bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combination Chemotherapy in Feline Lymphoma: Treatment Outcome, Tolerability, and Duration in 23 Cats
Authors: Simon D. , Eberle N. , Laacke‐Singer L. , Nolte I.
Published: December 2008

Background: Different chemotherapy regimes have been described for feline lymphoma with varying outcomes.

Hypothesis: In cats with lymphoma, a long‐term, multiagent chemotherapy protocol will be effective and carry acceptable toxicity.

Animals: Twenty‐three cats with histologically or cytologically confirmed diagnosis of lymphoma.

Methods: Prospective, single‐arm clinical trial in which cats were treated with a chemotherapy protocol consisting of a cyclic combination of l‐asparaginase, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, methotrexate, and prednisolone with a planned total treatment time of 122 weeks.

Results: Complete remission (CR) rate was 74% (n = 17). Fourteen percent of cats attained partial remission (PR). Median duration of first CR was 264 days (range, 45–2,485 days). Six‐month, 1‐, and 2–5‐year remission rates were 75, 50, and 34%, respectively. Duration of PR ranged between 23 and 63 days. Median survival in cats with CR was 296 days (range, 50–2,520 days). Six‐month, 1‐, 2‐, and 3–5‐year survival rates in cats with CR were 82, 47, 34, and 27%, respectively. Survival of cats achieving PR ranged between 38 and 120 days. Of the analyzed variables, only anatomical location had a significant influence on remission duration (P=.022). Actual median treatment time in cats with CR was 128 days (18 weeks). Hematologic and gastrointestinal toxicosis was infrequent and mostly low grade.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance: In this population of cats with lymphoma, chemotherapy was effective. With infrequent and mostly low‐grade toxicosis, tolerability of the protocol may be considered good.
Renal Amyloidosis in Cattle with Inflammatory Diseases
Authors: Elitok O.M. , Elitok B. , Unver O.
Published: December 2008

Background:The association of inflammatory diseases such as traumatic reticuloperitonitis (TRP), mastitis, metritis, and pododermatitis with renal amyloidosis in cattle is poorly described.

Hypothesis:Serum amyloid A (SAA) levels are elevated during inflammatory diseases, and renal amyloidosis is formed as a complication.

Animals:This study was conducted with 82 crossbred cattle with mastitis (n = 18 cows), metritis (n = 11 cows), TRP (n = 30 cows), and pododermatitis (n = 23 : 15 cows and 8 beef cattle). Ten clinically healthy cows served as controls.

Methods:Hematological, urinary, and blood parameters, including SAA, were measured by an automated procedure provided with trade kits. Determination of amyloidal structures was made by histopathological examination of renal biopsy specimens.

Results:At the end of this trial, amyloidosis was detected in 5 cows displaying typical nephrotic syndrome, with hypoproteinemia and proteinuria in combination with polyuria and weight loss. Furthermore, it was observed that cows with renal amyloidosis had significantly higher (P< .01) total leukocyte counts, serum and urine enzyme activities, and urea and creatinine concentrations, with lower serum total protein concentrations, when compared with animals without renal amyloidosis.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance:The incidence of AA amyloidosis in cattle in this study suggests that cattle with mastitis, metritis, and pododermatitis have a high prevalence of systemic amyloidosis in response to inflammation.
Upregulation of Toll‐Like Receptors in Chronic Enteropathies in Dogs
Authors: Burgener I.A. , König A. , Allenspach K. , Sauter S.N. , Boisclair J. , Doherr M.G. , Jungi T.W.
Published: December 2008

Background:Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is thought to result from a dysregulated interaction between the host immune system and commensal microflora. Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) recognize microbe‐associated molecular patterns (MAMPs), but their role in enteropathies in dogs is unknown.

Hypothesis:That there is a dysregulation of TLRs recognizing bacterial MAMPs in dogs with IBD.

Animals:Sixteen healthy beagles and 12 dogs with steroid‐treated (ST) and 23 dogs with food‐responsive (FR) diarrhea.

Methods:Prospective, observational study. mRNA expression of canine TLR2, 4, and 9 was evaluated by quantitative real‐time RT‐PCR in duodenal and colonic biopsies obtained before and after standard therapy. Samples from control dogs were taken at necropsy, with additional biopsies of stomach, jejunum, ileum, and mesenteric lymph node in 6 dogs.

Results:There were significant differences (P≤ .017) in expression of TLR2, 4, and 9 between the 6 sampled locations in healthy control dogs (lymph node > small intestine ≥ colon). Before therapy, ST expressed more mRNA than control dogs for all 3 receptors (P< .05). There were no significant differences between pretreatment and posttreatment values, even though 32/35 dogs improved clinically. No associations were found when comparing receptor mRNA expression with either histology or clinical activity scores.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance:Bacteria‐responsive TLR2, 4, and 9 are upregulated in duodenal and colonic mucosa in IBD. This might lead to increased inflammation through interaction with the commensal flora. The absence of significant changes after therapy despite clinical improvement might point toward the existence of a genetic predisposition to IBD as described in human IBD.
Predictive Capability of a 2D FNPF Fluid-Structure Interaction Model
Authors: Yim Solomon C. , Lin Huan , Robinson David C. , Tanizawa Katsuji
Published: December 2008

The predictive capability of two-dimensional (2D) fully-nonlinear-potential-flow (FNPF) models of an experimental submerged moored sphere system subjected to waves is examined in this study. The experimental system considered includes both single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) surge-only and two-degree-of-freedom (2DOF) surge-heave coupled motions, with main sources of nonlinearity from free surface boundary, large geometry, and coupled fluid-structure interaction. The FNPF models that track the nonlinear free-surface boundary exactly hence can accurately model highly nonlinear (nonbreaking) waves. To examine the predictive capability of the approximate 2D models and keep the computational effort manageable, the structural sphere is converted to an equivalent 2D cylinder. Fluid-structure interaction is coupled through an implicit boundary condition enforcing the instantaneous dynamic equilibrium between the fluid and the structure. The numerical models are first calibrated using free-vibration test results and then employed to investigate the wave-excited experimental responses via comparisons of time history and frequency response diagrams. Under monochromatic wave excitations, both SDOF and 2DOF models exhibit complex nonlinear experimental responses including coexistence, harmonics, subharmonics, and superharmonics. It is found that the numerical models can predict the general qualitative nonlinear behavior, harmonic and subharmonic responses as well as bifurcation structure. However, the predictive capability of the models deteriorates for superharmonic resonance possibly due to three-dimensional (3D) effects including diffraction and reflection. To accurately predict the nonlinear behavior of moored sphere motions in the highly sensitive response region, it is recommended that the more computationally intensive 3D numerical models be employed.
Temporal Trends and Molecular Epidemiology of Recently Described Serotype 6C of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Authors: Nunes Sónia , Valente Carina , Sá-Leão Raquel , de Lencastre Hermínia
Published: December 2008

We studied the epidemiology of the recently described serotype 6C of
Streptococcus pneumoniae
among a collection of carriage isolates recovered between 1996 and 2007 in Portugal. Of 4,064 isolates, 106 (2.6%) were of serotype 6C, 17.9% of which were multidrug resistant. The strains were genetically diverse.
Role for CCR5 in Dissemination of Vaccinia Virus In Vivo
Authors: Rahbar Ramtin , Murooka Thomas T. , Fish Eleanor N.
Published: December 2008

In an earlier report, we provided evidence that expression of CCR5 by primary human T cells renders them permissive for vaccinia virus (VACV) replication. This may represent a mechanism for dissemination throughout the lymphatic system. To test this hypothesis, wild-type CCR5+/+and CCR5 null mice were challenged with VACV by intranasal inoculation. In time course studies using different infective doses of VACV, we identified viral replication in the lungs of both CCR5+/+and CCR5−/−mice, yet there were diminished viral loads in the spleens and brains of CCR5−/−mice compared with CCR5+/+mice. Moreover, in association with VACV infection, we provide evidence for CD4+and CD8+T-cell as well as CD11c+and F4/80+cell infiltration into the lungs of CCR5+/+but not CCR5−/−mice, and we show that the CCR5-expressing T cells harbor virus. We demonstrate that this CCR5 dependence is VACV specific, since CCR5−/−mice are as susceptible to intranasal influenza virus (A/WSN/33) infection as CCR5+/+mice. In a final series of experiments, we provide evidence that adoptive transfer of CCR5+/+bone marrow leukocytes into CCR5−/−mice restores VACV permissiveness, with evidence of lung and spleen infection. Taken together, our data suggest a novel role for CCR5 in VACV dissemination in vivo.
Characterization of Neutralizing Epitopes of Varicella-Zoster Virus Glycoprotein H
Authors: Akahori Yasushi , Suzuki Kazuhiro , Daikoku Tohru , Iwai Masae , Yoshida Yoshihiro , Asano Yoshizo , Kurosawa Yoshikazu , Shiraki Kimiyasu
Published: December 2008

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) glycoprotein H (gH) is the major neutralization target of VZV, and its neutralizing epitope is conformational. Ten neutralizing human monoclonal antibodies to gH were used to map the epitopes by immunohistochemical analysis and were categorized into seven epitope groups. The combinational neutralization efficacy of two epitope groups was not synergistic. Each epitope was partially or completely resistant to concanavalin A blocking of the glycomoiety of gH, and their antibodies inhibited the cell-to-cell spread of infection. The neutralization epitope comprised at least seven independent protein portions of gH that served as the target to inhibit cell-to-cell spread.
Urban and rural variation in walking patterns and pedestrian crashes
Authors: Zhu M , Cummings P , Chu H , Xiang H
Published: December 2008

Objective:

To examine the urban and rural variation in walking patterns and pedestrian crashes.

Design:

The rates of pedestrians being struck by motor vehicles was estimated according to miles walked and resident years.

Setting:

New York State, USA during 2001 through 2002.

Participants:

35 732 pedestrians struck by vehicles.

Main outcome measures:

The adjusted rate ratio (aRR) of pedestrian–vehicle crash and pedestrian injury based on resident years and miles walked according to urban and rural areas.

Results:

Compared with rural areas, the aRR for a pedestrian–vehicle collision, based on resident years, was 2.0 (95% CI 1.7 to 2.3) in small urban areas, 1.8 (95% CI 1.5 to 2.3) in mid-size urban areas, and 4.2 (95% CI 3.6 to 4.8) in the large urban area. The aRR based on miles walked was 2.3 (95% CI 1.6 to 3.2) in small urban areas, 2.0 (95% CI 1.4 to 2.9) in mid-size urban areas, and 1.9 (95% CI 1.4 to 2.7) in the large area. The aRR for a fatal pedestrian injury, based on miles walked, was 2.1 (95% CI 1.3 to 3.6) in small urban areas, 1.9 (95% CI 1.3 to 2.9) in mid-size urban areas, and 0.9 (95% CI 0.6 to 1.3) in the large urban area.

Conclusions:

The rate of pedestrian crashes and injuries in small and mid-size urban areas was twice that in rural areas, whether based on resident years or miles walked. The high rate of pedestrian crashes in the large urban area based on resident years could be partly explained by the fact that residents in such areas walk about twice as much as residents in rural areas. The rate of fatal pedestrian injury based on miles walked was similar in the large urban area and rural areas.
Police accident report forms: safety device coding and enacted laws: Table 1
Authors: Brock K , Lapidus G
Published: December 2008

Safety device coding on state police accident report (PAR) forms was compared with provisions in state traffic safety laws. PAR forms were obtained from all 50 states and the District of Columbia (states/DC). For seat belts, 22 states/DC had a primary seat belt enforcement law vs 50 with a PAR code. For car seats, all 51 states/DC had a law and a PAR code. For booster seats, 39 states/DC had a law vs nine with a PAR code. For motorcycle helmets, 21 states/DC had an all-age rider helmet law and another 26 a partial-age law vs 50 with a PAR code. For bicycle helmets, 21 states/DC had a partial-age rider helmet law vs 48 with a PAR code. Therefore gaps in the ability of states to fully record accident data reflective of existing state traffic safety laws are revealed. Revising the PAR forms in all states to include complete variables for safety devices should be an important priority, independent of the laws.
Under-reporting of road traffic injuries to the police: results from two data sources in urban India
Authors: Dandona R , Kumar G A , Ameer M A , Reddy G B , Dandona L
Published: December 2008

Objective:

To report the magnitude of under-reporting of road traffic injury (RTI) to the police from population-based and hospital-based data in the urban population of Hyderabad, India.

Methods:

In a cross-sectional population-based survey, 10 459 participants aged 5–49 years (94.3% participation), selected using three-stage systematic cluster sampling, recalled the reporting of non-fatal RTIs to the police in the preceding 12 months and fatal RTIs in the preceding 3 years. In addition, 781 consecutive RTI cases presenting to the emergency department of five hospitals provided information on RTI reporting to the police.

Results:

In the population-based study, of those who had non-fatal RTIs and sought outpatient or inpatient services, 2.3% (95% 1.1% to 3.5%) and 17.2% (95% CI 3.5% to 30.9%), respectively, reported the RTI to the police. Of the non-fatal consecutive RTI cases presenting to emergency departments, 24.6% (95% CI 21.3% to 27.8%) reported the RTI to the police. In the population-based study, 77.8% (95% CI 65.1% to 90.5%) of the fatal RTIs were reported to the police, and of the consecutive fatal RTI cases presenting to emergency departments, 98.1% (95% CI 95.5% to 100%) were reported to the police. The major reasons cited for not reporting RTIs to the police were “not necessary to report” and “hit and run case”.

Conclusions:

As road safety policies are based on police data in India, these studies highlight serious limitations in estimating the true magnitude of RTIs from these data, indicating the need for better methods for such estimation.
Dynamic regulation of sphingosine-1-phosphate homeostasis during development of mouse metanephric kidney
Authors: Kirby R. Jason , Jin Ying , Fu Jian , Cubillos Jimena , Swertfeger Debi , Arend Lois J.
Published: December 2008

Branching morphogenesis of the metanephric kidney is critically dependent on the delicate orchestration of diverse cellular processes including proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and differentiation. Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a potent lipid mediator influencing many of these cellular events. We report increased expression and activity of both sphingosine kinases and S1P phosphatases during development of the mouse metanephric kidney from induction at embryonic day 11.5 to maturity. Sphingosine kinase activity exceeded S1P phosphatase activity in embryonic kidneys, resulting in a net accumulation of S1P, while kinase and phosphatase activities were similar in adult tissue, resulting in reduced S1P content. Sphingosine kinase expression was greater in the metanephric mesenchyme than in the ureteric bud, while the S1P phosphatase SPP2 was expressed at greater levels in the ureteric bud. Treatment of cultured embryonic kidneys with sphingosine kinase inhibitors resulted in a dose-dependent reduction of ureteric bud tip numbers and increased apoptosis. Exogenous S1P rescued kidneys from apoptosis induced by kinase inhibitors. Ureteric bud tip number was unaffected by exogenous S1P in kidneys treated with N, N-dimethylsphingosine, although tip number increased in those treated with d,l- threo-dihydrosphingosine. S1P1 and S1P2 were the predominant S1P receptors expressed in the embryonic kidney. S1P1 expression increased during renal development while expression of S1P2 decreased, and both receptors were expressed predominantly in the metanephric mesenchyme. These results demonstrate dynamic regulation of S1P homeostasis during renal morphogenesis and suggest that differential expression of S1P metabolic enzymes and receptors provides a novel mechanism contributing to the regulation of kidney development.
A Quantitative Explanation of Responses to Disparity-Defined Edges in Macaque V2
Authors: Bredfeldt C. E. , Read J. C. A. , Cumming B. G.
Published: December 2008

Previous experiments have shown that V2 neurons respond to complex stimuli such as cyclopean edges (edges defined purely by binocular disparity), angles, and motion borders. It is currently unknown whether these responses are a simple consequence of converging inputs from a prior stage of processing (V1). Alternatively, they may identify edges in a way that is invariant across a range of visual cues defining the edge, in which case they could provide a neuronal substrate for scene segmentation. Here, we examine the ability of a simple feedforward model that combines two V1-like inputs to describe the responses of V2 neurons to cyclopean edges. A linear feedforward model was able to qualitatively reproduce the major patterns of response enhancement for cyclopean edges seen in V2. However, quantitative fitting revealed that this model usually predicts response suppression by some edge configurations and such suppression was rarely seen in the data. This problem was resolved by introducing a squaring nonlinearity at the output of the individual inputs prior to combination. The extended model produced extremely good fits to most of our data. We conclude that the responses of V2 neurons to complex stimuli such as cyclopean edges can be adequately explained by a simple convergence model and do not necessarily represent the development of sophisticated mechanisms that signal scene segmentation, although they probably constitute a step toward this goal.
An In Vitro Spinal Cord–Hindlimb Preparation for Studying Behaviorally Relevant Rat Locomotor Function
Authors: Hayes Heather Brant , Chang Young-Hui , Hochman Shawn
Published: December 2008

Although the spinal cord contains the pattern-generating circuitry for producing locomotion, sensory feedback reinforces and refines the spatiotemporal features of motor output to match environmental demands. In vitro preparations, such as the isolated rodent spinal cord, offer many advantages for investigating locomotor circuitry, but they lack the natural afferent feedback provided by ongoing locomotor movements. We developed a novel preparation consisting of an isolated in vitro neonatal rat spinal cord oriented dorsal-up with intact hindlimbs free to step on a custom-built treadmill. This preparation combines the neural accessibility of in vitro preparations with the modulatory influence of sensory feedback from physiological hindlimb movement. Locomotion induced by N-methyl d-aspartate and serotonin showed kinematics similar to that of normal adult rat locomotion. Changing orientation and ground interaction (dorsal-up locomotion vs ventral-up air-stepping) resulted in significant kinematic and electromyographic changes that were comparable to those reported under similar mechanical conditions in vivo. We then used two mechanosensory perturbations to demonstrate the influence of sensory feedback on in vitro motor output patterns. First, swing assistive forces induced more regular, robust muscle activation patterns. Second, altering treadmill speed induced corresponding changes in stride frequency, confirming that changes in sensory feedback can alter stride timing in vitro. In summary, intact hindlimbs in vitro can generate behaviorally appropriate locomotor kinematics and responses to sensory perturbations. Future studies combining the neural and chemical accessibility of the in vitro spinal cord with the influence of behaviorally appropriate hindlimb movements will provide further insight into the operation of spinal motor pattern-generating circuits.
Condition-Dependent and Condition-Independent Target Selection in the Macaque Posterior Parietal Cortex
Authors: Ogawa Tadashi , Komatsu Hidehiko
Published: December 2008

During a visual search, information about the visual attributes of an object and associated behavioral requirements is essential for discriminating a target object from others in the visual field. On the other hand, information about the object's position appears to be more important when orienting the eyes toward the target. To understand the neural mechanisms underlying such a transition (i.e., from nonspatial- to spatial-based target selection), we examined the dependence of neuronal activity in the macaque posterior parietal cortex (PPC) on visual sensory properties and ongoing task demands. Monkeys were trained to perform a visual search task in which either a shape or color singleton within an array was the target, depending on the ongoing search dimension. The visual properties and the task demands were manipulated by independently changing the stimulus features (shape and color), singleton type, and search dimension. We found that a subset of PPC neurons significantly discriminated the target from other stimuli only when the target was defined by a particular stimulus dimension and had specific stimulus features, such as a shape-singleton, bar stimulus (condition-dependent target selection), whereas another subset did so irrespective of the stimulus features and the target-defining dimension (condition-independent target selection). There was thus a great deal of variety in the neural representations specifying the locus of the target. The coexistence of these distinctly different types of target-discrimination processes suggests that the PPC may be situated at the level where the transition from nonspatial- to spatial-based target selection takes place.
Synapse-Specific Homeostatic Mechanisms in the Hippocampus
Authors: Deeg Katherine E.
Published: December 2008

Homeostatic synaptic plasticity allows neural circuits to function stably despite fluctuations to their inputs. Previous work has shown that excitatory synaptic strength increases globally when neuronal inputs are chronically silenced. A recent paper by Kim and Tsien describes a new type of synapse-specific homeostatic plasticity in which input silencing causes simultaneous strengthening and weakening of different populations of excitatory synapses within a hippocampal network. These seemingly antagonistic homeostatic adaptations maintain synaptic gain and preserve overall network stability by limiting harmful reverberatory bursting, which may underlie epileptic seizures.
Improved Insulin Resistance and Lipid Metabolism by Cinnamon Extract through Activation of Peroxisome Proliferator‐Activated Receptors
Authors: Sheng Xiaoyan , Zhang Yuebo , Gong Zhenwei , Huang Cheng , Zang Ying Qin
Published: December 2008

Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptors (PPARs) are transcriptional factors involved in the regulation of insulin resistance and adipogenesis. Cinnamon, a widely used spice in food preparation and traditional antidiabetic remedy, is found to activate PPARγ and α, resulting in improved insulin resistance, reduced fasted glucose, FFA, LDL‐c, and AST levels in high‐caloric diet‐induced obesity (DIO) and db/db mice in its water extract form. In vitro studies demonstrate that cinnamon increases the expression of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptors γ and α (PPARγ/α) and their target genes such as LPL, CD36, GLUT4, and ACO in 3T3‐L1 adipocyte. The transactivities of both full length and ligand‐binding domain (LBD) of PPARγ and PPARα are activated by cinnamon as evidenced by reporter gene assays. These data suggest that cinnamon in its water extract form can act as a dual activator of PPARγ and α, and may be an alternative to PPARγ activator in managing obesity‐related diabetes and hyperlipidemia.
Inhibition of Mammalian Target of Rapamycin by Rapamycin Causes the Regression of Carcinogen-Induced Skin Tumor Lesions
Authors: Amornphimoltham Panomwat , Leelahavanichkul Kantima , Molinolo Alfredo , Patel Vyomesh , Gutkind J. Silvio
Published: December 2008

Purpose: The activation of Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway represents a frequent event in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) progression, thus raising the possibility of using specific mTOR inhibitors for the treatment of SCC patients. In this regard, blockade of mTOR with rapamycin prevents the growth of human head and neck SCC cells when xenotransplanted into immunodeficient mice. However, therapeutic responses in xenograft tumors are not always predictive of clinical anticancer activity.

Experimental Design: As genetically defined and chemically induced animal cancer models often reflect better the complexity of the clinical setting, we used here a two-step chemical carcinogenesis model to explore the effectiveness of rapamycin for the treatment of skin SCC.

Results: Rapamycin exerted a remarkable anticancer activity in this chemically induced cancer model, decreasing the tumor burden of mice harboring early and advanced tumor lesions, and even recurrent skin SCCs. Immunohistochemical studies on tumor biopsies and clustering analysis revealed that rapamycin causes the rapid decrease in the phosphorylation status of mTOR targets followed by the apoptotic death of cancer cells and the reduction in the growth and metabolic activity of the surviving ones, concomitant with a decrease in the population of cancer cells expressing mutant p53. This approach enabled investigating the relationship among molecular changes caused by mTOR inhibition, thus helping identify relevant biomarkers for monitoring the effectiveness of mTOR inhibition in the clinical setting.

Conclusions: Together, these findings provide a strong rationale for the early evaluation of mTOR inhibitors as a molecular targeted approach to treat SCC.
Nosocomial Bacteriuria in Patients with Indwelling Catheter after Radical Retropubic Prostatectomy for Prostate Cancer
Authors: Bartsch Georg C. , Kuefer Rainer , Braun Claudia , Simon Joerg , Kleinschmidt Klaus , Hautmann Richard E. , Volkmer Bjoern G.
Published: December 2008

Introduction: Patients with prolonged catheter drainage following pelvic surgery are at increased risk for bacteriuria that may have an impact on the clinical course. Materials and Methods: We retrieved all urine analyses from 148 consecutive patients that underwent open retropubic radical prostatectomy at our institution in 2002. The following data were generated: number of bacteriuria with day of onset, used antibiotics, microbiological analysis, resistogram, day of catheter removal and clinical postoperative course. Results: 44.6% of the investigated patients presented with bacteriuria. The highest incidence of bacteriuria was between day 13–15 (40.4%). The most common bacteria detected over the hospital stay were Staphylococcus spp. (24.3%). The most common used antibiotic was trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (44.6%). The highest susceptibility was found for levofloxacin (62.4%). No difference in time period of catheter drainage was noticeable in patients with bacteriuria compared to patients without bacteriuria. Conclusions: Bacteriuria is common after radical prostatectomy. To minor the risk of complications related to bacterial infection, the catheter should be removed 7–10 days after surgery. In case of the necessity of longer catheter drainage, an empiric antibiotic therapy seems rational.
Post-Radical Prostatectomy Rectourethral Fistula: Endosopic Management
Authors: Bhandari Yogesh , Khandkar Amit , Chaudhary Apurva , Srimali Pritesh , Desai D. , Srinivas V.
Published: December 2008

Rectal injuries diagnosed during radical prostatectomy are readily treated with primary closure and omental interposition. However, once this fails and a fistula develops, the treatment gets more complex. Various surgeries have been described to manage these fistulae, but these are not done frequently and require a great deal of expertise. We report a patient with post-radical prostatectomy rectourethral fistula, treated with cyanoacrylate glue injected through a colonoscope as the fistulous tract was well visualized per rectum. The patient is voiding well per urethra with no rectal leakage 3 months post-catheter removal. Thus, use of cyanoacrylate glue as a minimally invasive non-surgical technique for management of rectourethral fistula appears to be a good option which can be tried before embarking on major surgery.
Penetrating Intracranial Injury due to Crochet Needle
Authors: Gupta Praveen K. , Thajjuddin B.A. , Al Sikri Nadia E. , Bangroo Anoop K.
Published: December 2008

Penetrating head injury is uncommon and is always a curiosity in terms of the mechanism involved. The complete extent of the damage can only be known with CT scan of the brain, which at times may be difficult to get, due to the large size of the foreign body. The management of such patients is always a challenge and requires innovative planning. A case of crochet needle injury is described in which the needle entered through the mouth and passed through the jugular foramen into the cerebellum. This patient, fortunately, escaped without any neurological deficit and complications. The principles of management are highlighted.
Critical Single Proximal Left Arterial Descending Coronary Artery Stenosis to Mimic Chronic Myocardial Ischemia: A New Model Induced by Minimal Invasive Technology
Authors: Horstick Georg , Bierbach Benjamin , Abegunewardene Nico , Both Stefan , Kuhn Sebastian , Manefeld Dirk , Reinecke Hans-Jürgen , Vosseler Markus , Helisch Andreas , Becker Dietmar , Lauterbach Michael , Kempski Oliver , Lehr Hans-Anton
Published: December 2008

Background/Aims: The present report examines a new pig model for progressive induction of high-grade stenosis, for the study of chronic myocardial ischemia and the dynamics of collateral vessel growth. Methods: Thirty-nine Landrace pigs were instrumented with a novel experimental stent (GVD stent) in the left anterior descending coronary artery. Eight animals underwent transthoracic echocardiography at rest and under low-dose dobutamine. Seven animals were examined by nuclear PET and SPECT analysis. Epi-, mid- and endocardial fibrosis and the numbers of arterial vessels were examined by histology. Results: Functional analysis showed a significant decrease in global left ventricular ejection fraction (24.5 ± 1.6%) 3 weeks after implantation. There was a trend to increased left ventricular ejection fraction after low-dose dobutamine stress (36.0 ± 6.6%) and a significant improvement of the impaired regional anterior wall motion. PET and SPECT imaging documented chronic hibernation. Myocardial fibrosis increased significantly in the ischemic area with a gradient from epi- to endocardial. The number of arterial vessels in the ischemic area increased and coronary angiography showed abundant collateral vessels of Rentrop class 1. Conclusion: The presented experimental model mimics the clinical situation of chronic myocardial ischemia secondary to 1-vessel coronary disease.
Effects of NMDA Receptors in Synapses and Extrasynapses of Rat Hippocampal Neurons on Amyloid-Beta-Induced Alterations in PSD-95 Expression
Authors: Liu Jinping , Wu Yan , Chang Lirong , Peng Jing , Song Yizhi , Lu Tao , Gao Xiulai
Published: December 2008

The objective of this study was to investigate the mechanism of the soluble Aβ oligomer-induced alteration in synaptic proteins. Therefore, an immunofluorescence technique was applied to investigate the changes in the expression of postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95) protein in primary hippocampal neurons, which was exposed to Aβ25–35 after N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist or agonist treatment. Results showed that Aβ25–35 downregulated PSD-95 protein in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Treatment of cells with MK-801 (a general NMDA receptor antagonist) prevented Aβ-induced PSD-95 degradation. Moreover, when extrasynaptic NMDA receptors were blocked by ifenprodil (a specific antagonist of the NR2B subunit), the Aβ-induced downregulation of PSD-95 was significantly attenuated. However, when synaptic NMDA receptors were blocked by bicuculline (a GABA receptor antagonist) in combination with MK-801, the PSD-95 degradation did not change significantly. The results suggest that Aβ-induced downregulation of PSD-95 depends on NMDAR activity, and extrasynaptic NMDA receptors may be involved in Aβ-induced synaptic protein degradation.
Effect of Latitudinal Variations in Low-Level Baroclinicity on Eddy Life Cycles and Upper-Tropospheric Wave-Breaking Processes
Authors: Rivière Gwendal
Published: December 2008

An analysis of the potential vorticity gradient and the refractive index in quasigeostrophic (QG) flows on the sphere reveals that the absolute vorticity and the stretching parts have two contradictory effects on the horizontal shape of the baroclinic waves when the full variations of the Coriolis parameter are taken into account in each term. The absolute vorticity effect favors the anticyclonic (southwest–northeast) tilt and anticyclonic wave breaking (AWB) and is stronger in the upper troposphere. In contrast, the stretching effect promotes the cyclonic (northwest–southeast) tilt and cyclonic wave breaking (CWB) and is more efficient at lower levels. A positive eddy feedback acting on the latitudinal variations of the zonal winds is deduced. Because the absolute vorticity and the stretching effects are respectively more and less efficient with increasing latitude, a more northward (southward) jet renders AWB more (less) probable and CWB less (more) probable; the jet is pushed or maintained more northward (southward) by the eddy feedback.

Idealized numerical experiments using two aquaplanet models on the sphere, a three-level QG model, and a 10-level primitive equation (PE) model, confirm our analysis. Two strategies are employed: first, a normal-mode approach for jets centered at different latitudes; second, an analysis of long-term integrations of the models where the temperature is relaxed toward zonally as well as nonzonally uniform restoration-temperature profiles located at different latitudes. The positive eddy feedback is much less visible in the QG model and CWB is very rare because it does not contain the stretching effect (because of the constant Coriolis parameter in the stretching term).
Effects of Initial Soil Moisture on Rainfall Generation and Subsequent Hydrologic Response during the North American Monsoon
Authors: Vivoni Enrique R. , Tai Kinwai , Gochis David J.
Published: December 2008

Through the use of a mesoscale meteorological model and distributed hydrologic model, the effects of initial soil moisture on rainfall generation, streamflow, and evapotranspiration during the North American monsoon are examined. A collection of atmospheric fields is simulated by varying initial soil moisture in the meteorological model. Analysis of the simulated rainfall fields shows that the total rainfall, intensity, and spatial coverage increase with higher soil moisture. Hydrologic simulations forced by the meteorological fields are performed using two scenarios: (i) fixed soil moisture initializations obtained via a drainage experiment in the hydrologic model and (ii) adjusted initializations to match conditions in the two models. The scenarios indicate that the runoff ratio increases with higher rainfall, although a change is observed from a linear (fixed initialization) to a nonlinear response (adjusted initialization). Variations in basin response are attributed to controls exerted by rainfall, soil, and vegetation properties for varying initial conditions. Antecedent wetness significantly influences the runoff response through the interplay of different runoff generation mechanisms and also controls the evapotranspiration process. The authors conclude that a regional increase in initial soil moisture promotes rainfall generation, streamflow, and evapotranspiration for this warm-season case study.
Leopoldo Franchetti and Italian Settlement in Eritrea: Emigration, Welfare Colonialism and the Southern Question
Authors: Bruner Stephen C.
Published: December 2008

Emigration, Colonialism and the Southern Question come together in the history of Leopoldo Franchetti's 1891 plan to provide land for Italian peasants in Eritrea. His plan was a political masterstroke in theory, yet despite burgeoning Italian emigration to other parts of the world and rural restlessness at home, virtually no peasants sought land in Eritrea and the plan failed within five years. Two enduring currents contributed the most to this outcome: the deeply-rooted perception of the Italian South as `African', with its consequences for peasant—state relations; and competition from emigrant destinations which already possessed social networks to encourage new arrivals. Both the plan's design and its failure illustrate how these currents spurred and shaped, but also ultimately frustrated, Italy's early colonial ambitions.
Patients’ constructions of disability in metastatic spinal cord compression
Authors: Eva G , Paley J , Miller M , Wee B
Published: December 2008

Metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC) is characterised by poor prognosis and serious physical disability. Patients have complex rehabilitation needs, but the evidence on rehabilitation is sparse. This study aimed to ascertain the constructions placed upon disability by patients with MSCC. The method consisted of a series of nine process-tracing, longitudinal case studies, involving 58 interviews with 9 patients, 6 carers and 29 staff in one National Health Service region. A context-mechanism-outcome configuration was adopted as a conceptual basis for data collection, together with a constant comparative method of data analysis. Patients’ orientation to disability incorporated two apparently inconsistent attitudes. Patients acknowledged that their situation had changed and that their future plans would need to accommodate altered circumstances. However, they also resisted the idea of themselves as disabled, wanting to retain an image of themselves as resourceful and resilient. Patients used a number of strategies to reconcile the tension between these two positions. The illusions incorporated into the ‘failure to acknowledge’ pole of this orientation are self-protective and, like other positive illusions, have psychological benefits. Providing effective and acceptable support to patients living with disability relies on professional responses that are able to sustain patients’ sense of their own competence.
CSF APPsα and Phosphorylated Tau Protein Levels in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia of Alzheimer's Type
Authors: Fellgiebel Andreas , Kojro Elzbieta , Muller Matthias J. , Scheurich Armin , Schmidt Lutz G. , Fahrenholz Falk
Published: December 2008

We exploratively measured APPsα, a secreted fragment of the non-amyloidogenic cleavage of amyloid precursor protein via a-secretase, and tau protein phosphorylated at threonine 181 (ptau) in the cerebrospinal fluid of 10 patients with mild cognitive impairment, 20 patients with dementia of Alzheimer's type, and 10 controls. Cerebrospinal fluid APPsα and ptau levels were correlated with cognitive performance. Ptau levels were significantly elevated in mild cognitive impairment and in patients with dementia of Alzheimer's type, APPsα levels were significantly reduced in patients with dementia of Alzheimer's type compared to the controls. APPsα levels were associated with Mini Mental State Examination total scores but not with Delayed Verbal Recall Test performance. Vice versa, ptau levels correlated only with Delayed Verbal Recall Test in patients with dementia of Alzheimer's type or mild cognitive impairment. Both, an increase in ptau levels and a decrease in cerebrospinal fluid APPsα, seem to refer to relevant but functionally different processes in the development of mild cognitive impairment and dementia of Alzheimer's type.
The Steel White Paper of 1973
Authors: Chapman Richard A. , Cockerill Tony
Published: December 2008

In 1960 Professor William Robson, the leading specialist on the study of nationalized industry and public ownership, wrote: `The real character of the relationship between Ministers and public corporations is only gradually becoming known to the public' (Robson, 1962: 142). It seems that advances in knowledge of this subject have been no more than modest in the past 50 years. This article is an idiographic study (Riggs, 1962; Chapman, 1966) intended to contribute to that advance. It is a study, in as much depth as possible, of the gestation of the 1973 White Paper on the Steel Industry and of the implementation of its main proposals. It contributes not only to an understanding of the British Steel Corporation but also to the history of a particularly significant development in policy-making and administration in the 1970s and later. The main sources for the study have been: government files in the Public Record Office (PRO) at the National Archives; published commentaries and analysis, both contemporary with the White Paper and later.
New Labour and Joined-up Urban Governance
Authors: Catney Philip
Published: December 2008

This article examines New Labour's approach to joined-up government within UK urban policy. In particular, it analyses the government's success in achieving greater degrees of integration in urban governance. It suggests that the growth in the number of multi-sectoral partnership schemes and area-based urban policies under Labour produced tensions with key elements of its joined-up government agenda. The article examines the rationale underpinning the government's approach to 'joined-up governance' and explores the processes by which the government sought to encourage the reorganization of urban governance through the institutional development of strategic and single-purpose partnership bodies. It also highlights the effects of these processes on the ground through an examination of developments in the city of Sheffield. It explores changes in the structure of urban governance in the city in response to national restructuring and local agendas, highlighting the importance of local leadership in providing coherence to urban governance and indicates some democratic tensions that have arisen.
The State of UK Governance
Authors: Duggett Michael
Published: December 2008

This article has two elements. The first relates a real current experience in civil service life and discusses the `way it was' on a certain date — 11 June 2008 — with reflections on the structure of departmental Whitehall and Cabinet Government under Gordon Brown's premiership; and on the key role of Public Service Agreements in the way the civil service works now. The second considers what this perceived reality tells us about some current theorizing about `networks' and governance while insisting on the centrality of the observable fact and the parliamentary context as one such `fact'.
Sixth meeting of the European Forum on antiphospholipid antibodies. How to improve the understanding of the antiphospholipid syndrome?
Authors: Rotar Ž , Rozman B , de Groot PG , Sanmarco M , Shoenfeld Y , Meroni PL , Cervera R , Pengo V , Cimaz R , Avčin T , Carp HJA , Tincani A
Published: December 2008

The main objective of these meetings is to promote international collaboration in various clinical and research projects. This paper is the summary of the 2007 Ljubljana meeting, and offers an overview of the proposed projects. The technical and methodological details of the projects will be published on the forum’s web site (http://www.med.ub.es/MIMMUN/FORUM/STUDIES.HTM).
Michèle Roberts's Protagonists: Catholicism and Sexuality
Authors: García Sánchez M. Soraya
Published: December 2008

Women have been marginalized in different contexts and situations. Religion, and to be more specific Catholicism, is a tradition that has divided men and women but more importantly women themselves as they represent the dichotomy of good and evil. Michèle Roberts's heroines are inspired through biblical characters who will replace the binary system of being for dualities and pluralities in the same woman as part of their identities. This paper considers the feminist procedure of Adrienne Rich's re-visioning, re-imagining and re-writing, Julia Kristeva's notion of abjection plus a touch of Bakhtinian `open bodies' in the light of Catholic myths. The conclusion of this essay aims to present and celebrate Roberts's heroines in relation to their sexuality and religion.
Recognition and Redistribution in Theories of Justice Beyond the State
Authors: O'Neill Shane , Walsh Caroline
Published: December 2008

We consider here how cultural and socioeconomic dimensions of justice beyond the state are related. First we examine cosmopolitan theories that have drawn on John Rawls's egalitarian liberal framework to argue that a just global order requires substantive, transnational redistribution of material resources. We then assess the view, ironically put forward by Rawls himself, that this perspective is ethnocentric and insufficiently tolerant of non-liberal cultures. We argue that Rawls is right to be concerned about the danger of ethnocentrism, but wrong to assume that this requires us to reject the case for substantive redistribution across state boundaries. A more compelling account of justice beyond the state will integrate effectively socioeconomic and cultural aspects of justice. We suggest that this approach is best grounded in a critical theory of recognition that responds to the damage caused to human relations by legacies of historical injustice.
Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria: Stem Cells and Clonality
Authors: Brodsky Robert A.
Published: December 2008

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria is a clonal hematopoietic stem cell disease that manifests with intravascular hemolysis, bone marrow failure, thrombosis, and smooth muscle dystonias. The disease can arise de novo or in the setting of acquired aplastic anemia. All PNH patients to date have been shown to harbor PIG-A mutations; the product of this gene is required for the synthesis of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchored proteins. In PNH patients, PIG-A mutations arise from a multipotent hematopoietic stem cell. Interestingly, PIG-A mutations can also be found in the peripheral blood of most healthy controls; however, these mutations arise from progenitor cells rather than multipotent hematopoietic stem cells and do not propagate the disease. The mechanism of whereby PNH stem cells achieve clonal dominance remains unclear. The leading hypotheses to explain clonal outgrowth in PNH are: 1) PNH cells evade immune attack possibly, because of an absent cell surface GPI-AP that is the target of the immune attack; 2) The PIG-A mutation confers an intrinsic resistance to apoptosis that becomes more conspicuous when the marrow is under immune attack; and 3) A second mutation occurs in the PNH clone to give it an intrinsic survival advantage. These hypotheses may not be mutually exclusive, since data in support of all three models have been generated.