bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SunB, a novel Sad1 and UNC‐84 domain‐containing protein required for development of Dictyostelium discoideum
Authors: Shimada Nao , Inouye Kei , Sawai Satoshi , Kawata Takefumi
Published: September 2010

A gene, sunB, encoding a novel class of Sad1 and UNC‐84 (SUN) domain, was isolated from a cDNA screen for suppressors of a mutation in Dd‐STATa – a Dictyostelium homologue of metazoan STAT (signal transducers and activators of transcription). The SunB protein localized in the area around the nucleus in growing cells, but in the multicellular stages it was predominantly found in prespore vacuoles (PSVs). A disruptant of sunB was multinucleated in the vegetative phase; during development it formed mounds with multiple tips and failed to culminate. The mutation was cell autonomous, and showed reduced expression of the prespore marker gene pspA and elevated expression of marker genes for prestalk AB cells. Interestingly, the level of SunB was abnormally high in the prestalk cells of Dd‐STATa mutants, which are defective in culmination. We conclude that SunB is essential for accurate prestalk/prespore differentiation during Dictyostelium development and that its cell‐type dependent localization is regulated by a Dd‐STATa‐mediated signaling pathway.
Two different unique cardiac isoforms of protein 4.1R in zebrafish, Danio rerio, and insights into their cardiac functions as related to their unique structures
Authors: Murata Kenji , Nunomura Wataru , Takakuwa Yuichi , Cherr Gary N.
Published: September 2010

Protein 4.1R (4.1R) has been identified as the major component of the human erythrocyte membrane skeleton. The members of the protein 4.1 gene family are expressed in a tissue‐specific alternative splicing manner that increases their functions in each tissue; however, the exact roles of cardiac 4.1R in the developing myocardium are poorly understood. In zebrafish (ZF), we identified two heart‐specific 4.1R isoforms, ZF4.1RH2 and ZF4.1RH3, encoding N‐terminal 30 kDa (FERM) domain and spectrin‐actin binding domain (SABD) and C‐terminal domain (CTD), separately. Applying immunohistochemistry using specific antibodies for 30 kDa domain and CTD separately, the gene product of ZF4.1RH2 and ZF4.1RH3 appeared only in the ventricle and in the atrium, respectively, in mature hearts. During embryogenesis, both gene expressions are expressed starting 24 h post‐fertilization (hpf). Following whole‐mount in situ hybridization, ZF4.1RH3 gene expression was detected in the atrium of 37 hpf embryos. These results indicate that the gene product of ZF4.1RH3 is essential for normal morphological shape of the developing heart and to support the repetitive cycles of its muscle contraction and relaxation.
Piwi‐expressing hemoblasts serve as germline stem cells during postembryonic germ cell specification in colonial ascidian, Botryllus primigenus
Authors: Sunanaga Takeshi , Inubushi Hironori , Kawamura Kazuo
Published: September 2010

Animals that propagate asexually are exciting models to investigate the cellular system, which produces germline cells constitutively throughout life. The present research investigated whether piwi was a germline‐specific marker in the colonial ascidian Botryllus primigenus. An approximately 2.8 kb long cDNA fragment was cloned and termed BpPiwi, since the obtained amino acid sequence (874 aa) contained PAZ and PIWI domains. BpPiwi was expressed specifically by germline cells such as the loose cell mass (germline precursor cells), oocytes, spermatogonia, and spermatocytes. In addition, BpPiwi transcripts were also detected in some coelomic cells in the hemocoel and tunic vessels. BpPiwi+ coelomic cells possessed similar morphological features to hemoblasts (stem cells). The concentration of BpPiwi+ cells was found to be significantly lower than that obtained for hemoblasts suggesting that BpPiwi+ cells comprise a fraction of hemoblasts. Further, the ability of BpPiwi+ cells to serve as somatic stem cells was examined. No BpPiwi signals were detected from somatic hemoblasts forming vascular buds. The genetic knockdown of BpPiwi induced by siRNA injection resulted in the formation of a defective germline precursor. These results suggest that BpPiwi+ hemoblasts reside in the hemocoel and tunic vessels and function as germline stem cells in the postembryonic colony. Based on the findings of the characterization of three effective germline genes piwi, vasa, and nanos, we propose that germline stem cells reside as BpPiwi+/BpVas−/BpNos+ hemoblasts in B. primigenus.
Differential proteomic analysis during the vegetative phase change and the floral transition in Malus domestica
Authors: Zeng Guang J. , Li Chun M. , Zhang Xin Z. , Han Zhen H. , Yang Feng Q. , Gao Yan , Chen Dong M. , Zhao Yong B. , Wang Yi , Teng Yun L. , Dong Wen X.
Published: September 2010

In order to identify the proteomic changes of apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) during the vegetative phase change and the floral transition, leaf protein of juvenile, adult vegetative and reproductive phase in a seedling (‘Jonathan’ × ‘Golden Delicious’) was extracted and analyzed by 2‐D electrophoresis and Matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization‐time of flight mass spectrometry. Seventy two gel spots with significant expression differences between ontogenetic phases were obtained. Five protein spots were only detected in leaves of juvenile phase and 11 were not; 17 spots were found exclusively in adult vegetative leaves; and only one spot solely appeared in reproductive leaves while 12 did not. Twenty six of the differentially expressed proteins identified were involved in photosynthesis. Seven enzymes were related to respiration and carbohydrate metabolism. Fifteen other proteins also presented qualitative or quantitative differences among developmental phases. The spatial distribution of one differentially expressed protein, serine hydroxymethyltransferase, was confirmed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and immunohistochemistry. These results strongly support the idea that the vegetative phase change and the floral transition are regulated independently during developmental process.
Developmental significance of cyanide‐resistant respiration under stressed conditions: Experiments in Dictyostelium cells
Authors: Kimura Kei , Kuwayama Hidekazu , Amagai Aiko , Maeda Yasuo
Published: September 2010

We have previously reported that benzohydroxamic acid (BHAM), a potent inhibitor of cyanide (CN)‐resistant respiration mediated by alternative oxidase (AOX), induces formation of unique cell masses (i.e., stalk‐like cells with a large vacuole and thick cell wall) in starved Dictyostelium cells. Unexpectedly, however, aox‐null cells prepared by homologous recombination exhibited normal development under normal culture conditions on agar, indicating that BHAM‐induced stalk formation is not solely attributable to inhibition of CN‐resistant respiration. This also suggests that a series of pharmacological approaches in the field of life science has serious limitations. Under stress (e.g., in submerged culture), starved aox‐null cells exhibited slightly delayed aggregation compared with parental Ax‐2 cells; most cells remained as loose aggregates even after prolonged incubation. Also, the developmental defects of aox‐null cells became more marked upon incubation for 30 min just after starvation in the presence of ≥1.75 mmol/L H2O2. This seems to indicate that CN‐resistant respiration could mitigate cellular damage through reactive oxygen species (ROS), because AOX has a potential role in reduction of ROS production. Starved aox‐null cells did not develop in the presence of 5 mmol/L KCN (which completely inhibited the conventional cytochrome‐mediated respiration) and remained as non‐aggregated single cells on agar even after prolonged incubation. Somewhat surprisingly, however, parental Ax‐2 cells were found to develop normally, forming fruiting bodies even in the presence of 10 mmol/L KCN. Taken together, these results suggest that CN‐resistant respiration might compensate for the production of adenosine tri‐phosphate via oxidative phosphorylation.
Regeneration of optic nerve fibers of adult mammals
Authors: Watanabe Masami
Published: September 2010

The pathway from the retina to the brain in mammals provides a well‐defined model system for investigation of not only surviving axotomy but also axonal regeneration of injured neurons. Here I introduce our recent works on axonal regeneration in the optic nerve (OpN) of adult cats. Fibers of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) extend beyond the crush site of OpN with injections of a macrophage stimulator (oxidized galectin‐1) or a Rho kinase (ROCK) inhibitor (Y‐39983 or Y‐27632) while axonal extension is blocked with injection of saline. Elongation of crushed optic fibers, however, is slowed after 2 weeks. Transplantation of peripheral nerve makes RGCs regenerate their transected axons into a graft but regenerated fibers extend only a few mm in the brain. Effectiveness of combination of the drugs and treatments has to be verified in future.
Claudin5 genes encoding tight junction proteins are required for Xenopus heart formation
Authors: Yamagishi Masahiro , Ito Yuzuru , Ariizumi Takashi , Komazaki Shinji , Danno Hiroki , Michiue Tatsuo , Asashima Makoto
Published: September 2010

Claudin proteins are the major components of tight junctions connecting adjacent cells, where they regulate a variety of cellular activities. In the present paper we identified two Xenopus claudin5 genes (cldn5a and 5b), which are expressed early in the developing cardiac region. Precocious cldn5 expression was observed in explants of non‐heart‐forming mesoderm under inhibition of the canonical Wnt pathway. Cardiogenesis was severely perturbed by antisense oligonucleotides against cldn5 or by Cldn5 proteins lacking the cytoplasmic domain. Results of light‐ and electron‐microscopic observations suggested that cldn5a and 5b are required for Xenopus heart tube formation through epithelialization of the precardiac mesoderm.
Pilot randomized study comparing two techniques of airway anaesthesia during curvilinear probe endobronchial ultrasound bronchoscopy (CP‐EBUS)
Authors: LEE Hans J. , HAAS Andrew R. , STERMAN Daniel H. , SOLLY Randy , VACHANI Anil , GILLESPIE Colin T.
Published: September 2010

Background and objective:  This study evaluates two different techniques for topically anaesthetizing the airway with lidocaine during curvilinear probe endobronchial ultrasound bronchoscopy (CP‐EBUS): standard injection through the working channel and spray catheter application.

Methods:  This was a randomized, non‐blinded, single‐centre pilot study. Patients with plans for CP‐EBUS under moderate sedation were enrolled. All patients received nebulized lidocaine followed by posterior oropharyngeal lidocaine via atomizer and a cotton ball swab using McGill forceps. Patients were then randomly assigned to lidocaine administration using spray catheter instillation or direct application through the working channel. Lidocaine was administered in a uniform fashion by a single investigator throughout the study. The primary end‐point was the number of significant coughing episodes in the first 30 min of bronchoscopy. Other end‐points included lidocaine and intravenous sedation medication dosage; severe coughing session; and number of transbronchial needle aspirations.

Results:  Forty patients were included in the study: 20 patients in each group. The median numbers of coughing episodes in the first 30 min were 1 (spray catheter group) and 2 (standard injection group) (P < 0.004). Six patients in the standard installation group experienced severe coughing sessions, while there was none in the spray catheter group (P = 0.02). There were no statistical differences between the groups in the dosage of lidocaine or intravenous sedation medications used. There were a greater number of transbronchial needle aspirations performed in the spray catheter group (P = 0.008).

Conclusions:  Lidocaine delivery via the spray catheter reduced the number of significant coughing episodes compared with standard working channel injection during CP‐EBUS. Larger studies are needed to confirm these exploratory findings.
Coping with Conway v. Rimmer [1968] AC 910: How Civil Servants Control Access to Justice
Authors: Spencer Maureen , Spencer John
Published: September 2010

The article, based on a review of files in the National Archives, examines the role of civil servants in claims for the suppression of state documents at trial on grounds of public interest immunity (PII). Government lawyers solicited responses from other ministries to the landmark Lords decision in Conway v. Rimmer and coordinated the civil service campaign against this unwelcome judicial intrusion into their professional domain. The decision was seen as a threat to confidentiality and the secret cultivation of administrative expertise.

Academic debate on the evolution of the PII doctrine has centred on the allocation of responsibility between an overly deferential judiciary and ministerial concern to avoid political embarrassment. The role of civil servants may have been more coherent and ideologically motivated than previously appreciated. As the courts increasingly challenge government claims for suppression of material at trial, the article highlights the historical factors determining the executive's innate instinct for secrecy.
Regulating Law Firm Ethics Management: An Empirical Assessment of an Innovation in Regulation of the Legal Profession in New South Wales
Authors: Parker Christine , Gordon Tahlia , Mark Steve
Published: September 2010

The Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) was the first jurisdiction to fully deregulate law firm structure and allow alternative business structures in the legal profession. At the same time it also introduced an innovation in regulation of the legal profession, requiring that incorporated legal practices implement ‘appropriate management systems’ for ensuring the provision of legal services in compliance with professional ethical obligations. This paper presents a preliminary empirical evaluation of the impact of this attempt at ‘management‐based regulation’. We find that the NSW requirement that firms self‐assess their ethics management leads to a large and statistically significant drop in complaints. The (self‐assessed) level of implementation of ethics management infrastructure, however, does not make any difference. The relevance of these findings to debates about deprofessionalization, managerialism, and commercialism in the legal profession is discussed, and the NSW approach is distinguished from the more heavy‐handed English legal aid approach to regulating law firm quality management.
Real Time Animation of Virtual Humans: A Trade‐off Between Naturalness and Control
Authors: Van Welbergen H. , Van Basten B. J. H. , Egges A. , Ruttkay Zs. M. , Overmars M. H.
Published: September 2010

Virtual humans are employed in many interactive applications using 3D virtual environments, including (serious) games. The motion of such virtual humans should look realistic (or ‘natural’) and allow interaction with the surroundings and other (virtual) humans. Current animation techniques differ in the trade‐off they offer between motion naturalness and the control that can be exerted over the motion. We show mechanisms to parametrize, combine (on different body parts) and concatenate motions generated by different animation techniques. We discuss several aspects of motion naturalness and show how it can be evaluated. We conclude by showing the promise of combinations of different animation paradigms to enhance both naturalness and control.
Materials Metabolism Analysis of China's Highway Traffic System (HTS) for Promoting Circular Economy
Authors: Wen Zongguo , Li Ruijuan
Published: September 2010

With the rapid growth of highway mileage and vehicles, the Chinese highway traffic system (HTS) has become one of the great resource consumers. This article attempts to evaluate the material metabolism of China's HTS during 2001–2005 using the approach of material flow analysis (MFA) and to explore possible measures to promote circular economy throughout HTS.

We measured a set of indicators to illustrate the whole material metabolism of China's HTS. The results indicated that the direct material input (DMI) of China's HTS increased from 1181.26 million tonnes (Mt) in 2001 to 1,874.57 Mt in 2005, and about 80% of DMI was accumulated in the system as infrastructure and vehicles. The domestic processed output (DPO) increased by 59.0% from 2001 to 2005. Carbon dioxide and solid waste accounted for 80.5% and 10.4% of DPO, respectively. The increase of resource consumption and pollutant emissions kept pace with the growth of transportation turnover. All these suggest that China's HTS still followed an extensive linear developing pattern with large resource consumption and heavy pollution emissions during the study period, which brought great challenges to the resources and the environment. Therefore, it's high time for China to implement a circular economy throughout the HTS by instituting resource and energy savings, by reducing emissions in the field of infrastructure construction and maintenance, by reducing vehicles’ energy and materials consumption, and by recycling waste materials.
How Should We Use Age to Ration Health Care? Lessons from the Case of Kidney Transplantation
Authors: Reese Peter P. , Caplan Arthur L. , Bloom Roy D. , Abt Peter L. , Karlawish Jason H.
Published: September 2010

Competing visions for health reform in the United States and renewed interest in health technology assessment (HTA) have led to fierce national debates about the appropriateness of rationing. Because of a limited supply of organs, kidney transplantation has always required rationing and overt discussion of the ethics that guide it, but the field of transplantation has also contended recently with internal calls for a new rationing system. The aim of the Life Years from Transplantation (LYFT) proposal is to allocate kidneys to patients who obtain the greatest survival benefit from transplantation, which would lengthen the lives of kidney transplant recipients but restrict the ability of older Americans to obtain a transplant. The debate around the LYFT proposal reveals the ethical and policy challenges of identifying which patients should receive a treatment based on the results of cost‐effectiveness and other HTA studies. This article argues that attempts to use HTA for healthcare rationing are likely to disadvantage older patients. Guiding principles to help ensure that resources such as kidneys are justly allocated across the life span are proposed.
Urinary and Fecal Incontinence and Quality of Life in African Americans
Authors: Malmstrom Theodore K. , Andresen Elena M. , Wolinsky Fredric D. , Schootman Mario , Miller J. Philip , Miller Douglas K.
Published: September 2010

OBJECTIVES: To investigate associations between quality of life (QoL) and incontinence in a population‐based African‐American sample.

DESIGN: Cross‐sectional survey.

SETTING: Metropolitan St. Louis, Missouri.

PARTICIPANTS: Eight hundred fifty‐three non‐institutionalized African Americans aged 52 to 68 in the African American Health study.

MEASUREMENTS: Respondents who reported having involuntarily lost urine over the previous month were classified as having urinary incontinence (UI), and respondents who reported having lost control of their bowels or stool over the past year were classified as having fecal incontinence (FI). QoL was measured using the Medical Outcomes Study 36‐Item Short‐Form Health Survey (SF‐36) and the 11‐item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES‐D).

RESULTS: Prevalences of UI and FI were 12.1% (weighted n=102/841) and 5.0% (weighted n=42/841). Participants with UI and those with FI had worse SF‐36 scores than their referent groups (physical function −15.5 and −38.1 points, respectively; role physical −13.2 and −26.5 points; bodily pain −15.7 and −24.5 points; general health perceptions −15.5 and −27.6 points; vitality −15.0 and −16.5 points; social functioning −18.4 and −25.6 points; role emotional −13.2 and −22.1 points; mental health −12.2 and −17.5 points; all Ps<.001), adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, and chronic conditions. Proportions with clinically relevant levels of depressive symptoms were also higher in both groups (UI+17.9%; P<.001) and FI (+37.2%; P<.001) than in their referent groups.

CONCLUSION: UI and FI were strongly associated with worse health‐related QoL as well as symptoms of depression in this population‐based sample of African Americans.
Association Between Life Space and Risk of Mortality in Advanced Age
Authors: Boyle Patricia A. , Buchman Aron S. , Barnes Lisa L. , James Bryan D. , Bennett David A.
Published: September 2010

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between life space, a measure of functional status that describes the range of movement through the environment covered during daily functioning, and the risk of mortality in older community‐based persons.

DESIGN: Two ongoing, prospective observational cohort studies of aging.

SETTING: Greater metropolitan Chicago area.

PARTICIPANTS: One thousand four hundred forty‐five community‐based older persons without dementia.

MEASUREMENTS: Life space was measured at baseline using a series of questions designed to measure the extent of participants' movement throughout their environment, ranging from the bedroom to out of town. The association between life space and mortality was examined using proportional hazards models adjusted for age, sex, race, and education.

RESULTS: Over up to 8 years of follow‐up (mean 4.1 years), 329 of 1,445 (22.8%) participants died. In a proportional hazards model adjusted for age, sex, race, and education, a more‐constricted life space was associated with a greater risk of death (hazard ratio=1.18, 95% confidence interval=1.09–1.27, P<.001), such that people with life spaces constricted to their immediate home environment (score=3) were approximately 1.6 times as likely to die as those whose life spaces included trips out of town (score=0). This association persisted after the addition of terms for several potential confounders, including physical activity, performance‐based physical function, disability, depressive symptoms, social networks, body mass index, and number of chronic medical conditions.

CONCLUSION: Constricted life space is associated with greater risk of death in older community‐based persons.
Trail‐Walking Exercise and Fall Risk Factors in Community‐Dwelling Older Adults: Preliminary Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Yamada Minoru , Tanaka Buichi , Nagai Koutatsu , Aoyama Tomoki , Ichihashi Noriaki
Published: September 2010

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of a trail‐walking exercise (TWE) program on the rate of falls in community‐dwelling older adults.

DESIGN: Pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT).

SETTING: This trial was conducted in Japan and involved community‐dwelling older adults as participants.

PARTICIPANTS: Sixty participants randomized into a TWE group (n=30) and a walking (W) group (n=30).

INTERVENTION: Exercise class combined with multicomponent trail walking program, versus exercise class combined with simple indoor walking program.

MEASUREMENT: Measurement was based on the difference in fall rates between the TWE and W groups.

RESULTS: Six months after the intervention, the incidence rate ratio (IRR) of falls for the TWE group compared with the W group was 0.20 (95% confidence interval (CI)=0.04–0.91); 12 months after the intervention, the IRR of falls for the TWE group compared with the W group was 0.45 (95% CI=0.16–1.77).

CONCLUSION: The results of this pilot RCT suggest that the TWE program was more effective in improving locomotion and cognitive performance under trail‐walking task conditions than walking. In addition, participants who took part in the TWE demonstrated a decrease in the incidence rate of falls 6 months after trial completion. Further confirmation is needed, but this preliminary result may promote a new understanding of accidental falls in older adults.
Foot Pain, Plantar Pressures, and Falls in Older People: A Prospective Study
Authors: Mickle Karen J. , Munro Bridget J. , Lord Stephen R. , Menz Hylton B. , Steele Julie R.
Published: September 2010

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether foot pain and plantar pressure are associated with falls in community‐dwelling older adults.

DESIGN: Community‐based cohort study with 12‐month prospective falls follow‐up.

SETTING: Sydney and Illawarra statistical regions of New South Wales, Australia.

PARTICIPANTS: Randomly recruited, community‐dwelling adults (158 men and 154 women) aged 60 and older.

MEASUREMENTS: Manchester Foot Pain and Disability Index to establish baseline foot pain and dynamic plantar pressures. Participants were then classified as fallers (n=107) or nonfallers (n=196) based on their falls incidence over the following 12 months.

RESULTS: Fallers had a significantly higher prevalence of foot pain than nonfallers (57.9% vs 42.1%; chi‐square=4.0; P=.04). Fallers also generated a significantly higher peak pressure and pressure‐time integral under the foot than non‐fallers. In addition, individuals with foot pain had a significantly higher peak pressure and pressure‐time integral under the foot than those without foot pain.

CONCLUSION: High plantar pressures generated during gait may contribute to foot pain and risk of falls. Providing interventions to older people with foot pain and high plantar pressures may play a role in reducing their falls risk.
Mapping Early Patents on Baker's Yeast Manufacture
Authors: Gélinas Pierre
Published: September 2010

Abstract:  In the 19th century, bread had a pronounced acidic taste and a nonuniform appearance, as shown by a review of 178 early patents families on baker's yeast manufacture. This was largely due to the unpredictable nature of baker's yeast, which was generally grown under empiric conditions in nonsterile dough or liquid prepared with saccharified cereals. Inventors were mainly interested in techniques to increase yields of pressed yeast through media formulation, infection control, and automation of biomass separation and packaging. Still in its infancy, baker's yeast technology was slow to develop and apply new ideas due to lack of awareness on information published in patents and the scientific literature. This review also gives background information on early patents.
Poly‐Lactic Acid: Production, Applications, Nanocomposites, and Release Studies
Authors: Jamshidian Majid , Tehrany Elmira Arab , Imran Muhammad , Jacquot Muriel , Desobry Stéphane
Published: September 2010

Abstract:  Environmental, economic, and safety challenges have provoked packaging scientists and producers to partially substitute petrochemical‐based polymers with biodegradable ones. The general purpose of this review is to introduce poly‐lactic acid (PLA), a compostable, biodegradable thermoplastic made from renewable sources. PLA properties and modifications via different methods, like using modifiers, blending, copolymerizing, and physical treatments, are mentioned; these are rarely discussed together in other reviews. Industrial processing methods for producing different PLA films, wrappings, laminates, containers (bottles and cups), are presented. The capabilities of PLA for being a strong active packaging material in different areas requiring antimicrobial and antioxidant characteristics are discussed. Consequently, applications of nanomaterials in combination with PLA structures for creating new PLA nanocomposites with greater abilities are also covered. These approaches may modify PLA weaknesses for some food packaging applications. Nanotechnology approaches are being broadened in food science, especially in packaging material science with high performances and low concentrations and prices, so this category of nano‐research is estimated to be revolutionary in food packaging science in the near future. The linkage of a 100% bio‐originated material and nanomaterials opens new windows for becoming independent, primarily, of petrochemical‐based polymers and, secondarily, for answering environmental and health concerns will undoubtedly be growing with time.
The Language of “Circule”:
Authors: Mirhosseini Seyyed‐Abdolhamid , Fattahi Hossein
Published: September 2010

This article explores the practice of false patient out‐referral by medical students in Iranian teaching hospital emergency departments. Drawing on participant‐observations and interviews during eight months in six hospitals in Tehran, we investigate how discourse is appropriated to construct and legitimate out‐referrals through four general strategies of sympathy, mystification, intimidation, and procrastination. Based on a critical approach to false out‐referral discourse, we revisit the medical and educational functioning of teaching hospitals in Iran: Focusing on medical students involved in false out‐referrals, their discursive reproduction of deception is examined along with their legitimate challenges to institutional structures. Moreover, focusing on the institution of hospital, institutional corruption is discussed along with the problematic of covert cultural defiance faced by a modernist organizational construct in a nonmainstream cultural context. Finally, we argue that the discourse of false out‐referral calls for more profound public awareness in dealing with health institutions.
Wood borer performance and wood characteristics of drought‐stressed Scots pine seedlings
Authors: Heijari Juha , Nerg Anne‐Marja , Holopainen Jarmo K. , Kainulainen Pirjo
Published: September 2010

Four‐year‐old Scots pine [Pinus sylvestris L. (Pinaceae)] seedlings were exposed to medium and severe drought stress for two consecutive years. The anatomical properties of drought‐stressed Scots pine wood and their impact on the performance of destructive wood boring early instars of Hylotrupes bajulus L. (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) were studied. Drought stress significantly decreased diameter of earlywood tracheids in both growing years and diameter of latewood tracheids after the second growing season only. Cell lumen area was significantly decreased by both medium and severe drought stress compared to well‐watered controls. In addition, area of cell lumen was significantly smaller in severe drought than in medium drought treatment. The drought stress marginally increased the number of resin canals in the wood, but did not affect the size of resin canals either in wood or bark. The relative growth rate of xylophagous H. bajulus neonatal larvae was not significantly affected by drought stress during the 106‐day feeding period on Scots pine wood blocks. The results show that although water availability was an important factor affecting the development and anatomy of wood cells, observed changes in wood characteristics did not affect the performance of early instars feeding on wood processed from drought‐stressed young Scots pine seedlings.
Self‐efficacy, physical activity and health‐related quality of life in middle‐aged meniscectomy patients and controls
Authors: Ericsson Y. B. , Ringsberg K. , Dahlberg L. E.
Published: September 2010

Our purpose was to examine self‐efficacy of knee function, physical activity (PA) and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in post‐meniscectomy patients and controls as well as to explore the impact of gender and the association between outcomes. Ninety‐nine post‐meniscectomy patients (27% women), mean age 44.5 years, mean (range) of follow‐up time 3 (1–5) years, and 94 controls (34% women), mean age 45 years, completed the following questionnaires: the Knee Self‐Efficacy Scale (K‐SESABC), the Physical Activity Scale (PAS) and the Short Form‐36 (SF‐36). Patients scored lower than controls in K‐SESABC and in the SF‐36 subscales Physical Functioning and Bodily Pain (P≤0.002). Forty‐six percent of the patients had resumed pre‐injury PA, but current PA did not differ between the groups. In the patients, K‐SESABC correlated strongly with four physical SF‐36 subscales and one mental scale (Vitality) (rs=0.56–0.85, P<0.001) and moderately with three subscales: (rs=0.35–0.46, P<0.001) and with PAS (rs=0.42, P<0.001). Females scored lower than males in K‐SESABC (P=0.006) and in four SF‐36 subscales (P<0.04), but reported similar PA as men. We conclude that meniscectomy in middle‐aged individuals may lead to lower self‐efficacy of knee function, a sedentary lifestyle and poorer HRQoL.
Efficacy and Safety of Propiverine and Solifenacin for the Treatment of Female Patients with Overactive Bladder: A Crossover Study
Authors: WADA Naoki , WATANABE Masaki , KITA Masafumi , OSANAI Hiroaki , YAMAGUCHI Satoshi , NUMATA Atsushi , KAKIZAKI Hidehiro ,   on behalf of the OAB Study Group in Northern Hokkaido
Published: September 2010

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and tolerability of propiverine and solifenacin in female patients with overactive bladder (OAB).

Methods: A prospective nonrandomized crossover study of propiverine 20 mg and solifenacin 5 mg was conducted. Female OAB patients were assigned alternately to treatment with propiverine for 8 weeks then solifenacin for 8 weeks (Group P‐S) or solifenacin for 8 weeks then propiverine for 8 weeks (Group S‐P). At baseline, 8th week and 16th week, symptoms were assessed using overactive bladder symptom score (OABSS).

Results: A total of 121 patients were enrolled. Overall, 38 patients (31.4%) discontinued or dropped out and 83 patients were available for analysis (39 in Group P‐S and 44 in Group S‐P). In both groups, the total score and each score of OABSS were significantly improved after 8 weeks compared with baseline. In only Group P‐S (changing over from propiverine to solifenacin), urgency score in the 16th week was further improved significantly compared with the 8th week. The most bothersome symptom at baseline was urgency incontinence (50.6%), followed by urgency (37.3%). Even after symptom improvement, more than half of the patients were bothered by urgency or urgency incontinence. The incidence of adverse events of moderate and severe grade was higher during propiverine treatment than solifenacin (11.1% vs 2.9%, P = 0.039).

Conclusion: Propiverine 20 mg and solifenacin 5 mg were effective for treating female OAB patients. Urgency was further improved after switching from propiverine to solifenacin, but not after switching from solifenacin to propiverine. Solifenacin was better tolerated than propiverine.
Better Liked but Not More Supported: Optimism and Social Support from a Provider's Perspective
Authors: Vollmann Manja , Renner Britta
Published: September 2010

Optimists commonly report a higher availability of supportive others and more received social support than pessimists. However, these results are silent on the question of whether this effect is due to an overly optimistic view on their social environment or whether the social environment actually provides optimists with more support than pessimists. Accordingly, the present study tested in an experimental design whether potential support providers react differently toward optimists, pessimists, and realists. Participants viewed videotaped interactions displaying either an optimistic, pessimistic, or realistic target person. Results show that the personality, the behavior, and the interpersonal attraction of optimists and realists were evaluated more positively than that of pessimists. Nonetheless, participants were equally or even less willing to provide social support to optimists compared to pessimists and realists. Thus, the greater amount of received support reported by optimists possibly represents an optimistically biased perception rather than a veridical reflection of the support they are provided with.
Continuum model of mechanical interactions between biological cells and artificial nanostructures
Authors: Verma Piyush , Wong Ian Y. , Melosh Nicholas A.
Published: September 2010

The controlled insertion of artificial nanostructures into biological cells has been utilized for patch clamping, targeted drug delivery, cell lysing, and cell mechanics measurements. In this work, an elastic continuum model is implemented to treat the deformation of spherical cells in solution due to their interaction with cylindrical probes. At small deformations, the force varies nonlinearly with indentation due to global deformation of the cell shape. However, at large indentations, the force varies linearly with indentation due to more localized deformations. These trends are consistent with experimental measurements under comparable conditions and can be used to develop design rules for optimizing probe-cell interactions.
Nanotribological characterization of human head hair by friction force microscopy in dry atmosphere and aqueous environment
Authors: Nikogeorgos Nikos , Fletcher Ian W. , Boardman Christopher , Doyle Peter , Ortuoste Nerea , Leggett Graham J.
Published: September 2010

Friction force microscopy was employed for the tribological investigation of human head hair in two different environments: a dry atmosphere and de-ionized water. The fibers were immobilized by embedding them in indium. The effects of bleaching, conditioning, and immersion in methanolic KOH were quantified in terms of the relative coefficient of friction (μ). The virgin fibers were clearly distinguished in terms of friction coefficient from the chemically damaged ones in both environments, while all categories of hair exhibited higher friction coefficients in the aqueous environment. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy was used as a complementary technique to examine the presence of fatty acids on the cuticular surface of the different categories of hair as well as the conditioner distribution. Neither bleaching nor 30 min treatment in methanolic KOH was found adequate to completely remove the fatty acids from the fibers’ surface. Conditioner species were detected along the whole cuticular surface.
Future CO
2
Emissions and Climate Change from Existing Energy Infrastructure
Authors: Davis Steven J. , Caldeira Ken , Matthews H. Damon
Published: September 2010

What We're In For

What would our climate future look like if we stopped building any new infrastructure that used fossil fuels?

Davis
et al.

(p.
1330
; see the Perspective by

Hoffert

) made the assumption that all existing infrastructure will be used until the end of its lifetime, after which it will be replaced by infrastructure that does not produce CO
2
. They then calculated the amount of additional CO
2
that will be added to the atmosphere. The outcome is that the concentration of atmospheric CO
2
would remain below 430 parts per million (ppm) (present levels are 390 ppm) and global mean temperatures would increase to 1.3°C above preindustrial values (about 0.5°C above present), well below current targets of 450 ppm and 2°C, respectively.
Self-Assembly of Filopodia-Like Structures on Supported Lipid Bilayers
Authors: Lee Kwonmoo , Gallop Jennifer L. , Rambani Komal , Kirschner Marc W.
Published: September 2010

Pointing the Finger

Filopodia are finger-like structures containing parallel bundles of actin filaments that are central to eukaryotic cell motility in a variety of contexts.

K. Lee
et al.

(p.
1341
) reconstituted filopodia-like structures that grow from supported lipid bilayers to explore filopodia assembly. A structural transition from actin networks to parallel bundles was observed that mediated self-assembly of filopodia-tip complexes on the membranes.
Stable Isotope Measurements of Martian Atmospheric CO
2
at the Phoenix Landing Site
Authors: Niles Paul B. , Boynton William V. , Hoffman John H. , Ming Douglas W. , Hamara Dave
Published: September 2010

Martian Carbon Dioxide

As a primary component of the martian atmosphere and as the primary greenhouse gas for Mars, carbon dioxide has played a role in climate and geological processes during martian history.

Niles
et al.

(p.
1334
) present high-precision measurements of the isotopic composition of the martian atmospheric CO
2
, made in situ by the Mars Phoenix Lander. Atmospheric CO
2
on Mars was not enriched in
13
C, which implies that volcanic degassing and carbonate formation have been important in the recent past, but it was enriched in
18
O, which suggests that low-temperature water-rock interactions have been dominant on Mars. Combined with previous work on martian meteorites, the results suggest that carbonate formation has been active on Mars for the past 200 million years.
Shape Memory Bulk Metallic Glass Composites
Authors: Hofmann Douglas C.
Published: September 2010

Glass-forming and shape memory metals may provide a route to fabricating materials with enhanced mechanical properties.
Remeasuring Aging
Authors: Sanderson Warren C. , Scherbov Sergei
Published: September 2010

Adjusting aging forecasts to incorporate increases in longevity and health can provide better tools for policy-makers.
Prediction of Individual Brain Maturity Using fMRI
Authors: Dosenbach Nico U. F. , Nardos Binyam , Cohen Alexander L. , Fair Damien A. , Power Jonathan D. , Church Jessica A. , Nelson Steven M. , Wig Gagan S. , Vogel Alecia C. , Lessov-Schlaggar Christina N. , Barnes Kelly Anne , Dubis Joseph W. , Feczko Eric , Coalson Rebecca S. , Pruett John R. , Barch Deanna M. , Petersen Steven E. , Schlaggar Bradley L.
Published: September 2010

Connectivity Map of the Brain

The growing appreciation that clinically abnormal behaviors in children and adolescents may be influenced or perhaps even initiated by developmental miscues has stoked an interest in mapping normal human brain maturation. Several groups have documented changes in gray and white matter using structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies.

Dosenbach
et al.

(p.
1358
) developed an index of resting-state functional connectivity (that is, how tightly neuronal activities in distinct brain regions are correlated while the subject is at rest or even asleep) from analyses of three independent data sets (each based on fMRI scans of 150 to 200 individuals from ages 6 to 35 years old). Long-range connections increased with age and short-range connections decreased, indicating that networks become sparser and sharper with brain maturation.
Nonthermal Current-Stimulated Desorption of Gases from Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Salehi-Khojin Amin , Lin Kevin Y. , Field Christopher R. , Masel Richard I.
Published: September 2010

Cold Refreshment

Carbon nanotubes can function as chemical sensors by virtue of the shifts in resistance or capacitance induced when small molecules bind to their surfaces. Unfortunately, many molecules bind rather tightly, impairing reuse of such sensors.

Salehi-Khojin
et al.

(p.
1327
) showed that one solution to this problem was to run a strong current through the nanotubes after the detection event, which induced desorption of organic molecules. By comparison, thermal (as opposed to current-driven) desorption required heating to temperatures that irreparably degraded the sensor structure.
Swept into Superficiality
The Shallows
What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains

by Nicholas Carr

Norton, New York, 2010. 288 pp. $26.95, C$33.50. ISBN 9780393072228.
Authors: Smallwood Jonathan
Published: September 2010

Carr combines popular science, intellectual history, and cultural criticism to discuss effects (mental and social) that the Internet may be having on our lives.
Frequent Mutations of Chromatin Remodeling Gene
ARID1A
in Ovarian Clear Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Jones Siân , Wang Tian-Li , Shih Ie-Ming , Mao Tsui-Lien , Nakayama Kentaro , Roden Richard , Glas Ruth , Slamon Dennis , Diaz Luis A. , Vogelstein Bert , Kinzler Kenneth W. , Velculescu Victor E. , Papadopoulos Nickolas
Published: September 2010

Remodeling Gone Awry

The identification of genes that are mutated at high frequency in human tumors can provide important clues to the molecular pathways that drive tumor growth, which in turn can potentially lead to more effective therapies.

Jones
et al.

(p.
228
, published online 9 September; see the cover) looked for such mutations in ovarian clear cell carcinoma, a rare but particularly lethal form of ovarian cancer. Of 42 tumors examined, 57% were found to harbor inactivating mutations in
ARID1A
, a gene coding for a subunit of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, which functions as a master regulator of transcription factor action and gene expression. Thus, proteins associated with the epigenetic control of gene expression can contribute to the development of human cancer.
Despite Progress, Biodiversity Declines
Authors: Stokstad Erik
Published: September 2010

After failing to meet its major conservation goal, the Convention on Biological Diversity is setting new targets for stemming the loss of species.
Evaluation of Clumping Factor A Binding Region A in a Subunit Vaccine against
Staphylococcus aureus
-Induced Mastitis in Mice
Authors: Gong Rui , Hu Changmin , Xu Haiyang , Guo Aizhen , Chen Huanchun , Zhang Guangzhi , Shi Lei
Published: September 2010

The present study evaluated the potential of recombinant binding region A of clumping factor A (rClfA-A) to be an effective component of a vaccine against mastitis induced by
Staphylococcus aureus
in the mouse. rClfA-A and inactivated
S. aureus
were each emulsified in Freund's adjuvant, mineral oil adjuvant, and Seppic adjuvant; phosphate-buffered saline was used as a control. Seven groups of 12 mice each were immunized intraperitoneally three times at 2-week intervals. The titers of IgG and subtypes thereof (IgG1 and IgG2a) in the rClfA-A-immunized group were more than 1,000-fold higher than those in the killed-bacteria-immunized group (
P
< 0.01). Of the three adjuvants used, mineral oil adjuvant induced the highest antibody levels for both antigens (
P
< 0.001). Furthermore, the anti-rClfA-A antibody capacities for bacterial adhesion and opsonizing phagocytosis were significantly greater in the rClfA-A-immunized group than in the killed-bacteria-immunized group (
P
< 0.05). Lactating mice immunized with either rClfA-A or inactivated vaccine were challenged with
S. aureus
via the intramammary route. The numbers of bacteria recovered from the murine mammary glands 24 h after inoculation were significantly lower in the rClfA-A group than in the killed-bacteria-immunized group (
P
< 0.001). Histologic examination of the mammary glands showed that rClfA-A immunization effectively preserved tissue integrity. Thus, rClfA-A emulsified in an oil adjuvant provides strong immune protection against
S. aureus
-induced mastitis in the mouse.
Testing Susceptibility of Multidrug-Resistant
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
to Second-Line Drugs by Use of Blood Agar
Authors: Satana Dilek , Coban Ahmet Yilmaz , Uzun Meltem
Published: September 2010

In this study, the susceptibilities of 35 multidrug-resistant (MDR)
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
clinical isolates to second-line drugs, including kanamycin (KM), rifabutin (RBU), ofloxacin (OFX),
p
-aminosalicylic acid (PAS), capreomycin (CAP), clofazimine (CFM), and ethionamide (ETH), were investigated on blood agar according to CLSI recommendations. Compared with the results of the Bactec 460 TB system, agreement was 100, 100, 97, 100, 100, 100, and 86% for KM, RBU, OFX, PAS, CAP, CFM, and ETH, respectively. Compared with the results of the proportion method, agreement was 100, 100, 97, 100, 97, 100, and 77% for KM, RBU, OFX, PAS, CAP, CFM, and ETH, respectively.