bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ghrelin and Dopamine: New Insights on the Peripheral Regulation of Appetite
Authors: Abizaid Alfonso
Published: June 2009

A review is provided of current evidence supporting the actions of the stomach‐derived peptide ghrelin on ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine cells to increase food intake and other appetitive behaviours. Ghrelin is a 28 amino‐acid peptide that was first identified as an endogenous ligand to growth hormone secretagogue receptors (GHS‐R). In addition to the hypothalamus and brain stem, GHS‐R message and protein are distributed throughout the brain, with high expression being detected in regions associated with goal directed behaviour. Of these, the VTA shows relatively high levels of mRNA transcript and protein. Interestingly, ghrelin infusions into the VTA increase food intake dramatically, and stimulate dopamine release from the VTA. Moreover, VTA dopamine neurones increase their activity in response to ghrelin in slice preparations, suggesting that ghrelin increases food intake by modulating the activity of dopaminergic neurones in the VTA. On the basis of these data as well as the fact that VTA dopamine cells respond to other metabolic hormones such as insulin and leptin, it is proposed that VTA dopamine cells, similar to cells in the mediobasal hypothalamus, are first‐order sensory neurones that regulate appetitive behaviour in response to metabolic and nutritional signals.
MHC‐based mate choice combines good genes and maintenance of MHC polymorphism
Authors: EIZAGUIRRE C. , YEATES S. E. , LENZ T. L. , KALBE M. , MILINSKI M.
Published: June 2009

Polymorphic genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are regarded as essential genes for individual fitness under conditions of natural and sexual selection. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the ultimate individual fitness trait — that of reproductive success. We used three‐spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) in seminatural enclosures, located in natural breeding areas where the experimental fish had been caught. During their reproductive period, fish were exposed continuously to their natural sympatric parasites. By genotyping almost 4000 eggs with nine microsatellites, we determined parenthood and inferred female mating decision. We found that with reference to their own MHC profile, female sticklebacks preferred to mate with males sharing an intermediate MHC diversity. In addition, males with a specific MHC haplotype were bigger and better at fighting a common parasite (Gyrodactylus sp.). This translated directly into Darwinian fitness since fish harbouring this specific MHC haplotype were more likely to be chosen and had a higher reproductive output. We conclude that females also based their mating decision on a specific MHC haplotype conferring resistance against a common parasite. This identifies and supports ‘good genes’. We argue that such an interaction between host and parasite driving assortative mating is not only a prerequisite for negative frequency‐dependent selection — a potential mechanism to explain the maintenance of MHC polymorphism, but also potentially speciation.
DRB1*1532, a new DR15 allele, identified in a Mexican unrelated donor from Veracruz, Mexico
Authors: Alaez C. , Munguía A. , García D. , Gomez K. , Gorodezky C.
Published: June 2009

DRB1*1532 allele was identified in a Mexican unrelated marrow donor from the Gulf of Mexico.
Description of novel class I alleles encountered during routine registry typing in 2007
Authors: Lazaro A. M. , Xiao Y. , Masaberg C. , Nichol L. , Ivaskova E. , Banwart R. , Field E. , Ng J. , Hurley C. K. , Posch P. E.
Published: June 2009

Twenty‐six novel human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I alleles are described: 3 HLA‐A alleles, 19 HLA‐B alleles and 4 HLA‐C alleles. Only one of the novel alleles (HLA‐B*0753) was found in multiple individuals and likely is not uncommon in the population. Nineteen (∼70%) of the 26 novel alleles are single nucleotide substitution variants when compared with their most homologous allele. Four of these single nucleotide variants are silent substitutions, and one creates a null allele. The remaining novel alleles differ from their most similar allele by two to six nucleotide substitutions. Some of the new alleles encode novel codons and unique amino acid changes at polymorphic positions in the HLA‐B lows (codons 30, 67 and 72), while HLA‐Cw*0347 encodes an amino acid change at a position not previously reported to be polymorphic for this locus.
Multiple sclerosis association study with the TENR‐IL2‐IL21 region in a Spanish population
Authors: Fedetz M. , Ndagire D. , Fernandez O. , Leyva L. , Guerrero M. , Arnal C. , Lucas M. , Izquierdo G. , Delgado C. , Alcina A. , Matesanz F.
Published: June 2009

Polymorphisms from the TENR‐IL2‐IL21 block in the 4q27 chromosome were recently associated with type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. We undertook this study to investigate the potential role of polymorphisms rs3136534, rs6822844 and rs2069762 (−330 T/G IL2) in multiple sclerosis (MS) (805 patients of Spanish Caucasian origin and 952 health controls). We did not find evidence for association with any single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) tested. Allele and genotype frequencies of the SNPs, which were studied, were similar in DRB1*15‐positive or DRB1*15‐negative patients. After stratification of MS patients by clinical course, a weak association was observed with rs2069762 G allele and haplotype bearing this allele with secondary progressive MS, although these cases represent 22% of the MS cases. Our results did not show major influence of TENR‐IL2‐IL21 locus on susceptibility or disease progression in MS. However, we could not exclude completely the effect in MS for this region. Additional studies, using much larger sample sizes and analysis of additional polymorphisms in the gene and its flanking region, will be required to ascertain their contributions to MS susceptibility.
Genetic and genomic approaches to assess adaptive genetic variation in plants: forest trees as a model
Authors: Gailing Oliver , Vornam Barbara , Leinemann Ludger , Finkeldey Reiner
Published: June 2009

With the increasing availability of sequence information at putatively important genes or regulatory regions, the characterization of adaptive genetic diversity and their association with phenotypic trait variation becomes feasible for many non‐model organisms such as forest trees. Especially in predominantly outcrossing forest tree populations with large effective size, a high genetic variation in relevant genes is maintained, that is the raw material for the adaptation to changing and variable environments, and likewise for plant breeding. Oaks (Quercus spp.) are excellent model species to study the adaptation of forest trees to changing environments. They show a wide geographic distribution in Europe as dominant tree species in many forests and grow under a wide range of climatic and edaphic conditions. With the availability of a growing amount of functional and expressional candidate genes, we are now able to test the functional importance of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) by associating nucleotide variation in these genes with phenotypic variation in adaptive traits in segregating or natural populations. Here, we report on quantitative trait locus (QTL), candidate gene and association mapping approaches that are applicable to characterize gene markers and SNPs associated with variation in adaptive traits, such as bud burst, drought resistance and other traits showing selective responses to environmental change and stress. Because genome‐wide association mapping studies are not feasible because of the enormous amount of SNP markers required in outcrossing trees with high recombination rates, the success of such an approach depends largely on the reasonable selection of candidate genes.
Evaluation of risk of falls in patients at a memory impairment outpatient clinic
Authors: Kikuchi Reiko , Kozaki Koichi , Iwata Akiko , Hasegawa Hiroshi , Toba Kenji
Published: June 2009

Aim:  We investigated the usefulness of the fall‐predicting score, a simple screening test to identify patients at high risk of falls in outpatients with cognitive impairment.

Methods:  This was a 1‐year prospective study. Seventy‐nine patients (28 men and 51 women, 78.1 ± 5.9 years old) in the Memory Impairment Outpatient Clinic of Kyorin University Hospital. History of falls in the past year, record of falls in the follow‐up period (1 year), fall‐predicting score, time of standing on one foot, timed Up & Go test, tandem gait, functional reach, grip strength, maximum circumference of the legs and blood laboratory tests were measured.

Results:  Of the 79 subjects, 38 (48.1%) had experienced falls in the past year, and 29 (36.7%) experienced falls during the follow‐up period. Comparing the two groups with and without a history of falls during the follow‐up period, a significant difference was observed in fall‐predicting score, timed Up & Go test, tandem gait and functional reach. Logistic regression analysis revealed that fall‐predicting score was the only significant determinant for predicting future falls. Furthermore, fall‐predicting score correlated with timed Up & Go, duration of standing on one foot, functional reach, grip strength and tandem gait. When the χ2‐test was performed to investigate the correlation between individual items of the fall‐predicting questions and falls during the follow‐up period, “Do you use a stick when you walk?” and “Are there any obstacles in your house?” showed a significant difference (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:  Fall‐predicting score is useful as a screening test to predict future falls in patients with cognitive decline.
Comprehensive geriatric assessment of elderly highlanders in Qinghai, China, III: Oxidative stress and aging in Tibetan and Han elderly highlanders
Authors: Sakamoto Ryota , Matsubayashi Kozo , Kimura Yumi , Ishine Masayuki , Kosaka Yasuyuki , Wada Taizo , Wada Chizu , Nakatsuka Masahiro , Ishimoto Yasuko , Hirosaki Mayumi , Kasahara Yoriko , Konno Akiko , Chen Wingling , Fujisawa Michiko , Otsuka Kuniaki , Nakashima Michiro , Wang Hongxin , Dai Qingxiang , Yang Airong , Qiao Haisheng , Gao Jidong , Li Zhanquan , Zhang Yongshou , Ge Ri‐Li , Okumiya Kiyohito
Published: June 2009

Background:  Although there are several factors which may contribute to oxidative stress at high altitude, little is known about the association between oxidative stress and aging in the community‐dwelling elderly in the Tibetan Plateau.

Methods:  Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and comprehensive geriatric functions were examined among 235 community‐dwelling elderly subjects aged 60 years or more (146 Hans and 89 Tibetans). As a marker of ROS, the levels of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM) were measured using the d‐ROM test.

Results:  The rate of dependence of basic activities of daily living (basic ADL) among Tibetan elderly highlanders was significantly higher than that among Han elderly highlanders. The d‐ROM level was higher among the Tibetan elderly than those among the Han elderly (Tibetan 465.6 ± 97.9 Carr U, Han 415.3 ± 72.0 Carr U, P = 0.003). The ROM level was higher among women than those among men. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that being Tibetan, female, and oxygen saturation were independent predictors of increasing d‐ROM level (Tibetan β, 0.241; female β, 0.206; oxygen saturation β, 0.218). The high levels of ROM (d‐ROM >500 Carr U) were significantly associated with dependence of basic ADL after adjustment for age, sex and ethnicity (odds ratio = 2.51, P = 0.028).

Conclusion:  The findings of this study imply the possibility that ROS is higher among Tibetan elderly highlanders than that of Han, which related to the geriatric items. Further studies are needed to show the impact of oxidative stress on the aging of highlanders.
Survival of patients with pseudomyxoma peritonei treated by serial debulking
Authors: Järvinen P. , Järvinen H. J. , Lepistö A.
Published: June 2009

Aim  We evaluated the outcome of patients with pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) after traditional debulking. PMP is a clinical condition characterized by disseminated intraperitoneal mucinous tumours often accompanied by mucinous ascites derived usually from an appendiceal neoplasm. Patients with PMP have traditionally been treated by serial debulking, but aggressive cytoreduction followed by hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy is now advocated as standard treatment in PMP.

Method  The analysis included 33 consecutive patients with PMP who underwent traditional debulking surgery between June 1984 and August 2008. The patient characteristics and details of the treatment were analysed retrospectively. The primary end‐point was survival.

Results  The overall 5‐ and 10‐year survival rates were 67% and 31% respectively. The patients underwent an average of 3.2 ± 0.4 operations (range 1–10). Of 33 patients, 23 (70%) underwent only 1–3 operations. The 30‐day operative mortality rate was 2.7%. However, four patients (12%) seemed to have achieved long‐term disease‐free survival of more than 5 years.

Conclusions  The 5‐year survival is comparable with results achieved in patients receiving a combination of cytoreductive surgery and intraperitoneal chemotherapy, but in the long term, the latter seems superior.
Sexual satisfaction of women partners of circumcised men in a randomized trial of male circumcision in Rakai, Uganda
Authors: Kigozi Godfrey , Lukabwe Ivan , Kagaayi Joseph , Wawer Maria J. , Nantume Betty , Kigozi Grace , Nalugoda Fred , Kiwanuka Noah , Wabwire‐Mangen Fred , Serwadda David , Ridzon Renee , Buwembo Dennis , Nabukenya Dorothy , Watya Stephen , Lutalo Tom , Nkale James , Gray Ronald H.
Published: June 2009

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of adult medical male circumcision on female sexual satisfaction.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

We investigated self‐reported sexual satisfaction among 455 women partners of men circumcised in a randomized trial of male circumcision for the prevention of human immunodeficiency virus in Rakai, Uganda. Women aged 15–49 years were interviewed about their sexual satisfaction before and after their partners were circumcised. We analysed female‐reported changes in sexual satisfaction using chi‐square or Fisher’s exact tests.

RESULTS

Only 2.9% (13/455) of women reported less sexual satisfaction after their partners were circumcised; 57.3% (255/455) reported no change in sexual satisfaction and 39.8% (177/455) reported an improvement in sexual satisfaction after their partner’s circumcision. There were no statistically significant differences in sexual satisfaction before and after partner’s circumcision by age, religion and education status.

CONCLUSION

The overwhelming majority of women (97.1%) report either no change or improved sexual satisfaction after their male partner was circumcised. These findings suggest that male circumcision has no deleterious effect on female sexual satisfaction.
Predictors of secondary treatment following biochemical recurrence after radical prostatectomy: results from the Shared Equal Access Regional Cancer Hospital database
Authors: Moreira Daniel M. , Bañez Lionel L. , Presti Jr Joseph C. , Aronson William J. , Terris Martha K. , Kane Christopher J. , Amling Christopher L. , Freedland Stephen J.
Published: June 2009

Study Type – Prognosis (retrospective cohort)

Level of Evidence 2b

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the predictors of secondary treatment for recurrent prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy (RP) among subjects from the Shared Equal Access Regional Cancer Hospital (SEARCH) database.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We used Kaplan–Meier curves and Cox proportional hazard models to identify factors associated with time to secondary treatment and type of secondary treatment received among 697 men who developed biochemical recurrence (BCR) after RP.

RESULTS

During a median follow‐up of 45 months after BCR, 357 men received salvage treatment. The 1‐, 3‐, and 5‐year risk of receiving any salvage treatment was 29% (95% confidence interval (CI) 26–33%), 48% (95%CI 44–52%), and 53% (95%CI 49–57%), respectively. In multivariate analysis, more recent year of recurrence, centre, shorter disease‐free interval, and pathological high‐grade disease (Gleason 8–10) predicted increased risk of salvage treatment (all P < 0.01). Predictors of specifically receiving radiotherapy were shorter disease‐free interval, centre, and more recent year of BCR (all P < 0.001). Predictors of specifically receiving hormonal therapy were shorter disease‐free interval, more recent year of BCR, centre, high Gleason score, and higher tumour stage (all P < 0.05). In a subset analysis of men with available prostate‐specific antigen doubling time (PSADT) data, shorter PSADT predicted receipt of any salvage treatment as well as radiation and hormonal therapy separately.

CONCLUSIONS

Among men who recur after RP, salvage treatment was associated with disease severity, centre and year of BCR; patient‐specific factors (race, body mass index and age) were not predictive of secondary treatment. Although patients are being treated more aggressively in contemporary years, the affect on long‐term survival is unknown.
Critical inquiry and knowledge translation: exploring compatibilities and tensions
Authors: Reimer‐Kirkham Sheryl , Varcoe Colleen , Browne Annette J. , Lynam M. Judith , Khan Koushambhi Basu , McDonald Heather
Published: June 2009

Knowledge translation has been widely taken up as an innovative process to facilitate the uptake of research‐derived knowledge into health care services. Drawing on a recent research project, we engage in a philosophic examination of how knowledge translation might serve as vehicle for the transfer of critically oriented knowledge regarding social justice, health inequities, and cultural safety into clinical practice. Through an explication of what might be considered disparate traditions (those of critical inquiry and knowledge translation), we identify compatibilities and discrepancies both within the critical tradition, and between critical inquiry and knowledge translation. The ontological and epistemological origins of the knowledge to be translated carry implications for the synthesis and translation phases of knowledge translation. In our case, the studies we synthesized were informed by various critical perspectives and hence we needed to reconcile differences that exist within the critical tradition. A review of the history of critical inquiry served to articulate the nature of these differences while identifying common purposes around which to strategically coalesce. Other challenges arise when knowledge translation and critical inquiry are brought together. Critique is one of the hallmark methods of critical inquiry and, yet, the engagement required for knowledge translation between researchers and health care administrators, practitioners, and other stakeholders makes an antagonistic stance of critique problematic. While knowledge translation offers expanded views of evidence and the complex processes of knowledge exchange, we have been alerted to the continual pull toward epistemologies and methods reminiscent of the positivist paradigm by their instrumental views of knowledge and assumptions of objectivity and political neutrality. These types of tensions have been productive for us as a research team in prompting a critical reconceptualization of knowledge translation.
Obesity, the PI3K/Akt signal pathway and colon cancer
Authors: Huang X‐F. , Chen J‐Z.
Published: June 2009

Obesity is currently reaching epidemic levels worldwide and is a major predisposing factor for a variety of life‐threatening diseases including diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Recently, it has also been suggested to be linked with cancer.

Epidemiological studies have shown that obesity increases the risk of colon cancer by 1.5–2 fold with obesity‐associated colon cancer accounting for 14–35% of total incidence. Several factors, altered in obesity, may be important in cancer development including increased levels of blood insulin, insulin‐like growth factor I, leptin, TNF‐α, IL‐6 as well as decreased adiponectin. A unifying characteristic of all these factors is that they increase the activity of the PI3K/Akt signal pathway. The PI3K/Akt signal pathway in turn activates signals for cell survival, cell growth and cell cycle leading to carcinogenesis. Here we review the evidence that PI3K/Akt and its downstream targets are important in obesity‐associated colon cancer and thus, that targeted inhibition of this pathway could be employed for the prevention of obesity‐associated colon cancer and incorporated into the therapy regime for those with irremovable colon cancers.
More on the no‐DP analysis of article‐less languages*
Authors: Bošković Željko
Published: June 2009

Abstract. This reply shows that arguments against the no‐DP analysis (Bo✓ković 2005, 2008), according to which article‐less languages do not have DP, given in Pereltsvaig 2007) do not go through. Additionally, it is shown that ordering restrictions on demonstratives, possessives, and adjectives in Serbo‐Croation follow from the semantics of the elements in question. These elements can be generated in any order in the syntx, with the semantics filtering out the unacceptable orders.

The goal of this reply is to address the arguments against the no‐DP analysis ofBošković (2005), according to which languages without articles do not project DP (see alsoBošković 2008), given inPereltsvaig (2007).1The latter work erroneously attributes several properties to the no‐DP analysis; it also incorrectly citesBošković (2005), attributing a statement made regarding English to a statement regarding article‐less languages.
Adaptively Varying-Coefficient Spatiotemporal Models
Authors: Lu Zudi , Steinskog Dag Johan , Tjøstheim Dag , Yao Qiwei
Published: June 2009

We propose an adaptive varying-coefficient spatiotemporal model for data that are observed irregularly over space and regularly in time. The model is capable of catching possible non-linearity (both in space and in time) and non-stationarity (in space) by allowing the auto-regressive coefficients to vary with both spatial location and an unknown index variable. We suggest a two-step procedure to estimate both the coefficient functions and the index variable, which is readily implemented and can be computed even for large spatiotemporal data sets. Our theoretical results indicate that, in the presence of the so-called nugget effect, the errors in the estimation may be reduced via the spatial smoothing—the second step in the estimation procedure proposed. The simulation results reinforce this finding. As an illustration, we apply the methodology to a data set of sea level pressure in the North Sea.
Detention, Punishment and Children's Rights: An Australian Snapshot
Authors: GREWCOCK MICHAEL
Published: June 2009

Abstract: The principle that detention should be a measure of last resort is an important benchmark of children's rights. However, it is unclear what obligations this principle imposes upon states and little consistency in its application. The Australian experience illustrates the enduring tensions between formal commitments to the protection of children and detention practices at a state and federal level. Recent federal government immigration detention policies and the New South Wales state government's criminal justice policies demonstrate the contradictory and potentially abusive approaches taken by various governments to the detention of young people and the limitations of children's rights.
Childcare: welfare or investment?
Authors: Conley Amy
Published: June 2009

Conley A. Childcare: welfare or investment?

Int J Soc Welfare 2010: 19: 173–181 © 2009 The Author, Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of Social Welfare.

Childcare (also called day care or preschool) has generally served three purposes: to care for children while parents are employed; to provide early childhood education; and to cater to the needs of poor and disadvantaged children. This article proposes that the welfare approach to childcare be augmented by a social investment approach to enhance human and social capital investments among low income families and communities and to contribute to wider social development goals. The Head Start program in the United States and the Integrated Child Development Scheme in India are used to illustrate this argument.
Giving money to strangers: European welfare states and social trust
Authors: Jensen Carsten , Svendsen Gert Tinggaard
Published: June 2009

Jensen C, Svendsen GT. Giving money to strangers: European welfare states and social trust

Int J Soc Welfare 2011: 20: 3–9 © 2009 The Author, Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of Social Welfare.

Why would you give money to strangers? That is the fundamental question posed by a new body of research into the relationship between social trust and willingness to accept high taxes and extensive welfare states. The literature argues that generalised trust causes and upholds universal welfare state institutions, an entirely plausible explanation of the Scandinavian social democratic welfare states. However, it cannot explain the presence of very large welfare states in Continental Europe, where the level of generalised trust is much lower than in Scandinavia. The article adds to the existing literature by arguing that the ‘bumblebee’ of conservative welfare states is characterised by particularistic trust and familiaristic welfare institutions, which are functional equivalents to the mechanisms found in Scandinavia. Future research into the trust–welfare state relationship should therefore focus on the trust profile of a country to understandhowthe welfare state provides its citizens with benefits.
Making concepts matter: sustainable mobility and indicator systems in transport policy*
Authors: Gudmundsson Henrik
Published: June 2009

Strategies for sustainable mobility and transport have, in recent years, been launched in many countries and also on the international level: so far, limited success has been recorded. However, the questions arise how the sustainability of transport systems and policies can in fact be measured, and how these measurements can be used in transport planning. This article focuses on indicators and monitoring frameworks applied in the transport sector. It explores a limited number of indicator systems presently in use, discussing if and how they contribute to making the concepts of sustainability operational for the governance of mobility. The six systems discussed include one general environmental indicator system, one transport policy performance measurement framework, and four indicator systems, which in particular focus on the interaction between transport and the environment. Four of the systems are national (Denmark, Canada and two from the US), and two are international (the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD)). The paper concludes that these and other indicator systems appear to provide relatively limited guidance towards achieving sustainable mobility. There are four major issues which need considering if the aims of sustainability are to be incorporated more adequately: how to manage environmental comprehensiveness; how to bring causal factors into the systems; how to incorporate sustainability and policy targets, and how to link indicator systems and policy making.
An overview of social science research in the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research*
Authors: Kassam Amir
Published: June 2009

In the mid‐1990s, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) expanded its mission beyond sustainable improvements in productivity and formally incorporated a poverty focus. At the same time it initiated a process for the System to become explicitly output and impact oriented. As a result, social science research has become an integral part of the CGIAR research agenda and the research implementation process. And there is evidence that research in the social and anthropological disciplines is permeating the CGIAR research. However, there is a need for a systematic effort to facilitate the formulation and implementation of an updated social science research agenda that is commensurate with the new CGIAR vision and strategy. This is particularly important in facilitating the true integration of social research into the CGIAR research agenda, a need that has been strongly highlighted by external reviews in recent years. This article emphasises that there is a need to foster a research culture and ethos in the CGIAR that will promote a development‐oriented synthesis of socially responsible research that integrates biophysical and human sciences in CGIAR research planning and implementation processes along the research‐to‐development continuum in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries.
Gender relations and grass‐roots urban movements
Authors: Hainard François , Verschuur Christine
Published: June 2009

This article, based on the work of a network of seven teams from countries of the South and countries in transition, presents research findings on the themes of the environment, cities, and social relationships between men and women. The research is predicated on the view that a crosswise look at these three topics brings a useful new perspective to bear on each of these issues as such. It starts from the twofold observation that women and men are not involved in the same way in the urban environment, and that innovative approaches often emanate from women's movements concerned to change the environmental situation in cities as well as women's place and role in the decision‐making process. However, research on urban issues, apart from recent research on employment and the labour market, has turned a blind eye to distinctions between men's and women's needs.

The urban environment and gender relations bring into play several variables: the environment, the urban dimension, and gender. While the intermeshing of these approaches undoubtedly constitutes a large part of the originality of the work, it does not make the task any the less complex, for its impact is evident neither in methodological nor in conceptual terms. The personal motivation necessarily built into any research‐action presupposes that the analysis is founded on specific experiences and not upon strictly theoretical principles, though the need for conceptual concordance between the different research teams should not be overlooked. We shall here focus on the governance of which women may be the agents or actors in cities, a focus that brings into play the different approaches to empowerment and gender relations in the context of social change, the analysis of grass‐roots organisations and of men's and women's identities and roles, and the changing balance of power between men and women, whether in the domestic or the public arena.
The new Hundred Years Wars
Authors: Féron Elise , Hastings Michel
Published: June 2009

This article advances the idea that community conflicts, the resurgence of which at the present time is bringing the issue of unrealised group identities to the fore, seem to produce a fiction of never‐ending war. The whole of their internal structure appears to induce the protagonists to settle in for the long term and to perpetuate confrontations by constantly re‐enacting a sort of primitive and ageless conflict. These new Hundred Years Wars would seem to be generated by three main contributing factors: first, the ritualisation of violent practices which bind enemies together in a pact of reciprocal cruelty; next, the adoption of a rhetorical stance proclaiming that negotiation is impossible and unthinkable, thus enabling each party to present its own struggle as part of the unshakeable defence of the honour of the threatened community; and, lastly, the extension of conflicts by making a habit of division, of hate‐filled exhortations and of memory games which cut across each and every kind of social activity, creating a sort of spontaneous apartheid society. It is to be asked whether this shared fantasy of the impossibility of peace might not also ultimately stem from a painful need for recognition.
The ambivalence of the inherent nature and purpose of humanitarian organisations: a research theme for the management sciences*
Authors: Quéinnec Erwan
Published: June 2009

In France, humanitarian organisations, notwithstanding their great expansion in the last 20 years, have been little studied by economists and management scientists. From the management point of view, their situation, largely structured around their ambivalence as private entities with a public purpose, is founded on the recognition of their “right” to operate on indeterminate lines through a vast network of different actors. This ambiguity for outside consumption is largely responsible for their prosperity as institutions.
Depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation during isotretinoin treatment: a 12‐week follow‐up study of male Finnish military conscripts
Authors: Rehn LMH , Meririnne E , Höök‐Nikanne J , Isometsä E , Henriksson M
Published: June 2009

Objective  To investigate the putative association between isotretinoin treatment and depressive symptoms or suicidal ideation among Finnish male military conscripts.

Methods  Consecutive acne patients were enrolled into an uncontrolled, prospective 12‐week follow‐up study conducted at the Central Military Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. Of the 135 patients prescribed isotretinoin, 126 (93.3%) completed the follow‐up. Depression and suicidal ideation were investigated with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) at baseline, weeks 4–6, and weeks 10–12.

Results  BDI mean score was low at baseline and declined further significantly (p < 0.001) during the follow‐up from 3.0 (SD 3.948) to 1.8 (SD 3.783) among patients on isotretinoin. Moreover, the proportion of patients with clinically significant depressive symptoms (BDI ≥ 10) declined non‐significantly from 7.1 % to 3.2 %. Suicidal ideation was reported by 17 (13.5 %) patients at baseline and 9 (7.1%) patients at the end of the follow‐up (NS). During the follow‐up, one non‐depressed patient attempted suicide while intoxicated by alcohol.

Conclusion  On group level, isotretinoin seems not to be typically associated with treatment‐emergent depression or suicidal ideation among young men. However, the possibility that individual patients may be susceptible for mood effects of isotretinoin as a rare idiosyncratic reaction can not be excluded.
A broad‐spectrum sunscreen prevents cumulative damage from repeated exposure to sub‐erythemal solar ultraviolet radiation representative of temperate latitudes
Authors: Seité S , Christiaens F , Bredoux C , Compan D , Zucchi H , Lombard D , Fourtanier A , Young AR
Published: June 2009

Background  We have previously shown the detrimental effects of 19 sub‐erythemal exposures to daily ultraviolet radiation (DUVR, which mimics non‐extreme exposure conditions), delivered over 4 weeks to volunteers. This source had UVA (320‐400 nm) to UVB (290–320 nm) irradiance ratio of 25, instead of that close to 10 that is typically the case with solar‐simulated radiation (SSR) that represents summer global sunlight with a clear sky and quasi‐zenith solar irradiance.

Objective  Here, we report on an extension of this previous study, in which we evaluated the photoprotection afforded by a broad‐spectrum daily‐care product with a low–sun protection factor (SPF 8, UVA‐PF 7 and 3* rated UVA protection). We assessed cellular and molecular markers of photodamage that are relevant to skin cancer and photoageing.

Results  This study shows that biological effects of repeated exposure to DUVR can be prevented by a broad‐spectrum daily‐care product and that the level of protection afforded varies with the studied endpoint.

Conclusion  Efficient daily UVR protection, as provided by a broad‐spectrum daily‐care product, is necessary to prevent the ‘silent’ sub‐erythemal cumulative effects of UVR from inadvertent sun exposure.
Is there any relationship between serum and urine neopterin and serum interferon‐γ levels in the activity of Behcet's disease?
Authors: Erturan I , Basak PY , Ozturk O , Ceyhan AM , Akkaya VB
Published: June 2009

Background  Behcet's disease (BD) is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem vasculitic disorder. There is no reliable laboratory marker that indicates disease activity. Neopterin is an immunological marker of cellular immune activation, which is secreted by monocytes/macrophages as a result of interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ) secretion by activated T lymphocytes.

Objective  We aimed to investigate serum and urine neopterin levels in BD patients.

Methods  Forty‐five patients who were diagnosed according to the criteria of the International Study Group for BD and 45 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Disease activity was considered by clinical findings. Serum and urine neopterin levels and serum IFN‐γ levels were measured.

Results  The mean values of serum and urine neopterin levels were 12.68 ± 4.87 nmol/L and 167.53 ± 148.73 µmol/mol creatinine, respectively, in BD patients (P = 0.000 and P = 0.008, respectively), which were statistically significantly different from the control group. However, there was no significant statistical difference between serum and urine neopterin levels of the clinically active and inactive patients. It was also found that the mean value of serum IFN‐γ levels was higher in healthy controls than in BD patients (P = 0.000).

Conclusions  We conclude that serum and urinary neopterin measurement can not be used as a reliable laboratory marker as the BD patients’ serum and urinary neopterin levels do not increase in the active stage even though these levels increase when compared to healthy controls.
Giant cell arteritis on 18F‐FDG PET/CT
Authors: Heston Thomas F. , Szabo Zsolt
Published: June 2009

Purpose:  We present a case of incidentally noted giant cell arteritis in a patient undergoing 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/CT imaging. The patient was originally referred to PET/CT for staging of his renal transitional cell carcinoma.

Methods:  The patient was injected intravenously with 370 MBq of 18F‐FDG. After a 60 min uptake period, PET/CT imaging was performed from the skull base to the mid thighs.

Results:  A small para‐aortic node in the region of the surgical bed showed increased tracer uptake of concern for malignancy. In addition, there were several non‐calcified pulmonary nodules present, also concerning for malignancy. Incidentally noted was diffusely increased tracer uptake throughout the aorta and a thickened aortic wall on CT images. Diffuse tracer uptake was also present in the proximal branches of the aorta, including the carotid, iliac, femoral, and subclavian arteries. The patient had biopsy proven giant cell arteritis.

Conclusion:  Increased 18F‐FDG uptake by the aorta on PET/CT imaging is an abnormal finding that prompts a more thorough assessment for malignancy, and also can indentify important co‐morbidities in cancer patients. Evaluation of aortic uptake should be a routine practice in the interpretation of 18F‐FDG PET/CT scans.
MUTUAL FUND DAILY CONDITIONAL PERFORMANCE
Authors: Coggins Frank , Beaulieu Marie‐Claude , Gendron Michel
Published: June 2009

The empirical finance literature reveals that conditional models estimated with monthly data generally improve fund performance. Furthermore, it has been shown that using daily instead of monthly returns in an unconditional framework increases the proportion of abnormal performances relative to timing. In this article, we study conditional performance estimated with daily data in a bivariate generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (GARCH) framework. Our daily conditional alphas and global performances with GARCH are significantly better than those estimated with other parametrizations and they persist over time. Finally, the proportion of abnormal timing performances diminishes significantly when conditional parametrizations are used.
DOES PRIVATIZATION FOSTER CHANGES IN THE QUALITY OF LEGAL INSTITUTIONS?
Authors: Boubakri Narjess , Cosset Jean‐Claude , Smaoui Houcem
Published: June 2009

We analyze the effect of privatization on the quality of legal institutions of governance. Our findings suggest that large‐scale privatization (in terms of progress and volume) increases the risk of corruption in developing countries but has no effect on the legal institutions of governance (i.e., law and order and investor protection). The method of privatization (public share issues versus private sales) helps curb corruption and improve the quality of law enforcement and of investor protection. In developed countries, the progress and volume of privatization reduce the risk of corruption, and the method of privatization enhances the quality of law enforcement.
TAKEOVER EXPOSURE, AGENCY, AND THE CHOICE BETWEEN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC DEBT
Authors: Arena Matteo P. , Howe John S.
Published: June 2009

We examine how governance characteristics are related to the corporate choice between public and private debt. We find that firms with fewer takeover defenses and larger outside blockholder ownership are more likely to borrow from banks and to issue 144A debt. We also document that public debt cost is more sensitive to takeover exposure than bank debt cost. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that banks mitigate the expected negative effect of takeovers on debt value through covenants and debt renegotiations. Moreover, we show that firms with weaker internal monitoring are less likely to borrow from banks.
Probing the mechanisms underlying modulation of quinidine sensitivity to cardiac IKsblock by protein kinase A‐mediated IKsphosphorylation
Authors: Yang Tao , Kanki Hideaki , Zhang Wei , Roden Dan M
Published: June 2009

Background and purpose: Cardiac IKsis enhanced by protein kinase A (PKA) stimulation. And PKA‐stimulated IKsis about threefold less sensitive to quinidine block than basal current. In this study, we further tested two competing hypotheses: IKsphosphorylation either (i) modulates access of blocking drugs to a binding site; or (ii) destabilizes the drug–channel interaction.

Experimental approach: To distinguish between these hypotheses, we studied quinidine block of IKschannels in which three PKA site residues of the α‐subunit KCNQ1 were mutated with a bulky negative charged aspartic acid (D). To study alleviation of IKsblock by quinidine, we compared activating current at +60 mV, either with or without 5 s hyperpolarizing prepulses to −120 mV.

Key results: Without PKA stimulation, quinidine (100 µM) blocked wild‐type current to a similar extent with and without the prepulse (93 ± 2% of pre‐drug current at +60 mV vs. 95 ± 1%). With PKA‐stimulated wild‐type channels, however, there was less block with the hyperpolarization to −120 mV: at +60 mV, block was 71 ± 2% (−prepulse) versus 58 ± 3% (+prepulse). Individual D‐mutations and the triple‐D mutant were resistant to quinidine block similar to that seen with PKA‐stimulated wild‐type IKs.

Conclusions and implications: We conclude that phosphorylation‐induced insertion of bulky negative charges alleviates quinidine block and that PKA‐induced stimulation, by conferring negative charges to the channels, blunts IKsblock as the interaction between the channels and blockers becomes destabilized. These effects would be of clinical significance in providing protective mechanisms against pro‐arrhythmias caused by drug‐induced inhibition of IKsand IKr.
Editorials: Thigh Grafts: A Preferable Alternative to Catheters when Upper Extremity Access Sites are Exhausted
Authors: Abreo Kenneth D. , Ram Sunanda J.
Published: June 2009

Hemodialysis patients with failed upper extremity (arm) access sites comprise 5–10% of the dialysis population. In these patients, arm vessels are either unsuitable for access placement due to trauma or peripheral vascular disease, or have been exhausted following dialysis usage. Synthetic grafts in the lower extremity (thigh) would benefit these patients, but surgeons are often reluctant to place them, due to concerns of infection and vascular complications. As a result, these patients receive tunneled central venous catheters as their permanent dialysis access. Recent studies have shown, however, that survival and complication rates of thigh grafts are similar to arm grafts and fistulas. Moreover, thigh grafts have lower infection and mortality rates than catheters and provide higher blood flows and dialysis adequacy. In this editorial we argue that thigh grafts are the better option in patients who have lost all arm access sites; they should be placed in preference to tunneled central venous catheters.
Provisional Prosthetic Management of Mobile Teeth in Conjunction with a Removable Partial Denture Using Orthodontic Wire
Authors: Oh Won‐suk , Saglik Berna
Published: June 2009

Precision attachment‐retained removable partial dentures eliminate the use of visible clasps and improve the esthetic appearance of the smile; however, terminal abutment teeth may be subject to unfavorable stresses under function when misused. A provisional prosthetic management technique that incorporates an orthodontic wire to assist cross‐arch support and stability of the periodontally weakened abutment teeth is described. This technique is simple, reversible, does not alter the esthetic appearance of the smile, and controls the mobility of the abutment teeth until a definitive treatment plan is established.
Linear Mixed Model Selection for False Discovery Rate Control in Microarray Data Analysis
Authors: Demirkale Cumhur Yusuf , Nettleton Dan , Maiti Tapabrata
Published: June 2009

Summary In a microarray experiment, one experimental design is used to obtain expression measures for all genes. One popular analysis method involves fitting the same linear mixed model for each gene, obtaining gene‐specific p‐values for tests of interest involving fixed effects, and then choosing a threshold for significance that is intended to control false discovery rate (FDR) at a desired level. When one or more random factors have zero variance components for some genes, the standard practice of fitting the same full linear mixed model for all genes can result in failure to control FDR. We propose a new method that combines results from the fit of full and selected linear mixed models to identify differentially expressed genes and provide FDR control at target levels when the true underlying random effects structure varies across genes.
Uncovering Symptom Progression History from Disease Registry Data with Application to Young Cystic Fibrosis Patients
Authors: Yan Jun , Cheng Yu , Fine Jason P. , Lai HuiChuan J.
Published: June 2009

SummaryThe growing availability of various disease registry data has brought precious opportunities to epidemiologists to understand the natural history of the registered diseases. It also presents challenges to the traditional data analysis techniques because of complicated censoring/truncation schemes and temporal dynamics of covariate influences. In a case study of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Patient Registry data, we propose analyses of progressive symptoms using temporal process regressions, as an alternative to the commonly employed proportional hazards models. Two endpoints are considered, the prevalence of ever positive and currently positive for Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) infection in the lungs, which capture different aspect of the disease process. The analysis of ever PA positive via a time‐varying coefficient model demonstrates the lack of fit, as well as the potential loss of information, in the standard proportional hazards analysis. The analysis of currently PA positive yields results that are clinically meaningful and have not previously been reported in the cystic fibrosis literature. Our analyses demonstrate that prenatal/neonatal screening results in lower prevalence of PA infection compared to traditional diagnosis via signs and symptoms, but this benefit attenuates with age. Calendar years of diagnosis also affect the risk of PA infection; patients diagnosed in more recent cohort show higher prevalence of ever PA positive but lower prevalence of currently PA positive.