynamics in response to monetary policy shocks. The model is estimated by the Generalized Method of Moments using sectoral and aggregate U.S. time series.
THE IMPACT OF OIL PRICE SHOCKS ON THE U.S. STOCK MARKET*
Authors: Kilian Lutz , Park Cheolbeom
Published: October 2009

It is shown that the reaction of U.S. real stock returns to an oil price shock differs greatly depending on whether the change in the price of oil is driven by demand or supply shocks in the oil market. The demand and supply shocks driving the global crude oil market jointly account for 22% of the long‐run variation in U.S. real stock returns. The responses of industry‐specific U.S. stock returns to demand and supply shocks in the crude oil market are consistent with accounts of the transmission of oil price shocks that emphasize the reduction in domestic final demand.
Which is more critical in identification of random figures, endpoints or closures?1
Authors: KANBE FUMIO
Published: October 2009

The present study intended to examine the criticality of the presence of endpoints and its complementary state, the presence of closures, in early figural identification. Three experiments used a same/different judgment task for simultaneously presented pairs of random figures. Rigorous control over the selections of stimulus figures containing closures and endpoints was ensured. Latencies predicted by six explanations of figural identification (i.e. parallel and the presence of endpoint detection; parallel and closure detection; serial, exhaustive and endpoint detection; serial, exhaustive and closure detection; serial, self‐terminating and endpoint detection; and serial, self‐terminating and closure detection) were evaluated by the obtained patterns of latencies. The experiments persistently indicated that serial, self‐terminating feature detections were executed as the means of the identification. Experiments 1 and 2 showed that closures were detected faster than endpoints. Experiment 3 further suggested that multiple closures were detected faster than a single closure.
Nine‐ to 11‐month‐old infants' reasoning about causality in anomalous human movements1
Authors: KOSUGI DAISUKE , ISHIDA HIRAKU , MURAI CHIZUKO , FUJITA KAZUO
Published: October 2009

Two habituation experiments investigated 9–11‐month‐old infants' reasoning about causality in anomalous human movements. During habituation, infants saw an event in which a person walked toward a stationary person behind an occluder who fell down after an interval. Then, the infants were tested with two events without the occluder: the contact event in which the first person pushed the second one to fall down and the no‐contact event in which the second person fell down without any contact. In Experiment 1, in which the persons were face‐to‐back, infants looked at the no‐contact event for a longer time, whereas in Experiment 2, in which the persons were face‐to‐face, they looked at both the events for equal duration. Thus, infants considered it unnatural when a person fell down without external force in the absence of any action from a distance (e.g. communication). Infants seem to apply the physical contact principles to human movements in certain cases.
Perceived certainty based on verbal probability phrases: Effect of directionality and its dependence on method
Authors: HONDA HIDEHITO , YAMAGISHI KIMIHIKO
Published: October 2009

Verbal probability phrases (e.g. “possible” or “doubtful”) have a feature called “directionality” (Teigen & Brun, 1995), which focuses listeners on event occurrence or nonoccurrence. We conducted an experiment about certainty estimations based on verbal probabilities in order to examine the effect of directionality on perceived certainty. In measuring perceived certainty, we used scale‐based method involving responses with a scale (e.g. 101 points' scale, 0 = unlikely to 100 = likely) and numerical method involving responses such as “50%.” We found that, although the effect of directionality on perceived certainty was observed in using the scale‐based method, the effect disappeared when the numerical method was used. We discuss these results from two types of information processing (intuitive, associative processing and deliberate, rule‐based processing).
Mean recovery rate: A simple measure of recovery uncontaminated by the carryover effect
Authors: SAWADA YUKIHIRO , KATO YUICHI
Published: October 2009

Assessment of recovery is important for the investigation of stress but has been compounded by difficulties, in particular contamination by the carryover effect. In the present study, the mean recovery rate (MRR) was used in order to overcome this difficulty. First, the validity of the MRR was demonstrated theoretically. Second, it was demonstrated experimentally, when a comparison was made with the validity of the mean recovery per se. In the experiment, data on beat‐by‐beat systolic blood pressure, obtained from 18 participants before, during, and after mental arithmetic, were used as a typical sample. The implications of these results for the understanding of recovery measures are discussed.
Meta‐stereotype as an indicator of intergroup attitude: How Japanese perceive they are viewed by Koreans
Authors: KIM JIYOON , OE TOMOKO
Published: October 2009

Meta‐stereotype refers to individuals' predictions about how their group is viewed by an outgroup rather than their own impressions about the outgroup (i.e. other‐stereotype). We posited that, because of their inferential nature, meta‐stereotypes can be affected by evaluational aspects, and that being liked or disliked can evoke reciprocal feelings toward the outgroup. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether meta‐stereotypes are predictive of implicitly measured attitudes toward an outgroup by focusing on the Japanese meta‐stereotype of Koreans. Japanese participants answered questions about their meta‐ and other‐stereotype of Koreans and completed the Implicit Association Test (IAT) to assess their attitudes toward Koreans relative to their ingroup. The results indicated that meta‐stereotypes, particularly those for negative items, were related to the IAT‐assessed relative attitudes toward the outgroup, whereas other‐stereotypes were not. The indicative aspects of meta‐stereotypes with respect to attitudes toward outgroups are discussed.