bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lipoatrophy in patients with AIDS: treatment with polymethylmethacrylate in Amazonas, Brazil
Authors: Orsi Ana Tereza , Miranda Angélica Espinosa , Souza Andrea Cavalcante , Silva Leila Cristina , Dias Gisele Reis , Talhari Carolina , Talhari Sinesio , Santos Monica
Published: September 2011

Background  The use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in AIDS has been associated with lipodystrophic syndrome, which is characterized by metabolic alterations and abnormal corporal fat distribution. Our goal was to describe and evaluate the use of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) to treat lipoatrophy in patients with AIDS from Amazonas, Brazil.

Methods  Patients with AIDS undergoing ART and presenting with facial lipoatrophy were invited to participate in the study. A face‐to‐face interview was conducted, and patients were treated with applications of PMMA 30%.

Results  A total of 49 cases were included. The mean age was 45 (SD 6.1) years old, and the mean educational level (measured in schooling years) was 10.5 (SD 3.2) years of schooling. The median of CD4 cell count was 482.5 (interquartile range: 338–574.5) cells/mm3. Stavudine and zidovudine were the most frequently prescribed ART drugs. The total number of PMMA injections ranged from one to five times, and side effects were not frequent. A total of 42 (85.7%) patients reported satisfaction after a follow‐up of more than 12 months, presenting good fullness of the deformity.

Conclusions  Our data showed that patients with AIDS with lipoatrophy related to ART could safely benefit from PMMA‐based treatment.
Genomic selection strategies in dairy cattle breeding programmes: Sexed semen cannot replace multiple ovulation and embryo transfer as superior reproductive technology
Authors: Pedersen L.D. , Kargo M. , Berg P. , Voergaard J. , Buch L.H. , Sørensen A.C.
Published: September 2011

The aim of this study was to test whether the use of X‐semen in a dairy cattle population using genomic selection (GS) and multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET) increases the selection intensity on cow dams and thereby the genetic gain in the entire population. Also, the dynamics of using different types of sexed semen (X, Y or conventional) in the nucleus were investigated. The stochastic simulation study partly supported the hypothesis as the genetic gain in the entire population was elevated when X‐semen was used in the production population as GS exploited the higher selection intensity among heifers with great accuracy. However, when MOET was applied, the effect was considerably diminished as was the exchange of females between the nucleus and the production population, thus causing modest genetic profit from using X‐sorted semen in the production population. In addition, the effect of using sexed semen on the genetic gain was very small compared with the effect of MOET and highly dependent on whether cow dams or bull dams were inseminated with sexed semen and on what type of semen that was used for the bull dams. The rate of inbreeding was seldom affected by the use of sexed semen. However, when all young bull candidates were born following MOET, the results showed that the use of Y‐semen in the breeding nucleus tended to decrease the rate of inbreeding as it enabled GS to increase within‐family selection. This implies that the benefit from using sexed semen in a modern dairy cattle breeding scheme applying both GS and MOET may be found in its beneficial effect on the rate of inbreeding.
Time to treatment initiation with oral antihyperglycaemic therapy in US patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes
Authors: Zhang Q. , Rajagopalan S. , Marrett E. , Davies M. J. , Radican L. , Engel S. S.
Published: September 2011

Aim: To compare the time from initial diagnosis to initiation with oral antihyperglycaemic treatment in younger versus older patients with type 2 diabetes, and to evaluate factors associated with initiating treatment.

Methods: This was a retrospective US cohort study with a 2‐year follow‐up period after diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Using the General Electric Healthcare's Clinical Data Services electronic medical record database, eligible patients included those aged ≥30 years at initial diagnosis of type 2 diabetes between January 2003 and December 2005. In the 2‐year period following diagnosis, the time to the first prescription of an oral antihyperglycaemic agent was compared between younger (30–64 years) and older (≥65 years) patients. Factors associated with time to treatment with an oral antihyperglycaemic agent were examined using Cox proportional hazards regression.

Results: Of the 10 743 patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes, 43% were ≥65 years old. The mean age at diagnosis was 73 years for older patients and 52 years for younger patients. Compared to younger patients, a greater proportion of older patients had a baseline haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) value <7% (38 vs. 32%; p < 0.001). In the 2‐year follow‐up period, a significantly greater proportion of younger patients (59%) received oral antihyperglycaemic treatment compared to older patients (44%; p < 0.001). The median time between diagnosis and initiating treatment with an oral antihyperglycaemic agent was 350 days for younger patients and >2 years for older patients. After adjusting for covariates, older patients had a greater risk of not receiving treatment with oral antihyperglycaemic therapy than younger patients [adjusted hazard ratio = 0.82 (95% confidence interval: 0.75, 0.90)].

Conclusions: In patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes, the time to initiation of oral antihyperglycaemic therapy was significantly longer in older patients (≥65 years old) than younger patients (<65 years).
Protective effects of mineralocorticoid receptor blockade against neuropathy in experimental diabetic rats
Authors: Takata H. , Takeda Y. , Zhu A. , Cheng Y. , Yoneda T. , Demura M. , Yagi K. , Karashima S. , Yamagishi M.
Published: September 2011

Aims: Mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) blockade is an effective treatment for hypertension and diabetic nephropathy. There are no data on the effects of MR blockade on diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). The aim of this study was to determine whether MRs are present in the peripheral nerves and to investigate the effectiveness of MR blockade on DPN in streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced diabetic rats.

Methods: Expression of MR protein and messenger RNA (mRNA) was examined in the peripheral nerves using Western blot analysis and RT‐PCR. We next studied the effects of the selective MR antagonist eplerenone and the angiotensin II receptor blocker candesartan on motor and sensory nerve conduction velocity (NCV), morphometric changes and cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) gene and NF‐κB protein expression in the peripheral nerves of STZ‐induced diabetic rats.

Results: Expression of MR protein and mRNA in peripheral nerves was equal to that in the kidney. Motor NCV was significantly improved by 8 weeks of treatment with either eplerenone (39.1 ± 1.2 m/s) or candesartan (46.4 ± 6.8 m/s) compared with control diabetic rats (33.7 ± 2.0 m/s) (p < 0.05). Sensory NCV was also improved by treatment with candesartan or eplerenone in diabetic rats. Eplerenone and candesartan caused significant improvement in mean myelin fibre area and mean myelin area compared with control diabetic rats (p < 0.05). COX‐2 mRNA and NF‐κB protein were significantly elevated in the peripheral nerves of diabetic rats compared with control rats, and treatment with eplerenone or candesartan reduced these changes in gene expression (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: MR blockade may have neuroprotective effects on DPN.
EARNINGS AND RATINGS AT GOOGLE ANSWERS
Authors: EDELMAN BENJAMIN
Published: September 2011

I analyze questions and answers from Google Answers. More experienced answerers provide answers with the characteristics askers most value, receiving higher ratings as a result. Answerer earnings increase in experience. Answerers who focus on particular question categories provide answers of higher quality but earn lower pay per hour. Answers provided during the business day receive higher payment per hour, but more experienced answerers tend to favor work at other times. (JEL J22, J31, L14)
Fragment Answers and Islands
Authors: İnce Atakan
Published: September 2011

Abstract. The aim of this study is to show that fragment answers in Turkish are elliptical structures, where CP is targeted for ellipsis after a fragment answer moves to FP above CP. Evidence for the elliptical nature of fragment answers comes from binding, Case matching, scope, and postposition pied‐piping, among others. An analysis is given of N‐words as fragment answers and how (semantic) parallelism is satisfied in those cases. These elliptical structures are island‐insensitive in Turkish. Fragment answers are island‐insensitive because they move to a position that selects the elision site CP; thus, all the copies of a fragment answer that lack the ✓‐feature due to crossing an island are elided in the elision site (Merchant 2004). This study also argues that fragment answers in English cannot be argued to be island‐sensitive based on the data inMerchant 2004.
Cotton Subsidies, the WTO, and the ‘Cotton Problem’
Authors: Baffes John
Published: September 2011

Following an 8‐year‐long dispute over cotton subsidies, Brazil and the US signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 21 April 2010, effectively paving the way for settling the dispute. This paper argues that cotton subsidies are just the tip of the iceberg while a number of other, perhaps more important, issues require attention and, indeed, political will. Chief among them is the persistent divergence between cotton prices and the prices of other agricultural commodities which reflects, for the most part, the large supply response by China and India, a direct consequence of conversion to biotech cotton varieties in these (and other) countries. Such a response – which kept cotton prices low, compared to other commodities – imposes a competitive disadvantage to nonusers of biotech cotton. The paper also highlights two additional constraints faced by the cotton‐producing countries of West and Central Africa, namely the structural inefficiencies of their primary processing industries (also known as ginning) and the appreciation of the CFAf against the US dollar. Without downplaying the importance of subsidy elimination, this paper concludes that these impediments should receive high priority in the policy agenda.
‘Fort in die Welt!– Nach Konstantinopel!’: Das Orientbild im literarischen Werk E.T.A. Hoffmanns
Authors: Röder Birgit
Published: September 2011

Although E.T.A. Hoffmann's works contain a number of fictional encounters between European and Islamic culture, most scholars have ignored this aspect of his writing. This essay analyses three texts – Die Automate (1815), Das Sanctus (1817) and Das steinerne Herz (1817) – and highlights those aspects of Islamic culture that, because of their affinity to Romantic philosophy, appealed to Hoffmann and his contemporaries. In Die Automate Hoffmann offers a literary response to Wolfgang von Kempelen's ‘mechanical Turk’, a phenomenon that fascinated intellectuals all over Europe. The reactions of the two main protagonists show that the attraction of this Other consists precisely in the way it resists categorisation and control – something the allegedly ‘rational’ Europeans find quite unacceptable. In Das Sanctus Hoffmann demonstrates how an encounter between Christian and Muslim cultures also impacts on conceptualisations of gender, and how the attempt to assimilate the (female/Muslim) Other to the dominant culture of Christianity constitutes an act of cultural imperialism. Finally, in Das steinerne Herz we are treated to a series of elaborate performances of oriental culture, the very artificiality of which not only calls such orientalist fictions into question, but also exposes the extent to which they reflect the needs and desires of their (occidental) creators.

Obwohl es bei E.T.A. Hoffmann zu einer Reihe von Kontakten zwischen den Kulturen Europas und des Orients kommt, ist dieser Aspekt von der Forschung bisher weitgehend unberücksichtigt geblieben. Im Folgenden werden drei Erzählungen analysiert: Die Automate (1815), Das Sanctus (1817) und Das steinerne Herz (1817). Einführend werden dabei diejenigen islamischen Elemente betont, in denen sich Analogien zur Romantischen Weltauffassung spiegeln und die daher für die Romantik eine besondere Attraktivität ausmachen. Bei der Novelle Die Automate handelt es sich um Hoffmanns fiktionale Antwort auf ein zeitgenössisches Phänomen, welches in ganz Europa Aufsehen erregte: Wolfgang von Kempelens ‘mechanischer Türke’. Die Reaktionen der Protagonisten Ludwig/Ferdinand verdeutlichen, dass der Reiz des Anderen gerade in dessen Verweigerung liegt, es kontrollierbar zu machen, was für den ‘rationalen’ Europäer grundsätzlich unakzeptabel ist. In Das Sanctus werden die Konsequenzen einer interkulturellen Begegnung zwischen christlicher und islamischer Kultur mit Hinblick auf Genderdiskurse entwickelt, wobei der Versuch der dominierenden Kultur, das (die) Andere im Sinne eines westlichen Kulturimperialismus zu homogenisieren, transparent wird. In Das steinerne Herz treten Pseudo‐Orientalen auf, die den Leser aufgrund ihrer ironischen Performativität animieren, klischeehafte Orient‐Konstrukte seitens des Okzidents in Frage zu stellen. Hoffmann gelingt es, in diesen Erzählungen westliche Orientvorstellungen als ein ideologisch motiviertes Postulat zu entlarven.
Translation and the Uses of a Holocaust Testimony: Elie Wiesel's La Nuit in German Translation
Authors: Davies Peter
Published: September 2011

Elie Wiesel's La Nuit is one of the iconic Holocaust testimonies, although the text has been most influential in its English translation. Recent work has begun to explore the issues raised by English translation of this text, but the German translation has as yet attracted little commentary. Employing a target‐culture‐focused approach that reads translation as a form of textual commentary, this essay shows how the German translation of La Nuit by Curt‐Mayer‐Clason, which was published in 1962 with a Foreword by Martin Walser, reflects a particular view of the text as literature, rather than memoir or testimony, and aims to make the text usable for the target readership.

Obwohl La Nuit von Elie Wiesel als eines der wichtigsten Zeugnisse von Holocaust‐Überlebenden gilt, kam der Text aber erst in englischer Übersetzung zu einer breiten Wirkung. In neueren Studien gibt es Ansätze zu einer übersetzungswissenschaftlichen Auseinandersetzung mit den englischen Übersetzungen, aber bislang wurde die deutsche Übersetzung kaum untersucht. Anhand eines zielkulturorientierten Ansatzes, durch den das Übersetzen als eine Art Kommentar verstanden wird, zeigt der vorliegende Aufsatz, wie die deutsche Übersetzung von La Nuit durch Curt Meyer‐Clason, die 1962 mit einem Vorwort von Martin Walser veröffentlicht wurde, eine betont literarische Auffassung des Textes aufzeigt, die sich nach den Bedürfnissen des Zielpublikums richtet.
Bankgeheimnis und Verrechnungssteuer: Konsequenzen für die Steuerehrlichkeit in den Kantonen der Schweiz
Authors: Gärtner Manfred
Published: September 2011

Swiss banking secrecy tempts foreigners to remain silent about capital incomes and, thus, not pay taxes as obliged by law, but residents of Switzerland as well. Therefore, Switzerland introduced a withholding tax on capital income in order to make domestic residents report levels of wealth and capital incomes properly. We ask whether a withholding tax rate of 35 percent achieves this goal. For this purpose, marginal income tax rates are computed and income distributions are estimated for each canton. From these we identify income levels and shares of tax payers for whom the withholding tax does not work as intended.
Kaderschmieden der Wirtschaft und/oder Universitäten? Der Auftrag der Wirtschaftsuniversitäten und –fakultäten im 21. Jahrhundert
Authors: Kirchgässner Gebhard
Published: September 2011

After a short sketch of the history of modern business schools in the German speaking countries, their four major activity fields are considered: (i) academic teaching, (ii) scientific research, (iii) consulting and (iv) executive education. While teaching was traditionally dominant, research has gained more importance in recent decades, not only in Economics but also in Management departments. With respect to consulting, we have to distinguish between consulting for governments by economists and for private companies by professors of management. Executive education is mainly a domain of management (and law) departments; economists only play a minor role in this area. We conclude with discussing some of the ethical questions with which Economics and Management departments are confronted today.
The role of the South Asia Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (SAFOG) in South Asia
Authors: Bhuiyan AB , Goodall D
Published: September 2011

Please cite this paper as: Bhuiyan A, Goodall D. The role of the South Asia Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (SAFOG) in South Asia. BJOG 2011; 118 (Suppl. 2): 22–25.
The role of family planning in South Asia
Authors: Howarth LA , Walker JJ
Published: September 2011

Please cite this paper as: Howarth LA, Walker JJ. The role of family planning in South Asia. BJOG 2011;118 (Suppl. 2):31–35.
Working with UK‐based non‐governmental organisations for better reproductive health in Nepal
Authors: Nunns D
Published: September 2011

Please cite this paper as: Nunns D. Working with UK‐based non‐governmental organisations for better reproductive health in Nepal. BJOG 2011;118 (Suppl. 2):93–95.

Over the years, strong health links have developed between Nepal and the UK with the overall aim of helping to achieve Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5. The nature of such health links is varied and ranges from education and training projects to service work, with a focus on direct medical care. The role of non‐governmental organisations (NGOs) in Nepal cannot be underestimated: there are over 5000 NGOs, working in all aspects of Nepali life. Most are not specifically dedicated to maternal, neonatal and reproductive health care, but have developed this area of interest in response to the identified needs in the local communities. The benefits from such health links are immense but, in times of limited funding of projects, it is increasingly important that different agencies work together to maximise the impact of projects.
Autophagosomes accumulation is associated with β‐amyloid deposits and secondary damage in the thalamus after focal cortical infarction in hypertensive rats
Authors: Zhang Jian , Zhang Yusheng , Li Jingjing , Xing Shihui , Li Chuo , Li Yiliang , Dang Chao , Fan Yuhua , Yu Jian , Pei Zhong , Zeng Jinsheng
Published: September 2011

J. Neurochem. (2012) 120, 564–573.

Focal cerebral cortical infarction after distal middle cerebral artery occlusion causes β‐amyloid deposition and secondary neuronal degeneration in the ipsilateral ventroposterior nucleus of the thalamus. Several studies suggest that autophagy is an active pathway for β‐amyloid peptide generation. This study aimed to investigate the role of autophagy in thalamic β‐amyloid deposition and neuronal degeneration after cerebral cortical infarction in hypertensive rats. At 7 and 14 days after middle cerebral artery occlusion, neuronal death and β‐amyloid deposits were evident in the ipsilateral ventroposterior nucleus, and the activity of β‐site amyloid precursor protein (APP)‐cleaving enzyme 1, required for β‐amyloid peptide generation, was elevated in the thalamus. In correlation, both the number of cells showing punctate microtubule‐associated protein 1A light chain 3 fluorescence and levels of light chain 3‐II protein, an autophagosome marker, were markedly increased. Notably, most of the cells that over‐expressed β‐site APP‐cleaving enzyme 1 displayed punctate light chain 3 staining. Furthermore, the inhibition of autophagy with 3‐methyladenine significantly reduced the thalamic neuronal damage, β‐amyloid deposits, and β‐site APP‐cleaving enzyme 1 activity. These results suggest that autophagosomes accumulate within thalamic cells after cerebral cortical infarction, which is associated with thalamic β‐amyloid deposition and secondary neuronal degeneration via elevation of β‐site APP‐cleaving enzyme 1 level.
α1D‐Adrenoceptor regulates the vasopressor action of α1A‐adrenoceptor in mesenteric vascular bed of α1D‐adrenoceptor knockout mice
Authors: Martínez‐Salas S. G. , Campos‐Peralta J. M. , Pardo J. P. , Hernández‐Muñoz R. , Ibarra M. , Tanoue A. , Tsujimoto G. , Villalobos‐Molina R.
Published: September 2011

1 The pressor action of the α1A‐adrenoceptor (α1A‐AR) agonist A61603 (N‐[5‐(4,5‐dihydro‐1H‐imidazol‐2‐yl)‐2‐hydroxy‐5,6,7,8‐tetrahydronaphthalen‐1‐yl] methanesulfonamide) and the α1‐ARs agonist phenylephrine and their blockade by selective α1‐ARs antagonists in the isolated mesenteric vascular bed of wild‐type (WT) mice and α1D‐AR knockout (KO α1D‐AR) mice were evaluated.

2 The apparent potency of A61603 to increase the perfusion pressure in the mesenteric vascular bed of WT and KO α1D‐AR mice is 86 and 138 times the affinity of phenylephrine, respectively.

3 A61603 also enhanced the perfusion pressure by ≈1.7 fold in the mesenteric vascular bed of WT mice compared with KO α1D‐AR mice.

4 Because of its high affinity, low concentrations of the α1A‐AR selective antagonist RS100329 (5‐methyl‐3‐[3‐[4‐[2‐(2,2,2,‐trifluoroethoxy) phenyl]‐1‐piperazinyl] propyl]‐2,4‐(1H)‐pyrimidinedione) shifted the agonist concentration–response curves to the right in the mesenteric vascular bed of WT and KO α1D‐AR mice.

5 The α1D‐AR selective antagonist BMY7378 (8‐[2‐[4‐(2‐methoxyphenyl)‐1‐piperazinyl]ethyl]‐8‐azaspiro[4.5] decane‐7,9‐dione) did not modify the A61603 or the phenylephrine‐induced pressor effect.

6 The α1B/D‐ARs alkylating antagonist chloroethylclonidine (CEC) shifted the agonist concentration–response curves to the right and decreased the maximum phenylephrine‐induced vascular contraction in KO α1D‐AR mice when compared to WT mice; however, CEC only slightly modified the contraction induced by A61603.

7 The results indicate that the isolated mesenteric vascular bed of WT and KO α1D‐AR mice expresses α1A‐AR, that the pressor action of α1A‐AR is up‐regulated for α1D‐AR in WT mice and suggest an important role of α1B‐AR in the vascular pressure evoked by phenylephrine in KO α1D‐AR mice.
The enigmatic regional geography of social enterprise in the UK: a conceptual framework and synthesis of the evidence
Authors: Buckingham Heather , Pinch Steven , Sunley Peter
Published: September 2011

Social enterprise (SE) has attracted increasing attention from policymakers, practitioners and academics over recent years and it has often been argued that there is a strong geographical dimension to social enterprise growth. However, a lack of reliable and extensive quantitative data about these organisations has prevented any rigorous analysis of their geographical distribution. This paper offers an exploratory theoretical framework for understanding the causes of geographical variations in SE, focusing on the relations between capacities/resources and demand. It then examines what can be learned from existing national surveys about the regional geography of SE. It is argued that these datasets are difficult to compare because of their different sampling frames, and in most cases the regional findings are only provisional and indicative. However, when considered in concert, some consistent themes emerge: London, for example, has a disproportionately high share of SE activity, as to a lesser extent do the South West and North East regions. It is concluded that regional populations of SEs are the product of often countervailing forces in supply and demand that act to level out the degree of regional variations. These totals are also likely to mask significant differences in their characteristics in different places and more pronounced spatial variations at smaller spatial scales (e.g. between inner city, suburban and rural areas).
Does Community‐Based Health Insurance Protect Household Assets? Evidence from Rural Africa
Authors: Parmar Divya , Reinhold Steffen , Souares Aurélia , Savadogo Germain , Sauerborn Rainer
Published: September 2011

Objective

To evaluate whether community‐based health insurance (CBHI) protects household assets in rural Burkina Faso, Africa.

Data Sources

Data were used from a household panel survey that collected primary data from randomly selected households, covering 41 villages and one town, during 2004–2007(n = 890).

Study Design

The study area was divided into 33 clusters and CBHI was randomly offered to these clusters during 2004–2006. We applied different strategies to control for selection bias—ordinary least squares with covariates, two‐stage least squares with instrumental variable, and fixed‐effects models.

Data Collection

Household members were interviewed in their local language every year, and information was collected on demographic and socio‐economic indicators including ownership of assets, and on self‐reported morbidity.

Principal Findings

Fixed‐effects and ordinary least squares models showed that CBHI protected household assets during 2004–2007. The two‐stage least squares with instrumental variable model showed that CBHI increased household assets during 2004–2005.

Conclusions

In this study, we found that CBHI has the potential to not only protect household assets but also increase household assets. However, similar studies from developing countries that evaluate the impact of health insurance on household economic indicators are needed to benchmark these results with other settings.
Ethnic/Race Differences in the Attrition of Older American Survey Respondents: Implications for Health‐Related Research
Authors: Zhivan Natalia A. , Ang Alfonso , Amaro Hortensia , Vega William A. , Markides Kyriakos S.
Published: September 2011

Objective

To compare models of attrition across race/ethnic groups of aging populations and discuss implications for health‐related research.

Data Sources

The Health and Retirement Study (1992–2008).

Study Design

A competing risks model was estimated using a multinomial logit model when respondents faced competing types of risks, such as dying, being lost from the study, and nonresponse in some years for different groups of elderly. Key explanatory variables were foreign birth, health insurance, and health status.

Principal Findings

Variables describing foreign birth, health insurance, and health status differed in their prediction of attrition across ethnic groups of aging populations.

Conclusions

Differences in the predictors of attrition across ethnic groups of elderly could potentially lead to biased estimates in health‐related research using longitudinal data sources.
Molecular anatomy of the developing limb in the coquí frog, Eleutherodactylus coqui
Authors: Gross Joshua B. , Kerney Ryan , Hanken James , Tabin Clifford J.
Published: September 2011

The vertebrate limb demonstrates remarkable similarity in basic organization across phylogenetically disparate groups. To gain further insight into how this morphological similarity is maintained in different developmental contexts, we explored the molecular anatomy of size‐reduced embryos of the Puerto Rican coquí frog, Eleutherodactylus coqui. This animal demonstrates direct development, a life‐history strategy marked by rapid progression from egg to adult and absence of a free‐living, aquatic larva. Nonetheless, coquí exhibits a basal anuran limb structure, with four toes on the forelimb and five toes on the hind limb. We investigated the extent to which coquí limb bud development conforms to the model of limb development derived from amniote studies. Toward this end, we characterized dynamic patterns of expression for 13 critical patterning genes across three principle stages of limb development. As expected, most genes demonstrate expression patterns that are essentially unchanged compared to amniote species. For example, we identified an EcFgf8‐expression domain within the apical ectodermal ridge (AER). This expression pattern defines a putatively functional AER signaling domain, despite the absence of a morphological ridge in coquí embryos. However, two genes, EcMeis2 and EcAlx4, demonstrate altered domains of expression, which imply a potential shift in gene function between coquí frogs and amniote model systems. Unexpectedly, several genes thought to be critical for limb patterning in other systems, including EcFgf4, EcWnt3a, EcWnt7a, and EcGremlin, demonstrated no evident expression pattern in the limb at the three stages we analyzed. The absence of EcFgf4 and EcWnt3a expression during limb patterning is perhaps not surprising, given that neither gene is critical for proper limb development in the mouse, based on knockout and expression analyses. In contrast, absence of EcWnt7a and EcGremlin is surprising, given that expression of these molecules appears to be absolutely essential in all other model systems so far examined. Although this analysis substantiates the existence of a core set of ancient limb‐patterning molecules, which likely mediate identical functions across highly diverse vertebrate forms, it also reveals remarkable evolutionary flexibility in the genetic control of a conserved morphological pattern across evolutionary time.
Tail regression induced by elevated retinoic acid signaling in amphioxus larvae occurs by tissue remodeling, not cell death
Authors: Koop Demian , Holland Linda Z. , Setiamarga Davin , Schubert Michael , Holland Nicholas D.
Published: September 2011

The vitamin A derived morphogen retinoic acid (RA) is known to function in the regulation of tissue proliferation and differentiation. Here, we show that exogenous RA applied to late larvae of the invertebrate chordate amphioxus can reverse some differentiated states. Although treatment with the RA antagonist BMS009 has no obvious effect on late larvae of amphioxus, administration of excess RA alters the morphology of the posterior end of the body. The anus closes over, and gut contents accumulate in the hindgut. In addition, the larval tail fin regresses, although little apoptosis takes place. This fin normally consists of columnar epidermal cells, each characterized by a ciliary rootlet running all the way from an apical centriole to the base of the cell and likely contributing substantial cytoskeletal support. After a few days of RA treatment, the rootlet becomes disrupted, and the cell shape changes from columnar to cuboidal. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) shows fragments of the rootlet in the basal cytoplasm of the cuboidal cell. A major component of the ciliary rootlet in amphioxus is the protein Rootletin, which is encoded by a single AmphiRootletin gene. This gene is highly expressed in the tail epithelial cells of control larvae, but becomes downregulated after about a day of RA treatment, and the breakup of the ciliary rootlet soon follows. The effect of excess RA on these epidermal cells of the larval tail in amphioxus is unlike posterior regression in developing zebrafish, where elevated RA signaling alters connective tissues of mesodermal origin. In contrast, however, the RA‐induced closure of the amphioxus anus has parallels in the RA‐induced caudal regression syndrome of mammals.
Co‐orthology ofPax4andPax6to the flyeyelessgene: molecular phylogenetic, comparative genomic, and embryological analyses
Authors: Manousaki Tereza , Feiner Nathalie , Begemann Gerrit , Meyer Axel , Kuraku Shigehiro
Published: September 2011

The functional equivalence ofPax6/eyelessgenes across distantly related animal phyla has been one of central findings on which evo‐devo studies is based. In this study, we show thatPax4, in addition toPax6, is a vertebrate ortholog of the flyeyelessgene (and its duplicate,twin of eyeless[toy] gene, unique toInsecta). Molecular phylogenetic trees published to date placed thePax4gene outside thePax6/eyelesssubgroup as if thePax4gene originated from a gene duplication before the origin of bilaterians. However,Pax4genes had only been reported for mammals. Our molecular phylogenetic analysis, including previously unidentified teleost fishpax4genes, equally supported two scenarios: one with thePax4–Pax6duplication early in vertebrate evolution and the other with this duplication before the bilaterian radiation. We then investigated gene compositions in the genomic regions containingPax4andPax6, and identified (1) conserved synteny between these two regions, suggesting that thePax4–Pax6split was caused by a large‐scale duplication and (2) its timing within early vertebrate evolution based on the duplication timing of the members of neighboring gene families. Our results are consistent with the so‐called two‐round genome duplications in early vertebrates. Overall, thePax6/eyelessortholog is merely part of a 2:2 orthology relationship between vertebrates (withPax4andPax6) and the fly (witheyelessandtoy). In this context, evolution of transcriptional regulation associated with thePax4–Pax6split is also discussed in light of the zebrafishpax4expression pattern that is analyzed here for the first time.
Conservative Versus Arthroscopic Management for Medial Coronoid Process Disease in Dogs: A Prospective Gait Evaluation
Authors: Burton Neil J. , Owen Martin R. , Kirk Lisa S. , Toscano Michael J. , Colborne G. Robert
Published: September 2011

Objective

To investigate, using objective gait analysis, the long‐term outcome of dogs with medial coronoid process disease (MCPD) treated with conservative management (CM) versus arthroscopic treatment (AT).

Study Design

Prospective clinical trial.

Animals

Dogs (n= 20) with unilaterally confirmedMCPD.

Methods

Eleven dogs were treated arthroscopically with removal of coronoid fragments and burring of any associated chondromalacic cartridge and 9 dogs were managed conservatively. All dogs were administered a 6‐week course of oral tepoxalin on enrolment. Inverse dynamics gait analysis was performed at initial presentation and at 4, 8, 26, and 52 weeks. The gait variables analyzed were elbow moment (EM), elbow power (EP), total support moment (TSM), and total support moment ratio (TSMR) as a measure of forelimb asymmetry.

Results

Affected peakEMincreased from 0.58 to 0.76 Nm/kg in theATdogs, and from 0.66 to 0.81 Nm/kg in theCMdogs and there was no significant difference between groups. Affected peakEPincreased marginally in theATdogs, but was unchanged in theCMdogs and there was no significant difference between groups.TSMincreased from 1.49 to 1.92 Nm/kg in theATdogs and from 1.52 to 2.06 Nm/kg in theCMdogs and there was no significant difference between groups.TSMRwas statistically different between treatment groups at 1 (P= .003) and 2 months (P= .048) with theATgroup more asymmetric and hence more lame.TSMRat 12 months was 0.83 (AT) and 0.86 (CM) implying a failure of return to soundness by either group.

Conclusions

ATdogs had increased mechanical asymmetry at 4 and 8 weeks compared to theCMgroup revealing surgery worsened limb function. There was no significant difference in mechanical symmetry between groups at 26 and 52 weeks.
Information and Liquidity
Authors: LESTER BENJAMIN , POSTLEWAITE ANDREW , WRIGHT RANDALL
Published: September 2011

We study how recognizability affects assets’ acceptability, or liquidity. Some assets, like U.S. currency, are readily accepted because sellers can easily recognize their value, unlike stock certificates, bonds or foreign currency, say. This idea is common in monetary economics, but previous models deliver equilibria where less recognizable assets are always accepted with positive probability, never probability 0. This is inconvenient when prices are determined through bargaining, which is difficult with private information. We construct models where agents reject outright assets that they cannot recognize, at least for some parameters. Thus, information frictions generate liquidity differences without overly complicating the analysis.
Money, Bargaining, and Risk Sharing
Authors: JACQUET NICOLAS L. , TAN SERENE
Published: September 2011

We investigate the dual role of money as a self‐insurance device and a means of payment when perfect risk sharing is not possible, and when the two roles of money are disentangled. We use a variant of Lagos–Wright (2005) where agents face a risk in the centralized market (CM): in the decentralized market (DM) money’s main role is as a means of payment, while in the CM it is as a self‐insurance device. We show that state‐contingent inflation rates can improve agents’ ability to self‐insure in the CM, thereby improving the terms of trade in the DM. We then characterize the optimal monetary policy.
Banking in a Matching Model of Money and Capital
Authors: BENCIVENGA VALERIE R. , CAMERA GABRIELE
Published: September 2011

We introduce banks in a model of money and capital with trading frictions. Banks offer demand deposit contracts and hold primary assets to maximize depositors’ utility. If banks’ operating costs are small, banks reallocate liquidity eliminating idle balances and improving the allocation. At moderate costs, idle balances are reduced but not eliminated. At larger costs, banks are redundant. A central bank policy of paying interest on bank reserves can reverse inflation's distortionary effects, and increase welfare, but only when costs are small. The threshold levels of banks’ costs increase with inflation, suggesting inflation and banks’ utilization are positively associated.
Counterfeiting as Private Money in Mechanism Design
Authors: CAVALCANTI RICARDO , NOSAL ED
Published: September 2011

We describe counterfeiting activity as the issuance of private money, one that is difficult to monitor. Our approach, which amends the basic random‐matching model of money in mechanism design, allows a tractable welfare analysis of currency competition. We show that it is not efficient to eliminate counterfeiting activity completely. We do not appeal to lottery devices, and we argue that this is consistent with imperfect monitoring.
A Comparative Study of Student Math Skills: Perceptions, Validation, and Recommendations
Authors: Jones Thomas W. , Price Barbara A. , Randall Cindy H.
Published: September 2011

A study was conducted at a southern university in sophomore level production classes to assess skills such as the order of arithmetic operations, decimal and percent conversion, solving of algebraic expressions, and evaluation of formulas. The study was replicated using business statistics and quantitative analysis classes at a southeastern university. The intent of the study was to determine math deficiencies among college students and to ascertain whether or not these deficiencies impact grades. Data analyses compared students’ test results and grades from the different classes at the two universities and identified surprising patterns across classes, universities, and professors.These results support the need for curriculum modifications to address the identified deficiencies.
An Experiential Approach to Benchmarking Curriculum
Authors: Grandzol John R. , Grandzol Christian J.
Published: September 2011

Continuous curriculum improvement derives from a variety of perspectives, opportunities, and approaches. In this brief, we describe a process that facilitated student participation in curriculum development. We took our Supply Chain Management students to a regional conference affiliated with APICS and had them assess their knowledge readiness compared to professional standards. We used these data to identify our curriculum's strengths and weaknesses and to encourage faculty collaboration to adjust it accordingly. Our approach can be generalized to any academic discipline.
Are Territorial Rating Models Outdated in Residential Property Insurance Markets? Evidence From the Florida Property Insurance Market
Authors: Nyce Charles M. , Maroney Patrick
Published: September 2011

Abstract

The fundamental shift in rating methodology from historical loss costs to catastrophe modeling for windstorm coverage calls into question the accuracy of rates developed using rating territories. Using premiums and modeled average annual loss (AAL) estimates from Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (Citizens) in Florida, this article analyzes the use of distance to coast (DtC) as a rating variable in providing coverage for the windstorm peril in homeowners insurance. Catastrophe models used to generate AAL costs do not rely on the same application of the law of large numbers as using historical loss costs and thus allows for more granular pricing of the windstorm peril. The results show that DtC, a rating variable that is property specific, more closely aligns premiums and AALs than territorial rating, and allows more granular pricing of the windstorm peril. More granular risk based pricing provides better incentives for homeowners regarding location and mitigation choices and may help reduce aggregate exposure to windstorm damages in the long run.
Identification of Partially Linear Structure in Additive Models with an Application to Gene Expression Prediction from Sequences
Authors: Lian Heng , Chen Xin , Yang Jian‐Yi
Published: September 2011

Summary The additive model is a semiparametric class of models that has become extremely popular because it is more flexible than the linear model and can be fitted to high‐dimensional data when fully nonparametric models become infeasible. We consider the problem of simultaneous variable selection and parametric component identification using spline approximation aided by two smoothly clipped absolute deviation (SCAD) penalties. The advantage of our approach is that one can automatically choose between additive models, partially linear additive models and linear models, in a single estimation step. Simulation studies are used to illustrate our method, and we also present its applications to motif regression.
COLLECTING FOR A COLLEGE MUSEUM: Exchange Practices and the Life History of a 19th‐Century Arctic Collection
Authors: Margaris Amy V. , Grimm Linda T.
Published: September 2011

The central role of exchange in museum collecting merits greater scholarly attention. We present an anthropological framework for analyzing exchange practices that illuminates the complex and shifting meanings collections accrue through their life histories. We illustrate this by examining the series of late 19th‐century exchanges that produced a small, but historically important, ethnological collection at the Oberlin College Museum from the North American Arctic. The analysis sheds new light on the uneasy development of ethnology from its natural history roots, and on the role of small colleges in furthering the modern sciences curriculum. Examining collection life histories by way of exchange practices also highlights new interpretive challenges that accompany old collections.
Altered expression of miR‐21, miR‐125b, and miR‐203 indicates a role for these microRNAs in oral lichen planus
Authors: Danielsson K. , Wahlin Y. B. , Gu X. , Boldrup L. , Nylander K.
Published: September 2011

J Oral Pathol Med (2012) 41: 90–95

Background:  Oral lichen planus (OLP), which is a chronic inflammatory disease of the oral mucosa with unknown etiology, affects about 2% of the population. MicroRNAs are small non‐coding RNAs involved in normal processes such as development and differentiation as well as progression of human diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of miR‐21, miR‐125b, and miR‐203 and to compare RNA levels of their potential targets, the tumor suppressor p53 and its relative p63, both known to be deregulated in OLP.

Methods:  In biopsies from 20 patients with OLP and 20 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls, epithelium was laser dissected and analyzed for the expression of miR‐21, miR‐125b, miR‐203, p53, and p63 using qRT/PCR.

Results:  Increased expression of miR‐21 and miR‐203, decreased expression of miR‐125, and down‐regulation of p53 and ΔNp63 RNA were seen in OLP compared to normal oral mucosa. When comparing microRNA expression to levels of p53 and p63 RNA, a significant negative correlation was seen between ΔNp63 and miR‐203 and between miR‐21 and p53, respectively.

Conclusion:  Results indicate a role for the studied microRNAs in changes seen in OLP.
Cable and the Partisan Polarization of the President's Audience
Authors: KERNELL SAMUEL , RICE LAURIE L.
Published: September 2011

Presidents' audiences have been shrinking over time. Prior research suggests that the rise of cable television is to blame. We investigate whether this shrinkage is occurring disproportionately among those the president most needs to persuade—disapprovers of his performance. Analyzing both A. C. Nielsen's audience ratings and self‐reports of speech watching from 32 postspeech surveys, we find that as the share of households subscribing to cable has grown, the statistical relationship between the president's approval rating and the percentage watching his televised speeches has strengthened commensurately for each group of party identifiers. Consequently, as presidential approval ratings have polarized during the past two decades, so too has the partisan composition of presidents' audiences, a phenomenon unknown during the broadcast era. Modern presidents thus find themselves increasingly preaching to their party choir and losing the capacity to influence public opinion more broadly.
The Problem with Presidential Databases
Authors: MEDHURST MARTIN J.
Published: September 2011

This article raises questions about the database of major presidential speeches proposed by Kevin Coe and Rico Neumann. Specifically, I argue that the rationale for the database is weak, the underlying philosophical problems are substantial, and the methodological flaws are serious, including a failure to follow their own criteria in the compilation of the database.
Assessing Changes in State Representation on the U.S. Courts of Appeals
Authors: SCOTT KEVIN M. , GARRETT R. SAM
Published: September 2011

When a seat becomes vacant on a federal court of appeals, the president has the opportunity to nominate a new judge for the Senate's consideration. Geography is often a factor in the decision, particularly in determining whether the new judge will be nominated from the same state as the predecessor. Goldman refers to state affiliations on appeals courts (e.g., a “Missouri seat” or an “Ohio seat”) as “state representation.” Building on Goldman's work, we seek to accomplish two objectives. First, we demonstrate that although changes in state representation have declined over time, there are still occasions when presidents change the state representation of seats. Second, we investigate and analyze changes in state representation of circuit court judges confirmed since 1891 to test hypotheses about factors that influence changes in state representation.
Standard Medical Management in Secondary Prevention of Ischemic Stroke in China (SMART)
Authors: Peng Bin , Zhu Yicheng , Cui Liying , Ni Jun , Xu Weihai , Zhou Lixin , Yao Ming , Chen Lin , Wang Jianming , Wang Yongjun , Pu Chuanqiang ,   for the SMART Study Group
Published: September 2011

Background

Although guidelines for secondary ischemic stroke have been developed, there is a gap between guidelines and clinic practice.

Aims

This study will investigate the current status of secondary ischemic stroke prevention in China, and implement a standard medical program in ischemic stroke and/or transient ischemic attack patients, and to examine the feasibility and efficacy of the program.

Design

This is a multicentre, parallel, randomized, open label, controlled trial to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a recommended guideline based program (SMART) in secondary stroke prevention. Forty-eight sites across Mainland China will participate in the trial. The number of enrolled patients in the study will be 4074. Primary outcome includes the proportion of patients adherent to eligible measures recommend by the SMART program, which is derived from current prevention guidelines for ischemic stroke, and the proportion of the patients achieving the treatment target. Secondary outcomes include new onset ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, acute coronary syndrome and all causes of death. The study has been registered on Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00664846); to date, 3380 patients have been enrolled.