bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assembling Jobs: A Model of How Tasks Are Bundled Into and Across Jobs
Authors: Cohen Lisa E.
Published: April 2012

How are tasks bundled into and across jobs within organizations? In this paper, I develop a model of this process of job design by drawing on a multisite qualitative study of task allocation following the installation of a DNA sequencer. The model that emerges is one of the assembly of tasks through multiple subassembly processes with multiple assemblers. Four activities produced requirements and requests for job designs and propositions about how to meet these: actively searching, passively receiving, doing work, and invoking preexisting ideas. The ideas that emerge from these processes are further transformed through reconciliation, interpretation, and performance. My observations show that this overall process is far reaching and incorporates many elements, not all of which are explicitly intended for job designs. The arrangements that emerge from this process are not the product of a deliberate and controlled job design process within the boundaries of a single organization.
Retrievable inferior vena cava filter use in major trauma
Authors: Vasireddy A , Phillips AM , Lewis D
Published: April 2012

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains a devastating complication among trauma patients. However, conventional VTE prophylaxis is often contraindicated in major trauma patients due to concurrent injuries. This article discusses the use of retrievable inferior vena cava filters as a method for VTE prophylaxis in major trauma patients.
Is there a need for early post-operative x-rays in primary total knee replacements? Experience of a centre in the UK
Authors: Hassan S , Wall A , Ayyawamy B , Rogers S , Mills SP , Charalambous CP
Published: April 2012

INTRODUCTION

Early post-operative x-rays are often taken in total knee replacements (TKRs). Patient mobilisation may be delayed until these x-rays are obtained and this may prolong discharge. The aim of this study was to assess the value of such early x-rays and whether they influenced the early post-operative management of these patients.

METHODS

A total of 624 consecutive TKRs performed at the Blackpool Victoria Hospital over a 34-month period were evaluated. Plain anteroposterior and lateral x-rays were examined.

RESULTS

Two patients were found to have significant abnormalities: an undisplaced peri prosthetic tibial fracture and a partial inferior pole patellar avulsion. Neither of these required further treatment or influenced mobility. No other complications were noted that changed routine post-operative management.

CONCLUSIONS

These results question the need for immediate x-rays in primary TKRs.
The development of a supraregional network for the management of penile cancer
Authors: Kumar P , Singh S , Goddard JC , Terry TR , Summerton DJ
Published: April 2012

INTRODUCTION

Although its incidence is increasing, penile cancer remains a rare disease in the UK. In view of this low volume, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence recommended that treatment is centralised in a limited number of centres arranged as supraregionai networks. The aim of this centralisation is to allow the best standardised treatment for the primary tumours and nodal disease, thereby avoiding under or overtreatment. In this paper we review the formation and functioning of our network in the East Midlands.

METHODS

Data were collected up to August 2010 from our prospective penile network database since its inception in 2005. These data were analysed to see our workload, patterns of referral and surgeries performed over this time period.

RESULTS

The structure and function of the East Midlands network are described. There has been an increase in the number of cases discussed since its formation. There has also been a trend towards more conservative surgery, both of the primary tumour and of nodal management. Between September 2009 and August 2010, 16 glansectomies were performed versus 5 total and 9 partial penectomies. The same period saw 18 dynamic sentinel lymph node biopsies against 7 bilateral and 3 unilateral superficial groin dissections. There was a very high patient satisfaction rate, with patients feeling they had good support and information.

CONCLUSIONS

On reviewing the literature it can be clearly seen that supraregionai networks have led to a decrease in overtreatment and better recognition of the need to manage lymph node status optimally. Our network has demonstrated the trend toward conservative surgery and sentinel node biopsy. The formation of supraregionai networks with a multidisciplinary approach will facilitate high volume centres that will offer optimal surgical therapy and also allow recruitment into studies and new chemotherapeutic regimens. It will also allow better data collection to aid clinical studies that hopefully will also demonstrate better outcomes.
Investigation prior to thyroglossal duct cyst excision
Authors: Joseph J , Lim K , Ramsden J
Published: April 2012

INTRODUCTION

Investigation of the anterior midiine neck lump has been debated over the years with little agreement on best practice. Thyrogiossai duct cysts (TDCs) are the most common aetiology. A TDC may contain ectopic thyroid tissue, which may affect the decision to excise.

METHODS

A computerised survey was sent to a representative sample of UK-based ENT surgeons to determine current practice in investigation of presumed TDCs and the incidence of ectopic thyroid tissue.

RESULTS

Overall, 95% of those surveyed use ultrasonography, with 32% also arranging thyroid function tests. Fifteen per cent had encountered absent normal thyroid tissue in the presence of a midiine neck swelling. In 64% of cases this represented the only functioning thyroid tissue. Thyroid function tests were normal in all but two cases.

CONCLUSIONS

The results show a significant change in practice over the last decade. All surgeons would arrange some form of investigation of a presumed TDC, with the vast majority using ultrasonography. Radioisotope scanning should only be used if the ultrasonography or thyroid function tests are abnormal. The incidence of ectopic thyroid tissue in this survey was higher than previously calculated, with a 0.17% prevalence of midiine neck lumps representing the only functioning thyroid tissue.
Peritoneal mesothelioma masquerading as an inguinal hernia
Authors: Chakravartty S , Singh JC , Jayamanne H , Shah V , Williams GL , Stephenson BM
Published: April 2012

We report a case of an 80-year-old man who presented with a right inguinal hernia that appeared incarcerated. On exploration a sausage shaped mass was found in the sac, which was debulked and histologically shown to be a well differentiated malignant peritoneal mesothelioma. Rare tumours may present as inguinal hernias and palliative debulking may be effective when they present in inguinal hernia sacs.
Value of the Student Pharmacist to Experiential Practice Sites: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Mersfelder Tracey L , Bouthillier Michael J
Published: April 2012

Objective:

To summarize the literature addressing clinical services provided by pharmacy students and the economic implications associated with those services.

Data Sources:

A literature search was performed through MEDLINE and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts from their inception through December 2011. Search terms included pharmacy students, doctor of pharmacy students, clinical interventions, documentations, and medication histories.

Study Selection and Data Extraction:

All research articles and abstracts published in English were included. Studies were excluded if they were not conducted in the US. Articles were reviewed and abstracted for number of interventions and proportion of total interventions performed by pharmacy students, type and duration of advanced practice experience, patient care location, time required for interventions, frequency of interventions that were accepted or implemented, and financial assessment of interventions when reported.

Data Synthesis:

A total of 29 fully published studies and 6 abstracts were identified. The majority of the studies evaluated the number of student recommendations made and the acceptance rate of those recommendations. On average, individual students made between 1.2 and 16 recommendations to prescribers per week. The acceptance rate ranged from 32% to 98%. In addition to recommendations, students performed intravenous to oral dose conversions and obtained medication histories. All of the studies that assessed the economic impact of student pharmacist involvement reported a cost savings or cost avoidance associated with having pharmacy students at the institution.

Conclusions:

Pharmacy students provide many recommendations with high acceptance rates. During their pharmacy practice experiences, students generally confer economic and clinical benefits that may exceed the costs associated with their supervision and training.
A Theoretical Study of the Effect of Carboxyl Hydroxamic Acid on the Flotation Behavior of Diaspore and Aluminosilicate Minerals
Authors: Jiang Yuren , Pan Yafei , Chen Dan , Wang Fangping , Yan Lingling , Li Guiyin , Xue Yulan
Published: April 2012

The collector for separating diasporic bauxite serves as a type of flotation reagent by adsorbing selectively on diaspore to make it hydrophobic enough to separate it from the aluminosilicates. Although the flotation process is considered economical in the desilication of Chinese diasporic bauxite, the existing collectors fail to separate these ores because of their poor adsorption selectivity over other minerals. The present study was an attempt to seek a collector for selective flotation of diaspore over aluminosilicates. A novel carboxyl hydroxamic acid compound, 2,2-bis(hydroxycarbamoyl) decanoic acid (BHDA), was designed and synthesized, and the flotation behavior of diaspore, kaolinite, and illite was investigated by flotation tests with BHDA. The interactions between the BHDA and the minerals were also explored by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), zeta-potential measurement, and density functional theory (DFT) calculation. Using BHDA as the collector, the pulp pH value affected the floatability of diaspore significantly while the floatability of kaolinite or illite was unaffected or only slightly affected. The dosage of BHDA had little effect on the floatability of the three minerals. The greatest difference in floatability between diaspore and aluminosilicates occurred at mid-range pulp pH (7). Large shifts in characteristic absorption peaks and new absorption peaks were observed for BHDA-treated diaspore but were absent from BHDA-treated aluminosilicates. The change in the negative zeta potential of diaspore was also greater than those of aluminosilicates in the presence of BHDA. The O atoms in the carboxyl and hydroxycarbamoyl of BHDA have highly negative charges, and favorable stereo conditions existed to form five- or six-membered rings, resulting in their coordination with the Al atoms of diaspore, leading to chemisorption in chelate rings; the adsorption of BHDA on kaolinite or illite, on the other hand, was mainly physical in nature. The BHDA was, therefore, highly selective in the flotation between diaspore and aluminosilicates and possibly suitable for the separation of diasporic bauxite.
Effects of Weathering on Glauconite: Evidence from The Abu Tartur Plateau, Egypt
Authors: Pestitschek Brigitte , Gier Susanne , Essa Mahmoud , Kurzweil Hans
Published: April 2012

Recognizing weathering effects is significant for any work carried out on glauconites at the surface. The mineralogy and chemistry of glauconite grains exposed to weathering in a hot arid climate for a maximum of 42 y were studied here. The objective of the study was to find the mineralogical and chemical differences between weathered glauconite from the surface and fresh glauconite from the subsurface.

One specific glauconite-bearing layer at the surface (Layer 16) of the Abu Tartur phosphate mine, located in the Western Desert of Egypt, was studied in detail and compared to a fresh, subsurface glauconitic sandstone from the underground mine.

Even within this single surface layer, the brownish-green glauconite grains vary in color and chemical composition. From top to bottom, the grains show an increase in Fe and K and a decrease in Al and S. In addition, the grains show an internal color zonation caused by variation of Fe and K contents between the center and rim of the grains. The differences in color and chemical composition are even more pronounced between the weathered-glauconite grains from the surface and the fresh glauconite grains from the subsurface which are dark green and enriched in Fe and K.

The clay fractions consisted of mixed-layer glauconite (illite)-smectite, with the surface samples containing more expandable smectite (50%) than the subsurface samples (20%). In the charge-distribution diagram for muscovite-pyrophyllite-celadonite, the weathered glauconites at the surface showed a clear trend from smectitic glauconite at the top to illitic glauconite at the bottom of the layer, whereas the fresh subsurface sample plotted exactly in the glauconite field.

The color, mineralogy, and chemistry indicate that the surface samples were strongly altered by weathering processes and that glauconite transformed progressively into Fe-rich mixed-layer illite-smectite and then into smectites.Weathering can thus completely reverse the glauconitization process. For any chemical and mineralogical characterization of glauconites at the surface, these weathering effects must be taken into consideration.
In the cultivation of research excellence – is rigour a no-brainer?
Authors: Wood John
Published: April 2012

This article explores the metaphor of ‘rigour’ and challenges its suitability for encouraging research ‘excellence’ within universities. By way of illustration, the author proposes a non-linear writing method that, when supported by good tutelage, renders plagiarism
virtually impossible. The system grew out of the Design Futures, Masters in Art (M.A.), at Goldsmiths, University of London, which help designers to write more usefully, and to enable them to re-purpose their writing. This tetrahedral writing structure was designed to subvert imposed rigour
by fostering a more dynamic, collective, ethical and entrepreneurial approach.
Phi territories: Neighbourhoods of collaboration and participation
Authors: Antonopoulou Alexandra , Dare Eleanor
Published: April 2012

The Phi Books have used the house as a metaphor for interdisciplinary collaboration by using narrative, making and performance to explore how borders, walls and doors facilitate collaboration. This has lead to the production of books and interactive material produced by the authors
and the participants, which are both fictional and imaginative while also being methodologically reflective. We would like to present the development of the Phi Books Project, showing its different stages, from the initial formulation of algorithmic fictions to technologically mediated and
embodied systems for collaboration.
Iron Deficiency Disrupts Axon Maturation of the Developing Auditory Nerve
Authors: Lee Dawn L. , Strathmann Frederick G. , Gelein Robert , Walton Joseph , Mayer-Pröschel Margot
Published: April 2012

Iron is critical in multiple aspects of CNS development, but its role in neurodevelopment—the ability of iron deficiency to alter normal development—is difficult to dissociate from the effects of anemia. We developed a novel dietary restriction model in the rat that allows us to study the effects of iron deficiency in the absence of severe anemia. Using a combination of auditory brainstem response analyses (ABR) and electron microscopy, we identified an unexpected impact of nonanemic iron deficiency on axonal diameter and neurofilament regulation in the auditory nerve. These changes are associated with altered ABR latency during development. In contrast to models of severe iron deficiency with anemia, we did not find consistent or prolonged defects in myelination. Our data demonstrate that iron deficiency in the absence of anemia disrupts normal development of the auditory nerve and results in altered conduction velocity.
Cooperative Roles of BDNF Expression in Neurons and Schwann Cells Are Modulated by Exercise to Facilitate Nerve Regeneration
Authors: Wilhelm Jennifer C. , Xu Mei , Cucoranu Delia , Chmielewski Sarah , Holmes Tiffany , Lau Kelly (Shukkwan) , Bassell Gary J. , English Arthur W.
Published: April 2012

After peripheral nerve injury, neurotrophins play a key role in the regeneration of damaged axons that can be augmented by exercise, although the distinct roles played by neurons and Schwann cells are unclear. In this study, we evaluated the requirement for the neurotrophin, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), in neurons and Schwann cells for the regeneration of peripheral axons after injury. Common fibular or tibial nerves inthy-1-YFP-Hmice were cut bilaterally and repaired using a graft of the same nerve from transgenic mice lacking BDNF in Schwann cells (BDNF−/−) or wild-type mice (WT). Two weeks postrepair, axonal regeneration intoBDNF−/−grafts was markedly less than WT grafts, emphasizing the importance of Schwann cell BDNF. Nerve regeneration was enhanced by treadmill training posttransection, regardless of the BDNF content of the nerve graft. We further tested the hypothesis that training-induced increases in BDNF in neurons allow regenerating axons to overcome a lack of BDNF expression in cells in the pathway through which they regenerate. Nerves in mice lacking BDNF in YFP+neurons (SLICK) were cut and repaired withBDNF−/−and WT nerves. SLICK axons lacking BDNF did not regenerate into grafts lacking Schwann cell BDNF. Treadmill training could not rescue the regeneration intoBDNF−/−grafts if the neurons also lacked BDNF. Both Schwann cell- and neuron-derived BDNF are thus important for axon regeneration in cut peripheral nerves.
Encoding of Sensory Prediction Errors in the Human Cerebellum
Authors: Schlerf John , Ivry Richard B. , Diedrichsen Jörn
Published: April 2012

A central tenet of motor neuroscience is that the cerebellum learns from sensory prediction errors. Surprisingly, neuroimaging studies have not revealed definitive signatures of error processing in the cerebellum. Furthermore, neurophysiologic studies suggest an asymmetry, such that the cerebellum may encode errors arising from unexpected sensory events, but not errors reflecting the omission of expected stimuli. We conducted an imaging study to compare the cerebellar response to these two types of errors. Participants made fast out-and-back reaching movements, aiming either for an object that delivered a force pulse if intersected or for a gap between two objects, either of which delivered a force pulse if intersected. Errors (missing the target) could therefore be signaled either through the presence or absence of a force pulse. In an initial analysis, the cerebellar BOLD response was smaller on trials with errors compared with trials without errors. However, we also observed an error-related decrease in heart rate. After correcting for variation in heart rate, increased activation during error trials was observed in the hand area of lobules V and VI. This effect was similar for the two error types. The results provide evidence for the encoding of errors resulting from either the unexpected presence or unexpected absence of sensory stimulation in the human cerebellum.
Spike Encoding of Neurotransmitter Release Timing by Spiral Ganglion Neurons of the Cochlea
Authors: Rutherford Mark A. , Chapochnikov Nikolai M. , Moser Tobias
Published: April 2012

Mammalian cochlear spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) encode sound with microsecond precision. Spike triggering relies upon input from a single ribbon-type active zone of a presynaptic inner hair cell (IHC). Using patch-clamp recordings of rat SGN postsynaptic boutons innervating the modiolar face of IHCs from the cochlear apex, at room temperature, we studied how spike generation contributes to spike timing relative to synaptic input. SGNs were phasic, firing a single short-latency spike for sustained currents of sufficient onset slope. Almost every EPSP elicited a spike, but latency (300–1500 μs) varied with EPSP size and kinetics. When current-clamp stimuli approximated the mean physiological EPSC (≈300 pA), several times larger than threshold current (rheobase, ≈50 pA), spikes were triggered rapidly (latency, ≈500 μs) and precisely (SD, <50 μs). This demonstrated the significance of strong synaptic input. However, increasing EPSC size beyond the physiological mean resulted in less-potent reduction of latency and jitter. Differences in EPSC charge and SGN baseline potential influenced spike timing less as EPSC onset slope and peak amplitude increased. Moreover, the effect of baseline potential on relative threshold was small due to compensatory shift of absolute threshold potential. Experimental first-spike latencies in response to a broad range of stimuli were predicted by a two-compartment exponential integrate-and-fire model, with latency prediction error of <100 μs. In conclusion, the close anatomical coupling between a strong synapse and spike generator along with the phasic firing property lock SGN spikes to IHC exocytosis timing to generate the auditory temporal code with high fidelity.
BK Channels Mediate Pathway-Specific Modulation of Visual Signals in theIn VivoMouse Retina
Authors: Tanimoto Naoyuki , Sothilingam Vithiyanjali , Euler Thomas , Ruth Peter , Seeliger Mathias W. , Schubert Timm
Published: April 2012

The modulatory role of large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+(BK) channels in the nervous system has been extensively studied. In the retina, it has been shown that BK channels play a pivotal role in modulating feedback from A17 amacrine cells to rod bipolar cells (RBCs). Here, we used electroretinography to examine the functional role of BK channels for rod and cone vision in the retinain vivousing a genetically engineered mouse lacking functional BK channels (Bk−/−). Under dark-adapted and light-adapted conditions, the lack of BK channels had no effect on photoreceptor activity, suggesting that these ion channels do not modulate photoreceptor responses. At the bipolar cell level, the ERG signals attributed to RBCs inBk−/−mice were not different from those in wild-type mice at low scotopic stimulus intensities. However, at high scotopic and low mesopic stimulus intensities, close to RBC saturation, a significant reduction of ERG signals reflecting RBC activity was present in theBk−/−retina. At higher mesopic stimulus intensities activating both RBCs and cone bipolar cells (CBCs), no difference in ERG signals betweenBk−/−and wild-type mice was found. In photopic stimulus paradigms, activity of ON- and OFF-CBCs inBk−/−and wild-type retinae was indistinguishable. These findings demonstrate that BK channels modulate visual responsesin vivoat the bipolar cell level at intermediate stimulus conditions.
Hierarchical Connectivity and Connection-Specific Dynamics in the Corticospinal–Corticostriatal Microcircuit in Mouse Motor Cortex
Authors: Kiritani Taro , Wickersham Ian R. , Seung H. Sebastian , Shepherd Gordon M. G.
Published: April 2012

The generation of purposive movement by mammals involves coordinated activity in the corticospinal and corticostriatal systems, which are involved in different aspects of motor control. In the motor cortex, corticospinal and corticostriatal neurons are closely intermingled, raising the question of whether and how information flows intracortically within and across these two channels. To explore this, we developed an optogenetic technique based on retrograde transfection of neurons with deletion-mutant rabies virus encoding channelrhodopsin-2, and used this in conjunction with retrograde anatomical labeling to stimulate and record from identified projection neurons in mouse motor cortex. We also used paired recordings to measure unitary connections. Both corticospinal and callosally projecting corticostriatal neurons in layer 5B formed within-class (recurrent) connections, with higher connection probability among corticostriatal than among corticospinal neurons. In contrast, across-class connectivity was extraordinarily asymmetric, essentially unidirectional from corticostriatal to corticospinal. Corticostriatal neurons in layer 5A and corticocortical neurons (callosal projection neurons similar to corticostriatal neurons) similarly received a paucity of corticospinal input. Connections involving presynaptic corticostriatal neurons had greater synaptic depression, and those involving postsynaptic corticospinal neurons had faster decaying EPSPs. Consequently, the three connections displayed a diversity of dynamic properties reflecting the different combinations of presynaptic and postsynaptic projection neurons. Collectively, these findings delineate a four-way specialized excitatory microcircuit formed by corticospinal and corticostriatal neurons. The “rectifying” corticostriatal-to-corticospinal connectivity implies a hierarchical organization and functional compartmentalization of corticospinal activity via unidirectional signaling from higher-order (corticostriatal) to lower-order (corticospinal) output neurons.
Returning from Oblivion: Imaging the Neural Core of Consciousness
Authors: Långsjö Jaakko W. , Alkire Michael T. , Kaskinoro Kimmo , Hayama Hiroki , Maksimow Anu , Kaisti Kaike K. , Aalto Sargo , Aantaa Riku , Jääskeläinen Satu K. , Revonsuo Antti , Scheinin Harry
Published: April 2012

One of the greatest challenges of modern neuroscience is to discover the neural mechanisms of consciousness and to explain how they produce the conscious state. We sought the underlying neural substrate of human consciousness by manipulating the level of consciousness in volunteers with anesthetic agents and visualizing the resultant changes in brain activity using regional cerebral blood flow imaging with positron emission tomography. Study design and methodology were chosen to dissociate the state-related changes in consciousness from the effects of the anesthetic drugs. We found the emergence of consciousness, as assessed with a motor response to a spoken command, to be associated with the activation of a core network involving subcortical and limbic regions that become functionally coupled with parts of frontal and inferior parietal cortices upon awakening from unconsciousness. The neural core of consciousness thus involves forebrain arousal acting to link motor intentions originating in posterior sensory integration regions with motor action control arising in more anterior brain regions. These findings reveal the clearest picture yet of the minimal neural correlates required for a conscious state to emerge.
Logarithmic Compression of Sensory Signals within the Dendritic Tree of a Collision-Sensitive Neuron
Authors: Jones Peter W. , Gabbiani Fabrizio
Published: April 2012

Neurons in a variety of species, both vertebrate and invertebrate, encode the kinematics of objects approaching on a collision course through a time-varying firing rate profile that initially increases, then peaks, and eventually decays as collision becomes imminent. In this temporal profile, the peak firing rate signals when the approaching object's subtended size reaches an angular threshold, an event which has been related to the timing of escape behaviors. In a locust neuron called the lobula giant motion detector (LGMD), the biophysical basis of this angular threshold computation relies on a multiplicative combination of the object's angular size and speed, achieved through a logarithmic-exponential transform. To understand how this transform is implemented, we modeled the encoding of angular velocity along the pathway leading to the LGMD based on the experimentally determined activation pattern of its presynaptic neurons. These simulations show that the logarithmic transform of angular speed occurs between the synaptic conductances activated by the approaching object onto the LGMD's dendritic tree and its membrane potential at the spike initiation zone. Thus, we demonstrate an example of how a single neuron's dendritic tree implements a mathematical step in a neural computation important for natural behavior.
Neural Mechanisms of Object Naming and Word Comprehension in Primary Progressive Aphasia
Authors: Hurley Robert S. , Paller Ken A. , Rogalski Emily J. , Mesulam M. Marsel
Published: April 2012

Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) is a neurodegenerative syndrome that causes a gradual atrophy of the left hemisphere language network, leading to impairments of object naming (anomia) and word comprehension. In 33 human subjects with PPA, object naming and word comprehension were explored with N400 potentials elicited by picture–word or picture–picture matching tasks. Two mechanisms of impairment were identified. In one group of patients, where the object name could be recognized but not retrieved during verbal naming, N400s in picture–word trials were also abnormal, revealing an associative basis for retrieval anomia. In these patients, a putative prephonological signal (i.e., lemma) evoked by the object picture appears to have become too weak to elicit retrieval, but not necessarily too weak to support the informationally less taxing process of recognition. A second group of PPA patients showed more severe naming deficits—the object name was neither verbalized nor recognized. Furthermore, nouns of the same category (but not those of other object categories) could not be identified as mismatches. This blurring of intracategory but not intercategory differentiation of word meaning was correlated with anterior temporal atrophy, predominantly in the left hemisphere, especially along the superior temporal gyrus. Although not part of the classic language network, this area appears critical for proceeding from generic to specific levels of word comprehension and object naming. N400 abnormalities emerged for lexical (picture–word) but not nonverbal (picture–picture) associations, supporting a dual-route rather than amodal organization of object concepts.
The Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 (GLP-1) Analogue, Exendin-4, Decreases the Rewarding Value of Food: A New Role for Mesolimbic GLP-1 Receptors
Authors: Dickson Suzanne L. , Shirazi Rozita H. , Hansson Caroline , Bergquist Filip , Nissbrandt Hans , Skibicka Karolina P.
Published: April 2012

The glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) system is a recently established target for type 2 diabetes treatment. In addition to regulating glucose homeostasis, GLP-1 also reduces food intake. Previous studies demonstrate that the anorexigenic effects of GLP-1 can be mediated through hypothalamic and brainstem circuits which regulate homeostatic feeding. Here, we demonstrate an entirely novel neurobiological mechanism for GLP-1-induced anorexia in rats, involving direct effects of a GLP-1 agonist, Exendin-4 (EX4) on food reward that are exerted at the level of the mesolimbic reward system. We assessed the impact of peripheral, central, and intramesolimbic EX4 on two models of food reward: conditioned place preference (CPP) and progressive ratio operant-conditioning. Food-reward behavior was reduced in the CPP test by EX4, as rats no longer preferred an environment previously paired to chocolate pellets. EX4 also decreased motivated behavior for sucrose in a progressive ratio operant-conditioning paradigm when administered peripherally. We show that this effect is mediated centrally, via GLP-1 receptors (GLP-1Rs). GLP-1Rs are expressed in several key nodes of the mesolimbic reward system; however, their function remains unexplored. Thus we sought to determine the neurobiological substrates underlying the food-reward effect. We found that the EX4-mediated inhibition of food reward could be driven from two key mesolimbic structures—ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens—without inducing concurrent malaise or locomotor impairment. The current findings, that activation of central GLP-1Rs strikingly suppresses food reward/motivation by interacting with the mesolimbic system, indicate an entirely novel mechanism by which the GLP-1R stimulation affects feeding-oriented behavior.
Optimale Verteilung von Mautgebühren zur Verkehrsführung: Einführung in die Modellierung und Analyse
Authors: Müller Christian , Rehkopf Andreas , Bauersfeld Sindy
Published: April 2012

Dieser Beitrag befasst sich mit der Modellierung und Analyse einer optimalen Verteilung von Mautgebühren. Dazu wird das betrachtete Straßennetz zunächst als Graph beschrieben und untersucht. Auf dieses Netzwerk werden anschließend (Verkehrs)-Flussalgorithmen angewendet und deren Robustheit gegenüber Schwankungen in den Streckenkosten bestimmt. Der Beitrag stellt gleichermaßen eine Einführung in die mathematische Methodik dar, welche an einem praktischen Beispiel verdeutlicht wird.
Renal stones and calcifications in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism: associations with biochemical variables
Authors: Starup-Linde Jakob , Waldhauer Elin , Rolighed Lars , Mosekilde Leif , Vestergaard Peter
Published: April 2012

Objective

To study the prevalence of renal stones and nephrocalcinosis in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and to appraise biochemical variables as risk factors for developing renal calcifications.

Design

Cross-sectional.

Materials and methods

All patients (n=177) undergoing diagnostic evaluation and surgery for PHPT at Aarhus University Hospital between 2007 and 2009. All patients underwent routine spiral CT scans of the abdomen to determine the presence or absence of renal calcifications.

Results

A total of 45 patients (25.4%, 95% confidence intervals: 19.0–31.4%) had renal stones (15.3%) and/or renal calcifications (10.2%) on the CT scans. Compared with those without calcification (n=132), the group with calcification had a significantly lower plasma creatinine level (67.0±25.1 vs 74.6±17.5 μmol/l, 2P=0.03). Moreover, CaE was higher in PHPT patients with renal calcification than in PHPT patients without (0.91±0.28 vs 0.74±0.40 mmol/mmol, 2P=0.02). The other measured or derived biochemical variables were similar in the two groups. No biochemical variable was predictive for renal calcifications in a multiple regression analysis.

Conclusion

We found a high prevalence of renal calcifications among PHPT patients but no deterioration of renal function. The occurrence of calcifications was related to low plasma creatinine and a high urine calcium/creatinine ratio. However, biochemical markers in general were poor predictors for the risk of renal stones or nephrocalcinosis indicating that routine image diagnostics may be needed for the identification of these complications in order to establish indication for surgery and ensure proper treatment.
Ormeloxifene inhibits osteoclast differentiation in parallel to downregulating RANKL-induced ROS generation and suppressing the activation of ERK and JNK in murine RAW264.7 cells
Authors: Kharkwal Geetika , Chandra Vishal , Fatima Iram , Dwivedi Anila
Published: April 2012

Ormeloxifene (Orm), a triphenylethylene compound, has been established as a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) that suppresses the ovariectomy-induced bone resorption in rats. However, the precise mechanism underlying the bone-preserving action of Orm remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated the effect of Orm on osteoclast formation induced by receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL) in the murine macrophage cell line RAW264.7. We also explored the mechanism of action of Orm by studying the RANKL-induced signaling pathways required for osteoclast differentiation. We found that Orm inhibited osteoclast formation from murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells induced by RANKL in a dose-dependent manner. Orm was able to abolish RANKL-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) elevation and inhibited the transcriptional activation of two key RANKL-induced transcription factors namely activator protein-1 (AP-1) and NF-κB through mechanisms involving MAPKs. Activation of two MAPKs, i.e. ERK (MAPK1) and JNK (MAPK8), was alleviated by Orm effectively, which subsequently affected the activation of c-Jun and c-Fos, which are the essential components of the AP-1 transcription complex. Taken together, our results demonstrate that Orm potentially inhibits osteoclastogenesis by inhibiting ROS generation and thereby suppressing the activation of ERK1/2 (MAPK3/MAPK1) and JNK (MAPK8) and transcription factors (NF-κB and AP-1), which subsequently affect the regulation of osteoclastogenesis. These results provide a possible mechanism of action of Orm in regulating osteoclastogenesis, thereby supporting the beneficial bone-protective effects of this compound.
AL amyloidosis
Authors: Gadó Klára , Domján Gyula
Published: April 2012

AL amyloidosis is a systemic disease characterised by pathogenetic proteins produced by malignant plasma cells and the deposition of them in different organs of the body. Amyloidogenic protein is the light chain of the monoclonal immunoglobulin, which becomes water insoluble, precipitates and deposites in the extracellular space resulting damage of organ function. AL amyloidosis belongs to plasma cell dyscrasias or it can associate to other monoclonal B-cell diseases. Diagnosis – such as in case of other types of amyloidosis – is based on histology. Identification of the amyloidogenic protein often needs special examinations. The goal of the therapy is the eradication of the malignant cell clone. Therapeutical armamentarium has been largely flared in the past few decades, several drugs with new mechanisms of action are available (thalidomide, lenalidomide, bortezomib). The standard treatment is high dose chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation in case of eligible patients. Transplantation uneligible patients can be treated with a low dose alkylating agent with or without dexamethasone, or with the new agents. The therapeutical decision must be preceded by very thorough risk assessment. Early diagnosis and the prompt beginning of the treatment has great significance because the evolving functional abnormalities of parenchymal organs (mainly cardiac failure) prevents the effectivity of the treatment. Amyloidosis is an orphan disease, special centers play a significant role in the field of clinical trials. Orv. Hetil., 2012, 153, 563–573.
Contemporary Spirituality and the Making of Religious Experience
Authors: Versteeg Peter , Roeland Johan
Published: April 2012

The ‘turn to experience’ has been described as one of the most defining characteristics of contemporary religion. Research on religion, and in particular on spirituality, therefore increasingly concentrates on the description of its experiential dimensions. The turn to experience, however, asks for something more than just the observation that a particular dimension (experience) has become of greater value for practitioners of religion. Dimensions which have for a long time been central to the social-scientific study of religion, but are avoided in the practitioners’ discourse and, surprisingly, in the social-scientific discourse as well, such as authority and power, turn out to be of lasting significance in the mediation and construction of religious experience. In this contribution, the authors take the social construction of religious experience in contemporary spirituality as a starting point for a reflection and discussion on the methodological challenges of experiential religion for those engaged in the study of religion.
Avaliação da eficácia de diferentes protocolos de preparo do Plasma Rico em Plaquetas para uso em Medicina Equina
Authors: Vendruscolo Cynthia P. , Carvalho Armando de M , Moraes Lívia F. , Maia Leandro , Queiroz Diana L , Watanabe Marcos J , Yamada Ana Lúcia M. , Alves Ana Liz G
Published: April 2012

O Plasma Rico em Plaquetas (PRP) é um preparado do sangue total que contém diversos fatores de crescimento responsáveis pela proliferação e diferenciação celular, angiogênese, como também pelo aumento da produção da matriz extracelular. Nesse sentido, o objetivo do presente estudo foi testar 10 protocolos diferentes de centrifugação para obtenção de PRP a partir do sangue total de equinos hígidos. Para isso foram utilizadas 10 amostras de 27mL de sangue total de cinco animais, as quais foram centrifugadas conforme cada protocolo proposto. Os resultados revelaram que os protocolos com menor força de centrifugação relativa resultaram em maior (p<0,05) concentração de plaquetas e, que não houve (p>0,05) influência do tempo de centrifugação em relação a essa variável. A influência do tempo foi observada apenas no número de leucócitos em protocolos com menor força de centrifugação relativa (FCR). Os quatro melhores protocolos, que obtiveram as maiores concentrações de plaquetas, foram submetidos à análise pelo teste de ELISA para dosar a quantidade de TGF-β que não revelou diferença (p>0,05) entre os protocolos.
Intoxicação experimental por Indigofera suffruticosa em caprinos e ovinos
Authors: Figueiredo Anna P.M. de , Medeiros Rosane M.T , Dantas Francelicia P.M. , Leite Amélia L.D , Fighera Rafael A. , Riet-Correa Franklin
Published: April 2012

Indigofera suffruticosa é uma planta invasora, ção. Em um caprino e um ovino foram realizados os testes que causa anemia hemolítica com hemoglobinúria em bo-de fragilidade osmótica, determinação de hemoglobina e vinos e, experimentalmente, anemia sem hemoglobinúria metemoglobina e pesquisa de corpúsculos de Heinz. Foi em cobaios. O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a comprovado que em caprinos e ovinos, I. suffruticosa cautoxicidade de I. suffruticosa para caprinos e ovinos. Par-sa anemia hemolítica sem hemoglobinúria com formação tes aéreas da planta foram administradas a seis caprinos de corpúsculos de Heinz. Os animais recuperaram-se da e quatro ovinos em doses diárias de 10, 20 e 40g por kg anemia, total ou parcialmente, mesmo com a continuidade de peso vivo, durante períodos de 2 a 24 dias. Foram ava-da administração da planta. Oito a 12 horas após a coleliados os parâmetros hematológicos (hematócrito, níveis ta observa-se pigmento azulado na urina. Sugere-se que o de hemoglobina e contagem de hemácias) e foi coletada pigmento seja anilina ou algum metabolito dessa substânurina para urinálise e observação de variações na coloracia e que a anilina seja o princípio ativo responsável pela hemólise causada por I. suffruticosa.
Cisto gigante de colédoco
Authors: Fonseca-Neto Olival Cirilo Lucena da , Sant'Ana Hermes Willer Olinda , Cavalcanti Luciana Marins , Miranda Antônio Lopes de
Published: April 2012

INTRODUÇÃO: A doença cística das vias biliares é anomalia congênita que pode acometer as vias biliares intra e/ou extra-hepáticas. A extra-hepática inclui os cistos de colédoco e a intra-hepática é conhecida por Doença de Caroli. Os cistos de colédoco de tamanho gigante são muito raros. OBJETIVO: Relatar o caso de um cisto de colédoco de tamanho gigante em uma paciente feminina. RELATO DE CASO: Mulher de 19 anos foi admitida com história de icterícia e acolia fecal há sete dias. Referia dor epigástrica associada com ingestão de dieta rica em gordura. Nos antecedentes pessoais relatou dois episódios de icterícia, aos 8 e 14 anos, que progrediram espontaneamente. No exame físico apresentava icterícia (+3/+4) e uma massa palpável indolor em mesogástrio foram os únicos achados. A ultrassonografia demonstrou grande formação cística de paredes finas adjacente ao hepatocolédoco, pâncreas e rim direito que media 18,5 x 10,2 cm. A colangioressonância confirmou o grande cisto de colédoco e hepatojejunoanastomose em "Y" de Roux após excisão do cisto e colecistectomia foi realizada. A formação cística media 20 x 15,5 x 12,5 cm e com um volume médio de 1000 mL. A paciente encontra-se em acompanhamento ambulatorial sem alterações hepatobiliares após o sétimo mês da operação. CONCLUSÃO: O cisto de colédoco deve fazer parte do diagnóstico diferencial em pacientes adultos jovens com icterícia e massa palpável; no entanto, a diferenciação entre ele e neoplasia maligna deve ser pesquisada.
Análise comparativa e avaliação de prioridades de competição em três cadeias de suprimentos do setor petroquímico
Authors: Silva Brian , Finardi Cristiano , Forneck Marcelo , Sellitto Miguel Afonso
Published: April 2012

Este artigo analisa comparativamente e avalia qualitativamente prioridades de competição em três cadeias de suprimentos da indústria petroquímica, A, B e C. A pesquisa foi feita no segundo semestre de 2006. O artigo revisa definições sobre cadeias de suprimentos, destacando principalmente a forma de rede que estas podem assumir. A seguir, apresenta os três casos estudados. A pesquisa identificou sete prioridades de competição em petroquímica: qualidade, entrega, flexibilidade, custo, inovação, comunicação e segurança, que foram desdobradas em dimensões. As prioridades foram ponderadas por gestores, com apoio do método multicriterial AHP, chegando-se a uma estrutura de competitividade, que apoiou a avaliação, baseada em julgamento. Ao fim, as diferenças entre as prioridades e os desempenhos julgados formaram uma estrutura de objetivos para as cadeias. A deve priorizar qualidade, B flexibilidade e C redução de custo.
Nursing diagnoses in trauma victims with fatal outcomes in the emergency scenario
Authors: Sallum Ana Maria Calil , Santos Jair Lício Ferreira dos , Lima Fernão Dias de
Published: April 2012

The objective of this study was to identify and analyze the nursing diagnoses that constitute risk factors for death in trauma victims in the first 6 hours post-event. This is a cross-sectional, descriptive and exploratory study using quantitative analysis. A total of 406 patients were evaluated over six months of data collection in a tertiary hospital in the municipality of São Paulo, according to an instrument created for this purpose. Of the total, 44 (10.7%) suffered death. Multivariate analysis indicated the nursing diagnoses ineffective respiratory pattern, impaired spontaneous ventilation, risk of bleeding and risk of ineffective gastrointestinal tissue perfusion as risk factors for death and ineffective airway clearance, impaired comfort, and acute pain as protective factors, data that can direct health teams for different interventionist actions faced with the complexity of the trauma.
Patients' experiences of peritoneal dialysis at home: a phenomenological approach
Authors: Sadala Maria Lúcia Araújo , Bruzos Gabriela Azevedo de Souza , Pereira Estela Regina , Bucuvic Edwa Maria
Published: April 2012

The aim of this study was to highlight the meaning of home dialysis as experienced by patients with chronic renal failure. The research design was influenced by Ricoeur´s phenomenology. Nineteen patients from a Brazilian public hospital were interviewed, from May to September 2009. Interviews were guided by the question: "Tell me about your experiences lived undergoing PD". Findings unveiled the patients' perception of the drastic changes in their existence, consequent to disease and treatment; and the perception of themselves in that process. The feeling of anguish, physical pain and deprivations were part of living that condition. They foresee an uncertain future, depending on the expertise of health care providers and the demands on support of significant others. Findings suggest that individual aspects of patients' experiences must be considered if health care providers are to facilitate positive health outcomes.