bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sm–Nd isotopic mapping of lithospheric growth and stabilization in the eastern Kaapvaal craton
Authors: Schoene Blair , Dudas Francis O. L. , Bowring Samuel A. , De Wit Maarten
Published: May 2009

Whole‐rock Sm–Nd isotope systematics of 79 Archean granitoids from the eastern Kaapvaal craton, southern Africa, are used to delineate lithospheric boundaries and to constrain the timescale of crustal growth, assembly and geochemical differentiation c. 3.66–2.70 Ga. Offsets in εNd values for 3.2–3.3 Ga granitoids across the Barberton greenstone belt (BGB) are consistent with existing models for c. 3.23 Ga accretion of newly formed lithosphere north of the BGB onto pre‐existing c. 3.66 Ga lithosphere south of the BGB along a doubly verging subduction margin. The Nd isotopic signature of c. 3.3–3.2 Ga magmatic rocks show that significant crustal growth occurred during subduction–accretion. After c. 3.2 Ga, however, the Nd signature of intrusive rocks c. 3.1 and 2.7 Ga is dominated by intracrustal recycling rather than by new additions from the mantle, signalling cratonic stability.
Liver transplantation in children with hepatocellular carcinoma Do Milan criteria apply to pediatric patients?
Authors: Ismail H. , Broniszczak D. , Kaliciński P. , Markiewicz‐Kijewska M. , Teisseyre J. , Stefanowicz M. , Szymczak M. , Dembowska‐Bagińska B. , Kluge P. , Perek D. , Kościesza A. , Dzik E. , Lembas A. , Teisserye M.
Published: May 2009

Abstract:  HCC constitutes 25–30% of primary malignant liver tumors in children. Conventional surgical excision is not possible in more than 50% of patients. LTx has recently become an important therapeutic option for adults and children with primary liver tumors. The aim of this study was a retrospective analysis of the clinical and pathological data of children with HCC treated with LTx in relation to Milan criteria assessed at diagnosis and then immediately before transplantation, in comparison with a group of patients treated conventionally. Between 1990 and 2007 we have treated 21 children diagnosed with HCC. Patients were divided into two groups: group I, 10 children treated conventionally and group II, 11 children treated with LTx regardless of previous therapy. The outcome of our patients treated conventionally with resection and chemotherapy is very poor ‐ the disease‐free survival rate is 30%. In contrast, despite that only 3 children having fulfilled adult Milan criteria, early clinical results of LTx are much superior. Total hepatectomy followed by LTx is the main treatment option for the majority of children with HCC. Decisions on the type of surgical treatment is made individually, but very early in the course of treatment.
Evolution of sexual size monomorphism: the influence of passive mate guarding
Authors: DUNHAM A. E. , RUDOLF V. H. W.
Published: May 2009

Some species have potential for intense mate competition yet exhibit little or no sexual size dimorphism, despite predictions from sexual selection theory. Using a conceptual model, we show the conditions for which passive mate guarding with copulatory plugs can be an alternative and more successful strategy to active (direct) guarding, reducing selection pressure on large male size. The model predicts that copulatory plugs in mammals should be favoured in species for which females have short sexual receptivity periods. Using data on 62 primate species and a phylogenetic regression approach, we show that, as predicted, copulatory plugs are negatively associated with degree of sexual dimorphism and females’ sexual receptivity length. Penile spines are also significantly associated with plug use and short receptivity periods suggesting a possible offensive role in sperm competition. Results highlight that life‐history characteristics, such as sexual receptivity lengths, may alter the costs and benefits of alternative male strategies and thus alter the strength of sexual selection.
Exon‐skipping therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Authors: Nakamura Akinori , Takeda Shin'ichi
Published: May 2009

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a lethal muscle disorder caused by mutations in the DMD gene for which no mutation‐targeted therapy has been available thus far. However, exon‐skipping mediated by antisense oligonucleotides (AOs), which are short single‐strand DNAs, has considerable potential for DMD therapy, and clinical trials in DMD patients are currently underway. This exon‐skipping therapy changes an out‐of‐frame mutation into an in‐frame mutation, aiming at conversion of a severe DMD phenotype into a mild phenotype by restoration of truncated dystrophin expression. Recently, stable and less‐toxic AOs have been developed, and their higher efficacy was confirmed in mice and dog models of DMD. In this review, we briefly summarize the genetic basis of DMD and the potential and perspectives of exon skipping as a promising therapy for this disease.
Dopamine D2/3receptor binding potential and occupancy in midbrain and temporal cortex by haloperidol, olanzapine and clozapine
Authors: Tuppurainen Heli , Kuikka Jyrki T. , Viinamäki Heimo , Husso Minna , Tiihonen Jari
Published: May 2009

Aims: Aberrant dopamine transmission in extrastriatal brain regions has been repeatedly illustrated among patients with schizophrenia. Differences between typical and second‐generation antipsychotics in dopamine D2receptor modulation within various brain areas remain a topic for debate. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate dopamine D2/3receptor apparent binding potential (BPapp) and occupancy in midbrain and temporal cortex among clozapine‐, olanzapine‐ and haloperidol‐treated schizophrenia patients.

Methods: Dopamine D2/3binding was studied on single‐photon emission computed tomography ligand [123I]epidepride in 13 schizophrenia patients treated with medication (two with haloperidol, four with olanzapine and seven with clozapine), six drug‐naïve patients and seven healthy controls.

Results: Statistically significant differences in midbrain dopamine D2/3receptor BPapp(P = 0.015) and occupancy (P = 0.016) were observed between the clozapine, olanzapine and haloperidol groups. The lowest occupancy was found in clozapine‐treated patients (5%), followed by olanzapine‐treated patients (28%), compared to haloperidol‐treated patients (40%). No significant differences were observed in the temporal poles. Occupancy changed substantially depending on the comparison group used (either drug‐naïve vs healthy controls) in the examined brain areas (P = 0.001), showing an overestimation with all antipsychotics when the healthy control group was used.

Conclusion: Both typical and second‐generation antipsychotics occupy cortical dopamine D2/3receptors, thus mediating therapeutic efficacy. Observed differences in midbrain dopamine D2/3occupancy between classical antipsychotics and second‐generation antipsychotics may have clinical relevance by modulating altered nigrostriatal dopamine neurotransmission during the acute phase of schizophrenia.
Sleep paralysis in adolescents: The ‘a dead body climbed on top of me’ phenomenon in Mexico
Authors: Jiménez‐Genchi Alejandro , Ávila‐Rodríguez Víctor M. , Sánchez‐Rojas Frida , Vargas Terrez Blanca E. , Nenclares‐Portocarrero Alejandro
Published: May 2009

Aims:  The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of sleep paralysis in adolescents using a folk expression.

Methods:  Three hundred and twenty‐two adolescents (mean age, 15.9 ± 0.88 years; 66.8% female) from three high schools in Mexico City completed both a self‐reported questionnaire, including a colloquial definition of sleep paralysis and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale.

Results:  A high proportion of the adolescents (92.5%) had heard about the ‘a dead body climbed on top of me’ expression and 27.6% of them had experienced the phenomenon. Sleep paralysis was present in 25.5% while the prevalence rate for hypnagogic/hypnopompic hallucinations was 22%; 61% had experienced ≥2 episodes in their lifetime. The mean age of onset was 12.5 ± 3 years. Sleepiness scores for the subjects who had experienced at least one event were not significantly different from subjects who had not experienced any. In 72% of cases, the episodes were composed of both sleep paralysis and hallucinations while 20.2% consisted of only sleep paralysis and 7.8% of only hallucinations. The number and characteristics of events were not significantly different between adolescents with only one episode and those with two or more episodes.

Conclusions:  The characteristics of the ‘a dead body climbed on top of me’ phenomenon suggest that is identical to sleep paralysis and a frequent experience among Mexican adolescents. During adolescence, sleep paralysis seems to be a recurrent phenomenon frequently accompanied by hallucinatory experiences.
Intrasubject reproducibility of prefrontal cortex activities during a verbal fluency task over two repeated sessions using multi‐channel near‐infrared spectroscopy
Authors: Kakimoto Yu , Nishimura Yukika , Hara Naomi , Okada Motohiro , Tanii Hisashi , Okazaki Yuji
Published: May 2009

Aim:  To determine whether intrasubject reproducibility could be observed in the frontal cortex and to assess the mental‐health status of subjects in each session.

Methods:  We measured changes in oxygenated hemoglobin concentration ([oxy‐Hb]) during a letter version of the verbal fluency task using near‐infrared spectroscopy imaging in twenty healthy adults over two sessions approximately two months apart. Additionally, the mental‐health status of the subjects in each session was evaluated according to the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Zung Self‐rating Depression Scale, the Profile of Mood States, and the revised edition of the Neuroticism–Extroversion–Openness Personality Inventory. The association between those scores and [oxy‐Hb] changes during the verbal fluency task in each session was investigated.

Results:  Performance on the verbal fluency task was about equal across the two sessions, and frontal activation during the task was observed globally in approximately the same region. In the test–retest reliability, acceptable values were shown in both the Intraclass Correlation Coefficients of the mean [oxy‐Hb] changes and the correlation coefficients of the whole waveforms for each subject in the two sessions. Mental‐health status as measured by several questionnaires was within the healthy range, and no correlation with the frontal activation was seen, except in several channels.

Conclusion:  The current results suggest that the measurement experience exerted very little influence, except for in a very small region. In addition, the intrasubject reproducibility of frontal activation measured by multi‐channel near‐infrared spectroscopy was well demonstrated in mentally healthy subjects at intervals of two months.
Exposure to exogenous estrogen through intake of commercial milk produced from pregnant cows
Authors: Maruyama Kazumi , Oshima Tomoe , Ohyama Kenji
Published: May 2009

Background:  Modern genetically improved dairy cows continue to lactate throughout almost the entire pregnancy. Therefore, recent commercial cow's milk contains large amounts of estrogens and progesterone. With regard to the exposure of prepubertal children to exogenous estrogens, the authors are particularly concerned about commercial milk produced from pregnant cows. The purpose of the present study was therefore to examine concentrations of serum and urine sex hormones after the intake of cow milk.

Methods:  Subjects were seven men, six prepubertal children, and five women. The men and children drank 600 mL/m2 of cow milk. Urine samples were collected 1 h before the milk intake and four times every hour after intake. In men the serum samples were obtained before and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 min after milk intake. Women drank 500 mL of cow's milk every night for 21 days beginning on the first day of the second menstruation. In three successive menstrual cycles, the day of ovulation was examined using an ovulation checker.

Results:  After the intake of cow milk, serum estrone (E1) and progesterone concentrations significantly increased, and serum luteinizing hormone, follicle‐stimulating hormone and testosterone significantly decreased in men. Urine concentrations of E1, estradiol, estriol and pregnanediol significantly increased in all adults and children. In four out of five women, ovulation occurred during the milk intake, and the timing of ovulation was similar among the three menstrual cycles.

Conclusions:  The present data on men and children indicate that estrogens in milk were absorbed, and gonadotropin secretion was suppressed, followed by a decrease in testosterone secretion. Sexual maturation of prepubertal children could be affected by the ordinary intake of cow milk.
Nonselective innervation of lamina I projection neurons by cocaine‐ and amphetamine‐regulated transcript peptide (CART)‐immunoreactive fibres in the rat spinal dorsal horn
Authors: Kozsurek Márk , Lukácsi Erika , Fekete Csaba , Puskár Zita
Published: May 2009

Cocaine‐ and amphetamine‐regulated transcript (CART) peptides have been implicated in spinal pain transmission. A dense plexus of CART‐immunoreactive fibres has been described in the superficial laminae of the spinal cord, which are key areas in sensory information and pain processing. We demonstrated previously that the majority of these fibres originate from nociceptive primary afferents. Using tract tracing, multiple immunofluorescent labelling and electronmicroscopy we determined the proportion of peptidergic primary afferents expressing CART, looked for evidence for coexistence of CART with galanin in these afferents in lamina I and examined their targets. Almost all (97.9%) randomly selected calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP)‐immunoreactive terminals were substance P (SP)‐positive (+) and CART was detected in approximately half (48.6%) of them. Most (81.4%) of the CGRP/SPergic boutons were galanin+ and approximately half (49.0%) of these contained CART. Many (72.9%) of the CARTergic boutons which expressed CGRP were also immunoreactive for galanin, while only 8.6% of the CARTergic terminals were galanin+ without CGRP. Electron microscopy showed that most of the CART terminals formed asymmetrical synapses, mainly with dendrites. All different morphological and neurochemical subtypes of spinoparabrachial projection neurons in the lamina I received contacts from CART‐immunoreactive nociceptive afferents. The innervation density from these boutons did not differ significantly between either the different neurochemical or the morphological subclasses of these cells. This suggests a nonselective innervation of lamina I projection neurons from a subpopulation of CGRP/SP afferents containing CART peptide. These results provide anatomical evidence for involvement of CART peptide in spinal pain transmission.
Discipline and Devolution: Constructions of Poverty, Race, and Criminality in the Politics of Rural Prison Development
Authors: Bonds Anne
Published: May 2009

Abstract:  The soaring expansion of the US prison population is transforming the geographies of both urban and rural landscapes. As the trend in mass incarceration persists, depressed rural spaces are increasingly associated with rising prison development and the increasing criminalization of rural communities of disadvantage. Drawing on in‐depth archival and interview research in rural communities in the Northwestern states of Idaho and Montana, this paper explores how cultural productions of poverty and exclusion intersect with rural prison development. I examine how representations of poverty and criminality are entangled with processes of economic restructuring and the localization of economic development and social welfare. I explore the ways in which the rural prison geography of the Northwest is linked to the material and discursive construction of those in poverty and how these narratives are produced through local relations of race, ethnicity, and class. I suggest that the mobilization of these constructions legitimates rural prison expansion, increasingly punitive social and criminal justice policies, and the retrenchment of racialized and classed inequality. Further, I argue that these discursive imaginations of the poor work to obscure the central dynamics producing poverty under the neoliberal restructuring of rural economies and governance.
“We have a little bit more finesse, as a nation”: Constructing the Polish Worker in London's Building Sites
Authors: Datta Ayona , Brickell Katherine
Published: May 2009

Abstract:  This paper examines how male Polish builders in London construct themselves relationally to English builders as they negotiate their place within the labour hierarchies of the building site and in the London labour market. This is based on semi‐structured interviews and participant photographs taken by Polish migrants arriving in the aftermath of the European Union expansion in May 2004, and now working in building sites across London. These buildings sites are mundane elements of a global city which employ transnational labour, and where differences between Polish and English builders become significant discursive tools of survival in a competitive labour market. The paper illustrates how Polish workers mark themselves as “superior” to English builders through the versatility of their embodied skills, work ethic, artistic qualities, and finesse in their social interactions on the building site. This paper thus provides new ways of understanding the meanings of work and the complexity of identity politics within the spaces of low‐paid manual work in a global city.
The Use of Gasoline: Value, Oil, and the “American way of life”
Authors: Huber Matthew T.
Published: May 2009

Abstract:  While the critical literature has focused on the geography of oil production, the politics of “outrageous” gasoline prices in the United States provide a fertile path toward understanding the wider geography of petro‐capitalism. Despite the deepening contradictions of US oil consumption, “pain at the pump” discourse projects a political sense of entitlement to low priced gasoline. I use a value‐theoretical perspective to examine this politics as not only about the quantitative spectrum of price, but also the historical sedimentation of qualitative use‐values inscribed in the commodity gasoline. Gasoline is analyzed both as a use‐value among many within the postwar value of labor power and as a singular use‐value fueling broader imaginaries of a national “American way of life.” While use‐value still represents an open site of cultural and political struggle infused within value itself, the case of gasoline illustrates how use‐values are not automatically mobilized toward politically savory ends.
Searching for the Promised Land: Examining Dr Martin Luther King's Concept of the Beloved Community1
Authors: Inwood Joshua F.J.
Published: May 2009

Abstract: 4 April 2008 marked the 40th anniversary of Dr King's assassination in Memphis, Tennessee. Since his murder we have seen Dr King's message of social justice, the growing threat of militarism, the threat the USA's burgeoning empire posed, and his goal of ending injustice boiled down to a few words spoken in Washington DC when he declared his dream to see his children grow up in a society free of race prejudice. This paper engages with Dr King's work and presents a more geographically sophisticated understanding of King's legacy than the oft repeated Washington speech. Through an analysis of Dr King's concept of the Beloved Community, I argue that Dr King's work stems from the experiences of the Black Atlantic world. Consequently, we should see Dr King's social theory as part of a larger anti‐colonial struggle which sought to integrate African American and Western notions of community, which holds contemporary importance as a counterpoint to current neoliberal conceptions of community.
Lost in the Supermarket: The Corporate‐Organic Foodscape and the Struggle for Food Democracy
Authors: Johnston Josée , Biro Andrew , MacKendrick Norah
Published: May 2009

Abstract: The corporatization of organics has been critiqued for the concentration of ownership, as well as the ecological consequences of the long distances commodities travel between field and table. These critiques suggest a competing vision of food democracy which strives to organize the production and consumption of food at a proximate geographic scale while increasing opportunities for democratically managed cooperation between producers and consumers. This paper examines how the corporate‐organic foodscape has interacted and evolved alongside competing counter movements of food democracy. Using discourse and content analysis, we examine how corporate organics incorporate messages of locally scaled food production, humble origins, and a commitment to family farms and employees, and explore some of the complexity of the corporate‐organic foodscape. This paper contributes to the understanding of commodity fetishism in the corporate‐organic foodscape, and speaks more generally to the need for sophisticated understandings of the complex relationship between social movement innovation and market adaptation.
LIBERALIZATION AND THE PUBLIC SECTOR: THE PRE‐EMINENT ROLE OF GOVERNMENTS IN THE ‘SALE’ OF HIGHER EDUCATION ABROAD
Authors: DODDS ANNELIESE
Published: May 2009

Much recent scholarship concerning liberalization has emphasized the role of regulatees, rather than governments, in promoting liberalization. This article examines such scholarship in the light of an important development in the British and French public sectors—the creation of new agencies (the Education Counselling Service and EduFrance) to ‘sell’ British and French higher education to potential international students. The new agencies attempted to induce two things: competition amongst higher education institutions for the recruitment of international students from developed and emerging economy countries, and the commodification of these students. This article shows that, contrary to existing theories of liberalization, governments were pre‐eminent in pushing forward this liberalization, while higher education institutions attempted to hold it back.
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY INVESTMENT AND SOCIAL OBJECTIVES: AN EXAMINATION ON SOCIAL WELFARE INVESTMENT OF CHINESE STATE OWNED ENTERPRISES
Authors: Bo Hong , Li Tao , Toolsema Linda A.
Published: May 2009

We apply the theory of corporate social responsibility to analyse social welfare investment undertaken by Chinese State Owned Enterprises (SOEs). We present a simple theoretical model to illustrate how the presence of social objectives in the firm's objective function changes its investment behaviour. Our theoretical model accommodates special features of Chinese SOEs, whose social welfare investment is driven by both social objectives and profit concerns. The model is then tested using a panel of Chinese enterprises during the period 1995–1999. The empirical analysis indicates that despite of the corporatization reform social welfare investment undertaken by Chinese SOEs is still inefficient due to the lack of profit concerns, suggesting that social objectives still dominate profit concerns in motivating the SOEs' social welfare investment. However, we do obtain clear‐cut evidence showing that social objectives become less important as time progresses.
DO STOCK MARKETS VALUE EFFICIENCY?
Authors: Amess Kevin , Girma Sourafel
Published: May 2009

An empirical model determining the relationship between changes in firm‐level productivity and changes in firm value is estimated using an unbalanced panel of 706 public limited companies observed over the period 1996–2002. We find a positive relationship between efficiency and the market value of manufacturing sector firms controlling for traditional accounting measures of performance such as earnings per share and the return on capital employed. This evidence is consistent with the stock market valuing the adoption of better management practices that lead to better resource utilisation. By contrast, we find no such evidence for service sector firms.
HIGH‐SKILLED MIGRATION AND THE EXERTION OF EFFORT BY THE LOCAL POPULATION
Authors: Epstein Gil S. , Kunze Astrid , Ward Melanie E.
Published: May 2009

The optimal design of immigration policy is a topical issue, both in the policy debate and the economic literature. In this paper, we present empirical evidence from a firm level dataset collected in 2000 on the demand for high‐skilled workers, including foreign workers, in Europe and its determinants. Our major findings are that the fraction of high‐skilled workers recruited from the international labour market is very small, and that foreign and domestic workers are very similar in terms of their formal education (measured by specialization subject) and their job characteristics. We suggest an efficiency wage model to explain why firms recruit foreign workers in small numbers, and why they are willing to pay immigrants the same wage as local workers, whilst at the same time also paying for their moving costs, despite the similar human capital profile of immigrants to domestic workers.
TRADITION AND FASHION IN CONSUMER CHOICE: BAGGING THE SCOTTISH MUNROS
Authors: Bentley Alex , Ormerod Paul
Published: May 2009

Evidence is growing that in many markets consumers select not simply on the basis of the perceived attributes of products, but their preferences are modified by the behaviour of others. Economists have paid relatively little attention to such markets. We consider evidence from the activity of hill‐walking. The Munros are a list of Scottish hills over 3000 feet in height. We analyse completions of both the Munros themselves, and the Munro Tops, a difficult and time‐consuming extension of the Munros. The classic Bass diffusion model incorporates the imitation of others as a part of the behavioural rules used by consumers in making choice. We extend the Bass model to be able to apply it to long‐term case studies where substantial changes over time in the population making choices at any given point have to be taken into account. The Munros are a particular illustration of this, but the extension can be used in other situations where such population changes are important. Our results show that Top completions are dominated by the ‘fashion’ component, suggesting there was a cohort among which Tops completions became fashionable, but which has not been sustained. Both our extended model and the standard model can account for this. In contrast, our extension is needed to explain why Munro completions have remained close to their peak level for a decade now, a fact for which the standard Bass model is unable to account.
A large French prospective cohort of HIV‐infected patients: the Nadis Cohort
Authors: Pugliese P , Cuzin L , Cabié A , Poizot‐Martin I , Allavena C , Duvivier C , El Guedj M , De La Tribonnière X , Valantin MA , Dellamonica P ,   the Nadis Group
Published: May 2009

Objectives

The aim of this article is to describe the development of a dynamic French cohort of HIV‐infected patients, the methodological issues and decisions made, and the characteristics of the patients currently enrolled.

Methods

Data are collected during medical encounters. Data quality is ensured by automated checks during data capture, by regular controls, by annual assessments, and by ad hoc processes before any scientific analysis is performed.

Results

In September 2007, 10 458 patients representing 59 383 patient‐years of follow‐up were followed in our centres, including 446 with a first HIV diagnosis in the past year. Among these recently diagnosed patients, 25.6% presented with late diagnosis. Our cohort included 3017 women (28.8%). The women were less likely to be receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) than men, and when treated were less likely to be receiving nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI)‐based regimens. Our network includes medical centres in overseas territories (1105 patients living overseas). In this particular population, women represented 38.5% of the patients, and the probable route of infection was heterosexual in 75.7% of the patients. Despite epidemiological and social disparities, more patients had nondetectable viral loads when receiving HAART in overseas departments than in metropolitan France.

Conclusion

The Nadis Cohort represents a collaboration of major French HIV treatment centres. In September 2007, the cohort database contained up‐to‐date information on more than 10 000 patients, of whom a significant proportion were women. As a consequence of the choices made when building the cohort and the efforts made to ensure the quality of the database, scientific studies are regularly performed using this cohort.
MRI evidence of reperfusion injury associated with neurological deficits after carotid revascularization procedures
Authors: Cho A‐H. , Suh D‐C. , Kim G. E. , Kim J. S. , Lee D. H. , Kwon S. U. , Park S. M. , Kang D‐W.
Published: May 2009

Background and purpose:  Some patients develop major neurological complications after carotid revascularization procedures, despite the lack of new infarcts or classical hyperperfusion syndrome.

Methods:  In four patients who developed major neurological deficits after carotid revascularization procedures, but without evidence of new ischemic infarcts or hyperperfusion, we performed post‐procedural MRI [diffusion‐weighted image (DWI), perfusion‐weighted image (PWI), pre‐and post‐contrast fluid‐attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) image] immediately after and 1 day after the procedure.

Results:  Post‐gadolinium FLAIR images on 1 day after the procedures showed prominent leptomeningeal enhancements in the revascularized hemispheres. These radiological findings disappeared on follow‐up FLAIR images accompanied by the clinical improvement over the following several days after the procedures.

Conclusion:  Reperfusion syndrome may be associated with transient severe neurological deficits after carotid revascularization in patients without new ischemic events or classical hyperperfusion syndrome.
Psychological assessment of malingering in psychogenic neurological disorders and non‐psychogenic neurological disorders: relationship to psychopathology levels
Authors: Van Beilen M. , Griffioen B. T. , Gross A. , Leenders K. L.
Published: May 2009

Background and purpose:  It remains unknown whether psychological distress causes malingering in patients with psychogenic symptoms.

Methods:  We studied 26 patients with psychogenic neurological disorders on psychopathology and malingering in comparison with 26 patients with various neurological conditions and 18 matched healthy controls (HC).

Results:  Psychogenic patients showed the highest levels of psychological complaints and malingering, but non‐psychogenic neurological patients also showed significantly more psychological distress and malingering compared with HC. Psychological distress was related to the degree of malingering, in both patient groups.

Conclusion:  This data does not formally support a causal relationship between psychological distress and psychogenic neurological disorders, but suggests that a part of the psychological complaints is a general result of having an illness. The clinical implication of this study is that psychological distress is not sufficient for diagnosing functional complaints. Also, if a patient scores normal on a test for malingering, this does not mean that he or she is not suffering from psychogenic symptoms.
Prevalence of epilepsy amongst adolescents in Huesca, Spain: a community‐based study
Authors: Benavente I. , Rubio E. , Morales C. , Tajada N. , Tamargo P.
Published: May 2009

Background and purpose:  The goal of this work was to investigate the prevalence of epilepsy in adolescence in the province of Huesca, a region situated in the north of Spain, and to compare the findings with other studies.

Methods:  All patients aged 10–19 with epilepsy on January 2003 residing in this area, were identified from multiple sources. We followed the guidelines of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) for epidemiological studies. Collected data were examined by experts in the field of epilepsy, and all the patients were reevaluated using a diagnostic questionnaire. We identified the type of epilepsy, age at onset, duration, etiological agents and development.

Results:  One hundred twenty‐two cases of active epilepsy were found, and 23 in remission. The prevalence for active epilepsy was 6.3/1000 (95% CI 5.2–7.4); slightly higher in women and the 15–19 age group. We observed a predominance of generalized seizures. The age of onset ranged from 7 months to 16 years. Duration ranged from 1 to 18 years. Eighty percentage of cases were classified as idiopathic or cryptogenic and 19.7% as symptomatic.

Conclusion:  Our results are comparable with the majority of studies carried out in industrialized countries.
No increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes for women with myasthenia gravis: a nationwide population‐based study
Authors: Wen J.‐C. , Liu T.‐C. , Chen Y.‐H. , Chen S.‐F. , Lin H.‐C. , Tsai W.‐C.
Published: May 2009

Background:  This study aims to examine the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes [low birthweight (LBW), preterm birth, cesarean sections (CS) and babies born small for gestational age (SGA)] in pregnant women with myasthenia gravis (MG), using a 3‐year population‐based database, taking characteristics of infant and mother into consideration.

Methods:  This study used two nationwide population‐based datasets: the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Dataset and the Taiwan birth certificate registry. We identified 163 pregnant women with MG during 2001–2003 as the study cohort and 815 randomly selected pregnant women as a comparison cohort. Conditional logistic regression analyses were performed.

Results:  The results showed that, although these patterns did not reach a statistically significant level, mothers with MG had higher percentages of LBW (6.8%, vs. 5.6%), SGA (17.8%, vs. 14.1%) and cesarean deliveries (44.8%, vs. 37.4%), except for preterm births (8.1%, vs. 8.1%). After adjusting for highest maternal education level, marital status, family monthly income and infant gender and parity, the odds ratios (OR) of LBW, preterm birth, SGA infants, and cesarean delivery for mothers with MG were 1.19 (95% CI = 0.60–2.38), 1.00 (95% CI = 0.54–1.87), 1.30 (95% CI = 0.83–2.04), and 1.33 (95% CI = 0.94–1.88), respectively, as compared to unaffected mothers.

Conclusions:  We conclude that there were no statistically significant differences in the risk of having preterm, LBW, SGA infants and cesarean deliveries between women with and without MG.
The Financial Turmoil and EU Policy Co‐operation in 2008*
Authors: QUAGLIA LUCIA , EASTWOOD ROBERT , HOLMES PETER
Published: May 2009

This article analyses the response of the European Union (EU) to the financial crisis in 2008 under the headings of liquidity, recapitalization and ownership of banks, macroeconomic policies and regulatory policy. It is argued that although at the onset of the crisis governments tended to focus on national‐level responses, they quickly realized that international co‐ordination would be required. This proved difficult to achieve in many areas, although monetary policy was an exception. Here co‐ordination was rapid, not only in the euro area but also between the European Central Bank and other EU national central banks. Even so, within the euro area, the lender of last resort function was carried out by national central banks. Fiscal policy and bank recapitalization were similar across countries, but independently agreed. Competition rules were the one supranational EU regime, but did not act as a significant constraint on Member States.
Left cardiac isomerism in the Sonic hedgehog null mouse
Authors: Hildreth Victoria , Webb Sandra , Chaudhry Bill , Peat Jonathan D. , Phillips Helen M. , Brown Nigel , Anderson Robert H. , Henderson Deborah J.
Published: May 2009

Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is a secreted morphogen necessary for the production of sidedness in the developing embryo. In this study, we describe the morphology of the atrial chambers and atrioventricular junctions of the Shh null mouse heart. We demonstrate that the essential phenotypic feature is isomerism of the left atrial appendages, in combination with an atrioventricular septal defect and a common atrioventricular junction. These malformations are known to be frequent in humans with left isomerism. To confirm the presence of left isomerism, we show that Pitx2c, a recognized determinant of morphological leftness, is expressed in the Shh null mutants on both the right and left sides of the inflow region, and on both sides of the solitary arterial trunk exiting from the heart. It has been established that derivatives of the second heart field expressing Isl1 are asymmetrically distributed in the developing normal heart. We now show that this population is reduced in the hearts from the Shh null mutants, likely contributing to the defects. To distinguish the consequences of reduced contributions from the second heart field from those of left–right patterning disturbance, we disrupted the movement of second heart field cells into the heart by expressing dominant‐negative Rho kinase in the population of cells expressing Isl1. This resulted in absence of the vestibular spine, and presence of atrioventricular septal defects closely resembling those seen in the hearts from the Shh null mutants. The primary atrial septum, however, was well formed, and there was no evidence of isomerism of the atrial appendages, suggesting that these features do not relate to disruption of the contributions made by the second heart field. We demonstrate, therefore, that the Shh null mouse is a model of isomerism of the left atrial appendages, and show that the recognized associated malformations found at the venous pole of the heart in the setting of left isomerism are likely to arise from the loss of the effects of Shh in the establishment of laterality, combined with a reduced contribution made by cells derived from the second heart field.
Use of reconstituted concentrated nonfat milk for the production of UHT milk: physical and chemical effects and stability
Authors: MAGARIÑOS HAROLDO , VARGAS MAURICIO , ROMERO ALEJANDRO , CARRASCO ERWIN , SELAIVE SADE
Published: May 2009

The objective of this work was to evaluate the use of reconstituted concentrated nonfat milk for the production of UHT milk and to evaluate its physical and chemical effects and stability. The study considered three treatments related to the raw material and processing parameters. Increasing the intensity of thermal treatments resulted in increased hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content as well as the denaturation of whey protein. During storage, the milk that was produced from reconstituted concentrate displayed a lesser degree of proteolysis and higher pH value, sedimentation index and HMF, compared to natural milk. Under higher storage temperatures, the degree of proteolysis, HMF and pH decreased and the sedimentation index increased.
The acid tolerance association with expression of H+‐ATPase in Lactobacillus casei
Authors: CHEN XIA , SUN ZHIHONG , MENG HE , ZHANG HEPING
Published: May 2009

Acid and bile salt tolerance are considered as important properties for lactic acid bacteria to act as probiotics. Moreover, H+‐ATPase is acting for the production of ATP to the transmembrane proton motive force and can either generate ATP or generate a PMF using ATP produced by fermentative substrate‐level phosphorylation. In this work, we isolated a potential probiotic organism from home‐made koumiss and detected the expression of H+‐ATPase in distinct acid conditions using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction method. The results show that Lactobacillus casei Zhang can be considered as potentially probiotic to some extent: and that the expression of H+‐ATPase is associated with the acidity of the environment in L. casei.
Shelf life determination of Yayik butter fortified with spice extracts
Authors: ARSLAN DERYA , SERT DURMUŞ , AYAR AHMET , ÖZCAN MEHMET MUSA
Published: May 2009

Sage (Salvia officinalis L.), cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), clove (Syzygium aromaticum L.), sumac (Rhus coriaria L.), oregano (Origanum vulgare L.), ginger (Zingiber officinale), caraway (Cuminum cyminum L.) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) extracts were added at two concentrations (0.2 and 0.5%) to yayik butter. The butter samples were stored at two different temperatures, 4°C and 25°C. Product acceptability was monitored following the Weibull Hazard sensory method where the end of shelf life was the time at which 50% of panellists found the product unacceptable. Ginger, thyme and cinnamon extracts increased the shelf life of yayik butter and were comparable to the synthetic preservatives sorbic acid and BHA. The shelf life of the samples stored in the refrigerator was approximately twice as long as the samples stored at room temperature.
The effect of inulin as a prebiotic on the production of probiotic fibre‐enriched fermented milk
Authors: DE SOUZA OLIVEIRA RICARDO PINHEIRO , PEREGO PATRIZIA , CONVERTI ATTILIO , DE OLIVEIRA MARICÊ NOGUEIRA
Published: May 2009

We investigated the effect of inulin as a prebiotic on the production of probiotic fibre‐enriched fermented milk. The kinetics of acidification of inulin‐supplemented milk (0, 0.01, 0.02 and 0.04 g/g), as well as probiotic survival, pH and firmness of fermented milk stored at 4°C for 24 h and 7 days after preparation were examined. Probiotic fibre‐enriched fermented milk quality was influenced both by the amount of inulin and by the co‐culture composition. Depending on the co‐culture, inulin addition to milk influenced acidification kinetic parameters, probiotic counts, pH and the firmness of the product.
Optimization of conditions for expression and activation of a splice variant of prochymosin lacking exon 6 in Escherichia coli
Authors: BADIEFAR L , AHMADIAN G , ASGARANI E , GHANDILI S , SALEK ESFAHANI M , KHODABANDEH M
Published: May 2009

A splice form of prochymosin lacking exon‐6 was subcloned and expressed. Expression was optimized by changing various parameters. The maximum amount of protein expressed by this method was 44.61% of total cellular protein, compared to the 45.4% predicted by the Qualitek‐4 software. The expressed protein was then purified using ion exchange chromatography. Activation of the recombinant prochymosin was carried out by changing different parameters. Optimal conditions for activation involved reduction of pH to 5 and 4 h of incubation with the acidic solution, followed by neutralization and 2 h of incubation under neutralized conditions. The activity of the subsequent enzyme sample was 26 units/mL.
Presence of biogenic amines in a traditional salted Italian cheese
Authors: INNOCENTE N , MARINO M , MARCHESINI G , BIASUTTI M
Published: May 2009

Asino cheese is a traditional Italian cheese ripened in a special dilute brine (salmuerie), mixed with whey, milk and milk cream. The aim of this work was to ascertain whether this processing technology can influence amine production. The study demonstrated that biogenic amine content increased gradually in the Asino cheese during the soaking phase in brine. Moreover, the biogenic amine content of the salmuerie was very high and the salmuerie and the Asino cheese had a similar relative profile in amine content. These results suggested that the biogenic amines migrate from the brine into the cheese as a result of the concentration differential existing between the two systems.
Comparative survival and evaluation of functional probiotic properties of spray‐dried lactic acid bacteria
Authors: REDDY KANCHI BHASKER PRAVEEN KUMAR , MADHU ARENAHALLI NINGEGOWDA , PRAPULLA SIDDALINGAIYA GURUDUTT
Published: May 2009

The effect of spray drying on the viability and retention of key probiotic properties like acid and bile tolerance and cholesterol assimilation of three probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) (Lactobacillus plantarum CFR 2191, Lactobacillus salivarius CFR 2158 and Pediococcus acidilactici CFR 2193) has been studied. More than 97% survival was exhibited by the three LAB (1% cell suspension) spray dried with maltodextrin and nonfat skimmed (NFSM) as carriers. LAB cultures spray dried with maltodextrin showed significantly greater (P ≤ 0.05) retention of functional properties than those with NFSM. The results highlight a cost‐effective way of producing large quantities of selected probiotic cultures with functional properties for neutraceutical application.
Atherosclerosis measured by whole body magnetic resonance angiography and carotid artery ultrasound is related to arterial compliance, but not to endothelium‐dependent vasodilation – the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) study
Authors: Lind Lars , Andersson Jessika , Hansen Tomas , Johansson Lars , Ahlström Håkan
Published: May 2009

Background:  Arterial compliance and endothelium‐dependent vasodilation are two characteristics of the vessel wall. In the Prospective Investigation of the Vasculature in Uppsala Seniors (PIVUS) study, we studied the relationships between arterial compliance and endothelium‐dependent vasodilation versus atherosclerosis as measured with two imaging modalities.

Methods:  In the population‐based PIVUS study (1016 subjects aged 70), arterial compliance was determined by ultrasound in the carotid artery and the stroke volume to pulse pressure ratio by echocardiography, while endothelium‐dependent vasodilation was assessed by the invasive forearm technique with acetylcholine and brachial artery ultrasound. Intima‐media thickness was evaluated by ultrasound in the carotid artery (n = 954). Stenosis in the carotid, aorta, renal, upper and lower leg arteries were determined by magnetic resonance angiography in a random subsample of 306 subjects.

Results:  After adjustments for gender, Framingham risk score, obesity, myocardial infarction and stroke, distensibility in the carotid artery and the stroke volume to pulse pressure ratio were both significantly related to a weighted index of stenosis in the five arterial territories evaluated by magnetic resonance angiography (p<0·02 for both). Distensibility in the carotid artery (P = 0·021), but not the stroke volume to pulse pressure ratio (P = 0·08), was also significantly related to intima‐media thickness.

Conclusion:  In the elderly population, atherosclerosis is mainly related to arterial compliance, but not to endothelium‐dependent vasodilation in peripheral conduit or resistance vessels.
Interdisciplinary research: framing and reframing
Authors: Oughton Elizabeth , Bracken Louise
Published: May 2009

Framing encompasses the processes of identifying and bounding the area of research and based on our own experiences as academics we have found significant differences in the ways that researchers establish and frame a disciplinary, compared to an interdisciplinary, research project. In this paper we have attempted to contribute to the development of the conceptual framework underpinning interdisciplinary research through analysis of interviews with a number of academics already working in an interdisciplinary manner. Successful projects are able to identify and support the processes that allow the communication and negotiation that is necessary, not just for the initial framing of a research funding proposal but to be able to maintain negotiation. Self awareness and continual reflexivity and a willingness to be questioned by others are essential to this process.