bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comprehensive genetic and functional characterization of IPH‐926: a novel CDH1‐null tumour cell line from human lobular breast cancer
Authors: Christgen Matthias , Bruchhardt Henriette , Hadamitzky Catarina , Rudolph Cornelia , Steinemann Doris , Gadzicki Dorothea , Hasemeier Britta , Römermann Daniel , Focken Tim , Krech Till , Ballmaier Matthias , Schlegelberger Brigitte , Kreipe Hans , Lehmann Ulrich
Published: November 2008

Infiltrating lobular breast cancer (ILBC) is a clinically and biologically distinct tumour entity defined by a characteristic linear cord invasion pattern and inactivation of the CDH1 tumour suppressor gene encoding for E‐cadherin. ILBCs also lack β‐catenin expression and show aberrant cytoplasmic localization of the E‐cadherin binding protein p120‐catenin. The lack of a well‐characterized ILBC cell line has hampered the functional characterization of ILBC cells in vitro. We report the establishment of a permanent ILBC cell line, named IPH‐926, which was derived from a patient with metastatic ILBC. The DNA fingerprint of IPH‐926 verified genetic identity with the patient and had no match among the human cell line collections of several international biological resource banks. IPH‐926 expressed various epithelial cell markers but lacked expression of E‐cadherin due to a previously unreported, homozygous CDH1 241ins4 frameshift mutation. Detection of the same CDH1 241ins4 mutation in archival tumour tissue of the corresponding primary ILBC proved the clonal origin of IPH‐926 from this particular tumour. IPH‐926 also lacked β‐catenin expression and showed aberrant cytoplasmic localization of p120‐catenin. Array‐CGH analysis of IPH‐926 revealed a profile of genomic imbalances that included many distinct alterations previously observed in primary ILBCs. Spectral karyotyping of IPH‐926 showed a hyperdiploid chromosome complement and numerous clonal, structural aberrations. IPH‐926 cells were anti‐cancer drug‐resistant, clonogenic in soft agar, and tumourigenic in SCID mice. In xenograft tumours, IPH‐926 cells recapitulated the linear cord invasion pattern that defines ILBCs. In summary, IPH‐926 significantly extends the biological spectrum of the established breast cancer cell lines and will facilitate functional analyses of genuine human ILBC cells in vitro and in vivo. Copyright © 2008 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A case of moyamoya syndrome and hemoglobin E/beta‐thalassemia
Authors: Parker Torrey M. , Ward Leanne M. , Johnston Donna L. , Ventureya Enrique , Klaassen Robert J.
Published: November 2008

Moyamoya syndrome is a rare diagnosis that has been linked to a small number of hemoglobinopathies. Children with Moyamoya syndrome tend to present with transient ischemic attacks, mental deficiency, and/or neurological deficits. We describe a case of a 15‐year‐old Cambodian male with HbE/β‐thalassemia who was found to have left Moyamoya syndrome as part of an evaluation for growth hormone deficiency. The link between Moyamoya syndrome and HbE/β‐thalassemia may be multifactorial, but Moyamoya syndrome is an important consequence to consider in children with HbE/β‐thalassemia. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2009;52:422–424. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification (MLPA) in prenatal diagnosis—experience of a large series of rapid testing for aneuploidy of chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X, and Y
Authors: Gerdes Tommy , Kirchhoff Maria , Lind Anne‐Marie , Vestergaard Larsen Gitte , Kjaergaard Susanne
Published: November 2008

Background

Multiplex ligation‐dependent probe amplification (MLPA) is a relatively new method for rapid prenatal diagnosis of common aneuploidies, and larger series to evaluate its performance remain to be reported.

Methods

A total of 2400 prenatal chorionic villus samples (CVS) and 1525 prenatal samples of amniotic fluids (AF) were analyzed using a commercial MLPA kit (SALSA P095) for aneuploidy of chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X, and Y, and subsequent G‐banding.

Results

MLPA gave conclusive results in 2330 (97.1%) CVS and 1417 (92.9%) AF samples. MLPA and G‐banding showed concordant results except for five CVS and two AF. These were acceptable differences, as MLPA is not expected to detect all cases of mosaicism or partial deletions. MLPA gave inconclusive results for 19 (0.79%) CVS and 20 (1.31%) AF samples in which mosaicism, triploidy, contamination by maternal cells, or structural abnormalities were suspected by MLPA. Finally, 30 (1.97%) AF were discarded because of maternal blood staining, and 51 (2.1%) CVS and 58 (3.8%) AF were discarded because of technical problems.

Conclusion

The data presented confirm that MLPA is a rapid, simple and reliable method for large scale testing for nonmosaic aneuploidy of chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X, or Y in trypsin‐digested CVS and in AF. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Factors influencing women's acceptance of prenatal screening tests
Authors: Li De‐Kun , Karlberg Kristen , Wi Soora , Norem Carol
Published: November 2008

Objective

To determine the factors influencing a woman's acceptance of the expanded alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) test.

Methods

A population‐based case‐control study. All women (age < 35) who declined the expanded AFP test were identified as eligible cases. Controls were randomly selected from all women (age < 35) who accepted the test.

Results

We interviewed 199 cases and 229 controls before 30 weeks of gestation. While 47% of cases reported opposition to abortion as one of their reasons for declining the test (Group A), the remaining 53% of cases had a variety of other reasons for declining (Group B). After controlling for potential confounders, factors significantly associated with declining the test included: skepticism of the usefulness of the test results (odds ratio (OR) = 33.0), influence from family members (OR = 11.4), low educational level (OR = 7.1), willingness to keep a malformed fetus (OR = 6.2), failure to use providers as useful sources of information (OR = 5.0), and misunderstanding of the purpose of the test (OR = 2.0). Polytomous logistic regression revealed that Groups A and B had different determining factors as well as common factors.

Conclusion

While many influential factors for participating in prenatal screening remain unmodifiable, some of them may be addressed to improve women's acceptance of prenatal screening tests. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influence of reading attitude on reading achievement: A test of the temporal‐interaction model
Authors: Martínez Rebecca S. , Aricak O. Tolga , Jewell Jeremy
Published: November 2008

Despite widespread efforts to prevent reading problems and an abundance of research about best practices in remediating reading skills deficits, reading continues to be exceptionally difficult for many students. Researchers have become interested in investigating the degree to which affective factors such as reading attitude relates to reading performance. In the current study, 76 fourth‐grade students were administered Curriculum‐Based Measurement tasks in reading (R‐CBM) and the Elementary Reading Attitude Survey (ERAS; McKenna & Kear, 1990, 1999). In the fall of the following school year (4 months later), participants completed a high‐stakes statewide reading assessment. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and a path analysis were computed to address the research questions. Results indicated that both reading ability (β = .62, p = .01) and reading attitude significantly predicted reading achievement (Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress‐Plus;ISTEP+) 4 months later (β = .22, p = .01), supporting a temporal interactive effect (Kush, Watkins, & Brookhart, 2005) of prior reading attitude and skill on later reading achievement. Additional findings, implications for practice, directions for future research, and limitations of the study are discussed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sweet silver: A formaldehyde‐free silver staining using aldoses as developing agents, with enhanced compatibility with mass spectrometry
Authors: Chevallet Mireille , Luche Sylvie , Diemer Hélène , Strub Jean‐Marc , Van Dorsselaer Alain , Rabilloud Thierry
Published: November 2008

Protein detection methods after electrophoresis have to be sensitive, homogeneous, and not to impair downstream analysis of proteins by MS. Speed, low cost, and user friendliness are also favored features. Silver staining combines many of these features, but its compatibility with MS is limited. We describe here, a new variant of silver staining that is completely formaldehyde‐free. Reducing sugars in alkaline borate buffer are used as developers. While keeping the benefits of silver staining, this method is shown to afford a much better performance in terms of compatibility with MS, both in PMF by MALDI and in LC/ESI/MS/MS.
Identification of proteins that modify cataract of mouse eye lens
Authors: Hoehenwarter Wolfgang , Tang Yajun , Ackermann Renate , Pleissner Klaus‐Peter , Schmid Monika , Stein Robert , Zimny‐Arndt Ursula , Kumar Nalin M. , Jungblut Peter R.
Published: November 2008

The occurrence of a nuclear cataract in the eye lens due to disruption of the α3C×46 connexin gene, Gja3, is dependent on strain background in a mouse model, implicating factors that modify the pathology. The differences upon cataractogenesis in the urea soluble proteins of the lens of two mouse strains, C57BL/6J and 129/SvJ, were analyzed by a comparative proteomics approach. Determination of the complete proteome of an organ offers the opportunity to characterize at a molecular level, differences in gene expression and PTMs occurring during pathology and between individuals. The abundance of 63 protein species was altered between the strains. A unique aspect of this study is the identification of chaperonin subunit 6A, mortalin, ERp29, and syntaxin‐binding protein 6 in the eye lens. DNA polymorphisms resulting in nonconservative amino acid changes that led to altered physicochemical properties of the proteins were detected for mortalin, chaperonin subunit 6A, annexin A1, and possibly γ‐N crystallin. The results show HSP27/25 and/or ERp29 are the likely major modifying factors for cataractogenesis. Extension of the results suggests that small heat‐shock proteins have a major role for influencing cataract formation in humans.
Serum biomarker discovery in renal cancer using 2‐DE and prefractionation by immunodepletion and isoelectric focusing; increasing coverage or more of the same?
Authors: Vasudev Naveen S. , Ferguson Roisean E. , Cairns David A. , Stanley Anthea J. , Selby Peter J. , Banks Rosamonde E.
Published: November 2008

As an initial screen for novel markers of renal cancer and to minimise background heterogeneity, we have compared the within‐patient profiles of serum samples from seven patients pre‐ and post‐nephrectomy. Samples were depleted of six of the most abundant proteins using Agilent's multiple affinity removal system (MARS) followed by solution‐phase IEF prior to separation by 2‐DE using narrow range IPG Strips, with a total of 84 gels. The reproducibility of the various steps was demonstrated and an approximate two‐fold increase (from 374 to 779) in the number of protein spots observed in the pH region 4.6–7.0 was obtained. However, the majority of additional proteins seen were further isoforms of existing proteins due to the higher resolution and the majority of protein spots identified were still moderate to highly abundant species. Only one protein spot (as yet unidentified) was found to change significantly in the same direction in at least four patients. Although this powerful prefractionation and analysis strategy allows the visualisation of multiple protein isoforms, it is insufficient to allow detection of lower abundance proteins in serum without the implementation of further strategies.
Ionic and pH effects on the osmotic properties and structure of polyelectrolyte gels
Authors: Horkay Ferenc , Basser Peter J.
Published: November 2008

We investigate the effects of salt concentration and pH on neutralized poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) gels in near physiological salt solutions. Either adding calcium ions or decreasing the pH is found to induce reversible volume transitions but the nature of these transitions seems to be different. For example, the osmotic pressure exhibits a simple power law dependence on the concentration as the transition is approached in both systems, but the power law exponent n is substantially different in the two cases. On decreasing the pH the value of n gradually increases from 2.1 (at pH = 7) to 3.2 (at pH = 1). By contrast, n decreases with increasing calcium ion concentration from 2.1 (in 100 mM NaCl solution) to 1.6 (0.8 mM CaCl2 in 100 mM NaCl solution). In both systems, a strong increase of the small‐angle neutron scattering intensity (SANS) is observed near the volume transition. The SANS results reveal that calcium ions favor the formation of linearly aligned regions in PAA gels. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 2803–2810, 2008
Enthalpic relaxation of silica–polyvinyl acetate nanocomposites
Authors: Amanuel Samuel , Gaudette Anna N. , Sternstein S. S.
Published: November 2008

Although the effects of filler nanoparticles size and surface treatment on the glass transition temperature of the matrix phase have received well‐deserved attention, nanofiller effects on other physical parameters associated with the glass transition have received less interest. To better understand how the incorporation of nanofillers affects the enthalpic relaxations associated with the glass transition, differential scanning calorimeter measurements were carried out on silica–polyvinyl acetate nanocomposites with respect to filler content, annealing temperature, and annealing period. As expected, longer annealing periods below the glass transition temperature resulted in an increase of the subsequent enthalpic relaxations. However, the presence of filler substantially reduces the enthalpic relaxation relative to that of the neat polymer at longer annealing periods only. The underlying enthalpic relaxations and the effects suppressed by the fillers are specific to the annealing temperature. These results suggest a significant alteration in the physical state of the matrix because of the presence of the filler particles. However, this does not imply the existence of a glassy layer or layers with a glass transition gradient near the filler surface. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 2733–2740, 2008
Structural relaxation of stacked ultrathin polystyrene films
Authors: Koh Yung P. , Simon Sindee L.
Published: November 2008

TheTgdepression and kinetic behavior of stacked polystyrene ultrathin films is investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and compared with the behavior of bulk polystyrene. The fictive temperature (Tf) was measured as a function of cooling rate and as a function of aging time for aging temperatures below the nominal glass transition temperature (Tg). The stacked ultrathin films show enthalpy overshoots in DSC heating scans which are reduced in height but occur over a broader temperature range relative to the bulk response for a given change in fictive temperature. The cooling rate dependence of the limiting fictive temperature,Tf′, is also found to be higher for the stacked ultrathin film samples; the result is that the magnitude of theTgdepression between the ultrathin film sample and the bulk is inversely related to the cooling rate. We also find that the rate of physical aging of the stacked ultrathin films is comparable with the bulk when aging is performed at the same distance fromTg; however, when conducted at the same aging temperature, the ultrathin film samples show accelerated physical aging, that is, a shorter time is required to reach equilibrium for the thin films due to their depressedTgvalues. The smaller distance fromTgalso results in a reduced logarithmic aging rate for the thin films compared with the bulk, although this is not indicative of longer relaxation times. The DSC heating curves obtained as a function of cooling rate and aging history are modeled using the Tool‐Narayanaswamy‐Moynihan model of structural recovery; the stacked ultrathin film samples show lower β values than the bulk, consistent with a broader distribution of relaxation times. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 2741–2753, 2008
Viscoelastic properties and residual stresses in polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane‐reinforced epoxy matrices
Authors: Li Qingxiu , Hutcheson Stephen A. , McKenna Gregory B. , Simon Sindee L.
Published: November 2008

Fiber‐filled thermosetting polymer composites are extensively used in aerospace industries. One disadvantage of these materials is cure induced or thermally induced residual stresses in the matrix, which may result in deteriorated performance and premature failure. This article explores the use of epoxy/multifunctional polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) nanocomposites as resins with reduced thermal stress coefficients that result in mitigated residual stresses. The effect of POSS loading on the thermal stress coefficient of the epoxy/POSS nanocomposite resins was investigated from below the β‐relaxation to the α‐relaxation, or glass transition temperature, (i.e., from −100 to 180 °C) by measuring the shear modulus and linear thermal expansion coefficient. The thermal stress coefficient of the epoxy/POSS nanocomposites is found to be a strong function of temperature, decreasing rapidly with decreasing temperature through the α‐relaxation region, increasing in the vicinity of the β‐relaxation, and then decreasing below the temperature associated with the peak in the β‐relaxation. With increasing POSS content, the thermal stress coefficient is reduced compared with the neat resin in the vicinity of the α‐relaxation; however, the thermal stress coefficient increases with increasing POSS content below the temperature of the β‐relaxation peak. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 46: 2719–2732, 2008
Attempt to normalize simulated exhaled nitric oxide according to ventilatory settings
Authors: Figueras‐Aloy J. , Berrueco R. , Salvia‐Roiges M.D. , Rodríguez‐Miguélez J.M. , Miracle‐Echegoyen X. , Botet‐Mussons F. , Mur‐Sierra A. , Vall O. , Carbonell‐Estrany X.
Published: November 2008

Background

Simulated exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) depends on ventilatory settings used in different experimental conditions.

Objectives

To normalize the simulated minute exhaled nitric oxide according to different ventilatory settings.

Working Hypothesis

Different ventilatory settings influence the concentrations of exhaled nitric oxide and these results can be normalized.

Methodology and Study Design

We used a rubber lung model (50 ml) with an orifice through which a 3 mm endotracheal tube was introduced. The NO, which simulated that of endogenous production, was delivered through the base of the lung using a unidirectional rotameter and obtaining a concentration of around 25 ppb. The sample of gas was recorded through a 6 F arterial catheter introduced into the endotracheal tube to its tip. The ventilator used was a Babylog 8000. Air delivered was compressed and filtered and had an NO content of under 0.3 ppb. The NO level assessed was the plateau value given by the software of the Sievers NOA apparatus. Each experiment involved sampling during 1 min, three times. Normalization was done using a multiple cubic regression formula.

Results

An increase in respiratory frequency or in peak of inspiratory pressure were accompanied by a decrease in eNO (ppb). Minute volume was adjusted for the percentage of leakage given by the ventilator. Normalization was obtained analyzing 518 respirations with different ventilatory settings. The coefficient of variation fell from 15.5% to 0.27%. Validation of the normalization formula was performed in other three groups (320, 372, and 372 respirations) with different simulated NO concentrations (25, 16, and 50 ppb), resulting in reduction of the coefficient of variation from 42.7% to 9.3%, from 42.3% to 10.6% and from 45.2% to 9.6%, respectively.

Conclusions

Normalization of simulated minute eNO according to ventilatory settings is possible using the equipment and experimental set‐up reported. Extrapolation to patients is not possible without constraints. Pediatr. Pulmonol. 2008; 43:1167–1174. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Synthesis and subsequent purification of carbon nanotubes by arc discharge in NaCl solution
Authors: Jahanshahi Mohsen , Raoof Jahan‐Bakhsh , Hajizadeh Solmaz , Seresht Razieh Jabari
Published: November 2008

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are fascinating structures with a wide range of applications and several methods have been developed for their fabrication. The arc‐discharge in liquid method is a new technique for synthesis of nanocarbon structures and is recognized as a low‐cost method. In this work, this method was used for fabrication of carbon nanotubes, and subsequently a modified acid treatment method was applied as a purification stage. In order to optimize the process, a statistical design of experimental (Taguchi method with L9 orthogonal array robust design) was implemented in this study. As the result of Taguchi analysis in this study, voltage, ratio of catalyst and solution were the most influencing parameters on the yield product of carbon nanotubes (7.9 mg/min purified CNTs). The maximum product yield of CNTs was obtained at a voltage of 25 V, NaCl 0.2N as a salt in solution, Ni/Fe as a catalyst and a 1:1 catalyst ratio. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) as well as Raman spectra were utilized to study the morphology and purity of these carbon nanotubes. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Two‐dimensional Fourier spectroscopy of semiconductors: a perspective from non‐equilibrium many‐body theory
Authors: Virk Kuljit S. , Sipe J. E.
Published: November 2008

A framework based on the non‐equilibrium Green functions is developed for the study of two‐dimensional Fourier spectroscopy of semiconductors. Perturbative treatment of the electromagnetic field is used to derive a closed set of differential equations for the multi‐particle correlation functions.

A diagrammatic method is also developed to describe the driving of the many‐body system by three optical pulses. Themethod retains all features of the double‐sided Feynman diagrams for bookkeeping of optical excitations, and complements it by allowing for the description of interactions as well. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Paraexciton polariton propagation beats in cuprous oxide
Authors: Brandt Jan , Fröhlich Dietmar , Sandfort Christian , Bayer Manfred , Stolz Heinrich
Published: November 2008

In time‐resolved transmission spectroscopy of the 1Sparaexciton in cuprous oxide a temporal broadening and oscillations of the transmitted pulse for several tens of nanoseconds are observed. These observations are interpreted as polariton propagation beats and indicate a long paraexciton dephasing time in the nanosecond range.We discuss the dependence of the beat period on the external magnetic field and propose a model to calculate polariton beats for an inhomogeneously broadened resonance. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Effects of electron and optical confinement on performance of UV laser diodes
Authors: Bulashevich K. A. , Ramm M. S. , Karpov S. Yu.
Published: November 2008

Using simulations accounting for birefringence of III‐nitride materials, we studied the laser diodes emitting light at 360‐380 nm, which was controlled by adjusting the InGaN composition in the multiple‐quantum well active region. Both electron and optical confinement in the LD heterostructures are found to depend strongly on the quantum well composition and affect remarkably the threshold current of the diodes. In particular, the electron leakage from the active region becomes considerable at low InN contents in the quantum wells. The waveguide mode penetration beyond the nominal waveguide layers results in remarkable variation of the optical confinement factor with the emission wavelength and switching between different lateral modes. The above effects provide explanation of the observed three‐fold increase in the threshold current density of the LDs upon small changes of the quantum well composition. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Treating adolescent ovarian cysts with Chinese herbs: a case report
Authors: Qu Fan , Zhou Jue , Huang Hefeng
Published: November 2008

In the report an adolescent female patient who suffered from continuous lower abdominal distending pain with an ovarian cyst was successfully cured with Chinese herbs. Chinese herbs were orally administered for 18 days, after which all of the symptoms and the ovarian cyst disappeared. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Local characterizations of quaternary AlInGaN/GaN heterostructures using TEM and HAADF‐STEM
Authors: Okuno Hanako , Takeguchi Masaki , Mitsuishi Kazutaka , Irokawa Yoshihiro , Sakuma Yoshiki , Furuya Kazuo
Published: November 2008

Local characterizations of a quaternary group III nitride material AlInGaN were carried out using electron microscopy. The chemical composition and the lattice parameter of the sample were estimated by a combination of energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy analyses and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy imaging, respectively. These results correspond well with the nominal composition of bulk sample measured by SIMS with only a few percent of error, indicating the validity of these techniques for the local characterization on this kind of hetero‐structural materials. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Polyarene‐Functionalized Fullerenes in Carbon Nanotubes: Towards Controlled Geometry of Molecular Chains
Authors: Chamberlain Thomas W. , Pfeiffer Rudolf , Peterlik Herwig , Kuzmany Hans , Zerbetto Francesco , Melle‐Franco Manuel , Staddon Luke , Champness Neil R. , Briggs G. Andrew D. , Khlobystov Andrei N.
Published: November 2008

Mechanisms for controlling the assembly of molecular arrays in carbon nanotubes via alteration of the size and geometry of the functional groups attached to the molecules inserted into the nanotubes are studied. As model compounds, a series of structurally related fullerenes functionalized with polyaryl groups (C60X, where X is a polyaryl group) of various lengths are synthesized to explore this effect. These molecules are inserted into single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) under mild conditions to prevent their decomposition and to form C60X@SNWT structures. The molecular chains thus formed are studied by high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy, revealing that the functional groups increase the interfullerene separation proportionally with the size of X. However, the functional groups themselves appear to adopt various orientations with respect to each other and exhibit intermolecular π–π interactions within the cavities of the carbon nanotubes. All these effects create a distribution of observed interfullerene separations in nanotubes, which are examined by theoretical simulations and interpreted in terms of molecular geometries and intermolecular interactions.
Percutaneous Nephrostomy and Ureteric Stent Insertion for Acute Renal Deobstruction Consensus Based Guidance
Authors: Lynch Mark F. , Anson Ken M. , Patel Uday
Published: November 2008

Objective:

Ureteric obstruction can be relieved by either percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) or retrograde ureteric stenting (RUS). Both are associated with variable technical success, complication rates, availability and quality of life issues. Our aim was to generate guidelines for PCN, RUS and the general approach of renal deobstruction in the UK.

Materials and Methods:

Subsequent to a pilot study, a formal postal questionnaire regarding the indication and method of renal deobstruction was sent via the BAUS audit office to members of BAUS, BSIR, BSUR. Data from 227 radiologists and urologists were categorised into areas of “clear agreement” (>75% agreement), “broad agreement” (50–75% agreement) and “no broad consensus” (less than 50% agreement) for any particular method of management.

Results:

In septic patients with renal obstruction, there was “clear agreement” for urgent deobstruction by PCN. If uncorrectable coagulopathy exists then RUS was the preferred option. There was “clear agreement” that patients with acute or chronic renal failure should be deobstructed during working hours if not septic, with “broad agreement” that this should be performed with PCN. Patients with obstruction subsequent to pelvic malignancy and the pregnant patient are discussed.

Conclusion:

The authors hope that these results and recommendations will aid clinical decision-making and aid the development of local and regional PCN and RUS services.
Dual role of HIF‐1α in delivering a survival or death signal in hypoxia exposed human K562 erythroleukemia cells
Authors: di Giacomo Viviana , Rapino Monica , Miscia Sebastiano , Di Giulio Camillo , Cataldi Amelia
Published: November 2008

Hypoxia (reduced oxygen tension) is a critical stimulus which switches on a cell rapid response, determining damage and death in some cells, and adaptation and survival in others. Here we report that K562 erythroleukemia cells exposed to hypoxia, proliferated more slowly and the percentage of dead cells increased after 22 h. In parallel HIF (Hypoxia Inducible Factor)‐1α and Bax level increased, as well as the PKC (Protein Kinase C) δ/Erk (Extracellular Signal Regulated Kinase) pathways being activated. The low level of ROS after 5 h of hypoxia did not modify cell cycle progression or affect cell death, whereas HIF‐1α/CBP (CREB Binding Protein) co‐immunoprecipitation and MAPK (Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase)/CREB (c‐AMP Response Element Binding) protein signalling pathway activation determined the adaptive survival response. We suggest a dual role for HIF‐1α in providing a survival or death signal, based on hypoxia duration, and consider the nuclear transcription factor, CREB, to be a possible target for hypoxic therapy against leukemia disease.
Dyspnoea versus fatigue: Additional prognostic information from symptoms in chronic heart failure?
Authors: Witte Klaus K.A. , Clark Andrew L.
Published: November 2008

Background:

In non‐heart failure populations, dyspnoea reported by the patient as the reason for stopping an exercise test is associated with a worse prognosis than fatigue. Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) have exercise limitation due to breathlessness or fatigue, but it is unclear whether one symptom confers an adverse prognosis over the other.

Methods:

Consecutive CHF patients underwent exercise testing with metabolic gas exchange. Upon stopping exercise the dominant symptom reported by the patients was recorded. Survival analyses were performed to establish predictors of mortality and relationships between symptoms and objective measures of exercise capacity.

Results:

Data were analysed on 271 patients (219 men), mean age 67 (10) years, mean left ventricular ejection fraction 32 (8)%, and median follow‐up 59 months (interquartile range 38). There were no differences in exercise variables, sex, NYHA class, body mass index and medical therapy between fatigued and dyspnoeic patients. At the censor date 92 (34%) patients had died. Deceased patients had a lower peak oxygen consumption (17.2 (4.6) versus 20.3 (5.6); p=0.0028). Although NYHA class was related to death at 36 months (χ2 value=7.3, p=0.026), reason for stopping was not (χ2 value=0.57, p=0.45).

Conclusion:

Unlike in non‐heart failure populations, dyspnoea as the reason for stopping an exercise test in CHF subjects is not associated with increased mortality. CHF patients should be assessed for treatments such as cardiac resynchronisation therapy by the degree of exercise intolerance, not the nature of their symptoms.
Use of pentosan polysulphate in cats with idiopathic, non-obstructive lower urinary tract disease: A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Wallius Barbro M. , Tidholm Anna E.
Published: November 2008

Idiopathic feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) is a common clinical entity where different treatments, for example glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) such as pentosan polysulphate (PPS), are advocated. However, few treatments have been investigated by well-controlled clinical trials. This paper compares the use of PPS in FLUTD compared to placebo. Of the 18 cats in the experiment, nine were treated with PPS and nine were treated with placebo with subcutaneous injections of 3 mg/kg PPS or placebo day 1, 2, 5 and 10. The study was double-blind, randomised and placebo-controlled. Revaluation was performed after 5 and 10 days, 2 weeks, 2, 6 and 12 months. There were no statistically significant differences concerning clinical signs between groups during treatment or at re-evaluation, except for pretreatment stressful events where PPS-treated cats had experienced significantly more stressful events compared to cats treated with placebo before entering the study. Six cats (33%) showed recurrence of clinical signs during the entire study period, and only one of these cats had more than one recurrent episode. One cat (placebo) was euthanased 7 days after initial treatment because of recurrence of clinical signs. Another cat (placebo) was euthanased due to other reasons after 6 months. At 2 weeks two cats (placebo and PPS) showed clinical signs. At 2 months re-evaluation one cat showed mild clinical signs. At 6 and 12 months all remaining 16 cats were healthy. Idiopathic, non-obstructive FLUTD is a self-limiting disease with good short-term and excellent long-term prognosis without treatment. Whether or not PPS may be beneficial in a subpopulation of cats with continuous or frequently recurring clinical signs may be elucidated in forthcoming double-blind, randomised and placebo-controlled trials including only this subpopulation of cats.
Detection of Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence by Virtual Endoscopy: A Pilot Study
Authors: Wang Wen‐Hung , Lin Yen‐Chun , Weng Hsu‐Huei , Chen Wen‐Chang
Published: November 2008

Objective

To examine the threshold of virtual endoscopy in the confirmation of superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SSCD).

Study Design

Retrospective case series.

Subjects

Three definite SSCD subjects, two possible SSCD subjects, and five control subjects.

Methods

High‐resolution temporal bone computed tomography and virtual endoscopy were performed in all subjects. Main outcome measures were to evaluate both intrajudge and interjudge reliability and to compare the closed threshold of diseased side with the contralateral side, both ears of patients with those of the control group.

Results

The interjudge reliability between two observers was 0.934 and 0.926 (P < 0.001). The intrajudge reliability for two reviews were 0.916 and 0.902 (P < 0.001). The affected ear thresholds significantly differed from those of both unaffected ears and normal controls (P < 0.001 for both comparisons). Thresholds of unaffected ears and normal controls did not differ (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Virtual endoscopy with critical evaluation of the consistent closed threshold provides an additional role in SSCD diagnosis.
Laser‐welded Endoscopic Endoluminal Repair of Iatrogenic Esophageal Perforation: An Animal Model
Authors: Bleier Benjamin S. , Gratton Michael A. , Leibowitz Jason M. , Palmer James N. , Newman Jason G. , Cohen Noam A.
Published: November 2008

Objective

To test the feasibility of laser tissue welding (LTW) in creating an endoscopic transluminal repair of esophageal perforation.

Study Design

Animal model.

Subjects and Methods

A diode laser was used to create an endoluminal rabbit esophageal perforation repair. Burst pressures were compared with open incision, external suture, and external laser‐augmented suture closure. Comparisons were performed five times and analyzed with Kruskal‐Wallis analysis of variance and a post hoc Dunn method.

Results

The burst threshold of the endoluminal weld (54.78 ± 5.84 mm Hg) was significantly higher than that of the open incision (6.5 ± 1–94 mm Hg) and not significantly different than that of the external suture (37.18 ± 1.97 mm Hg) or the laser‐augmented suture group (71.60 ± 7.58 mm Hg).

Conclusion

Laser welding is a feasible method of creating endoluminal repairs with burst strengths comparable with external suture repair, which may allow a subset of patients to avoid traditional open approaches. This is the first reported animal model of LTW for endoscopic closure of iatrogenic esophageal perforation.
Bivalve Cartilage Inlay Myringoplasty: An Office‐Based Procedure for Closing Small to Medium‐Sized Tympanic Membrane Perforations
Authors: Monfared Ashkan , Bergeron Chris M. , Ortiz Justin , Lee Howard , Kamine Kim , Dray Todd , Gunsalus Richard
Published: November 2008

Objective

To determine whether bivalve inlay cartilage‐perichondrium myringoplasty (BCM) is successful in closing tympanic membrane perforations in an office setting.

Study Design

Retrospective case review.

Subjects and Methods

Adult patients with chronic perforations underwent BCM under local and topical anesthesia. Success was defined as complete closure of perforation at follow‐up of at least 1 month. Predictors of success were identified by comparing the success and failure groups on pre‐ and postoperative pure tone average (PTA), patient demographics (age, gender), and characteristics of the perforations (size, location, duration, etiology).

Results

A total of 145 procedures were performed and the patients were followed for 1 to 78 months. The success rate for perforations smaller than 4 mm was 75 percent. Size of the perforation, and pre‐ and postoperative PTAs were significantly different between the two groups. The only significant predictors of success were preoperative PTA and size of perforation.

Conclusions

BCM is a viable option for closure of small and medium‐sized perforations in an office setting.
Isolated Posterior Table Frontal Sinus Fractures do not form Mucoceles in a Goat Model
Authors: Maturo Stephen C. , Weitzel Erik K. , Cowhart Jerry , Brennan Joseph
Published: November 2008

Objective

The goal of this study was to investigate how patency of the nasofrontal outflow tract would affect frontal sinus healing in the setting of displaced, comminuted, posterior table fractures in the adult goat (Capra hircus).

Study Design

Prospective animal study.

Subjects and Methods

Posterior table fractures were created in 20 adult goats. The nasofrontal outflow tract was left patent in 10 goats (Group 1) and obstructed in 10 (Group 2). Gross, radiologic, and histologic evaluation were carried out six months postoperatively.

Results

One of nine subjects subjects (11%) in Group 1 developed a mucocele while eight of 10 (80%) in Group 2 developed mucoceles (P = 0.004). No subjects (100%) in Group 1 had gross, radiologic, or histologic evidence of mucosal ingrowth into the posterior table, while two of 10 (20%) in Group 2 showed evidence of mucosal ingrowth into, but not through, the posterior table. In both groups 100% of the subjects had gross and histologic evidence of intact posterior tables abutting the dura.

Conclusion

An occluded nasofrontal outflow tract leads to an increased mucocele formation rate at six months. In an unobstructed nasofrontal outflow tract there is no gross, radiologic, or histologic evidence of mucosal ingrowth into the posterior table at six months. These findings would suggest that not all comminuted, significantly displaced posterior table fractures need to be surgically addressed if the nasofrontal outflow tract is patent.
Conquered or Granted? A History of Suffrage Extensions
Authors: Przeworski Adam
Published: November 2008

Why was franchise extended to the lower classses and to women? Was it conquered by the excluded groups, threatening that unless they were admitted as citizens they would reach for power by other, revolutionary, means? Or was it voluntarily granted by the incumbent elites? This question is examined statistically, using a new dataset covering the entire world from the inception of representative institutions until now. The general picture that emerges is that the poorer classes fought their way into the representative institutions and, once admitted, they were organized by different political parties. In pursuit of their economic and social goals, these parties sought to enhance their electoral positions, treating the issue of female suffrage as an instrument of electoral competition.
Counting down to number one: the evolution of the meaning of popular music charts
Authors: Hakanen Ernest A.
Published: November 2008

Every weekday evening on Columbia Broadcasting's (CBS)Late Show, host David Letterman delivers his tongue-in-cheek top ten lists. The lists have become one of the most recognisable symbols of American popular culture. Part of the humour lies in the pithy ranked statements about current events. However, much of the fun resides in Letterman's mockery of our obsession with rankings – rankings of everything from automobiles to college football teams to human attractiveness. The humour is sustained from night to night, week to week, year to year because of our uneasiness with rankings as a very powerful and enduring value-organising tool.
The making of the Tyneside concert hall
Authors: Harker Dave
Published: November 2008

If the North East is typical of other English regions, then the following propositions will have to be severely modified or given up: that there was a distinct ‘break’ between pre-industrial and industrial workers’ culture; that concert hall was a London phenomenon; that it originated mainly from petit-bourgeois ‘free-and-eases’; and that it reached its peak in Edwardian England, as music hall. Further, I will contend that ‘leisure’ and ‘work’ cannot rationally be separated in the study of workers’ culture, that social historians and students of culture need each other and that the concept of ‘folk song’ does more harm than good.
God, modality and meaning in some recent songs of Bob Dylan
Authors: Mellers Wilfrid
Published: November 2008

There is an apocryphal legend that when Louis Armstrong was asked whether he considered his music to be folk music he replied: ‘Wal, yeah, I guess so: leastways, I never heard of no horse making it.’ If and when we talk of Bob Dylan as a folk singer, we do so partly of course in this fundamental sense: his music is of, about and for people. But we also mean — as Satchmo's interviewer must have done — that Dylan calls on resources and techniques that pertain to oral cultures rather than ostensibly to our own. Unlike ‘real’ folk song, Dylan's words and music are written down; yet what is notated is no more than an approximation to the sounds heard, which are created empirically for each performance, from verbal inflection and from the body's gestures. Dylan is a ‘folk’ artist in that his sources are absorbed at a more or less pre-conscious level: from the monody and banjo-picking of ‘poor white’ Americans and the traditions of white British folk music behind them; from the black blues and the African heritage it stemmed from; and from some more sophisticated, or at least literate, sources such as white hymn, march and parlour ballad. To these musical roots there are literary parallels: Dylan's verses have been deeply influenced by rural folk ballads, by the poetry of the blues, by the Bible, by Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress (scarcely less pervasive in the Bible belts than the Good Book itself), by Hymns Ancient and Modern, by children's rhymes and by runic verse of all kinds, including Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience, which are close to the core of Dylan's experience and which, although literary, were sung by the poet himself to improvised, presumably folk-like, tunes. In his early days Dylan operated with his voice — untrained, ‘natural’, veering between speech and song — and his acoustic guitar.
On being tasteless
Authors: Brooks William
Published: November 2008

It is hard to be tasteless.

It is not so hard to have bad taste, I grant, but that is another matter. To have bad taste, one simply must consistently make choices which offend those with good taste — an ability which is relatively commonplace. For some, bad taste seems to appear naturally, as a birthright; others must learn to cultivate it. But no matter how acquired, or how skilfully employed, bad taste is not tastelessness.
A theoretical model for the sociomusicological analysis of popular musics
Authors: Shepherd John
Published: November 2008

Henry Pleasants has argued that the significant revolution in musical style to occur at the turn of the century was not that represented by the works of composers such as Debussy, Stravinsky, Schoenberg and their successors but that constituted through the advent of Afro-American and Afro-American influenced musics and the very substantial impact that these musics subsequently made, not only on main stream Western culture, but on world culture as a whole (Pleasants 1969). Yet despite the radical shift in musical and social aesthetic that has been maintained since the turn of the century through successive waves of so-called ‘popular’ music, remarkably little attention has been paid to popular music as a cultural form. As Jenny Taylor and Dave Laing have remarked, ‘popular music remains a poor relation in cultural theory, usually being tagged onto a list in which film or television takes pride of place’. A reason for this neglect, Taylor and Laing continue, ‘is its lack of status … which has the effect that rock is usually studied or taught in odd corners of the curriculum … In addition’, they conclude, ‘music as such poses great problems in the determination of meaning and signification’ (Taylor and Laing 1979, P. 43).
‘Caught in a whirlpool of aching sound’: the production of dance music in Britain in the 1920s
Authors: Hustwitt Mark
Published: November 2008

In the years between 1910 and 1930 there occurred a number of changes in the forms of popular music enjoyed in Britain, in the ways this music was produced and disseminated, and in its use for pleasure and profit. In this article I am concerned with mapping together themes which have hitherto been investigated in isolation; I focus on the relation of musical forms to their users, bandleaders, musicians, dancers, ‘jazz fans’, record companies, etc., rather than on any single aspect of popular music. I investigate the way in which the importation of new forms of music and dance from the USA, the social disruptions of the First World War and the more general trends in British society and its economy coalesce to re-orientate musical pleasures during the 1920s. I begin by examining changes in music and dance immediately before and during the First World War.
For the Beatles: notes on their achievement
Authors: Riley Tim
Published: November 2008

Rosie and the Originals released their only 45 rpm single in early 1960. ‘Angel Baby’, the A side, reached number five in America, but it never even saw the light of day on the British charts. The song is dismissable, a one-hit wonder from singer Rosie Hamlin that didn't deserve a follow-up. But the B side is something else entirely: for one thing, one of the Originals is hogging the mike, Rosie is nowhere to be heard – a mystery that the label doesn't explain. The record is much as Lennon describes: after a revved-up guitar intro, the drums vanish and leave everyone else playing straight off the top of their heads. The listener eavesdrops on a sloppy rhythm and blues concoction, with jealous lyrics sung to unrehearsed riffing – it's so sloppy, so incoherently diffuse that it's more laughable than it is danceable. To say ‘Give Me Love’ sounds spontaneous doesn't begin to suggest its strangeness; the musicians themselves don't seem to know where the next downbeat is going to land. The listener has trouble making sense of the music, but then again, so do the musicians. Far from backing up Rosie's wilful début, it sounds as though someone left the tape machine running during an early morning musical reverie – sounds that were completely random became crystallised on tape. It unveiled the would-be Originals as crudely inspired amateurs, who weren't even able to sustain their facade as a group from one side of a 45 rpm single to the other.