bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Lao Economy: Capitalizing on Natural Resource Exports
Authors: Menon Jayant , Warr Peter
Published: May 2013

Trade and investment reforms in Laos since the mid‐1980s have boosted natural resource‐based exports, underpinning recent economic growth. A high proportion of the proceeds from these exports accrue directly to the government. Over the 8 years preceding 2011, total government revenue increased from 11% to over 19% of gross domestic product, due almost entirely to revenues derived from mining and hydropower. The effect on the Lao people depends on how the government uses these revenues. This paper examines how Laos' export‐led growth can be channeled into directions that deliver the greatest benefit to the Lao people.
Relative group size and minority school success: The role of intergroup friendship and discrimination experiences
Authors: Baysu Gülseli , Phalet Karen , Brown Rupert
Published: May 2013

From an intergroup relations perspective, relative group size is associated with the quantity and quality of intergroup contact: more positive contact (i.e., intergroup friendship) supports, and negative contact (i.e., experienced discrimination) hampers, minority identity, and school success. Accordingly, we examined intergroup contact as the process through which perceived relative proportions of minority and majority students in school affected minority success (i.e., school performance, satisfaction, and self‐efficacy). Turkish minorities (N = 1,060) were compared in four Austrian and Belgian cities which differ in their typical school ethnic composition. Across cities, minority experiences of intergroup contact fully mediated the impact of perceived relative group size on school success. As expected, higher minority presence impaired school success through restricting intergroup friendship and increasing experienced discrimination. The association between minority presence and discrimination was curvilinear, however, so that schools where minority students predominated offered some protection from discrimination. To conclude, the comparative findings reveal positive and negative intergroup contact as key processes that jointly explain when and how higher proportions of minority students affect school success.
Penile rehabilitation after radical prostatectomy: what the evidence really says
Authors: Fode Mikkel , Ohl Dana A. , Ralph David , Sønksen Jens
Published: May 2013

The pathophysiology of erectile dysfunction after radical prostatectomy (RP) is believed to include neuropraxia, which leads to temporarily reduced oxygenation and subsequent structural changes in penile tissue. This results in veno‐occlusive dysfunction, therefore, penile rehabilitation programmes focus on tissue oxygenation. Animal studies support the use of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5Is) after cavernous nerve damage but results from human studies are contradictory. The largest study to date found no long‐term effect of either daily or on‐demand PDE5I administration after RP compared with placebo. The effects of prostaglandin and vacuum erection devices are questionable and high‐quality studies are lacking. Better documentation for current penile rehabilitation and/or better rehabilitation protocols are needed. One must be careful not to repeat the statement that penile rehabilitation improves erectile function after RP so many times that it becomes a truth even without the proper scientific backing.
Clinical and sonographic features predict testicular torsion in children: a prospective study
Authors: Boettcher Michael , Krebs Thomas , Bergholz Robert , Wenke Katharina , Aronson Daniel , Reinshagen Konrad
Published: May 2013

Objective

To test the clinical and sonographic predictors of testicular torsion (TT) with the aim of reducing negative exploration rates.

Patients and Methods

We performed a prospective study of all boys treated for ‘acute scrotum’ at our institute between January 2001 and April 2012 and clinical findings were documented.

If available, ultrasonography (US) was added to the diagnostic evaluation.

A prediction of the diagnosis was based on clinical and sonographic features, and was followed by surgical exploration in all patients.

Results

A total of 104 patients were included in the 16‐month period of the study.

No single finding excluded TT. The clinical features (pain <24 h, nausea/vomiting, abnormal cremasteric reflex, high position of the testis) appeared predictive (100% sensitivity) and the clinical scoring system was proven to be reliable, reducing the negative exploration rate by >55%.

Ultrasound predictors alone were not able to identify all boys with TT.

Conclusions

It is safe to refrain from routine surgical exploration in every child with acute scrotum if the clinical score is applied, which results in a marked reduction of negative explorations.

A reliable diagnosis could not be obtained based on US alone. As scrotal US is unpleasant for the child, we propose to refrain from this if the clinical score is positive. Patients with a negative clinical score are suitable candidates for US to establish and secure diagnosis.
Follistatin‐like 5 is expressed in restricted areas of the adult mouse brain: Implications for its function in the olfactory system
Authors: Masuda Tomoyuki , Sakuma Chie , Nagaoka Atsuko , Yamagishi Toshiyuki , Ueda Shuichi , Nagase Takahiro , Yaginuma Hiroyuki
Published: May 2013

Follistatin‐like 5 (Fstl5), a member of the follistatin family of genes, encodes a secretory glycoprotein. Previous studies revealed that other members of this family including Fstl1 and Fstl3 play an essential role in development, homeostasis, and congenital disorders. However, the in vivo function of Fstl5 is poorly understood. To gain insight into the function of Fstl5 in the mouse central nervous system, we examined the Fstl5 expression pattern in the adult mouse brain. The results of in situ hybridization analysis showed a highly restricted pattern of Fstl5, namely, with localization in the olfactory system, hippocampal CA3 area and granular cell layer of the cerebellum. Restricted expression in the olfactory system suggests a possible role for Fstl5 in maintaining odor perception.
Acute hormonal responses following different velocities of eccentric exercise
Authors: Libardi Cleiton A. , Nogueira Felipe R. D. , Vechin Felipe C. , Conceição Miguel S. , Bonganha Valéria , Chacon‐Mikahil Mara Patricia T.
Published: May 2013

The aim of this study was to compare the acute hormonal responses following two different eccentric exercise velocities. Seventeen healthy, untrained, young women were randomly placed into two groups to perform five sets of six maximal isokinetic eccentric actions at slow (30° s−1) and fast (210° s−1) velocities with 60‐s rest between sets. Growth hormone, cortisol, free and total testosterone were assessed by blood samples collected at baseline, immediately postexercise, 5, 15 and 30 min following eccentric exercise. Changes in hormonal responses over time were compared between groups, using a mixed model followed by a Tukey's post hoc test. The main findings of the present study were that the slow group showed higher growth hormone values immediately (5·08 ± 2·85 ng ml−1, P = 0·011), 5 (5·54 ± 3·01 ng ml−1, P = 0·004) and 15 min (4·30 ± 2·87 ng ml−1, P = 0·021) posteccentric exercise compared with the fast group (1·39 ± 2·41 ng ml−1, 1·34 ± 1·97 ng ml−1 and 1·24 ± 1·87 ng ml−1, respectively), and other hormonal responses were not different between groups (P>0·05). In conclusion, slow eccentric exercise velocity enhances more the growth hormone(GH) response than fast eccentric exercise velocity without cortisol and testosterone increases.
The Global Moment of 2011: Democracy, Social Justice and Dignity
Authors: Glasius Marlies , Pleyers Geoffrey
Published: May 2013

In this contribution, we argue that post‐2010 activisms, ranging from the Arab revolts to the Occupy movement, the Indignados and anti‐austerity protests in Europe, and the pro‐democracy protests in Russia and Mexico, exhibit three kinds of commonalities. These are a common infrastructure of networks and meetings that facilitate rapid diffusion; a generational background shaped both by the precarity of paid work and by exposure to and participation in global information streams; and, most fundamentally, a shared articulation of demands and practices. We further argue that three interconnected concepts have been at the core of both demands and the identity of these movements: democracy, social justice and dignity. Flowing from these three shared values and practices, post‐2010 activisms also share a mistrust of institutional politics and a determination not to become corrupted by power, which run deeper than in previous generations of activists and which pose an ongoing challenge to their involvement with formal politics.
Power and the Twenty‐first Century Activist: From the Neighbourhood to the Square
Authors: Pearce Jenny
Published: May 2013

This article is about the alternative forms of power emerging in contemporary activism. It conceptualizes this new form of power as ‘non‐dominating’, and puts forward six propositions which characterize this form of power. It builds on work about power with eight diverse communities in the North of England, to argue that this form of power does exist in practice at the neighbourhood level, even though it is not articulated as such. While neighbourhood activists have difficulty in making this form of power effective, at the level of the ‘square’ and global activism, new understandings and practices of power are under conscious experimentation. This contribution therefore suggests that better connections need to be built between these levels of activism. At the same time, non‐dominating power should be recognized as enhancing the debate about effective and transformative change and how it can avoid reproducing dominating power.
Citizen Action in the Time of the Network
Authors: Shah Nishant
Published: May 2013

The recent rise of ‘digital activism’ has promoted a questioning of the existing relationships between state, markets, civil society and citizen action by developing new and networked ways of thinking. The network society has become the default context within which these acts of digital activism are located and understood. This contribution proposes that the newness in ‘Activisms 2010+’ is the imperative that the digital technologies put upon these events should be rendered intelligible, legible and accessible within the digital paradigm. There is a demand that local events, contextual histories and material practices should be made understandable and accountable to the global rhetoric of ‘spectacle’ that neglects, overrides and makes invisible acts that do not have the possibility of a spectacle. Through a case study of the ‘Shanzhai Spring Festival Gala’ in China, this article hopes to illustrate the need for a new conceptual framework and vocabulary to account for the new conditions of citizen action and the potentials for political change and intervention therein. It further suggests that the discourse around digital activism stop focusing on the new in terms of processes, spectacles and objects, and instead look at the new in conditions that make citizen action possible.
The influence of physical activity on vascular complications and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Blomster J. I. , Chow C. K. , Zoungas S. , Woodward M. , Patel A. , Poulter N. R. , Marre M. , Harrap S. , Chalmers J. , Hillis G. S.
Published: May 2013

Aims

There is limited evidence regarding the association between physical activity and vascular complications, particularly microvascular disease, in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

From the 11 140 patients in the ADVANCE (Action in Diabetes and Vascular Disease: Preterax and Diamicron modified release Controlled Evaluation) trial, the effect of physical activity, categorized as none, mild, moderate or vigorous, and the number of sessions within a week, was examined in multivariable regression models adjusted for potential confounders. The study end‐points were major cardiovascular events, microvascular complications and all‐cause mortality.

Results

Forty‐six percent of participants reported undertaking moderate to vigorous physical activity for >15 min at least once in the previous week. During a median of 5 years of follow‐up, 1031 patients died, 1147 experienced a major cardiovascular event and 1136 a microvascular event. Compared to patients who undertook no or mild physical activity, those reporting moderate to vigorous activity had a decreased risk of cardiovascular events (HR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.69–0.88, p < 0.0001), microvascular events (HR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.76–0.96, p = 0.010) and all‐cause mortality (HR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.73–0.94, p = 0.0044).

Conclusions

Moderate to vigorous, but not mild, physical activity is associated with a reduced incidence of cardiovascular events, microvascular complications and all‐cause mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Growth in transition countries
Authors: Dell'Anno Roberto , Villa Stefania
Published: May 2013

This study analyzes the impact of the speed of transition reforms on economic growth in transition countries in the context of the debate on ‘big‐bang vs. gradualist approach’. It builds a new indicator for the speed of transition reforms based on a three‐way principal component analysis. It shows that: (i) the speed of transition reforms Granger‐causes economic growth and there is no reverse causation; (ii) the impact of contemporaneous speed of transition reforms on economic growth is negative, but becomes positive in the longer horizon; and (iii) other factors, such as initial conditions and macroeconomic stabilization programmes, also drive economic growth. Although the first two results are robust to different estimators, the impact of control variables depends on the econometric specification.
BAALC and WT1 expressions from diagnosis to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: consecutive monitoring in adult patients with core‐binding‐factor‐positive AML
Authors: Yoon Jae‐Ho , Kim Hee‐Je , Shin Seung‐Hwan , Yahng Seung‐Ah , Lee Sung‐Eun , Cho Byung‐Sik , Eom Ki‐Seong , Kim Yoo‐Jin , Lee Seok , Min Chang‐Ki , Cho Seok‐Goo , Kim Dong‐Wook , Lee Jong‐Wook , Min Woo‐Sung , Park Chong‐Won , Lim Ji‐Hyang
Published: May 2013

No consecutive analysis of BAALC and WT1 expressions associated with core‐binding factor AML (CBF‐AML) from diagnosis to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has yet been reported. We investigated BAALC and WT1 expressions using a method of real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ‐PCR) at diagnosis, after induction chemotherapy, at pre‐HSCT, and at post‐HSCT period in 45 consecutive patients [t(8,21) (n = 28), inv(16) (n = 17)], who received HSCT as a post‐remission treatment. BAALC and WT1 RQ‐PCR decrement ratio (DR) was also calculated at post‐induction chemotherapy, at pre‐HSCT, and at post‐HSCT compared with the diagnostic level. Higher BAALC expression at diagnosis showed significantly inferior OS (P = 0.031), EFS (P = 0.011), and higher CIR (P = 0.002) rates. At post‐HSCT, both higher BAALC and WT1 expressions showed significantly inferior OS (P = 0.005, 0.016), EFS (P = 0.002, 0.006), and higher CIR (P = 0.001, 0.003) rates. A subgroup of t(8;21) showing higher BAALC and WT1 expressions at post‐HSCT were also associated with inferior OS (P = 0.018, 0.015) and higher CIR rates (P = 0.019, 0.011). While BAALC DR showed no significant results on outcomes, WT1 DR more than 2‐log at post‐HSCT showed significantly lower CIR rate (P = 0.028). This study showed that higher post‐HSCT BAALC and WT1 expressions in patients with CBF‐AML may be good markers of minimal residual disease for the prediction of survival and relapse after HSCT.
Respectable Femininity and Career Agency: Exploring Paradoxical Imperatives
Authors: Fernando Weerahannadige Dulini Anuvinda , Cohen Laurie
Published: May 2013

This paper places respectable femininity at the very centre of career enactment. In the accounts of 24 Sri Lankan women, notions of being a ‘respectable’ woman recurred as respondents described how important it was to adhere to the powerful behavioural norms for women in their organizations and society. However while such respectability was vital for women's career progression, it ultimately restricted their agency and conflicted with other requirements for advancement. Based on our empirical findings, we propose that being a respectable woman was experienced as paradox, where at times it was seen as impossible to be both a good woman and a successful careerist. We highlight the implications of our findings for women's careers in South Asia and more widely.
A survey of patients with haemophilia to understand how they track product used at home
Authors: Sholapur N. S. , Barty R. , Wang G. , Almonte T. , Heddle N. M.
Published: May 2013

Record keeping among individuals who manage haemophilia at home is an essential tool of communication between patient and Haemophilia Treatment Center (HTC). Complete records help HTCs monitor patients, their use of factor and ensure treatment is optimal. HTCs provide patients with a number of methods to track infusion practices. The study objectives were to: [1] determine the current methods of record keeping; [2] identify previous methods of record keeping; [3] understand the strengths and weaknesses associated with each method; and [4] gather suggestions for improvement. Survey methods were used to address the research objectives. Of the 83 patients in the Hamilton‐Niagara region who received the survey distributed through the local HTC, 51 returned surveys were included into the analysis. Descriptive statistics were used. Results indicate individuals with haemophilia record infusion practices using: paper diaries, excel spreadsheets, hand‐held PDAs and/or the online EZ‐Log Web Client. The most popular method of record keeping was EZ‐Log (45.1%) followed by paper diaries (35.2%). Advantages to using paper methods include the visual tracking of information and retaining hardcopies. The disadvantage was the inconvenience of physically submitting the records monthly. Advantages to using the online EZ‐Log Web Client included ease of use and improved accuracy. The primary disadvantage was technical errors that were difficult to troubleshoot. Record keeping practices among individuals with haemophilia seem to vary according to personal preference and convenience. Respondents suggested that saving infusion history, incorporating barcode scanners or a copy and paste function could improve electronic methods.
Stromal architecture and periductal decorin are potential prognostic markers for ipsilateral locoregional recurrence in ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast
Authors: Van Bockstal Mieke , Lambein Kathleen , Gevaert Olivier , De Wever Olivier , Praet Marleen , Cocquyt Veronique , Van den Broecke Rudy , Braems Geert , Denys Hannelore , Libbrecht Louis
Published: May 2013

Aims

The incidence of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) has increased since the introduction of screening mammography. Recurrence prediction is still not accurate, and could be improved by identifying additional prognostic markers. Periductal stroma actively participates in early breast cancer progression. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the prognostic potential of stromal characteristics in DCIS.

Methods and results

Histopathological features and hormone receptor/HER2 status were analysed in a first cohort of 65 cases of DCIS with a median follow‐up of 112 months. Cox regression analysis revealed that myxoid stromal architecture was significantly associated with increased ipsilateral locoregional recurrence (P = 0.015). Next, we performed immunohistochemical screening of nine stromal proteins in a second cohort of 82 DCIS cases, and correlated their expression with stromal architecture. Because reduced stromal decorin expression correlated most strongly with myxoid stroma (P < 0.001), it was selected for further analysis in the first cohort. Patients with reduced periductal decorin expression had a higher risk of recurrence (P = 0.008). Furthermore, HER2 overexpression was significantly associated with invasive but not with in situ recurrence (P = 0.007).

Conclusions

Periductal myxoid stroma and reduced periductal decorin expression seem to be prognostic for overall ipsilateral locoregional recurrence in DCIS, whereas HER2 expression might be a more specific biomarker for invasive recurrence.
A double‐blind placebo‐controlled trial of N‐acetylcysteine in the treatment of cocaine dependence
Authors: LaRowe Steven D. , Kalivas Peter W. , Nicholas Joyce S. , Randall Patrick K. , Mardikian Pascale N. , Malcolm Robert. J.
Published: May 2013

Background

There remains no FDA approved medication for the treatment of cocaine dependence. Preclinical studies and early pilot clinical investigations have suggested that N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) may be useful in the treatment of the disorder.

Objective

The present report assessed the efficacy of NAC in the treatment of cocaine dependence.

Methods

Cocaine‐dependent volunteers (n = 111) were randomized to receive daily doses of 1,200 mg of NAC, 2,400 mg of NAC, or placebo. Participants were followed for 8 weeks (up to three visits weekly). At each of these visits, urine samples were collected, along with self‐reports of cocaine use. Urine samples were assessed for quantitative levels of benzoylecognine (ie, cocaine metabolite).

Results

Overall, the primary results for the clinical trial were negative. However, when considering only subjects who entered the trial having already achieved abstinence, results favored the 2,400 mg NAC group relative to placebo, with the 2,400 mg group having longer times to relapse and lower craving ratings.

Conclusion

While the present trial failed to demonstrate that NAC reduces cocaine use in cocaine‐dependent individuals actively using, there was some evidence it prevented return to cocaine use in individuals who had already achieved abstinence from cocaine.

Scientific Significance

N‐acetylcysteine may be useful as a relapse prevention agent in abstinent cocaine‐dependent individuals. (Am J Addict 2013;22:443–452)
Varenicline and neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors: A new approach to the treatment of co‐occurring alcohol and nicotine addiction?
Authors: Nocente Roberto , Vitali Mario , Balducci Giuseppe , Enea Domenico , Kranzler Henry R. , Ceccanti Mauro
Published: May 2013

Background and Objectives

Alcohol and nicotine dependence are serious public health problems worldwide. They are associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, as well as adverse social effects and increased healthcare costs. Although efficacious treatments are available for these disorders, additional therapeutic options are required to ensure greater treatment utilization. In this paper, we describe the empirical basis on which varenicline, a nicotinic partial agonist approved for smoking cessation, may also have utility in the treatment of alcohol addiction.

Methods

We sought to identify papers examining nicotine dependence, alcohol dependence, smoking, alcohol, and varenicline for possible inclusion in the present review. We identified over 600 papers through Pubmed/Medline, PsychINFO, and Google Scholar. We found 12 papers taking into consideration the following criteria: original language English, varenicline effect on alcohol consumption.

Results

Animal studies have shown that varenicline reduces alcohol consumption. Two recent studies showed that varenicline also reduces alcohol consumption in humans. Both nicotine and alcohol interact with α4β2 and α3β4 nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors located in the ventral tegmental area of the brain, inducing dopamine (DA) release at the nucleus accumbens. Varenicline binds to nicotinic ACh receptors, where it has partial agonist effects, producing a moderate and constant level of DA release both in the mesolimbic pathway and in the prefrontal cortex.

Conclusions and Scientific Significance

Through these effects, varenicline may reduce alcohol craving, seeking, and consumption, in addition to promoting smoking cessation. Additional studies are needed to confirm the efficacy of varenicline in the treatment of alcohol dependence. (Am J Addict 2013;22:453–459)
REPRESENTING, OBJECTIFYING, AND FRAMING THE BODY AT LATE BRONZE AGE KNOSSOS
Authors: ADAMS ELLEN
Published: May 2013

This paper explores how the human form is depicted, objectified and contextualized, in order to clarify the complex relationship between ‘representation’ and ‘reality’, and to investigate the various ways the body is bounded. Part one argues that objectification is not always a passive process, but that the body is deliberately presented to the world to be observed and evaluated. Part two focuses on the configuration of bodily boundaries, and how the body is framed, for example, by clothing, architecture and the mortuary context. The wealth and range of evidence (wall paintings, seals and sealings, figurines, stone vases and burials) render Knossos an excellent case study for this approach. This paper asks not who the Knossians were, in terms of identity and ethnicity, but rather how they wanted to be presented to the world and each other.
HOW STRICTLY DID THE ATHENIAN COURTS APPLY THE LAW? THE ROLE OF EPIEIKEIA
Authors: HARRIS EDWARD
Published: May 2013

H. Meyer‐Laurin has claimed that the Athenian courts took a stricti iuris approach to the law and did not take extenuating circumstances into account. Other scholars (Mirhady, Todd) have claimed that the courts sometimes ignored the law and took extra‐legal considerations into account, which was called ‘fairness’ (epieikeia). The essay begins with a careful reading of Aristotle's analysis of ‘fairness’ (epieikeia) in the Nicomachean Ethics and the Rhetoric and draws on an important essay by J. Brunschwig. Fairness was not a doctrine that attempted to undermine the authority of the law or placed the law of the city in opposition to the unwritten laws or the common law of mankind. Nor did the application of fairness introduce non‐legal factors into adjudication. Rather, fairness dealt with the problem of treating exceptions to the general rule contained in a specific written law. The essay then shows how litigants used arguments based on fairness and how the courts sometimes took extenuating circumstances into account. When Athenian judges swore to decide according to the laws of Athens, they did not just consider the law under which the accuser had brought his case. They could also take into account general principles of justice implicit in the laws of Athens as a whole. In this way, they avoided a rigid positivist approach to law. Finally, the essay sheds some light on the relationship between Aristotle's Rhetoric and the arguments used in the Athenian courts.
LEADERSHIP AND INDIVIDUALITY IN THE ATHENIAN FUNERAL ORATIONS
Authors: HESK JON
Published: May 2013

Athenian funeral orations did not simply celebrate Athenian military achievements or renew and augment a specifically anonymous collective identity and hoplite ideology. Rather, the speeches also model the role and importance of sub‐groups within the democratic polis and celebrate some individual generals for their attributes and achievements as leaders. Furthermore, internal and contextual evidence shows that the prominent leaders who were chosen to deliver these speeches were often promoting or defending their own particular involvement and advocacy of the military campaign in question. This stress on the importance of the individual ‘voice’ of the orator and the speeches' inscription of exemplary individuals (probably, but by no means certainly, much more common from the 380s downwards) offers a significant contribution to literary and historical understanding of this genre and its cultural and ideological functioning.
A SOPHOCLEAN SLIP: MISTAKEN IDENTITY AND TRAGIC ALLUSION ON THE EXETER PELIKE
Authors: COO LYNDSAY
Published: May 2013

This article examines the fourth‐century ‘Exeter pelike’ (ARV2 1516.80) by the Jena Painter, situating it within the wider debate over the relationship between vase‐painting and tragic text and performance. The front side depicts the meeting of Orestes and Electra at Agamemnon's tomb, and is commonly interpreted as relating closely to Aeschylus’Choephori. However, a widely‐missed inscription ‘Ism[ene]’ must be an error on the part of the painter for ‘Chrysothemis’, a confusion caused by knowledge of Sophocles. The inclusion of ‘Chrysothemis’ on the Exeter pelike alludes to Sophocles' Electra, but the painting is not a straightforward representation of any one play. Indeed, in tragedy Electra's recognition of Orestes becomes highly allusive, since both Sophocles and Euripides mediate their treatments of this moment through the corresponding scene in Aeschylus. In the same way, the Exeter pelike engages with numerous pictorial and textual traditions to create a complex and allusive re‐telling.
ADDING AN AUDIENCE: NOTES ON MARTIAL 11.104
Authors: ÖHRMAN MAGDALENA
Published: May 2013

This paper considers once more Mart. 11.104 and its use of mythological examples in 11.104.13–16. The paper focuses particularly on the significance of the audience of a group of slaves, an embellishment of the mythological examples peculiar to Martial, and uses this addition as a stepping‐stone for a metapoetic reading. Through the reconfiguration of the mythological examples themselves and through the addition of an audience, Martial not only distinguishes his own epigrammatic text from his elegiac and epic intertexts but also reflects on the aims and workings of especially Ovidian elegy.
Primary cilia in gastric Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumours (GISTs): an ultrastructural study
Authors: Castiella Tomás , Muñoz Guillermo , Luesma María José , Santander Sonia , Soriano Mario , Junquera Concepción
Published: May 2013

Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal (non‐epithelial) neoplasms of the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract. They are thought to derive from interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) or an ICC progenitor based on immunophenotypical and ultrastructural similarities. Because ICCs show primary cilium, our hypothesis is based on the possibility that some of these neoplastic cells could also present it. To determine this, an exhaustive ultrastructural study has been developed on four gastric GISTs. Previous studies had demonstrated considerable variability in tumour cells with two dominating phenotypes, spindly and epithelioid. In addition to these two types, we have found another cell type reminiscent of adult ICCs with a voluminous nucleus surrounded by narrow perinuclear cytoplasm with long slender cytoplasmic processes. We have also noted the presence of small undifferentiated cells. In this study, we report for the first time the presence of primary cilia (PCs) in spindle and epithelioid tumour cells, an ultrastructural feature we consider of special interest that has hitherto been ignored in the literature dealing with the ultrastructure of GISTs. We also point out the frequent occurrence of multivesicular bodies (MVBs). The ultrastructural findings described in gastric GISTs in this study appear to be relevant considering the critical roles played by PCs and MVBs recently demonstrated in tumourigenic processes.
Dental Erosion
Authors: Erickson Kristi , Donovan Terence E. , Swift Edward J.
Published: May 2013

The media are finally beginning to inform the general public that they are at risk for dental erosion as a result of the foods and the beverages they consume. Dental erosion or erosive tooth wear not only can be caused by extrinsic (dietary) acids but also intrinsic acids. Historically, anorexic and bulimic patients have been the population dentists have had to be aware of, but with the increasing prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in the general population, another population must be monitored. Tooth wear is usually multifactorial, and it is often difficult to assign a specific etiology; abrasion, attrition, and erosion must all be considered as potential etiologies. This critical appraisal reviews four articles looking at dental erosion and its relationship with GERD.
An Overview of the Courts Catalyzing Change Preliminary Protective Hearing Benchcard Study
Authors: Russell Jesse , Summers Alicia
Published: May 2013

This paper presents an overview of the Courts Catalyzing Change: Achieving Equity and Fairness in Foster Care Preliminary Protective Hearing Benchcard Study. In the fall of 2009, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) began a study to examine the effects associated with judges' use of the Preliminary Protective Hearing Benchcard. For this study, data were gathered from case file information (both court and agency files) and from courtroom observations of more than 500 children in Los Angeles, California; Omaha, Nebraska; and Portland, Oregon. Data from a baseline sample were collected at each of the three sites, and judicial officers at each site were randomly assigned to either a Benchcard group or a control group. Benchcard implementation appears to be associated with more discussion and higher quality discussion of key dependency topics during preliminary protective hearings. Benchcard implementation also corresponds to increased judicial inquiry and parental engagement. Benchcard use also was associated with more family placements—placement with a charged parent, a non‐charged parent, or a relative—at the initial hearing and even more family placement at adjudication when comparing the same judges before and after Benchcard implementation. Similarly, the percentage of children who were reunified with the charged parent at the initial hearing and the adjudication hearing increased after Benchcard implementation.
Motor imagery in spinal cord injury patients: Moving makes the difference
Authors: Fiori Federico , Sedda Anna , Ferrè Elisa Raffaella , Toraldo Alessio , Querzola Matteo , Pasotti Fabrizio , Ovadia Daniela , Piroddi Chiara , Dell'Aquila Roberta , Redaelli Tiziana , Bottini Gabriella
Published: May 2013

Both real action control and execution and motor imagery abilities require knowledge of the spatial location of body parts, in other words efference copy information and feedbacks from the sensory system (Frith et al., 2000, Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B. Biol. Sci., 355, 1771). Spinal cord injuries induce severe motor disability, due to a damage of the descending motor pathways (Cramer et al., 2007, Exp. Brain. Res., 177, 233). Patients' motor imagery competences are variably reported as either normal or defective (Decety & Boisson, 1990, Eur. Arch. Psychiatry Clin. Neurosci., 240, 39; Lacourse et al., 1999, Behav. Brain Sci., 104, 73). We explored biomechanical constraint effects in Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) patients, as they are considered the most reliable indexes of motor imagery abilities (Parsons, 1987b, Cogn. Psychol., 19, 178). Sixteen spinal cord injuries patients and 16 neurologically unimpaired subjects have been administered with (1) the Hand Laterality Task (HLT), in which subjects were asked to judge the laterality of a rotated hand; and (2) the Mirror Letter Discrimination Task (MLD), in which subjects were asked to judge if a rotated character was in its correct upright position or mirror‐reversed form. Our patients did not present the effect of stimulus orientation, neither did they show any effect related to biomechanical constraints. Based on these data, the hypothesis is that SCI patients' performance may be ascribed to the use of a different strategy to solve the tasks, based on memory rather than on mental rotation.
Update on Guillain‐Barré syndrome
Authors: Rinaldi Simon
Published: May 2013

Understanding of Guillain‐Barré syndrome (GBS) has progressed substantially since the seminal 1916 report by Guillain et al. Although Guillain, Barré, and Strohl summarised the syndrome based on observations of two French infantrymen, 2012 saw the beginning of an ambitious collaborative study designed to collect detailed data from at least 1,000 patients worldwide (IGOS, www.gbsstudies.org/about‐igos). Progress has been made in many areas even since GBS was last reviewed in this journal in 2009. GBS subsequently received prominent attention in light of concerns regarding H1N1 influenza vaccinations, and several large‐scale surveillance studies resulted. Despite these developments, and promising pre‐clinical studies, disease‐modifying therapies for GBS have not substantially altered since intravenous immunoglobulin was introduced over 20 years ago. In other areas, management has improved. Antibiotic prophylaxis in ventilated patients reduces respiratory tract infection, thromboprophylaxis has reduced the risk of venous thromboembolism, and there is increasing awareness of the benefit of high‐intensity rehabilitation. This article highlights some of the interesting and thought‐provoking developments of the last 3 years, and is based on a plenary lecture given at the 2012 Peripheral Nerve Society (PNS) meeting.
Transitioning outcome measures: relationship between the CMTPedS and CMTNSv2 in children, adolescents, and young adults with Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease
Authors: Burns Joshua , Menezes Manoj , Finkel Richard S. , Estilow Tim , Moroni Isabella , Pagliano Emanuela , Laurá Matilde , Muntoni Francesco , Herrmann David N. , Eichinger Kate , Shy Rosemary , Pareyson Davide , Reilly Mary M. , Shy Michael E.
Published: May 2013

Long‐term studies of Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth (CMT) disease across the entire lifespan require stable endpoints that measure the same underlying construct (e.g., disability). The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between the CMT Pediatric Scale (CMTPedS) and the adult CMT Neuropathy Score (CMTNSv2) in 203 children, adolescents, and young adults with CMT. There was a moderate curvilinear correlation between the CMTPedS and the CMTNSv2 (Spearman's rho ρ = 0.716, p < 0.0001), although there appears to be a floor effect of the CMTNSv2 in patients with a milder CMT phenotype. Univariate analyses indicate that the relationship between the CMTPedS and CMTNSv2 scores improves with worsening disease severity and advancing age. Although one universal scale throughout life would be ideal, our data supports the transition from the CMTPedS in childhood to the CMTNSv2 in adulthood as a continuum of measuring lifelong disability in patients with CMT.
Provision of health promotion programmes to people with serious mental illness: a mapping exercise of four South London boroughs
Authors: O'Brien C. , Gardner‐Sood P. , Corlett S. K. , Ismail K. , Smith S. , Atakan Z. , Greenwood K. , Joseph C. , Gaughran F.
Published: May 2013

Accessible summary

Background: People with serious mental illness (SMI) are at increased risk of developing various physical health diseases, contributing to significantly reduced life expectancies compared with the general population. In light of this, the Department of Health have set the physical health of people with mental health problems as a priority for improvement. Additionally, the UK government encourages the NHS and local authorities to develop health promotion programmes (HPPs) for people with SMI.

Aims: To document how many and what types of HPPs were available to people with SMI across four South London boroughs, UK.

Results: We found 145 HPPs were available to people with SMI across the four boroughs, but with an inequitable distribution. We also found that certain HPPs set admission criteria that were likely to act as a barrier to improving health.

Conclusions: A more integrated approach of documenting and providing information regarding the provision of HPPs for or inclusive of people with SMI is needed.

People with serious mental illness (SMI) such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorders and bipolar disorder are at increased risk of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease and respiratory disease, contributing to significantly reduced life expectancies. As a result, emphasis has been placed on developing Health Promotion Programmes (HPPs) to modify the risk of poor physical health in SMI. We examined how many and what types of HPPs are available for or inclusive of people with SMI across four borough in South London, UK. A cross‐sectional mapping study was carried out to identify the number of HPPs available to people with SMI. We found 145 HPPs available to people with SMI existed across the four boroughs but with an inequitable distribution, which in some boroughs we anticipate may not meet need. In some cases, HPPs set admission conditions which were likely to further impede access. We recommend that accurate and readily available information on the provision of HPPs for or inclusive of people with SMI is needed.
Hepatotoxicity from anabolic androgenic steroids marketed as dietary supplements: contribution from ATP8B1/ABCB11 mutations?
Authors: El Sherrif Yasser , Potts Jonathan R. , Howard Mark R. , Barnardo Adrian , Cairns Stuart , Knisely Alex S. , Verma Sumita
Published: May 2013

Background

Though possession of androgenic anabolic steroids (AAS) is illegal, non‐prescription use of AAS persists.

Methods

We describe two Caucasian males (aged 25 and 45 years) with cholestatic hepatitis following ingestion of the dietary supplement Mass‐Drol (‘Celtic Dragon’) containing the AAS 2α‐17α‐dimethyl‐etiocholan‐3‐one,17β‐ol.

Results

Despite substantial hyperbilirubinaemia peak gamma‐glutamyl transferase (GGT) remained normal. Besides ‘bland’ intralobular cholestasis, liver biopsy in both found deficiency of canalicular expression of ectoenzymes as seen in ATP8B1 disease. In the older patient, bile salt export pump marking (encoded by ABCB11) was focally diminished. We hypothesized that AAS had either induced inhibition of normal ATP8B1/ABCB11 expression or triggered initial episodes of benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis (BRIC) type 1/or 2. On sequencing, ATP8B1 was normal in both patients although the younger was heterozygous for the c.2093G>A mutation in ABCB11, a polymorphism previously encountered in drug‐induced liver injury.

Conclusion

AAS marketed as dietary supplements continue to cause hepatotoxicity in the UK; underlying mechanisms may include unmasking of genetic cholestatic syndromes.
Histological improvement following administration of autologous bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells for alcoholic cirrhosis: a pilot study
Authors: Jang Yoon Ok , Kim Young Ju , Baik Soon Koo , Kim Moon Young , Eom Young Woo , Cho Mee Yon , Park Hong Jun , Park So Yeon , Kim Bo Ra , Kim Jae Woo , Soo Kim Hyun , Kwon Sang Ok , Choi Eun Hee , Kim Yong Man
Published: May 2013

Background

In experimental models, bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM‐MSCs) have the capacity to differentiate into hepatocytes and exhibit antifibrotic effects. However, there have been no studies in humans with alcoholic cirrhosis.

Aim

The aim of this study was to elucidate the antifibrotic effect of BM‐MSCs in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis, as a phase II clinical trial.

Methods

Twelve patients (11 males, 1 female) with baseline biopsy‐proven alcoholic cirrhosis who had been alcohol free for at least 6 months were enrolled. BM‐MSCs were isolated from each patient's BM and amplified for 1 month, and 5 × 107 cells were then injected twice, at weeks 4 and 8, through the hepatic artery. One patient was withdrawn because of ingestion of alcohol. Finally, 11 patients completed the follow‐up biopsy and laboratory tests at 12 weeks after the second injection. The primary outcome was improvement in the patients’ histological features.

Results

According to the Laennec fibrosis system, histological improvement was observed in 6 of 11 patients (54.5%). The Child‐Pugh score improved in ten patients (90.9%) and the levels of transforming growth factor‐β1, type 1 collagen and α‐smooth muscle actin significantly decreased (as assessed by real‐time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction) after BM‐MSCs therapy (P < 0.05). No significant complications or side effects were observed during this study.

Conclusions

Bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells therapy in alcoholic cirrhosis induces a histological and quantitative improvement of hepatic fibrosis.
The unstructured domain of colicin N kills Escherichia coli
Authors: Johnson Christopher L. , Ridley Helen , Pengelly Robert J. , Salleh Mohd Zulkifli , Lakey Jeremy H.
Published: May 2013

Bacteria often produce toxins which kill competing bacteria. Colicins, produced by and toxic to Escherichia coli bacteria are three‐domain proteins so efficient that one molecule can kill a cell. The C‐terminal domain carries the lethal activity and the central domain is required for surface receptor binding. The N‐terminal domain, required for translocation across the outer membrane, is always intrinsically unstructured. It has always been assumed therefore that the C‐terminal cytotoxic domain is required for the bactericidal activity. Here we report the unexpected finding that in isolation, the 90‐residue unstructured N‐terminal domain of colicin N is cytotoxic. Furthermore it causes ion leakage from cells but, unlike known antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with this property, shows no membrane binding behaviour. Finally, its activity remains strictly dependent upon the same receptor proteins (OmpF and TolA) used by full‐length colicin N. This mechanism of rapid membrane disruption, via receptor mediated binding of a soluble peptide, may reveal a new target for the development of highly specific antibacterials.
Fatal skin and pulmonary infection caused by Hormographiella aspergillata in a leukaemic patient: case report and literature overview
Authors: Bojic Marija , Willinger Birgit , Rath Thomas , Tobudic Selma , Thalhammer Florian , Böhm Alexandra , Mitterbauer Margit , Schulenburg Axel , Wöhrer Stefan , Kalhs Peter , Rabitsch Werner
Published: May 2013

Invasive systemic fungal infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. We report the case of a fatal infection with Hormographiella aspergillata in a patient undergoing allogenic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation for acute myeloid leukaemia.
Intranasal exposure to uranium results in direct transfer to the brain along olfactory nerve bundles
Authors: Ibanez Chrystelle , Suhard David , Tessier Christine , Delissen Olivia , Lestaevel Philippe , Dublineau Isabelle , Gourmelon Patrick
Published: May 2013

Aims

Uranium olfactory uptake after intranasal exposure raises some concerns for people potentially exposed to airborne radionuclide contamination as the brain could be a direct target for these contaminants. A model of nasal instillation was used to elucidate the transport mechanisms of uranium to the brain and to map its localization.

Methods

Increasing concentrations of depleted uranium containing solutions were instilled in the nasal cavity of adult male rats. Uranium concentrations were measured using inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) 4 h after instillation. Olfactory neuroepithelium cytoarchitecture was studied using immunohistochemistry experiments. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) microscopy was performed to localize uranium in the olfactory system.

Results

ICP‐MS analyses showed a frontal accumulation of uranium in the olfactory bulbs associated with a smaller increase in more caudal brain regions (frontal cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum). Uranium concentrations in the olfactory bulbs do not reach a saturation point. Olfactory nerve bundle integrity is not affected by uranium as revealed by immunohistochemistry. SIMS microscopy allowed us to show that uranium localization is mainly restricted to the olfactory neuroepithelium and around olfactory nerve bundles. It is subsequently detected in the olfactory nerve layer of the olfactory bulb.

Discussion

These results suggest the existence of a transcellular passage from the mucosa to the perineural space around axon bundles. Uranium bypasses the blood brain barrier and is conveyed to the brain via the cerebrospinal fluid along the olfactory nerve. Future studies might need to integrate this new contamination route to assess uranium neurotoxicity after nasal exposure.