bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The real problem: avatars, metaphysics and online social interaction
Authors: Gunkel David J.
Published: January 2010

It is often assumed that the problem with ‘virtual reality’ — the concept, its various technological deployments and the apparently oxymoronic phrase itself — has been our understanding, or perhaps misunderstanding, of the virtual. The real problem, however, is not with the virtual; it is with the real itself. This article investigates the undeniably useful but ultimately mistaken and somewhat misguided concept of the real that has been routinely operationalized in investigations of new media technology. The specific point of contact for the examination is the avatar. What is at issue here is not the complicated structures and articulations of avatar identity but the assumed ‘real thing’ that is said to be its ultimate cause and referent. In addressing this subject, the article considers three theories of the real, extending from Platonism to the recent innovations of Slavoj Žižek, and investigates their effect on our understanding of computer-generated experience and social interaction.
Is the internet a better public sphere? Comparing old and new media in the USA and Germany
Authors: Gerhards Jürgen , Schäfer Mike S.
Published: January 2010

Normative theorists of the public sphere, such as Jürgen Habermas, have been very critical of the ‘old’ mass media, which were seen as unable to promote free and plural societal communication. The advent of the internet, in contrast, gave rise to hopes that it would make previously marginalized actors and arguments more visible to a broader public. To assess these claims, this article compares the internet and mass media communication. It distinguishes three levels of both the offline and the online public sphere, which differ in their structural prerequisites, in their openness for participation and in their influence on the wider society. Using this model, the article compares the levels that are most strongly structured and most influential for the wider society: the mass media and communication as organized by search engines. Using human genome research and analysing Germany and the USA, the study looks at which actors, evaluations and frames are present in the print mass media and on websites, and finds that internet communication does not differ significantly from the offline debate in the print media.
Electronic Orientalism? the afterlife of Syed Hussein Alatas’ The Myth of the Lazy Native in online databases
Authors: Graf Arndt
Published: January 2010

This article examines how in the discourse on Orientalism, electronic databases from Western academia represent voices from formerly colonized countries. In a case study, the afterlife of one of the classics of Orientalism studies, The Myth of the Lazy Native (1977) by the Malaysian Syed Hussein Alatas, in online databases, particularly JSTOR, is examined. It is found that almost all authors of the included articles are educated in or affiliated with Western academia. This does not automatically result in a rejection of his critical views on Western Orientalism. A close reading reveals that only the early reviews (1977—82) tend to view The Myth of the Lazy Native critically. From 1983 onwards, almost all represented articles refer to the Myth as an authoritative work, with relevance for various fields of study in different periods. However, due to the biased coverage of the online databases, voices from outside the Anglo-American academia remain unheard, which is particularly problematic in the discourse on Western Orientalism.
Digital determinism: culture industries in the USA-Australia Free Trade Agreement
Authors: Breen Marcus
Published: January 2010

The USA—Australia Free Trade Agreement was one of several bilateral free trade agreements signed in the early to mid-2000s that explicitly incorporated free trade in digital content. This article argues that Australian policymakers failed to recognize the consequences of the agreement for national culture industries such as film, television and popular music. The agreement introduced a complex range of policy considerations. These included the circumvention of multilateral cultural policymaking and the US assertion of Intellectual Property Rights which reduced Australia’s ability to develop and enhance its culture industries in the face of the dominating power of US media, communications and entertainment industries.The result is digital determinism.The Free Trade Agreement negatively impacts national culture industries in the global networked context, reducing employment and creative opportunities for artists and producers, thereby challenging the human rights of workers in these sectors.
Building Blocks of a Republican Cosmopolitanism
Authors: Halldenius Lena
Published: January 2010

A structural affinity between republican freedom as non-domination and human rights claims accounts for the relevance of republicanism for cosmopolitan concerns. Central features of republican freedom are its institution dependence and the modal aspect it adds to being free. Its chief concern is not constraint, but the way in which an agent is constrained or not. To the extent I am vulnerable to someone’s dispositional power over me I am not free, even if I am not in fact constrained. Republican freedom adds a substantial element to a justification of human rights in terms of entitlement, rather than mere satisfaction of interests. A satisfied interest is not a satisfied right if the satisfaction is dependent on personal goodwill and can be withdrawn at any time. Like republican freedom, human rights claims add a modal aspect to enjoyment. Both can be violated by institutional arrangement alone and can be secured only within accountable institutions. National borders may well be irrelevant to the dispositional powers to which people are vulnerable. An international set of institutions globalizes those circumstances in which republican liberty arises as a concern.
Republican Human Rights?
Authors: Ivison Duncan
Published: January 2010

The very idea of republican human rights, seems paradoxical. My aim in this article is to explore this disjunctive conjunction. One of the distinctive features of republican discourse, both in its civic humanist and neo-Roman variants, is the secondary status that rights are supposed to play in politics. Although the language of rights is not incommensurable with republican political thought, it is supposed to know its place. What can republican categories of political understanding offer for grappling with the challenges of global politics? Many philosophical expressions of human rights today are Kantian or neo-Kantian in inspiration, and as a result they are plagued by the familiar difficulties raised by Kantian approaches to politics in general. In particular, the growing prominence of human rights discourse has led to withering attacks on the appeal to human rights without any effective means of enforcement. Does republicanism offer any resources for rethinking human rights, and in particular, addressing the concern with the often moralistic and depoliticizing nature of human rights talk today? What conception of human rights best promotes freedom as non-domination? Are our practices of human rights effective instruments for minimizing domination?
A Republican Law of Peoples
Authors: Pettit Philip
Published: January 2010

Assuming that states will remain a permanent feature of our world, what is the ideal that we should hold out for the international order? An attractive proposal is that those peoples that are already organized under non-dominating, representative states should pursue a twin goal: first, arrange things so that they each enjoy the republican ideal of freedom as non-domination in relation to one another and to other multi-national and international agencies; and second, do everything possible and productive to facilitate the representation of less fortunate peoples in non-dominating states and to incorporate them in a non-dominating international order. This republican ideal stands midway between a utopian ideal of cosmopolitan justice and a sceptical ideal of non-intervention. The article explores its attractions and the broad institutional measures that it would support.
Celiac Artery Aneurysm Repair in Behçet Disease Complicated by Recurrent Thoracoabdominal Aortic Aneurysms
Authors: Ullery Brant W. , Pochettino Alberto , Wang Grace J. , Jackson Benjamin M. , Fairman Ronald M. , Woo Edward Y.
Published: January 2010

Behçet’s disease is a chronic, relapsing multisystemic inflammatory disorder characterized by recurrent orogenital aphthous ulcers, uveitis, and skin lesions. Vascular involvement occurs in up to 38% of these patients. Herein, we report a 19-year-old male who initially presented with an isolated celiac artery aneurysm that was treated with open surgical repair. The patient was subsequently diagnosed with Behçet’s disease after the development of oral aphthous ulcers and multiple recurrent postoperative deep venous thromboses and thoracoabdominal arterial aneurysms. Ultimately, a hybrid approach was undertaken. This is the fifth celiac artery aneurysm ever reported in this patient group and the first to present with an isolated celiac artery aneurysm as the initial manifestation of Behçet’s disease.
What We Know about M&A Success
Authors: Canina Linda , Kim Jin-Young , Ma Qingzhong
Published: January 2010

The lodging industry is a fruitful area for merger and acquisition (M&A) research, although the empirical evidence is surprisingly sparse given the degree of industry consolidation. Although the M&As are motivated by the expected synergy between the target and the acquiring firms, some mergers are successful while others are not. Studies have found that, on average, lodging transactions are distinct from those in other industries because owners of both target and acquirer are better off after the merger. A thorough analysis of lodging M&A deals may enhance our knowledge of the factors related to successful deals not only in the lodging industry but also in other industries. This investigation of the current state of knowledge of M&A success suggests an agenda for further research on lodging industry transactions. In particular, identification of the best practices associated with each stage of the M&A process, especially about how lodging firms integrate, transfer, and manage the resources of the combined firm, is a ripe area for future research.
Improving Hospitality Industry Sales
Authors: Anderson Chris K. , Xie Xiaoqing
Published: January 2010

From its origin in the airline industry nearly sixty years ago, revenue management has expanded to other hospitality industries, notably lodging and rental cars. More recently, “nontraditional” service industries, such as restaurants, golf courses, and casinos, have begun to adapt and apply revenue management principles. The first revenue-management—related article appeared in the Cornell Quarterly in 1988—an article that introduced revenue management concepts to the hotel industry. Subsequently, the Quarterly has published numerous revenue management studies, covering hotels, restaurants, golf courses, and function space. In addition, CQ has examined distribution and pricing issues. This review of twenty-plus years of CQ articles documents the expansion of revenue management themes as published in the Quarterly and suggests directions for future revenue management research.
Hotel Management Contracts—Past and Present
Authors: Deroos Jan A.
Published: January 2010

Conceived as a relatively simple arrangement that allowed international expansion by hotel chain operators without the risk of real estate ownership, the management contract has become an intricate and nearly essential element of the contemporary hotel industry. While trends in management contracts have shifted with the relative bargaining power of owners and operators, the key to a successful contract is aligning the interests of all parties. Owners seek some reasonable guarantee of cash flow, while operators need assurance that they will be able to benefit from their continued operation of a property. In place of a single document, management contracts now include numerous concurrent agreements that address such matters as real property rights; intellectual property rights; hotels as financial assets; hotels as operating businesses; and the needs of owners, operators, and lenders.
Current Research and Events in the Spa Industry
Authors: Tabacchi Mary H.
Published: January 2010

From the start of the modern spa in the mid-twentieth century, the spa industry has grown substantially worldwide. Part of that growth involves spas of different types—each with its own business model, including day spas, hotel-based spas, resort spas, and destination spas. Regardless of the type of spa, most operations provide massage and nutrition-related services, with nutrition growing substantially in importance. Recession has trimmed the industry’s sails, but barriers to exit are substantial enough that even weakened operations might continue in business. The spa industry is widely fragmented, despite some notable consolidation. Because of the pressure on prices, some spas have been tempted to offer services in a commoditized fashion, but the most successful spas will focus on their total operation to promote their brand. It seems likely that the spa industry’s growth will resume when economies improve.
An upstream insulator regulates DLK1 imprinting in AML
Authors: Khoury Haytham , Suarez-Saiz Fernando , Wu Samantha , Minden Mark D.
Published: January 2010

DLK1 is an imprinted gene on chromosome 14. Using informative coding single nucleotide polymorphisms, we found DLK1 expression to be monoallelic in normal bone marrow, whereas it was biallelic in 76% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) overexpressing DLK1 (61% of all AML). Quantitative methylation analysis of 7 cytosine-phosphate-guanosine-rich areas (3 upstream of or within DLK1, the putative intergenic-differentially methylated region and 3 upstream of or within MEG3) revealed a strong association between biallelic DLK1 expression and hypermethylation of a cytosine-phosphate-guanosine-rich region 18 kb upstream of DLK1. Allele-specific methylation analysis of this region revealed the alleles to be differentially methylated in normal bone marrow and monoallelic DLK1 AML, whereas there was increased methylation of both alleles in AML with biallelic expression. Moreover, chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that CCTC-binding factor binds to this region in monoallelic but not biallelic expression samples. Taken together, our data indicate that an insulator located 18 kb upstream of DLK1 plays an important role in regulating DLK1 imprinting.
IGF-1 suppresses Bim expression in multiple myeloma via epigenetic and posttranslational mechanisms
Authors: De Bruyne Elke , Bos Tomas J. , Schuit Frans , Van Valckenborgh Els , Menu Eline , Thorrez Lieven , Atadja Peter , Jernberg-Wiklund Helena , Vanderkerken Karin
Published: January 2010

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is an important growth and survival factor in multiple myeloma (MM). Here, we demonstrate that IGF-1 induces significant down-regulation of the proapoptotic BH3-only protein Bim in MM cells. Reduced Bim levels by RNA interference (RNAi) protected cells from drug-induced cell death. The IGF-1–mediated down-regulation of Bim was the result of (1) reduced transcription by activation of the Akt pathway and inactivation of the transcription factor FoxO3a, (2) increased proteasome-mediated degradation of the Bim extra-long protein by activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, and (3) epigenetic regulation of both the Bim and the FoxO3a promoter. Treatment of cells with the histone deacetylase inhibitor LBH589 resulted in a clear up-regulation in the expression of Bim. Furthermore, the methylation inhibitor 5-aza-2′deoxycytidine (decitabine) significantly increased the effects of LBH589. On IGF-1 treatment, the Bim promoter region was found to be unmethylated, whereas chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis of the IGF-1–treated cells showed both a reduced histone H3 tail Lys9 (H3K9) acetylation and an increased H3K9 dimethylation, which contributed actively to its silencing. These data identify a new mechanism in the IGF-1–dependent survival of MM cells and emphasize the need for IGF-1–targeted drug therapy.
Regulation of primary alloantibody response through antecedent exposure to a microbial T-cell epitope
Authors: Hudson Krystalyn E. , Lin Eugene , Hendrickson Jeanne E. , Lukacher Aron E. , Zimring James C.
Published: January 2010

Humoral alloimmunization to red blood cell (RBC) antigens is a clinically significant problem that can lead to transfusion reactions and difficulty in locating future compatible blood for transfusion. However, factors regulating responder/nonresponder status are only partially understood. Herein, we identify a series of microbes with 100% identity in 8– to 9–amino acid peptides containing the variant amino acids in Kell, Kidd, and Duffy antigens. To test the hypothesis that infection with such a microbe could predispose to RBC alloimmunization, a mouse model was developed using murine polyoma virus expressing a defined CD4+ T-cell epitope ovalbumin323-339 ((OVA)323-339) and subsequent transfusion with RBCs expressing a B-cell epitope (hen egg lysozyme [HEL]) fused to (OVA)323-339. Whereas infection alone induced no detectable anti-HEL, subsequent RBC transfusion induced 100- to 1000-fold more anti-HEL in mice that had been previously infected compared with control mice. This effect did not occur with wild-type polyoma virus or RBCs expressing HEL alone. Together, these data indicate that prior exposure to a pathogen with small peptide homology to RBC antigens can lead to an enhanced primary alloantibody response. As such priming is not detectable by current clinical tests, it is unknown to what extent this occurs in human alloimmunization.
Platelet-derived thrombospondin-1 is a critical negative regulator and potential biomarker of angiogenesis
Authors: Zaslavsky Alexander , Baek Kwan-Hyuck , Lynch Ryan C. , Short Sarah , Grillo Jenny , Folkman Judah , Italiano Joseph E. , Ryeom Sandra
Published: January 2010

The sequential events leading to tumor progression include a switch to the angiogenic phenotype, dependent on a shift in the balance between positive and negative angiogenic regulators produced by tumor and stromal cells. Although the biologic properties of many angiogenesis regulatory proteins have been studied in detail, the mechanisms of their transport and delivery in vivo during pathologic angiogenesis are not well understood. Here, we demonstrate that expression of one of the most potent angiogenesis inhibitors, thrombospondin-1, is up-regulated in the platelets of tumor-bearing mice. We establish that this up-regulation is a consequence of both increased levels of thrombospondin-1 mRNA in megakaryocytes, as well as increased numbers of megakaryocytes in the bone marrow of tumor-bearing mice. Through the use of mouse tumor models and bone marrow transplantations, we show that platelet-derived thrombospondin-1 is a critical negative regulator during the early stages of tumor angiogenesis. Collectively, our data suggest that the production and delivery of the endogenous angiogenesis inhibitor thrombospondin-1 by platelets may be a critical host response to suppress tumor growth through inhibiting tumor angiogenesis. Further, this work implicates the use of thrombospondin-1 levels in platelets as an indicator of tumor growth and regression.
Pirin delocalization in melanoma progression identified by high content immuno-detection based approaches
Authors: Licciulli Silvia , Luise Chiara , Zanardi Andrea , Giorgetti Luca , Viale Giuseppe , Lanfrancone Luisa , Carbone Roberta , Alcalay Myriam
Published: January 2010

Background

Pirin (PIR) is a highly conserved nuclear protein originally isolated as an interactor of NFI/CTF1 transcription/replication factor. It is a member of the functionally diverse cupin superfamily and its activity has been linked to different biological and molecular processes, such as regulation of transcription, apoptosis, stress response and enzymatic processes. Although its precise role in these functions has not yet been defined, PIR expression is known to be deregulated in several human malignancies.

Results

We performed immunohistochemical analysis of PIR expression in primary samples from normal human tissues and tumors and identified a dislocation of PIR to the cytoplasm in a subset of melanomas, and a positive correlation between cytoplasmic PIR levels and melanoma progression. PIR localization was subsequently analyzedin vitroin melanoma cell lines through a high content immunofluorescence based approach (ImmunoCell-Array).

Conclusions

The high consistency betweenin vivoandin vitroresults obtained by immunohistochemistry and ImmunoCell-Array provides a validation of the potential of ImmunoCell-Array technology for the rapid screening of putative biological markers, and suggests that cytoplasmic localization of PIR may represent a characteristic of melanoma progression.
Phenotypic and genetic diversity in Sinorhizobium meliloti and S. medicae from drought and salt affected regions of Morocco
Authors: Elboutahiri Nadia , Thami-Alami Imane , Udupa Sripada M
Published: January 2010

Background

Sinorhizobium meliloti and S. medicae are symbiotic nitrogen fixing bacteria in root nodules of forage legume alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). In Morocco, alfalfa is usually grown in marginal soils of arid and semi-arid regions frequently affected by drought, extremes of temperature and soil pH, soil salinity and heavy metals, which affect biological nitrogen fixing ability of rhizobia and productivity of the host. This study examines phenotypic diversity for tolerance to the above stresses and genotypic diversity at Repetitive Extragenic Pallindromic DNA regions of Sinorhizobium nodulating alfalfa, sampled from marginal soils of arid and semi-arid regions of Morocco.

Results

Rsa I digestion of PCR amplified 16S rDNA of the 157 sampled isolates, assigned 136 isolates as S. meliloti and the rest as S. medicae. Further phenotyping of these alfalfa rhizobia for tolerance to the environmental stresses revealed a large degree of variation: 55.41%, 82.16%, 57.96% and 3.18% of the total isolates were tolerant to NaCl (>513 mM), water stress (-1.5 MPa), high temperature (40°C) and low pH (3.5), respectively. Sixty-seven isolates of S. meliloti and thirteen isolates of S. medicae that were tolerant to salinity were also tolerant to water stress. Most of the isolates of the two species showed tolerance to heavy metals (Cd, Mn and Zn) and antibiotics (chloramphenicol, spectinomycin, streptomycin and tetracycline). The phenotypic clusters observed by the cluster analysis clearly showed adaptations of the S. meliloti and S. medicae strains to the multiple stresses. Genotyping with rep-PCR revealed higher genetic diversity within these phenotypic clusters and classified all the 157 isolates into 148 genotypes. No relationship between genotypic profiles and the phenotypes was observed. The Analysis of Molecular Variance revealed that largest proportion of significant (P < 0.01) genetic variation was distributed within regions (89%) than among regions (11%).

Conclusion

High degree of phenotypic and genotypic diversity is present in S. meliloti and S. medicae populations from marginal soils affected by salt and drought, in arid and semi-arid regions of Morocco. Some of the tolerant strains have a potential for exploitation in salt and drought affected areas for biological nitrogen fixation in alfalfa.
Metabolites produced by probiotic Lactobacilli rapidly increase glucose uptake by Caco-2 cells
Authors: Rooj Arun K , Kimura Yasuhiro , Buddington Randal K
Published: January 2010

Background

Although probiotic bacteria and their metabolites alter enterocyte gene expression, rapid, non-genomic responses have not been examined. The present study measured accumulation of tracer (2 μM) glucose by Caco-2 cells after exposure for 10 min or less to a chemically defined medium (CDM) with different monosaccharides before and after anaerobic culture of probiotic Lactobacilli.

Results

Growth of L. acidophilus was supported by CDM with 110 mM glucose, fructose, and mannose, but not with arabinose, ribose, and xylose or the sugar-free CDM. Glucose accumulation was reduced when Caco-2 cells were exposed for 10 min to sterile CDM with glucose (by 92%), mannose (by 90%), fructose (by 55%), and ribose (by 16%), but not with arabinose and xylose. Exposure of Caco-2 cells for 10 min to bacteria-free supernatants prepared after exponential (48 h) and stationary (72 h) growth phases of L. acidophilus cultured in CDM with 110 mM fructose increased glucose accumulation by 83% and 45%, respectively; exposure to a suspension of the bacteria had no effect. The increase in glucose accumulation was diminished by heat-denaturing the supernatant, indicating the response of Caco-2 cells is triggered by as yet unknown heat labile bacterial metabolites, not by a reduction in CDM components that decrease glucose uptake. Supernatants prepared after anaerobic culture of L. gasseri, L. amylovorus, L. gallinarum, and L. johnsonii in the CDM with fructose increased glucose accumulation by 83%, 32%, 27%, and 14%, respectively.

Conclusion

The rapid, non-genomic upregulation of SGLT1 by bacterial metabolites is a heretofore unrecognized interaction between probiotics and the intestinal epithelium.
Radiographic assessment of the femorotibial joint of the CCLT rabbit experimental model of osteoarthritis
Authors: Boulocher Caroline B , Viguier Eric R , Cararo Rodrigo Da Rocha , Fau Didier J , Arnault Fabien , Collard Fabien , Maitre Pierre A , Roualdes Olivier , Duclos Marie-Eve , Vignon Eric P , Roger Thierry W
Published: January 2010

Background

The purposes of the study were to determine the relevance and validity of in vivo non-invasive radiographic assessment of the CCLT (Cranial Cruciate Ligament Transection) rabbit model of osteoarthritis (OA) and to estimate the pertinence, reliability and reproducibility of a radiographic OA (ROA) grading scale and associated radiographic atlas.

Methods

In vivo non-invasive extended non weight-bearing radiography of the rabbit femorotibial joint was standardized. Two hundred and fifty radiographs from control and CCLT rabbits up to five months after surgery were reviewed by three readers. They subsequently constructed an original semi-quantitative grading scale as well as an illustrative atlas of individual ROA feature for the medial compartment. To measure agreements, five readers independently scored the same radiographic sample using this atlas and three of them performed a second reading. To evaluate the pertinence of the ROA grading scale, ROA results were compared with gross examination in forty operated and ten control rabbits.

Results

Radiographic osteophytes of medial femoral condyles and medial tibial condyles were scored on a four point scale and dichotomously for osteophytes of medial fabella. Medial joint space width was scored as normal, reduced or absent. Each ROA features was well correlated with gross examination (p < 0.001). ICCs of each ROA features demonstrated excellent agreement between readers and within reading. Global ROA score gave the highest ICCs value for between (ICC 0.93; CI 0.90-0.96) and within (ICC ranged from 0.94 to 0.96) observer agreements. Among all individual ROA features, medial joint space width scoring gave the highest overall reliability and reproducibility and was correlated with both meniscal and cartilage macroscopic lesions (rs= 0.68 and rs= 0.58, p < 0.001 respectively). Radiographic osteophytes of the medial femoral condyle gave the lowest agreements while being well correlated with the macroscopic osteophytes (rs= 0.64, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Non-invasive in vivo radiography of the rabbit femorotibial joint is feasible, relevant and allows a reproducible grading of experimentally induced OA lesion. The radiographic grading scale and atlas presented could be used as a template for in vivo non invasive grading of ROA in preclinical studies and could allow future comparisons between studies.
CXCR1 and SLC11A1polymorphisms affect susceptibility to cutaneous leishmaniasis in Brazil: a case-control and family-based study
Authors: Castellucci Léa , Jamieson Sarra E , Miller E Nancy , Menezes Eliane , Oliveira Joyce , Magalhães Andrea , Guimarães Luiz Henrique , Lessa Marcus , de Jesus Amélia Ribeiro , Carvalho Edgar M , Blackwell Jenefer M
Published: January 2010

Background

L. braziliensis causes cutaneous (CL) and mucosal (ML) leishmaniasis. Wound healing neutrophil (PMN) and macrophage responses made following the bite of the vector sand fly contribute to disease progression in mice. To look at the interplay between PMN and macrophages in disease progression in humans we asked whether polymorphisms at genes that regulate their infiltration or function are associated with different clinical phenotypes. Specifically, CXCR1 (IL8RA) and CXCR2 (IL8RB) are receptors for chemokines that attract PMN to inflammatory sites. They lie 30-260 kb upstream of SLC11A1, a gene known primarily for its role in regulating macrophage activation, resistance to leishmaniasis, and wound healing responses in mice, but also known to be expressed in PMN, macrophages and dendritic cells.

Methods

Polymorphic variants at CXCR1, CXCR2 and SLC11A1 were analysed using Taqman or ABI fragment separation technologies in cases (60 CL; 60 ML), unrelated controls (n = 120), and multicase families (104 nuclear families; 88 ML, 250 CL cases) from Brazil. Logistic regression analysis, family-based association testing (FBAT) and haplotype analysis (TRANSMIT) were performed.

Results

Case-control analysis showed association between the common C allele (OR 2.38; 95% CI 1.23-4.57; P = 0.009) of CXCR1_rs2854386 and CL, supported by family-based (FBAT; Z score 2.002; P = 0.045) analysis (104 nuclear families; 88 ML, 250 CL cases). ML associated with the rarer G allele (Z score 1.999; P = 0.046). CL associated with a 3' insertion/deletion polymorphism at SLC11A1 (Z score 2.549; P = 0.011).

Conclusions

The study supports roles for CXCR1 and SLC11A1 in the outcome of L. braziliensis infection in humans. Slc11a1 does not influence cutaneous lesion development following needle injection of Leishmania in mice, suggesting that its role here might relate to the action of PMN, macrophage and/or dendritic cells in the wound healing response to the sand fly bite. Together with the CXCR1 association, the data are consistent with hypotheses relating to the possible role of PMN in initiation of a lesion following the delivery of parasites via the sand fly bite. Association of ML with the rare derived G allele suggests that PMN also have an important positive role to play in preventing this form of the disease.
Running away experience and psychoactive substance use among adolescents in Taiwan: multi-city street outreach survey
Authors: Wang Shi-Heng , Chen Wen-Chun , Lew-Ting Chih-Yin , Chen Chuan-Yu , Chen Wei J
Published: January 2010

Background

This study aimed to examine: 1) the relationship between being a runaway and the time since the first absconding event and adolescent substance use; 2) whether different kinds of psychoactive substances have a different temporal relationship to the first absconding event; and 3) whether the various reasons for the first absconding event are associated with different risks of substance use.

Methods

Participants were drawn from the 2004-2006 nationwide outreach programs across 26 cities/towns in Taiwan. A total of 17,133 participants, age 12-18 years, who completed an anonymous questionnaire on their experience of running away and substances use and who were now living with their families, were included in the analysis.

Results

The lifetime risk of tobacco, alcohol, betel nut, and illegal drug/inhalant use increased steadily from adolescents who had experienced a trial runaway episode (one time lasting ≤ 1 day), to those with extended runaway experience (≥ 2 times or lasting > 1 day), when compared to those who had never ran away. Adolescents who had their first running away experience > 6 months previously had a greater risk of betel nut or illegal drug/inhalant use over the past 6-months than those with a similar experience within the last 6 months. Both alcohol and tobacco use were most frequently initiated before the first running away, whereas both betel nut and illegal drug/inhalant use were most frequently initiated after this event. When adolescents who were fleeing an unsatisfactory home life were compared to those who ran away for excitement, the risk of alcohol use was similar but the former tended to have a higher risk of tobacco, betel nut, and illegal drug/inhalant use.

Conclusions

More significant running away and a longer time since the first absconding experience were associated with more advanced substance involvement among adolescents now living in a family setting. Once adolescents had left home, they developed additional psychoactive substance problems, regardless of their reasons for running away. These findings have implications for caregivers, teachers, and healthcare workers when trying to prevent and/or intervening in adolescent substance use.
Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Nurses in Ibadan, South-west Nigeria: a cross-sectional survey
Authors: Tinubu Bolanle MS , Mbada Chidozie E , Oyeyemi Adewale L , Fabunmi Ayodele A
Published: January 2010

Background

Musculoskeletal disorders represent a significant occupational problem among nurses; however, data on musculoskeletal health of nurses in Sub-Sahara Africa are sparse. This study sought to determine the lifetime, 12-months period and point prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs); the associated job risk factors and the coping strategies toward reducing the risk among nurses from selected hospitals in Ibadan, South-west Nigeria

Methods

A previously validated self administered questionnaire which sought information on demographics, prevalence and pattern of WMSDs, associated job risk factors and coping strategies was employed as the survey instrument. A total of 160 questionnaires were distributed to nurses in the different hospitals but 128 questionnaires were returned yielding an 80% response rate. 10 of the returned questionnaires were excluded because of incomplete data.

Results

Eighty-four point four percent of the nurses have had WMSDs once or more in their occupational lives. The 12-months period and point prevalence rate of WMSDs at any body region was 78% and 66.1% respectively. WMSDs occurred mostly in low back (44.1%), neck (28.0%), and knees (22.4%). 30.3% treated themselves or had visited other health practitioners for care. Nurses with > 20 years of clinical experience are about 4 times more likely to develop WMSDs (OR 3.81; CI 1.08-13.4) than those with 11-20 years experience. Working in the same positions for long periods (55.1%), lifting or transferring dependent patients (50.8%) and treating an excessive number of patients in one day (44.9%) were the most perceived job risk factors for WMSDs. Getting help in handling heavy patients (50.4%), modification of nursing procedures in order to avoid re-injury (45.4%), and modifying patient's/nurse position (40.3%) were the top three coping strategies.

Conclusions

A high proportion of Nigerian nurses reported WMSDs at some body site in their occupational lives with the low back being injured most often. Education programmes on prevention and coping strategies for musculoskeletal disorders are recommended for nurses in order to reduce the rate of occupational hazards and also promote efficiency in patient care.
Recent advances in the surgical care of breast cancer patients
Authors: Mascaro Alessandra , Farina Massimo , Gigli Raffaella , Vitelli Carlo E , Fortunato Lucio
Published: January 2010

A tremendous improvement in every aspect of breast cancer management has occurred in the last two decades. Surgeons, once solely interested in the extipartion of the primary tumor, are now faced with the need to incorporate a great deal of information, and to manage increasingly complex tasks.

As a comprehensive assessment of all aspects of breast cancer care is beyond the scope of the present paper, the current review will point out some of these innovations, evidence some controversies, and stress the need for the surgeon to specialize in the various aspects of treatment and to be integrated into the multisciplinary breast unit team.
Regeneration and reprogramming compared
Authors: Christen Bea , Robles Vanesa , Raya Marina , Paramonov Ida , Belmonte Juan Carlos Izpisúa
Published: January 2010

Background

Dedifferentiation occurs naturally in mature cell types during epimorphic regeneration in fish and some amphibians. Dedifferentiation also occurs in the induction of pluripotent stem cells when a set of transcription factors (Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc) is over expressed in mature cell types.

Results

We hypothesised that there are parallels between dedifferentiation or reprogramming of somatic cells to induced pluripotent stem cells and the natural process of dedifferentiation during epimorphic regeneration. We analysed expression levels of the most commonly used pluripotency associated factors in regenerating and non-regenerating tissue and compared them with levels in a pluripotent reference cell. We found that some of the pluripotency associated factors (oct4/pou5f1, sox2, c-myc, klf4, tert, sall4, zic3, dppa2/4 and fut1, a homologue of ssea1) were expressed before and during regeneration and that at least two of these factors (oct4, sox2) were also required for normal fin regeneration in the zebrafish. However these factors were not upregulated during regeneration as would be expected if blastema cells acquired pluripotency.

Conclusions

By comparing cells from the regeneration blastema with embryonic pluripotent reference cells we found that induced pluripotent stem and blastema cells do not share pluripotency. However, during blastema formation some of the key reprogramming factors are both expressed and are also required for regeneration to take place. We therefore propose a link between partially reprogrammed induced pluripotent stem cells and the half way state of blastema cells and suggest that a common mechanism might be regulating these two processes.
Access to pain treatment as a human right
Authors: Lohman Diederik , Schleifer Rebecca , Amon Joseph J
Published: January 2010

Background

Almost five decades ago, governments around the world adopted the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs which, in addition to addressing the control of illicit narcotics, obligated countries to work towards universal access to the narcotic drugs necessary to alleviate pain and suffering. Yet, despite the existence of inexpensive and effective pain relief medicines, tens of millions of people around the world continue to suffer from moderate to severe pain each year without treatment.

Discussion

Significant barriers to effective pain treatment include: the failure of many governments to put in place functioning drug supply systems; the failure to enact policies on pain treatment and palliative care; poor training of healthcare workers; the existence of unnecessarily restrictive drug control regulations and practices; fear among healthcare workers of legal sanctions for legitimate medical practice; and the inflated cost of pain treatment. These barriers can be understood not only as a failure to provide essential medicines and relieve suffering but also as human rights abuses.

According to international human rights law, countries have to provide pain treatment medications as part of their core obligations under the right to health; failure to take reasonable steps to ensure that people who suffer pain have access to adequate pain treatment may result in the violation of the obligation to protect against cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.
An overview of Uganda's mental health care system: results from an assessment using the world health organization's assessment instrument for mental health systems (WHO-AIMS)
Authors: Kigozi Fred , Ssebunnya Joshua , Kizza Dorothy , Cooper Sara , Ndyanabangi Sheila ,   the Mental Health and Poverty Project
Published: January 2010

Background

The Ugandan government recognizes mental health as a serious public health and development concern, and has of recent implemented a number of reforms aimed at strengthening the country's mental health system. The aim of this study was to provide a profile of the current mental health policy, legislation and services in Uganda.

Methods

A survey was conducted of public sector mental health policy and legislation, and service resources and utilisation in Uganda, in the year 2005, using the World Health Organization's Assessment Instrument for Mental Health Systems (WHO-AIMS) Version 2.2.

Results

Uganda's draft mental health policy encompasses many positive reforms, including decentralization and integration of mental health services into Primary Health Care (PHC). The mental health legislation is however outdated and offensive. Services are still significantly underfunded (with only 1% of the health expenditure going to mental health), and skewed towards urban areas. Per 100,000 population, there were 1.83 beds in mental hospitals, 1.4 beds in community based psychiatric inpatient units, and 0.42 beds in forensic facilities. The total personnel working in mental health facilities were 310 (1.13 per 100,000 population). Only 0.8% of the medical doctors and 4% of the nurses had specialized in psychiatry.

Conclusion

Although there have been important developments in Uganda's mental health policy and services, there remains a number of shortcomings, especially in terms of resources and service delivery. There is an urgent need for more research on the current burden of mental disorders and the functioning of mental health programs and services in Uganda.
Linear iterative refinement method for the rapid simulation of borehole nuclear measurements: Part I — Vertical wells
Authors: Mendoza Alberto , Torres-Verdín Carlos , Preeg Bill
Published: January 2010

As a result of its high numerical accuracy and versatility to include complex tool configurations and arbitrary spatial distributions of material properties, the Monte Carlo method is the foremost numerical technique used to simulate borehole nuclear measurements. Although recent advances in computer technology have considerably reduced the computer time required by Monte Carlo simulations of borehole nuclear measurements, the efficiency of the method is still not sufficient for estimation of layer-by-layer properties or combined quantitative interpretation with other borehole measurements. We develop and successfully test a new linear iterative refinement method to simulate nuclear borehole measurements accurately and rapidly. The approximation stems from Monte Carlo-derived geometric response factors, referred to as flux sensitivity functions (FSFs), for specific density and neutron-tool configurations. Our procedure first invokes the integral representation of Boltzmann’s transport equation to describe the detector response from the flux of particles emitted by the radioactive source. Subsequently, we use theMonte Carlo N-particle (MCNP) code to calculate the associated detector response function and the particle flux included in the integral form of Boltzmann’s equation. The linear iterative refinement method accounts for variations of the response functions attributable to local perturbations when numerically simulating neutron and density porosity logs. We quantify variations in the FSFs of neutron and density measurements from borehole environmental effects and spatial variations of formation properties. Simulations performed with the new approximations yield errors in the simulated value of density of less than [Formula: see text] with respect to Monte Carlo-simulated logs. Moreover, for the case of radial geometric factor of density, we observe a maximum shift of [Formula: see text] at 90% of the total sensitivity as a result of realistic variations of formation density. For radial variation of neutron properties (migration length), the maximum change in the radial length of investigation is [Formula: see text]. Neutron porosity values simulated with the new approximation differ by less than 10% from Monte Carlo simulations. The approximations enable the simulation of borehole nuclear measurements in seconds of CPU time compared to several hours with MCNP.
Oscillating oil drops, resonant frequencies, and low-frequency passive seismology
Authors: Broadhead Michael K.
Published: January 2010

A recent passive seismic technology in the oil industry, sometimes referred to as hydrocarbon microtremor analysis (also low-frequency spectroscopy), claims high correlation in some instances between the presence of hydrocarbons and low-frequency spectral anomalies (elevated spectral energy levels) computed from passively recorded seismic data. These observations have been reported for a number of different geographic locations. One of the difficulties in assessing this method is the lack of a physical basis for explaining the empirically observed effects. A potential explanation that has appeared in the literature can be referred to as the resonant amplification model. The main idea of the model is that, because of capillary effects, an oil drop in a rockpore will oscillate at a resonant frequency when driven by the ambient noise field of the earth. This resonance phenomenon is interpreted as a possible source of the spectral anomaly. I examined this model by numerical simulation but was unable to reproduce the amplification effect. I then considered one of the main input parameters, the resonant frequency itself. By computing resonant frequencies using theoretical models from the literature, I found that the resulting values are too high to be consistent with the frequency range of hydrocarbon microtremor analysis. Furthermore, I found that such resonances only exist for little or no viscous damping. When realistic damping is considered, there is no oil-drop resonance effect. The model, at least in its current form, does not appear to provide a promising direction for establishing a physical basis for hydrocarbon microtremor analysis.
NKAML: A Pilot Study to Determine the Safety and Feasibility of Haploidentical Natural Killer Cell Transplantation in Childhood Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Rubnitz Jeffrey E. , Inaba Hiroto , Ribeiro Raul C. , Pounds Stanley , Rooney Barbara , Bell Teresa , Pui Ching-Hon , Leung Wing
Published: January 2010

Purpose

To conduct a pilot study to determine the safety, feasibility, and engraftment of haploidentical natural killer (NK) cell infusions after an immunosuppressive regimen in children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Patients and Methods

Ten patients (0.7 to 21 years old) who had completed chemotherapy and were in first complete remission of AML were enrolled on the Pilot Study of Haploidentical Natural Killer Cell Transplantation for Acute Myeloid Leukemia (NKAML) study. They received cyclophosphamide (60 mg/kg on day −7) and fludarabine (25 mg/m2/d on days −6 through −2), followed by killer immunoglobulin-like receptor–human leukocyte antigen (KIR-HLA) mismatched NK cells (median, 29 × 106/kg NK cells) and six doses of interleukin-2 (1 million U/m2). NK cell chimerism, phenotyping, and functional assays were performed on days 2, 7, 14, 21, and 28 after transplantation.

Results

All patients had transient engraftment for a median of 10 days (range, 2 to 189 days) and a significant expansion of KIR-mismatched NK cells (median, 5,800/mL of blood on day 14). Nonhematologic toxicity was limited, with no graft-versus-host disease. Median length of hospitalization was 2 days. With a median follow-up time of 964 days (range, 569 to 1,162 days), all patients remain in remission. The 2-year event-free survival estimate was 100% (95% CI, 63.1% to 100%).

Conclusion

Low-dose immunosuppression followed by donor-recipient inhibitory KIR-HLA mismatched NK cells is well tolerated by patients and results in successful engraftment. We propose to further investigate the efficacy of KIR-mismatched NK cells in a phase II trial as consolidation therapy to decrease relapse without increasing mortality in children with AML.