bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adjunctive use of the non‐ionic surfactant Poloxamer  188 improves fetal dopaminergic cell survival and reinnervation in a neural transplantation strategy for Parkinson's disease
Authors: Quinn M. , Mukhida K. , Sadi D. , Hong M. , Mendez I.
Published: July 2010

Although neural transplantation of fetal dopaminergic cells is a promising therapy for Parkinson's disease, poor transplanted cell survival limits its efficacy. In the present study it was hypothesized that the use of Poloxamer 188 (P188), a non‐ionic surfactant, during cell preparation and transplantation may protect cells from associated mechanical injury and thus improve transplanted cell survival in a rat model of Parkinson's disease. Fetal rat dopaminergic tissue was dissociated in media with or without P188 and then cultured for 1 week or transplanted into the striatum of rats with unilateral 6‐hydroxydopamine lesions of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway. Fetal dopaminergic cell survival and reinnervation of the host brain were examined using tyrosine hydroxylase immunohistochemistry and stereological quantification. The number of surviving tyrosine hydroxylase‐immunoreactive cells in vitro and in vivo was significantly increased by 2.2‐fold by incubating fetal dopaminergic cells with P188 during tissue dissociation. Furthermore, the striatal reinnervation in parkinsonian rats that received intrastriatal transplants of P188‐exposed dopaminergic cells was significantly enhanced (1.8‐fold increase) compared with rats that received non‐P188‐treated cells. In conclusion, P188 protects fetal dopaminergic cells from mechanical injury by increasing cell survival and enhances dopaminergic fibre outgrowth into the transplanted striatum. Use of P188 may thus be an important adjunct to improve the clinical efficacy of neural transplantation for Parkinson's disease.
Hypoxia induces complex I inhibition and ultrastructural damage by increasing mitochondrial nitric oxide in developing CNS
Authors: Giusti Sebastián , Converso Daniela P. , Poderoso Juan J. , Fiszer de Plazas Sara
Published: July 2010

NO‐mediated toxicity contributes to neuronal damage after hypoxia; however, the molecular mechanisms involved are still a matter of controversy. Since mitochondria play a key role in signalling neuronal death, we aimed to determine the role of nitrative stress in hypoxia‐induced mitochondrial damage. Therefore, we analysed the biochemical and ultrastructural impairment of these organelles in the optic lobe of chick embryos after in vivo hypoxia–reoxygenation. Also, we studied the NO‐dependence of damage and examined modulation of mitochondrial nitric oxide synthase (mtNOS) after the hypoxic event. A transient but substantial increase in mtNOS content and activity was observed at 0–2 h posthypoxia, resulting in accumulation of nitrated mitochondrial proteins measured by immunoblotting. However, no variations in nNOS content were observed in the homogenates, suggesting an increased translocation to mitochondria and not a general de novo synthesis. In parallel with mtNOS kinetics, mitochondria exhibited prolonged inhibition of maximal complex I activity and ultrastructural phenotypes associated with swelling, namely, fading of cristae, intracristal dilations and membrane disruption. Administration of the selective nNOS inhibitor 7‐nitroindazole 20 min before hypoxia prevented complex I inhibition and most ultrastructural damage. In conclusion, we show here for the first time that hypoxia induces NO‐dependent complex I inhibition and ultrastructural damage by increasing mitochondrial NO in the developing brain.
Lamina‐specific restoration of serotonergic projections after Nogo‐A antibody treatment of spinal cord injury in rats
Authors: Müllner Angela , Gonzenbach Roman R. , Weinmann Oli , Schnell Lisa , Liebscher Thomas , Schwab Martin E.
Published: July 2010

Blocking the neurite growth inhibitor Nogo‐A by neutralizing antibodies improves functional recovery after partial spinal cord injury. In parallel, regeneration and sprouting of cortico‐ and rubrospinal projections are increased and may partially explain the enhanced functional recovery. The serotonergic raphe‐spinal tract, which plays a key regulatory role for spinal motor circuits, has not been analysed in detail with regard to its response to Nogo‐A function blocking antibody treatment after spinal cord injury. We studied the effect of 2 weeks of intrathecal Nogo‐A antibody application after partial thoracic spinal cord injury on the lamina‐specific restitution of the serotonergic (5‐HT) raphe‐spinal projections to the mid‐lumbar grey matter. Nine weeks after the lesion, the number of 5‐HT fibres in Rexed's laminae 4 and 7 and the number of 5‐HT‐positive varicosities on motoneurons in lamina 9 returned to their lamina‐specific preinjury levels in Nogo‐A antibody‐treated rats. By contrast, control antibody‐treated animals showed only a moderate increase in 5‐HT fibre density in the respective laminae, and the number of 5‐HT‐positive varicosities on motoneurons remained low. Our results suggest that the Nogo‐A antibody‐induced recovery of descending serotonergic projections to the grey matter is lamina‐specific and molecular cues must be present to guide the growing axons to the correct target areas. This appropriate restitution of the serotonergic innervation below the lesion site probably contributes to the impressive recovery of motor function.
Angiotensin type 1 receptor antagonist inhibits lipopolysaccharide‐induced stimulation of rat microglial cells by suppressing nuclear factor κB and activator protein‐1 activation
Authors: Miyoshi Michio , Miyano Kanako , Moriyama Naoki , Taniguchi Makoto , Watanabe Tatsuo
Published: July 2010

We investigated whether angiotensin (ANG) II and its receptors contribute to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced microglial activation through activation of the proinflammatory transcription factors nuclear factor κB (NF‐κB) and activator protein‐1 (AP‐1). Using primary microglial cell cultures, we examined whether losartan [ANG type 1 receptor (AT1) antagonist] alters the effects of LPS on: the production of interleukin‐1 (IL‐1) and nitric oxide, cell morphology, and NF‐κB and AP‐1 activities. Reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction revealed that LPS‐stimulated microglial cells exhibited marked mRNA expression for AT1, ANG type 2 receptor (AT2) and the ANG II precursor angiotensinogen, whereas non‐stimulated microglial cells expressed only those for AT2 and angiotensinogen. We further demonstrated marked peptide/protein expression for AT1 and ANG II in LPS‐activated microglial cells. LPS (100 ng/mL)‐stimulated microglial cells showed increased concentrations of IL‐1 and nitrite (a relatively stable metabolite of nitric oxide), and increased expression of IL‐1 mRNA as well as a morphological change from an amoeboid shape to a multipolar (mostly bipolar but sometimes tripolar) rod shape. These effects were all significantly inhibited by losartan treatment (10−5 m or less). NF‐κB and AP‐1 activities were enhanced in LPS‐stimulated microglial cells, effects that were significantly suppressed by losartan (10−5 m). ANG II application enhanced the LPS‐induced increases in IL‐1 and nitrite concentrations, as well as the LPS‐induced morphological changes and AP‐1 activation, and these enhancements were inhibited by losartan (10−5 m). These results suggest that endogenous ANG II enhances LPS‐induced microglial activities through stimulation of the microglial AT1, which itself evokes activation of the transcription factors NF‐κB and AP‐1.
Remotely sensed vegetation phenology and productivity along a climatic gradient: on the value of incorporating the dimension of woody plant cover
Authors: Davison Jennifer E. , Breshears David D. , van Leeuwen Willem J. D. , Casady Grant M.
Published: July 2010

Aim  Woody plants affect vegetation–environment interactions by modifying microclimate, soil moisture dynamics and carbon cycling. In examining broad‐scale patterns in terrestrial vegetation dynamics, explicit consideration of variation in the amount of woody plant cover could provide additional explanatory power that might not be available when only considering landscape‐scale climate patterns or specific vegetation assemblages. Here we evaluate the interactive influence of woody plant cover on remotely sensed vegetation dynamics across a climatic gradient along a sky island.

Location  The Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona, USA.

Methods  Using a satellite‐measured normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from 2000 to 2008, we conducted time‐series and regression analyses to explain the variation in functional attributes of vegetation (productivity, seasonality and phenology) related to: (1) vegetation community, (2) elevation as a proxy for climate, and (3) woody plant cover, given the effects of the other environmental variables, as an additional ecological dimension that reflects potential vegetation–environment feedbacks at the local scale.

Results  NDVI metrics were well explained by interactions among elevation, vegetation community and woody plant cover. After accounting for elevation and vegetation community, woody plant cover explained up to 67% of variation in NDVI metrics and, notably, clarified elevation‐ and community‐specific patterns of vegetation dynamics across the gradient.

Main conclusions  In addition to the environmental factors usually considered – climate, reflecting resources and constraints, and vegetation community, reflecting species composition and relative dominance – woody plant cover, a broad‐scale proxy of many vegetation–environment interactions, represents an ecological dimension that provides additional process‐related understanding of landscape‐scale patterns of vegetation function.
Near‐term fetuses process temporal features of speech
Authors: Granier‐Deferre Carolyn , Ribeiro Aurélie , Jacquet Anne‐Yvonne , Bassereau Sophie
Published: July 2010

The perception of speech and music requires processing of variations in spectra and amplitude over different time intervals. Near‐term fetuses can discriminate acoustic features, such as frequencies and spectra, but whether they can process complex auditory streams, such as speech sequences and more specifically their temporal variations, fast or relatively slow acoustic variations, is unclear. We recorded the cardiac activity of 82 near‐term fetuses (38 weeks GA) in quiet sleep during a silent control condition and four 15 s streams presented at 90 dB SPL Leq: two piano melodies with opposite contours, a natural Icelandic sentence and a chimera of the sentence – all its spectral information was replaced with broadband noise, leaving its specific temporal variations in amplitude intact without any phonological information. All stimuli elicited a heart rate deceleration. The response patterns to the melodies were the same and differed significantly from those observed with the Icelandic sentence and its chimera, which did not differ. The melodies elicited a monophasic heart rate deceleration, indicating a stimulus orienting reflex while the Icelandic and its chimera evoked a sustained lower magnitude response, indicating a sustained attentional response or more focused information processing. A conservative interpretation of the data is that near‐term fetuses can perceive sound streams and the rapid temporal variations in amplitude that are specific to speech sounds with no spectral variations at all.
Cooperation and Status in Organizations
Authors: ECKEL CATHERINE C. , FATAS ENRIQUE , WILSON RICK
Published: July 2010

We report the results of experiments designed to test the effect of social status on contributions to a public good, with and without punishment. The experiments are conducted in four‐person groups in a “star” network, where one central player observes and is observed by the others. This imposes a social structure on the game, and gives the central player a leadership role in the group, simply by virtue of being commonly observed. We further manipulate status by allocating the central position to the person who earns the highest, or the lowest, score on a trivia quiz. These high‐status and low‐status treatments are compared, and we find that the effect of organizational structure—the existence of a central position—depends on the status of the central player. Higher status players are attended to and mimicked more systematically. Punishment has differential effects in the two treatments, and is least effective in the high‐status case.
Public Goods Games, Altruism, and Evolution
Authors: ALGER INGELA
Published: July 2010

I analyze the evolution of altruistic preferences in a population where individuals are matched pairwise to play a one‐shot public goods game. I determine the evolutionarily stable degree of altruism, allowing for assortative matching. The stable degree of altruism is strictly smaller than the degree of assortativity. In particular, if matching is completely random, spite is stable, and a positive degree of assortativity is necessary for pure selfishness to be stable. Furthermore, the stable degree of altruism is increasing in the degree of assortativity, and it depends on the specifics of the public goods game.
The Consequences of Zakat for Capital Accumulation
Authors: NORULAZIDAH P.H. OMAR ALI D.H. , MYLES GARETH D.
Published: July 2010

The payment of zakat by the owners of wealth is one of the five pillars of Islam. Many countries operate with no enforcement of the obligation to pay, making zakat a form of voluntary redistribution. We analyze how zakat affects capital accumulation in a model that explicitly recognizes the voluntary nature of zakat. The voluntary payment is modeled using both warm glow and social custom frameworks. These are embedded within an overlapping generations model with heterogenous consumers and endogenous population growth. The results show that zakat can raise the capital–labor ratio when it is motivated by the warm glow but welfare can be nonmonotonic in the strength of the warm glow. In the social custom model, reduced participation can lead to a reduced capital–labor ratio as the rate of zakat is increased.
Selling archaeology and anthropology: early medieval artefacts at the Expositions universelles and the Wiener Weltausstellung, 1867–1900
Authors: Effros Bonnie
Published: July 2010

The archaeological and anthropological exhibits included in the four Expositions universelles held in Paris between 1867 and 1900 and the Wiener Weltausstellung in the Austro‐Hungarian capital in 1873, contributed to the commercialization of antiquarianism and granted international attention to the amateur practitioners of these emerging disciplines. Displays of archaeological artefacts and human remains from the migration period and the early Middle Ages, juxtaposed with more exotic ‘primitive’ art, permitted organizers to broaden the aesthetic sensibilities of fairgoers and promote the acquisition of native antiquities. Exhibiting private collections of early medieval objects likewise justified nineteenth‐century concepts of French and ‘pan‐Germanic’ identity by linking them to iconic artefacts and romanticizing the barbarity of this distant epoch.
Trafficking in Persons and Development: Towards Greater Policy Coherence
Authors: Danailova‐Trainor Gergana , Laczko Frank
Published: July 2010

Poverty is often regarded as the “root cause” of trafficking, but the linkages between poverty, a lack of development and trafficking are complex. For example, there is some evidence to suggest that victims of cross‐border trafficking are more likely to originate from middle‐income rather than lower‐income countries. Trafficking and development have tended to be treated as very separate policy areas and the assessment of the development impact of counter‐trafficking programmes is still at an early stage. This paper outlines a possible framework for a more evidence‐based approach to understanding the linkages between trafficking, trafficking policy and human development. The paper argues that the human development gains from greater mobility could be significantly enhanced if there was greater coherence between policies to combat trafficking and policies to promote development.
Importance of treatment of skin xerosis in diabetes
Authors: Seité S , Khemis A , Rougier A , Ortonne JP
Published: July 2010

Background  Cutaneous complications are common in diabetes patients and previous studies have shown that diabetes can affect some biophysical skin characteristics. However, the interest of emollients in diabetes has never been clearly demonstrated; i.e. whether they are able to limit skin complications in diabetes patients.

Objective  The aim of this study was to evaluate the tolerance and the effect of an emollient on patient with diabetes.

Method  Forty patients with diabetes applied the emollient twice daily for 1 month on one arm and one leg, in normal conditions.

Results  A 1‐month treatment with an emollient allows a similar skin hydration rate in diabetics to that in healthy people. This dry skin improvement is accompanied by a significant reduction in pruritus and desquamation, and a significant improvement in the skin barrier function.

Conclusion  Emollient treatment can be useful in the management of diabetes by limiting skin complications associated with elevated blood sugar.
Development of probability density functions for future South American rainfall
Authors: Jupp Tim E. , Cox Peter M. , Rammig Anja , Thonicke Kirsten , Lucht Wolfgang , Cramer Wolfgang
Published: July 2010

Featured paper: See Editorial p553
Shifting visual attention away from fixation is specifically associated with alpha band activity over ipsilateral parietal regions
Authors: Cosmelli Diego , López Vladimir , Lachaux Jean‐Philippe , López‐Calderón Javier , Renault Bernard , Martinerie Jacques , Aboitiz Francisco
Published: July 2010

We studied brain activity during the displacement of attention in a modified visuo‐spatial orienting paradigm. Using a behaviorally relevant no‐shift condition as a control, we asked whether ipsi‐ or contralateral parietal alpha band activity is specifically related to covert shifts of attention. Cue‐related event‐related potentials revealed an attention directing anterior negativity (ADAN) contralateral to the shift of attention and P3 and contingent negative variation waveforms that were enhanced in both shift conditions as compared to the no‐shift task. When attention was shifted away from fixation, alpha band activity over parietal regions ipsilateral to the attended hemifield was enhanced relative to the control condition, albeit with different dynamics in the upper and lower alpha subbands. Contralateral‐to‐attended parietal alpha band activity was indistinguishable from the no‐shift task.
Combination Treatment With Plasmapheresis and Rituximab for Recurrent Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis After Renal Transplantation
Authors: Tsagalis George , Psimenou E. , Nakopoulou L. , Laggouranis A.
Published: July 2010

Therapy for recurrent focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in the renal allograft is largely based on case reports. The use of plasmapheresis alone (based on its effectiveness in children) appears less effective in adults, reaching a response rate of <40%. Recently, rituximab, an anti‐CD20 monoclonal chimeric antibody, showed promising results as rescue therapy in plasmapheresis‐resistant recurrent FSGS. However, following rituximab administration, response is variable, often slow and consequently overlooked. We report a series of four cases of recurrent FSGS following renal transplantation successfully treated with a combination of plasmapheresis and rituximab. Complete remission of proteinuria occurred in two and partial remission in the other two patients whereas renal function improved or remained stable. During treatment and the follow‐up period (18–60 months) no severe infectious complications were observed. Our data suggest that the combination of plasmapheresis and rituximab is an acceptable treatment in patients with post‐transplantation recurrent FSGS.
Activating Seniors to Improve Chronic Disease Care: Results from a Pilot Intervention Study
Authors: Frosch Dominick L. , Rincon David , Ochoa Socorro , Mangione Carol M.
Published: July 2010

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effect of an activation intervention delivered in community senior centers to improve health outcomes for chronic diseases that disproportionately affect older adults.

DESIGN: Two‐group quasi‐experimental study.

SETTING: Two Los Angeles community senior centers.

PARTICIPANTS: One hundred sixteen senior participants.

INTERVENTION: Participants were invited to attend group screenings of video programs intended to inform about and motivate self‐management of chronic conditions common in seniors. Moderated discussions reinforcing active patient participation in chronic disease management followed screenings. Screenings were scheduled over the course of 12 weeks.

MEASUREMENTS: One center was assigned by coin toss to an encouragement condition in which participants received a $50 gift card if they attended at least three group screenings. Participants in the nonencouraged center received no incentive for attendance. Validated study measures for patient activation, physical activity, and health‐related quality of life were completed at baseline and 12 weeks and 6 months after enrollment.

RESULTS: Participants attending the encouraged senior center were more likely to attend three or more group screenings (77.8% vs 47.2%, P=.001). At 6‐month follow‐up, participants from either center who attended three or more group screenings (n=74, 64%) reported significantly greater activation (P<.001), more minutes walking (P<.001) and engaging in vigorous physical activity (P=.006), and better health‐related quality of life (Medical Outcomes Study 12‐item Short‐Form Survey (SF‐12) mental component summary, P<.001; SF‐12 physical component summary, P=.002).

CONCLUSION: Delivering this pilot intervention in community senior centers is a potentially promising approach to activating seniors that warrants further investigation for improving chronic disease outcomes.
Developing a Financial Framework for Academic Service Partnerships: Models of the United States and Europe
Authors: De Geest Sabina , Sullivan Marx Eileen M. , Rich Victoria , Spichiger Elisabeth , Schwendimann Rene , Spirig Rebecca , Van Malderen Greet
Published: July 2010

Purpose: Academic service partnerships (ASPs) are structured linkages between academe and service which have demonstrated higher levels of innovation. In the absence of descriptions in the literature on financial frameworks to support ASPs, the purpose of this paper is to present the supporting financial frameworks of a Swiss and a U.S. ASP.

Methods: This paper used a case study approach.

Results: Two frameworks are presented. The U.S. model presented consists of a variety of ASPs, all linked to the School of Nursing of the University of Pennsylvania. The structural integration and governance system is elucidated. Each ASP has its own source of revenue or grant support with the goal to be fiscally in the black. Joint appointments are used as an instrument to realize these ASPs. The Swiss ASP entails a detailed description of the financial framework of one ASP between the Institute of Nursing Science at the University of Basel and the Inselspital Bern University Hospital. Balance in the partnership, in terms of both benefit and cost between both partners, was a main principle that guided the development of the financial framework and the translation of the ASP in budgetary terms. The model builds on a number of assumptions and provides the partnership management within a simple framework for monitoring and evaluation of the progress of the partnership.

Conclusions: In operationalizing an ASP, careful budgetary planning should be an integral part of the preparation and evaluation of the collaboration. The proposed Swiss and U.S. financial frameworks allow doing so.

Clinical Relevance: Outcomes of care can be improved with strong nursing service and academic partnerships. Sustaining such partnerships requires attention to financial and contractual arrangements.
Neurocognitive dysfunction and psychosocial outcome in patients with bipolar I disorder at 15‐year follow‐up
Authors: Burdick K. E. , Goldberg J. F. , Harrow M.
Published: July 2010

Burdick KE, Goldberg JF, Harrow M. Neurocognitive dysfunction and psychosocial outcome in patients with bipolar I disorder at 15‐year follow‐up.

Objective:  Despite increasing interest in cognitive dysfunction in bipolar disorder, little is known about its impact on functional outcome relative to affective symptoms.

Method:  A total of 33 bipolar I subjects were evaluated at index hospitalization and prospectively followed up 15 years later. Affective symptoms, cognition, global functioning, work, and social adjustment were assessed at follow‐up and analyzed by linear regression.

Results:  Global functional impairment was significantly associated with poor performance on a cognitive measure of processing speed (WAIS Digit Symbol). Digit symbol performance also was the sole significant predictor of social functioning. Neither symptom severity nor course of illness features significantly contributed to global and social functioning. In contrast, verbal learning deficits, recent depression, and lifetime hospitalizations all were independently associated with work disability.

Conclusion:  Processing speed is robustly associated with social and global functioning in bipolar disorder. Poor work functioning is significantly related to subsyndromal depression, course of illness, and verbal learning deficits. Cognitive and mood symptoms warrant consideration as independent determinants of functioning in patients with bipolar disorder many years after an index manic episode.
Extramammary Paget’s diseases in men from the Shanghai area: its association with PSA level increase*
Authors: SHI GUOHAI , YE DING‐WEI , YAO XUDONG , ZHANG SHILING , DAI BO , ZHANG HAILIANG , SHEN YIJUN , ZHU YAO , ZHU YIPING , XIAO WENJUN , MA CHUNGUANG
Published: July 2010

Shi G, Ye D‐W, Yao X, Zhang S, Dai B, Zhang H, Shen Y, Zhu Y, Zhu Y, Xiao W, Ma C. Extramammary Paget’s diseases in men from the Shanghai area: its association with PSA level increase. APMIS 2010; 118: 777–81.

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of prostate cancer in patients with extramammary Paget’s disease (EMPD). All cases of EMPD diagnosed between 1992 and 2007 in Shanghai Cancer Hospital were collected and analyzed for the incidence of prostate cancer. The median follow‐up was 78 months. In total, 38 cases of invasive and 10 cases of in situ EMPD had been registered. A second malignancy was found in 28.9% (11/38) of patients with invasive EMPD and in 30% (3/10) of patients with in situ EMPD. Patients had an increased risk of developing a second cancer compared with the general population (standardized incidence ratio: 1.7; 95% confidence interval 1.2–2.4). Sixteen patients had serum prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) level above 4 ng/mL; five developed prostate cancer, three of them with PSA levels beyond 100 ng/mL. The incidence of prostate cancer is 10.4% in this patient group. Patients with EMPD were more likely to have prostate cancer than the general population. Although the prognosis of EMPD is fairly good, a thorough search for a second tumor is recommended.
Clinical performance of provisional screw‐retained metal‐free acrylic restorations in an immediate loading implant protocol: a 242 consecutive patients' report
Authors: Suarez‐Feito Jose‐María , Sicilia Alberto , Angulo Jorge , Banerji Subir , Cuesta Isabel , Millar Brian
Published: July 2010

Objective: To evaluate the clinical performance of provisional screw‐retained metal‐free acrylic restorations in an immediate loading implant protocol.

Material and methods: Two hundred and forty‐two consecutive patients were selected retrospectively, who received 1011 implants and 311 immediate provisional screw‐retained implant restorations (2–4 h after implant surgery). The patients were monitored for a period of 2–3 months, until they were referred for a final restoration. The primary variables recorded include the survival time and the appearance of fractures in the provisional restoration, and the independent variables included age, sex, dental arch, type of restoration, type of attachment and components used, as well as cantilevers and opposing dentition. A survival analysis (Kaplan–Meier) and a Cox regression analysis were performed.

Results: Twenty‐three restorations in 20 patients (8.26%, 95% CI 4.8–11.7) showed at least one fracture (7.39%). More than half of the new fractures (52%, 12 cases) occurred in the first 4 weeks. The cumulative survival probability observed was greater in mandible (P=0.05) and non‐cantilever restorations (P=0.001), and in those opposed by full restorations or natural teeth (P=0.001). With an opposing implant‐supported prosthesis, the risk of fracture was multiplied by 4.7, and the use of cantilevers as well as the location of the restoration in the maxilla multiply the risk by 3.4–3.5.

Conclusions: Immediate provisional screw‐retained metal‐free implant‐supported restorations can be considered a reliable restoration (92.6% remain intact) for the healing period of 3 months.

To cite this article:
 Suarez‐Feito JM, Sicilia A, Angulo J, Banerji S, Cuesta I, Millar B. Clinical performance of provisional screw‐retained metal‐free acrylic restorations in an immediate loading implant protocol: a 242 consecutive patients' report. Clin. Oral Impl. Res. 21, 2010; 1360–1369. doi: 10.1111/j.1600‐0501.2010.01956.x
Onlay bone grafting of the mandible after periosteal expansion with an osmotic tissue expander: an experimental study in rabbits
Authors: Abrahamsson Peter , Isaksson Sten , Gordh Monica , Andersson Gunilla
Published: July 2010

Objectives: To evaluate the space‐maintaining capacity of a titanium mesh or a bioresorbable mesh after periosteal expansion and to assess bone formation under a titanium mesh or a bioresorbable mesh on the lateral border of the mandible by qualitative and quantitative histological analysis.

Material and methods: In 13 rabbits, a self‐inflatable soft tissue expander was placed intraorally, bilaterally under the mandibular periosteum via an extra oral approach. After 2 weeks, the expanders were removed and a particulated onlay bone graft was placed and covered by a titanium mesh or a bioresorbable mesh. After 3 months, the animals were sacrificed and specimens were collected for histology.

Results: The osmotic soft tissue expander created a subperiosteal pocket and a ridge of new bone had formed at the edges of the expanded periosteum in all sites. After the healing period of 3 months, soft tissue dehiscence was recorded in two of the sites with bioresorbable meshes. The mean bone fill was 65% under the titanium mesh and 85% under the bioresorbable mesh (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the titanium mesh and the bioresorbable mesh regarding the height of the meshes, mesh area and mineralized bone area. Scanning electron microscopy shows that new bone is growing in direct contact with the resorbable mesh and the titanium mesh.

Conclusion: This study confirms that an osmotic soft tissue expander creates a surplus of periosteum and soft tissue and that new bone can be generated under a titanium mesh or bioresorbable mesh.

To cite this article:
 Abrahamsson P, Isaksson S, Gordh M, Andersson G. Onlay bone grafting of the mandible after periosteal expansion with an osmotic tissue expander: an experimental study in rabbits. Clin. Oral Impl. Res21, 2010; 1404–1410. doi: 10.1111/j.1600‐0501.2010.01967.x
A simple method for enhancing cell adhesion to hydroxyapatite surface
Authors: Bertazzo Sergio , Zambuzzi Willian F. , Campos Daniela D. P. , Ferreira Carmen V. , Bertran Celso A.
Published: July 2010

Objectives: Increase cell adhesion on hydroxyapatite (HA) surface, in a simple, fast and inexpensive way.

Material and methods: Hydroxyapatite powder was immersed into deionized water for 15 days, dried and pressed into discs. On those discs, pre‐osteoblasts cells were cultured for 30 min and 24 h, and adhesion was analyzed by MTT reduction.

Results: The results show that HA treatment in equilibrium with water drastically increases cell adhesion when compared with cultures on HA with no treatment. The results also show that one essential factor required for a complete modification of HA is the amount of time of immersion in water.

Conclusions: The work presented here suggests a new, simple and effective method to improve the success of different implants. The method is simple, inexpensive and can be used in the daily routine of different contexts where implants are used, from bone substitution to dental procedures.

To cite this article:
 Bertazzo S, Zambuzzi WF, Campos DDP, Ferreira CV, Bertran CA. A simple method for enhancing cell adhesion to hydroxyapatite surface. Clin. Oral Impl. Res. 21, 2010; 1411–1413. doi: 10.1111/j.1600‐0501.2010.01968.x
Physical activity counteracts increased whole‐body protein breakdown in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients
Authors: Petersen A. M. W. , Mittendorfer B. , Magkos F. , Iversen M. , Pedersen B. K.
Published: July 2010

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with increased whole body protein breakdown and low‐grade systemic inflammation. We aimed to determine if physical training of patients with COPD induces anti‐inflammatory effects and decreases whole‐body protein breakdown. Nineteen subjects with severe (FEV1=31±1) COPD were randomized into a training group (n=9) and a control group (n=10). Twenty healthy subjects were studied for baseline comparison. The “COPD training” group participated in an outpatient rehabilitation program consisting of endurance training (walking at 85% of VO2max) twice weekly for 7 weeks plus daily home‐based training. Maximum walking distance increased by almost 70% in the training group after 7 weeks of training. At baseline, the concentrations of C‐reactive protein (CRP) and IL‐18 in plasma were increased in subjects with COPD compared with healthy subjects (P<0.05) and leucine rate of appearance (Ra) was ∼15% greater (P<0.05) in subjects with COPD. Training had no effect on the plasma concentration of inflammatory markers but decreased leucine Ra in subjects with COPD by ∼10% (P<0.05). In conclusion, 7 weeks of physical training markedly improved endurance in patients with COPD and accelerated whole‐body protein breakdown in patients with COPD was attenuated by physical training independent of changes in inflammatory markers.
Developmental monitoring using caregiver reports in a resource‐limited setting: the case of Kilifi, Kenya
Authors: Abubakar A , Holding P , Van de Vijver F , Bomu G , Van Baar A
Published: July 2010

Aim:  The main aim of the current study was to evaluate the reliability, validity and acceptability of developmental monitoring using caregiver reports among mothers in a rural African setting.

Methods:  A structured interview for parents of children aged 24 months and less was developed through both participant consultation and a review of literature. The reliability and validity of the schedule was evaluated through a 10‐month monitoring programme of 95 children, aged 2–10 months. The acceptability of the process was evaluated by studying retention rates and by organizing focus group discussions with participating mothers.

Results:  The structured interview ‘Developmental Milestones Checklist’ consisted of 66 items covering three broad domains of child functioning: motor, language and personal–social development. The interview yielded scores of developmental achievements that showed high internal consistency and excellent test–retest reliability. The results were sensitive to maturational changes and nutritional deficiencies. In addition, acceptable retention rates of approximately 80% were found. Participating mothers reported that they found the procedures both acceptable and beneficial.

Conclusion:  Developmental monitoring using caregiver report is a viable method to identify and monitor at‐risk children in Sub‐Saharan Africa.
Grounded literacies: the power of listening to, telling and performing community stories
Authors: Hall Christine , Thomson Pat
Published: July 2010

This article offers an analysis of community arts to develop an argument about the power of vernacular literacies. We draw on Paul Willis' work about grounded aesthetics and everyday symbolic creativity in common culture, and Scollon and Scollon's notions of geosemiotics, to analyse a community play written and performed in a council estate in Nottingham, England. In particular, we argue that Scollon and Scollon's idea of the ‘semiotic aggregate’ offers a useful analytical tool for understanding and evaluating the significance of participation, recognition, representation and place in multimodal texts.
Children's advertisement writing
Authors: Burrell Andrew , Beard Roger
Published: July 2010

This paper explores primary school children's ability to engage with “the power of the text” by tackling persuasive writing in the form of an advertisement. It is eclectically framed within genre theory and rhetorical studies and makes use of linguistic tools and concepts. The paper argues that writing research has not built upon earlier publications in these areas. There is a need for studies of advertisement writing to consolidate and extend the recent interest in non‐fiction text types. The writing of two children, drawn from a much larger study, is used to provide evidence of some key features of advertisement writing. Use of a pro forma reveals how children imbue the power of their writing through a variety of techniques and suggests how these features may develop over time. It is argued that an understanding of advertisement writing warrants careful exploration, as persuasive writing is generally being given a more prominent place in curriculum provision in England. The paper concludes by noting the importance of ecological validity and pupil engagement when persuasive writing is tackled in schools. It also suggests the need for new kinds of customised analyses when further studies of this kind of writing are undertaken.
Association between metabolic syndrome and estimated glomerular filtration rate in older Koreans based on data from the third Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Authors: Park Yong Soon , Kim Jun‐Su
Published: July 2010

Aim:  To examine the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and renal function in older Koreans.

Methods:  A total of 1270 people aged 60 years and older who participated in the third Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were included in this study.

Results:  After adjusting for confounding factors, central obesity, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol and fasting glucose were significantly associated with decreased renal function in men. In women, however, each component of MetS with the exception of fasting glucose was not associated with renal function. The odds ratios for MetS were 2.548 in men and 1.454 in women after adjustment for confounding variables; both were statistically significant. The odds ratio of decreased renal function increased as the number of components of MetS increased.

Conclusion:  The results of this study suggest that MetS may be an independent risk factor for decreased renal function in older population as well.
Apical serine protease activity is necessary for assembly of a high‐resistance renal collecting duct epithelium
Authors: Steensgaard M. , Svenningsen P. , Tinning A. R. , Nielsen T. D. , Jørgensen F. , Kjærsgaard G. , Madsen K. , Jensen B. L.
Published: July 2010

Aim:  We hypothesized that the serine protease prostasin is necessary for differentiation of a high‐resistance renal collecting duct epithelium governed by glucocorticoid.

Methods:  Postnatal rat kidney and adult human kidney was used to study the expression and localization of prostasin. The murine collecting duct cell line (M‐1) was cultured in Snapwell inserts to investigate the significance of prostasin for the development of transepithelial electrical resistance (TER).

Results:  In the cortex and medulla of rat kidney, prostasin mRNA and protein increased significantly between birth and weaning (day 21) and was detected in collecting ducts. Immunoreactive prostasin was associated with collecting ducts and loops of Henle in human kidney. In rat, adrenalectomy at day 10 had no effect on prostasin mRNA level in kidney at day 20. Cultured M‐1 cells exhibited parallel increases in prostasin mRNA, protein and TER 5 days after seeding. Apical addition of the serine protease inhibitor aprotinin to M‐1 cell cultures inhibited development of TER and led to aberrant localization of E‐cadherin. This effect was mimicked by the protease inhibitor nafamostat. Apical addition of phospholipase C to cleave glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors released prostasin to the medium and attenuated development of TER with time of culture. Disruption of lipid rafts by methyl‐β‐cyclodextrin attenuated development of TER in M‐1 cells. Omission of dexamethasone impaired development of TER in M‐1 cells, while prostasin protein abundance and E‐cadherin distribution did not change.

Conclusion:  Apical, GPI‐anchored, lipid raft‐associated serine protease activity, compatible with prostasin, is necessary for the development of a high‐resistance collecting duct epithelium.
Seismic Performance of Jacket Type Offshore Platforms Through Incremental Dynamic Analysis
Authors: Asgarian Behrouz , Ajamy Azadeh
Published: July 2010

Fixed offshore platforms in seismic active areas may be subjected to strong ground motions, causing the platform to undergo deformation well into the inelastic range. In this paper, incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) of jacket type offshore platforms subjected to earthquake was performed in order to study the linear and nonlinear dynamic behavior of this type of structures. IDA is a parametric analysis method that has been recently presented to estimate structural performance under seismic loads. By using incremental dynamic analysis of jacket type offshore platforms, the assessment of demand and capacity can be carried out. The method was used to predict nonlinear behavior of three newly designed jacket type offshore platforms subjected to strong ground motions. The engineering demand parameters of the platforms in terms of story drifts and intermediate elevation maximum displacement for different records were compared. This method was used for the performance calculations (immediate occupancy, collapse prevention, and global dynamic instability) needed for performance-based earthquake engineering of the above mentioned platforms. Two different behaviors were observed for the third platform in the X and Y directions. Particular attention has to be paid for the seismic design of this kind of platform. The results of jacket type offshore platforms incremental dynamic analysis shows that the method is a valuable tool for studying dynamic behavior in a nonlinear range of deformation. Because of high uncertainty in the nonlinear behavior of this type of structures, it is recommended to use this method for the assessment and requalification of existing jacket type offshore platforms subjected to earthquake.
Estimation of Local Ice Pressure Using Up-Crossing Rate
Authors: Li Chuanke , Jordaan Ian J. , Taylor Rocky S.
Published: July 2010

Ice load estimation is required in the design of ships and offshore structures for arctic and subarctic conditions. This paper focuses on the estimation of local ice pressures. The “event-maximum” method for local ice pressure analysis is a probabilistic method based on the maximum pressure of a given event; other local peaks in the data are not included. To study how this may affect local ice pressure estimates, a new probabilistic method based on the up-crossing rate was developed. Field data from 1982 Polar Sea arctic trials in the Beaufort Sea are processed as a time series. Up-crossing rates at different local pressure levels are obtained for local areas of interest. A relationship between up-crossing rate and local pressure-area results is established. Results from the analysis of full-scale data using the event-maximum method are presented for the selected data set; a more comprehensive set of results for the analysis of available ship-ice interaction data is presented in a companion paper. For a sample case, local ice pressure estimates obtained using the up-crossing rate method are compared with results obtained using the event-maximum method. The local pressure-area relationship is found to be similar for both the up-crossing rate method and the event-maximum method. For design curves based on the data set considered, estimates using the event-maximum method were more conservative than those obtained using the up-crossing rate method. The up-crossing rate approach is promising; analysis of additional data sets is recommended to allow broader comparison of the methods.
Vertical Riser VIV Simulation in Uniform Current
Authors: Huang Kevin , Chen Hamn-Ching , Chen Chia-Rong
Published: July 2010

Recently, some riser vortex-induced vibrations (VIVs) experimental data have been made publicly available (oe.mit.edu/VIV/) including a 10 m riser VIV experiment performed by Marintek, Trondheim, Norway, and donated by ExxonMobil URC, Houston, TX, USA. This paper presents our numerical simulation results for this 10 m riser and the comparisons with the experimental results in uniform current. The riser was made of a 10 m brass pipe with an outer diameter of 0.02 m (L/D=482) and a mass ratio of 1.75. The riser was positioned vertically with top tension of 817 N and pinned at its two ends to the test rig. Rotating the rig in the wave tank would simulate the uniform current. In the present numerical simulation the riser’s ends were pinned to the ground and a uniform far field incoming current was imposed. The riser and its surrounding fluid were discretized using 1.5×106 elements. The flow field is solved using an unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) numerical method in conjunction with a chimera domain decomposition approach with overset grids. The riser is also discretized into 250 segments. Its motion is predicted through a tensioned beam motion equation with external force obtained by integrating viscous and pressure loads on the riser surface. Then the critical parameters including riser VIV amplitude (a) to the riser outer diameter (D) ratio (a/D), vorticity contours, and motion trajectories were processed. The same parameters for the experimental data were also processed since these data sets are in “raw time-histories” format. Finally, comparisons are made and conclusions are drawn. The present numerical method predicts similar dominant modes and amplitudes as the experiment. It is also shown that the cross flow VIV in the riser top section is not symmetric to that of the bottom section. One end has considerably higher cross flow vibrations than the other end, which is due to the nondominant modal vibrations in both in-line and cross flow directions. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation results also agree with the experimental results very well on the riser vibrating pattern and higher harmonics response. The higher harmonics were studied and it is found that they are related to the lift coefficients, hence the vortex shedding patterns. It is concluded that the present CFD approach is able to provide reasonable results and is suitable for 3D riser VIV analysis in deepwater and complex current conditions.