bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Treatment with human insulin does not increase thyroid cancer risk in patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Tseng Chin‐Hsiao
Published: June 2014

Background

Whether human insulin therapy may increase thyroid cancer risk in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has not been investigated.

Materials and methods

The reimbursement databases of all Taiwanese diabetic patients from 1996 to 2009 were retrieved from the Bureau of National Health Insurance. The entry date was set at 1 January 2004, and 968 384 patients with T2DM were followed up for thyroid cancer incidence until the end of 2009. Ever‐users, never‐users and subgroups of human insulin exposure (using tertile cut‐offs of time since starting insulin, duration of therapy and cumulative dose) at entry date were calculated for thyroid cancer incidence. Insulin glargine was not marketed until after the entry date. Therefore, to exclude the potential contamination of insulin glargine, patients who happened to use insulin glargine were censored at the time of its initiation when calculating the period of follow‐up. Hazard ratios were estimated by Cox regression.

Results

There were 111 121 ever‐users and 857 263 never‐users of human insulin, with respective numbers of incident thyroid cancer of 118 (0·11%) and 1047 (0·12%), and respective incidences of 23·9 and 23·8 per 100 000 person‐years. The overall hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) did not show a significant association with human insulin in either the age‐sex‐adjusted or the fully adjusted model: 0·942 (0·778–1·141) and 1·096 (0·888–1·353), respectively. When categorized into tertiles of the dose–response parameters, none of the hazard ratios was significant.

Conclusions

This study does not support the role of human insulin therapy in increasing the risk of thyroid cancer in patients with T2DM.
The regional distribution of foreign investment in Russia
Authors: Gonchar Ksenia , Marek Philipp
Published: June 2014

This article conducts a plant‐level study of the factors affecting foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow to a large opening economy endowed with specific factor advantages. We conclude that the distribution of FDI in Russian regions depends on market access and can be most notably described by the knowledge‐capital framework. Factor endowments built by natural resources are more successful in explaining the location decisions of export–platform affiliates. The impact of natural resources depends on how the availability of these resources is measured. The results reject the crowding out effects of resource FDI and prove co‐location mode, when service investments are attracted to resource‐rich regions. Labour cost advantages better explain the preferences of non‐trading service affiliates.
Synovial osteochondromatosis
Authors: Smith M. R. W.
Published: June 2014

Synovial osteochondromatosis represents a very unusual synovial response in the horse and can be either primary or secondary. The condition describes metaplastic and focal formation of cartilage within the intimal layer of the synovial membrane. The condition is also uncommon in other domestic animals, although occurs more frequently in man. Treatment usually involves arthroscopic removal of osteochondral bodies and resection of abnormal synovium. Recurrence is quite common and malignant transformation rarely occurs although, to date, this has not been reported in the horse.
Sphingosine‐1‐phosphate mediates AKT/ERK maintenance of dental pulp homoeostasis
Authors: Pan H. Y. , Yang H. , Shao M. Y. , Xu J. , Zhang P. , Cheng R. , Hu T.
Published: June 2014

Aim

To investigate the cell status of dental pulp cells (DPCs) in a sphingosine‐1‐phosphate (S1P)‐induced microinflammation environment and the possible mechanisms of cell homoeostasis maintenance by S1P.

Methodology

Sphingosine‐1‐phosphate receptor (S1PR) expression was examined in DPCs within a local S1P‐induced microinflammation model established using 1 μmol L−1 S1P. U0126 [extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) inhibitor], LY294002 (AKT inhibitor) and Y27632 (ROCK inhibitor) were used to inhibit corresponding signalling pathways of DPCs. CCK8 and cell cycle analysis tested cell proliferation. Immunofluorescence staining JC‐1 detected changes of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). Tests for apoptosis and the apoptosis‐related proteins Bax and Bcl‐2 were assessed by flow cytometry and western blot analysis, respectively. Expressions of ERK and AKT were evaluated by western blot analysis. The results were analysed using the Student's t‐test and the significance level set at P < 0.05.

Results

Expressions of S1PR1, S1PR2 and S1PR3 in DPCs differed amongst individuals. DPCs maintained self‐homoeostasis in response to S1P‐induced microinflammation via S1PRs. During this repair process, ERK, AKT and ROCK had a short‐term complementary interaction at 60 min, but then AKT and ERK gradually played decisive roles after 24 h in proliferation enhancement and apoptosis inhibition, respectively (P > 0.05).

Conclusions

The AKT–ERK balance may determine whether DPC homoeostasis in S1P‐induced microinflammation is maintained by synergistic regulation of cell growth and apoptosis.
Lower urinary tract symptoms, benign prostatic hyperplasia/benign prostatic enlargement and erectile dysfunction: Are these conditions related to vascular dysfunction?
Authors: Shimizu Shogo , Tsounapi Panagiota , Shimizu Takahiro , Honda Masashi , Inoue Keiji , Dimitriadis Fotios , Saito Motoaki
Published: June 2014

Although the pathogenesis of lower urinary tract symptoms, benign prostatic hyperplasia/benign prostatic enlargement and erectile dysfunction is poorly understood and thought to be multifactorial, it has been traditionally recognized that these conditions increase with age. There is increasing evidence that there is an association between cardiovascular disease and lower urinary tract symptoms as well as benign prostatic hyperplasia/benign prostatic enlargement and erectile dysfunction in elderly patients. Age might activate systemic vascular risk factors, resulting in disturbed blood flow. Hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis are also linked to the etiology of lower urinary tract symptoms, benign prostatic hyperplasia/benign prostatic enlargement and erectile dysfunction. In the present review, we discuss the relationship between decreased pelvic blood flow and lower urinary tract symptoms, benign prostatic hyperplasia/benign prostatic enlargement and erectile dysfunction. Furthermore, we suggest possible common mechanisms underlining these urological conditions.
Effect of propiverine hydrochloride on stress urinary incontinence
Authors: Sugaya Kimio , Sekiguchi Yuki , Satoh Tomoya , Shiroma Kazuo , Kadekawa Katsumi , Ashitomi Katsuhiro , Nishijima Saori
Published: June 2014

Objectives

To investigate whether the anticholinergic agent, propiverine hydrochloride, is clinically effective for stress urinary incontinence.

Methods

The participants were adult female patients with the chief complaint of stress incontinence. Propiverine (20 mg once daily) was given for 8 weeks. If the response was inadequate after 4 weeks of treatment, the dose was increased to 40 mg/day. Before and after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment, lower urinary tract symptoms were assessed. The urethral pressure and blood catecholamine levels were also measured.

Results

A total of 37 patients (mean age 69 ± 11 years) were enrolled, including 15 patients with stress incontinence and 22 with mixed incontinence. The number of episodes of stress incontinence decreased significantly from 2.6 ± 2.3 times per day to 1.3 ± 2.2 times per day after 4 weeks, and 0.4 ± 0.6 times per day after 8 weeks. The daytime and night‐time frequency of urination, and quality of life score showed significant improvement. The maximum urethral closing pressure and the functional urethral length increased significantly after treatment, but blood catecholamine levels, blood pressure and pulse rate at 8 weeks were not significantly different from those at baseline.

Conclusions

Propiverine could be an effective drug for stress urinary incontinence by increasing urethral closing pressure without increasing blood catecholamine levels.
Comorbidities and causes of death in the management of localized T1a kidney cancer
Authors: Patel Hiten D , Kates Max , Pierorazio Phillip M , Gorin Michael A , Jayram Gautam , Ball Mark W , Hyams Elias S , Allaf Mohamad Ezzeddine
Published: June 2014

Objective

The objectives of the present study were analyze specific comorbidities associated with survival and actual causes of death for patients with small renal masses, and to suggest a simplified measure associated with decreased overall survival specific to this population.

Methods

The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results‐Medicare database (1995–2007) was queried to identify patients with localized T1a kidney cancer undergoing partial nephrectomy, radical nephrectomy or deferring therapy. We explored independent associations of specific comorbidities with causes of death, and developed a simplified cardiovascular index. Cox proportional hazards, and Fine and Gray competing risks regression were used.

Results

Of 7177 Medicare beneficiaries in the study population, 754 (10.5%) deferred therapy, 1849 (25.8%) underwent partial nephrectomy and 4574 (63.7%) underwent radical nephrectomy with none of the selected comorbidities identified in 3682 (51.3%) patients. Congestive heart failure, chronic kidney disease, peripheral vascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes and cerebrovascular disease were associated with decreased overall survival. The cardiovascular index provided good survival risk stratification, and reclassified 1427 (41%) patients with a score ≥1 on the Charlson Comorbidity Index to a 0 on the cardiovascular index with minimal concession of 5‐year survival.

Conclusions

Congestive heart failure, chronic kidney disease, peripheral vascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes and cerebrovascular disease were associated with decreased overall survival among Medicare beneficiaries with small renal masses. The cardiovascular index could serve as a clinically useful prognostic aid when advising older patients that are borderline candidates for surgery or active surveillance.
Demand for Contraception to Delay First Pregnancy among Young Married Women in India
Authors: Jejeebhoy Shireen J. , Santhya K.G. , Zavier A.J. Francis
Published: June 2014

In India, evidence is sparse regarding the demand for contraception to delay first pregnancy among married young people. Using data drawn from a study conducted in six Indian states among 9,572 women aged 15–24 who were married for five or fewer years, we explore the scope of this demand, the extent to which it has been satisfied, and, using logistic regression analyses, the factors correlated with contraceptive use to delay first pregnancy among those reporting demand. Findings confirm considerable demand for contraception to postpone first pregnancy (51 percent). Of those with demand, only 10 percent had practiced contraception. Contraception was more likely to have been practiced by educated women, those aware of family planning methods before they were married, those exposed to quality sexuality education, and those who participated in marriage‐related decisionmaking. Women who reported feeling pressure to prove their fertility were less likely to have practiced contraception.
Unmet Need for Family Planning in Ghana: The Shifting Contributions of Lack of Access and Attitudinal Resistance
Authors: Machiyama Kazuyo , Cleland John
Published: June 2014

In Ghana, despite a 38 percent decline in the total fertility rate from 1988 to 2008, unmet need for family planning among married women exposed to pregnancy risk declined only modestly in this period: from 50 percent to 42 percent. Examining data from the five DHS surveys conducted in Ghana during these years, we find that the relative contribution to unmet need of lack of access to contraceptive methods has diminished, whereas attitudinal resistance has grown. In 2008, 45 percent of women with unmet need experienced no apparent obstacles associated with access or attitude, 32 percent had access but an unfavorable attitude, and 23 percent had no access. Concerns regarding health as a reason for nonuse have been reported in greater numbers over these years and are now the dominant reason, followed by infrequent sex. An enduring resistance to hormonal methods, much of it based on prior experience of side effects, may lead many Ghanaian women, particularly the educated in urban areas, to use periodic abstinence or reduced coital frequency as an alternative to modern contraception.
Unmet Need and Fertility Decline: A Comparative Perspective on Prospects in Sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Casterline John B. , El‐Zeini Laila O.
Published: June 2014

This study assesses how changes in unmet need for family planning have contributed to contemporary fertility declines, and the implications of this historical record for further fertility decline, especially in sub‐Saharan Africa. We examine joint trends at the national level in fertility, unintended fertility, and unmet need. We bring unintended fertility into the analysis because the underlying rationale for reducing unmet need is to avert unintended pregnancies and births. The association over time between unmet need and fertility is investigated using survey data from 45 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean from the mid‐1970s to the present. The empirical analysis finds that reduction in unmet need, especially unmet need for limiting, is strongly associated with fertility decline in Latin America and the Caribbean and in Asia and North Africa. Fertility decline in sub‐Saharan Africa is weakly associated with trends in unmet need (and satisfaction of demand). We propose that the stark regional difference is due to measurement problems and to the fundamentally different character of fertility decline in sub‐Saharan Africa, itself reflective of basic differences in pretransition reproductive regimes.
The Impact of Family Planning Programs on Unmet Need and Demand for Contraception
Authors: Bongaarts John
Published: June 2014

Much of the existing literature on the demographic impact of family planning programs focuses on their role in increasing contraceptive use, which, in turn, accelerates fertility decline. What is not clear, however, is whether this effect operates solely through a reduction in unmet need brought about by eliminating obstacles to use or whether and to what extent the programs also affect demand for contraception through messages concerning the benefits of family planning. This article aims to shed additional light on this issue by analyzing data drawn from recent Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 63 developing countries. The first section reviews general levels and trends in unmet need, demand, and use over the course of the fertility transition. The second section presents different types of evidence of program effects, including results from a controlled experiment and from country case studies. The evidence indicates a program impact on both unmet need and demand.
Using Measurements of Unmet Need to Inform Program Investments for Health Service Integration
Authors: Malarcher Shawn , Polis Chelsea B.
Published: June 2014

Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data could potentially inform optimal strategies to reach women having unmet need with contraceptive services through integrated service delivery. Using 2010–11 DHS data from Nepal, Senegal, and Uganda, we estimate the proportion of married or cohabitating women of reproductive age (MWRA) having unmet need for family planning (FP) who have accessed selected health services and therefore could be offered FP services through integrated service delivery. We find substantial missed opportunities to reach MWRA having unmet need for family planning (FP) in the three countries examined. We also find considerable variation within and between countries in the potential for integrated services to reach women having unmet need. Between 4 percent and 57 percent of MWRA having unmet need in these countries could be reached through integration of FP into any single‐service delivery platform we explored. This analysis has the potential to provide program managers with an evidence‐based road map indicating which service‐delivery platforms offer the greatest potential to reach the largest number of women having unmet need for contraception.
A Comprehensive Method for Precise Determination of Re, Os, Ir, Ru, Pt, Pd Concentrations and Os Isotopic Compositions in Geological Samples
Authors: Chu Zhuyin , Yan Yan , Chen Zhi , Guo Jinghui , Yang Yueheng , Li Chaofeng , Zhang Yanbin
Published: June 2014

A comprehensive method for the precise determination of Re, Os, Ir, Ru, Pt and Pd concentrations as well as Os isotopic compositions in geological samples is presented. Samples were digested by the Carius tube method, and the Os was extracted by conventional CCl4 method. The Re, Ir, Ru, Pt and Pd were first subgroup separated from the matrix elements into Re‐Ru, Ir‐Pt and Pd by a 2‐ml anion exchange column. Subsequently, the Re‐Ru was further purified by a secondary 0.25 ml anion exchange column or by microdistillation of Ru using CrO3‐H2SO4 as an oxidant followed by a secondary 0.25 ml anion exchange separation of Re. The Pd and Ir‐Pt were further successively purified by an Eichrom‐LN column to completely remove Zr and Hf, respectively. Rhenium, Ir, Ru, Pt and Pd were individually measured by multi‐collector inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (MC‐ICP‐MS), except for Ru after microdistillation purification was analysed by negative‐thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (N‐TIMS). The analytical results for peridotite reference material WPR‐1 agree well with the previously published data. Finally, several mafic rock reference materials including TDB‐1, WGB‐1, BHVO‐2, BCR‐2, BIR‐1a and DNC‐1a were analysed for Re‐Os isotopes and platinum‐group element concentrations to test their suitability for certification.
Accounting‐based Risk Management and the Capital Asset Pricing Model: An Empirical Comparison
Authors: Toms Steven
Published: June 2014

Accounting‐based risk management (ABRM) is a theoretically consistent and practical tool for calculating the cost of capital from underlying financial ratios. In this paper, a sample of ABRM‐generated discount factors is used to generate risk‐adjusted returns, which are compared to CAPM equivalent discount factors. In view of the debates about CAPM's validity, alternative models, the nature and scale of the equity risk premium, and the importance of discount rates in capital budgeting and asset valuation, ABRM's characteristics and resulting discount rates offer a potentially useful alternative. Results suggest that although average discount rates are comparable, their cross‐sectional distributions are dissimilar, so that investors in an average risky firm are overcompensated for systematic risk when using CAPM discount rates, because CAPM discount factors overestimate risk arising from fixed costs in most firms.
Turn this ship around: Confronting financialised capitalism
Authors: Lapavitsas Costas
Published: June 2014

Costas Lapavitsas charts the growth of the ‘unstable, unequal and slow‐growing’ system of financialised capitalism that has taken root in mature economies over the past 40 years, and outlines initial steps to disentangling businesses, services, workers and households from its grasp.
British banks: too big to change – or not as big as you think?
Authors: Coyle Diane
Published: June 2014

Remarkably, the most serious financial crisis in living memory has had few political consequences. Diane Coyle argues that one of the reasons is a method of calculating GDP that overstates the value of the financial sector to the UK economy, helping to shield it from sensible reforms.
Cooperation for innovation: A solidaristic approach to economic reform
Authors: Martin Cathie Jo
Published: June 2014

Cathie Jo Martin examines the Scandinavian model of strong democratic institutions and cooperative policymaking built on a bedrock of social solidarity. This model, she argues, just might provide the basis for the Nordic nations' recovery from crisis.
Owning the problem: Why the left needs a democratic capital strategy
Authors: Guinan Joe
Published: June 2014

The left must move beyond defensive rearguard actions, argues Joe Guinan, and embrace strategies that are capable of delivering radically different social and economic outcomes – and this means going after capital.
‘In favour of a strong Europe’ – what does this mean?
Authors: Habermas Jürgen
Published: June 2014

In a speech to members of the German Social Democratic party (SPD) in February 2014, philosopher and sociologist Jürgen Habermas outlined his vision for Europe, tackling the three major contemporary crises: German domination, European legitimacy and political union.
Environmental politics in a cold climate
Authors: Lockwood Matthew
Published: June 2014

After a decade in which public concern for climate change seems to have peaked and fallen away in the face of economic priorities and political populism, Matthew Lockwood asks how the environmental movement can build broad coalitions of support to tackle these vital issues.
Normative Power Europe and the Power of the Local
Authors: Gordon Neve , Pardo Sharon
Published: June 2014

In this article, the unfolding events surrounding the publication of the EU Guidelines prohibiting the allocation of funds to Israeli entities in the Occupied Territories are used to offer three observations about the impact of ‘the local’ on ‘Normative Power Europe’ (NPE). First, the case study reveals the growing influence of the power of ‘the European local’ on the decision of whether or not to deploy normative power. Second, it underscores the fact that local power relations in the target country often determine the reaction to NPE, while the reaction often produces the visibility of the normative edicts and thus helps empower NPE. And third, NPE's visibility has an impact on the EU's self‐identification, but not necessarily on the policies it criticizes. These observations underscore the importance of analyzing the various levels of ‘the local’ and their relation to NPE in order to understand the latter's political impact.
Evaluating the contributions of change in investment and change in efficiency to age‐related declines in male and female reproduction
Authors: Auld J. R. , Jarne P. , Sarda V. , Jourdan‐Pineau H. , Lamy T. , Pélissié B. , David P.
Published: June 2014

It is commonly observed that reproduction decreases with age, often at a different rate in males and females. This phenomenon is generally interpreted as senescence. Such reproductive declines may stem from at least two sources: a change in resource allocation and a decline in the ability to convert resources into offspring. This distinction is important because a shift in resource allocation may be favoured by selection, while reduced efficiency is purely deleterious. We propose a way to distinguish whether a decline in reproduction is purely deleterious based on estimating reproductive investment, output, and their ratio, efficiency. We apply this approach to the hermaphroditic snail Physa acuta and demonstrate that both male and female functions decline with age. The male decline largely stems from reduced investment into male activity while female decline is due to increased reproductive inefficiency. This shows that age‐related declines in reproduction can occur for a number of different reasons, a distinction that is usually masked by the general term ‘senescence’. This approach could be applied to any species to evaluate age‐related reproductive decline. We advocate that future studies measure age trajectories of reproductive investment and output to explore the potential processes hidden behind the observation that reproduction declines with age.
Training of Food Handlers in a Hotel: Tool for Promotion of the Food Safety
Authors: Gomes C.C.B. , Lemos G.F.C. , Silva M.C. , Hora I.M.C. , Cruz A.G.
Published: June 2014

This paper aims to evaluate a methodology for training food handlers using a didactic material (booklet) developed to be used as a tool in further training sessions in the hotel sector. Microbiological indicators, such as mesophilic aerobic bacteria, coliforms at 35 and 45C were tested in utensils, adornments, food handler hands and ready‐for‐consumption foods, in adverse conditions and routine tasks in an industrial kitchen environment. The results of the microbiological analyses clearly demonstrated the need for constant vigilance in order to obtain safe food, besides providing examples to be inserted into teaching materials, such as a guidebook, focusing on handlers who work in hotels, with the advantage of approaching examples of the routine of these establishments.

Practical Applications

Food handler education in hotels should be compulsory part of a food safety program. In this study, presented are the development of a methodology using practical examples from daily activities of the employers and results of laboratory analysis. Easy understanding was observed among all the food handlers and improvements were observed after the implementation of the method. The methodology can be adopted in any hotel food service, without any extra economical cost.
Predictive Models to Describe Behavior of Staphylococcus aureus in Sweet Pumpkin Salad Under Constant and Dynamic Temperature
Authors: Park Ahreum , Hwang In‐Gyun , Lee Soon‐Ho , Cho Joon‐Il , Lee Soomin , Lee Heeyoung , Yoon Yohan
Published: June 2014

This study developed predictive models to describe the behavior of Staphylococcus aureus in sweet pumpkin salad. A five‐strain mixture of S. aureus was inoculated in 5‐g portions of sweet pumpkin salad. The samples were stored at 10–30C, and cell counts were enumerated. The growth data were fitted to the Baranyi model to calculate lag‐phase duration (h), maximum specific growth rate (Log cfu/g/h), lower asymptote (Log cfu/g) and upper asymptote (Log cfu/g). The growth parameters were then fitted to secondary models as a function of storage temperature. Dynamic models were also developed for changing temperatures. The model was validated using the observed data, and the root mean square error (RMSE) was calculated. S. aureus growth was observed at 15–30C. RMSE values were 0.428–0.847. The results indicate that the developed mathematical models should be useful in describing the behavior of S. aureus as a function of temperature.

Practical Application

Many Staphylococcus aureus strains can contaminate sweet pumpkin salad. The salad may be stored at constant and nonisothermal temperatures, which may cause different S. aureus behaviors. Therefore, the developed model could be useful in describing and predicting the behavior of S. aureus with respect to temperature and time.
In vitro Anti‐Adherent Assessment of Selected Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolates Against Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes to Caco‐2 Cells
Authors: Sribuathong Supannikar , Saengprakai Janpen , Trevanich Sudsai
Published: June 2014

The present study aimed to evaluate in vitro anti‐adherence abilities of the probiotic potential of three selected lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains isolated from fermented broken rice with two foodborne pathogenic bacteria to Caco‐2 cells. Lactobacillus plantarum Ban Pra Doke 110 was the most adherent strain with an adherence of 17.66% at a concentration of added bacterial cells of 2.0 × 108 cfu/mL (multiplicities of infection 100). In the exclusion, competition and displacement tests, Lact. plantarum PD 110 showed the most anti‐adherence abilities against Salmonella Typhimurium American Type Culture Collection 13311 and Listeria monocytogenes ScottA to Caco‐2 cells. Moreover, the presence of its spent culture supernatant exhibited the highest decrease in the percentage numbers of the adherent pathogenic bacteria used in all tests. The effectiveness of each LAB strain was tested to adhere to Caco‐2 cells or to prevent the adherence of the test pathogenic bacteria varied widely depending on the genus and species, source of origin, and assay condition, as well as adherent‐promoting factors.

Practical Applications

Foodborne pathogen infection to the human intestinal epithelial surface cells is a critical step for the survival and cause foodborne illness. The anti‐adherent assessment of novel probiotic is of importance for the inhibition of pathogen infections. Lactobacillus plantarum PD 110 isolated from fermented broken rice could be one of these good candidates. The demonstrated in vitro anti‐adherent activity of Lact. plantarum PD 110 to Caco‐2 cells recommends its possible application as a probiotic candidates in order to inhibit the adherence of Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes to the human gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, this strain can be considered as a novel potential starter culture to improve the quality and safety of functional foods.
Estimation of Shelf Life with Respect to Bacillus cereus Growth in Tteokgalbi at Various Temperatures Using Predictive Models
Authors: Heo Chan , Kim Hyun Wook , Ko Kyung Yuk , Kim Kee‐Tae , Paik Hyun‐Dong
Published: June 2014

Predictive models to describe the growth of Bacillus cereus in tteokgalbi were developed during storage under various temperatures (5–25C) and inoculation levels (2 and 3 log) to estimate the shelf life. To develop primary models, the observed data were applied to the Baranyi and Gompertz equations. The growth rate was dependent on temperature, but the effect of inoculation level on growth rate was not significant (P > 0.05). Thus, the secondary polynomial model was developed as a function of temperature. At 5C, the predicted shelf life of tteokgalbi was approximately 65.5–73.2 h. The shelf life at 15 or 25C decreased sharply during storage, and was less than 20 h during storage. All primary and polynomial secondary models were characterized by high R2 values, small root mean square error values and very ideal values of Bf and Af. These results present reliable predictive growth models describing the growth of B. cereus under various temperature conditions in tteokgalbi.

Practical Applications

Many traditional homemade foods have been industrialized at recent days. Tteokgalbi is the most popular processed pork product in Korea, and the acceptability of consumers is high because of its good flavor and nutritional value. During industrial production, the possibility of contamination of pathogens including Bacillus cereus can be high through manufacture and distribution. The predictive model in this study can be used to control the possibility of contamination for safety of tteokgalbi as basic information.
In situ expression and serum level of thymic stromal lymphopoietin in oral lichen planus
Authors: Sun Mingxia , Tan Wanye , Liu Shaohua , Liu Guixiang , Zhang Xiaoying , Wang Ning , Qu Xun , Wei Fengcai
Published: June 2014

Background

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic inflammatory disease of oral mucosa in which the CD8+ T cell‐mediated cytotoxicity is regarded as a major mechanism of pathogenesis. The main objective of this study is to investigate in situ expression and secretion of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) in specimens and sera from patients with oral lichen planus.

Methods

Thirty‐six patients with OLP and 35 donors enrolled in specimen and serum collection. Immunohistochemical method and immunofluorescence double‐staining method were used to detect the expression of thymic stromal lymphopoietin and its receptor (TSLPR) together with CD8 in OLP specimens. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect TSLP secretion.

Results

More TSLP‐ or TSLPR‐positive cells showed in OLP specimens than in normal controls, and TSLP‐positive cells were mainly in the epithelium, while TSLPR‐positive cells mainly in the lamina propria. Furthermore, the number of TSLP‐positive cells in the stratum basal was associated with the amount of mononuclear cells infiltrating in the lamina propria of OLP specimens. Among infiltrating mononuclear cells in the lamina propria, some CD8‐positive cells also expressed TSLPR. The TSLP serum level of patients with OLP was significantly higher than of healthy donors, but there was no statistically difference between two clinical subtypes of OLP.

Conclusions

Our findings provided the first evidence that TSLP may enroll in the pathology of OLP and the TSLP–TSLPR interaction may play an important role in it.
NTPDase Specific Inhibitors Suppress Rice Infection by Magnaporthe oryzae
Authors: Long Bin , Li Gui‐Hua , Feng Rong‐Rong , Tao Lan , Liu Dian‐Dian , Feng Hui‐Qiang , Qin Qing‐Ming
Published: June 2014

Evolutionarily conserved ecto‐nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolases (referred to ‘NTPDases’ below) are important ecto‐nucleotidases that are able to hydrolyse NTPs and NDPs in the environment to the monophosphate form. NTPDases are found in a variety of eukaryotic organisms including medical pathogens. However, pathogenic roles of these NTPDases in medical and plant pathogens are still very obscure. Here, we demonstrate that conidial germination, appressorium formation and pathogenicity of rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae that had been pretreated with NTPDase‐specific inhibitors were significantly reduced, suggesting that NTPDases of M. oryzae play an important role in its infection. Our findings may provide a new avenue for powerful fungicide development and the control of rice blast.
Insurable interest – the doctrine that would not die
Authors: Meggitt Gary
Published: June 2014

The doctrine of insurable interest grew out of eighteenth-century anxieties over fraudulent seafarers and habitual gamblers. It was created by the courts, entrenched by statute and remains in place to this day despite the fact that it serves no practical or legal purpose. It was hoped by many that, when the English Law Commission and Scottish Law Commission established their joint review of insurance contract law in 2006, the doctrine would be consigned to the proverbial dustbin of history. Eight years later, these hopes have been dashed. The doctrine is here to stay. This paper asks ‘Why’ and finds the answer to be elusive.
Safety and toxicity of radioembolization plus Sorafenib in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: analysis of the European multicentre trial SORAMIC
Authors: Ricke Jens , Bulla Karsten , Kolligs Frank , Peck‐Radosavljevic Markus , Reimer Peter , Sangro Bruno , Schott Eckart , Schütte Kerstin , Verslype Chris , Walecki Jerzy , Malfertheiner Peter ,   the SORAMIC study group
Published: June 2014

Background & Aims

The benefits of combined systemic and liver‐directed treatments in inoperable intermediate‐ or advanced‐stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have yet to be defined. This article presents the planned safety analyses for the first 40 patients randomized to radioembolization with yttrium‐90 (90Y) resin microspheres followed by sorafenib (n = 20) or sorafenib only (n = 20) in the SORAMIC study.

Methods

Patients identified for palliative treatment who were poor candidates for transarterial (chemo)embolization (including those failing TACE) with preserved liver function (Child–Pugh ≤B7) and ECOG performance status <2 were screened. Radioembolization was administered using a sequential lobar approach. On day 3 after the last radioembolization procedure, sorafenib 200 mg twice daily was initiated escalating to 400 mg twice daily 1 week later; a matching sorafenib dose schedule was initiated in the control arm.

Results

Patients were followed up for a median of 8.3 months. Median total implanted activity of 90Y was 1.87 (range: 0.54–2.35) GBq. Patients received a similar intensity and duration of sorafenib in the combination‐treatment arm (median daily dose 614 mg over 8.5 months) and control arm (557 mg over 9.6 months). The incidence of total (196 vs. 222) and grade ≥3 (43 vs. 47) adverse events was similar in combination‐treatment arm and control arm respectively (P > 0.05). No significant differences in the number of total or grade 3/4 toxicities were recorded for: total bilirubin, albumin, liver enzymes, ascites, Child–Pugh, fatigue, hand–foot skin reaction, blood pressure or diarrhoea.

Conclusions

Radioembolization followed by sorafenib appears to be as well tolerated as sorafenib alone.
Impacts of wind waves on sediment transport in a large, shallow lake
Authors: Ji Zhen‐Gang , Jin Kang‐Ren
Published: June 2014

Lake Okeechobee is a large, shallow subtropical lake, located in south Florida. Over the last several decades, Lake Okeechobee has experienced accelerated eutrophication due to excessive phosphorus loads from agricultural run‐off. Recycling of phosphorus from bottom sediments through resuspension is critical to addressing eutrophication of the lake and for water quality management. The present study investigates the impacts of wind waves on sediment transport in Lake Okeechobee, using measured data and the Lake Okeechobee Environmental Model (LOEM). The LOEM was fully calibrated and verified with more than 10 years of measured data in previous studies. Analysis of the measured data indicates significant wave height (SWH) and suspended sediment concentration are closely correlated to the wind speed in the lake. The nonlinear interaction of high‐frequency wind waves with relatively low‐frequency currents in the boundary layer plays a key role in sediment deposition/resuspension. Without considering the effects of wind waves, the bottom shear stress can be greatly underestimated. The spatial variations of key variables for sediment modelling, including SWH, water depth, orbital velocity, current velocity, bottom shear stress and sediment concentration, are discussed. In general, the near‐bottom wave velocity (and the associated bottom shear stress) is greater than or the same order of magnitude as the near‐bed current velocity (and the associated bottom shear stress) in this shallow water system. Although the sediment zones of Lake Okeechobee were described in previous studies, few published papers discussed its formation mechanisms. The findings of the present study include that the multiyear averaged bottom shear stress with wind‐wave effect plays a key role in forming the spatial patterns of the sediment zones. The study results are currently being used in lake management and in developing strategies for reducing phosphorus in the lake.
Lakes of Malaysia: Water quality, eutrophication and management
Authors: Sharip Zati , Zaki Ahmad T. A. , Shapai Mohd. A. H. M. , Suratman Saim , Shaaban Ahmad J.
Published: June 2014

The present study was undertaken to evaluate and verify the water quality status and trophic state of 15 major lakes and reservoirs in Malaysia. The lake water quality assessments were based on the National Water Quality Index (NWQI), while the trophic state assessments were based on Carlson's Trophic State Index (TSI). The findings of this water quality assessment, based on data collected between September and October 2012, indicated that a majority of the lakes were classified as Class II (Clean) waters suitable for recreational use. The results of the trophic state assessments, however, indicated that all of the lakes were eutrophic, meaning they were nutrient‐rich, they could experience algae blooms or macrophyte problems, and they were likely to exhibit poor water quality. Sustainable management measures and strategies are suggested to address the eutrophication problems of Malaysian lakes and reservoirs, with the national responses on lake and reservoir management also being discussed.
Ambiguous immigrants? Examining the changing status of the English in New Zealand
Authors: Pearson David
Published: June 2014

Drawing on a qualitative interview‐based study of English migrants in New Zealand, this article examines, if and how, overseas migration triggers national sentiments that were previously relatively amorphous in their country of origin. In those cases where this occurs, it analyses the diverse and contextual orientations migrants display, and discusses the empirical and analytic challenges posed when seeking to conceptualise a category of persons that have been described as ‘ambiguous immigrants’. The study concludes that research on this ambiguity contributes to debates about the relationship between dominant ethnicity and national identity while highlighting the simplicities of many concepts used to describe and analyse ‘the English’.
Articulating national identity in Turkmenistan: inventing tradition through myth, cult and language
Authors: Clement Victoria
Published: June 2014

A study of myth, cult, and language as tools of state power, this paper analyzes ways national identity was constructed and articulated in one state. When Türkmenistan became independent in 1991 its first president, Saparmyrat Nyýazow, promoted himself as the ‘savior’ of the nation by reconceptualising what it meant to be Türkmen. Myth, public texts and language policy were used to construct this identity. While they were the targets of the state's cultural products, Türkmen citizens contributed to the processes of cultural production. Nyýazow legitimised his authoritarian leadership, first by co‐opting Türkmen citizens to support his regime, and then by coercing them as participants in his personality cult. The paper concludes that Nyýazow used the production of culture, ‘invented tradition’ in Hobsbawm's sense, to bolster his agenda and further his own power. It also argues that the exaggerated cult of personality Nyýazow cultivated limited his achievements, rather than solidifying them.
Exploring the roots and dynamics of Kurdish ethno‐nationalism in Turkey
Authors: Sarigil Zeki , Fazlioglu Omer
Published: June 2014

Using comprehensive and original data derived from a recent major public opinion survey, this study examines an under‐investigated aspect of the Kurdish issue in Turkey: the dynamics and factors behind Kurdish ethno‐nationalism at a mass level. The empirical findings disprove the conventional socio‐economic peace and Islamic‐peace hypotheses around this issue, and our statistical analyses provide strong support for the relative deprivation hypothesis, i.e. that those who think the Turkish state discriminates against Kurds are more likely to have ethno‐nationalist orientations. Multivariate analyses further show that religious sectarian differences among Kurds (i.e. the Hanefi‐Shafi division) matter: the more religious Shafi Kurds have a stronger ethnic consciousness and a higher degree of ethno‐nationalism. The study also provides a discussion of the broader theoretical and practical implications of the empirical findings, which may provide insights into conflict resolution prospects in countries with a Kurdish population.
Freemasonry as a playground for civic nationalism
Authors: Kaplan Danny
Published: June 2014

This article explores correspondences between the ideals of ‘civic nationalism’ (hereafter CN) and the practices of Freemasonry, a worldwide male fraternity. Freemasons practice an elitist stance of civilizing the self, translated into a collective mission of society‐building. Though not a national movement, Freemasonry shares conceptual similarities with CN and was implicated in civic‐national revolutions in the Americas and the Middle East. Drawing on ethnographic research on Israeli Freemasonry, the study explores Masonic sociability as a playgound for practicing civic friendship and negotiating the inherent tensions of CN. Freemasons straddle between particularist and universalist understandings of fraternity, virtue and charity, which carry over to questions of citizenship, patriotism and nationalism. This boundary work over collective attachments represents a pragmatic attempt, not to resolve universalist and particularist preferences, but to contain and incorporate both within exclusivist Masonic practices. Far from marking the failure of CN, Masonic sociability illustrates its political significance, envisioning the nation as a social club of chosen friends.
INFORMAL INSTITUTIONAL FRICTION AND PUNCTUATIONS: EVIDENCE FROM MULTICULTURAL POLICY IN KOREA
Authors: HONG SOUNMAN , SOHN HEERYUNG
Published: June 2014

Although the theory of punctuated equilibrium is one of the most widely cited theories in policy studies, most of the research has paid relatively little attention to the conditions under which a policy punctuation is likely to occur. In this study, we argue that one of the likely causes of a policy punctuation is cultural friction. Such friction occurs between two opposing forces: the force directed at amplifying the demand for policymaking that is expected to introduce a new cultural value, and the ‘retarding’ or slowing force, which is a pre‐existing cultural value deeply rooted in a society that blocks the policymaking. Cultural friction makes it harder for policymakers to change policy even where there is increasing demand, but may eventually generate a larger change to make up for past inattention to the issue. We support our argument with evidence of the recent large‐scale change in multicultural policy in Korea.
Nodular Cystic Fat Necrosis with Calcification in a Patient with Juvenile Dermatomyositis
Authors: Ferenczi Katalin , Berke Adrienne , Makkar Hanspaul S.
Published: June 2014

Nodular cystic fat necrosis is a rare, benign form of encapsulated fat necrosis with distinct histology, characterized by cystic fat necrosis with lipomembranous changes and, in later stages, calcification. We report the case of a 7‐year‐old child with juvenile dermatomyositis who presented with three asymptomatic, firm, mobile nodules on the arms and neck. Histology was consistent with nodular cystic fat necrosis with prominent calcification. This is an unusual presentation of this entity because it has never been previously reported in association with juvenile dermatomyositis.
Prophylactic eculizumab for kidney transplantation in a child with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome due to complement factor H mutation
Authors: Ranch Daniel , Crowther Barrett , Arar Mazen , Assanasen Chatchawin
Published: June 2014

We present a case of successful deceased‐donor kidney transplantation in a three‐yr‐old child with aHUS due to complement factor H mutation, using only prophylactic eculizumab treatment prior to transplant. She developed disease exacerbation in the immediate post‐operative period despite having therapeutic eculizumab concentrations and evidence for complete complement pathway blockade. The patient responded well to additional doses of eculizumab and has maintained excellent graft function and disease control in the first year post‐transplantation. The optimal dosing scheme for eculizumab in the perioperative period remains to be determined. More sensitive biomarkers of early disease activity are needed to improve disease monitoring. Finally, the duration of eculizumab therapy in patients with aHUS remains to be determined.
Long‐term outcome of pediatric renal transplantation: A single center study in Japan
Authors: Yamada Akio , Tashiro Atsushi , Hiraiwa Tomoko , Komatsu Tomonori , Kinukawa Tsuneo , Ueda Norishi
Published: June 2014

Little is known about the risk factors for long‐term poor outcome in pediatric renal transplantation. Between 1973 and 2010, 111 renal transplants (92 living donations) were performed in 104 children (56 males, mean age, 12.5 yr) at the Social Insurance Chukyo Hospital, and followed‐up for a mean period of 13.6 yr. The patient survival at 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 (living‐ and deceased‐donor transplants), and 30 yr (living‐donor transplants only) was 98.1%, 92.8%, 87.8%, 84.9%, 82.6%, and 79.3%. The graft survival at 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 yr was 92.0%, 77.3%, 58.4%, 50.8%, 38.5%, and 33.3%. The most common cause of graft loss was CAI, AR, death with functioning, recurrent primary disease, ATN, and malignancy. Donor gender, ATN, malignancy/cardiovascular events, and eras affected patient survival. AR and CAI were the risk factors for graft loss. The evolved immunosuppression protocols improved the outcome by reducing AR episodes and ATN but not CAI, suggesting CAI as the major risk factor for graft loss. CAI was correlated with AR episodes, CMV infection, and post‐transplant hypertension. Strategies for preventing the risk factors for malignancy/cardiovascular events and CAI, including hypertension/infection, are crucial for better outcomes.