bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploitation and habitat degradation as agents of change within coral reef fish communities
Authors: WILSON S. K. , FISHER R. , PRATCHETT M. S. , GRAHAM N. A. J. , DULVY N. K. , TURNER R. A. , CAKACAKA A. , POLUNIN N. V. C. , RUSHTON S. P.
Published: November 2008

Over‐exploitation and habitat degradation are the two major drivers of global environmental change and are responsible for local extinctions and declining ecosystem services. Here we compare the top‐down effect of exploitation by fishing with the bottom‐up influence of habitat loss on fish communities in the most diverse of ecological systems, coral reefs. Using a combination of multivariate techniques and path analyses, we illustrate that the relative importance of coral cover and fishing in controlling fish abundance on remote Fijian reefs varies between species and functional groups. A decline in branching Acropora coral is strongly associated with a decline in abundance of coral‐feeding species, and a decrease in coral‐associated habitat complexity, which has indirectly contributed to reduced abundance of small‐bodied damselfish. In contrast, reduced fishing pressure, brought about by declining human populations and a shift to alternate livelihoods, is associated with increased abundance of some piscivores and fisheries target species. However, availability of prey is controlled by coral‐associated habitat complexity and appears to be a more important driver of total piscivore abundance compared with fishing pressure. Effects of both fishing and coral loss are stronger on individual species than functional groups, as variation in the relative importance of fishing or coral loss among species within the same functional group attenuated the impact of either of these potential drivers at the functional level. Overall, fishing continues to have an influence on Fijian fish communities; however, habitat loss is currently the overriding agent of change. The importance of coral loss mediated by climate change is expected to have an increasing contribution to fish community dynamics, particularly in remote locations or where the influence of fishing is waning.
Climate change and plant invasions: restoration opportunities ahead?
Authors: BRADLEY BETHANY A. , OPPENHEIMER MICHAEL , WILCOVE DAVID S.
Published: November 2008

Rather than simply enhancing invasion risk, climate change may also reduce invasive plant competitiveness if conditions become climatically unsuitable. Using bioclimatic envelope modeling, we show that climate change could result in both range expansion and contraction for five widespread and dominant invasive plants in the western United States. Yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) and tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) are likely to expand with climate change. Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and spotted knapweed (Centaurea biebersteinii) are likely to shift in range, leading to both expansion and contraction. Leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula) is likely to contract. The retreat of once‐intractable invasive species could create restoration opportunities across millions of hectares. Identifying and establishing native or novel species in places where invasive species contract will pose a considerable challenge for ecologists and land managers. This challenge must be addressed before other undesirable species invade and eliminate restoration opportunities.
Fruit‐based functional foods I: production of food‐grade apple fibre ingredients
Authors: Sun‐Waterhouse Dongxiao , Farr Judie , Wibisono Reginald , Saleh Zaid
Published: November 2008

With the increased consumer interest in fibre‐enriched functional foods, industrial‐scale methods for functional fibre production are demanded. The development of a food‐grade fibre preparation method at lab scale that is feasible for industrial scale‐up is a pre‐requisite. This paper describes two lab‐scale fibre preparation methods that have potential to be scaled up to industrial setting for the production of fruit fibres containing desired bioactives and functionality. The two methods, one aqueous and the other ethanolic, were used to isolate fibres from Granny Smith apples (Malus domestica Borkh cv. ‘Granny Smith’). In the aqueous method, ground apple tissues were suspended in HEPES buffer (20 mM, pH 6.5), and then mechanically ruptured using an Ultra‐Turrax and ring grinder. Between steps, the cell‐wall materials were washed with the HEPES buffer. In the ethanolic method, ground apple tissues were stirred in 72% ethanol at 4 °C, filtered, re‐suspended in 72% ethanol and then washed. Microscopic examination and chemical analysis were performed on the resultant fibres. The aqueous method produced natural and uniform dietary fibres in the form of plant cell walls containing 0.282 g uronic acid per g dried fibre. By comparisons, the ethanolic method produced crude fibres containing only 0.182 g uronic acid per g dried fibre, the lower uronic acid content indicating the presence of impurities. Thus, the aqueous method appeared to be advantageous in terms of the retained pectic polysaccharide content and cost‐effectness for industrial scale‐up. Further characterisation using Folin‐Ciocalteu assay and high performance liquid chromatography indicates that the fibres obtained by the aqueous method contained significant amounts of phenolic compounds (2.6 mg catechin equivalent per g dried fibre). These results suggest that fibres obtained by the aqueous method may be more suitable for functional food applications where fibres with high pectic polysaccharide and beneficial phenolic antioxidants are preferred.
The effect of storage on the oxalate content of New Zealand grown oca
Authors: Savage Geoffrey P. , Mason Susan L. , Vanhanen Leo
Published: November 2008

Four lines of oca, No. 38 and 41, Inca Gold and Market were grown in four replicated plots and the soluble oxalate content was determined on the freshly harvested tubers and tubers that had been stored for 6 weeks at 16.4 ± 0.5 °C. The mean dry matter content of freshly harvested tubers was 14.3 ± 0.5 g 100 g−1 fresh weight (FW), and after storage was 14.6 ± 0.5 g 100 g−1 FW. The mean soluble oxalate content of freshly harvested tubers was 162.1 ± 8.8 mg 100 g−1 FW, and, after 6 weeks storage, 173.5 ± 0.9 mg 100 g−1 FW. The different cultivars behaved differently during storage, the soluble oxalate content of Inca Gold tubers fell 7.2% while the soluble oxalate content of the other three cultivars increased (mean 13%).
Preliminary studies to determine the chaperoning properties of bovine casein and crystallin proteins at reducing beef muscle protein aggregation during heating
Authors: Pulford David J. , Frost Debbie F. , Lomiwes Dominic D. , Farouk Mustafa M.
Published: November 2008

The ability of small heat shock proteins (sHSP) at preventing the aggregation and precipitation of unfolded and misfolded proteins because of changes in pH and temperature is widely recognised. The performance of sHSP from bovine lens extract at protecting sarcoplasmic proteins from heat induced denaturation and aggregation was compared with other chaperones including bovine serum albumin, αs‐casein, β‐casein and a synthetic peptide based upon αA‐crystallin (AAC). Beef sarcoplasmic proteins were heated in the presence or absence of exogenous chaperone and the solubility, surface hydrophobicity and enzymatic activities of the sarcoplasmic proteins was determined. Lens extract prevented the aggregation of sarcoplasmic proteins, maintaining solubility and clarity up to 65 °C relative to 60 °C for β‐casein. By contrast, αs‐ and β‐casein proteins protected the activity of endogenous enzymes at temperatures between 37 °C and 52 °C, unlike lens sHSP. Our findings support the addition of casein proteins as potential thermal stabilisers of meat proteins in food systems.
Evaluation of potential mechanisms by which dietary fibre additions reduce the predicted glycaemic index of fresh pastas
Authors: Brennan Charles S. , Tudorica Carmen M.
Published: November 2008

A range of commercially available dietary fibres (DFs), representing both insoluble and soluble forms, were used in the production of pasta. Addition of fibre was at a range of levels (2.5–10%). The potential glycaemic index of these pastas was then evaluated using anin vitromodel system to determine starch digestibility and sugar release. Scanning electron microscopy was used to relate structural properties of the pasta to starch degradation. The resulting predicted glycaemic indexes illustrated that the inclusion of DFs into pasta can reduce the glycaemic index of an already low GI food by up to 40%. As such, compared to the predicted glycaemic index value for the control fresh pasta (GI = 45), inclusion of pea fibre, guar gum and locust bean gum yielded pasta with GI values of 39.2, 37.9 and 37 respectively. Thus the type of dietary fibre used was important in the rate of starch digestion observed during thein vitroprocess. Equally, the level of fibre inclusion was of importance with an inclusion rate of 2.5% generally resulting in pasta with a predictive GI of 42.1, whereas an inclusion of 10% yielded pasta with a GI value of 37.2. Such reductions could be achieved through a number of possible mechanisms including antagonistic and synergistic relationships existing between DF’s and other food components, the effect of DF’s in entrapping pasta particles and thus inhibiting starch degradation, and the restriction of water movement during the cooking of pasta products, thus indicating that starch swelling is impaired.
Fruit‐based functional foods II: the process for identifying potential ingredients
Authors: Hunter Denise C. , Zhang Jingli , Stevenson Lesley M. , Skinner Margot A.
Published: November 2008

Developing functional food products requires a structured approach for screening potential ingredients. Using the development of a product with antioxidant properties as a model, eight fruit juice concentrates were screened, including New Zealand fruits. The total phenolic content and the antioxidant capacity, using chemical‐based assays (ferric reducing antioxidant power and oxygen radical absorbance capacity assays), were determined. The potential to protect against oxidative stress in Jurkat cells was also determined. Results indicate that the total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity in chemical‐based assays were strongly correlated. However, the total phenolic content did not dictate the level of protection from oxidative stress in this cell‐based model, suggesting that the type of phenolic compounds present and interactions between them may be important, although the activity of other compounds, such as vitamin C or carotenoids, may also be implicated. This model for screening ingredients may be used to design synergistic combinations of ingredients, and results may provide supportive evidence in the development of functional foods for this and other health targets.
Rheological characteristics of South African commercial sauces
Authors: Ikhu‐Omoregbe Daniel , Bushi Grace Manoja
Published: November 2008

In this work, the rheological characteristics of three commercial culinary sauces obtained from a shop in South Africa were studied using both oscillatory and rotating rheometry. The materials were found to be non‐Newtonian and shear thinning in the temperature range of 10 °C and 60 °C and a shear rate of 0.1–800 s−1. Their flow behaviour characteristics were adequately described by both the power law and Herschel–Bulkley rheological models. Their activation energy of flow ranged from 11.94 to 18.34 kJ mol−1. The materials were observed to be weak gels with linear viscoelastic of about 1%. Increasing frequency did not significantly affect the viscoelastic properties of all the three substances. The materials were found to suffer permanent structural deformation (in terms of viscosity) when heated and subsequently cooled between 10 °C and 70 °C.
The influence of rice fibre fractions on the in vitro fermentation production of short chain fatty acids using human faecal micro flora
Authors: Fernando Warnakulasuriya M. A. D. B. , Ranaweera Kamburawala K. D. S. , Bamunuarachchi Arthur , Brennan Charles S.
Published: November 2008

A study was conducted to assess the effects of rice dietary fibre on the fermentative activity of human faecal microflora. Dietary fibre was extracted from four commercially available Sri Lankan rice varieties [LD 356, AT 353 (red in colour); BG 352, and BG 358 (white in colour)], and separated into individual fractions of total dietary fibre (TDF), insoluble dietary fibre (IDF) and soluble dietary fibre (SDF). Four healthy human subjects were given a diet containing the four rice varieties for more than 4 months prior to the study. Faecal microflora was obtained from human volunteers, after the 4 months of rice based diet, and used for anaerobic fermentation of the individual rice fibres. Short Chain Fatty Acid (SCFA) production was analysed at 0, 2, 4, 6 and 24 h by gas liquid chromatography. Among the SCFA, acetate was the most abundant acid formed in all rice varieties. The fibre fractions from rice variety LD 356 (TDF16.73%, SDF 3.57%, 11.9% IDF) gave the highest yield of SCFA while the variety BG 358 gave the least. Total dietary fibre of all rice varieties contributed to produce more SCFA than the individual soluble dietary fibre and insoluble dietary fibre fractions.
Beyond genetics: childhood affective trauma in bipolar disorder
Authors: Etain Bruno , Henry Chantal , Bellivier Frank , Mathieu Flavie , Leboyer Marion
Published: November 2008

Objectives:  Despite the demonstrated high heritability of bipolar disorder, few susceptibility genes have been identified and linkage and/or association studies have produced conflicting results. This search for susceptibility genes is hampered by several methodological limitations, and environmental risk factors for the disease (requiring incorporation into analyses) remain misunderstood. Among them, childhood trauma is probably the most promising environmental factor for further investigation. The objectives are to review the arguments in favor of an association between childhood trauma and bipolar disorder and to discuss the interpretations of such an observation.

Methods:  We computed a literature search using PubMed to identify relevant publications concerning childhood trauma and bipolar disorder. We also present some personal data in this field.

Results:  Growing evidence suggests that incidences of childhood trauma are frequent and severe in bipolar disorder, probably affect the clinical expression of the disease in terms of suicidal behavior and age at onset, and also have an insidious influence on the affective functioning of patients between episodes. The relationships between childhood trauma and bipolar disorder suggest several interpretations, mainly a causal link, a neurodevelopmental consequence, or the intergenerational transmission of traumatic experiences. The neurobiological consequences of childhood trauma on a maturing brain remain unclear, although such stressors may alter the organization of brain development, leading to inadequate affective regulation.

Conclusions:  Childhood trauma is associated with bipolar disorder and its clinical expression and may interact with genetic susceptibility factors. Although not completely understood, the relationships between childhood trauma and bipolar disorder require further attention. Several suggestions for further exploration of this environmental factor and of its interaction with susceptibility genes are proposed.
Treatment‐emergent mania/hypomania during antidepressant monotherapy in patients with rapid cycling bipolar disorder
Authors: Gao Keming , Kemp David E , Ganocy Stephen J , Muzina David J , Xia Guohua , Findling Robert L , Calabrese Joseph R
Published: November 2008

Objective:  To study treatment‐emergent mania/hypomania (TEM) associated with second‐generation antidepressant monotherapy in patients with rapid cycling bipolar disorder (RCBD).

Methods:  Data of patients with RCBD (n = 180) enrolled into two clinical trials were used to study the risk for TEM during second‐generation antidepressant monotherapy. History of TEM was retrospectively determined at the initial assessment by asking patients whether they were exposed to second‐generation antidepressants and if a hypomania/mania episode emerged during the first four weeks of treatment. Data were analyzed using t‐test, chi‐square, and logistic regression.

Results:  Of the 180 patients (bipolar I disorder, n = 128; bipolar II disorder, n = 52) with RCBD, 85% (n = 153) had at least one antidepressant treatment. Among these patients, 94.1% (144/153) had at least one antidepressant monotherapy treatment. Overall, 49.3% of patients had at least one TEM and 29.1% (116/399) of treatment trials were associated with TEM. In regression analysis, an inverse association between the number of mood episodes in the last 12 months and TEM was observed with an odds ratio of 0.9. However, gender, bipolar subtype, a lifetime history of comorbid anxiety disorder, substance use disorder, or psychosis, and age of mood disorder onset were not associated with TEM. For individual antidepressants, the rates of TEM varied from 42.1% for fluoxetine to 0% for fluvoxamine and mirtazapine. As a group, there was no difference between selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and venlafaxine or bupropion in the incidence of TEM.

Conclusions:  Use of second‐generation antidepressants as monotherapy in RCBD is accompanied by clinically relevant rates of TEM. Even in patients with RCBD, differential vulnerabilities to antidepressant TEM may exist.
Why antidepressants are not antidepressants: STEP‐BD, STAR*D, and the return of neurotic depression
Authors: Nassir Ghaemi S
Published: November 2008

The widely held clinical view of ‘antidepressants’ as highly effective and specific for the treatment of all types of depressive disorders is exaggerated. This sobering conclusion is supported by recent findings from the NIMH‐sponsored STEP‐BD and STAR*D projects. Antidepressants have limited short‐term efficacy in unipolar depressive disorders and less in acute bipolar depression; their long‐term prophylactic effectiveness in recurrent unipolar major depression remains uncertain, and is doubtful in recurrent bipolar depression. These limitations may, in part, reflect the excessively broad concept of major depression as well as unrealistic expectations of universal efficacy of drugs considered ‘antidepressants.’ Treatment‐refractory depression may reflect failure to distinguish depressive conditions, particularly bipolar disorder, that are inherently less responsive to antidepressants. Antidepressants probably should be avoided in bipolar depression, mixed manic‐depressive states, and in neurotic depression. Expectations of antidepressants for specific types of patients with symptoms of depression or anxiety require critical re‐evaluation. A revival of the concept of neurotic depression would make it possible to identify patients with mild‐to‐moderate, chronic or episodic dysthymia and anxiety who are unlikely to benefit greatly from antidepressants. Diagnostic criteria for a revival of the concept of neurotic depression are proposed.
Elevated striatal and decreased dorsolateral prefrontal cortical activity in response to emotional stimuli in euthymic bipolar disorder: no associations with psychotropic medication load
Authors: Hassel Stefanie , Almeida Jorge RC , Kerr Natalie , Nau Sharon , Ladouceur Cecile D , Fissell Kate , Kupfer David J , Phillips Mary L
Published: November 2008

Objective:  To examine abnormal patterns of frontal cortical‐subcortical activity in response to emotional stimuli in euthymic individuals with bipolar disorder type I in order to identify trait‐like, pathophysiologic mechanisms of the disorder. We examined potential confounding effects of total psychotropic medication load and illness variables upon neural abnormalities.

Method:  We analyzed neural activity in 19 euthymic bipolar and 24 healthy individuals to mild and intense happy, fearful and neutral faces.

Results:  Relative to healthy individuals, bipolar subjects had significantly increased left striatal activity in response to mild happy faces (p < 0.05, corrected), decreased right dorsolateral prefrontal cortical (DLPFC) activity in response to neutral, mild and intense happy faces, and decreased left DLPFC activity in response to neutral, mild and intense fearful faces (p < 0.05, corrected). Bipolar and healthy individuals did not differ in amygdala activity in response to either emotion. In bipolar individuals, there was no significant association between medication load and abnormal activity in these regions, but a negative relationship between age of illness onset and amygdala activity in response to mild fearful faces (p = 0.007). Relative to those without comorbidities, bipolar individuals with comorbidities showed a trend increase in left striatal activity in response to mild happy faces.

Conclusions:  Abnormally increased striatal activity in response to potentially rewarding stimuli and decreased DLPFC activity in response to other emotionally salient stimuli may underlie mood instabilities in euthymic bipolar individuals, and are more apparent in those with comorbid diagnoses. No relationship between medication load and abnormal neural activity in bipolar individuals suggests that our findings may reflect pathophysiologic mechanisms of the illness rather than medication confounds. Future studies should examine whether this pattern of abnormal neural activity could distinguish bipolar from unipolar depression.
Effect of Transgene Introduction and Recloning on Efficiency of Porcine Transgenic Cloned Embryo Production In Vitro
Authors: Uhm SJ , Gupta MK , Das ZC , Kim JH , Park C , Kim T , Lee HT
Published: November 2008

Contents

Retrovirus‐mediated exogenous gene transfection of somatic cells is an efficient method to produce transgenic embryos by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). This study evaluated whether efficiency of transgenic embryos production, by SCNT using fibroblast cells transfected by retrovirus vector, is influenced by the introduced transgene and whether recloning could further improve its efficiency. Transgenic cloned embryos were produced by SCNT of porcine foetal fibroblast cells transfected by either LNβ‐Z or LNβ‐enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) retrovirus vector and evaluated for their developmental ability in vitro. Blastomeres from four‐cell stage porcine embryos, produced by SCNT of foetal fibroblast cells transfected with LNβ‐EGFP retroviral vector, were subsequently recloned into enucleated metaphase II oocytes and evaluated for changes in chromatin configuration, in vitro embryo development and gene expression. Analysis of results showed that cleavage and blastocyst rates of porcine SCNT embryos, using LacZ (53.6 ± 6.4%; 12.0 ± 5.7%) or EGFP (57.5 ± 6.3%; 10.1 ± 4.1%) transfected fibroblasts, did not differ (p > 0.05) from those of non‐transfected controls (60.9 ± 8.2%; 12.3 ± 4.0%). Recloning of blastomeres did not further improve the in vitro development rate. Interestingly, the nuclei of blastomere underwent slower remodelling process than somatic cell nuclei. Both cloned and recloned embryos showed 100% transgene expression and there were no evidence of mosaicism. In conclusion, our data shows that the efficiency of transgenic cloned embryos production by SCNT of somatic cells transfected with replication‐defective retrovirus vector is not influenced by the transgene introduction into donor cells and recloning of four‐cell stage blastomere could not further improve its efficiency.
LHRH Fusion Protein Immunization Alters Testicular Development, Ultrasonographic and Histological Appearance of Ram Testis
Authors: Ülker H , Yılmaz A , Karakuş F , Yörük M , Budağ C , DeAvila DM , Reeves JJ
Published: November 2008

Contents

This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) fusion protein immunization on reproductive traits in ram lambs including the changes in histology and ultrasonographic appearance of testis. Thirty native ram lambs at 19 weeks of age were divided into control (C, n = 10), immunization (I, n = 10) and castration (E, n = 10) groups. Animals in immunization group were immunized against LHRH using ovalbumin‐LHRH‐7 (OL) protein generated by recombinant DNA technology as a primary and a booster injection at 19 and 23 weeks of age respectively. Animals were bled via jugular venepuncture at 2‐week intervals to determine LHRH antibody and testosterone concentrations. Bi‐weekly ultrasonographic examination of the testes was performed to determine the changes in ultrasonographic appearance as the age increased. Biopsied testicular tissues taken at 19, 29 and 41 weeks age were also evaluated. At 41 weeks of age, animals were slaughtered. Semen and epididymis were evaluated for the presence of sperm cells. Testicular development and sperm production were suppressed in the immunized animals. Semineferous tubule diameters decreased, basal membrane of the tubule was thickened and hyalinized in immunized ram lambs. While testes of control animals gained their normal ultrasonographic appearance as the age increased, immunized animals had uniform hypoechogenic testicular structure as observed at 19 weeks of age until slaughter. Simultaneous histological and ultrasonographic evaluations indicated that the changes in testicular histology could partly be monitored via ultrasonographic imaging. Nevertheless, it is difficult to claim that ultrasonographic image reflects the exact changes in such instances. In conclusion, these results indicate that recombinant OL fusion protein is effective in immunocastration in ram lambs and has a potential to be used as an alternative to physical castration. Further research studies should be conducted to help assess reproductive status of testes from ultrasound images.
Changing trend in antimicrobial resistance of pediatric uropathogens in Taiwan
Authors: Tseng Min‐Hua , Lo Wen‐Tsung , Lin Wei‐Jen , Teng Ching‐Shen , Chu Mong‐Ling , Wang Chih‐Chien
Published: November 2008

Background: There is growing concern regarding antimicrobial resistance worldwide, particularly of Escherichia coli, and the first choice of an antimicrobial agent for empiric treatment of pediatric urinary tract infection (UTI) is not well established.

Methods: The medical records from January 1991 to December 2005 for all children under 18 years of age admitted to Tri‐Service General Hospital, Taipei for their first UTI were reviewed. Two study periods, early (1991–2000) and late (2001–2005), were chosen during the 15 year period for evaluating the trend of antimicrobial resistance.

Results: Of the 368 isolates, E. coli was the most common pathogen (81.0%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (6.5%), Enterococcus spp. (6.0%), and Proteus mirabilis (3.5%). Of the 368 isolates, 77.4% were resistant to ampicillin, 44.6% to co‐trimoxazole, 27.2% to cephalothin, 15.0% to gentamicin, and 8.4% to nitrofurantoin. In the early (1991–2000) and late (2001–2005) study periods, 199 isolates (54.1%) and 169 isolates (45.9%), respectively, were compared. The resistance to antimicrobial agents for overall pathogens in the early and late study periods, respectively, was as follows: 68.8% and 88.0% to ampicillin, 48.9% and 46.6% to co‐trimoxazole, 26.8% and 28.9% to cephalothin, 16.2% and 19.8% to gentamicin, and 8.7% and 9.0% to nitrofurantoin.

Conclusion: Among commonly used antimicrobial agents for the treatment of pediatric UTI, there is a trend towards increasing resistance to ampicillin and a persistently low resistance rate to gentamicin, cephalosporin, and nitrofurantoin. Parenteral first‐generation cephalosporins, gentamicin, and oral nitrofurantoin should be considered for first‐line agents, given the resistance patterns of this study.
New cystoscopic diagnosis for interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome using narrow‐band imaging system
Authors: Ueda Tomohiro , Nakagawa Masayuki , Okamura Motohiro , Tanoue Hideki , Yoshida Hiroshi , Yoshimura Naoki
Published: November 2008

Objectives:  Diagnosing the bladder lesions associated with interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS) is sometimes difficult for general urologists. We therefore aimed to develop an IC/PBS diagnosis method using a cystoscope with a narrow‐band imaging (NBI) system that can detect mucosal angiogenic lesions.

Methods:  Fifty‐two subjects suspected of having IC between October 2006 and June 2007 were included in this study. There were 49 women and three men, ranging in age from 19 through 85 with an average age of 59. First, conventional cystoscopy under spinal anesthesia was performed to examine the ulcerative lesions by a urological specialist. Then, other health care professionals made a separate observation of capillary‐rich areas of the superficial layer of the bladder mucosa by cystoscopy with the NBI system.

Results:  Among the 52 patients, 37 cases were found to have ulcers by conventional cystoscopy, which were also recognized as capillary‐rich brownish areas using the NBI system (100% accuracy); 13 cases were found to have NBI‐positive areas without ulcer, which were coincided with those with petechial hemorrhages and glomerulations following subsequent hydrodistention; and two cases of normal mucosa were detected. Furthermore, six cases of bladder cancer (carcinoma in situ) were detected by biopsies that were obtained from the ulcerative lesions positively identified by NBI cystoscopy.

Conclusions:  Examining the urinary bladder mucosa with a flexible cystoscope with the NBI system makes it possible to easily detect ulcers of bladder mucosa and areas with angiogenesis. Therefore, it is considered that the use of a flexible cystoscope with the NBI system is highly practical for the IC/PBS diagnosis.
Are voiding symptoms really associated with abnormal urodynamic voiding parameters in women?
Authors: Jeffery Stephen T , Doumouchtsis Stergios K , Vlachos Ioannis S , Fynes Michelle M
Published: November 2008

Objectives:  To examine the relationship between voiding symptoms and objective measurements of voiding dysfunction.

Methods:  We prospectively collected data from 116 consecutive women attending for urodynamic investigations. Symptoms of voiding dysfunction and objective voiding parameters including uroflowmetry and post‐void residual volume were evaluated.

Results:  Sixteen (14%) patients reported a symptom of straining, 21 (18%) double voiding, 32 (27%) post‐micturition dribbling, 10 (8%) poor stream and 34 (29%) incomplete emptying. Using receiver–operator curves we were unable to determine a cut‐off value for flow or residual volume where symptoms became more prevalent. Poor stream was, however, a good predictor for a residual volume of >100 mL and >150 mL. Strain predicted a residual volume of >100 and >150 mL and it correlated with maximum flow rate <15 mL/s. The other three symptoms did not correlate with any of the cut‐off values.

Conclusions:  Poor steam and strain are weakly predictive of abnormal voiding function.
History of malignancy is a predictor of prostate cancer detection: Incorporation into a pre‐biopsy nomogram
Authors: Kawakami Satoru , Koga Fumitaka , Fujii Yasuhisa , Saito Kazutaka , Yamamoto Shinya , Tatokoro Manabu , Yonese Junji , Kageyama Yukio , Fukui Iwao , Kihara Kazunori
Published: November 2008

Objectives:  To examine whether history of malignancy adds any significant information to the prediction of positive prostate biopsy in referred men with moderately elevated prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) and to develop a predicting nomogram that does not require extra examinations other than PSA.

Methods:  A total of 1767 consecutive Japanese men with PSA less than 10 ng/mL who underwent prostate biopsy were included in the study cohort. Age, digital rectal examination (DRE), PSA, body mass index, family history of prostate cancer and number of previous malignancies other than the prostate were evaluated in regard to their association with prostate cancer. A logistic regression‐based nomogram for predicting prostate cancer was developed and externally validated.

Results:  Of the 1767 men, 269 had a history of malignancy with a total of 312 primary sites. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that DRE, PSA, age, family history and number of previous malignancies are independent and significant predictors of positive biopsy result. External validation revealed that the predicting accuracy of a nomogram incorporating these five variables is significantly higher than those of PSA or PSA and DRE. Using the nomogram, 8% of unnecessary biopsies would be saved at 95% sensitivity.

Conclusions:  We demonstrated for the first time that history of malignancy is a potent predictor of prostate cancer in men with moderately elevated PSA even if the established risk factors are adjusted. The nomogram can be a useful tool in decision‐making of prostate biopsy. In daily practice, history of malignancy should be rigorously taken from these men before a decision is made regarding prostate biopsy.
Effects of chronic treatment with vardenafil, a phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor, on female rat bladder in a partial bladder outlet obstruction model
Authors: Matsumoto Seiji , Hanai Tadashi , Uemura Hirotsugu , Levin Robert M.
Published: November 2008

OBJECTIVES

To investigate whether vardenafil, a phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE‐5) inhibitor, would protect the bladder from decompensatory changes in a 4‐week rat bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) model, as evidence has been accumulating that PDE‐5 inhibitors improve lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In all, 50 12‐week‐old female Sprague‐Dawley rats were divided into five equal groups; group 1, sham operated vehicle control rats; group 2, BOO vehicle rats; group 3–5, BOO rats given oral vardenafil at 5, 20, 80 mg/L, respectively. Vardenafil was given in drinking water from the day of surgery. At 4‐weeks after the introduction of BOO, vardenafil was washed‐out by giving water for 24–48 h, and then the bladder was excised and dissected into four longitudinal strips for isometric organ‐bath assay. Contractile responses of bladder strips to electrical field stimulation (EFS), carbachol and KCl was determined for each group.

RESULTS

BOO induced a significant increase in bladder weight in group 2 compared with group 1. Bladder weights of groups 3–5 were not significantly different from that of group 2. The contractile forces in response to EFS, carbachol and KCl in group 2 were 30.7–51.7% of those in group 1. Vardenafil treatment in groups 3–5 generally did not block the BOO‐induced reduction of contractile force in the bladder strips. However, treatment with a high dose of vardenafil resulted in a significant increase in the contractile response to carbachol (78.4% group 5 vs 51.7% group 2).

CONCLUSION

Chronic treatment with a high dose of vardenafil protected the rat bladder from BOO‐induced contractile dysfunction to carbachol.
The Emergence and Institutionalisation of the European Higher Education and Research Area
Authors: BEERKENS ERIC
Published: November 2008

Since the European unification project started in the 1950s, rules, regulations and policies have been formulated by the European Union (and its predecessors) to facilitate the flow of products and people; those who benefited from the increasing transnational exchange urged European actors to remove remaining obstacles and further facilitate European trade and mobility. In the field of higher education and research, this transnational activity has led to the emergence of European rules, a strengthening of European institutions and the development of a European higher education and research community. In other words, it has led to the institutionalisation of the European higher education and research area (EHERA). The argument put forward in this article is that these three dimensions and the increase in transnational activity shape a dynamic process of which further integration of the EHERA is likely to be a result.
Incorporating Student‐Centred Learning in Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education
Authors: HARKEMA SASKIA J.M. , SCHOUT HENK
Published: November 2008

Innovation and entrepreneurship are vital for economic growth, as was already asserted by Schumpeter in 1934. In a recent survey carried out by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, 2006) a picture emerges of The Netherlands as lagging behind when it comes to starting a company, whereby start‐ups of students coming directly from an educational institution score even worse (Sijde et al., 2006). The average age of start‐ups in The Netherlands is around 38 years (Thijssen, 2004). Against this background, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Economic Affairs defined the stimulation of entrepreneurship and innovation as a policy item in 2005. Entrepreneurship and innovation are closely linked, according to Schumpeter, who regarded the entrepreneur as the driver for innovation. Through innovation, a process of creative destruction is set in, which alters the institutional context and context of companies in several ways. In The Netherlands, ambitions to improve entrepreneurial behaviour amongst students and the starting up of new companies are high. During the Lisbon meeting held in 2003, The Netherlands voiced the ambition to be among the top 10 knowledge economies in 2010. Students of universities of applied sciences and to a lesser extent of scientific universities are the agents of change when it comes to making the choice to become an entrepreneur or innovation manager in a company. With the growing importance of knowledge as an economic asset (Prusak, 1997) students are becoming knowledge workers, as well as learning a certain profession. And educational organisations are becoming knowledge institutions involved in knowledge creation, sharing and transfer. This has important consequences for the pedagogical climate at universities and the methods used to teach students entrepreneurship and innovation. Whilst teaching methods based on an instruction‐based approach of learning prevail, at The Hague University of Professional Education, we have introduced a learner‐centred approach, in which the student is the driver of his learning process. In this article we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of such an approach and the pitfalls and potentials when it comes to stimulating innovative entrepreneurial behaviour amongst students. Between 2005 and today, nearly 150 students participated in this programme.
From Quality Assurance to Quality Enhancement in the European Higher Education Area
Authors: GVARAMADZE IRAKLI
Published: November 2008

This article focuses on recent trends in quality assurance initiatives, analyses how the European Higher Education Area promotes quality enhancement mechanisms and their implications for quality cultures in universities. It presents and discusses two approaches towards quality enhancement both at the institutional and programme level: 1. Quality Enhancement at programme level: the Tuning approach and 2. Scottish Enhancement‐led Institutional Review. It also argues that current approaches towards quality culture are reorienting the focus from quality assurance towards contextual quality enhancement and that quality enhancement becomes the primary responsibility of universities and university stakeholders.
Research and Technology Commercialization
Authors: Markman Gideon D. , Siegel Donald S. , Wright Mike
Published: November 2008

abstract

This paper introduces the special themed section on organizational interactions involving universities and firms that result in the commercialization of research and technology. Our objective is to shed light on some of the most vexing, yet under‐researched predicaments research institutions encounter, despite their best efforts to advance commercialization. First, we synthesize and extend recent studies, including the papers in the special themed section. Next, we develop a taxonomy of modes of commercialization. Specifically, we consider internal approaches, quasi‐internal approaches (e.g. incubators), university research parks, regional clusters, academic spin‐offs and start‐ups, licensing, contract research and consultancy, corporate venture capital, and open science and innovation. We also identify areas for further research at the individual (e.g. heterogeneity of entrepreneurial teams and experience; incentives), organizational and intra‐university (e.g. corporate governance; nature of growth strategies; relationships with trading partners; boundary spanning activities) and technology levels (e.g. institutional context; reconfiguration of technology; valuation of technology).
RESEARCH SECTION: Multi‐agency working: what are the perspectives of SENCos and parents regarding its development and implementation?
Authors: Barnes Pearl
Published: November 2008

With a national drive in England for the development and restructuring of services encouraging interdisciplinary approaches and multi‐agency working, the question remains as to how services should be developed and why it is perceived as so important. This study by Pearl Barnes, who is an Every Child Counts Teacher Leader and a member of the Specialist Advisory Board for nasen and the Child and Family Public Education Board at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, explores the perspectives of special educational needs co‐ordinators (SENCos) and parents regarding the rationale for multi‐agency working and explores what an effective service might look like. The interviews revealed overwhelming support for multi‐agency activity. Although no single rationale was identified, the general consensus was that a multi‐agency approach can provide a child‐centred pedagogical response, tailored to the individual needs of the child. Multi‐agency working was perceived as enabling and enhancing inclusive education by providing an early and holistic assessment of individual needs through identification of all individual barriers to achievement. No specific set of protocols was identified as offering the most suitable way forward within the project region. However, there was general agreement that a multi‐agency teamwork approach, accessed directly by schools and intervening proactively within the community, was an effective way forward.
RESEARCH SECTION: Provision in further education colleges for 14‐ to 16‐year‐olds with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties
Authors: Macnab Natasha , Visser John , Daniels Harry
Published: November 2008

Previous research set out to identify and examine practice and provision for young people exhibiting behaviour problems who may have been placed in colleges of further education for a variety of reasons. In this paper, Natasha Macnab, John Visser and Harry Daniels explore some of the implications faced by college staff and examine some of the key themes that emerged from this previous study. The first of these themes concerns ‘college culture’, which is seen as being ‘adult orientated’ and therefore more likely to appeal to young people who are tired of school. Indeed, college staff suspect at times that schools are using the transition to college as an alternative to exclusion for some young people. This form of ‘managed transfer’ raises real issues in colleges, especially when some members of college staff do not yet appreciate the ‘appeal of teaching young people with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD)’, regarding them as ‘disaffected’ and ‘switched off’ from education. The authors of this article note the need for ‘skilled and committed adults’ to build relationships with these young people in order to promote their social inclusion. They argue that this work will require professional development for staff but will have real benefits for the young people concerned.
FOCUS ON PRACTICE: Difficulties in initiating and sustaining peer friendships: perspectives on students diagnosed with AD/HD
Authors: Taylor Myra , Houghton Stephen
Published: November 2008

In this article, Myra Taylor, research fellow, and Professor Stephen Houghton of the Centre for Child and Adolescent Related Disorders at the University of Western Australia, report theory generated from interviews with teachers, students and mothers residing in Perth, Western Australia, on how children with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) initiate and sustain peer relationships. An initial review of the three sample groups’ respective perspectives reveals that children with AD/HD exhibit three distinct socialisation patterns: a socially integrated pattern (that is, having three or more ongoing friendship pairings with peers); a marginal integrated pattern (that is, having two or less ongoing friendship pairings with peers); and a socially isolated pattern (that is, having no, or infrequent, friendship pairings with peers). Both teacher and maternal perspectives are similar in so far as both perceive children with attention deficit disorders to have marginal to non‐existent friendships. Students with AD/HD perceive themselves, however, as having strongly to marginally formed friendships with their peers. Myra Taylor and Stephen Houghton explore suggestions that differences between adult and child perspectives relate to diagnostic status, age and developmental maturity. They identify opportunities for further research arising out of their work and indicate that a wider evidence base will be needed before robust recommendations for practice can be made.
INCLUSION: Special or inclusive education: future trends
Authors: Florian Lani
Published: November 2008

In this article, Lani Florian, Professor of Social and Educational Inclusion at the University of Aberdeen, examines the relationships between ‘special’ and ‘inclusive’ education. She looks at the notion of specialist knowledge among teachers and at the roles adopted by staff working with pupils with ‘additional’ or ‘special’ needs in mainstream settings. She explores the implications of the use of the concept of ‘special needs’– especially in relation to attempts to implement inclusion in practice – and she notes the tensions that arise from these relationships. She goes on to ask a series of questions: How do teachers respond to differences among their pupils? What knowledge do teachers need in order to respond more effectively to diversity in their classrooms? What are the roles of teacher education and ongoing professional development? How can teachers be better prepared to work in mixed groupings of pupils? In seeking answers to these questions, Lani Florian concludes that we should look at educational practices and undertake a thorough examination of how teachers work in their classrooms. She suggests that it is through an examination of ‘the things that teachers can do’ that we will begin to bring meaning to the concept of inclusion.
In Defense of Core Competencies, Quantitative Change, and Continuity
Authors: Quinn Paul C.
Published: November 2008

J. Kagan (2008)urges contemporary developmentalists to (a) be cautious when attributing conceptual knowledge to infants based on looking‐time performance, (b) constrain their interpretation of infant performance with multiple methodologies, and (c) reconsider the possibility that qualitative development may be the path by which perceptual infants become conceptual adults. This commentary outlines an account of conceptual development that adheres to two of the three Kagan provisos. It is (a) circumspect in the core competencies attributed to infants and (b) grounded in convergent measures including looking time, event‐related potentials, computational modeling, and eye tracking, but (c) maintains that the transition from the perceptually based category representations of infants to the knowledge‐rich concepts of adult is a continuous developmental process marked by quantitative change.