bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Concept of Vulnerable/Unstable Plaque
Authors: Finn Aloke V. , Nakano Masataka , Narula Jagat , Kolodgie Frank D. , Virmani Renu
Published: June 2010

Today’s concept of vulnerable plaque has evolved primarily from the early pioneering work uncovering the pivotal role of plaque rupture and coronary thrombosis as the major cause of acute myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death. Since the first historical description of plaque rupture in 1844, several key studies by leading researchers and clinicians have lead to the current accepted views on lesion instability. Important to the complex paradigm of plaque destabilization and thrombosis are many discoveries beginning with the earliest descriptions of advanced plaques, reminiscent of abscesses encapsulated by fibrous tissue capable of rupture. It was not until the late 1980s that studies of remodeling provided keen insight into the growth of advanced plaques, beyond the simple accumulation of lipid. The emphasis in the next decade, however, was on a focused shift toward the mechanisms of lesion vulnerability based on the contribution of tissue proteolysis by matrix metalloproteinases as an essential factor responsible for thinning and rupture of the fibrous cap. In an attempt to unify the understanding of what constitutes a vulnerable plaque, morphological studies, mostly from autopsy, suggest the importance of necrotic core size, inflammation, and fibrous cap thickness. Definitive proof of the vulnerable plaque, however, remains elusive because animal or human data supporting a cause-and-effect relationship are lacking. Although emerging imagining technologies involving optical coherence tomography, high-resolution MRI, molecular biomarkers, and other techniques have far surpassed the limits of the early days of angiography, advancing the field will require establishing relevant translational animal models that produce vulnerable plaques at risk for rupture and further testing of these modalities in large prospective clinical trials.
Exercise Hemodynamics Enhance Diagnosis of Early Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction
Authors: Borlaug Barry A. , Nishimura Rick A. , Sorajja Paul , Lam Carolyn S.P. , Redfield Margaret M.
Published: June 2010

Background—

When advanced, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is readily apparent. However, diagnosis of earlier disease may be challenging because exertional dyspnea is not specific for heart failure, and biomarkers and hemodynamic indicators of volume overload may be absent at rest.

Methods and Results—

Patients with exertional dyspnea and ejection fraction >50% were referred for hemodynamic catheterization. Those with no significant coronary disease, normal brain natriuretic peptide assay, and normal resting hemodynamics (mean pulmonary artery pressure <25 mm Hg and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure [PCWP] <15 mm Hg) (n=55) underwent exercise study. The exercise PCWP was used to classify patients as having HFpEF (PCWP ≥25 mm Hg) (n=32) or noncardiac dyspnea (PCWP <25 mm Hg) (n=23). At rest, patients with HFpEF had higher resting pulmonary artery pressure and PCWP, although all values fell within normal limits. Exercise-induced elevation in PCWP in HFpEF was confirmed by greater increases in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and was associated with blunted increases in heart rate, systemic vasodilation, and cardiac output. Exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension was present in 88% of patients with HFpEF and was related principally to elevated PCWP, as pulmonary vascular resistances dropped similarly in both groups. Exercise PCWP and pulmonary artery systolic pressure were highly correlated. An exercise pulmonary artery systolic pressure ≥45 mm Hg identified HFpEF with 96% sensitivity and 95% specificity.

Conclusions—

Euvolemic patients with exertional dyspnea, normal brain natriuretic peptide, and normal cardiac filling pressures at rest may have markedly abnormal hemodynamic responses during exercise, suggesting that chronic symptoms are related to heart failure. Earlier and more accurate diagnosis using exercise hemodynamics may allow better targeting of interventions to treat and prevent HFpEF progression.
What Do Reliquaries Do for Relics?
Authors: Hahn Cynthia
Published: June 2010

This article introduces prominent issues that surround the Christian use of reliquaries, first discussing examples from Trier made by the renowned Archbishop Egbert in the tenth century, then turning to early Christian texts to investigate the beginnings of relic practice and belief. Of special interest are the letters and poems of Paulinus of Nola, but also the commentaries of Augustine, Ambrose, Victricius of Rouen and others that flesh out an understanding of how reliquaries were essential to the project of creating an appropriate reverentia for relics (Peter Brown's term). The materiality of reliquaries, their creation of social relations, particular issues of enclosure and beauty, and questions of potential visibility are given special consideration.
Cities on Fire: Social Mobilization, State Policy, and Urban Insurgency
Authors: Staniland Paul
Published: June 2010

Major theories of civil war emphasize the social and military attributes of rural terrain as key causes of conflict. This focus has led scholars to ignore important urban insurgencies in the Middle East and South Asia. This article makes two arguments about the roots of urban insurgency. First, it shows that robust urban social mobilization is possible and common. This can provide a social base for rebellion in areas that prevailing theories deem unlikely sites of civil war. Second, the article argues that, given social mobilization, urban insurgency emerges when security forces are politically constrained in their use of violence, opening space for sustained violence. A study of the rise of insurgency in Karachi from 1978 to 1996 and discussions of Iraq and Northern Ireland illustrate the plausibility of this argument. State policy and strategy, rather than state capacity, can play a central role in civil war onset.
Normative Europeanization: The case of Swedish foreign policy reorientation
Authors: Brommesson Douglas
Published: June 2010

In this article, the concept Normative Europeanization is developed from a synthesis of Normative Power Europe (NPE) and Europeanization. It is argued that NPE has focused too narrowly on the external relations of the European Union (EU), while Europeanization has focused on changes in policy structures. The synthesis developed here overcomes these shortcomings by emphasizing normative internal relations within the EU. Normative Europeanization is defined as a top-down process based on the logic of appropriateness, where states with a close relationship to the EU, i.e. candidate and member states, develop a commitment to a European centre and their normative point of departure is changed. It is argued here that a process of normative Europeanization affects candidate countries and new EU members especially where pro-European norms are diffused through different mechanisms. The theoretical argument is illustrated through a case study on Swedish foreign policy reorientation during the 1990s. The empirical analysis is structured around two ideal types: internationalist foreign policy and normatively Europeanized foreign policy. Based on this analysis, it is concluded that Swedish foreign policy has undergone strong normative Europeanization.
Fighting Terrorism through the Rule of Law?
Authors: Choi Seung-Whan
Published: June 2010

The question of whether democratic institutions facilitate terrorist activities is a controversial one in current scientific studies of terrorism. Although the ‘‘rule of law’’ is an essential institutional pillar of any mature democracy, its direct effect on domestic and international terrorism remains unexplored. Conceiving democratic rule of law as the coexistence of effective and impartial judicial systems and citizens’ recognition of the law as legitimate, the author presents a causal explanation in which a high-quality rule of law is considered to dampen ordinary citizens’ opportunity and willingness to engage in political violence, protecting democracies from becoming victims of terrorism. Built on a cross-sectional, time-series data analysis of 131 countries during the period from 1984 to 2004, the author finds that, ceteris paribus, maintaining a sound rule of law notably reduces the likelihood of any type of terrorist events. In short, the rule of law instantiated in democratic institutions provides a formidable bulwark against terrorism.
Inducing Cooperative Behavior among Proselfs versus Prosocials: The Moderating Role of Incentives and Trust
Authors: Boone Christophe , Declerck Carolyn , Kiyonari Toko
Published: June 2010

This study investigates how an individual’s social value orientation (SVO) interacts with explicit cooperative incentives on one hand, and intrinsic and extraneously induced trust on the other hand, to affect cooperative behavior. In three experiments, subjects (n = 322) played a one-shot prisoner’s dilemma (PD; with weak cooperative incentives) and an assurance game (AG; with strong cooperative incentives) in conditions with or without trust signals. The authors found, as expected, that cooperative behavior is strongly spurred by explicit incentives, but not by trust, among people with a proself value orientation. Conversely, trust is very important to enhance cooperative behavior of participants with a prosocial value orientation, whereas explicit incentives are less important compared to proselfs. The authors conclude that this study reveals two fundamentally different logics of cooperative behavior: one based on extrinsic incentives and the other on trust.
Trend of Income-related Inequality of Child Oral Health in Australia
Authors: Do L.G. , Spencer A.J. , Slade G.D. , Ha D.H. , Roberts-Thomson K.F. , Liu P.
Published: June 2010

It is important that we monitor socio-economic inequality in health. Inequality in child oral health has been expected to widen because of widening socio-economic inequality. This study aimed to evaluate trends in income-related inequality in caries experience of Australian children. Cross-sectional studies in 1992/93 and 2002/03 collected data on deciduous caries experience of 5- to 10-year-olds and permanent caries experience of 6- to 12-year-olds. Household composition and income was used to calculate quartiles of equivalized income. Slope Index of Inequality (SII), Concentration Index (CI), and regression-based rate ratios were used to quantify income-related inequality and to evaluate trends. Income-related inequality in caries experience was evident regardless of time and dentition. The three indicators of inequality indicate a significant increase in income-related inequality in child deciduous caries experience during the decade. The income inequality in permanent caries experience did not change significantly. Income inequalities increased in deciduous teeth, but not in permanent teeth, among Australian children.
Breaking Good and Bad News: Direction of the MUM Effect and Senders’ Cognitive Representations of News Valence
Authors: Dibble Jayson L. , Levine Timothy R.
Published: June 2010

The MUM effect refers to the robust research finding that people are more hesitant to share bad news relative to good news. An experiment utilized a false feedback test design to determine whether the MUM effect stems from a reluctance to share bad news, an eagerness to share good news, or both. Participants ( N = 114) shared good, neutral, or bad news (i.e., high, medium, or low test scores) to a stranger. News valence, delay before response, and reluctance were measured. Delay before response and reluctance were linearly related to test score suggesting both eagerness to share good news and reluctance to share bad news. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.
Multilevel Challenges and Opportunities in Social Capital Research
Authors: Payne G. Tyge , Moore Curt B. , Griffis Stanley E. , Autry Chad W.
Published: June 2010

Social capital refers to the resources derived from social relationships. Although the concept of social capital has been applied at the individual, group, and organizational levels of analysis, researchers have yet to fully embrace social capital’s potential as a multilevel lens through which we might better understand management and organizational phenomena. With a central objective of advancing social capital’s potential as a multilevel theoretical perspective, the authors make two contributions to the management literature. First, the authors comprehensively review two decades of management research to highlight how social capital has been empirically applied across levels of analysis. Second, based on the shortcomings and challenges revealed through the literature review, the authors identify and discuss avenues for future multilevel research, including suggestions for both macro and micro researchers.
Universal Design for Learning and Assistive Technology: Leadership Considerations for Promoting Inclusive Education in Today’s Secondary Schools
Authors: Messinger-Willman Jaime , Marino Matthew T.
Published: June 2010

The increased number of students with learning disabilities in general education secondary school classrooms presents complex challenges for today’s educators. This article describes how the Universal Design for Learning theoretical framework can be used with assistive technology to enhance educational opportunities for secondary students with learning disabilities. Barriers that prevent secondary teachers from effectively selecting, adopting, implementing, and assessing assistive technology devices are discussed and potential solutions are identified. The article concludes with recommendations for enhancing secondary teachers’ professional development opportunities.
Efficacy and usability of assistive technology for patients with cognitive deficits: a systematic review
Authors: de Joode Elsbeth , van Heugten Caroline , Verhey Frans , van Boxtel Martin
Published: June 2010

Objective: To determine the efficacy of portable electronic aids such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), pagers or mobile phones for patients with cognitive deficits by means of a systematic review. The usability of these aids is also briefly discussed.

Data sources: PubMed, CINAHL, PsychINFO, EMBASE and MEDLINE were searched up to February 2009. The references of identified and relevant articles were scanned to find additional relevant titles.

Review methods: Papers referring to ‘electronic aids’, ‘cognition’ and ‘brain injury’ were included. The population had to be adult and have cognitive impairments as a result of acquired brain injury. Outcome measures were change in cognitive or occupational performance or the level of participation in daily life. The criteria of Cicerone et al. were used to evaluate the quality of the retrieved studies.

Results: Twenty-eight papers presenting 25 studies were reviewed. The total number of participants was 423. Most identified papers described case reports or non-randomized clinical trials. Only one randomized controlled trial was identified, in which the NeuroPage proved effective in supporting prospective memory. Other kinds of assistive technology such as PDAs and voice recorders showed positive results in supporting retrospective and prospective memory.

Conclusion: The efficacy of assistive technology in general is not yet sufficiently studied in randomized controlled trials, although promising results has been reported. Furthermore, several survey studies established that both potential users and clinicians have optimistic expectations about the usability of assistive technology.
Butler’s neuromobilizations combined with proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation are effective in reducing of upper limb sensory in late-stage stroke subjects: a three-group randomized trial
Authors: Wolny Tomasz , Saulicz Edward , Gnat Rafał , Kokosz Mirosław
Published: June 2010

Question: Are Butler’s neuromobilizations combined with proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation and traditional post-stroke therapy more effective in reducing affected upper extremity sensory deficits in late-stage stroke subjects than proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation combined with traditional therapy or traditional therapy alone?

Design: Pretest—posttest three-group randomized clinical experimental design.

Participants: A total of 96 late-stage stroke subjects were randomly assigned to three groups.

Intervention: The therapeutic programme in the control group was based on traditional post-stroke methods. The second group (experimental 1) received in addition individual therapy based on the proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation method. The third group (experimental 2) received a combination: traditional therapeutic programme plus individual proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation exercises plus neuromobilization of the affected upper extremity. All groups received 18 training sessions lasting about 45 minutes each.

Outcome measures: Assessment of the two-point discriminatory sense (distance between the tips of the compass when the subject indicated two-point sensation), stereognosia (identification up to 10 objects by touch) and thermaesthesia (using hot and cold cylinders on dermatomes C6—C8) were performed.

Results: Analysis of change scores showed that two-point discriminatory sense for experimental group 2 was significantly better than that in the two other groups (P<0.001). Similar results were registered for thermaesthesia (experimental 2 versus experimental 1 P<0.01; experimental 2 versus control P<0.001). For stereognosia the only significant difference was found between experimental group 2 and the control group (P<0.05).

Conclusion: In our subjects, application of Butler’s neuromobilizations combined with proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation showed greater effectiveness in reducing sensory deficits than proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation or traditional therapy alone.
Attention Problems Mediate the Association Between Severity of Physical Abuse and Aggressive Behavior in a Sample of Maltreated Early Adolescents
Authors: Garrido Edward F. , Taussig Heather N. , Culhane Sara E. , Raviv Tali
Published: June 2010

Empirical evidence has accumulated documenting an association between childhood physical abuse and aggressive behavior. Relatively fewer studies have explored possible mediating mechanisms that may explain this association. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether caregiver- and youth-reported attention problems mediate the association between physical abuse severity and aggressive behavior. A sample of 240 maltreated early adolescents (ages 9-11) and their caregivers were interviewed within 14 months of being removed from the home. Results from multiple regression analyses indicated that caregiver- and youth-reported attention problems were partial mediators of the association between physical abuse severity and aggressive behavior. These associations were significant even after controlling for children’s intellectual functioning, sex, age, and severity of other maltreatment types. Possible explanations for the detrimental impact of physical abuse on behavior are discussed, along with the implications of the current study’s results for interventions aimed at reducing early adolescent aggressive behavior.
Family Meal Frequency and Alcohol and Tobacco Use in Adolescence
Authors: White James , Halliwell Emma
Published: June 2010

This longitudinal study tested the direction of associations between family meals and alcohol and tobacco consumption during early adolescence. We examined family meal frequency, family connectedness, alcohol (binge drinking, drunkenness), and tobacco consumption (past year, daily frequency) in 671 adolescents (51% women; mean age, Wave 1 = 14.05 years). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to estimate the associations between meal frequency and increases in alcohol and tobacco consumption, and alcohol and tobacco consumption on increases in meal frequency over a year, while adjusting for family connectedness, social class, and age. Family meals were associated with reductions in alcohol and tobacco consumption in girls but not boys. Alcohol consumption was also associated with reductions in the frequency of meals among girls, but not boys. Results supported the assertion that family meals protect some girls from substance abuse but suggest meals may have little impact on existing users.
RFID ‘Theatre of the proof’: Product launch and technology demonstration as corporate practices
Authors: Simakova Elena
Published: June 2010

The paper explores the role of demonstration in the contemporary practices of product ‘launch’ by high-tech corporations. The analysis is based on a lengthy ethnographic field study of one such corporation. In this examination of a particular launch as an organizational practice and discursive theme, I focus on participants’ deliberations over the status of the ‘demo’ as a material feature of organizational relations within the corporation, and between it and various audiences. Critically examining earlier STS analyses of demonstrations, I argue that it is crucial to explore practices that accomplish demonstrations virtually — without the technical object being shown in actual operation. To substantiate the argument, I pay close attention to how my informants rendered the technology accountable to me, and, in turn, how I attempted to render it to STS audiences. I also reflect on the implications of the ‘age of non-disclosure’ for recent STS studies of innovation in corporate worlds.
Long-Term Outcome After Arthroscopic Meniscal Repair Versus Arthroscopic Partial Meniscectomy for Traumatic Meniscal Tears
Authors: Stein Thomas , Mehling Andreas Peter , Welsch Frederic , von Eisenhart-Rothe Rüdige , Jäger Alwin
Published: June 2010

Background: The influence of standard meniscus treatment strategies regarding osteoarthritic progress, function, and sports activity has not been estimated in a direct long-term comparison.

Hypothesis: Meniscal repair compared with partial meniscectomy (partial meniscal resection) decreases osteoarthritic changes and reduces the effect on sports activity in the long-term follow-up.

Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods: Eighty-one patients with an arthroscopic meniscus shape–preserving surgery after isolated traumatic medial meniscal tear (repair: n = 42; meniscectomy: n = 39) were examined clinically (Lysholm score, Tegner score) and radiologically (Fairbank score, compared with the uninjured knee); the follow-up was divided into midterm (3.4 years; n = 35) and long term (8.8 years; n = 46). Additionally, the influences of the preoperative sports activity level and age at surgery were evaluated.

Results: In the long-term follow-up, no osteoarthritic progress was detectable in 80.8% after repair compared with 40.0% after meniscectomy ( P = .005) with significant benefit for the “young” subgroup ( P = 0.01). The preinjury activity level was obtained in 96.2% after repair compared with 50% after meniscectomy ( P = .001). The function score revealed no significant difference between these strategies ( P = .114). The athletes showed a significantly reduced loss of sports activity after repair compared with the athletes after meniscectomy ( P = .001).

Conclusion: Arthroscopic meniscal repair offers significantly improved results for isolated traumatic meniscal tears regarding the long-term follow-up in osteoarthritis prophylaxis and sports activity recovery compared with partial meniscectomy.
Dichlorvos-induced developmental toxicity in Zebrafish
Authors: Şişman Turgay
Published: June 2010

The present study examined effects of the pesticide dichlorvos (O-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-O,O dimethylphosphate [DDVP]) on embryonic development of zebrafish. In a first set of experiments, early life stages of zebrafish were exposed to five concentrations (5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 mg/L—1) of DDVP for 96 hours post fertilization (hpf). The 24-hpf LC50 value of DDVP in the semistatic test was 39.75 mg/L-1. Developmental abnormalities have been observed in embryos and larvae, such as no blood flow, cardiac edema, delayed hatching, and vertebra malformations. Most of the onserved effects were increased in a concentration-dependent manner. To investigate the behavior of the larvae, zebrafish exposed to 10 and 25 mg/L-1 DDVP were observed on days 6 and 9 after fertilization. 25 mg L-1 DDVP dose caused significant slowing of swimming activity on day 6 and 9 after fertilization. According to present study results, DDVP exposure during early development caused (i) clear behavioral impairments detectable during the posthatching period and (ii) mortality and developmental abnormalities in zebrafish. Dichlorvos is present in the environment with other similar organophosphate compounds. Additive responses to organophosphate compounds may induce lethal or sub-lethal effects in early life stages of fish chronically exposed to this class of chemicals.
The Influence of Family Ownership on the Quality of Accounting Information
Authors: Cascino Stefano , Pugliese Amedeo , Mussolino Donata , Sansone Chiara
Published: June 2010

This article explores the quality of accounting information in listed family firms. The authors exploit the features of the Italian equity market characterized by high ownership concentration across all types of firms to disentangle the effects of family ownership from other major block holders on the quality of accounting information. The findings document that family firms convey financial information of higher quality compared to their nonfamily peers. Furthermore, the authors provide evidence that the determinants of accounting quality differ across family and nonfamily firms.
Palliative Care Program For Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Patients: Rebuilding of an Academic Urban Program
Authors: Ruiz Marco , Cefalu Charles
Published: June 2010

Background: Palliative care is extremely important for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected clientele. The impact of HIV infection is significant in the city of New Orleans. As of September 2009, a cumulative total of 29 548 HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) cases and 12 267 HIV-related deaths were reported in Louisiana. Methods: Retrospective review of charts of patients enrolled in our palliative care program. Results: As of September 2009, there were around 1800 active patients in our HIV outpatient clinic. A total of 5 (22%) patients had multidrug-resistant AIDS infection. Three (13%) referred patients had AIDS dementia. Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) and advanced HIV nephropathy were also reasons for referral (13% and 4% of referred patients, respectively). Around 9% of patients had advanced liver cancer with metastases. In all, 22% of patients had rapidly deteriorating functional status. The rest of the patients (26%) complained of cancer-related nausea and vomiting and progressive and nonresponsive weight loss. In terms of psychosocial assessment, the majority of referred patients had problems in areas such as social functioning, mood swings, unstable moods, problems with controlling temper, outbursts of anger, violence, and disturbing or unreal thoughts and beliefs. Conclusions: Palliative care is extremely important in the care of patients with HIV/AIDS. More research is needed to elaborate on best palliative care practices in the care of HIV-infected patients. Interesting to note is that there is significant proportion of patients with mental issues (substance abuse, psychiatric problems, depression, and despair) for which better resources are needed. Integration of services among clinical, mental, and palliative care providers might be needed to better serve this population.
Awareness Versus Production: Probing Students’ Antecedent Genre Knowledge
Authors: Artemeva Natasha , Fox Janna
Published: June 2010

This article explores the role of students’ prior, or antecedent, genre knowledge in relation to their developing disciplinary genre competence by drawing on an illustrative example of an engineering genre-competence assessment. The initial outcomes of this diagnostic assessment suggest that students’ ability to successfully identify and characterize rhetorical and textual features of a genre does not guarantee their successful writing performance in the genre. Although previous active participation in genre production (writing) seems to have a defining influence on students’ ability to write in the genre, such participation appears to be a necessary but insufficient precondition for genre-competence development. The authors discuss the usefulness of probing student antecedent genre knowledge early in communication courses as a potential source for macrolevel curriculum decisions and microlevel pedagogical adjustments in course design, and they propose directions for future research.
3 Zen Poesy
Authors: Scheurich James Joseph
Published: June 2010

1 + 1 + 1 = 3. Middle English, from three, adjective, from Old English thrīe (masculine), thrēo (feminine & neuter); akin to Old High German drī three, Latin tres, Greek treis (from Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online, retrieved January 28, 2010). Zen is a school of Mah āy āna Buddhism, translated from the Chinese word Chán to Japanese. This word is in turn derived from the Sanskrit dhyāna, which means “meditation.” Zen emphasizes experiential prajñā, particularly as realized in the form of meditation, in the attainment of enlightenment. As such, it deemphasizes theoretical knowledge in favor of direct, experiential realization through meditation and dharma practice (From Wikipedia, retrieved January 28, 2010). Poesy, a poem or body of poems. Etymology: Middle English poesie, from Middle French, from Latin poesis, from Greek poiēsis, literally, creation, from poiein (from Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online, retrieved January 28, 2010).
Characterization of in vitro expanded bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells from patients with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Mallam Elizabeth , Kemp Kevin , Wilkins Alastair , Rice Claire , Scolding Neil
Published: June 2010

Recent studies have investigated the potential of autologous bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as a therapy for multiple sclerosis. Whether MSCs from individuals with multiple sclerosis are functionally and/or phenotypically abnormal has received less attention. Through our Phase I clinical trial, SIAMMS, we were able to isolate and characterize MSCs from individuals with multiple sclerosis. The objective of the study was to demonstrate that MSCs from individuals with multiple sclerosis show no significant differences from MSCs derived from individuals without multiple sclerosis. MSCs were isolated from bone marrow aspirates from four SIAMMS participants. We were also able to isolate MSCs from bone marrow obtained during a total hip replacement operation on an individual with multiple sclerosis. Control MSCs were isolated from bone marrow acquired during total hip replacement operations on five individuals without MS. MSCs were characterized using standard criteria: plastic adherence, differentiation along adipogenic/osteogenic/chondrogenic lineages, and expression of specific cell surface antigens. We also determined their proliferation potential. MSCs from individuals with multiple sclerosis and individuals without multiple sclerosis were similar in proliferation, differentiation potential and cell surface antigen expression. This has relevance to scientific studies investigating the therapeutic potential of autologous MSCs which primarily utilize MSCs from individuals without multiple sclerosis, and relevance to clinical studies extrapolating from these scientific findings.
Pregnancy outcome in women with multiple sclerosis: results from a prospective nationwide study in Finland
Authors: Jalkanen A. , Alanen A. , Airas L. ,   Finnish Multiple Sclerosis and Pregnancy Study Group
Published: June 2010

The majority of individuals obtaining the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis are women of childbearing age. They are naturally concerned as to how multiple sclerosis affects the course of pregnancy and the developing foetus. The objective of this study was to prospectively evaluate the incidence of pregnancy complications and delivery risks, and to follow the natural course of multiple sclerosis during and after pregnancy in a cohort of Finnish patients with multiple sclerosis. Sixty-one patients with multiple sclerosis who became pregnant during the years 2003—2005 were prospectively followed-up from early pregnancy until 6 months postpartum. Multiple sclerosis relapses, Expanded Disability Status Scale rates and obstetric details were recorded. The results were compared with the statistics obtained from Finnish Medical Birth Register from the year 2004. We found that patients with multiple sclerosis were no more likely to experience pregnancy complications than Finnish pregnant women generally, but they had a greater likelihood for a need of artificial insemination (4.9% vs. 0.9%; p = 0.0009). Subjects with multiple sclerosis were more likely to undergo assisted vaginal delivery than the at-large cohort(16.4% vs. 6.5%; p = 0.0017). We conclude that pregnancy does not seem to pose a woman with multiple sclerosis to a greater risk for pregnancy complications when compared with women in general. The potential need for instrumental delivery should, however, be taken into account when planning the delivery of a mother with multiple sclerosis.
When the media matter for politics: Partisan moderators of the mass media’s agenda-setting influence on parliament in Belgium
Authors: Vliegenthart Rens , Walgrave Stefaan
Published: June 2010

In this study, we investigate which factors moderate the agenda-setting influence of the mass media on the Belgian parliament during the period 1993—2000. Based on elaborate codings of the media, parliamentary questions and interpellations, party manifestos, government agreements and ministerial meetings, we employ a multi-level time-series model. The results indicate that especially party characteristics (party size, incumbent or opposition party, issue ownership) and the government agenda influence the dependency of parliament on media coverage. Furthermore, we find an increase in the extent of media influence through time, suggesting an increasing presence of ‘media logic’ in the behaviour of Belgian MPs. Irrespective of all those contingent factors, the mass media determine the Belgian parliamentary agenda to a considerable degree.
A Review of Cost Measures for the Economic Impact of Domestic Violence
Authors: Ko Ling Chan  , Cho Esther Yin-Nei
Published: June 2010

Although economic analyses of domestic violence typically guide decisions concerning resource allocation, allowing policy makers to make better informed decisions on how to prioritize and allocate scarce resources, the methods adopted to calculate domestic violence costs have varied widely from study to study. In particular, only a few studies have reviewed the cost measures of the economic impact of domestic violence. This article reviews and compares these measures by covering approaches to categorizing costs, the cost components, and ways to estimate them and recommends an integrated framework that brings the various approaches together. Some issues still need to be addressed when further developing measures such as including omitted but significant measures and expanding the time horizons of others. The implications for future study of domestic violence costs are discussed.
Three-Dimensional Color Maps: A Novel Tool for Assessing Craniofacial Changes
Authors: Jayaratne Yasas S. N. , Zwahlen Roger A. , Lo John , Cheung Lim K.
Published: June 2010

Introduction. Three-dimensional (3D) color maps are useful for analyzing data acquired by laser scanning, stereophotography, or computed tomography (CT). The authors aim to illustrate the different applications of color maps in the craniomaxillofacial region. Methods. The images obtained from the above techniques at 2 different time points are superimposed based on a common area unaffected by the surgical intervention or growth. Using specialized software, the distance differences between the 2 superimposed images are depicted in a graphical format as a 3D color map. A color-coded scale indicating the distances accompanies these maps. Results. 3D color maps can be manipulated and viewed in a variety of angles to extract the maximum diagnostic information. They facilitate the critical evaluation of facial asymmetry, accuracy of fusing CT and 3D photo data sets, and postsurgical changes. Conclusion. 3D color maps aid the objective assessment of craniofacial structures while enhancing visual comprehension and communication with patients.
Total Intracorporeal Anastomosis During Single-Port Laparoscopic Right Hemicolectomy for Carcinoma of Colon: A New Step Forward
Authors: Morales-Conde Salvador , García Moreno Joaquin , Cañete Gómez Jesus , Socas María , Barranco Antonio , Alarcón Isaias , Casado María , Cadet Jean-Marie , Martín-Cartes Juan
Published: June 2010

Background: Laparoscopic surgery is a feasible option for colonic carcinoma as short-and long-term results show. This technique is as safe and effective as the open approach. Single-port access surgery is considered a new minimally invasive approach in the search for better cosmetic results and less postoperative pain. One of the goals of single-port surgery is to preserve the satisfactory oncological results obtained by standard laparoscopy. This study presents the first single-port access right hemicolectomy for carcinoma of colon with intracorporeal anastomosis. Methods: The authors report a single-port access right hemicolectomy in a 59-year-old male patient with a neoplasm of the cecum stage IIA (T3, N0) according to the TNM classification. Results: A transumbilical single-port access right hemicolectomy was performed with no additional trocars and total intracorporeal anastomosis. Operative time was 140 minutes. No intraoperative or postoperative complications were reported. Conclusion: Single-port access right hemicolectomy with intracorporeal anastomosis is a feasible and safe technique when performed by experienced laparoscopic surgeons. This approach must follow the basic principles of laparoscopic right hemicolectomy to achieve the same oncological results. The advantages of a total intracorporeal anastomosis include that there is no need to enlarge the umbilical incision and that avoid traction of the pedicle of the mesenterium of the transverse colon during the extracorporeal anastomosis.
Naturally occurring free thiols within β2-glycoprotein I in vivo: nitrosylation, redox modification by endothelial cells, and regulation of oxidative stress–induced cell injury
Authors: Ioannou Yiannis , Zhang Jing-Yun , Passam Freda H. , Rahgozar Soheila , Qi Jian Cheng , Giannakopoulos Bill , Qi Miao , Yu Pei , Yu Demin M. , Hogg Philip J. , Krilis Steven A.
Published: June 2010

β2-Glycoprotein I (β2GPI) is an evolutionary conserved, abundant circulating protein. Although its function remains uncertain, accumulated evidence points toward interactions with endothelial cells and components of the coagulation system, suggesting a regulatory role in vascular biology. Our group has shown that thioredoxin 1 (TRX-1) generates free thiols in β2GPI, a process that may have a regulatory role in platelet adhesion. This report extends these studies and shows for the first time evidence of β2GPI with free thiols in vivo in both multiple human and murine serum samples. To explore how the vascular surface may modulate the redox status of β2GPI, unstimulated human endothelial cells and EAhy926 cells are shown to be capable of amplifying the effect of free thiol generation within β2GPI. Multiple oxidoreductase enzymes, such as endoplasmic reticulum protein 46 (ERp 46) and TRX-1 reductase, in addition to protein disulfide isomerase are secreted on the surface of endothelial cells. Furthermore, one or more of these generated free thiols within β2GPI are also shown to be nitrosylated. Finally, the functional significance of these findings is explored, by showing that free thiol–containing β2GPI has a powerful effect in protecting endothelial cells and EAhy926 cells from oxidative stress–induced cell death.
Introducing W.A.T.E.R.S.: a Workflow for the Alignment, Taxonomy, and Ecology of Ribosomal Sequences
Authors: Hartman Amber L , Riddle Sean , McPhillips Timothy , Ludäscher Bertram , Eisen Jonathan A
Published: June 2010

Background

For more than two decades microbiologists have used a highly conserved microbial gene as a phylogenetic marker for bacteria and archaea. The small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene, also known as 16 S rRNA, is encoded by ribosomal DNA, 16 S rDNA, and has provided a powerful comparative tool to microbial ecologists. Over time, the microbial ecology field has matured from small-scale studies in a select number of environments to massive collections of sequence data that are paired with dozens of corresponding collection variables. As the complexity of data and tool sets have grown, the need for flexible automation and maintenance of the core processes of 16 S rDNA sequence analysis has increased correspondingly.

Results

We present WATERS, an integrated approach for 16 S rDNA analysis that bundles a suite of publicly available 16 S rDNA analysis software tools into a single software package. The "toolkit" includes sequence alignment, chimera removal, OTU determination, taxonomy assignment, phylogentic tree construction as well as a host of ecological analysis and visualization tools. WATERS employs a flexible, collection-oriented 'workflow' approach using the open-source Kepler system as a platform.

Conclusions

By packaging available software tools into a single automated workflow, WATERS simplifies 16 S rDNA analyses, especially for those without specialized bioinformatics, programming expertise. In addition, WATERS, like some of the newer comprehensive rRNA analysis tools, allows researchers to minimize the time dedicated to carrying out tedious informatics steps and to focus their attention instead on the biological interpretation of the results. One advantage of WATERS over other comprehensive tools is that the use of the Kepler workflow system facilitates result interpretation and reproducibility via a data provenance sub-system. Furthermore, new "actors" can be added to the workflow as desired and we see WATERS as an initial seed for a sizeable and growing repository of interoperable, easy-to-combine tools for asking increasingly complex microbial ecology questions.
Inactivation of Dicer1 in Steroidogenic factor 1-positive cells reveals tissue-specific requirement for Dicer1in adrenal, testis, and ovary
Authors: Huang Chen-Che J , Yao Humphrey HC
Published: June 2010

Background

The synthesis of microRNA (miRNA) is a multi-step process that requires the action of the ribonuclease Dicer1. Dicer1 is responsible for the final processing of miRNA and has been implicated in cellular processes such as proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation. Mouse embryos lacking Dicer1 die in early embryogenesis. In this study, we investigated whether Dicer1 is required for development of adrenal, testis, and ovary in mouse embryos.

Results

To target Dicer1 deletion specifically in developing adrenals and gonads, we used Steroidogenic factor 1-cre (Sf1/Cre) line in which Cre recombinase is active in the progenitor cells of adrenals and gonads. Lack of Dicer1 in the SF1-positive cells did not affect formation and early differentiation of the adrenals and gonads. However, increasing numbers of apoptotic cells were first detected in the Dicer1 knockout adrenal cortex at 18.5 days post coitum (dpc), followed by apoptosis of somatic cells and germ cells in the testis at postnatal day 0. Affected adrenal and testes underwent complete degeneration 48 hrs after the onset of apoptosis. However, ovaries were not affected at least until postnatal day 5, when the animals died due to adrenal insufficiency.

Conclusions

Dicer1 is dispensable for formation and differentiation of fetal tissues derived from the SF1-positive adrenogonadal primordium. Dicer1 is essential for maintaining cell survival in adrenal and testis; however, development of the ovary from fetal stages to postnatal day 5 does not require the presence of Dicer1. Our results reveal a tissue-specific requirement of Dicer1 and microRNAs. Future research is needed to understand how the tissue-specific role of Dicer1 is established.
GT1b-induced neurotoxicity is mediated by the Akt/GSK-3/tau signaling pathway but not caspase-3 in mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons
Authors: Chung Eun S , Bok Eugene , Sohn Sunghyang , Lee Young D , Baik Hyung H , Jin Byung K
Published: June 2010

Background

Gangliosides, sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids exist in mammalian cell membranes particularly neuronal membranes. The trisialoganglioside (GT1b) is one of the major brain gangliosides and acts as an endogenous regulator in the brain. We previously showed GT1b induces mesencephalic dopaminergic (DA) neuronal death, both in vivo and in vitro. We further investigate the underlying mechanisms of GT1b neurotoxicity.

Results

Consistent with earlier findings, GT1b attenuated the DA neuron number and dopamine uptake level in mesencephalic cultures. Morphological evidence revealed GT1b-induced chromatin condensation and nuclear fragmentation as well as an increased number of TUNEL-positive cells, compared to control cultures. Interestingly, while GT1b enhanced caspase-3 activity, DEVD, a caspase-3 inhibitor, failed to rescue DA neuronal death. Immunoblot analysis revealed that GT1b inactivates Akt through dephosphorylation at both Ser473 and Thr308, subsequent dephosphorylation of GSK-3β, a substrate of Akt, and hyperphosphorylation of tau, downstream of GSK-3β. Moreover, a GSK-3β specific inhibitor, L803-mt, attenuated tau phosphorylation and rescued DA neurons from cell death in mesencephalic cultures.

Conclusion

Our data provide novel evidence that a Akt/GSK-3β/tau-dependent, but not caspase-3 signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in GT1b-mediated neurotoxic actions on mesencephalic DA neurons.