bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Only 15 Minutes? The Social Stratification of Fame in Printed Media
Authors: van de Rijt Arnout , Shor Eran , Ward Charles , Skiena Steven
Published: March 2013

Contemporary scholarship has conceptualized modern fame as an open system in which people continually move in and out of celebrity status. This model stands in stark contrast to the traditional notion in the sociology of stratification that depicts stable hierarchies sustained through classic forces such as social structure and cumulative advantage. We investigate the mobility of fame using a unique data source containing daily records of references to person names in a large corpus of English-language media sources. These data reveal that only at the bottom of the public attention hierarchy do names exhibit fast turnover; at upper tiers, stable coverage persists around a fixed level and rank for decades. Fame exhibits strong continuity even in entertainment, on television, and on blogs, where it has been thought to be most ephemeral. We conclude that once a person’s name is decoupled from the initial event that lent it momentary attention, self-reinforcing processes, career structures, and commemorative practices perpetuate fame.
Risk Factors for Multiple Malignancies in the Head and Neck
Authors: Deganello Alberto , Gitti Gianni , Mannelli Giuditta , Meccariello Giuseppe , Gallo Oreste
Published: March 2013

Objective

To define the prognostic role of multiple epidemiological, clinical, and biological factors for the development of multiple malignancies (MM) in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC).

Study Design

Historical cohort study. p53 gene status, microsatellite instability (MSI) of the index tumor, and inherited chromosome fragility (CF) were studied.

Setting

Ninety‐six consecutive patients affected by primary HNC, between January 1987 and October 1991, who were eligible for curative radiation therapy were followed up.

Subjects and Methods

p53 gene status, MSI, and CF in 96 curative radiotherapy‐treated patients were correlated with the risk for MM.

Results

Multiple malignancies occurred in 28.9%. Microsatellite instability (P = 0.05), CF (P < 0.01), and smoking after treatment of the index tumor (P = 0.02) were correlated with an increased risk of MM.

Conclusion

Genetic susceptibility may play a central role for MM development in patients with HNC.
Considerations for Initial Dosing of Botulinum Toxin in Treatment of Adductor Spasmodic Dysphonia
Authors: Rosow David E. , Parikh Punam , Vivero Richard J. , Casiano Roy R. , Lundy Donna S.
Published: March 2013

Objectives

To assess the effect on voice improvement and duration of breathiness based on initial dose of onabotulinum toxin A (BTX‐A) in the management of adductor spasmodic dysphonia (SD) and to compare voice outcomes for initial bilaterally injected doses of 1.25 units (group A) vs 2.5 units (group B) of BTX‐A.

Study Design

Case series with chart review of patients with adductor SD treated at a tertiary care facility from 1990 to 2011.

Setting

Academic subspecialty laryngology practice.

Methods

Demographic data (age and sex), voice rating, duration of voice improvement, and breathiness were evaluated and compared between groups A and B using the Student t test and χ2 analysis.

Results

Of 478 patients identified, 305 (223 in group A, 82 in group B) patients met inclusion criteria. The average age was 56.2 years in group A and 57.4 years in group B (P =. 5). The female to male ratio was 2.91 for group A vs 3.56 for group B (P =. 61). Good voice outcomes (grade 3 or 4) were reported by 91% of group A patients vs 94% of group B (P =. 75). The average duration of voice improvement was 99.7 days for group A and 108.3 days for group B (P =. 54). The average duration of breathiness was 10.88 days for group A vs 15.42 days for group B (P =. 02).

Conclusion

Patients injected with 1.25 units bilaterally had a statistically significant shorter duration of breathiness without a statistically significant difference in clinical effectiveness or voice outcome. It is therefore recommended that a relatively low initial BTX‐A dose be used with subsequent titration to achieve improved voice outcomes.
Grooming and the ‘Asian sex gang predator’: the construction of a racial crime threat
Authors: Cockbain Ella
Published: March 2013

Following a mainstream British newspaper’s claim to have uncovered a new crime threat of ‘on-street grooming’, extensive and emotive debate continues around the so-called ‘Asian sex gang’ problem in the UK. This article examines the construction of a new racial crime threat, assessing the validity of its foundations and exploring its possible causes and consequences. Grooming is shown to be a dubious category, not a distinct offence but an ill-defined subset of child sexual exploitation more generally. The article highlights a fundamental tension in the grooming discourse, showing that claims of a uniquely racial crime threat are ill founded but that Asians have been overrepresented, relative to the general population, among suspected child sexual exploiters identified to date. The implications of the current fixation with grooming and ‘Asian sex gangs’ are examined and shown to further a political agendum and legitimise thinly veiled racism, ultimately doing victims a disservice. The article concludes by calling for a shift from the sweeping, ill-founded generalisations driving dominant discourse to date, towards open and level-headed discussions around child sexual exploitation, including but not limited to, examining relationships between race and offending.
How the refugees stopped the Bronx from burning
Authors: Tang Eric
Published: March 2013

While the conflagrations that took hold of the South Bronx in New York City from the 1960s to the 1980s and the widespread devastation that resulted focused attention on not only the US ‘urban crisis’ but also on the area’s potential for cultural resurrection and targeted economic development, the struggles of its immediate neighbours to the Northwest have received much less attention. What were the factors that stayed the arson ‘epidemic’ from consuming Northwest Bronx so that it retained some viability? While neighbourhood community organisation has been largely credited with this, and undoubtedly had a major impact, much less attention has been paid to the consequences of cheaply and cynically housing refugees from war-torn Southeast Asia, under a so-called resettlement programme, in the Northwest’s semi-derelict, unheated buildings. Here, perforce, they had no option but to survive and carry on their lives; survival can itself be a form of political resistance, one that does not easily submit to a premature resolution of the conflict.
It was another world
Authors: Brittain Victoria
Published: March 2013

At the nadir of the history of the African National Congress, with its leadership in prison or exile and repression having almost broken the movement on the ground, young communists and socialists, recruited in London, went into the country clandestinely to diffuse propaganda leaflets, letters, and recorded speeches from the leadership. This story was kept secret for forty years until a number of the recruits wrote their stories and, on their return visit to launch the book, found themselves received as heroes – to their great surprise.
Referencing practices in physical geography
Authors: Haussmann Natalie Suzette , McIntyre Trevor , Bumby Adam John , Loubser Michael John
Published: March 2013

Accurate citation practices are important, from both an ethical and a scientific point of view. Using an easily reproducible, previously published method, we assess citation accuracy in 120 articles published in the first half of 2011 and listed under ‘Physical Geography’ in Thomson Reuters’ ISI Web of Knowledge Science Citation Index. Our results indicate that at least 19% of citations in physical geography do not provide clear support for the statements they are meant to support. These results are in line with previously published findings for ‘field-orientated’ sciences. We propose that both authors and editors help remedy this problem, by employing more rigorous writing and editing practices.
Perillyl alcohol as a protective modulator against rat hepatocarcinogenesis via amelioration of oxidative damage and cell proliferation
Authors: Sultana S , Nafees S , Khan AQ
Published: March 2013

In the present study, we have evaluated the chemopreventive effects of perillyl alcohol (POH) against diethylnitrosamine-initiated and 2-AAF (2-acetylaminofluorine)-promoted hepatocarcinogenesis in Wistar rats. Efficacy of POH against 2-AAF-induced hepatotoxicity was evaluated in terms of biochemical estimation of antioxidant enzyme activities, histopathological changes and expression levels of proliferative markers. 2-AAF is a potent hepatotoxicant and a hepatic carcinogen that induces its effect by causing oxidative stress. Pre-treatment of POH prevented oxidative stress and tumour incidences. POH suppressed 2-AAF-induced early tumour markers, namely ornithine decarboxylase activity, thymidine phosphorylase and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) protein and also suppressed the expression of pro-apoptotic protein P53. Histopathological findings revealed that POH-pretreated groups showed marked recovery. From our results, it could be concluded that POH markedly protects against chemically induced liver cancer and acts possibly by virtue of its antioxidant and antiproliferative activities.
Insulin Resistance and Risk of Cerebral Infarction in a Japanese General Population
Authors: Kaneda Yuji , Ishikawa Shizukiyo , Sadakane Atsuko , Gotoh Tadao , Kayaba Kazunori , Yasuda Yoshikazu , Kajii Eiji
Published: March 2013

The aim of the study was to investigate the relation between insulin resistance and risk of cerebral infarction in a Japanese general population. The subjects were 2610 men and women without past history of stroke or myocardial infarction and who were under treatment for diabetes. Subjects were divided into quartiles by the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and Cox’s proportional hazard model was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) for cerebral infarction. In men, the multivariate-adjusted HRs were 2.51 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.98-6.42) in quartile 1 (Q1), 1.43 (95% CI = 0.54-3.82) in Q2, and 2.13 (95% CI = 0.82-5.51) in Q4, using Q3 as the reference. In women, the multivariate-adjusted HRs were 2.12 (95% CI = 0.72-6.31) in Q1, 2.96 (95% CI = 1.06-8.26) in Q3, and 2.31 (95% CI = 0.80-6.69) in Q4, using Q2 as the reference. The association between risk of cerebral infarction and HOMA-IR was not dose dependent.
Comorbidity as an Independent Risk Factor in Patients With Cancer
Authors: Chen Chang-I , Kuan Ching-Feng , Miser James , Fang Yu-Ann , Lam Carlos , Chiu Wen-Ta , Li Yu-Chuan
Published: March 2013

This study determined the prevalence of medical conditions in patients with cancer and their impact on outcome. We evaluated a cohort of 37 411 patients diagnosed with cancer between 2000 and 2008 in Taiwan, collecting the cancer diagnosis and chronic disease diagnoses. The severity of the comorbid condition was correlated with the cancer diagnosis and outcome. Overall, 71.9% of the study population had 1 or more comorbid conditions. Patients with none (n = 10 508), 1 (n = 8881), 2 (n = 6583), and 3 or more (n = 11 439) comorbid conditions had mortality rates of 11.49%, 15.99%, 19.61%, and 29.39%, respectively. Older patients with comorbid conditions had a significantly higher chance of death. Dementia, heart disease, or cerebrovascular diseases were associated with the highest mortality. Cancer patients with comorbid conditions have a significantly higher risk of death. Prevention and better medical management of comorbid conditions is likely to result in improved outcomes for patients with cancer.
The Impact of John Henryism on Self-Reported Health Behaviors in African American Men
Authors: Lehto Rebecca H. , Stein Karen Farchaus
Published: March 2013

Purpose: African American men have poorer health and higher disease-related mortality as compared to non–African American men. John Henryism refers to the predisposition to engage in active high-effort coping with environmental stressors. Little is known about relationships between John Henryism and personal health behaviors in African American men. The study purposes were to examine predictive relationships among John Henryism, marital status, age, education years, and health insurance on health behaviors in African American men. Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study. Method: The convenience sample included 60 African American men (mean age 54.8 + 10.13) recruited from a large urban area in the Midwestern United States. Findings: John Henryism significantly predicted self-reported health behaviors accounting for 12% of the multiple regression model variance. Discussion and Conclusions: Results suggest that John Henryism could have benefits for African American men’s engagement in health behaviors. Implications for Practice: Findings provide early evidence to consider in the design of interventions aimed at promoting healthy behaviors in African American men.
Perception of Pure Tones and Iterated Rippled Noise for Normal Hearing and Cochlear Implant Users
Authors: Penninger Richard T. , Chien Wade W. , Jiradejvong Patpong , Boeke Emily , Carver Courtney L. , Limb Charles J.
Published: March 2013

Cochlear Implant (CI) users typically perform poorly on musical tasks, especially those based on pitch ranking and melody recognition. It was hypothesized that CI users would demonstrate deterioration in performance for a pitch ranking and a melody recognition task presented with iterated rippled noise (IRN) in comparison to pure tones (PT). In Addition, it was hypothesized that normal hearing (NH) listeners would show fewer differences in performance between IRN and PT for these two tasks.

In this study, the ability of CI users and NH subjects to rank pitches and to identify melodies created with IRN and PT was assessed in free field in a sound-isolated room. CI subjects scored significantly above chance level with PT stimuli in both tasks. With IRN stimuli their performance was around chance level. NH subjects scored significantly above chance level in both tasks and with all stimuli. NH subjects performed significantly better than CI subjects in both tasks. These results illustrate the difficulties of CI subjects to rank pitches and to identify melodies.
Belonging, Mobility and the Future: Representations of Space in the Life Narratives of Young Rural Czechs
Authors: Haukanes Haldis
Published: March 2013

Framed within debates on space, youth mobility and globalization, this article examines representations of space in rural youth’s narratives of their own future. In contrast to other research on youth in ‘peripheral’ areas, it is found that positive representations of both own locality and country prevail among the youth in the communities investigated, and that spatial mobility is sought for in limited ways. It is argued that the wish to remain ‘local’ among the youth and their positive views on own locality are in part predicated on relative favourable regional economic conditions, but should also be seen in connection with their increased engagement with global ‘electronic’ youth culture. The representations of rural life at the core of the youth’s expressions of belonging rest on an image of the rural idyll, however, which is often conflated with an image of the perfect middle class family.
The Divisive Power of Humour: Comedy, Taste and Symbolic Boundaries
Authors: Friedman Sam , Kuipers Giselinde
Published: March 2013

Using British and Dutch interview data, this article demonstrates how people from different social classes draw strong symbolic boundaries on the basis of comedy taste. Eschewing the omnivorousness described in recent studies of cultural consumption, comedy audiences make negative aesthetic and moral judgements on the basis of comedy taste, and often make harsh judgements without the disclaimers, apologies and ambivalence so typical of ‘taste talk’ in contemporary culture. The article demonstrates how, in particular, Dutch and British middle class audiences use their comedy taste to communicate distinction and cultural superiority. We discuss several reasons why such processes of social distancing exist in comedy taste and not other cultural areas: the traditionally low status of comedy; the strong relation between humour and personhood; the continuity between comedy tastes and humour styles in everyday life; as well as the specific position of comedy in the British and Dutch cultural fields.
Pleural abnormalities: thoracic ultrasound to the rescue!
Authors: Aslam Imran , Pathmanathan Sega , Lakshminarayana Umesh B. , Avery Gerard R. , Kastelik Jack A. , Morjaria Jaymin B.
Published: March 2013

Diaphragmatic hernias that are diagnosed in adulthood may be traumatic or congenital in nature. Therefore, respiratory specialists need to be aware of the presentation of patients with these conditions. In this report, we describe a case series of patients with congenital and traumatic diaphragmatic hernias and highlight a varied range of their presentations. Abnormalities were noted in the thorax on the chest radiographs, but it was unclear as to the nature of the anomaly. The findings on thoracic ultrasound conducted by a pulmonologist helped to direct appropriate investigations avoiding unnecessary interventions. Instead of pleural effusions, consolidation or collapse, thoracic computed tomography demonstrated diaphragmatic hernias which were managed either conservatively or by surgery. There is increasing evidence that pulmonary specialists should be trained in thoracic ultrasonography to identify pleural pathology as well as safely conducting pleural-based interventions.
Tarlov cysts as a rare cause of voiding dysfunction
Authors: Drake Tamsin , Davies Melissa Clare
Published: March 2013

Although largely regarded as incidental, asymptomatic findings on CT and MRI scans, Tarlov cysts have been reported to cause a variety of symptoms including radicular pain and sexual, bladder and/or bowel dysfunction. We present the case of a 66-year-old woman presenting with acute onset lower urinary tract symptoms and urinary retention secondary to large sacral Tarlov cysts, in order to highlight the value of CT and/or MRI in the work-up of women presenting with urinary retention, and increase awareness of Tarlov cyst disease as a rare cause of voiding dysfunction.
“White Box” Epidemiology and the Social Neuroscience of Health Behaviors
Authors: Mezuk Briana , Abdou Cleopatra M. , Hudson Darrell , Kershaw Kiarri N. , Rafferty Jane A. , Lee Hedwig , Jackson James S.
Published: March 2013

Crucial advances have been made in our knowledge of the social determinants of health and health behaviors. Existing research on health disparities, however, generally fails to address a known paradox in the literature: While blacks have higher risk of medical morbidity relative to non-Hispanic whites, blacks have lower rates of common stress-related forms of psychopathology such as major depression and anxiety disorders. In this article we propose a new theoretical approach, the Environmental Affordances Model, as an integrative framework for the origins of both physical and mental health disparities. We highlight early empirical support and a growing body of experimental animal and human research on self-regulatory health behaviors and stress coping that is consistent with the proposed framework. We conclude that transdisciplinary approaches, such as the Environmental Affordances Model, are needed to understand the origins of group-based disparities to implement effective solutions to racial and ethnic group inequalities in physical and mental health.
CD133 expression is not an independent prognostic factor in stage II and III colorectal cancer but may predict the better outcome in patients with adjuvant therapy
Authors: Mia-Jan Khalilullah , Jung So Young , Kim Ik-Yong , Oh Sung Soo , Choi EunHee , Chang Sei Jin , Kang Tae Young , Cho Mee-Yon
Published: March 2013

Background

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are notorious for their capacity of tumor progression, metastasis or resistance to chemo-radiotherapy. However, the undisputed role of cancer stem marker, CD133, in colorectal cancers (CRCs) is not clear yet.

Methods

We assessed 271 surgically-resected stage II and III primary CRCs with (171) and without (100) adjuvant therapy after surgery. CD133 expression was analyzed by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining and real-time RT-PCR. CD133 promoter methylation was quantified by pyrosequencing.

Results

The CD133 IHC expression was significantly correlated with mRNA expression (p=0.0257) and inversely correlated with the promoter methylation (p=0.0001). CD133 was expressed more frequently in rectal cancer (p=0.0035), and in moderately differentiated tumors (p=0.0378). In survival analysis, CD133 expression was not significantly correlated with overall survival (OS) (p=0.9689) as well as disease-free survival (DFS) (p=0.2103). However, CD133+ tumors were significantly associated with better OS in patients with adjuvant therapy compared to those without adjuvant therapy (p<0.0001, HR 0.125, 95% CI 0.052-0.299). But the patients with CD133- tumors did not show any significant difference of survival according to adjuvant therapy (p=0.055, HR 0.500, 95% CI 0.247-1.015).

Conclusions

In stage II and III CRCs, CD133 IHC expression may signify the benefit for adjuvant therapy although it is not an independent prognostic factor.
Low-dose endotoxin inhalation in healthy volunteers - a challenge model for early clinical drug development
Authors: Janssen Ole , Schaumann Frank , Holz Olaf , Lavae-Mokhtari Bianca , Welker Lutz , Winkler Carla , Biller Heike , Krug Norbert , Hohlfeld Jens M
Published: March 2013

Background

Inhalation of endotoxin (LPS) induces a predominantly neutrophilic airway inflammation and has been used as model to test the anti-inflammatory activity of novel drugs. In the past, a dose exceeding 15–50 μg was generally needed to induce a sufficient inflammatory response. For human studies, regulatory authorities in some countries now request the use of GMP-grade LPS, which is of limited availability. It was therefore the aim of this study to test the effect and reproducibility of a low-dose LPS challenge (20,000 E.U.; 2 μg) using a flow- and volume-controlled inhalation technique to increase LPS deposition.

Methods

Two to four weeks after a baseline sputum induction, 12 non-smoking healthy volunteers inhaled LPS on three occasions, separated by at least 4 weeks. To modulate the inflammatory effect of LPS, a 5-day PDE4 inhibitor (Roflumilast) treatment preceded the last challenge. Six hours after each LPS inhalation, sputum induction was performed.

Results

The low-dose LPS inhalation was well tolerated and increased the mean percentage of sputum neutrophils from 25% to 72%. After the second LPS challenge, 62% neutrophils and an increased percentage of monocytes were observed. The LPS induced influx of neutrophils and the cumulative inflammatory response compared with baseline were reproducible. Treatment with Roflumilast for 5 days did not have a significant effect on sputum composition.

Conclusion

The controlled inhalation of 2 μg GMP-grade LPS is sufficient to induce a significant neutrophilic airway inflammation in healthy volunteers. Repeated low-dose LPS challenges potentially result in a small shift of the neutrophil/monocyte ratio; however, the cumulative response is reproducible, enabling the use of this model for “proof-of-concept” studies for anti-inflammatory compounds during early drug development.

Trial registration

Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01400568
Palliative care need and management in the acute hospital setting: a census of one New Zealand Hospital
Authors: Gott Merryn , Frey Rosemary , Raphael Deborah , O’Callaghan Anne , Robinson Jackie , Boyd Michal
Published: March 2013

Background

Improving palliative care management in acute hospital settings has been identified as a priority internationally. The aim of this study was to establish the proportion of inpatients within one acute hospital in New Zealand who meet prognostic criteria for palliative care need and explore key aspects of their management.

Methods

A prospective survey of adult hospital inpatients (n = 501) was undertaken. Case notes were examined for evidence that the patient might be in their last year of life according to Gold Standards Framework (GSF) prognostic indicator criteria. For patients who met GSF criteria, clinical and socio-demographic information were recorded.

Results

Ninety-nine inpatients met GSF criteria, representing 19.8% of the total census population. The patients’ average age was 70 years; 47% had a primary diagnosis of cancer. Two thirds had died within 6 months of their admission. Seventy-eight of the 99 cases demonstrated evidence that a palliative approach to care had been adopted; however documentation of discussion about goals of care was very limited and only one patient had evidence of an advance care plan.

Conclusion

One fifth of hospital inpatients met criteria for palliative care need, the majority of whom were aged >70 years. Whilst over three quarters were concluded to be receiving care in line with a palliative care approach, very little documented evidence of discussion with patients and families regarding end of life issues was evident. Future research needs to explore how best to support ‘generalist’ palliative care providers in initiating, and appropriately recording, such discussions.
The metabolic costs of improving ethanol yield by reducing glycerol formation capacity under anaerobic conditions in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Pagliardini Julien , Hubmann Georg , Alfenore Sandrine , Nevoigt Elke , Bideaux Carine , Guillouet Stephane E
Published: March 2013

Background

Finely regulating the carbon flux through the glycerol pathway by regulating the expression of the rate controlling enzyme, glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH), has been a promising approach to redirect carbon from glycerol to ethanol and thereby increasing the ethanol yield in ethanol production. Here, strains engineered in the promoter of GPD1 and deleted in GPD2 were used to investigate the possibility of reducing glycerol production of Saccharomyces cerevisiae without jeopardising its ability to cope with process stress during ethanol production. For this purpose, the mutant strains TEFmut7 and TEFmut2 with different GPD1 residual expression were studied in Very High Ethanol Performance (VHEP) fed-batch process under anaerobic conditions.

Results

Both strains showed a drastic reduction of the glycerol yield by 44 and 61% while the ethanol yield improved by 2 and 7% respectively. TEFmut2 strain showing the highest ethanol yield was accompanied by a 28% reduction of the biomass yield. The modulation of the glycerol formation led to profound redox and energetic changes resulting in a reduction of the ATP yield (YATP) and a modulation of the production of organic acids (acetate, pyruvate and succinate). Those metabolic rearrangements resulted in a loss of ethanol and stress tolerance of the mutants, contrarily to what was previously observed under aerobiosis.

Conclusions

This work demonstrates the potential of fine-tuned pathway engineering, particularly when a compromise has to be found between high product yield on one hand and acceptable growth, productivity and stress resistance on the other hand. Previous study showed that, contrarily to anaerobiosis, the resulting gain in ethanol yield was accompanied with no loss of ethanol tolerance under aerobiosis. Moreover those mutants were still able to produce up to 90 gl-1 ethanol in an anaerobic SSF process. Fine tuning metabolic strategy may then open encouraging possibilities for further developing robust strains with improved ethanol yield.
New insights on the reorganization of gene transcription in Pseudomonas putida KT2440 at elevated pressure
Authors: Follonier Stéphanie , Escapa Isabel F , Fonseca Pilar M , Henes Bernhard , Panke Sven , Zinn Manfred , Prieto María Auxiliadora
Published: March 2013

Background

Elevated pressure, elevated oxygen tension (DOT) and elevated carbon dioxide tension (DCT) are readily encountered at the bottom of large industrial bioreactors and during bioprocesses where pressure is applied for enhancing the oxygen transfer. Yet information about their effect on bacteria and on the gene expression thereof is scarce. To shed light on the cellular functions affected by these specific environmental conditions, the transcriptome ofPseudomonas putidaKT2440, a bacterium of great relevance for the production of medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates, was thoroughly investigated using DNA microarrays.

Results

Very well defined chemostat cultivations were carried out withP. putidato produce high quality RNA samples and ensure that differential gene expression was caused exclusively by changes of pressure, DOT and/or DCT. Cellular stress was detected at 7 bar and elevated DCT in the form of heat shock and oxidative stress-like responses, and indicators of cell envelope perturbations were identified as well.

Globally, gene transcription was not considerably altered when DOT was increased from 40 ± 5 to 235 ± 20% at 7 bar and elevated DCT. Nevertheless, differential transcription was observed for a few genes linked to iron-sulfur cluster assembly, terminal oxidases, glutamate metabolism and arginine deiminase pathway, which shows their particular sensitivity to variations of DOT.

Conclusions

This study provides a comprehensive overview on the changes occurring in the transcriptome ofP. putidaupon mild variations of pressure, DOT and DCT. Interestingly, whereas the changes of gene transcription were widespread, the cell physiology was hardly affected, which illustrates how efficient reorganization of the gene transcription is for dealing with environmental changes that may otherwise be harmful. Several particularly sensitive cellular functions were identified, which will certainly contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms involved in stress sensing/response and to finding ways of enhancing the stress tolerance of microorganisms.
Data dependence results of new multi-step and S-iterative schemes for contractive-like operators
Authors: Gürsoy Faik , Karakaya Vatan , Rhoades Billy E
Published: March 2013

In this paper, we prove that the convergence of a new iteration and S-iteration can be used to approximate the fixed points of contractive-like operators. We also prove some data dependence results for these new iteration and S-iteration schemes for contractive-like operators. Our results extend and improve some known results in the literature.

MSC:47H10.
Kinetics of the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) humoral immune response in swine serum and oral fluids collected from individual boars
Authors: Kittawornrat Apisit , Engle Mark , Panyasing Yaowalak , Olsen Chris , Schwartz Kent , Rice Anna , Lizano Sergio , Wang Chong , Zimmerman Jeffrey
Published: March 2013

Background

The object of this study was to describe and contrast the kinetics of the humoral response in serum and oral fluid specimens during acute porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection. The study involved three trials of 24 boars each. Boars were intramuscularly inoculated with a commercial modified live virus (MLV) vaccine (Trial 1), a Type 1 PRRSV field isolated (Trial 2), or a Type 2 PRRSV field isolate (Trial 3). Oral fluid samples were collected from individual boars on day post inoculation (DPI) -7 and 0 to 21. Serum samples were collected from all boars on DPI −7, 0, 7, 14, 21 and from 4 randomly selected boars on DPI 3, 5, 10, and 17. Thereafter, serum and oral fluid were assayed for PRRSV antibody using antibody isotype-specific ELISAs (IgM, IgA, IgG) adapted to serum or oral fluid.

Results

Statistically significant differences in viral replication and antibody responses were observed among the three trials in both serum and oral fluid specimens. PRRSV serum IgM, IgA, and IgG were first detected in samples collected on DPI 7, 10, and 10, respectively. Oral fluid IgM, IgA, and IgG were detected in samples collected between DPI 3 to 10, 7 to 10, and 8 to 14, respectively.

Conclusions

This study enhanced our knowledge of the PRRSV humoral immune response and provided a broader foundation for the development and application of oral fluid antibody-based diagnostics.
Use of enzymatic tools for biomonitoring inorganic pollution in aquatic sediments: a case study (Bor, Serbia)
Authors: Filimon Marioara Nicoleta , Nica Dragos V , Ostafe Vasile , Bordean Despina-Maria , Borozan Aurica Breica , Vlad Daliborca Cristina , Popescu Roxana
Published: March 2013

Background

Sediment bacterial communities are key players in biogeochemical cycling of elements in the aquatic environment. Copper mining, smelting, and processing operations located in Bor area (Serbia) are major environmental hot spots in the lower Danube Basin and Western Balkans. In the present study, we evaluate the influence of trace element (TE) concentration in sediments and physico-chemical properties of water on sediment microbial communities in water streams adjacent to the Copper Smelter Complex Bor (RTB Bor, Serbia). The degree to which metabolic activities of bacterial biota inhabiting differently polluted sites is inhibited by inorganic pollution were compared using selected enzymatic bioindicators.

Results

Cu, Zn, Pb, and As concentrations systematically exceeded the target values for metal loadings in aquatic sediments. Water electrical conductivity (WEC) followed the same pattern of spatial variation, irrespective of season. Interestingly, the most intense enzymatic activity occurred at the reference site although this site showed the greatest TE levels in aquatic sediments. Catalase activity (CA), potential dehydrogenase activity (PDA), actual dehydrogenase activity (ADA), urease activity (UA), and phosphatase activity (PA) in aquatic sediments displayed heterogeneous patterns of spatio-temporal variation. Inorganic pollution greatly affected CA, ADA, and PDA, but much less so UA and PA. Canonical correlation analysis showed that pH and WEC were the strongest determinants of enzymatic activity in bacterial biota, with the latter variable being reversely correlated with the enzymatic indicator of sediment quality (EISQ). The median values of EISQ increased with distance from the major sources of pollution. In addition, it was found that sites with different degrees of inorganic pollution can be appropriately classified by applying cluster analysis to EISQ, TE levels in sediments, and physico-chemical properties of water.

Conclusions

Because EISQ can precisely identify changes in overall enzymatic activity of sediment bacterial communities, this enzymatic bioindicator has a great potential for biomonitoring the current status of inorganic pollution in aquatic ecosystems.
MRI findings of radiation-induced changes of masticatory muscles: A systematic review
Authors: Al-Saleh Mohammed AQ , Jaremko Jacob L , Saltaji Humam , Wolfaardt John , Major Paul W
Published: March 2013

Background

Radiotherapy to the head and neck regions can result in serious consequences to the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and chewing muscles. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrates soft-tissue alterations after radiotherapy, such as morphology and signal intensity.

Objective

The purpose of this review is to critically and systematically analyse the available evidence regarding the masticatory muscles alterations, as demonstrated on MRI, after radiotherapy for head and neck cancer.

Data sources

Electronic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, EBM reviews and Scopus.

Inclusion criteria

Reports of any study design investigating radiation-induced changes in masticatory muscles after radiotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer were included.

Results and synthesis methods

An electronic database search resulted in 162 papers. Sixteen papers were initially selected as potentially relevant studies; however, only four papers satisfied all inclusion criteria. The included papers focused on the MRI appearance of masticatory muscles following radiotherapy protocol. Two papers reported outcome based on retrospective clinical and imaging records, whereas the remaining two papers were case reports. Irradiated muscles frequently show diffuse increase in T2 signal and post-gadolinium enhancement post-irradiation. Also, muscle size changes were reported based on subjective comparison with the contralateral side. The quality of all included papers was considered poor with high risk of bias.

Conclusion

There is no evidence that MRI interpretations indicate specific radiation-induced changes in masticatory muscles. There is a clear need for a cohort study comparing patients with pre- and post-radiotherapy MRI.
Convergence of two major pathophysiologic mechanisms in nasal polyposis: Immune response to Staphylococcus aureus and airway remodeling
Authors: Pezato Rogério , Balsalobre Leonardo , Lima Milena , Bezerra Thiago F P , Voegels Richard L , Gregório Luis Carlos , Stamm Aldo Cassol , van Zele Thibaut
Published: March 2013

This review is addressed two pathophysiologic mechanisms implicated in the pathogenesis of nasal polyposis: the unique remodeling process found in nasal polyp tissue and the immune response of patients with nasal polyposis to Staphylococcus aureus.

These two theories converge to the same direction in different aspects, including decreased extracellular matrix production, impaired T regulation and favoring of a Th2 immune response.

In patients with nasal polyposis, an exaggerated immune response to Staphylococcus aureus may aggravate the airway remodeling process.
Importance of the ammonia assimilation by Penicillium purpurogenum in amino derivative Monascus pigment, PP-V, production
Authors: Arai Teppei , Koganei Kasumi , Umemura Sara , Kojima Ryo , Kato Jun , Kasumi Takafumi , Ogihara Jun
Published: March 2013

A fungal strain, Penicillium purpurogenum IAM 15392, produced the azaphilone Monascus pigment homolog when cultured in a medium composed of soluble starch, ammonium nitrate, yeast extract, and citrate buffer, pH 5.0. One of the typical features of violet pigment PP-V [(10Z)-12- carboxyl-monascorubramine] is that pyranoid oxygen is replaced with nitrogen. In this study, we found that glutamine synthetase (glnB) and glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh1) genes were expressed in the culture conditions conducive to PP-V production. Gln and Glu both support PP-V biosynthesis, but PP-V biosynthesis was much more efficient with Gln. We determined that synthesis of Gln by glutamine synthetase from ammonium is important for PP-V production.
Computational purification of individual tumor gene expression profiles leads to significant improvements in prognostic prediction
Authors: Quon Gerald , Haider Syed , Deshwar Amit G , Cui Ang , Boutros Paul C , Morris Quaid
Published: March 2013

Tumor heterogeneity is a limiting factor in cancer treatment and in the discovery of biomarkers to personalize it. We describe a computational purification tool, ISOpure, which directly addresses the effects of variable contamination by normal tissue in clinical tumor specimens. ISOpure uses a set of tumor expression profiles and a panel of healthy tissue expression profiles to generate a purified cancer profile for each tumor sample, and an estimate of the proportion of RNA originating from cancerous cells. Applying ISOpure before identifying gene signatures leads to significant improvements in the prediction of prognosis and other clinical variables in lung and prostate cancer.
Dual role for Hox genes and Hox co-factors in conferring leg motoneuron survival and identity in Drosophila
Authors: Baek Myungin , Enriquez Jonathan , Mann Richard S.
Published: March 2013

Adult Drosophila walk using six multi-jointed legs, each controlled by ∼50 leg motoneurons (MNs). Although MNs have stereotyped morphologies, little is known about how they are specified. Here, we describe the function of Hox genes and homothorax (hth), which encodes a Hox co-factor, in Drosophila leg MN development. Removing either Hox or Hth function from a single neuroblast (NB) lineage results in MN apoptosis. A single Hox gene, Antennapedia (Antp), is primarily responsible for MN survival in all three thoracic segments. When cell death is blocked, partially penetrant axon branching errors are observed in Hox mutant MNs. When single MNs are mutant, errors in both dendritic and axon arborizations are observed. Our data also suggest that Antp levels in post-mitotic MNs are important for specifying their identities. Thus, in addition to being essential for survival, Hox and hth are required to specify accurate MN morphologies in a level-dependent manner.
Over 30 million psychedelic users in the United States
Authors: Krebs Teri S , Johansen Pål-Ørjan
Published: March 2013

We estimated lifetime prevalence of psychedelic use (lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), psilocybin (magic mushrooms), mescaline, and peyote) by age category using data from a 2010 US population survey of 57,873 individuals aged 12 years and older. There were approximately 32 million lifetime psychedelic users in the US in 2010; including 17% of people aged 21 to 64 years (22% of males and 12% of females). Rate of lifetime psychedelic use was greatest among people aged 30 to 34 (total 20%, including 26% of males and 15% of females).
Surgical treatment of femoroacetabular impingement in patients with slipped capital femoral epiphysis
Authors: Azegami S. , Kosuge D. , Ramachandran M.
Published: March 2013

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is relatively common in adolescents and results in a complex deformity of the hip that can lead to femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). FAI may be symptomatic and lead to the premature development of osteoarthritis (OA) of the hip. Current techniques for managing the deformity include arthroscopic femoral neck osteochondroplasty, an arthroscopically assisted limited anterior approach to the hip, surgical dislocation, and proximal femoral osteotomy. Although not a routine procedure to treat FAI secondary to SCFE deformity, peri-acetabular osteotomy has been successfully used to treat FAI caused by acetabular over-coverage. These procedures should be considered for patients with symptoms due to a deformity of the hip secondary to SCFE.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:445–51.
Risk factors for post-operative venous thromboembolism in patients with a malignancy of the lower limb
Authors: Kim S. M. , Park J. M. , Shin S. H. , Seo S. W.
Published: March 2013

It is important to be able to identify patients with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in order to minimise the risk of an event. We investigated the incidence and risk factors for post-operative VTE in 168 consecutive patients with a malignancy of the lower limb. The period of study included ten months before and 12 months after the introduction of chemical thromboprophylaxis. All data about the potential risk factors were identified and classified into three groups (patient-, surgery- and tumour-related). The outcome measure was a thromboembolic event within 90 days of surgery.

Of the 168 patients, eight (4.8%) had a confirmed symptomatic deep-vein thrombosis and one (0.6%) a fatal pulmonary embolism. Of the 28 variables tested, age > 60 years, higher American Society of Anesthesiologists grade and metastatic tumour were independent risk factors for VTE. The overall rate of symptomatic VTE was not significantly different between patients who received chemical thromboprophylaxis and those who did not. Knowledge of these risk factors may be of value in improving the surgical outcome of patients with a malignancy of the lower limb.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:558–62.
Expression of matrix metalloproteinases in human growth plate chondrocytes is enhanced at high levels of mechanical loading
Authors: Pichler K. , Herbert V. , Schmidt B. , Fischerauer E. E. , Leithner A. , Weinberg A-M.
Published: March 2013

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), responsible for extracellular matrix remodelling and angiogenesis, might play a major role in the response of the growth plate to detrimental loads that lead to overuse injuries in young athletes. In order to test this hypothesis, human growth plate chondrocytes were subjected to mechanical forces equal to either physiological loads, near detrimental or detrimental loads for two hours. In addition, these cells were exposed to physiological loads for up to 24 hours. Changes in the expression of MMPs -2, -3 and -13 were investigated.

We found that expression of MMPs in cultured human growth plate chondrocytes increases in a linear manner with increased duration and intensity of loading. We also showed for the first time that physiological loads have the same effect on growth plate chondrocytes over a long period of time as detrimental loads applied for a short period.

These findings confirm the involvement of MMPs in overuse injuries in children. We suggest that training programmes for immature athletes should be reconsidered in order to avoid detrimental stresses and over-expression of MMPs in the growth plate, and especially to avoid physiological loads becoming detrimental.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:568–73.
Latissimus dorsi tendon transfer for irreparable tears of the rotator cuff
Authors: Henry P. D. G. , Dwyer T. , McKee M. D. , Schemitsch E. H.
Published: March 2013

Latissimus dorsi tendon transfer (LDTT) is technically challenging. In order to clarify the local structural anatomy, we undertook a morphometric study using six complete cadavers (12 shoulders). Measurements were made from the tendon to the nearby neurovascular structures with the arm in two positions: flexed and internally rotated, and adducted in neutral rotation. The tendon was then transferred and measurements were taken from the edge of the tendon to a reference point on the humeral head in order to assess the effect of a novel two-stage release on the excursion of the tendon.

With the shoulder flexed and internally rotated, the mean distances between the superior tendon edge and the radial nerve, brachial artery, axillary nerve and posterior circumflex artery were 30 mm (26 to 34), 28 mm (17 to 39), 21 mm (12 to 28) and 15 mm (10 to 21), respectively. The mean distance between the inferior tendon edge and the radial nerve, brachial artery and profunda brachii artery was 18 mm (8 to 27), 22 mm (15 to 32) and 14 mm (7 to 21), respectively. Moving the arm to a neutral position reduced these distances. A mean of 15 mm (8 to 21) was gained from a standard soft-tissue release, and 32 mm (20 to 45) from an extensile release.

These figures help to define further the structural anatomy of this region and the potential for transfer of the latissimus dorsi tendon.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:517–22.