bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Putative prion protein from Fugu (Takifugu rubripes)
Authors: Christen Barbara , Wüthrich Kurt , Hornemann Simone
Published: September 2010

Prion proteins (PrP) of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians have been successfully cloned, expressed and purified in sufficient yields to enable 3D structure determination by NMR spectroscopy in solution. More recently, PrP ortholog genes have also been identified in several fish species, based on sequence relationships with tetrapod PrPs. Even though the sequence homology of fish PrPs to tetrapod PrPs is below 25%, structure prediction programs indicate a similar organization of the 3D structure. In this study, we generated recombinant polypeptide constructs that were expected to include the C‐terminal folded domain of Fugu‐PrP1 and analyzed these proteins using biochemical and biophysical methods. Because soluble expression could not be achieved, and refolding from guanidine–HCl did not result in a properly folded protein, we co‐expressed Escherichia coli chaperone proteins in order to obtain the protein in a soluble form. Although CD spectroscopy indicated the presence of some regular secondary structure in the protein thus obtained, there was no evidence for a globular 3D fold in the NMR spectra. We thus conclude that the polypeptide products of the fish genes annotated as corresponding to bona fide prnp genes in non‐fish species cannot be prepared for structural studies when using procedures similar to those that were successfully used with PrPs from mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians.
Analysis of the molecular dynamics of medaka nuage proteins by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching
Authors: Nagao Issei , Aoki Yumiko , Tanaka Minoru , Kinjo Masataka
Published: September 2010

The nuage is a unique organelle in animal germ cells that is known as an electron‐dense amorphous structure in the perinuclear region. Although the nuage is essential for primordial germ cell (PGC) determination and development, its roles and functions are poorly understood. Herein, we report an analysis of the diffusion properties of the olvas gene product of the medaka fish (Oryzias lapites) in PGCs prepared from embryos, using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching. Olvas–green fluorescent protein (GFP) localized in granules thought to be nuages, and exhibited a constraint movement with two‐component diffusion constants of 0.15 and 0.01 μm2·s−1. On the other hand, cytosolic Olvas–GFP was also observed to have a diffusion movement of 7.0 μm2·s−1. Interestingly, Olvas–GFP could be expressed in HeLa cells, and formed granules that were similar to nuages in medaka PGCs. Olvas–GFP also exhibited a constraint movement in the granules and diffused in the cytosol of HeLa cells, just as in the medaka embryo. The other two gene products, Nanos and Tudor of the medaka, which are known as constituents of the nuage, could also be expressed in HeLa cells and formed granules that colocalized with Olvas–GFP. Nanos–GFP and Tudor–GFP exhibited constraint movement in the granules and diffused in the cytosol of HeLa cells. These results suggest that these granules in the HeLa cell are not simple aggregations or rigid complexes, but dynamic structures consisting of several proteins that shuttle back and forth between the cytosol and the granules.
Activated Rac1, but not the tumorigenic variant Rac1b, is ubiquitinated on Lys 147 through a JNK‐regulated process
Authors: Visvikis Orane , Lorès Patrick , Boyer Laurent , Chardin Pierre , Lemichez Emmanuel , Gacon Gérard
Published: September 2010

Ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation have recently emerged as an additional level of regulation of activated forms of Rho GTPases. To characterize this novel regulatory pathway and to gain insight into its biological significance, we studied the ubiquitination of two constitutively activated forms of Rac1, i.e. the mutationally activated Rac1L61, and the tumorigenic splice variant Rac1b, which is defective for several downstream signaling pathways, including JNK activation. Whereas Rac1L61 undergoes polyubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation in HEK293 cells, Rac1b is poorly ubiquitinated and appears to be much more resistant to proteasomal degradation than Rac1L61. Mutational analysis of all lysine residues in Rac1 revealed that the major target site for Rac1 ubiquitination is Lys147, a solvent‐accessible residue that has a similar conformation in Rac1b. Like Rac1L61, Rac1b was found to be largely associated with plasma membrane, a known prerequisite for Rac1 ubiquitination. Interestingly, Rac1b ubiquitination could be stimulated by coexpression of Rac1L61, suggesting positive regulation of Rac1 ubiquitination by Rac1 downstream signaling. Indeed, ubiquitination of Rac1L61 is critically dependent on JNK activation. In conclusion: (a) Rac1b appears to be more stable than Rac1L61 with regard to the ubiquitin–proteasome system, and this may be of importance for the expression and tumorigenic capacity of Rac1b; and (b) ubiquitination of activated Rac1 occurs through a JNK‐activated process, which may explain the defective ubiquitination of Rac1b. The JNK‐dependent activation of Rac1 ubiquitination would create a regulatory loop allowing the cell to counteract excessive activation of Rac1 GTPase.
Evolution of the teleostean zona pellucida gene inferred from the egg envelope protein genes of the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica
Authors: Sano Kaori , Kawaguchi Mari , Yoshikawa Masayuki , Iuchi Ichiro , Yasumasu Shigeki
Published: September 2010

A fish egg envelope is composed of several glycoproteins, called zona pellucida (ZP) proteins, which are conserved among vertebrate species. Euteleost fishes synthesize ZP proteins in the liver, while otocephalans synthesize them in the growing oocyte. We investigated ZP proteins of the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica, belonging to Elopomorpha, which diverged earlier than Euteleostei and Otocephala. Five major components of the egg envelope were purified and their partial amino acid sequences were determined by sequencing. cDNA cloning revealed that the eel egg envelope was composed of four ZPC homologues and one ZPB homologue. Four of the five eel ZP (eZP) proteins possessed a transmembrane domain, which is not found in the ZP proteins of Euteleostei and Otocephala that diverged later, but is found in most other vertebrate ZP proteins. This result suggests that fish ZP proteins originally possessed a transmembrane domain and lost it during evolution. Northern blotting and RT‐PCR revealed that all of the eZP transcripts were present in the ovary, but not in the liver. Phylogenetic analyses of fish zp genes showed that ezps formed a group with other fish zp genes that are expressed in the ovary, and which are distinct from the group of genes expressed in the liver. Our results support the hypothesis that fish ZP proteins were originally synthesized in the ovary, and then the site of synthesis was switched to the liver during the evolutionary pathway to Euteleostei.
An X‐ray diffraction study of model membrane raft structures
Authors: Quinn Peter J. , Wolf Claude
Published: September 2010

Protein sorting and assembly in membrane biogenesis and function involves the creation of ordered domains of lipids known as membrane rafts. The rafts are comprised of all the major classes of lipids, including glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids and sterol. Cholesterol is known to interact with sphingomyelin to form a liquid‐ordered bilayer phase. Domains formed by sphingomyelin and cholesterol, however, represent relatively small proportions of the lipids found in membrane rafts and the properties of other raft lipids are not well characterized. We examined the structure of lipid bilayers comprised of aqueous dispersions of ternary mixtures of phosphatidylcholines and sphingomyelins from tissue extracts and cholesterol using synchrotron X‐ray powder diffraction methods. Analysis of the Bragg reflections using peak‐fitting methods enables the distinction of three coexisting bilayer structures: (a) a quasicrystalline structure comprised of equimolar proportions of phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin, (b) a liquid‐ordered bilayer of phospholipid and cholesterol, and (c) fluid phospholipid bilayers. The structures have been assigned on the basis of lamellar repeat spacings, relative scattering intensities and bilayer thickness of binary and ternary lipid mixtures of varying composition subjected to thermal scans between 20 and 50 °C. The results suggest that the order created by the quasicrystalline phase may provide an appropriate scaffold for the organization and assembly of raft proteins on both sides of the membrane. Co‐existing liquid‐ordered structures comprised of phospholipid and cholesterol provides an additional membrane environment for assembly of different raft proteins.
Update on the fellowship exam and its relation to modern educational principles and clinical competency
Authors: Hazell Wayne , Rogers Ian R
Published: September 2010

The Australasian College for Emergency Medicine is committed to a long term process of quality improvement in the fellowship examination and the training programme leading up to it. The process of quality improvement and the rationale for current and future processes are not always clear to the fellowship as a whole.

The present article attempts to update the fellowship on the current thinking with regard to the fellowship exam and the work that is being done surrounding this and relevant areas. This is related to some modern educational assessment principles and terminology. More research is required into the relevance of each component of the fellowship exam and its relation to clinical competency, key competencies and good clinical practice. Any subsequent changes to the exam structure must take into account the evidence and be balanced by what is practicable, reasonable and deliverable.
Processes and impediments in moving patients from the emergency department: Pilot study
Authors: Oakley Edward , Braitberg George
Published: September 2010

Objective: To assess the impact of an ED‐designed interim orders sheet on patient flow through the ED, and the safety of ED‐directed admission.

Methods: The flow of patients through the ED and inpatient length of stay (IPLOS) was retrospectively reviewed on 135 patients who were admitted using interim orders and 125 patients who were admitted after inpatient unit review in the ED.

Results: The median time to admission to the ward in the non‐interim orders group was 5.7 h (interquartile range [IQR]: 3.8–8.5), with a range from 1.2 to 15.9 h, and in the interim orders group was 6.3 h (IQR: 4.8–8.0) with a range from 0.5 to 22 h (P = 0.27). The median IPLOS was 4 days (IQR: 2.0–7.0) in the interim orders group, and 4 days (IQR: 2.1–9.0) in the non‐interim orders group (P = 0.19).

Conclusion: There was no difference in the time to patient admission, or IPLOS, with the different processes. Almost half of the average ED stay of adults and about one‐third of that of paediatric admissions occurred after the decision to admit was made. Transfer of patients to the ward without inpatient review is appropriate and effective.
Amphetamine‐induced movement disorder
Authors: Downes Michael A , Whyte Ian M
Published: September 2010

Recreational use of amphetamines is common in Australia and New Zealand when compared with other developed nations. The clinical effects are variable because of the potential of these drugs to increase the proportion of different biogenic amines in the central nervous system (CNS). The substances affected are adrenaline, noradrenaline, serotonin and dopamine. Movement disorders represent one of the less common presentations of amphetamine toxicity but one that health care workers should be aware of nonetheless.
Chest pain in pacemaker patients, the answer is not always antiplatelets and anticoagulants: A four‐case series
Authors: Modi Simon , Cooper Robert , Hall Mark , Wright Jay , Todd Derick
Published: September 2010

Chest pain in pacemaker patients can be difficult to evaluate due to alterations in QRS and ST segments on the surface ECG. A high prevalence of ischaemic heart disease in this population also serves to influence the differential diagnosis. We highlight four cases, all with simple yet informative imagery, in an attempt to alert clinicians of worrying signs.
Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension Spontaneous CSF Leaks
Authors: Mokri Bahram
Published: September 2010

MR imaging has truly revolutionized the diagnosis of spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH). A substantially larger number of patients are now diagnosed and a broader clinical and imaging spectrum of the disorder is recognized. It is now realized that SIH nearly always results from spontaneous CSF leaks. The majority of these leaks occur at the level of the spine and only rarely at the skull base. Considerable variability exists in clinical manifestations, including the headaches. Although the typical headache is an orthostatic headache, not all headaches in CSF leaks are orthostatic and not all orthostatic headaches are caused by intracranial hypotension or CSF leaks. Furthermore, imaging and CSF findings also reveal considerable variability, including patients who may display CSF opening pressures that are consistently within normal limits or head MRIs that may not show abnormal pachymeningeal enhancement. The core pathogenetic factor is decreased CSF volume (CSF hypovolemia) as the independent variable, while CSF pressures, clinical manifestations, and MRI abnormalities are variable and dependent on loss of CSF volume. Epidural blood patch (EBP) has emerged as the treatment of choice for patients who fail initial conservative measures. However, response to EBP in spontaneous leaks is far less impressive than in post‐lumbar puncture headaches. In spontaneous leaks, the anatomy of the leak is frequently complex and quite different from a simple hole or rent as might be seen in post‐lumbar puncture headaches. These two entities should not be equated. At least a significant minority of the patients with spontaneous CSF leaks have pre‐existing dural weakness, likely based on a disorder of connective tissue matrix. There is also a considerable variability in the rate of leakage of CSF in these patients. This can create diagnostic challenges and novel diagnostic techniques are evolving to address the fast‐ and slow‐flow leaks. A large majority of the patients make excellent recovery spontaneously, with conservative measures, with epidural injections, or surgery. A small minority, however, continue to remain symptomatic. Subdural hematomas may complicate CSF leaks, may become symptomatic, and create therapeutic challenges but, fortunately, uncommonly. Rarely, cerebral venous thrombosis may develop. Sometimes, after treatment of spontaneous CSF leaks, rebound intracranial hypertension may occur which is likely self‐limiting.
Migraine and Vertigo: Epidemiology, Genetics, and Mechanism(s)
Authors: Baloh Robert W.
Published: September 2010

Both migraine and vertigo are highly prevalent in the general population, but the co‐occurrence of migraine and vertigo is much higher than would be expected by chance alone with a lifetime prevalence of migrainous vertigo in the range of 1%. Genetic factors are important for determining the threshold for migraine symptoms but so far, mutations have been identified in only two genes for the relatively rare syndrome of familial hemiplegic migraine. Numerous genetic loci and candidate genes have been identified for the more common syndromes of migraine with aura and migraine without aura, but the results are conflicting and largely unreplicated. Recently, a susceptibility locus for familial benign recurrent vertigo was identified on chromosome 22q, but as with the susceptibility loci for migraine syndromes, this will need to be replicated in other patient populations. How migraine leads to recurrent vertigo is poorly understood; there may be multiple mechanisms affecting both peripheral and central vestibular pathways. Vasospasm involving the labyrinthine arteries is an intriguing possibility since vasospasm has been identified with retinal migraine. An ion channel mutation shared by ear and brain could explain the combination of central and peripheral vestibular signs and the common triggers for migraine symptoms. Finally, in some patients with migrainous vertigo, the inner ear may be damaged resulting in a form of Meniere's disease.
Comparisons among Small Sample Equating Methods in a Common‐Item Design
Authors: Kim Sooyeon , Livingston Samuel A.
Published: September 2010

Score equating based on small samples of examinees is often inaccurate for the examinee populations. We conducted a series of resampling studies to investigate the accuracy of five methods of equating in a common‐item design. The methods were chained equipercentile equating of smoothed distributions, chained linear equating, chained mean equating, the symmetric circle‐arc method, and the simplified circle‐arc method. Four operational test forms, each containing at least 110 items, were used for the equating, with new‐form samples of 100, 50, 25, and 10 examinees and reference‐form samples three times as large. Accuracy was described in terms of the root‐mean‐squared difference (over 1,000 replications) of the sample equatings from the criterion equating. Overall, chained mean equating produced the most accurate results for low scores, but the two circle‐arc methods produced the most accurate results, particularly in the upper half of the score distribution. The difference in equating accuracy between the two circle‐arc methods was negligible.
A Comparison of Item Fit Statistics for Mixed IRT Models
Authors: Chon Kyong Hee , Lee Won‐Chan , Dunbar Stephen B.
Published: September 2010

In this study we examined procedures for assessing model‐data fit of item response theory (IRT) models for mixed format data. The model fit indices used in this study include PARSCALE's G2, Orlando and Thissen's S − X2 and S − G2, and Stone's χ2* and G2*. To investigate the relative performance of the fit statistics at the item level, we conducted two simulation studies: Type I error and power studies. We evaluated the performance of the item fit indices for various conditions of test length, sample size, and IRT models. Among the competing measures, the summed score‐based indices S − X2 and S − G2 were found to be the sensible and efficient choice for assessing model fit for mixed format data. These indices performed well, particularly with short tests. The pseudo‐observed score indices, χ2* and G2*, showed inflated Type I error rates in some simulation conditions. Consistent with the findings of current literature, the PARSCALE's G2 index was rarely useful, although it provided reasonable results for long tests.
The Gain‐Loss Model: A Probabilistic Skill Multimap Model for Assessing Learning Processes
Authors: Robusto Egidio , Stefanutti Luca , Anselmi Pasquale
Published: September 2010

Within the theoretical framework of knowledge space theory, a probabilistic skill multimap model for assessing learning processes is proposed. The learning process of a student is modeled as a function of the student's knowledge and of an educational intervention on the attainment of specific skills required to solve problems in a knowledge domain. Model parameters are initial probabilities of the skills, effects of learning objects on gaining and losing the skills, and careless error and lucky guess probabilities of the problems. An empirical application shows that the model is effective in assessing knowledge and effectiveness of educational intervention at both classroom and student levels. Practical implications for teaching and learning are discussed.
Piercing the Power of the Patch: How Trademark Law Could Diminish the Power of Gang Insignia
Authors: Fleischhaker Carol
Published: September 2010

The article, “Piercing the power of the patch: How trademark law could diminish the power of gang insignia”, broaches a new and unique topic for both intellectual property and criminal law academics and practitioners. The article examines trademark and copyright law in the context of criminal organizations, such as gangs. It sets forth the problem of enhanced gang reputation due to trademark and copyright protection, and analyses the extent to which trademark and copyright laws enable and empower gangs to use their insignia within non‐commercial and commercial illegal enterprises. The article suggests nine ways in which amendments to the Trademarks Act, Copyright Act and Criminal Code will diminish the power of gang names and insignia, such as through government trademark registration of unregistered gang insignia; expansion of the definition of “offensive” and “scandalous” marks; stringent proof of the purposes of a mark; limitations on renewal and registration of a trademark; forfeiture and expunging trademarks used in a criminal offence; government expropriation of registered trademarks used in a criminal offence; mass distribution of gang trademarks; use of a trademark or trade name in different trade areas in order to deteriorate distinctiveness; and commercial use of a gang mark by law enforcement.
Democracy in a Pluralist Global Order: Corporate Power and Stakeholder Representation
Authors: Macdonald Kate , Macdonald Terry
Published: September 2010

Whereas representative democratic mechanisms have generally been built around preexisting institutional structures of sovereign states, the global political domain lacks any firmly constitutionalized or sovereign structures that could constitute an analogous institutional backbone within a democratic global order. Instead, global public power can best be characterized as “pluralist” in structure. Some recent commentators have argued that if global democratization is to succeed at all, it must proceed along a trajectory beginning with the construction of global sovereign institutions and culminating in the establishment of representative institutions to control them. This paper challenges this view of the preconditions for global democratization, arguing that democratization can indeed proceed at a global level in the absence of sovereign structures of public power. In order to gain firmer traction on these questions, analysis focuses on the prospects for democratic control of corporate power, as constituted and exercised in one particular institutional context: sectoral supply chain systems of production and trade. It is argued that global democratization cannot be straightforwardly achieved simply by replicating familiar representative democratic institutions (based on constitutional separations of powers and electoral control) on a global scale. Rather, it is necessary to explore alternative institutional means for establishing representative democratic institutions at the global level within the present pluralist structure of global power.
Cosmological Arguments from Contingency
Authors: Rasmussen Joshua
Published: September 2010

Cosmological arguments from contingency attempt to show that there is a necessarily existing god‐like being on the basis of the fact that any concrete things exist at all. Such arguments are built out of the following components: (i) a causal principle that applies to non‐necessary entities of a certain category; (ii) a reason to think that if the causal principle is true, then there would have to be a necessarily existing concrete thing; (iii) a reason to think that the necessarily existing thing would be god‐like. In this essay, I discuss various ways of developing each of these components to produce an argument from contingency, and I point out classic objections and replies along the way. I also make note of some of the most recent developments in arguments from contingency and point out avenues for future research.
Cognitive Science and the Naturalness of Religion
Authors: McCauley Robert N. , Cohen Emma
Published: September 2010

Cognitive approaches to religious phenomena have attracted considerable interdisciplinary attention since their emergence a couple of decades ago. Proponents offer explanatory accounts of the content and transmission of religious thought and behavior in terms of underlying cognition. A central claim is that the cross‐cultural recurrence and historical persistence of religion is attributable to the cognitive naturalness of religious ideas, i.e., attributable to the readiness, the ease, and the speed with which human minds acquire and process popular religious representations. In this article, we primarily provide an introductory summary of foundational questions, assumptions, and hypotheses in this field, including some discussion of features distinguishing cognitive science approaches to religion from established psychological approaches. Relevant ethnographic and experimental evidence illustrate and substantiate core claims. Finally, we briefly consider the broader implications of these cognitive approaches for the appropriateness of ‘religion’ as an explanatorily useful category in the social sciences.
Women in the Nationalist-Educational Prism: Turkish and Egyptian Pedagogues and their Gendered Agenda, 1920–1952
Authors: Salmoni Barak A.
Published: September 2010

The use of schooling to support various societal agendas has attracted much attention among the last generation of global education scholars. Whether as a neo-Marxian “ideological state apparatus,” through which societal elites seek to preserve socioeconomic inequity, or as a means for regimes to acquire sociopolitical legitimacy, the dynamics of education's unique socializing role have proven quite intriguing. In particular, new states espousing nationalist modernization consciously deploy national educational systems as central to broad projects of political socialization. Here, as officials, teachers, or pedagogical scholars, those affiliated with national education become conceptualizers, interpreters, and implementers of particular national visions. Academic theorists of nationalism have thus rightfully labeled these individuals “nationalist educator intellectuals,” capturing the pedagogical corps’ self-perception and the special, often understudied contribution educators make to the formation of nationalist ideologies. Indeed, interpreting the purview of education quite broadly, educators have seen it as their duty to think and write programmatically on the whole gamut of issues affecting their environments.
“A Woman's World”: The University of California, Berkeley, During the Second World War
Authors: Dorn Charles
Published: September 2010

The fairer sex takes over and the campus becomes a woman's world. They step in and fill the shoes of the departing men and they reveal a wealth of undiscovered ability. The fate of the A.S.U.C. [Associated Students of the University of California] and its activities rests in their hands and they assume the responsibility of their new tasks with sincerity and confidence. —Blue and Gold, University of California, Berkeley, 1943

During World War II, female students at the University of California, Berkeley—then the most populous undergraduate campus in American higher education—made significant advances in collegiate life. In growing numbers, women enrolled in male-dominated academic programs, including mathematics, chemistry, and engineering, as they prepared for home-front employment in fields traditionally closed to them. Women also effectively opposed gendered restrictions on extracurricular participation, filling for the first time such influential campus leadership positions as the presidency of Berkeley's student government and editorship of the university's student newspaper. Female students at Berkeley also furthered activist causes during the war years, with the University Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) serving as one of the most popular outlets for their political engagement. Historically rooted in a mission of Christian fellowship, by the 1940s the University YWCA held progressive positions on many of the nation's central social, political, and economic issues. Throughout the war years, women dedicated to promoting civil liberties, racial equality, and international understanding led the organization in its response to two of the most egregious civil rights violations in U.S. history: racial segregation and Japanese internment.
HRM as a predictor of innovation
Authors: Shipton Helen , West Michael A. , Dawson Jeremy , Birdi Kamal , Patterson Malcolm
Published: September 2010

There is growing evidence available to suggest that HR practice is an important predictor of organisational performance. In this article, we argue that HR practices also have the potential to promote organisational innovation. We describe a longitudinal study of 22 UK manufacturing companies and examine the relationship between such practices and product and technological innovation. Results reveal that training, induction, team working, appraisal and exploratory learning focus are all predictors of innovation. Contingent reward, applied in conjunction with an exploratory learning focus, is positively associated with innovation in technical systems. Furthermore, training, appraisal and induction, combined with exploratory learning focus, explain variation between companies in product and technological innovation above and beyond the main effects observed.
Relational quality and innovative performance in R&D based science and technology firms
Authors: Thompson Marc , Heron Paul
Published: September 2010

The knowledge‐based view of the firm implies that the innovative performance of R&D based organisations is strongly influenced by the quality of their relational capital. However, the quality of the employment relationship has been underplayed in this perspective. A model is developed that tests the quality of three dimensions of the employment relationship – the psychological contract, affective commitment and knowledge‐sharing behaviours – and their consequences for innovative performance amongst 429 R&D employees in six different science and technology based firms. Analysis found that affective commitment plays an important role in mediating psychological contract fulfilment on knowledge‐sharing behaviour, which in turn is strongly related to innovative performance. More specifically, fulfilment of the job design dimension of the psychological contract has an independent positive association with innovative performance, whereas fulfilment of the performance pay dimension is negatively associated.
A job to believe in: recruitment in the Scottish voluntary sector
Authors: Nickson Dennis , Warhurst Chris , Dutton Eli , Hurrell Scott
Published: September 2010

The voluntary sector is an important source of employment in the UK and is increasingly providing services previously provided by the public sector. However, the ability of the sector to provide such services is dependent on the quantity and quality of suitable labour. This article examines recruitment issues in seven case‐study voluntary organisations offering social care in Scotland. Interviews were conducted with 137 managers and employees in these organisations. In addition, to assess potential labour supply, interviews and focus groups were conducted with careers advisers and potential employees. The findings suggest that, with a tightening labour market, uncompetitive pay and misconceptions about the sector, recruitment is a problem. However, job satisfaction is high for current employees, and potential employees whose values are commensurate with the sector might be attracted. The findings thus have relevance not just for the case‐study organisations, but for HRM in the voluntary sector generally.
Financial Intermediation Development and Economic Growth: Does the Chinese Counterexample Exist?
Authors: Yao Yaojun
Published: September 2010

In terms of the degree‐of‐freedom of bank loan decision‐making, the ratio of loans of private enterprises and individuals to total loans is used to measure the development of China's financial intermediation. Applying generalized method of moments estimation developed for dynamic panel data models, the present paper finds that the effect of financial intermediation development on economic growth is positive and statistically significant when controlling for other variables, such as human capital, foreign direct investment, securitization and foreign trade. The empirical results indicate that the concept of the so‐called Chinese counterexample in financial development is questionable. Financial system reforms, including encouraging banks to operate independently, reducing or eliminating mandatory loans, and making financial decision‐making more market‐oriented, are important for China's economic growth.
Cryopreservation of human genetic material
Authors: Shufaro Yoel , Schenker Joseph G.
Published: September 2010

Up‐to‐date cryopreservation is a central component of contemporary human‐assisted reproduction and fertility preservation technologies. Presently, the preservation of seminal and testicular spermatozoa, embryos, and oocytes can be readily achieved with a high functional survival rate. Preservation of the ovarian cortex containing a greater number of female germ cells is an experimental procedure under extensive investigation in many centers. All these techniques are used for various purposes like optimization of assisted reproduction, provision of donor gametes, fertility preservation for cancer patients and aging women, and posthumous reproduction. Here, we present a comprehensive review of the various applications of gamete, embryo, and ovarian tissue cryopreservation and discuss their basic biological principles, practical applicability, and limitations.
Diagnosis and management of hirsutism
Authors: Escobar‐Morreale Héctor F.
Published: September 2010

Hirsutism is a frequent medical complaint that usually results from relatively benign functional disorders including the polycystic ovary syndrome, which is the most frequent etiology. The essential tool for the diagnosis of hirsutism is a complete clinical history and physical examination, because functional causes begin peripubertally and progress slowly, whereas the very rare androgen‐secreting neoplasms have a sudden onset and a rapid progression of hirsutism, and usually associate clinical signs of virilization and defeminization. In all cases, diagnosis requires quantification of hirsutism using the modified Ferriman‐Gallwey score, measurement of circulating androgen concentrations, a detailed study of ovaulatory function, and possibly an ovarian ultrasound. Treatment must consider not only amelioration of hirsutism but also treatment of the underlying etiology and of any metabolic associations. When caused by a functional disorder, treatment of hirsutism should be chronic and should include cosmetic as well as pharmacological interventions such as oral contraceptives and antiandrogens. For nonfunctional disorders, treatment should focus on solving the underlying etiology as hirsutism is usually responsive to the elimination of the source of androgen excess.
Endometriosis and assisted reproduction techniques
Authors: Härkki Päivi , Tiitinen Aila , Ylikorkala Olavi
Published: September 2010

Endometriosis‐associated infertility is poorly treatable with various forms of surgery. Therefore, assisted reproduction techniques (ARTs), such as controlled ovarian hyperstimulation, intrauterine insemination, or in vitro fertilization, are commonly used for endometriosis‐associated infertility. Endometriosis impairs the efficacy of in vitro fertilization. There is no evidence that ovulation suppression before ART would enhance the efficacy of ART. Resection of minimal/mild endometriosis and/or restoration of the normality of pelvic anatomy may enhance the efficacy of ART, but aggressive ovarian surgery should be avoided, because it reduces the ovarian reserves and the likelihood of pregnancy after ART. The outcome of ART pregnancy is not affected by the history of endometriosis, but the presence of endometrioma may predispose to preterm birth or fetal growth retardation in ART‐induced pregnancies. As a whole, infertility due to endometriosis is best treated with various forms of ART, and the earlier clinicians apply these techniques, the more likely pregnancy may ensue.
Fetal origins of the metabolic syndrome
Authors: Xita Nektaria , Tsatsoulis Agathocles
Published: September 2010

The natural history of metabolic syndrome and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which shares many components of metabolic syndrome, may originate in intrauterine life. Evidence from epidemiological observations, clinical, and experimental animal studies suggest that the nutritional, hormonal, and metabolic environment afforded by the mother may permanently program differentiating target tissues of the offspring toward the development of metabolic syndrome/PCOS phenotype in adult life. The mechanisms of fetal programming are not well understood. Thus, the altered tissue differentiation may be the result of fetal adaptive responses representing homeostatic adaptations due to alterations in fetal nutrition. Also, tissues under the influence of androgen excess may be directed toward a more masculine phenotype with regard to reproductive, neuroendocrine, and metabolic traits, while the importance of epigenetics in fetal origin of metabolic syndrome/PCOS cannot be overlooked.
Umbilical cord blood stem cells: what to expect
Authors: Zhong Xiao Yan , Zhang Bei , Asadollahi Reza , Low Shyan Huey , Holzgreve Wolfgang
Published: September 2010

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a valuable alternative source of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). It has unique advantages of easy procurement, absence of risk to donors, low risk of transmitting infections, immediate availability, greater tolerance of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) disparity, and lower incidence of inducing severe graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD). In the last several years, these features of UCB permit the field of UCB transplantation (UCBT) to move at a faster pace for both children and adults with malignancies and nonmalignancies. However, new strategies and novel developments are expected to improve engraftment and reconstitution, and to enable in utero transplantation for early therapy, as well as to allow the therapy for a wide spectrum of human diseases.
Can HPV testing replace the pap smear?
Authors: Agorastos Theodoros , Sotiriadis Alexandros , Chatzigeorgiou Konstantinos
Published: September 2010

The most compelling question in evaluating the possible replacement of the conventional Papanicolaou smear from a high‐risk HPV testing method is the balance between specificity and sensitivity for detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade ≥CIN 2 (CIN 2+). Multiple studies have shown that HPV testing has higher sensitivity than cytology for the detection of high‐grade CIN. Positivity increases the test cut‐off for HPV and may reduce false positive results without significantly compromising the sensitivity, potentially alleviating the concern of low specificity. Overall, available evidence convincingly shows that HPV testing is superior to traditional screening for the detection of high‐grade cervical lesions, and efforts are focused on improving its sensitivity, either by increasing its cut‐off for positivity or by selecting those subgroups where HPV testing is expected to have higher positive predictive value for cervical disease, or by seeking to optimize triage tests after a positive HPV result.
Hormonal contraception in obesity, the metabolic syndrome, and diabetes
Authors: Skouby Sven O.
Published: September 2010

The rate of obesity worldwide is currently at epidemic proportions. As part of obesity, the metabolic syndrome describes a clustering of metabolic abnormalities that increase the cardiovascular and diabetes risk. In particular, women from developing countries have diabetes in the reproductive age resulting in more pregnancies where both the mother and the fetus are at high risk. Consequently, use of safe and effective contraceptive methods is of paramount importance. Paradoxically, both obese and diabetic women are less likely to use contraception as compared to women of normal weight. Modern types of hormonal contraceptives are safe and provide important noncontraceptive benefits. The impact of obesity on drug pharmacokinetics may result in lower blood levels of steroid contraceptives that reduce their ability to prevent pregnancy, but the actual change is probably minimal. In women with uncomplicated diabetes, hormonal contraception should therefore be part of the highly needed preconception care and metabolic control.
Bone anabolic versus bone anticatabolic treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis
Authors: Lyritis George P. , Georgoulas Thomas , Zafeiris Christos P
Published: September 2010

Increased bone fragility after menopause is commonly associated with accelerated bone loss and aggressive osteoclastic function. This is attributed to increased RANKL production and impaired osteoprotegerin synthesis. Fast bone loss leads to trabecular perforations, dramatic diminution of bone strength, and unexpected fractures. To avoid osteoporotic fractures, elimination of fast bone loss is recommended. Antiosteoclastic drugs, apart from estrogens, are the selective estrogen receptor modulators, calcitonins, and amino‐bisphosphonates. These drugs increase bone mass by 1–5%, but reduce the relative risk of a vertebral fracture by 30–70%. Long‐term exposure to bisphosphonates may be related to low bone turnover. In elderly and severe osteoporosis, antiosteoclastic regimens hardly correct the depressed osteoblastic function. Intermittent teriperatide stimulates osteoblastic function, improves bone geometry, and has an additional analgesic effect. While both anticatabolic and anabolic agents increase bone mass and decrease the risk of spinal fractures and occasionally of the fracture of the femoral neck, there are differences in the mode of their action. These pathophysiological differences are tentative therapeutic tools for the prevention of osteoporotic fractures. A fast bone loss, associated with increased biochemical markers, is the main indicator for anticatabolic agents, while impaired bone geometry, normal or low bone markers, and established bone architectural changes are in favor of the anabolic agents. Strontium ranelate combines the anticatabolic effect with an additional anabolic action.
The effects of adipose tissue and adipocytokines in human pregnancy
Authors: Valsamakis G. , Kumar S. , Creatsas G. , Mastorakos G.
Published: September 2010

During pregnancy, important changes take place in maternal metabolism because of the growing fetus and placental formation. The increase in insulin resistance during pregnancy is paralleled by the progressive increase of maternal adipose tissue deposition. This review examines the topography of fat mass deposition during pregnancy in relation to factors such as parity and maternal age that might affect this deposition. We also examine adipose tissue markers, such as pregravid weight and weight gain during pregnancy, and their effect on fetal growth and pregnancy outcomes. In addition, this review studies the possible effects of cytokines that are produced by adipose tissue and the placenta on maternal metabolism and its complications. Finally, we also consider the possible role of maternal adipocytokines and fetal adipocytokines on fetal growth.
Estrogen therapy and Alzheimer's dementia
Authors: Craig Michael C. , Murphy D.G.M.
Published: September 2010

Previous studies in postmenopausal women have reported that estrogen treatment (ET) modulates the risk for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). It has recently been hypothesized that there may be a “critical period” around the time of menopause during which the prescription of ET may reduce the risk of developing AD in later life. This effect may be most significant in women under 49 years old. Furthermore, prescription of ET after this point may have a neutral or negative effect, particularly when initiated in women over 60–65 years old. In this paper, we review recent studies that use in vivo techniques to analyze the neurobiological mechanisms that might underpin estrogen's effects on the brain postmenopause. Consistent with the “critical period” hypothesis, these studies suggest that the positive effects of estrogen are most robust in young women and in older women who had initiated ET around the time of menopause.
Metformin in polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Diamanti‐Kandarakis Evanthia , Economou Frangiskos , Palimeri Sotiria , Christakou Charikleia
Published: September 2010

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 6.6–6.8% of women in reproductive age. Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia play a critical role in the pathogenesis of PCOS and are associated with a high risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiometabolic abnormalities. Metformin has been introduced as a therapeutic option in PCOS, targeting of cardiometabolic and reproductive abnormalities on the basis of its action on the reduction of glucose levels and the attenuation of insulin resistance. The tissue‐specific actions of metformin as well as the molecular mechanisms involved in the liver, the muscle, the endothelium, and the ovary are elucidated in this review. The use of metformin in pregnant women with PCOS is another of its positive features. Overall, available data supports the therapeutic usefulness of metformin on cardiometabolic risk and reproduction assistance in PCOS women.
Intrauterine inflammation and preterm delivery
Authors: Vrachnis N. , Vitoratos N. , Iliodromiti Z. , Sifakis S. , Deligeoroglou E. , Creatsas G.
Published: September 2010

Spontaneous preterm delivery, prematurity, and low birth weight due to prematurity account for a great part of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Specifically, chronic amniotic fluid inflammation may cause preterm labor, with the involvement of different mediators that produce diverse aspects of the inflammatory response. Although bacteria are considered to be the main trigger for intrauterine infection/inflammation, viral infections also appear to be involved. Recently, molecular genetic techniques have helped us better understand the underlying pathophysiologic processes. This is especially important because epidemiological and experimental studies indicate that intrauterine infection and inflammation constitute a risk factor for adverse neurological outcome in preterm infants. Chronic subclinical chorioamnionitis associated with preterm birth can also modify lung development. Although no current clinical strategy is aimed at adapting the maternofetal inflammatory response, immunomodulators may serve as a future intervention in preterm embryos.
The role of stress in female reproduction and pregnancy: an update
Authors: Vrekoussis Thomas , Kalantaridou Sophia N. , Mastorakos George , Zoumakis Emmanuel , Makrigiannakis Antonis , Syrrou Marika , Lavasidis Lazaros G. , Relakis Kostas , Chrousos George P.
Published: September 2010

Life exists by establishing a balanced equilibrium, called homeostasis, constantly challenged by adverse stimuli, called stressors. In response to these stimuli, a complex neurohormonal reaction exerted by the activation of the so‐called stress system is initiated. The latter is activated in a coordinated fashion, leading to behavioral and peripheral changes that improve the ability of the organism to adjust homeostasis and increase its chance for survival. The stress system suppressive effects on female reproduction involve suppression of the hypothalamic–pituitary–ovarian axis at the hypothalamic, pituitary, ovarian, and uterine levels. Experimental and human data suggest that adverse prenatal stimuli, of either maternal or fetal origin, acting in the developing embryo in utero, can lead to the development of short‐ and long‐term health disorders. These include preterm birth of the offspring, low birth weight, and the development of adult diseases ranging from the metabolic syndrome to several neurodevelopmental disorders.