bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pulmonary vein spontaneous echocontrast and stroke after pulmonary lobectomy
Authors: Gual‐Capllonch Francisco , Teis Albert , Palomeras Ernest
Published: March 2012

Assessment of possible cardiac sources of cerebral embolism is a frequent indication for transesophageal echocardiography. We report the case of a patient with a previous left upper pulmonary lobe resection who presented with an ischemic stroke suggestive of cardioembolic origin. A dense spontaneous echo contrast was found in the left upper pulmonary vein stump, which, in the absence of other potential causes of stroke, was considered to be related to the embolic event. We discuss the clinical significance of this finding as a possibly underappreciated source of systemic embolization. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound, 41:321–322, 2013
Thyroglossal duct cysts in adults treated by ethanol sclerotherapy: A pilot study of a nonsurgical technique
Authors: Chow Tam‐Lin , Choi Chi‐Yee , Yee‐Hing Hui Joyce
Published: March 2012

Objectives/Hypothesis:

To investigate the effect of ethanol sclerotherapy on the thyroglossal duct cyst (TDC).

Study Design:

Prospective case series.

Methods:

Patients with primary TDC were enrolled. The volume of the TDC was calculated using the following formula: length × width × height × π/6. Under sonographic guidance, ethanol was slowly instilled into the TDC cavity after the cyst fluid was aspirated. The procedure was performed in an outpatient setting.

Results:

A total of eight patients were recruited for this study, but two of them did not receive sclerotherapy. One patient refused treatment after obtaining initial consent, and another patient was not treated due to a technical issue. The median follow‐up duration was 21 months. The median cyst volume was 3.5 mL. Of the six patients given sclerotherapy, recurrent TDC occurred in one patient. As expected, the TDC persisted in the two patients who had not undergone sclerotherapy. Two patients experienced moderate pain after the procedure that was well controlled with oral analgesics. No major complications arose, and no patient needed hospitalization because of treatment complications.

Conclusions:

Percutaneous ethanol sclerotherapy is an effective minimally invasive modality of therapy for TDC. Further studies with longer follow‐up are warranted.
Regulation of interleukin‐33 and thymic stromal lymphopoietin in human nasal fibroblasts by proinflammatory cytokines
Authors: Nomura Kazuaki , Kojima Takashi , Fuchimoto Jun , Obata Kazufumi , Keira Takashi , Himi Tetsuo , Sawada Norimasa
Published: March 2012

Objectives/Hypothesis:

Epithelial‐derived interleukin (IL)‐33 and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) are critical regulators of innate and adaptive immune responses associated with Th2 cytokine‐mediated inflammation, including allergic rhinitis. IL‐33 and TSLP are expressed not only in epithelial cells but also fibroblasts, endothelial cells, and smooth muscle cells at nasal mucosal sites. However, the role and the regulation of IL‐33 and TSLP in nasal fibroblasts remain unknown. We investigated the signal transduction regulation of IL‐33 and TSLP induced by proinflammatory cytokines in nasal fibroblasts.

Study Design:

In vitro, prospective study.

Methods:

Nasal fibroblasts were derived from human nasal mucosa without allergic rhinitis. Expression of IL‐33 and TSLP was examined in nasal fibroblasts treated with proinflammatory cytokines IL‐1β or tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α after pretreatment with or without various inhibitors of signal transduction pathways.

Results:

In nasal fibroblasts, both Western blotting and reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction demonstrated that expression of mRNAs and proteins of IL‐33 and TSLP was increased by treatment with IL‐1β or TNF‐α. Immunostaining revealed that IL‐33–positive nuclei were markedly increased by the treatment with IL‐1β or TNF‐α. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay showed that fibroblast‐released TSLP was significantly increased by treatment with IL‐1β or TNF‐α. The upregulation of both IL‐33 and TSLP proteins by treatment with IL‐1β was prevented by inhibitors of pan‐ protein kinase C (PKC), p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase, and nuclear factor (NF)‐κB. In the cells treated with TNF‐α, upregulation of IL‐33 protein was prevented by inhibitors of phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K), c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK), and NF‐κB, whereas upregulation of TSLP protein was prevented by inhibitors of pan‐PKC, PI3K, JNK, and NF‐κB.

Conclusions:

Expression of IL‐33 and TSLP in nasal fibroblasts was regulated via distinct signal transduction pathways including NF‐κB.
Taste disorders after tonsillectomy: A long‐term follow‐up
Authors: Heiser Clemens , Landis Basile N. , Giger Roland , Cao Van Helene , Guinand Nils , Hörmann Karl , Stuck Boris A.
Published: March 2012

In a former study, taste disturbances after tonsillectomy seemed to be more frequent than expected. Eight percent of patients reported subjective taste disorders 6 months after tonsillectomy. Fifteen patients from the initial trial, who reported taste disorders after tonsillectomy, were contacted again for this long‐term follow‐up. A telephone interview using the same questionnaire addressing the current self‐estimate of taste function was performed. At 32 ± 10 months following surgery, two (0.9%) patients still reported suffering from taste disturbance. This long‐term follow‐up study shows that dysgeusia following tonsillectomy occurs in approximately 1% of patients. These data should be considered when patients are informed about complications after tonsillectomy.
Time‐resolved spin‐labeled balanced steady‐state free precession cineangiography for visualizing intracardiac shunt: technical considerations and clinical feasibility
Authors: Mordini Federico E. , Koktzoglou Ioannis , Edelman Robert R.
Published: March 2012

A time‐resolved spin‐labeled cineangiographic MRI technique for visualizing blood flow in the heart and defects of the atrial septum is described. The method utilizes a spin labeling preparation and a time‐resolved balanced steady‐state free precession imaging readout that enhances blood in the left atrium or right atrium and suppresses background signal through inversion recovery. Four volunteer studies and 10 patient studies were performed at 1.5 T to characterize the signal properties and to test the clinical feasibility of depicting atrial septal defects. In volunteers, the spin‐labeled cineangiographic method depicted intracardiac blood flow patterns and demarcated the intact atrial septum. Peak target to adjacent atrial chamber contrast‐to‐noise ratios of 84 and 94 were obtained 758 and 689 ms postlabeling; 50% of peak contrast‐to‐noise ratio was maintained for 803 and 599 ms in the left atrium and right atrium, respectively. In all patients with an atrial septal defect, the spin‐labeled cineangiographic method demonstrated left‐to‐right flow and maintained good morphological assessment of surrounding cardiac structures. Right‐to‐left flow was seen in three patients. In conclusion, the spin‐labeled cineangiographic method displayed favorable signal properties in volunteers and demonstrated shunting in patients with atrial septal defects. The technique is expected to be a viable alternative to the few techniques available for visualizing blood flow in the heart. Magn Reson Med, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Childhood enuresis is a risk factor for bladder dysfunction in adult life?
Authors: D'Ancona Carlos Arturo Levi , Lopes Maria Helena Baena de Moraes , Faleiros‐Martins Anna Carolina , Lúcio Adélia Correia , Campos Renata Martins , Costa José Vilton
Published: March 2012

Aims

To verify the relationship between enuresis in childhood and the type of urinary incontinence in adults, considering the gender and age.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study the database used contained the records of patients who had with urinary complaints and underwent urodynamic studies in the period from 1999 to 2008. A multinomial logistic regression model was adjusted for the type of UI.

Results

A total of 661 patient records were analyzed, 585 (88.5%) women and 76 (11.5%) men, with mean age 54 (SD = 13.3). Patients with urge urinary incontinence (UUI) were compared to those with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and the variables associated were the presence of enuresis in childhood (OR = 2.37, IC: 1.43–3.92) and age >50 years (OR = 2.64, CI: 1.68–4.15). Comparing patients with mixed urinary incontinence (MUI) and SUI, the presence of enuresis was also associated ((OR = 1.77, CI: 1.15–2.73) and the age of more than 50 years (OR = 1.71, CI: 1.19–2.44). For both categories of urinary incontinence, the variable sex was not associated.

Conclusions

Individuals with MUI and UUI in adult life were more likely to have a history of enuresis in childhood than those with SUI. Neurourol. Urodynam. 31:634–636, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The management of adolescents with neurogenic urinary tract and bowel dysfunction
Authors: de Kort L.M.O. , Bower W.F. , Swithinbank L.V. , Marschall‐Kehrel D. , de Jong T.P.V.M. , Bauer S.B.
Published: March 2012

Most children with neurogenic bladder dysfunction arrive into adolescence with reasonably managed lower urinary tract function only to experience bladder and kidney function deterioration after puberty. The aim of this article is to identify issues that contribute to adverse changes in bladder and renal function during adolescence and to highlight strategies to preserve urinary tract integrity, social continence, patient autonomy, and independence.

Surveillance of bladder function requires patient attendance at review appointments and compliance with treatment plans. While encouraging independence and treatment compliance the clinician also needs to consider altered mental concentrating ability and fine motor skills of these patients. A keen eye for imminent loss of patient compliance to treatment protocol should be the mainstay of each encounter during puberty and adolescence.

Annual surveillance of adolescent neurogenic bladder patients facilitates early identification of risk factors for urinary tract deterioration. Investigations include renal and bladder ultrasonography, urodynamic study when indicated, substantiated by videocystometry when anatomical status dictates. Serum creatinine should be measured and renal scintigraphy performed when upper urinary tract dilation, renal scarring, or atrophy are suspected.

Optimal management of adolescents with neurologic disease of the urinary tract included strategies to reduce elevated detrusor pressure, maintain bladder compliance, and maximize dryness. Antimuscarinic medications, botulinum toxin A, and surgical procedures are enhanced by bowel management regimens and regular nurse or urotherapist patient contact. Caring for the patient as a whole requires discussion of sexuality, fertility status, and behaviors that increase the risk of progressive urinary tract damage. Neurourol. Urodynam. 31:1170–1174, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Evaluation of the structure of polypropylene/montmorillonite nanocomposite by in‐line light extinction and color measurements during multiple extrusions
Authors: Reis K.C. , Canevarolo S.V.
Published: March 2012

This work extends the method to follow in real time the reduction of the clay particle size by light extinction measurements (turbidity), obtained via an in‐line optical detector fitted at the extruder die exit, to monitor multiple extrusions of PP/MMT nanocomposites. The optical detector was calibrated and showed to follow the Mie Theory. This theory states that the transmitted light intensity decreases for suspension of particles smaller than 500 nm. Corroborating with these results, off‐line color measurements has shown that the luminosity decrease and the yellow color increases during multiple extrusions of the nanocomposites. In addition, the color difference and the yellowness indexes of the nanocomposites using organic modified montmorillonite (MMT) are higher then the MMT Na+ (sodium MMT) after multiple extrusions. The addition of clay to a PP matrix produced an increase in the opacity. Results from X‐ray do follow the same trend as those obtained from the in‐line light extinction measurements. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers
Adhesion of extrusion‐coated polymer sealing layers to a fiber‐based packaging material with an atomic layer deposited aluminum oxide surface coating
Authors: Lahtinen Kimmo , Johansson Petri , Kääriäinen Tommi , Cameron David C.
Published: March 2012

Adhesion of extrusion‐coated polymer sealing layers on an atomic layer deposited (ALD) aluminum oxide (Al2O3) surface coating was investigated with a view to gain information on the applicability of ALD deposited barrier layers in fiber‐based packaging materials. The polymers used for the sealing layer were low density polyethylene (LDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polylactide (PLA). They were extrusion‐coated onto the ceramic side of paper/PET/Al2O3 substrates, where the Al2O3 layer was a few tens of nanometers thick. According to the results, good adhesion was obtained for LDPE coating, whereas the other coatings showed a considerable lack of adhesion. Presumably, the oxidation faced by LDPE in the air gap of the extrusion‐coating process was able to create an extensive number of reactive sites that strongly bonded with the hydroxyl groups on the oxide surface of the substrate. With the PET and PLA coatings, such oxidation did not occur and the adhesion obtained remained at a relatively poor level. With all of the coatings, the adhesion levels were improved using corona discharge equipment as a pretreatment prior to the extrusion‐coating process. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 52:1985–1990, 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers
Bemessung von Tragwerken aus höherfesten Stählen bis S700 nach EN 1993‐1‐12
Authors: Stroetmann Richard , Deepe Peter , Kuhlmann Ulrike , Rasche Christina
Published: March 2012

Mit der Einführung von Eurocode 3 und EN 1090‐2 ist die Bemessung und Ausführung von Stahltragwerken aus höherfesten Stählen in den Festigkeitsklassen über S460 bis S700 durch die Normung in weiten Teilen geregelt. EN 1993‐1‐12 enthält für diese Stähle zusätzliche Regeln, die bei der Anwendung der verschiedenen Teile des Eurocode 3 zu beachten sind. Unterschiede für höherfeste Stähle ergeben sich u. a. aus dem geringeren plastischen Verformungsvermögen. Die Möglichkeit zum schlankeren Bauen führt zu einer größeren Bedeutung von Stabilitätseinflüssen und Verformungen. Weitere Unterschiede ergeben sich in der Tragfähigkeit und dem Verformungsvermögen von Schrauben‐ und Schweißverbindungen. Im folgenden Beitrag werden die speziellen Regeln zur Berechnung und Bemessung von Tragwerken aus höherfesten Stählen und deren Verbindungen erläutert sowie Potenziale gegenüber normalfesten Stählen aufgezeigt.

Design rules for structures made of high strength steels up to S700 according to EN 1993‐1‐12. Due to the implementation of Eurocode 3 and EN 1090‐2 design and execution of steel structures made of high strength steel of grades higher than S460 up to S700 are mostly regulated by standardization. EN 1993‐1‐12 contains supplementary rules for these steel grades, which have to be considered when applying other parts of Eurocode 3. Differences with regard to high strength steels, for example, result from lower plastic deformability. The possibility to design more slender structures increases the relevance of deformations and stability effects. Further differences are reflected in resistance and deformation capacity of bolted and welded connections. The following article describes special design rules for structures made of high strength steels and their joints and demonstrates their potential compared to conventional steel grades.
Smoking cessation: training and support for healthcare practitioners
Authors: Brose Leonie S. , McEwen Andy
Published: March 2012

Very brief advice, taking only 30 seconds to deliver, has been shown to help smokers to quit. However, many smokers receive no advice about smoking from their GP, and healthcare professionals often do not feel confident in discussing smoking cessation. The authors explain how a simple model can be used to deliver advice at every opportunity. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons
Malaria: a deadly vector‐borne disease
Authors: Brightman Christopher
Published: March 2012

With increasing numbers of people travelling to exotic places, exposure to diseases that are rare in the developed world is rising. Christopher Brightman looks at malaria, a mosquito‐borne infectious disease that is widespread in tropical regions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons
A Composite Likelihood Inference in Latent Variable Models for Ordinal Longitudinal Responses
Authors: Vasdekis Vassilis G. S. , Cagnone Silvia , Moustaki Irini
Published: March 2012

The paper proposes a composite likelihood estimation approach that uses bivariate instead of multivariate marginal probabilities for ordinal longitudinal responses using a latent variable model. The model considers time-dependent latent variables and item-specific random effects to be accountable for the interdependencies of the multivariate ordinal items. Time-dependent latent variables are linked with an autoregressive model. Simulation results have shown composite likelihood estimators to have a small amount of bias and mean square error and as such they are feasible alternatives to full maximum likelihood. Model selection criteria developed for composite likelihood estimation are used in the applications. Furthermore, lower-order residuals are used as measures-of-fit for the selected models.
The protective role of supportive friends against bullying perpetration and victimization
Authors: Kendrick Kristin , Jutengren Göran , Stattin Håkan
Published: March 2012

A crossed‐lagged regression model was tested to investigate relationships between friendship support, bullying involvement, and its consequences during adolescence. Students, 12–16 years (N = 880), were administered questionnaires twice, one year apart. Using structural equation modeling, a model was specified and higher levels of support from friends were related to lower levels of bullying and victimization one year later. Additionally, a bidirectional relationship between victimization and depression was found, and greater property crimes commission was related to higher levels of future bullying. These findings support the ‘friendship protection hypothesis’ and suggest the quality of support in friendships can protect against bullying victimization and perpetration. Prior research has shown that friendships can protect against victimization; however this is one of the few longitudinal studies to focus on the quality of friendship, rather than other characteristics of the friends. It is suggested that interventions should focus on increasing perceptions of support within existing friendships.
A GRAPHICAL CALCULUS FOR 2-BLOCK SPALTENSTEIN VARIETIES
Authors: SCHÄFER GISA
Published: March 2012

We generalise statements known about Springer fibres associated to nilpotents with two Jordan blocks to Spaltenstein varieties. We study the geometry of generalised irreducible components (i.e. Bialynicki-Birula cells) and their pairwise intersections. In particular, we develop a graphical calculus that encodes their structure as iterated fibre bundles with ℂℙ1 as base spaces, and compute their cohomology. At the end, we present a connection with coloured cobordisms generalising the construction of Khovanov (M. Khovanov, A categorification of the Jones polynomial, Duke Math. J. 101(3) (2000), 359–426) and Stroppel (C. Stroppel, Parabolic category O, perverse sheaves on Grassmannians, Springer fibres and Khovanov homology, Compositio Mathematica145(4) (2009), 954–992).
New species and new combinations in the lichen generaFissurinaandHemitheciumfrom India
Authors: SHARMA Bharati O. , KHADILKAR Pradnya , MAKHIJA Urmila
Published: March 2012

In continuation of our ongoing revisionary studies on the lichen familyGraphidaceaefrom India, a treatment of 25 species of the lichen generaFissurinaandHemitheciumfrom India is presented. In our earlier work on the lichen genusFissurina, 16 species were reported from India. In the present study, 17 additional species ofFissurinafrom India are recognized. Nine species, viz.Fissurina andamanensis,F. disposita, F. immersa, F. indica, F. microcarpa, F. nicobarensis, F. simplex, F. sporolata, andF. submonospora, are described as new to science. Seven species, viz.Fissurina canlaonensis, F. cingalina, F. comparimuralis, F. monospora, F. nitidescens, F. rubiginosa, andF. subnitidula, are recorded for the first time from India. One species,Fissurinasp. 1, is recorded but not formally described as new due to scanty material. Eight species in the lichen genusHemithecium, including three new species, viz.H. kodayarense, H. longilirellatum, H. verrucosum, and five new combinations, viz.Hemithecium andamanicum, H. flabillatum, H. flavoalbum, H. flexile, andH. norlabiatum, are also recognized in the present work. A revised key for the identification of all 33 species ofFissurinaand 26 species ofHemitheciumso far known from India is provided.
Validation of three species names and description of a new species in the genus Graphis (Ascomycota: Ostropales: Graphidaceae)
Authors: LÜCKING Robert , SUTJARITTURAKAN Jutarat , KALB Klaus
Published: March 2012

Three names in the genus Graphis are validated: Graphisnorvestitoides Sutjaritturakan, G. rongklaensis Sutjaritturakan, and Graphis arbusculaeformis (Vain.) Lücking. In addition, the new species G. pseudoaquilonia Lücking is described, differing from G. norvestitoides in the clear versus inspersed hymenium.
Mapping Chinese Mining Investment in Latin America: Politics or Market?
Authors: Gonzalez-Vicente Ruben
Published: March 2012

Analyses of Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) sometimes question the investment criteria of Chinese firms, suggesting that market rules are not fundamental but secondary to political and geostrategic concerns. Questioning the apolitical nature of markets, the present article uses the internationalization of China's mining industry as a case study to ascertain the criteria that guide Chinese FDI. It first examines quantitative data from 2000 to 2010 which suggests that Chinese mining investment in Latin America and worldwide gravitates towards liberal economies. Second, by focusing on the projects of Chinese mining firms in Peru, the article illustrates how China's overseas mineral quest is best explained by probing into the integrated strategies of individual mining firms which seek to capitalize their comparative advantage in accessing Chinese markets and the political momentum of the “Going Out” strategy.
Timothy Snyder's Bloodlands
Authors: MAZOWER MARK
Published: March 2012

In the middle of the twentieth century, state-sponsored mass killing took place in Europe on a scale unknown before or since. Although the figures are contentious, around six million civilians are estimated to have been deliberately killed under Stalin; around eleven million under Hitler (p. xiii). What makes this phenomenon all the more striking is that not only was it severely circumscribed in time – it came to an end by the early 1950s – but it was also highly localised. Eastern Europe – in particular Poland, the Baltic states, Belarus and the Ukraine – was the epicentre, and its inhabitants among the chief victims. It is the story of these lands – the ‘Bloodlands'– that Timothy Snyder, one of our leading historians of eastern Europe, has singled out. If we are to see this extraordinary spate of murderousness as the central event of the century (as Snyder argues), then we need a much clearer view than we presently have of what happened in the Bloodlands. In particular, we need to jettison the view that modern mass murder took place chiefly in concentration camps – much of the killing happened through starvation or the shooting squad – and we need to appreciate the extent to which it happened as a consequence of the intimate relationship between the regimes of Hitler and Stalin. This, in a nutshell, is the rationale for this book.
Topography of Interpretation: Reviewing Timothy Snyder's Bloodlands
Authors: DINER DAN
Published: March 2012

Timothy Snyder's book on the conjoint, albeit opposing synergy between German National Socialism and Soviet Stalinism at the high point of the Second World War, and situated in the context of the East European lands lying between them, is tellingly, in a sense almost emblematically, entitled Bloodlands. The neologism that Snyder coined is a synthetic appellation for the murderous dynamics that unfolded there. Titles generally intend to lead the reader towards the book's core thesis, and this coinage seems, perhaps more than is usual, to be of special importance to the author.
The Causes of the Holocaust
Authors: SNYDER TIMOTHY
Published: March 2012

Not long ago I was discussing before a theatre audience in Philadelphia a performance of ‘Our Class’, Tadeusz Słobodziański's remarkable theatrical reinterpretation of Jan Gross's pioneering book Neighbors. It helped so very much that the discussion took place after rather than before the performance! It is a great honour to find my book at the centre of this discussion by colleagues, but it would be great vanity on my part to expect that every reader of this exchange will have first read my book. And yet without some general sense of the argument and substance of Bloodlands, I can hardly explain why the four responses are so different each from the other, what underlying concerns unite them, and how they might be answered. The book is a study of all German and Soviet mass killing policies in the lands between the Black and Baltic Seas from south to north and from Smolensk to Poznan from east to west. It begins from the observation that fourteen million non-combatants were deliberately killed in this zone between 1933 and 1945, when both Stalin and Hitler were in power. The figure is very high in its own right, and represents the vast majority of Soviet and German killing. The territory can be defined in terms of the number of murdered, or as the place where the Holocaust was perpetrated, or as the zone touched by both German and Soviet power: all three definitions generate the same map of the bloodlands.
From Civil Liberties to Human Rights? British Civil Liberties Activism and Universal Human Rights
Authors: MOORES CHRISTOPHER
Published: March 2012

This article discusses British civil liberties organisations hoping to engage in a broader human rights politics during and immediately after the Second World War. It argues that various movements and organisations from sections of the British Left attempted to articulate a human rights politics which incorporated political, civil, social and economic rights during the 1940s and early 1950s. However, organisations were unable to express this and mobilise accordingly. This reflected the collapse of the popular-front-style alliances forged in the 1930s and the difficulties in articulating political positions distinct from the ideological polarisation that emerged with the onset of the Cold War.
European Fascism: The Unfinished Handbook
Authors: PINTO ANTÓNIO COSTA
Published: March 2012

Fascism continues to fascinate scholars within the social sciences, perhaps as much as communism, that other great non-democratic ‘-ism’ of the twentieth century. The topic also seems to be of continuing interest to the student and commercial book markets. In some cases bland repetition is the norm, but the pressure from commercial publishers often results in some excellent syntheses, even if based on secondary material, and that is not to mention the biography genre, which is always attentive to charismatic leaders and dictators — the more cruel the better. Moreover, the already voluminous academic literature on contemporary dictatorships often returns to the fascist and dictatorial regimes of the inter-war period. It is therefore only natural that Fascism should be incorporated in a series of handbooks published by Oxford University Press.
Urban politics and material culture at the end of the Middle Ages: the Coventry tapestry in St Mary's Hall
Authors: LIDDY CHRISTIAN D.
Published: March 2012

This article uses the evidence of the internal decoration and spatial hierarchy of an English town hall to explore the construction of urban oligarchy in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. Urban historians have regarded this period as one of fundamental importance in the political history of pre-modern English towns. It is associated with the emergence of the ‘close corporation’, an oligarchic form of government which remained largely in place until the Municipal Corporations Act of 1835. The article examines the iconography and historical context of a tapestry, custom-made for the town hall of Coventry around 1500, to present a different view of the character of urban political culture at the end of the Middle Ages.
From oligarchy to a ‘rate payer's democracy’: the evolution of the Corporation of London, 1680s–1750s
Authors: LATHAM MARK
Published: March 2012

Between the Glorious Revolution and the mid-eighteenth century the governance of the Corporation of London was transformed from an oligarchy of aldermen to a ‘rate payer's democracy’. Previous analyses of this transformation have produced a contradictory picture of how and why this shift in governance occurred. By analysing the Corporation's progress to democracy from an administrative perspective, this article argues that this process was more evolutionary in nature than has previously been suggested.
Episodicity of seismicity accompanying melt intrusion into the crust
Authors: White Robert S. , Redfern Simon A. T. , Chien Su‐Ying
Published: March 2012

Microseismicity from a dike intruding the mid‐crust of Iceland occurs episodically on fractures orientated parallel to the dike plane. We interpret it as caused by fragments of chilled magma being broken and pushed along the conduit by melt flow. Laboratory experiments on basalt samples under shear strains of ∼10−4show that the shear strength of a sample cooled through the glass transition initially increases to a maximum at ∼0.7 homologous temperature, but subsequently decreases until failure at ∼0.58 homologous temperature. We interpret the failure as due to the connection of microcracks. Episodicity in microseismicity on timescales of hours to days can arise from a cycle in which magma in 0.1–0.5 meter thick dikes first cools and becomes stronger, but then weakens along the dike margins with continued cooling against the country rock. Continued pressure of magma from below may then cause failure along dike‐parallel fractures.
Comparison between theory and observation of the frequency sweep rates of equatorial rising tone chorus
Authors: Tao X. , Li W. , Bortnik J. , Thorne R. M. , Angelopoulos V.
Published: March 2012

Theoretical predictions for chorus frequency sweep rates by Helliwell and Trakhtengerts are compared with observations from the THEMIS satellites and a previously published dataset from the Cluster satellites. We first extend the theories to use a general magnetic field model to include the effects of magnetic local time and geomagnetic activity, and then show that both theories give the same dependence of the frequency sweep rate on background plasma parameters. The theoretical scaling of frequency sweep rates are shown to agree very well with observations. We demonstrate that for a given equatorial magnetic field strength, nightside and dawnside chorus waves have higher frequency sweep rates because of the stretching of the magnetic field, while dayside chorus waves have lower frequency sweep rates because of the compression of the field. Increasing geomagnetic activity will enhance the asymmetry by increasing the day‐night asymmetry of the background field. The results are important for understanding the generation mechanism of chorus waves.
Comparison of energetic electron flux and phase space density in the magnetosheath and in the magnetosphere
Authors: Luo Bingxian , Li Xinlin , Tu Weichao , Gong Jiancun , Liu Siqing
Published: March 2012

Whether energetic electrons (10s of keV) in the magnetosheath can be directly transported into the magnetosphere and further energized through radial diffusion is significant in understanding the physical mechanisms for producing the radiation belt electrons (>100s of keV) in the magnetosphere. In this study, we analyze more than two hundred magnetopause crossing events using the energetic electron and magnetic field measurements from Geotail and compare the flux and phase space density (PSD) of the energetic electrons on both sides of the magnetopause. It is found that for most of the events (>70%), the fluxes and PSDs of energetic electrons in the magnetosheath are less than those in the magnetosphere, suggesting that the energetic electrons in the magnetosheath cannot be a direct source sufficient for the energetic electrons inside the magnetosphere. In fact, our analysis suggests a possible leakage of the energetic electrons from inside to outside the magnetopause. By investigating the average energetic electron flux distribution in the magnetosheath, we find that the energetic electron fluxes are higher near the bow shock and the magnetopause than in between. The high energetic electron flux near the bow shock can be understood as due to energization of electrons when they go through the bow shock. The relatively low flux of the energetic electrons in between indicates that it is difficult for the energetic electrons to travel from the bow shock to the magnetopause and vice versa, possibly because the energetic electrons near the bow shock and the magnetopause are all on open magnetic field lines and these two relatively intense energetic electron populations in the magnetosheath rarely get mixed.
Overexpression of the gap junction protein Cx43 as found in diabetic foot ulcers can retard fibroblast migration
Authors: Mendoza‐Naranjo Ariadna , Cormie Peter , Serrano Antonio E. , Wang Chuihui M. , Thrasivoulou Christopher , Sutcliffe Jessica E.S. , Gilmartin Daniel J. , Tsui Janice , Serena Thomas E. , Phillips Anthony R.J. , Becker David L.
Published: March 2012

Poor healing of DFUs (diabetic foot ulcers) is a major clinical problem that can be extremely debilitating and lead to lower limb amputation. In the normal acute wound, the Cx43 (connexin 43) gap junction protein is down‐regulated at the wound edge as a precursor to cell migration and healing. In fibroblasts from the human chronic DFU wound edge there was a striking and significant 10‐fold elevation of Cx43 protein, as well as a 6‐fold increase in N‐cadherin and a 2‐fold increase in ZO‐1 (zonular occludin‐1), compared with unwounded skin. In streptozotocin diabetic rats, Cx43 was found to be up‐regulated in intact dermal fibroblasts in direct proportion to blood glucose levels and increased 2‐fold further in response to wounding of the skin. To mimic diabetes, NIH 3T3 fibroblasts were cultured under different concentrations of glucose or mannitol and Cx43 protein intercellular communication and migration rates were determined. Cultures of fibroblasts in very high (40 mM) glucose conditions showed significantly elevated Cx43 protein levels, as shown by immunostaining and Western blotting, and significantly increasing gap junctional communication, as shown by dye transfer. In scratch wound‐healing assays, increased levels of Cx43 from high glucose resulted in repressed filopodial extensions and significantly slower migration rates than in either standard conditions (5.5 mM glucose) or the osmotic control of mannitol. Conversely, when glucose‐induced Cx43 up‐regulation was prevented with Cx43shRNA (Cx43 short‐hairpin RNA) transduction, the fibroblasts extended long filopodia and migrated significantly faster. Cx43 protein was up‐regulated in fibroblasts in DFUs as well as after high glucose exposure in culture which correlated with inhibition of fibroblast migration and is likely to contribute to impaired wound healing.
Ecological Comparison between Three Artificial Refuges and the Natural Habitat for Devils Hole Pupfish
Authors: Karam Abraham P. , Parker Michael S. , Lyons Lindsey T.
Published: March 2012

Attempts to maintain refuge populations of Devils Hole pupfish Cyprinodon diabolis in artificial tanks have achieved limited success. Previous studies have documented changes in morphological, behavioral, and genetic characteristics of refuge populations, which suggest that environmental conditions (and thus selective pressures) differ from those found in Devils Hole (DH). Physical, chemical, and biological characteristics were compared among the three Devils Hole pupfish refuges (Hoover Dam, School Springs, and Point of Rocks) and between each refuge and DH. In contrast to the thermally constant environment in DH (∼33°C), mean refuge temperatures were cooler and fluctuated on a weekly and seasonal basis. On two occasions, extreme temperature fluctuations lasting several weeks (due to water supply malfunctions) were recorded at the Hoover Dam (6°C decrease) and School Springs (22°C decrease) refuges. The physical design of the refuges precludes surface runoff from entering them; thick layers of anoxic sediment accumulated, particularly in School Springs (mean depth = 19.1 cm; range = 1–30 cm) and Point of Rocks (mean depth = 8.9 cm; range = 5–39 cm), thus burying the rocky substrate designed to replicate the upper shelf in DH. All three refuges had higher mean oxygen concentrations and lower coefficients of variation (CVs; range = 12.2–16.9%) than the DH upper shelf (CV = 52.5%), which receives limited direct sunlight. Attached algal standing crops differed several-fold among refuges (range = 31.0–231.7 g of ash-free dry mass/m2) but were not significantly different between seasons. In contrast, benthic biomass values reported from DH were smaller and varied seasonally. Aquatic invertebrate taxa that were abundant in DH were rare or absent in the refuges. These results demonstrate how artificial refuge environments deviate from natural conditions in DH and further illustrate the challenges faced when attempting to establish and maintain long-term refuge populations as a conservation strategy to preserve threatened and endangered fishes.

Received July 11, 2011; accepted December 19, 2011
Protein kinase C δ regulates the release of collagen type I from vascular smooth muscle cells via regulation of Cdc42
Authors: Lengfeld Justin , Wang Qiwei , Zohlman Andrew , Salvarezza Susana , Morgan Stephanie , Ren Jun , Kato Kaori , Rodriguez-Boulan Enrique , Liu Bo
Published: March 2012

Collagen type I is the most abundant component of extracellular matrix in the arterial wall. Mice knocked out for the protein kinase C δ gene (PKCδ KO) show a marked reduction of collagen I in the arterial wall. The lack of PKCδ diminished the ability of arterial smooth muscle cells (SMCs) to secrete collagen I without significantly altering the intracellular collagen content. Moreover, the unsecreted collagen I molecules accumulate in large perinuclear puncta. These perinuclear structures colocalize with the trans-Golgi network (TGN) marker TGN38 and to a lesser degree with cis-Golgi marker (GM130) but not with early endosomal marker (EEA1). Associated with diminished collagen I secretion, PKCδ KO SMCs exhibit a significant reduction in levels of cell division cycle 42 (Cdc42) protein and mRNA. Restoring PKCδ expression partially rescues Cdc42 expression and collagen I secretion in PKCδ KO SMCs. Inhibition of Cdc42 expression or activity with small interfering RNA or secramine A in PKCδ WT SMCs eliminates collagen I secretion. Conversely, restoring Cdc42 expression in PKCδ KO SMCs enables collagen I secretion. Taken together, our data demonstrate that PKCδ mediates collagen I secretion from SMCs, likely through a Cdc42-dependent mechanism.
An ecosystem approach for the assessment of fisheries impacts on marine top predators: the Bay of Biscay case study
Authors: Lassalle Géraldine , Gascuel Didier , Le Loc'h François , Lobry Jérémy , Pierce Graham John , Ridoux Vincent , Santos Maria Begoña , Spitz Jérôme , Niquil Nathalie
Published: March 2012

Lassalle, G., Gascuel, D., Le Loc'h, F., Lobry, J., Pierce, G. J., Ridoux, V., Santos, M. B., Spitz, J., and Niquil, N. 2012. An ecosystem approach for the assessment of fisheries impacts on marine top predators: the Bay of Biscay case study. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 69: 925–938. A number of marine mammal populations is currently threatened by their interactions with fisheries. The present study aimed to provide insights into the severity of potential impacts of operational and biological interactions between top predators and fisheries, in the Bay of Biscay region. Our approach was to modify an Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) model describing the overall structure and function of the ecosystem by including landings and discards of exploited stocks and estimations of the bycatch of non-target compartments. Second, a set of ecological indices and a trophic level (TL)-based model (EcoTroph, ET) were derived from the EwE model. ET was used to simulate the effects of increasing fishing pressure on the ecosystem and, more particularly, on top predators. The Bay of Biscay was demonstrated to be not far from overexploitation at the current fishing rate, this phenomenon being particularly noticeable for the highest TLs. Within the toothed cetacean community, bottlenose dolphins appeared the most sensitive to resource depletion, whereas common dolphins and harbour porpoises were most impacted by their incidental captures in fishing gears. This study provides a methodological framework to assess the impacts of fisheries on ecosystems for which EwE, or other ecosystem models, already exist.
Pancreatic Pseudocysts in Children
Authors: Makin Erica , Harrison Phillip M. , Patel Shailesh , Davenport Mark
Published: March 2012

Aim:

The aim of the present study was to review the use of endoscopic cyst gastrostomy (E‐CG) as a treatment option for pancreatic pseudocysts referred to a tertiary paediatric surgical centre.

Methods:

Retrospective review during a 10‐year period (January 2001–December 2010). Cyst gastrostomies were performed using 1 or 2 double pigtailed Zimmon stents (7–10 Fr) under general anaesthesia. Data are quoted as median (range).

Results:

E‐CG was performed in 7 (5 males) children (median age at presentation 11.7 [8.2–15.8] years). Pancreatic pseudocysts were caused by acute pancreatitis in 5 (gallstones n = 1, hereditary pancreatitis n = 1, pancreatic divisum n = 1, asparaginase induced n = 1, and idiopathic n = 1) and pancreatic trauma in 2 (motor vehicle accident n = 1, and handlebar injury n = 1). All of the cases were associated with a rise in serum amylase level, median 1028 (276–2077) IU/L at the peak of symptoms. Three children had pancreatic duct stent placement during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography as the initial therapeutic intervention, but went on to have E‐CG later. One who had a huge pseudocyst at presentation had already undergone an open cyst gastrostomy, which had recurred at 1 month. Rescue E‐CG was performed 38 days later. All of the stents were removed endoscopically at 8 (6–40) weeks. E‐CG was uncomplicated and pseudocysts resolved completely in 5. One required repeat placement at 15 days due to catheter slippage with later full resolution. One child required open cyst gastrostomy due to reaccumulation two months following removal of the stent. Median hospital stay post E‐CG was 3 (1–23) days. There has been no recurrence at median follow‐up of 18 (5–108) months.

Conclusions:

Endoscopic cyst gastrostomy is a safe and effective alternative for the management of pancreatic pseudocysts in children and should now be considered as treatment of choice.
Chemical morphogenesis: recent experimental advances in reaction–diffusion system design and control
Authors: Szalai István , Cuiñas Daniel , Takács Nándor , Horváth Judit , De Kepper Patrick
Published: March 2012

In his seminal 1952 paper, Alan Turing predicted that diffusion could spontaneously drive an initially uniform solution of reacting chemicals to develop stable spatially periodic concentration patterns. It took nearly 40 years before the first two unquestionable experimental demonstrations of such reaction–diffusion patterns could be made in isothermal single phase reaction systems. The number of these examples stagnated for nearly 20 years. We recently proposed a design method that made their number increase to six in less than 3 years. In this report, we formally justify our original semi-empirical method and support the approach with numerical simulations based on a simple but realistic kinetic model. To retain a number of basic properties of real spatial reactors but keep calculations to a minimal complexity, we introduce a new way to collapse the confined spatial direction of these reactors. Contrary to similar reduced descriptions, we take into account the effect of the geometric size in the confinement direction and the influence of the differences in the diffusion coefficient on exchange rates of species with their feed environment. We experimentally support the method by the observation of stationary patterns in red-ox reactions not based on oxihalogen chemistry. Emphasis is also brought on how one of these new systems can process different initial conditions and memorize them in the form of localized patterns of different geometries.
Development of hepatitis C virus production reporter-assay systems using two different hepatoma cell lines
Authors: Takeda Midori , Ikeda Masanori , Ariumi Yasuo , Wakita Takaji , Kato Nobuyuki
Published: March 2012

A hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection system was developed previously using the HCV JFH-1 strain (genotype 2a) and HuH-7 cells, and this cell culture is so far the only robust production system for HCV. In patients with chronic hepatitis C, the virological effects of pegylated interferon and ribavirin therapy differ depending on the HCV strain and the genetic background of the host. Recently, we reported the hepatoma-derived Li23 cell line, in which the JFH-1 life cycle is reproduced at a level almost equal to that in HuH-7-derived RSc cells. To monitor the HCV life cycle more easily, we here developed JFH-1 reporter-assay systems using both HuH-7- and Li23-derived cell lines. To identify any genetic mutations by long-term cell culture, HCV RNAs in HuH-7 cells were amplified 130 days after infection and subjected to sequence analysis to find adaptive mutation(s) for robust virus replication. We identified two mutations, H2505Q and V2995L, in the NS5B region. V2995L but not H2505Q enhanced JFH-1 RNA replication. However, we found that H2505Q but not V2995L enhanced HCV RNA replication of strain O (genotype 1b). We also selected highly permissive D7 cells by serial subcloning of Li23 cells. The expression levels of claudin-1 and Niemann–Pick C1-like 1 in D7 cells are higher than those in parental Li23 cells. In this study, we developed HCV JFH-1 reporter-assay systems using two distinct hepatoma cell lines, HuH-7 and Li23. The mutations in NS5B resulted in different effects on strains O and JFH-1 HCV RNA replication.