bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interpersonal trust, stress and satisfaction at work: an empirical study
Authors: Guinot Jacob , Chiva Ricardo , Roca-Puig Vicente
Published: February 2014

Purpose

– Due to the divergent conclusions about the effects of interpersonal trust on job satisfaction, the study aims to look more deeply into this relationship by introducing job stress as a mediator variable.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper uses structural equation modeling to analyze the opinions of 6,407 Spanish employees, taken from the 2008 Quality of Working Life Survey carried out by the Spanish Ministry of Labor and Immigration.

Findings

– The findings show that interpersonal trust has a positive effect on job satisfaction, and that job stress partially mediates this relationship. Furthermore, interpersonal trust is negatively related to job stress, which in turn is negatively related to job satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

– Despite the pertinence and size of the database used in the study, it is very heterogeneous. Future research might delimit the database by organization size or sector. Qualitative studies may also improve our understanding of the relationships studied and enable other concepts to be included.

Practical implications

– Cultivating a climate of trust may provide organizations with a strategy to improve levels of mental well-being and satisfaction among their employees.

Originality/value

– This research explains why interpersonal trust has a positive effect on job satisfaction. The paper's conceptualization of trust implies risk assumption and low risk perception; low perception of risk is presumed to reduce job stress, and in turn, increase job satisfaction. The paper also puts forward reasons for why “excessive” interpersonal trust has been related to negative effects on job satisfaction. “Excessive” trust might infer high risk perception, which might increase job stress, and in turn decrease job satisfaction.
Australian Muslim men balancing work, family and religion:a positive look at a negative issue
Authors: Sav Adem , Harris Neil , Sebar Bernadette
Published: February 2014

Purpose

– This study explores how Australian Muslim men cope with potential conflict and achieve feelings of balance between their work, family and religious roles.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study is guided by the interpretive paradigm and is qualitative. Data is collected from participants via semi-structured in-depth interviews (n=20) and analysed using thematic analysis.

Findings

– Personal coping strategies (e.g. making permanent changes and time management) seem more effective in coping with immediate conflict and achieving work-life balance as opposed to external ones (e.g. supervisor support). Although some of the strategies mirror existing research, their extent of use and reasons for usage by Muslim men are different. Muslim men use these strategies in a preventive manner to actively achieve work-life balance rather than just cope with episodic work-life conflict.

Research limitations/implications

– The study is conducted with a small sample and the findings may not be generalizable to non-practising Australian Muslim men. To date, research has not clearly articulated how people who do not experience work-life conflict, make decisions to achieve balance. This study has a positive look at a negative issue by indicating that workers can go beyond coping with conflict and explore avenues to achieve work-life balance. The findings underscore the importance of preventive coping in achieving work-life balance and caution researchers about investigating how people cope with immediate work-life conflict only.

Originality/value

– In addition to work and family roles, this study focuses on religious commitments, with religion being a largely overlooked concept within the work-family coping literature.
The influence of global uncertainty on the cross-border performance appraisal
Authors: Maley Jane , Kramer Robin
Published: February 2014

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to examine the practice of performance management in a cross-border context in times of global uncertainty.

Design/methodology/approach

– This is a conceptual paper.

Findings

– The findings expose global uncertainty to be wielding a significant influence on performance management.

Practical implications

– A practical framework is developed using real options theory. This approach offers suggestions for multinational corporations to increase the effectiveness of their performance management while at the same time focusing on profit-maximisation.

Originality/value

– This paper enhances international management research by recognizing that real options theory can effectively be applied to improve the effectiveness of performance management in global uncertainty.
Disentangling the mechanisms underlying functional differences among decomposer communities
Authors: Keiser Ashley D. , Keiser David A. , Strickland Michael S. , Bradford Mark A.
Published: February 2014

Home‐field advantage (HFA) is a commonly used sports analogy, which has seen recent growth within the ecosystem ecology literature. It is most often invoked in litter transplant studies, where local adaptation (HFA) explains higher decomposition rates of leaf litter on ‘home’ soil communities.

In exploring the mechanisms driving functional differences among soil decomposer communities, a consistent quantitative framework is lacking.

We review methods for calculating HFA, propose a consolidated regression approach and demonstrate why HFA must be calculated along with a new ‘ability’ metric if we are to test definitively the competing hypotheses that soil decomposer communities are functionally equivalent versus dissimilar. We demonstrate that qualitative interpretations of HFA differ when the ability of a decomposer community is calculated simultaneously with HFA. For example, communities may differ in their ability to degrade litter in the absence of HFA, or apparent HFA may instead be caused by differing abilities, changing our ecological interpretation of the factors generating functional differences among decomposer communities.

Synthesis: We propose a single, statistical approach to help evaluate how and why soil decomposer communities differ in functional abilities. Our approach should help formalize mechanistic interpretations of why soil community composition commonly influences litter decomposition rates.
The Efficacy of Glucocorticoids for the Prevention of Atrial Fibrillation, or Length of Intensive Care Unite or Hospital Stay After Cardiac Surgery: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Liu Chao , Wang Jinghui , Yiu Daofeng , Liu Kunshen
Published: February 2014

Aims

cardiopulmonary bypass and cardiac surgery are associated with a significant systemic inflammatory response that has been suggested playing a causative role in the development of perioperative atrial fibrillation (POAF). The goal of this meta‐analysis was to determine the efficacy of glucocorticoid prophylaxis in preventing POAF, or length of intensive care unite (ICU) or hospital stay.

Methods

A systematic electronic database literature search of Cochrane controlled trials register (2013, issue 4) and MEDLINE (1966 to April, 2013) was conducted using specific search terms for all relevant articles. Including criteria were: randomized controlled clinical trials, participants were adults (≥18 years of age) undergoing cardiac surgery, evaluated glucocorticoid prophylaxis in cardiac surgery with adequately reported data on incidence of POAF, or length of ICU or hospital stay.

Results

Forty‐two randomized controlled trials involving 7621 participants were included in the meta‐analysis. Overall, glucocorticoids prophylaxis significantly lowered participants' risk of developing POAF (Relative Risk [RR] 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.66–0.90), P < 0.01), reduced length of ICU stay by 0.25 day (95% CI −0.40 to −0.10, P < 0.01). Glucocorticoid prophylaxis in cardiac surgery was not associated with increased all‐cause of infection (RR 0.68; 95% CI 0.58–0.78, P < 0.01) and mortality (RR 0.75; 95% CI 0.52–1.08, P = 0.12).

Conclusions

Pooled evidence suggests that glucocorticoid prophylaxis may reduce the incidence of POAF. The beneficial effect on POAF is associated with reduced length of ICU and hospital stay, and infection rate.
Biomarkers of cardiovascular disease are increased in untreated chronic periodontitis: a case control study
Authors: Ramírez JH , Parra B , Gutierrez S , Arce RM , Jaramillo A , Ariza Y , Contreras A
Published: February 2014

Background

The aim of this study was to evaluate the endothelial function, systemic inflammatory biomarkers and subgingival microbial profile associations in patients with and without periodontal disease.

Methods

Forty‐four patients, half with chronic moderate to severe periodontitis (cases) and half gingivitis and incipient periodontitis (controls) were recruited. Anthropometric, clinical, biochemical parameters, endothelial function, subgingival microbiota, and eight plasma biomarkers of cardiovascular disease were assessed in both groups.

Results

Both groups were comparable in anthropometric parameters, blood pressure, and number of positive metabolic syndrome components. Univariate analyses demonstrated significantly higher plasma levels of E‐selectin (64.5 ± 30.9 vs 43.8 ± 22.2; P = 0.026) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) (103 ± 114.5 vs 49.1 ± 35.6; P = 0.032) in cases than controls. In addition, significantly higher levels of E‐selectin, MPO and ICAM‐1 were found in periodontitis patients after adjustment by age and waist circumference. Red complex microorganisms were more frequently detected by culture and polymerase chain reaction in patients with severe to moderate periodontitis.

Conclusions

Subgingival red complex bacteria and important cardiovascular risk markers were increased in untreated chronic moderate to severe periodontitis cases. Periodontitis seems to be associated with systemic inflammation that could increase the risk of cardiovascular events. The causal relation between periodontal infections and cardiovascular disease requires further research.
The use of bisphosphonates in children: review of the literature and guidelines for dental management
Authors: Bhatt RN , Hibbert SA , Munns CF
Published: February 2014

Bisphosphonates are inhibitors of osteoclastic bone resorption with therapeutic benefit in a variety of bone disorders in both adults and children. While these agents have been routinely used in adults for the past three decades, their more recent introduction into paediatric medicine means there is a paucity of data on long‐term safety and effects on dental development. There is uncertainty regarding the dental management of children treated with bisphosphonates, particularly when invasive dental procedures, such as extractions and oral surgical procedures, are required. There are limited data with which to make recommendations about the dental management of patients treated with bisphosphonates, and there are no published recommendations that specifically address paediatric patients. This paper aims to outline paediatric uses and adverse effects of bisphosphonates and present recommendations on the dental management of children receiving bisphosphonates.
Oral mucosal lesions: findings from the Australian National Survey of Adult Oral Health
Authors: Do LG , Spencer AJ , Dost F , Farah CS
Published: February 2014

Background

The prevalence of oral mucosal lesions (OMLs) and factors associated with these has not previously been reported in the Australian population. This study aimed to report on the prevalence of OMLs in Australian adults and to evaluate their association with socio‐demographic factors.

Methods

This study utilized data from the Australian National Survey of Adult Oral Health 2004–06, which employs a multi‐stage, stratified random sample selection procedure. Information on socio‐demographics, smoking and presence of OMLs were collected using telephone interview, self‐reported questionnaires and comprehensive oral examination. A multivariate regression model was generated to estimate effect of factors on the prevalence of non‐ulcerated OMLs.

Results

A total of 3551 dentate adult Australians had complete data for this analysis. Over 20% of study participants presented with an OML on the day of examination. The prevalence of suspected malignancy was less than 1% and over 17% for non‐ulcerated OMLs. Prevalence of non‐ulcerated OMLs was associated with age, gender, residential location, household income and smoking.

Conclusions

The study reported that epidemiological survey can provide useful information on OMLs. Certain population groups had a higher risk of having the condition. Preventing smoking uptake and smoking cessation can reduce the prevalence of OMLs in the population.
Ion release from calcium and fluoride containing dental varnishes
Authors: Cochrane NJ , Shen P , Yuan Y , Reynolds EC
Published: February 2014

Background

A range of dental varnishes have been commercialized recently that contain calcium and inorganic phosphate in addition to fluoride. The aim of this study was to analyse the fluoride, calcium and inorganic phosphate ion release from: (1) MI Varnish containing casein phosphopeptide‐amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP‐ACP); (2) Clinpro White containing functionalized tricalcium phosphate (fTCP); (3) Enamel Pro containing amorphous calcium phosphate; (4) Bifluorid 5 containing calcium fluoride; and (5) Duraphat (no added calcium control).

Methods

The varnishes were applied to a standardized surface area of polyvinyl chloride (n = 7 per group) and immersed in 25 g of distilled deionized water which was changed at 1, 4, 24, 72 and 168 hours. The ion release was determined by ion chromatography and expressed as μmol (cumulative) per gram of varnish.

Results

All varnishes released measurable fluoride and calcium, however only MI Varnish and Enamel Pro released significant levels of inorganic phosphate. At 24 hours the order of cumulative fluoride release was: 1>3>4>2=5 with 1 significantly higher (p < 0.05) than the rest. At 72 and 168 hours, the cumulative calcium release was: 1>4>3>2=5 with 1 significantly higher (p < 0.05) than the rest.

Conclusions

MI Varnish containing CPP‐ACP had the highest release of calcium and fluoride ions.
Effect of screw access channel filling materials on uniaxial retentive force of cement‐retained implant restorations
Authors: Cakan U , Gultekin P , Guncu MB , Canay S
Published: February 2014

Background

This study aimed to investigate the effect of various abutment screw access channel filling materials on the uniaxial retention of castings cemented onto the abutment using temporary cement.

Methods

Ten straight, regular platform Esthetic Abutments were used. Fifty castings were divided into five groups and the abutment screw access channels were filled with composite resin (Filtek Z 250), light‐cured temporary filling (Clip), temporary filling (Coltosol), polyvinyl siloxane impression material (Elite H‐D), or polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tape. Castings were cemented and thermal cycled. A uniaxial tensile force with a cross‐head speed of 5 mm/min, was applied to the castings until cement failure occurred. One‐way analysis of variance was used to perform intergroup comparisons of the mean uniaxial retentive force (URF) values and Tukey's HSD test was used to determine the group causing the difference.

Results

There were statistically significant differences between the mean URF values for the groups (p < 0.01). The mean URF value for the composite resin group was statistically higher than those for the other filling material groups respectively (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The retention of castings cemented to straight implant abutments using non‐eugenol temporary cement may be influenced by the screw access channel filling material.
Geodynamic context for the deposition of coarse‐grained deep‐water axial channel systems in the Patagonian Andes
Authors: Ghiglione M. C. , Likerman J. , Barberón V. , Beatriz Giambiagi L. , Aguirre‐Urreta B. , Suarez F.
Published: February 2014

We present field and seismic evidence for the existence of Coniacian–Campanian syntectonic angular unconformities within basal foreland basin sequences of the Austral or Magallanes Basin, with implications for the understanding of deformation and sedimentation in the southern Patagonian Andes. The studied sequences belong to the mainly turbiditic Upper Cretaceous Cerro Toro Formation that includes a world‐class example of conglomerate‐filled deep‐water channel bodies deposited in an axial foredeep depocentre. We present multiple evidence of syntectonic deposition showing that the present internal domain of the fold‐thrust belt was an active Coniacian–Campanian wedge‐top depozone where deposition of turbidites and conglomerate channels of Cerro Toro took place. Cretaceous synsedimentary deformation was dominated by positive inversion of Jurassic extensional structures that produced elongated axial submarine trenches separated by structural highs controlling the development and distribution of axial channels. The position of Coniacian‐Campanian unconformities indicates a ca. 50–80 km advance of the orogenic front throughout the internal domain, implying that Late Cretaceous deformation was more significant in terms of widening the orogenic wedge than all subsequent Andean deformation stages. This south Patagonian orogenic event can be related to compressional stresses generated by the combination of both the collision of the western margin of Rocas Verdes Basin during its closure, and Atlantic ridge push forces due to its accelerated opening, during a global‐scale plate reorganization event.
Phylogeography and biogeography of the lower Central American Neotropics: diversification between two continents and between two seas
Authors: Bagley Justin C. , Johnson Jerald B.
Published: February 2014

Lower Central America (LCA) provides a geologically complex and dynamic, richly biodiverse model for studying the recent assembly and diversification of a Neotropical biota. Here, we review the growing literature of LCA phylogeography studies and their contribution to understanding the origins, assembly, and diversification of the LCA biota against the backdrop of regional geologic and climatic history, and previous biogeographical inquiry. Studies to date reveal that phylogeographical signal within taxa of differing distributions reflects a diversity of patterns and processes rivalling the complexities of LCA landscapes themselves. Even so, phylogeography is providing novel insights into regional diversification (e.g. cryptic lineage divergences), and general evolutionary patterns are emerging. Congruent multi‐taxon phylogeographic breaks are found across the Nicaraguan depression, Chorotega volcanic front, western and central Panama, and the Darién isthmus, indicating that a potentially shared history of responses to regional‐scale (e.g. geological) processes has shaped the genetic diversity of LCA communities. By contrast, other species show unique demographic histories in response to overriding historical events, including no phylogeographic structure at all. These low‐structure or incongruent patterns provide some evidence for a role of local, ecological factors (e.g. long‐distance dispersal and gene flow in plants and bats) in shaping LCA communities. Temporally, comparative phylogeographical structuring reflects Pliocene–Pleistocene dispersal and vicariance events consistent with the timeline of emergence of the LCA isthmus and its major physiographic features, e.g. cordilleras. We emphasise the need to improve biogeographic inferences in LCA through in‐depth comparative phylogeography projects capitalising on the latest statistical phylogeographical methods. While meeting the challenges of reconstructing the biogeographical history of this complex region, phylogeographers should also take up the critical service to society of applying their work to the conservation of its fascinating biodiversity.
The evolutionary ecology of testicular function: size isn't everything
Authors: Ramm Steven A. , Schärer Lukas
Published: February 2014

Larger testes are considered the quintessential adaptation to sperm competition. However, the strong focus on testis size in evolutionary research risks ignoring other potentially adaptive features of testicular function, many of which will also be shaped by post‐mating sexual selection. Here we advocate a more integrated research programme that simultaneously takes into account the developmental machinery of spermatogenesis and the various selection pressures that act on this machinery and its products. The testis is a complex organ, and so we begin by outlining how we can think about the evolution of testicular function both in terms of the composition and spatial organisation of the testis (‘testicular histology’), as well as in terms of the logical organisation of cell division during spermatogenesis (‘testicular architecture’). We then apply these concepts to ask which aspects of testicular function we can expect to be shaped by post‐mating sexual selection. We first assess the impact of selection on those traits most strongly associated with sperm competition, namely the number and kind of sperm produced. A broad range of studies now support our contention that post‐mating sexual selection affects many aspects of testicular function besides gross testis size, for example, to maximise spermatogenic efficiency or to enable the production of particular sperm morphologies. We then broaden our focus to ask how testicular function is affected by fluctuation in sperm demand. Such fluctuation can occur over an individual's lifetime (for example due to seasonality in reproduction) and may select for particular types of testicular histology and architecture depending on the particular reproductive ecology of the species in question. Fluctuation in sperm demand also occurs over evolutionary time, due to shifts in the mating system, and this may have various consequences for testicular function, for example on rates of proliferation‐induced mutation and for dealing with intragenomic conflict. We end by suggesting additional approaches that could be applied to study testicular function, and conclude that simultaneously considering the machinery, products and scheduling of spermatogenesis will be crucial as we seek to understand more fully the evolution of this most fundamental of male reproductive traits.
A Facile One‐Pot Synthesis of 2‐Arylamino‐5‐Aryloxylalkyl‐1,3,4‐Oxadiazoles and Their Urease Inhibition Studies
Authors: Akhtar Tashfeen , Khan Muhammad A. , Iqbal Jamshed , Jones Peter G. , Hameed Shahid
Published: February 2014

A one‐pot method for the synthesis of structural type urease inhibitors, 2‐amino‐1,3,4‐oxadiazoles, was developed. The structures of the compounds were established using spectroanalytical techniques and unambiguously confirmed by single‐crystal X‐ray analysis of compound 3o. The synthesized compounds were tested against jack beans urease, and most of the compounds (3c, 3g, 3j, 3k, 3n, 3r–3v) were found more active than the standard. The most potent compound (3u) had an IC50 value of 6.03 ± 0.02 μm as compared to the IC50 value of the standard (thiourea; 22.0 ± 1.2 μm). The prominent urease inhibition activity of these compounds may serve as an important finding in the development of less toxic and more potent antiulcer drugs. The compounds were also investigated against four bacterial strains, and some of the compounds (3g and 3r) were found more potent than the standard drug (ciprofloxacin) against all the tested strains. The MIC value for compound 3g was 0.156 μmol/mL against the tested bacterial strains.
Biochemical and radiological relationships in patients with pheochromocytoma: lessons from a case control study
Authors: Kannan Subramanian , Purysko Andrei , Faiman Charles , Remer Erick M. , Shah Lisa , Bena James , Siperstein Allan , Berber Eren , Fergany Amr , Bravo Emmanuel , Hamrahian Amir H.
Published: February 2014

Background

An elevation of fractionated plasma or urinary metanephrine (MN) or nor‐metanephrine (NMN), collectively called metanephrines (MN and NMN), >4‐fold above the upper limit of normal (ULN) is usually considered to be diagnostic for pheochromocytoma (PHEO). There are a greater number of false positive results when the elevations are more modest.

Aim

To identify biochemical and radiological features in PHEOs with modest elevations (<4‐fold above ULN) of metanephrines.

Methodology

We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 112 patients with PHEO (10% extra‐adrenal) and 208 patients with a non‐PHEO adrenal mass operated from 1997–2011, who had metanephrines measured pre‐operatively. We divided PHEO into group 1 (n = 90) with metanephrines ≥4‐fold ULN and group 2 (n = 22) with metanephrines <4‐fold ULN. The non‐PHEO group was designated as group 3.

Results

The median (range) tumour size in group 1 and group 2 was 4·8 cm (1·7–22) and 3·0 cm (1·7–5) respectively (P < 0·001). All patients with PHEO in group 2 had a tumour <5 cm in size. The MN fraction was elevated in about 65% of groups 1 and 2; only 2 (1%) patients in group 3 had an elevated urinary MN fraction, and none were associated with an elevated plasma MN fraction. All PHEOs had a pre‐contrast attenuation ≥17 Hounsfield Units (HU).

Conclusions

Modest elevations (<4‐fold ULN) of the NMN fraction in an adrenal mass >5 cm are almost always falsely positive. Elevations in plasma and urinary MN fraction are less likely to be false positive. The CT pre‐contrast attenuation of PHEOs is >10 HU.
Gray matter involvement in multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica
Authors: Kawachi Izumi , Nishizawa Masatoyo
Published: February 2014

Multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuomyelitis optica (NMO) are the two main autoimmune and inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system. They have long been considered to be autoimmune diseases that primarily affect the white matter (WM). However, renewed interest in gray matter (GM) pathology is emerging. This review focuses on the current knowledge of the details of GM pathology, and its clinical aspects including cognitive impairment in MS and NMO. Patients with MS and NMO have similar cognitive profiles as represented by the latent start of impairment from a very early stage of the disease course. Pathological assessments show that substantial cortical demyelination is prominent in all stages or courses of MS, and cortical neurodegeneration is also present not only in cortical demyelination, but also in normal‐appearing GM in MS. In contrast, cortical neurodegeneration is present in NMO and involves unique dynamics of astrocytes, but no cortical demyelination is seen in NMO. Thus, two distinct diseases, MS and NMO, each have unique characteristic features of pathological modalities in the brain. These important hallmarks of MS and NMO might influence neuronal and cognitive function in the brain, given different detrimental effects including cytokine diffusion, disruption of water homeostasis associated with aquaporin‐4 dynamics, or other unidentified mechanisms. Although the cause of GM lesions in MS and NMO has not been fully determined, an increase in knowledge of the structure of GM lesions, and the pathomechanisms in MS and NMO brains will result in more targeted pharmacotherapeutic approaches to these diseases.
Genetic studies of multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica: Current status in European, African American and Asian populations
Authors: Isobe Noriko , Oksenberg Jorge R.
Published: February 2014

Multiple sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis results from both genetic and environmental factors. Genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) have contributed considerably to our understanding of MS susceptibility through identification of genetic variants influencing risk and quantitation of their effect sizes. Immunologically relevant genes, including genes in the major histocompatibility complex region, are the primary genetic contributors to MS susceptibility. MS prevalence differs according to population, and most GWAS carried out to date have used datasets from people of European descent. Interpretation and application of GWAS results from Europeans to other populations require a good understanding of the genetic characteristics of each population, such as linkage disequilibrium patterns. The heterogeneity in global MS prevalence is partially explained by differences in risk allele frequencies in populations, which are due to the effects of migration, adaptation to new environments and genetic heterogeneity. Genetic studies of different populations can be expected to narrow down the putative causative regions and improve our understanding of MS pathogenesis. The literature record of genetic studies of neuromyelitis optica is much shorter than that of MS. Genes associated with neuromyelitis optica have been reported in the major histocompatibility complex region, as well as at other genetic loci, but only the susceptibility associated with the HLA‐DPB1*05:01 and HLA‐DRB1*03 alleles, and the association of a CYP7A single nucleotide polymorphism have been replicated. Here, we describe important genetic studies of MS and neuromyelitis optica in Europeans, African Americans, and Asians, and discuss the implications for disease incidence and future directions for genetic research.
Mechanisms of action of fingolimod in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Antel Jack
Published: February 2014

Fingolimod is a sphingosine 1‐phosphate receptor (S1PR) modulator approved as a therapy for multiple sclerosis. The present review will describe how interactions of fingolimod with S1PR, can induce the dual effects of inhibiting signaling and functional responses induced by S1P, the natural ligand for the S1PR, while continuing itself to induce active signaling and functional responses. These dual effects of fingolimod will be considered in terms of their mechanisms of actions on the systemic immune system, the blood–brain barrier, and within the central nervous system.
Renal cell carcinoma in patients with end‐stage renal disease has favorable overall prognosis
Authors: Shrewsberry Adam B. , Osunkoya Adeboye O. , Jiang Kun , Westby Ruth , Canter Daniel , Pattaras John , Turgeon Nicole , Master Viraj A. , Ogan Kenneth
Published: February 2014

Patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) demonstrate a greater risk for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) than the general population. This study compared pathological and clinical outcomes in patients with RCC with and without ESRD. Patients with ESRD who underwent nephrectomy and were found to have RCC at our institution since 1999 were identified. The control group was composed of patients from the general population with RCC. The primary outcome was risk of cancer recurrence. The study included 338 RCC patients: 84 with ESRD and 243 without ESRD. In the ESRD group, mean tumor size was smaller, there was decreased prevalence of advanced T category (>3) , and the average Karakiewicz nomogram score was lower. ESRD was associated with decreased tumor recurrence and clear cell pathology. No patients with ESRD had metastatic disease. There was no difference in overall or cancer‐specific mortality between the ESRD and control groups. Patients with ESRD who develop RCC have a better prognosis compared to RCC in patients without ESRD, which is likely secondary to favorable histopathologic phenotype as well as the likelihood of early diagnosis. Thus, the delay between nephrectomy and renal transplantation may not be necessary, especially in patients with asymptomatic, low grade tumors.
Serum microRNA155 is increased in patients with acute graft‐versus‐host disease
Authors: Xie Lin‐Na , Zhou Fang , Liu Xi‐Min , Fang Yuan , Yu Zhe , Song Ning‐Xia , Kong Fan‐Sheng
Published: February 2014

To explore the clinical relevance of three lymphocyte‐related serum microRNAs (miR‐155, miR‐214, and miR‐326) to the pathogenesis of graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD), 64 subjects who received allogeneic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (allo‐PBSCT) were recruited in this study, of whom 19 subjects did not develop GVHD, 25 subjects were diagnosed with acute GVHD (aGVHD), and 20 subjects were diagnosed with chronic GVHD (cGVHD). Serum miRNAs were determined by real‐time RT‐PCR. Expression level of miRNAs and the expression signatures of miRNAs as a panel were analyzed among the three groups. The expression level of miR‐214 and miR‐326 showed no significant difference between GVHD and non‐GVHD groups. However, miR‐155 was significantly up‐regulated in GVHD patients. There was a correlation between the level of miR‐155 and the severity of aGVHD. Moreover, serum IFN‐gamma, IL‐17, and IL‐9 levels were higher in aGVHD patients with high miR‐155. In conclusion, the expression level of lymphocyte‐related miR‐155 in serum was significantly increased in aGVHD patients. The miR‐155 may be considered as a potential targeted therapy for aGVHD patients.
Poverty Reduction and Good Governance: Examining the Rationale of the Millennium Development Goals
Authors: Kwon Huck‐ju , Kim Eunju
Published: February 2014

Whilst the deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) looms large, the outcomes so far have been mixed. This article examines the policy logic that ‘good governance’ leads to poverty reduction, which has been adopted by international agencies in pursuit of the MDGs. This causal relationship is examined through an empirical panel‐data estimation using Worldwide Governance Indicators and the poverty headcount ratio in ninety‐eight countries. The empirical evidence does not support the hypothesis that good governance leads to poverty reduction. Good governance alleviates poverty only in middle‐income countries, not in least developed ones. These findings point to the necessity to devise policies that address poverty directly, rather than through indirect instruments, and highlight the urgent need to address structural inequality in developing countries.
Antibodies to islet cell autoantigens, rotaviruses and/or enteroviruses in cord blood and healthy mothers in relation to the 2010–2011 winter viral seasons in Israel: a pilot study
Authors: Shulman L. M. , Hampe C. S. , Ben‐Haroush A. , Perepliotchikov Y. , Vaziri‐Sani F. , Israel S. , Miller K. , Bin H. , Kaplan B. , Laron Z.
Published: February 2014

Aims

To determine whether antivirus and/or islet cell antibodies can be detected in healthy pregnant mothers without diabetes and/or their offspring at birth in two winter viral seasons.

Methods

Maternal and cord blood sera from 107 healthy pregnant women were tested for islet cell autoantibodies using radioligand binding assays and for anti‐rotavirus and anti‐CoxB3 antibody using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

Glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD)65 autoantibodies and rotavirus antibodies, present in both maternal and cord blood sera, correlated with an odds ratio of 6.89 (95% CI: 1.01–46.78). For five, 22 and 17 pregnancies, antibodies to GAD65, rotavirus and CoxB3, respectively, were detected in cord blood only and not in the corresponding maternal serum. In 10 pregnancies, rotavirus antibody titres in the cord blood exceeded those in the corresponding maternal serum by 2.5–5‐fold. Increased antibody titres after the 20th week of gestation suggested CoxB3 infection in one of the 20 pregnancies and rotavirus in another.

Conclusion

The concurrent presence of GAD65 antibodies in cord blood and their mothers may indicate autoimmune damage to islet cells during gestation, possibly caused by cross‐placental transmission of viral infections and/or antivirus antibodies. Cord blood antibody titres that exceed those of the corresponding maternal sample by >2.5‐fold, or antibody‐positive cord blood samples with antibody‐negative maternal samples, may imply an active in utero immune response by the fetus.
Incidence of Type 2 diabetes among occupational classes in Sweden: a 35‐year follow‐up cohort study in middle‐aged men
Authors: Hedén Stahl C. , Novak M. , Hansson P.‐O. , Lappas G. , Wilhelmsen L. , Rosengren A.
Published: February 2014

Aims

To assess if low occupational class was an independent predictor of Type 2 diabetes in men in Sweden over a 35‐year follow‐up, after adjustment for both conventional risk factors and psychological stress.

Methods

A random population‐based sample of 6874 men aged 47–56 years without a history of diabetes was divided into five occupational classes and the men were followed from 1970 to 2008. Diabetes cases were identified through the Swedish inpatient and death registers. Subdistribution hazard ratios (SHRs) and 95% CIs from competing risk regressions, cumulative incidence and conditional probabilities were calculated, after accounting for the risk of death attributed to other causes.

Results

A total of 907 (13%) men with diabetes were identified over 35 years with a median follow‐up of 27.9 years. The cumulative incidence of diabetes, when taking into account death as a competing event, was 11% in high officials, 12% in intermediate non‐manual employees, 14% in assistant non‐manual employees, 14% in skilled workers, and 16% in unskilled and semi‐skilled workers. Men with unskilled and semi‐skilled manual occupations had a significantly higher risk of diabetes than high officials (reference) after adjustment for age, BMI, hypertension, smoking and physical activity (SHR 1.39, 95% CI 1.08–1.78). Additional adjustment for self‐reported psychological stress did not attenuate the results.

Conclusions

A low occupational class suggests a greater risk of Type 2 diabetes, independently of conventional risk factors and psychological stress.
Symptom burden and its association with change in glucose metabolism status over a 7‐year period: the Hoorn Study
Authors: van der Pols‐Vijlbrief R. , Dekker J. M. , Stehouwer C. D. , de Boer M. R. , Nijpels G. , Snoek F. J. , Adriaanse M. C.
Published: February 2014

Aims

To study symptom burden among older people and its associations with change in glucose metabolism status over a 7‐year period.

Methods

We conducted a prospective population‐based cohort study among 397 older people. We used the revised Diabetes Symptom Checklist to assess symptom burden. Glucose metabolism status was determined using an oral glucose tolerance test. Analyses were adjusted for multiple confounders, including cardiovascular risk and risk of depression (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale score ≥ 16).

Results

Revised Diabetes Symptom Checklist total scores (range 0–100) increased slightly over time among people with normal glucose metabolism (mean difference β1.04; P = 0.04) and those with impaired glucose metabolism (β1.96; P = 0.01), but not among people with Type 2 diabetes (β0.46; P = 0.55). These associations between symptom burden and glucose status were attenuated after full adjustment for multiple confounders and remained statistically significant for those with impaired glucose status. Linear mixed models showed significant mean differences in revised Diabetes Symptom Checklist total scores over time when comparing people with Type 2 diabetes with those with normal or impaired glucose metabolism, but not when comparing subjects with impaired vs normal glucose metabolism; these results did not alter after full adjustment.

Conclusions

Symptom burden increased gradually over time in the people with impaired glucose metabolism and those with normal glucose metabolism, but not in patients with Type 2 diabetes over a 7‐year follow‐up period.
A Flail Anterior Tricuspid Leaflet Secondary to Anteroposterior Papillary Muscle Rupture in a Neonate
Authors: Yemul Madhusudan Ambadas
Published: February 2014

This article is a summary of a case of a neonate who presented with tricuspid valve insufficiency associated with papillary muscle rupture but, however, showed no signs of cardiac failure. The transthoracic three‐dimensional echocardiographic findings in this case are described in detail herein.
Supraspinal metabotropic glutamate receptors: a target for pain relief and beyond
Authors: Palazzo Enza , Marabese Ida , de Novellis Vito , Rossi Francesco , Maione Sabatino
Published: February 2014

Glutamate is the main excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, controlling the majority of synapses. Apart from neurodegenerative diseases, growing evidence suggests that glutamate is involved in psychiatric and neurological disorders, including pain. Glutamate signaling is mediated via ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) and metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). So far, drugs acting via modulation of glutamatergic system are few in number, and all are associated with iGluRs and important side effects. The glutamatergic system may be finely modulated by mGluRs. Signaling via these receptors is slower and longer‐lasting, and permits fine‐tuning of glutamate transmission. There have been eight mGluRs cloned to date (mGluR1–mGluR8), and these are further divided into three groups on the basis of sequence homology, pharmacological profile, and second messenger signaling. The pattern of expression of mGluRs along the pain neuraxis makes them suitable substrates for the design of novel analgesics. This review will focus on the supraspinal mGluRs, whose pharmacological manipulation generates a variety of effects, which depend on the synaptic location, the cell type on which they are located, and the expression in particular pain modulation areas, such as the periaqueductal gray, which plays a major role in the descending modulation of pain, and the central nucleus of the amygdala, which is an important center for the processing of emotional information associated with pain. A particular emphasis will also be given to the novel selective mGluR subtype ligands, as well as positive and negative allosteric modulators, which have permitted discrimination of the individual roles of the different mGluR subtypes, and subtle modulation of central nervous system functioning and related disorders.
The consequences of pain in early life: injury‐induced plasticity in developing pain pathways
Authors: Schwaller Fred , Fitzgerald Maria
Published: February 2014

Pain in infancy influences pain reactivity in later life, but how and why this occurs is poorly understood. Here we review the evidence for developmental plasticity of nociceptive pathways in animal models and discuss the peripheral and central mechanisms that underlie this plasticity. Adults who have experienced neonatal injury display increased pain and injury‐induced hyperalgesia in the affected region but mild injury can also induce widespread baseline hyposensitivity across the rest of the body surface, suggesting the involvement of several underlying mechanisms, depending upon the type of early life experience. Peripheral nerve sprouting and dorsal horn central sensitization, disinhibition and neuroimmune priming are discussed in relation to the increased pain and hyperalgesia, while altered descending pain control systems driven, in part, by changes in the stress/HPA axis are discussed in relation to the widespread hypoalgesia. Finally, it is proposed that the endocannabinoid system deserves further attention in the search for mechanisms underlying injury‐induced changes in pain processing in infants and children.
Endocannabinoids and neuropathic pain: focus on neuron–glia and endocannabinoid–neurotrophin interactions
Authors: Luongo Livio , Maione Sabatino , Di Marzo Vincenzo
Published: February 2014

Although originally described as a signalling system encompassing the cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors, their endogenous agonists (the endocannabinoids), and metabolic enzymes regulating the levels of such agonists, the endocannabinoid system is now viewed as being more complex, and including metabolically related endocannabinoid‐like mediators and their molecular targets as well. The function and dysfunction of this complex signalling system in the molecular and cellular mechanisms of pain transduction and control has been widely studied over the last two decades. In this review article, we describe some of the latest advances in our knowledge on the role of the endocannabinoid system, in its most recent and wider conception, in pain pathways, by focusing on: (1) neuron–glia interactions; and (2) emerging data on endocannabinoid cross‐talk with neurotrophins, such as nerve growth factor and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor.
Microinjection of 2‐arachidonoyl glycerol into the rat ventral hippocampus differentially modulates contextually induced fear, depending on a persistent pain state
Authors: Rea Kieran , Ford Gemma K. , Olango Weredeselam M. , Harhen Brendan , Roche Michelle , Finn David P.
Published: February 2014

The endogenous cannabinoid (endocannabinoid) system plays a key role in the modulation of aversive and nociceptive behaviour. The components of the endocannabinoid system are expressed throughout the hippocampus, a brain region implicated in both conditioned fear and pain. In light of evidence that pain can impact on the expression of fear‐related behaviour, and vice versa, we hypothesised that exogenous administration of the endocannabinoid 2‐arachidonoyl glycerol (2‐AG) into the ventral hippocampus (vHip) would differentially regulate fear responding in the absence vs. the presence of formalin‐evoked nociceptive tone. Fear‐conditioned rats showed significantly increased freezing and a reduction in formalin‐evoked nociceptive behaviour upon re‐exposure to a context previously paired with footshock. Bilateral microinjection of 2‐AG into the vHip significantly reduced contextually induced freezing in non‐formalin‐treated rats, and reduced formalin‐evoked nociceptive behaviour in non‐fear‐conditioned rats. In contrast, 2‐AG microinjection had no effect on fear responding in formalin‐treated rats, and no effect on nociceptive behaviour in fear‐conditioned rats. The inhibitory effect of 2‐AG on fear‐related behaviour, but not pain‐related behaviour, was blocked by co‐administration of the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) antagonist/inverse agonist rimonabant. Tissue levels of the endocannabinoids N‐arachidonoylethanolamide (anandamide, AEA) and 2‐AG were similar in the vHip of fear‐conditioned rats receiving formalin injection and the vHip of fear‐conditioned rats receiving saline injection. However, the levels of AEA and 2‐AG were significantly lower in the contralateral ventrolateral periaqueductal grey of formalin‐treated fear‐conditioned rats than in that of their saline‐treated counterparts. These data suggest that 2‐AG–CB1 receptor signalling in the vHip has an anti‐aversive effect, and that this effect is abolished in the presence of a persistent pain state.
The neurobiology of skeletal pain
Authors: Mantyh Patrick W.
Published: February 2014

Disorders of the skeleton are one of the most common causes of chronic pain and long‐term physical disability in the world. Chronic skeletal pain is caused by a remarkably diverse group of conditions including trauma‐induced fracture, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, low back pain, orthopedic procedures, celiac disease, sickle cell disease and bone cancer. While these disorders are diverse, what they share in common is that when chronic skeletal pain occurs in these disorders, there are currently few therapies that can fully control the pain without significant unwanted side effects. In this review we focus on recent advances in our knowledge concerning the unique population of primary afferent sensory nerve fibers that innervate the skeleton, the nociceptive and neuropathic mechanisms that are involved in driving skeletal pain, and the neurochemical and structural changes that can occur in sensory and sympathetic nerve fibers and the CNS in chronic skeletal pain. We also discuss therapies targeting nerve growth factor or sclerostin for treating skeletal pain. These therapies have provided unique insight into the factors that drive skeletal pain and the structural decline that occurs in the aging skeleton. We conclude by discussing how these advances have changed our understanding and potentially the therapeutic options for treating and/or preventing chronic pain in the injured, diseased and aged skeleton.