bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dimerization of a viral SET protein endows its function
Authors: Wei Hua , Zhou Ming-Ming
Published: October 2010

Histone modifications are regarded as the most indispensible phenomena in epigenetics. Of these modifications, lysine methylation is of the greatest complexity and importance as site- and state-specific lysine methylation exerts a plethora of effects on chromatin structure and gene transcription. Notably,
paramecium bursaria
chlorella viruses encode a conserved SET domain methyltransferase, termed vSET, that functions to suppress host transcription by methylating histone H3 at lysine 27 (H3K27), a mark for eukaryotic gene silencing. Unlike mammalian lysine methyltransferases (KMTs), vSET functions only as a dimer, but the underlying mechanism has remained elusive. In this study, we demonstrate that dimeric vSET operates with negative cooperativity between the two active sites and engages in H3K27 methylation one site at a time. New atomic structures of vSET in the free form and a ternary complex with S-adenosyl homocysteine and a histone H3 peptide and biochemical analyses reveal the molecular origin for the negative cooperativity and explain the substrate specificity of H3K27 methyltransferases. Our study suggests a “walking” mechanism, by which vSET acts all by itself to globally methylate host H3K27, which is accomplished by the mammalian EZH2 KMT only in the context of the Polycomb repressive complex.
Climate change and the green energy paradox: the consequences for twaite shad Alosa fallax from the River Severn, U.K.
Authors: Aprahamian M. W. , Aprahamian C. D. , Knights A. M.
Published: October 2010

A stock–recruitment model with a temperature component was used to estimate the effect of an increase in temperature predicted by climate change projections on population persistence and distribution of twaite shad Alosa fallax. An increase of 1 and 2° C above the current mean summer (June to August) water temperature of 17·8° C was estimated to result in a three and six‐fold increase in the population, respectively. Climate change is also predicted to result in an earlier commencement to their spawning migration into fresh water. The model was expanded to investigate the effect of any additional mortality that might arise from a tidal power barrage across the Severn Estuary. Turbine mortality was separated into two components: (1) juvenile (pre‐maturation) on their out migration during their first year and on their first return to the river to spawn and (2) post‐maturation mortality on adults on the repeat spawning component of the population. Under current conditions, decreasing pre‐maturation and post‐maturation survival by 8% is estimated to result in the stock becoming extinct. It is estimated that an increase in mean summer water temperature of 1° C would mean that survival pre and post‐maturation would need to be reduced by c. 10% before the stock becomes extinct. Therefore, climate change is likely to be beneficial to populations of A. fallax within U.K. rivers, increasing survival and thus, population persistence.
History and heroes: the thermal niche of fishes and long‐term lake ice dynamics*
Authors: Magnuson J. J.
Published: October 2010

These perspectives on climate change come largely from two views, i.e. that of a fish and fisheries ecologist with an autecological interest and that of a limnologist interested in long‐term dynamics and change. Ideas about the thermal niche evolved from the late F. E. J. Fry's (University of Toronto) paradigm of fish response to environmental factors and the late G. Evelyn Hutchinson's (Yale University) formalization of the niche concept. In contrast, ideas about climatic change and variability have been shaped by long‐term observation records from lakes around the northern hemisphere. The history of each set of ideas, i.e. the thermal niche of fishes and learning from nature's long‐term dynamics, is briefly reviewed in the context of climatic change.
Comparison of [111In]pentetreotide‐SPECT and [18F]FDOPA‐PET in the localization of extra‐adrenal paragangliomas: the case for a patient‐tailored use of nuclear imaging modalities
Authors: Charrier N. , Deveze A. , Fakhry N. , Sebag F. , Morange I. , Gaborit B. , Barlier A. , Carmona E. , De Micco C. , Garcia S. , Mancini J. , Palazzo F. F. , Lavieille J. P. , Zanaret M. , Henry J. F. , Mundler O. , Taïeb D.
Published: October 2010

Aims and methods  The aim of this prospective study was to compare the diagnostic value of [18F]FDOPA‐PET and [111In]pentetreotide‐SPECT somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS) in patients with nonmetastatic extra‐adrenal paragangliomas (PGLs). Twenty‐five consecutive unrelated patients who were known or suspected of having nonmetastatic extra‐adrenal PGLs were prospectively evaluated with SRS and [18F]FDOPA‐PET. 131I‐MIBG and [18F]FDG‐PET were added to the work‐up in patients with a personal or familial history of PGL, predisposing mutations, abdominal PGLs, metanephrine hypersecretion and abdominal foci on SRS and/or [18F]FDOPA‐PET.

Results  SRS correctly detected 23/45 lesions of which 20 were head or neck lesions (H&N) and 3 were abdominal lesions. [18F]FDOPA‐PET detected significantly more lesions than SRS (39/45, P < 0·001). Both SRS and 18F‐DOPA‐PET detected significantly more H&N than abdominal lesions (66·7%vs 20%, P = 0·003 and 96·7%vs 67%, P = 0·012, respectively). In two patients with the succinate dehydrogenase D (SDHD) mutation, [18F]FDOPA‐PET missed five abdominal PGLs which were detected by the combination of SRS, [131I]MIBG and [18F]FDG‐PET. A lesion‐based analysis using a forward stepwise logistic regression model demonstrates that size ≤ 10 mm (P = 0·002) and abdominal lesions (P = 0·031) were independently associated with “[18F]FDOPA‐PET diagnosis only”. In turn, a previous history of surgery and/or the presence of germline mutation was associated with lower lesion size (P = 0·001).

Conclusions  The sensitivity of SRS for localizing parasympathetic PGLs is lower than originally reported, and [18F]FDOPA‐PET is better than SRS for localizing small lesions. SRS should be replaced by [18F]FDOPA‐PET as the first‐line imaging procedure in H&N PGL, especially in patients at risk of multifocal disease (predisposing mutations and or previous history of surgery).
Determinants of plasma PTH and their implication for defining a reference interval
Authors: Rejnmark Lars , Vestergaard Peter , Heickendorff Lene , Mosekilde Leif
Published: October 2010

Background  To improve the diagnostic sensitivity of PTH measurements, more data on the upper limit of the reference interval for PTH levels were requested at a recent international consensus conference. As PTH levels vary inversely with plasma 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels and as vitamin D insufficiency is widespread, particular attention should be given to the influence of low vitamin D levels on the PTH reference interval.

Aim, design and methods  In a cross‐sectional design, including 2316 women aged 17–84, we determined 95% reference interval using a nonparametric approach and studied the effects of potential predictors on plasma PTH levels.

Results  PTH was a positive function of age, body weight and BMI and inversely associated with total daily calcium intake, smoking, plasma calcium levels and 25OHD levels, all of which explained 16% of the variability in plasma PTH levels. The threshold value for 25OHD levels below which PTH levels started to rise was 82 nmol/l. Plasma PTH levels varied inversely with the seasonal variations in 25OHD levels. Mean PTH level was 4·1 pmol/l with a reference interval equal to 2·0–8·6 pmol/l. Restricting the population in whom the reference interval was calculated to only women with 25OHD levels above 30 or 100 nmol/l lowered the upper limit of the reference interval to 8·4 and 7·1 pmol/l, respectively. Similar, stratification according to age, body mass index, smoking and calcium intake had only minor impact on the reference interval.

Conclusion  Indices with known effects on plasma PTH levels have only a minor impact on the upper levels of the normative reference interval in women with intact renal function.
Design, objectives, execution and reporting of published open‐label extension studies
Authors: Megan Bowers , Pickering Ruth M. , Weatherall Mark
Published: October 2010

Rationale, aims and objectives  Open‐label extension (OLE) studies following blinded randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of pharmaceuticals are increasingly being carried out but do not conform to regulatory standards and questions surround the validity of their evidence. OLE studies are usually discussed as a homogenous group, yet substantial differences in study design still meet the definition of an OLE. We describe published papers reporting OLE studies focussing on stated objectives, design, conduct and reporting.

Method  A search of Embase and Medline databases for 1996 to July 2008 revealed 268 papers reporting OLE studies that met our eligibility criteria. A random sample of 50 was selected for detailed review.

Results  Over 80% of the studies had efficacy stated as an objective. The most common methods of allocation at the start of the OLE were for all RCT participants to switch to one active treatment or for only participants on the new drug to continue, but in three studies all participants were re‐randomized at the start of the OLE. Eligibility criteria and other selection factors resulted in on average of 74% of participants in the preceding RCT(s) enrolling in the OLE and only 57% completed it.

Conclusions  Published OLE studies do not form a homogenous group with respect to design or retention of participants, and thus the validity of evidence from an OLE should be judged on an individual basis. The term ‘open label’ suggests bias through lack of blinding, but slippage in relation to the sample randomized in the preceding RCT may be the more important threat to validity.
Canadian military transitioning to civilian life: a discussion paper
Authors: RAY S. L. , HEASLIP K.
Published: October 2010

Accessible summary

Cultural competent nursing care is the best context within which to place veterans transitioning to civilian life.

There is a need for nurses in all practice settings to recognize the unique nature of veterans as a cultural group transitioning to civilian life.

Culturally specific nursing interventions and care plans should be tailored to meet the needs of veterans as a cultural group in regards to their practices and beliefs which in turn, will improve client outcomes.

Future research is needed to assess the efficacy of current services in meeting returning veterans' and the families' needs; to adapt existing programs and services to current circumstances; to aid veterans and their families over the long term; to help veterans transition to the workforce effectively; to compare the transition experience at an international level; to develop a transition model that situates the veteran culture as the overriding framework for testing and to understand the experience of transitioning to civilian life within the context of the veteran culture.

The purpose of this discussion paper is to explore the existing literature from Canada on transitioning from military to civilian life for veterans of recent deployments. A number of topics relating to the transition experience emerged: interpersonal readjustment, emotional including mental health needs, school needs, and social needs. Implications for nursing will be discussed in terms of veterans as a cultural group and culturally competent nursing care. Recommendations for future nursing research include how well current services are meeting the needs of the younger, more recent veterans transitioning to civilian life; conducting longitudinal studies on the impact of transitioning to civilian life for veterans and their families; comparing the transition experience at an international level; developing a transition model that situates the veteran culture as the overarching framework for testing and understanding the experience of transitioning to civilian life.
Early stages of septoria tritici blotch epidemics of winter wheat: build‐up, overseasoning, and release of primary inoculum
Authors: Suffert F. , Sache I. , Lannou C.
Published: October 2010

Septoria tritici blotch (STB), caused by Mycosphaerella graminicola, is the most prevalent disease of wheat worldwide. Primary inoculum and the early stages of STB epidemics are still not fully understood and deserve attention for improving management strategies. The inoculum build‐up and overseasoning involves various fungal structures (ascospores, pycnidiospores, mycelium) and plant material (wheat seeds, stubble and debris; wheat volunteers; other grasses). Their respective importance is assessed in this review. Among the mechanisms involved in the early stages of epidemics and in the year‐to‐year disease transmission, infection by ascospores wind‐dispersed from either distant or local infected wheat debris is the most significant. Nevertheless, infection by pycnidiospores splash‐dispersed either from neighbouring wheat debris or from senescent basal leaves has also been inferred from indirect evidence. Mycosphaerella graminicola has rarely been isolated from seeds so that infected seed, although suspected as a source of primary inoculum for a long time, is considered as an epidemiologically anecdotal source. Mycosphaerella graminicola can infect a few grasses other than wheat but the function of these grasses as alternative hosts in natural conditions remains unclear. Additionally, wheat volunteers are suspected to be sources of STB inoculum for new crops. This body of evidence is summarized in a spatio‐temporal representation of a STB epidemic aimed at highlighting the nature, sources and release of inoculum in the early stages of the epidemic.
Angiokeratoma of the clitoris with evident vulvar varicosity
Authors: Ulker Volkan , Cakir Emel , Gedikbasi Ali , Akyol Alpaslan , Numanoglu Ceyhun , Gulkilik Ahmet
Published: October 2010

Angiokeratomas of the vulva are uncommon, benign vascular lesions that are generally located on the labia. However, the clitoris is an extremely rare location, with only three published cases. We report a case of clitoral angiokeratoma in a 22‐year‐old nulligravida with a history of surgery to remove a clitoral mass at 6 years of age. The case described herein is distinguished from the other case reports by an accompanying varicose structure involving the vulva.
Clinical significance of serum albumin level in pregnancy‐related hypertension
Authors: Seong Won Joon , Chong Gun Oh , Hong Dae Gy , Lee Taek Hoo , Lee Yoon Soon , Cho Young Lae , Chun Sang Sik , Park Il Soo
Published: October 2010

Aim:  To evaluate the usefulness of serum albumin level as a marker of severity in pregnancy‐related hypertension.

Methods:  Of 454 patients with pregnancy‐related hypertension who were admitted to Kyungpook National University Hospital between May 1999 and April 2008, the medical records and laboratory tests of 354 patients who met the inclusion criteria for the current study were reviewed. A comparison of the characteristics of each hypertension group and the correlation between serum albumin levels and the time to delivery, 24‐h urine protein, and/or pregnancy outcomes were statistically analyzed using SPSS 12.0 (SPSS Korea, Korea).

Results:  Serum albumin level had a negative correlation with 24‐h urine protein (Pearson's correlation coefficient = −0.481) and a positive correlation with time to delivery (= 0.389). Serum albumin ≤3.0 g/dL was highly associated with severe proteinuria (>2 g/day). There were significant differences in maternal or perinatal morbidity as a function of serum albumin level. If serum albumin level fell below 2.5 g/dL, the risks of ascites, hemolysis elevated liver enzyme low platelet (HELLP) syndrome and perinatal mortality significantly increased (odds ratio [OR] and 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.5 [1.5–8.1], 12 [3.1–45], and 6.1 [1.7–22], respectively).

Conclusion:  Serum albumin level in pregnancy‐related hypertension is a significant determinant of disease severity and may be considered as a useful marker for predicting time to delivery, severe proteinuria, and pregnancy outcomes.
Maternal plasma total antioxidant status in preterm labor
Authors: Cinkaya Aysegül , Keskin Hüseyin Levent , Buyukkagnici Umran , Gungor Tayfun , Keskin Esra Aktepe , Avsar Ayse Filiz , Bilge Umit
Published: October 2010

Aim:  To investigate the role of oxidative stress and antioxidant status in preterm labor.

Methods:  Twenty‐five cases diagnosed with preterm labor were included in the study group, whereas 25 women with uncomplicated pregnancies at similar stages of pregnancy were included in the control group. Total antioxidant status was measured in maternal plasma using a Hitachi 911 auto analyzer and a total antioxidant status kit (Randox Laboratories, UK) in mmol/L.

Results:  Mean serum antioxidant status were lower in patients (1.002 ± 0.177 mmol/L) than in controls (1.258 ± 0.147 mmol/L) (P < 0.001).

Conclusion:  Women with preterm labor have decreased total antioxidant status compared with uncomplicated pregnancies in similar gestational weeks. Future work should clarify whether decreased total antioxidant status precedes preterm labor in a prospective cohort study.
Middle cerebral artery‐peak systolic velocity in dizygotic twins with anti‐E alloimmunization
Authors: Satake Yumiko , Sato Yukiyasu , Matsumura Noriomi , Tatsumi Keiji , Fujiwara Hiroshi , Konishi Ikuo
Published: October 2010

Middle cerebral artery‐peak systolic velocity (MCA‐PSV) has been reported to predict fetal anemia with similar accuracy as amniotic ΔOD450 assay. Alloimmunized dizygotic twin pregnancy allows us to compare anemic and non‐anemic twins in the same intrauterine environment. We herein present a case of Rh (E)‐incompatible dizygotic twin pregnancy, where MCA‐PSV could precisely detect the anemia in one of the twins. A 36‐year‐old woman, whose previous child required exchange transfusion due to hemolytic anemia of newborn (HFDN), conceived twins after in vitro fertilization‐embryo transfer. At 24 weeks' gestation, MCA‐PSV of twin A and twin B were 23.9 cm/s (0.8 multiples of median; MoM) and 30.7 cm/s (1.0 MoM), respectively. At 31 weeks' gestation, MCA‐PSV values of both twins were sharply elevated to nearly 1.4 MoM. Thereafter, MCA‐PSV of twin A fell to 1.0 MoM, whereas MCA‐PSV of twin B exceeded 1.5 MoM at 34 weeks' gestation. Development of fetal anemia was suspected and emergency cesarean section was performed. Twin B showed moderate anemia with positive direct Coombs' test and was diagnosed as HFDN due to anti‐E alloimmunization. Twin B required phototherapy and red cell transfusion, but exchange transfusion was safely obviated.
Non‐surgical management of post‐cesarean uterine infection with marked myometrial gas formation
Authors: Matsubara Shigeki , Saito Yutaka , Shimada Kazuhiko , Morisawa Yuji , Toshima Masaki , Fujita Akifumi , Izumi Akio , Suzuki Mitsuaki
Published: October 2010

Gas in an infected organ generally indicates a severe infection, often requiring surgery; however, data are lacking as to post‐cesarean gas‐forming uterine infection. A 27‐year‐old Japanese primigravida underwent a difficult cesarean section, after which a high fever continued. Computed tomography (CT) revealed marked gas in the uterine anterior myometrium. Diagnosing this condition as post‐cesarean uterine scar infection, we recommended surgical intervention, that is, hysterectomy or at least drainage; however, the patient refused it. Considering the patient's desire and lack of organ‐failure signs, we employed intensive antibiotic treatment for 6 weeks. Serial CT indicated a gradual decrement in the gas amount and she recovered completely after 8 weeks. This case suggests that surgical procedure may not always be necessary for post‐cesarean gas‐forming uterine infection and CT may be useful to detect/follow this condition.
A Farewell to Deweyan Democracy
Authors: Talisse Robert B.
Published: October 2010

The revival of pragmatism has brought renewed enthusiasm for John Dewey's conception of democracy. Drawing upon Rawlsian concerns regarding the fact of reasonable pluralism, I argue that Deweyan democracy is unworthy of resurrection. A modified version of Deweyan democracy recently proposed by Elizabeth Anderson is then taken up and also found to be lacking. Then I propose a model of democracy that draws upon Peirce's social epistemology. The result is a non-Deweyan but nonetheless pragmatist option in democratic theory.
Radically Rethinking Citizenship: Disaggregation, Agonistic Pluralism and the Politics of Immigration in the United States
Authors: Glover Robert W.
Published: October 2010

The status of citizenship and the rights extended to non-citizens are among the most contentious and hotly debated political issues in numerous Western polities. Some scholars, most notably Seyla Benhabib, have deemed the contemporary changes a ‘disaggregation of rights claims’, in which the interplay between ideals of particularism and universalism lead to an ‘unbundling’ of civil, political and social rights with formal national membership. Yet this theoretical framing harbors deficiencies that complicate our understanding of the contemporary politics of immigration. In this article, I critically examine this account to show both its theoretical shortcomings and the incomplete explanations to which these deficiencies lead. In particular, I focus on the case of the 2006 protests in response to restrictionist immigration reform in the United States. Furthermore, I suggest ways in which an agonistic pluralist approach to citizenship and immigration issues provides us with a richer account of the political negotiations under way, as well as a means to re-conceptualize democratic voice and, at least in part, to begin democratically legitimating borders and access to political membership.
Making Capability Lists: Philosophy versus Democracy
Authors: Claassen Rutger
Published: October 2010

The article discusses a fundamental problem that has to be faced if the general capability approach is to be developed in the direction of a theory of justice: the selection and justification of a list of capabilities. The democratic solution to this problem (defended by Amartya Sen) is to leave the selection of capabilities to a process of democratic deliberation, while the philosophical solution (defended by Martha Nussbaum) is to establish this list of capabilities as a matter of philosophical theory. The article investigates the debate between these two different positions and argues in favour of the philosophical solution. First, it distinguishes political from epistemological reasons for (not) making capability lists. Second, it shows that the democratic position must incorporate at least some philosophical theorising in general and a theory of democracy in particular. Third, the article argues that the democratic position presupposes that the philosophical position will bypass the democratic process while actually it does not. The philosophical position is actually more respectful of democracy than the democratic position. Fourth, while philosophers may exercise caution and connect their capability lists to actual democratic debates and other empirical sources, this kind of epistemological virtue ironically may heighten the chance of receiving reproaches on the political level.
Understanding how men experience, express and cope with mental distress: where next?
Authors: Ridge Damien , Emslie Carol , White Alan
Published: October 2010

In line with the shift towards prioritising lay accounts and narratives of chronic illness in sociology, there is an emerging literature on men, their subjectivities and experiences of mental distress. We argue in this paper that subjectivities and distress among men are an important area for critical sociological research. Very little is known about men’s subjectivities or the meanings they give to – and how they cope with or seek help for – distress. At the same time, current theories of gender relations, performativity and wellbeing as they pertain to men are likely to shed further light on subjectivity and distress. However, current theories (and qualitative research involving men and women) are pointing to considerable complexity. In this paper, we outline what is known about distress and men, and consider the utility of gender relations, performativity, subjectivities and wellbeing for a better understanding of distress. We also ask: What other factors influence distress, and how should these be considered in relation to men and masculinities? What are the implications for research and policy?
Social class differences in the accounts of smoking – striving for distinction?
Authors: Katainen Anu
Published: October 2010

The dominant trend in smoking prevalence in most Western countries is its increasing association with lower socioeconomic positions, making it a major factor behind inequalities in health. This paper focuses on the reasoning behind smoking, as well as on its social significance among middle‐class and working‐class smokers. The data consist of 55 semi‐structured interviews with daily smokers, ex‐smokers and occasional smokers from different occupational backgrounds. The analysis revealed considerable differences in the ways of accounting for smoking, relating to the respondents’ occupational backgrounds. Contrary to expectations, non‐manual workers tended to consider their smoking functional, pleasurable and controlled, whereas the opposite was the case with the manual workers. Despite the high prevalence of smoking in that group, they were least willing to justify or rationalise their behaviour, whereas the agenda of middle‐class smokers could be interpreted as the reconciliation of middle‐class habitus with a risky, working‐class habit.
The impact of patient advocacy: the case of innovative breast cancer drug reimbursement
Authors: Nahuis Roel , Boon Wouter P.C.
Published: October 2010

Current research into patient advocacy focuses on attempts of patient groups to mobilise resources and to influence researchers, pharmaceutical companies and policy‐makers. This paper adopts a ‘framing political opportunities’ approach to draw attention to other kinds of advocacy strategies. In a case study of breast cancer patient advocacy of Herceptin reimbursement, it is shown how patient groups tried to gain access to policy‐making by means of three different opportunity‐framing strategies. Articulation aims at creating awareness through public‐agenda building. Negotiation aims at frame alignment between interdependent stakeholders by arranging meetings. Politicisation is a strategy to influence the agendas of political arenas. Patient organisations succeeded in creating awareness and support, which had a considerable impact on other stakeholders. These impacts in turn aided the politicisation of the issue. However, the final impact on reimbursement procedures was only partially achieved due to depoliticising counterstrategies based on persistent ideas buttressing a particular division of responsibilities in the organisation of healthcare. According to these ideas cost control in healthcare is a medical responsibility, not a political one.
Volunteered, negotiated, enforced: family politics and the regulation of home smoking
Authors: Robinson Jude , Ritchie Deborah , Amos Amanda , Greaves Lorraine , Cunningham‐Burley Sarah
Published: October 2010

The protection of children from secondhand smoke in their homes remains a key objective for health agencies worldwide. While research has explored how parents can influence the introduction of home smoking restrictions, less attention has been paid to the role of wider familial and social networks as conduits for positive behaviour changes. In this article we explore how people living in Scotland have introduced various home smoking restrictions to reduce or eliminate children’s exposure to tobacco smoke, and how some have gone on to influence people in their wider familial and social networks. The results suggest that many parents are willing to act on messages on the need to protect children from smoke, leading to the creation of patterns of smoking behaviour that are passed on to their parents and siblings and, more widely, to friends and visitors. However, while some parents and grandparents apparently voluntarily changed their smoking behaviour, other parents found that they had to make direct requests to family members and some needed to negotiate more forcefully to protect children, albeit often with positive results.
Managing multiple masculinities in donor insemination: doctors configuring infertile men and sperm donors in Taiwan
Authors: Wu Chia‐Ling
Published: October 2010

This article investigates how doctors configured infertile men and sperm donors in the development of donor insemination (DI) in Taiwan. In the initial stage (1950s–1970s) doctors adjusted clinical procedures to repair the deformed gender identities of infertile men. To expand DI in the late 1970s and early 1980s, doctors stressed the positive eugenics of DI by spotlighting the high intelligence of donors, playing down biological patrilineage and re‐emphasising the contribution of men of higher rank in society. In the mid‐1980s, when donors came to be seen as potential carriers of fatal diseases like acquired immune deficiency syndrome, doctors managed to associate risky donors with socially stigmatised men, and therefore perpetuate the conventional hierarchy of masculinities. As the intracytoplasmic sperm injection emerged in the early 1990s doctors quickly presented infertile men as universally longing for biological fatherhood and hence devalued DI in an attempt to augment paternal masculinity. These diverse configuration activities come together to create a socio‐technical network of DI that most of the time perpetuates the reigning gender order, rather than destabilising it. I argue the importance of incorporating various types of participants in analysis to understand the changing dynamics of multiple masculinities along with the development of DI.
List of publications on the economic and social history of Great Britain and Ireland published in 2009
Authors: Hale Matthew , Raymond Graham , Wright Catherine
Published: October 2010

(The place of publication is London and the date 2009 unless otherwise stated.)
Systemic virus‐induced gene silencing allows functional characterization of maize genes during biotrophic interaction with Ustilago maydis
Authors: van der Linde Karina , Kastner Christine , Kumlehn Jochen , Kahmann Regine , Doehlemann Gunther
Published: October 2010

See also the Commentary by Benavente and Scofield
National Survey of Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Programs: Comparing Findings in 2006/07 and 2001/02 from the American Geriatrics Society and Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs Geriatrics Workforce Policy Studies Center
Authors: Bragg Elizabeth J. , Warshaw Gregg A. , Meganathan Karthikeyan , Brewer David E.
Published: October 2010

This article documents the development of geriatric medicine fellowship training in the United States through 2009. Results from a national cross‐sectional survey of all geriatric medicine fellowship training programs conducted in 2007 is compared with results from a similar survey in 2002. Secondary data sources were used to supplement the survey results. The 2007 survey response rate was 71%. Sixty‐seven percent of responding programs directors have completed formal geriatric medicine fellowship training and are board certified in geriatrics, and 29% are board certified through the practice pathway. The number of Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education–accredited fellowship programs has slowly increased, from 120 (23 family medicine (FM) and 97 internal medicine (IM)) in 2001/02 to 145 in 2008/09 (40 FM and 105 IM), resulting in a 21% increase in fellowship programs and a 13% increase in the number of first‐year fellows (259 to 293). In 2008/09, the growth in programs and first‐year slots, combined with the weak demand for geriatrics training, resulted in more than one‐third of first‐year fellow positions being unfilled. The number of advanced fellows decreased slightly from 72 in 2001/00 to 65 in 2006/07. In 2006/07, 55% of the advanced fellows were enrolled at four training programs. In 2008/09, 66% of fellows were international medical school graduates. The small numbers of graduating geriatric medicine fellows are insufficient to care for the expanding population of older frail patients, train other disciples in the care of complex older adults, conduct research in aging, and be leaders in the field.
Systematic Outpatient Screening for the Elderly: Care of the Vulnerable Elderly Practice Improvement Module to Assess Resident Care of Older Adults
Authors: Shaffer Stacey L. , Day Hollis D.
Published: October 2010

OBJECTIVES: To determine the feasibility of using the American Board of Internal Medicine Care of the Vulnerable Elderly Practice Improvement Module (CoVE PIM) in an internal medicine residency program and to assess aggregate resident documentation of geriatric screening in continuity clinics.

DESIGN: Needs assessment chart review for single‐site pre‐/postintervention study.

SETTING: Internal medicine resident primary care continuity clinics.

PARTICIPANTS: Thirty‐seven postgraduate year (PGY)‐1 and PGY‐2 internal medicine residents.

MEASUREMENTS: Completion rate and time of CoVE PIM chart review, CoVE PIM user difficulty, and aggregate percentage of charts documenting geriatric screening measures.

RESULTS: Sixty‐five percent of residents completed the CoVE PIM in an average of 47 minutes (range 30–90 minutes); 72% of resident surveys rated the CoVE PIM as easy to use. Residents demonstrated very good documentation of chronic medical conditions, smoking status, height, weight, and blood pressure and poor documentation of falls and fall risk, hearing assessment, postural hypotension, balance, rigidity, bradykinesia, home safety assessment, seat belt counseling, code status, and surrogate decision‐maker.

CONCLUSION: The CoVE PIM can be used to assess aggregate resident performance of geriatric screening measures. In resident clinics, general adult screening performed by nurses is well documented, whereas geriatric‐specific screening performed by physicians is poorly documented.
Pregnancy and Short‐Coupled Torsades de Pointes
Authors: BURROWS KATHERINE , FOX JUDY , BIBLO LEE A. , ROTH JAMES A.
Published: October 2010

This 24‐year‐old woman had incessant polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (PVT) during week 24 of her pregnancy and received over 200 implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator discharges. She failed to respond to quinidine, magnesium, isoproterenol, amiodarone, esmolol, and cilostazol during her PVT storm, although her dramatic response to verapamil was consistent with the diagnosis of short‐coupled variant of torsades de pointes. The case illustrated the utility of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation during refractory PVT, while attempting diagnostic and therapeutic pharmacologic maneuvers.
Noncontact Electroanatomic Mapping to Characterize Typical Atrial Flutter: Participation of Right Atrial Posterior Wall in the Reentrant Circuit
Authors: DIXIT SANJAY , LAVI NIMROD , ROBINSON MELISSA , RILEY MICHAEL P. , CALLANS DAVID J. , MARCHLINSKI FRANCIS E. , LIN DAVID
Published: October 2010

Reentrant Circuit of Typical Atrial Flutter. Background: Reentry utilizing cavotricuspid isthmus (CTI) is accepted as the mechanism underlying typical atrial flutter (AFLT). However, it is unclear how the right atrial (RA) posterior wall (PW) participates in AFLT circuit. We sought to investigate this by using noncontact electroanatomic mapping.

Methods:
Fifteen patients (pts) undergoing ablation for typical AFLT participated. Multipolar catheters were deployed in RA and coronary sinus. RA shell was created during AFLT. Entrainment was performed to confirm CTI dependence and assess participation of various RA regions (septum‐Sep, PW, lateral wall‐LW). Data were analyzed for (1) RA activation patterns and (2) conduction time (CT) through various RA regions.

Results:
Mean pt age was 70 ± 13 years (all males; CCW = 10; CW = 5). Mean AFLT cycle length was 255 ± 15 ms. Single activation wave front traversing sequentially CTI, Sep, and LW was seen in all pts and in 12 (80%; 9 CCW, 3 CW) this also traversed PW. Entrainment confirmed PW participation in 7 of these. Mean CT (in ms) through various RA regions was as follows: CTI = 69 ± 27, Sep = 50 ± 39, PW = 65 ± 35, and LW = 76 ± 35; P = NS.

Conclusion:
These observations offer new insights regarding the participation of PW in the reentrant circuit of typical AFLT in some patients. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 22, pp. 422‐430)
Improved Endothelial Function in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation through Maintenance of Sinus Rhythm by Successful Catheter Ablation
Authors: SHIN SEUNG YONG , NA JIN OH , LIM HONG EUY , CHOI CHEOL UNG , CHOI JONG IL , KIM SEONG HWAN , KIM EUNG JU , PARK SANG WEON , RHA SEUNG‐WOON , PARK CHANG GYU , SEO HONG SEOG , OH DONG JOO , KIM YOUNG‐HOON
Published: October 2010

Effect of Ablation on Endothelial Function. Background: Although atrial fibrillation (AF) is a risk factor for endothelial dysfunction (ED), the effect of catheter ablation (CA) on AF‐associated ED has not been evaluated. The aims of this study are to determine if the degree of ED predicts the outcome of AF ablation and to evaluate whether ED can be improved through restoring sinus rhythm (SR) by successful CA.

Methods:
This study prospectively enrolled 80 subjects who underwent CA for AF (paroxysmal AF = 61, persistent AF = 19). Eighty subjects with no history of AF were enrolled as controls, all of whom were matched by age, gender, body mass index, and atherosclerotic risk factor distribution. Brachial artery flow‐mediated dilatation (FMD) was measured at baseline, and at 1 month and 6 months post CA in AF subjects who remained in SR. Among controls, FMD was measured at baseline and at 6 months. We used high sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP), interleukin‐6, soluble E‐ or P‐selectin, and endothelin‐1 as biomarker indices for inflammation and/or ED.

Results:
Compared with controls, AF subjects had lower FMD at baseline (FMDbaseline, P < 0.001). After successful CA, FMD was significantly improved at 1 month and 6 months, nearly approaching control levels. A multivariate analysis revealed that FMDbaseline, hs‐CRP, and left atrial volume (LAV) were independent predictors for arrhythmia recurrence after CA. Other biomarkers were not related to rhythm outcome.

Conclusion:
AF subjects have significantly impaired FMD, which can be reversed through maintenance of SR by successful CA. FMDbaseline, hs‐CRP, and LAV are important predictors for AF recurrence after CA. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 22, pp. 376‐382)
What Is Set‐Based Design?
Authors: SINGER DAVID J. , DOERRY NORBERT , BUCKLEY MICHAEL E.
Published: October 2010

On February 4, 2008, Admiral Paul Sullivan, Commander of the Naval Sea Systems Command, sent out a letter entitled: Ship Design and Analysis Tool Goals. The purpose of the widely distributed memorandum was to state the requirements and high‐level capability goals for NAVSEA design synthesis and analysis tools. In this memo, Admiral Sullivan expressed the need for evolving models and analysis tools to be compatible with, among other things, set‐based design (SBD). Admiral Sullivan's memo was a major step toward improving ship design programs with new, more powerful analytical support tools but many have asked, “What is Set‐Based Design and how does it relate to Naval Ship Design?” SBD is a complex design method that requires a shift in how one thinks about and manages design. The SBD paradigm can replace point‐based design construction with design discovery; it allows more of the design effort to proceed concurrently and defers detailed specifications until trade‐offs are more fully understood. This paper describes the principles of SBD citing improvements SBD in design practice that have set the stage for SBD, and relating these principles to current Navy ship design issues.
A Human Capital Strategy for Ship Design Acquisition Workforce Improvement: The US Navy's Center for Innovation in Ship Design
Authors: KEANE ROBERT G. , FIREMAN HOWARD , HOUGH JEFFREY J. , COOPER KELLY
Published: October 2010

Early in the dark days of World War II, President Roosevelt asked the Navy how it would provide the thousands of ships necessary for the numerous amphibious assault landings that were being planned. At a subsequent high‐level meeting, where John Neidermair, the Technical Director of the Preliminary Design Division at BUSHIPS (Bureau of Ships–a predecessor organization to the Naval Sea Systems Command–NAVSEA), created a concept design sketch of the now famous LSTs. It was this same BUSHIPS Ship Design organization that designed the US Navy Fleet which defeated the Japanese and German navies. And it was the BUSHIPS successor organization, NAVSEA, which designed the 600‐ship Fleet during the President Reagan build‐up of the 1980s and early 1990s. This early stage ship design capability to translate the operators' needs into technically feasible ship concepts and designs is still a core responsibility of NAVSEA. However, NAVSEA is now undertaking the grand challenge of rebuilding the Navy's ship design capabilities which were dramatically downsized during the 1990s. The Human Capital Strategy for Ship Design Acquisition Workforce Improvement is a proven road map for reconstituting the Navy's ship design capabilities and reinvigorating the naval ship design community. The Office of Naval Research (ONR) and NAVSEA made significant progress in this direction by establishing the Navy's Center for Innovation in Ship Design (CISD). CISD is accelerating the career development of ship design leaders, and is paving the way for fully implementing a Human Capital Strategy for Ship Design Acquisition Workforce Improvement.
Supporting Affordable and Sustainable Amphibious Assault and Utility Capabilities with a Revitalized High–Low Mix of Platforms
Authors: BOSWORTH MICHAEL L. , OPAS GREGORY J. , RIVERS THOMAS M. , WHITFORD MALCOLM , WETHERALD THOMAS
Published: October 2010

This paper presents an argument in support of the return to a “High–Low Mix” of naval platforms to support the ship‐to‐shore movement of combat power and logistics support by the US Navy. Definition of the High–Low Mix concept is offered in the context of the Navy Amphibious Warfare capabilities set, and possible impacts on force structure, doctrine, and acquisition strategy imposed by such a change are described. Impacts of technological advancements in supporting the affordable and sustainable development of the envisioned capabilities are suggested. In closing, necessary steps in the path to establishment of a revitalized set of High–Low Mix capabilities are highlighted and a nominal course of action recommended.
Fleet Capabilities‐Based Assessment
Authors: DOERRY NORBERT , FIREMAN HOWARD
Published: October 2010

Several recent Analyses of Alternatives (AOAs) have demonstrated issues with the AOA process that have limited the Navy in the pre‐Milestone A process. The eventual selection of an AOA preferred alternative that balances mission needs, total ownership cost, and acquisition cost was based on a limited trade space. This paper proposes an improved pre‐AOA process to better define a fiscally constrained set of fleet requirements that are allocated to the different ships, aircraft, and systems comprising the battle force over a 40‐year time span. The proposed process extends the Capabilities‐Based Assessment (CBA) defined in the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System to apply to the entire fleet design instead of each capability area. In this way, fleet requirements derived from the National Security Strategy and the Department of Defense Strategic Guidance are allocated to different warfare platforms. The required analysis combines physics‐based modeling of the individual war fighting units, realistic cost engineering/estimation, and rigorous operations analysis via the Navy SYSCOMs. The fleet planning is done over three time horizons: Long‐Range planning of 15–40 years in the future to guide science and technnology development; Mid‐Term planning from the end of the Future Year Defense Plan (FYDP) to 15 years to establish architectures, guide technology transition, as well as derive from the Fleet Level CBA the platform level CBAs for the individual programs; and Near‐Term planning within the FYDP, where the concerns are reacting to emerging threats, meeting affordability goals, and maintaining the industrial base. The resulting fleet level analysis directly supports force level assessments as part of the Quadrennial Defense Review.
Performance‐Based Design for Fleet Affordability
Authors: FAMME JOSEPH B. , GALLAGHER CHARLES , RAITCH TED
Published: October 2010

Affordability remains the biggest challenge facing the Navy shipbuilding program. Recent Navy forums discussing fleet requirements and shipbuilding summarized that reforms are needed to support requirements stability, steady‐state production, and commonality among design and production elements to rein in skyrocketing shipbuilding costs. This paper describes how affordability objectives can be achieved by expanding the design focus beyond common parts to include common dynamically validated designs that focus on performance metrics within and across all associated systems in the domain of Hull, Mechanical, and Electrical Systems.
Type I Cannabinoid Receptor Trafficking: All Roads Lead to Lysosome
Authors: Rozenfeld Raphael
Published: October 2010

The majority of G‐protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs) function at the cell surface, where they are activated by their ligands present in the extracellular milieu. Interestingly, type I cannabinoid receptor (CB1R), one of the most abundant GPCRs in the central nervous system, is predominantly intracellular. The important physiological roles of CB1R have sparked interest in the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying the trafficking of this receptor and the role of intracellular CB1Rs. Thus far, results from different groups have been, at least in part, contradictory and the basis of CB1R intracellular localization remains controversial. In this commentary, by comparing the studies examining CB1R trafficking and localization, we identify technical or experimental ground responsible for the conflicting results. Finally, we propose a possible mechanism of CB1R trafficking that may reconcile the different models.
Designing highly active siRNAs for therapeutic applications
Authors: Patrick Walton S. , Wu Ming , Gredell Joseph A. , Chan Christina
Published: October 2010

The discovery of RNA interference (RNAi) generated considerable interest in developing short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) for understanding basic biology and as the active agents in a new variety of therapeutics. Early studies showed that selecting an active siRNA was not as straightforward as simply picking a sequence on the target mRNA and synthesizing the siRNA complementary to that sequence. As interest in applying RNAi has increased, the methods for identifying active siRNA sequences have evolved from focusing on the simplicity of synthesis and purification, to identifying preferred target sequences and secondary structures, to predicting the thermodynamic stability of the siRNA. As more specific details of the RNAi mechanism have been defined, these have been incorporated into more complex siRNA selection algorithms, increasing the reliability of selecting active siRNAs against a single target. Ultimately, design of the best siRNA therapeutics will require design of the siRNA itself, in addition to design of the vehicle and other components necessary for it to function in vivo. In this minireview, we summarize the evolution of siRNA selection techniques with a particular focus on one issue of current importance to the field, how best to identify those siRNA sequences likely to have high activity. Approaches to designing active siRNAs through chemical and structural modifications will also be highlighted. As the understanding of how to control the activity and specificity of siRNAs improves, the potential utility of siRNAs as human therapeutics will concomitantly grow.