bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Poor Utility of Grading Scales in Acute Intracerebral Hemorrhage: Results from the Interact2 Trial
Authors: Heeley Emma , Anderson Craig S. , Woodward Mark , Arima Hisatomi , Robinson Thompson , Stapf Christian , Parsons Mark , Lavados Pablo M. , Huang Yining , Wang Yanxia , Crozier Sophie , Parry-Jones Adrian , Wang Jiguang , Chalmers John
Published: June 2015

Background

Several simple clinical grading scores have been developed for intracerebral hemorrhage, primarily to predict 30-day mortality.

Aims

We aimed to determine the accuracy of three popular scores (original intracerebral hemorrhage, modified intracerebral hemorrhage, and intracerebral hemorrhage grading scale) on 30-day mortality and 90-day death or major disability, and whether the magnitude of benefit varies according to prognosis graded by the three predictive scores.

Methods

Data from the Intensive Blood Pressure Reduction in Acute Cerebral Hemorrhage Trial which included 2839 intracerebral hemorrhage patients (<6 hours) and elevated systolic blood pressure (150–220 mmHg), randomized to intensive (target systolic blood pressure <140 mmHg) or guideline-based (<180 mmHg) blood pressure management. Discrimination of scales for predicting death and poor outcome (modified Rankin scale 3–6) was evaluated in area under receiver operator characteristic curves.

Results

Among 2556 (90%) participants with available data, the modified intracerebral hemorrhage had the highest discrimination (receiver operator characteristic 0·75) for 90-day poor outcome compared with the original intracerebral hemorrhage (receiver operator characteristic 0·68) and intracerebral hemorrhage grading scale (receiver operator characteristic 0·69). All scores had good positive predictive value (approximately 80–90%) for poor outcome but poor sensitivity and positive predictive value for death. The scores do not clearly discriminate a patient group most likely to benefit from blood pressure lowering.

Conclusions

Intracerebral hemorrhage prognostic scores are not useful in defining patients at high probability of early death, but they are reliable for predicting poor outcome, defined by death or major disability. Potential benefits of early intensive blood pressure lowering are broadly applicable across grades of severity defined by such scores.
Intra-Arterial Bone Marrow Mononuclear Cells (BM-MNCS) Transplantation in Acute Ischemic Stroke (IBiS Trial): Protocol of a Phase II, Randomized, Dose-Finding, Controlled Multicenter Trial
Authors: Moniche Francisco , Escudero Irene , Zapata-Arriaza Elena , Usero-Ruiz María , Prieto-León María , de la Torre Javier , Gamero Miguel-Angel , Tamayo Jose Antonio , Ochoa-Sepúlveda Juan-José , Maestre José , Carmona Magdalena , Piñero Pilar , Calderón-Cabrera Cristina , Jimenez Maria-Dolores , Gonzalez Alejandro , Montaner Joan
Published: June 2015

Rationale

No neuroprotective or neurorestorative therapies have been approved for ischemic stroke. Bone marrow mononuclear cell intra-arterial transplantation improves recovery in experimental models of ischemic stroke.

Aims

This trial aims to test safety and efficacy of intra-arterial injection of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cell in ischemic stroke patients.

Design

Multicenter, prospective, phase II, randomized, controlled (non-treated group as control), assessor-blinded clinical trial. Seventy-six stroke patients will be enrolled. Patients fulfilling clinical and radiological criteria (e.g. age between 18 and 80 years, middle cerebral artery ischemic stroke with a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of 6–20 within one- to seven-days from stroke onset and no lacunar stroke) will be randomized to intervention or control group (1 : 1). Bone marrow harvest and intra-arterial injection of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cell will be done in the intervention group with two different doses (2 × 106/kg or 5 × 106/kg in 1 : 1 proportion). Patients will be stratified at randomization by National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score. Patients will be followed up for two-years.

Study outcomes

The primary outcome is the proportion of patients with modified Rankin Scale scores of 0–2 at 180 days. Secondary outcomes include National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and Barthel scores at six-months, infarct volume, mortality, and seizures.

Discussion

This is the first trial to explore efficacy of different doses of intra-arterial bone marrow mononuclear cell in moderate-to-severe acute ischemic stroke patients. The trial is registered as NCT02178657.
Income inequalities and stroke mortality trends in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 1996-2011
Authors: Fernandes Tiótrefis G. , Bando Daniel H. , Alencar Airlane P. , Benseñor Isabela M. , Lotufo Paulo A.
Published: June 2015

Background

It is not clear the relationship between stroke mortality trends and socioeconomic inequalities in low- and middle-income countries.

Aims

We compared differences of trends in stroke mortality by socioeconomic status in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Methods

We analyzed the intra-urban distribution of stroke death rates from 1996 to 2011 for persons aged 35-74 years old according to income using joinpoint regression.

Results

We confirmed 77 848 stroke deaths in the period, 51-4% of them among persons aged 35-74 years old. For all areas, there was parallelism between genders, and the average annual percent changes combined was -5.2 (-5.7 to -4.6) from 1996 to 2005 and -30 (-4.3 to -1.7) from 2005 to 2011. The full period average annual percent changes of age-adjusted rates between persons living in the high- and low-income area were, respectively, -5.4 and -4.2 ( P = 0.002) for men and -5.9 vs.-4.9 ( P = 0.017) for women. Differences in the risk of stroke between the high- and low-income areas increased more than twofold in the period in both genders.

Conclusions

The risk of stroke death is decreasing in all regions, but the faster decline in mortality rates in the wealthiest area contributes to further greater inequalities.
Sparing of the Hippocampus Indicates Better Collateral Blood Flow in Acute Posterior Cerebral Artery Occlusion
Authors: Förster Alex , Mürle Bettina , Kerl Hans U. , Wenz Holger , Al-Zghloul Mansour , Habich Sonia , Groden Christoph
Published: June 2015

Background

In acute posterior cerebral artery, occlusion involvement of the hippocampus is a common finding. Nevertheless, until today, infarction and ischemic lesion evolution in the hippocampus has not been studied systematically.

Aim

Evaluation of hippocampal infarction patterns in posterior cerebral artery occlusion in the very early phase (≤six-hours) and ischemic lesion evolution on follow-up magnetic resonance imaging in relation to collateral blood flow assessed by a magnetic resonance imaging-based approach was conducted.

Methods

In 28 patients [mean age 69·4 ± 13·8 years, 19 (67·9%) males, 10 (32·1%) females] with proximal posterior cerebral artery occlusion, magnetic resonance imaging findings were analyzed, with emphasis on hippocampal infarction patterns on diffusion-weighted images and collateralization on dynamic 4D angiograms derived from perfusion-weighted raw images.

Results

On initial diffusion-weighted images, we identified all known hippocampal infarction patterns: type 1 (complete) in 6/18 (33·3%) patients, type 2 (lateral) in 10/18 (55·6%) patients, and type 3 (dorsal) and type 4 (circumscribed) in 1/18 (5·6%) patient respectively. On dynamic 4D angiograms, the grade of collateralization was classified as 1 in 9 (32·1%), 2 in 1 (3·6%), 3 in 10 (35·7%), and 4 in 8 (28·6%) patients. On follow-up diffusion-weighted images, we found new ischemic lesions in three and infarction growth in the hippocampus in five patients. Patients with better collateralization (grades 3 and 4) less often had hippocampal infarctions on initial ( P = 0·003)/follow-up diffusion-weighted images ( P = 0·046) as well as type 1 on initial ( P = 0·007)/follow-up diffusion-weighted images ( P = 0·005).

Conclusions

Involvement of the hippocampus in proximal posterior cerebral artery occlusion is frequently but not obligatorily observed and highly dependent on the extent of collateralization. The same holds true for hippocampal infarction patterns.
Statin therapy and the risk of intracerebral haemorrhage: a nationwide observational study
Authors: Åsberg Signild , Eriksson Marie
Published: June 2015

Background

The association between statin therapy and intracerebral haemorrhage is still unclear. The aim was to investigate whether prior use of statin was associated with risk of intracerebral haemorrhage.

Methods

Between 2006 and 2009, we identified 7696 cases of intracerebral haemorrhage that were first-ever strokes in the Swedish Stroke Register and 14 670 stroke-free controls that were matched on age and gender in the Population Register. Drug therapy at the time of intracerebral haemorrhage was extracted from the Drug Prescription Register. The risk of intracerebral haemorrhage with statins was estimated by conditional logistic regression.

Results

In cases and controls, the median age was 73 years and 53% were men. Intracerebral haemorrhage cases had higher prevalence of antithrombotic therapy, hypertension, and diabetes than controls. Statins were used by 1276 (16.6%) of the intracerebral haemorrhage cases and by 2552 (17.4%) of the controls. The crude odds ratios of intracerebral haemorrhage did not differ significantly between patients with and without statins, but after adjustment for antithrombotic therapy, hypertension, and diabetes, patients with statins had a decreased risk of intracerebral haemorrhage (odds ratio = 0.68, 95% confidence interval, 0.63-0.74). The highest proportion (>20%) of antecedent statins was seen in the 70-84 age group, for both cases and controls.

Conclusions

In this matched case-controlled study, statin therapy was associated with a decreased risk of incident intracerebral haemorrhage. Future studies on risk of stroke with statin therapy after intracerebral haemorrhage are needed.
A Theory of Dual Job Search and Sex‐Based Occupational Clustering
Authors: Benson Alan
Published: June 2015

This paper theorizes and provides evidence for the segregation of men into clustered occupations and women into dispersed occupations in advance of marriage and in anticipation of future colocation problems. Using the Decennial Census, and controlling for occupational characteristics, I find evidence of this general pattern of segregation, and also find that the minority of the highly educated men and women who depart from this equilibrium experience delayed marriage, higher divorce, and lower earnings. Results are consistent with the theory that marriage and mobility expectations foment a self‐fulfilling pattern of occupational segregation with individual departures deterred by earnings and marriage penalties.
A Quantitative Assessment of the Effect of First Contract Arbitration on Bargaining Relationships
Authors: Weinberg Bradley R.
Published: June 2015

This article investigates first contract arbitration's (FCA) capacity to foster bargaining relationships and deter misconduct by analyzing its effect on decertifications. Using time‐series cross‐sectional (TSCS) analysis with data from nine Canadian provinces over a four‐decade period, it shows: (1)FCAcorrelates with 20 to 37 percent fewer decertifications in provinces that have anFCAprovision relative to those that do not; (2) of the various types ofFCA, the automatic and fault forms have the most robust effect on decertifications while the mediation‐arbitration form may have the largest effect on decertifications; and (3) the effect ofFCAis heightened in the presence of card‐check certification such that the best results for fostering bargaining relationships may be found in the presence of both policies.
Attachment security and intergroup contact
Authors: Boccato Giulio , Capozza Dora , Trifiletti Elena , Di Bernardo Gian Antonio
Published: June 2015

The contact hypothesis suggests that the interaction between members of different groups decreases prejudice. Moderators and mediators shaping this link have been investigated. However, research about the factors that facilitate contact is not frequent. This article examines secure attachment as an antecedent of contact. Three studies provide information about various aspects of the relationship between secure attachment and contact: security is positively associated with (a) intergroup contact, which in turn is related to reduced prejudice (Study 1); (b) implicit approach tendencies toward the outgroup (Study 2); and, once again, (c) with contact through the indirect effect of openness to exploration (Study 3). In the discussion, we recommend priming both secure and insecure schemas to investigate their unique effects on intergroup contact.
Does Family Control Shape Corporate Capital Structure? An Empirical Analysis of Eurozone Firms
Authors: Pindado Julio , Requejo Ignacio , de la Torre Chabela
Published: June 2015

This study investigates the relationship between family control and corporate capital structure considering the dynamic nature of the debt policy and the ownership structure of family firms. Our results show that the sensitivity of debt to fluctuations in cash flow is less pronounced in family firms and highlight that family control increases the speed of adjustment toward target debt. Four dimensions of the family business model explain these results: deviations of voting from cash flow rights, the presence of a second blockholder in the company, involvement of family members in management, and the generation in charge of the business. The weaker negative impact of cash flow on debt is driven by family firms with no control‐enhancing mechanisms, companies with active family participation in management and family businesses that are still controlled by the first generation. By contrast, the more severe agency conflicts between owners and creditors in family firms with a second blockholder lead to more pronounced pecking order behaviour. Furthermore, the higher flexibility in corporate decision‐making of family firms managed by the family and under the influence of the first generation explains why family companies are able to rebalance their capital structure faster.
Forecasting With Temporally Aggregated Demand Signals in a Retail Supply Chain
Authors: Jin Yao “Henry” , Williams Brent D. , Tokar Travis , Waller Matthew A.
Published: June 2015

Suppliers of consumer packaged goods are facing an increasingly challenging situation as they work to fulfill orders from their retail partners’ distribution facilities. Traditionally these suppliers have generated forecasts of a given retailer's orders using records of that retailer's past orders. However, it is becoming increasingly common for retail firms to collect and share large volumes of point‐of‐sale (POS) data, thus presenting an alternative data signal for suppliers to use in generating forecasts. A question then arises as to which data produce the most accurate forecasts. Compounding this question is the fact that forecasters often temporally aggregate data for consolidation or to produce forecasts in larger time buckets. Extant literature prescribes two countervailing statistical effects, information loss and variance reduction, that could play significant roles in determining the impact of temporal aggregation on forecast accuracy. Utilizing a large set of paired order and POS data, this study examines these relationships.
Sensory control of normal movement and of movement aided by neural prostheses
Authors: Prochazka Arthur
Published: June 2015

Signals from sensory receptors in muscles and skin enter the central nervous system (CNS), where they contribute to kinaesthesia and the generation of motor commands. Many lines of evidence indicate that sensory input from skin receptors, muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs play the predominant role in this regard. Yet in spite of over 100 years of research on this topic, some quite fundamental questions remain unresolved. How does the CNS choose to use the ability to control muscle spindle sensitivity during voluntary movements? Do spinal reflexes contribute usefully to load compensation, given that the feedback gain must be quite low to avoid instability? To what extent do signals from skin stretch receptors contribute? This article provides a brief review of various theories, past and present, that address these questions. To what extent has the knowledge gained resulted in clinical applications? Muscles paralyzed as a result of spinal cord injury or stroke can be activated by electrical stimulation delivered by neuroprostheses. In practice, at most two or three sensors can be deployed on the human body, providing only a small fraction of the information supplied by the tens of thousands of sensory receptors in animals. Most of the neuroprostheses developed so far do not provide continuous feedback control. Instead, they switch from one state to another when signals from their one or two sensors meet pre‐set thresholds (finite state control). The inherent springiness of electrically activated muscle provides a crucial form of feedback control that helps smooth the resulting movements. In spite of the dissimilarities, parallels can be found between feedback control in neuroprostheses and in animals and this can provide surprising insights in both directions.
Modulating mechanosensory afferent excitability by an atypical mGluR
Authors: Watson Sonia
Published: June 2015

Mechanotransduction by proprioceptive sensory organs is poorly understood. Evidence was recently shown that muscle spindle and hair follicle primary afferents (lanceolates) constantly release glutamate from synaptic‐like vesicles (SLVs) within the terminals. The secreted glutamate activates a highly unusual metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) to modulate the firing rate (spindles) and SLV recycling (lanceolates). This receptor has yet to be isolated and sequenced. To further investigate this receptor's pharmacology, ligands selective for classical mGluRs have been recently characterised for their ability to alter stretch‐evoked spindle firing and SLV endocytosis in these different endings. Here, it is described how the results of these screens facilitated the development of novel compounds to be used in the process of isolating and sequencing of this non‐canonical mGluR. This study shows how the compounds were tested for their ability to alter stretch‐evoked afferent firing in muscle spindles and SLV endocytosis in the lanceolate endings of hair follicles to ensure they maintained their ability to bind to the receptor. For the development of novel compounds, kainate was chosen as the parent ligand due to its potency and ease of chemical modification. Novel kainate derivatives were then synthesised and tested to find potent analogues suitable for ‘click‐chemistry’, an established technique for relatively quick, cheap, stereospecific and high‐yield chemical modifications (Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English), 40, 2001, pp2004). Of the novel kainate analogues developed, unfortunately ZCZ49 and ZCZ50 lost the ability to produce a significant change in spindle stretch‐evoked firing. However, ZCZ90 was as potent as kainate, increasing firing by a similar margin at 1 μm (n = 8; P < 0.001). The addition of either a biotin or a fluorescein side group to ZCZ90, using the click‐chemistry technique, did not affect the potency and hence these compounds will be used in further studies of the receptor. As well as the development of these compounds, the study found not only many similarities, but also some key differences between the two types of primary mechanosensory endings investigated. These differences must be taken into account in further study. However, they also present an intriguing opportunity for these receptors to be targeted selectively to modulate ending sensitivity as treatments for muscle spasm in multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury, and possibly even baroreceptor firing to treat hypertension.
Finance Capital, Food Security Narratives and Australian Agricultural Land
Authors: Larder Nicolette , Sippel Sarah Ruth , Lawrence Geoffrey
Published: June 2015

The growing involvement of financial actors in food production has been one of the major recent transformations in the global agri‐food system. This ‘financialization’ of the agri‐food sector has been observed at various levels, from commodity speculation to direct investment in agricultural production, along with farmland itself. While there has been concerted effort to track new landownership and control associated with financial actors, especially in the Global South, there has been less impetus to examine the motives of financial actors' engagement in food production and the narratives upon which such engagement is based. This paper examines the way in which a productivist food (in)security discourse is employed by financial actors to legitimate their actions and to position themselves to win public approval. We analyse two cases of agri‐finance investors in the Australian context engaged in the discourse of food (in)security in relation to their agricultural investments – the Macquarie Group and Hassad Australia.
Introduction to a Symposium on Global Finance and the Agri‐food Sector: Risk and Regulation
Authors: Visser Oane , Clapp Jennifer , Isakson S. Ryan
Published: June 2015

This symposium introduction brings together two debates; the debate on global food prices and speculation, and the debate on so‐called global ‘land investment’ or ‘land grabbing’. Both debates are examining two sides of the same phenomenon – the growing role of private financial investors in the global agri‐food value chains and the myriad consequences of it. The symposium moves beyond the identification of finance as an exogenous factor to the trends in the sector. It examines real‐life incarnations of finance in the sector by looking at investment arrangements, including connections with the state, and its (regional) variations. The symposium addresses three main themes. First, it explores the interplay of the state and private finance. It shows that the effect of regulation is limited in the face of increasingly mobile and complex investment flows. Second, it addresses the shifts and transfigurations of risk in the agri‐food sector due to financialization. Third, the symposium discusses to what extent, and how, the origins and identity of farmland investors still matters within an increasingly globalized financial sector. The paper concludes by identifying some related areas for further research.
Effect of S100A6 over‐expression on β‐catenin in endometriosis
Authors: Liu Zequn , Zhang Xiaoling , Chen Meihong , Cao Qing , Huang Donghua
Published: June 2015

Abstract

Aim

S100A6 is over‐expressed in several human tumors, including pancreatic carcinoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, breast, colon, and gastric carcinoma, but little is known about the role of S100A6 in endometriosis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of S100A6 over‐expression on β‐catenin in endometrial stromal cells.

Methods

Endometrial stromal cells were transfected with an hS100A6‐expressing recombinant lentivirus construct. The expression of β‐catenin was assessed using western blot and reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction.

Results

S100A6 over‐expression promoted β‐catenin expression at the RNA and protein levels, in endometrial stromal cells.

Conclusions

S100A6 induces expression of β‐catenin in endometrial stromal cells.
Impact of deep brain stimulation on pharyngo‐esophageal motility: a randomized cross‐over study
Authors: Derrey S. , Chastan N. , Maltete D. , Verin E. , Dechelotte P. , Lefaucheur R. , Proust F. , Freger P. , Leroi A. M. , Weber J. , Gourcerol G.
Published: June 2015

Background

Bilateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) stimulation is used to alleviate Parkinson's disease (PD) motor symptoms. Recently, it has been shown that this therapeutic also increased gut cholinergic contractions. We therefore investigated the effect of STN stimulation on esophageal motility in an interventional randomized study.

Methods

Sixteen humans PD patients (4 women, 12 men; age: 62.4 ± 9.3‐years old) who underwent STN stimulation for at least 6 months were randomly evaluated with either stimulator turned OFF then ON, or inversely. Esophageal high resolution manometry was performed at the end of each ON and OFF period, with a 5 min resting period followed by ten swallows of 5 mL.

Key Results

During the ON, an increase in the distal contractility index was found (OFF: 1750 ± 629 vs ON: 2171 ± 755 mmHg/cm/s; p = 0.03), with no difference in the distal front velocity. A decrease in the integrative relaxation pressure of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) was noted (OFF: 11.1 ± 1.8 mmHg vs ON: 7.2 ± 1.8 mmHg; p < 0.05) in ON. The LES resting pressure remained unchanged during the two periods. This resulted in a decrease in the intrabolus pressure (p = 0.03). No difference was observed for the upper esophageal sphincter, nor the pharyngeal contraction amplitude and velocity.

Conclusions & Inferences

In conclusion, STN stimulation in PD patients increased esophageal body contractions and enhanced the LES opening. This suggests that the nigrostriatal‐striatonigral loop is involved in the control of esophageal motility.
CLINICAL LEADERSHIP AND THE CHANGING GOVERNANCE OF PUBLIC HOSPITALS: IMPLICATIONS FOR PATIENT EXPERIENCE
Authors: VERONESI GIANLUCA , KIRKPATRICK IAN , ALTANLAR ALI
Published: June 2015

A growing evidence base suggests that increasing the involvement of clinical professionals on governing boards of hospitals has a positive impact on organizational performance. However, less is known about the wider conditions that influence this process and whether recent moves to restructure the governance of public hospitals, extending their formal autonomy, has made any difference to the outcome of clinical involvement on patient experience. Using four years of data and concentrating on the acute hospital sector in the English National Health Service, this study shows that clinical participation on hospital governing boards can significantly improve the patient experience of the care provided. Yet, whereas a more autonomous organizational form (Foundation Trust status) does not seem to produce positive effects on its own, patient experience appears to markedly improve in those organizations that have both higher levels of clinical involvement in their strategic apex and greater flexibility in decision‐making.
DETERMINANTS OF ORGANIZATIONAL MEDIATIZATION: AN ANALYSIS OF THE ADAPTATION OF SWEDISH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO NEWS MEDIA
Authors: FREDRIKSSON MAGNUS , SCHILLEMANS THOMAS , PALLAS JOSEF
Published: June 2015

This article seeks to explain why the media affect some governmental agencies more than others. We develop a measuring instrument for the mediatization of agencies; gauging how they adapt to the media. We analyse the effects of six potential explanations of mediatization: media pressure, organizational size and task, salience, geographic location, and management structure. The analysis is based on a comprehensive quantitative contents analysis of policy documents from all governmental agencies in Sweden. The results show that agencies' propensity to adapt to the media is mainly determined by their management structure rather than, as could have been expected, by media pressure. Organizations managed by career managers invest more in media management than those led by field‐professionals. Our results suggest that agencies have substantial agency in terms of how they cope with the media and that mediatization refers to much more than passive adaptation by organizations.
Oral delivery of Acid Alpha Glucosidase epitopes expressed in plant chloroplasts suppresses antibody formation in treatment of Pompe mice
Authors: Su Jin , Sherman Alexandra , Doerfler Phillip A. , Byrne Barry J. , Herzog Roland W. , Daniell Henry
Published: June 2015

Deficiency of acid alpha glucosidase (GAA) causes Pompe disease in which the patients systemically accumulate lysosomal glycogen in muscles and nervous systems, often resulting in infant mortality. Although enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) is effective in treating patients with Pompe disease, formation of antibodies against rhGAA complicates treatment. In this report, we investigated induction of tolerance by oral administration of GAA expressed in chloroplasts. Because full‐length GAA could not be expressed, N‐terminal 410‐amino acids of GAA (as determined by T‐cell epitope mapping) were fused with the transmucosal carrier CTB. Tobacco transplastomic lines expressing CTB‐GAA were generated through site‐specific integration of transgenes into the chloroplast genome. Homoplasmic lines were confirmed by Southern blot analysis. Despite low‐level expression of CTB‐GAA in chloroplasts, yellow or albino phenotype of transplastomic lines was observed due to binding of GAA to a chloroplast protein that has homology to mannose‐6 phosphate receptor. Oral administration of the plant‐made CTB‐GAA fusion protein even at 330‐fold lower dose (1.5 μg) significantly suppressed immunoglobulin formation against GAA in Pompe mice injected with 500 μg rhGAA per dose, with several‐fold lower titre of GAA‐specific IgG1 and IgG2a. Lyophilization increased CTB‐GAA concentration by 30‐fold (up to 190 μg per g of freeze‐dried leaf material), facilitating long‐term storage at room temperature and higher dosage in future investigations. This study provides the first evidence that oral delivery of plant cells is effective in reducing antibody responses in ERT for lysosomal storage disorders facilitating further advances in clinical investigations using plant cell culture system or in vitro propagation.
Radical Pension Reforms after the Crisis: A Comparative Analysis of Argentina and Greece
Authors: Angelaki Marina , Carrera Leandro N.
Published: June 2015

Scholarly attention on pension reform following the recent global financial crisis has focused primarily on cases entailing the renationalization of private pension pillars. We argue that radical pension reforms should also include instances of radical retrenchment of public pension pillars. We offer an explanation of such reforms in the aftermath of the crisis by analyzing the reforms adopted in Argentina and Greece since 2008. We demonstrate that highly indebted countries with no access to international financial markets and unsustainable pension systems can introduce radical reforms in response to short‐term funding needs rather than long‐term adequacy concerns. We argue that the narrow timeframe of the recent reforms raises questions about the sound footing of the new systems which may ultimately not prevent the introduction of further measures. This comparison provides insights to understand recent episodes of radical pension reforms in other countries.

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Where Capacity and Incentives Meet: Presidential Decree Authority and Property Rights in Latin America
Authors: Moreno Erika , Witmer Richard C.
Published: June 2015

Scholars have long suggested a relationship between democracy, capitalistic economies, and the protection of property rights. Yet this link has been contested by a variety of scholars. We test whether a relationship between property rights, measured as risk of expropriation of property, and measures of presidential authority, exists. Where institutional design presents presidents with the capacity and incentives to act on predatory desires, we expect an impact on property rights protections. The empirical results from 17 Latin American countries over a 15‐year time period suggest that executive authority helps explain changes in the risk of property expropriation in ways that regime type do not.

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New Fighter Aircraft Acquisitions inBrazil andIndia: Why Not BuyAmerican?
Authors: Vucetic Srdjan , Duarte Érico
Published: June 2015

How do states decide where to source arms? Drawing on theories of international relations, we consider the recent fighter aircraft competitions in Brazil and India, and analyze why the U.S.‐made aircraft lost to their European rivals. Official statements offered by the Brazilian and Indian governments have cited inferior aircraft performance, technology‐sharing issues, and prices. These explanations may be valid, but their main purpose is to direct attention away from the fact that military procurement is, above all, a matter of international politics and policy. Using analytical eclecticism as our guide, we selectively combine constructivist, liberal, and realist theoretical elements to provide a more comprehensive explanation of why Lockheed Martin and Boeing failed to sell fighters to Brazil and India.

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Policy Narratives and Public Opinion concerning Charter Schools
Authors: Ertas Nevbahar
Published: June 2015

According to the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) approach, anecdotes about policy can be used to clarify whether and how policy narratives impact individual public opinion, which in turn shapes aggregate public opinion. This study focuses on the effect of narratives in shaping opinions regarding charter schools, one of the most controversial policy alternatives in the school‐choice debate. This policy lends itself well to being examined using an NPF approach, since both the supporters and skeptics use strong and distinct narratives to present their case and to advocate for their cause. To examine whether different policy narratives on charter schools influence individuals' opinions and attitudes and preferred policy outcome, a quasi‐experimental design is used to compare baseline and follow‐up opinion data for individuals who read policy narratives reflecting different positions. The results indicate that policy narratives influence public opinion, and that congruence and issue familiarity matter in the nature of the change.

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Paul L. Hathaway. 2011. “.” Politics & Policy 39 (): 373‐400. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2011.00295.x/abstract

Delshad, Ashlie B. 2013. “.” Politics & Policy 41 (): 213‐240. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12009/abstract

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Eric D. Raile. 2010. “.” Politics & Policy 38 (): 653‐676. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2010.00253.x/abstract

Related Media Video

. 2013. Panel titled “Storytelling Is Serious Business: Narratives, Research, and Policy.” October 16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5ubezaJwN8

Podcast

Claudio Sanchez, Claudio. 2013. NPR News podcast. “The Charter School vs. Public School Debate Continues.” July 16. http://n.pr/12tzU6q

Blog Post

Cairney, Paul. 2014. “” Web blog post. April 7. Paul Cairney: Politics & Public Policy. https://paulcairney.wordpress.com/tag/narrative-policy-framework/
Assessment of inoculation methods for screening black alder resistance to Phytophthora ×alni
Authors: Chandelier A. , Husson C. , Druart P. , Marçais B.
Published: June 2015

Identification of resistance to Phytophthora ×alni could provide the basis for a management strategy against alder decline in riparian ecosystems in Europe. This study aimed to test methods to evaluate the resistance of riparian alders to the disease, and to screen alder genotypes for resistance. Phytophthora ×alni isolates were compared for their aggressiveness (lesion length on stem) and sporulation capacity (sporangia). While no difference in lesion lengths was found between isolates, sporangia production was dependent on isolate, highlighting the need for careful selection of isolates used for zoospore inoculation methods. Inoculation tests carried out at different periods of the year revealed a seasonal change in susceptibility to the disease, with the period from June to September being the most efficient for inoculation tests. Stem‐wounded inoculations, carried out on excised shoots, were unreliable for evaluating the level of resistance of alder genotypes to P. ×alni infection, with divergent results between two successive years or between two inoculation periods during the same year. In contrast, a method that mimics the natural conditions of infection, based on flooding of rooted cuttings in artificially infected river water, was found promising. Another method, based on the inoculation of foliated terminal shoots with zoospore suspensions, was found to be repeatable and could be used for high‐throughput analyses. Altogether, the results show a continuous resistance response from highly susceptible to moderately resistant genotypes. This suggests that breeding might be a useful strategy to manage alder decline caused by P. ×alni.
Haemostatic function and biomarkers of endothelial damage before and after platelet transfusion in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia
Authors: Larsen A. M. , Leinøe E. B. , Johansson P. I. , Larsen R. , Wantzin P. , Birgens H. , Ostrowski S. R.
Published: June 2015

Objectives

The beneficial effect of platelet transfusion on haemostasis is well established, but there is emerging evidence that platelet transfusion induces an inflammatory response in vascular endothelial cells.

Background

We investigated haemostatic function and endothelial biomarkers before and after platelet transfusion in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia.

Materials and Methods

Blood was sampled before, 1 and 24 h after platelet transfusion. Primary and secondary haemostasis was evaluated by whole blood aggregometry (Multiplate) and thromboelastography (TEG). Endothelial biomarkers (sICAM‐1, syndecan‐1, sThrombomodulin, sVE‐Cadherin) and platelet activation biomarkers (sCD40L, TGF‐beta) were investigated along with haematology/biochemistry analyses.

Results

Twenty‐two patients were included. Despite continued low platelet counts, platelet transfusion normalised the median values of most TEG parameters and slightly increased platelet aggregation (all P < 0·05). Endothelial biomarkers were not significantly affected by transfusion. The 1 h sCD40L level correlated positively with Syndecan‐1 and soluble thrombomodulin delta values, biomarkers of endothelial damage (both P = 0·005).

Conclusion

Platelet transfusion improved haemostasis, whereas post‐transfusion increases in sCD40L were associated with endothelial damage, indicating that transfused platelets and platelet‐derived pro‐inflammatory mediators may have opposite effects on the endothelium.
Analysis of 24‐h recovery of transfused stored RBCs in recipient mice of distinct genetic backgrounds
Authors: Waterman H. R. , Kapp L. M. , Howie H. L. , Hod E. A. , Spitalnik S. L. , Zimring J. C.
Published: June 2015

Background and Objectives

Human studies have demonstrated substantial donor‐to‐donor variation in refrigerated RBC storage with respect to several variables, including 24‐h post‐transfusion RBC recovery. However, the human studies leading to these observations are mostly performed using autologous transfusions of stored RBCs, thereby avoiding issues of infectious disease transmission and alloimmunization. Accordingly, one cannot distinguish whether variability in 24‐h RBC recovery is due to alterations in RBC storage, differences in phagocytic activity of the recipient's reticuloendothelial system or both. Similar to humans, genetically distinct inbred mouse strains have substantial differences in RBC storage biology, including 24‐h post‐transfusion RBC recovery.

Materials and Methods

In this report, we juxtaposed 24‐h recoveries in 15 distinct inbred strains of mice, holding the RBC donor constant to isolate transfusion recipient variation as an independent variable. Strains were chosen for differences in baseline reticulocyte count and haemoglobin, which may correlate to RBC life span and turnover.

Results

Unlike large differences observed in storage of RBCs obtained from different strains of mice, only subtle strain‐to‐strain differences were observed regarding 24‐h post‐transfusion RBC recoveries.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that the murine strains examined are not likely to be useful in sorting out mechanisms of clearance of stored RBCs, and suggest that such mechanisms may be generally conserved in the strains of mice analysed.
Iron homeostasis and its disruption in mouse lung in iron deficiency and overload
Authors: Giorgi Gisela , D'Anna María Cecilia , Roque Marta Elena
Published: June 2015

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

The aim was to explore the role and hitherto unclear mechanisms of action of iron proteins in protecting the lung against the harmful effects of iron accumulation and the ability of pulmonary cells to mobilize iron in iron deficiency.

What is the main finding and its importance?

We show that pulmonary hepcidin appears not to modify cellular iron mobilization in the lung. We propose pathways for supplying iron to the lung in iron deficiency and for protecting the lung against iron excess in iron overload, mediated by the co‐ordinated action of iron proteins, such as divalent metal transporter 1, ZRT‐IRE‐like‐protein 14, transferrin receptor, ferritin, haemochromatosis‐associated protein and ferroportin.

Iron dyshomeostasis is associated with several forms of chronic lung disease, but its mechanisms of action remain to be elucidated. The aim of the present study was to determine the role of the lung in whole‐animal models with iron deficiency and iron overload, studying the divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1), ZRT‐IRE‐like protein 14 (ZIP14), transferrin receptor (TfR), haemochromatosis‐associated protein (HFE), hepcidin, ferritin and ferroportin (FPN) expression. In each model, adult CF1 mice were divided into the following groups (six mice per group): (i) iron‐overload model, iron saccharate i.p. and control group (iron adequate), 0.9% NaCl i.p.; and (ii) iron‐deficiency model, induced by repeated bleeding, and control group (sham operated). Proteins were assessed by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. In control mice, DMT1 was localized in the cytoplasm of airway cells, and in iron deficiency and overload it was in the apical membrane. Divalent metal transporter 1 and TfR increased in iron deficiency, without changes in iron overload. ZRT‐IRE‐like protein 14 decreased in airway cells in iron deficiency and increased in iron overload. In iron deficiency, HFE and FPN were immunolocalized close to the apical membrane. Ferroportin increased in iron overload. Prohepcidin was present in control groups, with no changes in iron deficiency and iron overload. In iron overload, ferritin showed intracytoplasmic localization close to the apical membrane of airway cells and intense immunostaining in macrophage‐like cells. The results show that pulmonary hepcidin does not appear to modify cellular iron mobilization in the lung. We propose the following two novel pathways in the lung: (i) for supplying iron in iron deficiency, mediated principally by DMT1 and TfR and regulated by the action of FPN and HFE; and (ii) for iron detoxification in order to protect the lung against iron overload, facilitated by the action of DMT1, ZIP14, FPN and ferritin.
The role of Ca2+ influx in spontaneous Ca2+ wave propagation in interstitial cells of Cajal from the rabbit urethra
Authors: Drumm Bernard T. , Large Roddy J. , Hollywood Mark A. , Thornbury Keith D. , Baker Salah A. , Harvey Brian J. , McHale Noel G. , Sergeant Gerard P.
Published: June 2015

Key points

Tonic contractions of rabbit urethra are associated with spontaneous electrical slow waves that are thought to originate in pacemaker cells termed interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC).

ICC pacemaker activity results from their ability to generate propagating Ca2+ waves, although the exact mechanisms of propagation are not understood.

In this study, we have identified spontaneous localised Ca2+ events for the first time in urethral ICC; these were due to Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) via ryanodine receptors (RyRs) and, while they often remained localised, they sometimes initiated propagating Ca2+ waves.

We show that propagation of Ca2+ waves in urethral ICC is critically dependent upon Ca2+ influx via reverse mode NCX.

Our data provide a clearer understanding of the intracellular mechanisms involved in the generation of ICC pacemaker activity.

Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) are putative pacemaker cells in the rabbit urethra. Pacemaker activity in ICC results from spontaneous propagating Ca2+ waves that are modulated by [Ca2+]o and whose propagation is inhibited by inositol tri‐phosphate receptor (IP3R) blockers. The purpose of this study was to further examine the role of Ca2+ influx and Ca2+ release in the propagation of Ca2+ waves. Intracellular Ca2+ was measured in Fluo‐4‐loaded ICC using a Nipkow spinning disc confocal microscope at fast acquisition rates (50 fps). We identified previously undetected localised Ca2+ events originating from ryanodine receptors (RyRs). Inhibiting Ca2+ influx by removing [Ca2+]o or blocking reverse mode sodium–calcium exchange (NCX) with KB‐R 7943 or SEA‐0400 abolished Ca2+ waves, while localised Ca2+ events persisted. Stimulating RyRs with 1 mm caffeine restored propagation. Propagation was also inhibited when Ca2+ release sites were uncoupled by buffering intracellular Ca2+ with EGTA‐AM. This was reversed when Ca2+ influx via NCX was increased by reducing [Na+]o to 13 mm. Low [Na+]o also increased the frequency of Ca2+ waves and this effect was blocked by tetracaine and ryanodine but not 2‐aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2‐APB). RT‐PCR revealed that isolated ICC expressed both RyR2 and RyR3 subtypes. We conclude: (i) RyRs are required for the initiation of Ca2+ waves, but wave propagation normally depends on activation of IP3Rs; (ii) under resting conditions, propagation by IP3Rs requires sensitisation by influx of Ca2+ via reverse mode NCX; (iii) propagation can be maintained by RyRs if they have been sensitised to Ca2+.