bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimating the Need for Neck Lymphadenectomy in Submucosal Esophageal Cancer Using Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide‐Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Clinical Validation Study
Authors: Motoyama Satoru , Ishiyama Koichi , Maruyama Kiyotomi , Narita Komei , Minamiya Yoshihiro , Ogawa Jun‐ichi
Published: October 2011

Background

In cases of thoracic esophageal cancer, multidirectional lymphatic flow from the tumor means that lymph node metastasis can occur in an area extending from the neck to the abdomen. To validate a method for limiting the performance of three‐field lymphadenectomy only to patients who need it, we carried out a prospective study in which superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)‐enhanced lymphatic mapping was used to determine whether to perform neck lymph node dissection in patients with submucosal thoracic esophageal cancer.

Methods

A total of 22 patients with clinically submucosal thoracic squamous cell esophageal cancer, without neck lymph node metastasis, were enrolled. SPIO was endoscopically injected into the peritumoral submucosal layer, after which its appearance in lymph nodes in the neck was evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Neck lymph nodes were then dissected based on the SPIO‐enhanced MRI lymphatic mapping.

Results

Influx of SPIO into lymph nodes was detected in 21 patients (95% detection rate). SPIO flowed to the neck in 8 (36%) patients. Influx of SPIO into neck lymph nodes was unilateral in five patients and bilateral in three patients, and the lymph nodes were dissected accordingly. A cancer‐involved node was identified in two of those patients. In 14 patients, we did not dissect neck nodes. Patients were followed up for 6 to 47 months. The neck lymph node recurrence rate was zero, and the overall recurrence rate was 5%.

Conclusions

SPIO‐enhanced lymphatic mapping may be useful for estimating the need for three‐field lymphadenectomy with neck dissection.
Cascading predator control interacts with productivity to determine the trophic level of biomass accumulation in a benthic food web
Authors: Eriksson Britas Klemens , Rubach Anja , Batsleer Jurgen , Hillebrand Helmut
Published: October 2011

Large‐scale exploitation of higher trophic levels by humans, together with global‐scale nutrient enrichment, highlights the need to explore interactions between predator loss and resource availability. The hypothesis of exploitation ecosystems suggests that top–down and bottom–up control alternate between trophic levels, resulting in a positive relationship between primary production and the abundance of every second trophic level. Specifically, in food webs with three effective trophic levels, primary producers and predators should increase with primary production, while in food webs with two trophic levels, only herbivores should increase. We provided short‐term experimental support for these model predictions in a natural benthic community with three effective trophic levels, where the number of algal recruits, but not the biomass of gastropod grazers, increased with algal production. In contrast, when the food web was reduced to two trophic levels by removing larger predators, the number of algal recruits was unchanged while gastropod grazer biomass increased with algal production. Predator removal only affected the consumer‐controlled early life‐stages of algae, indicating that both the number of trophic levels and the life‐stage development of the producer trophic level determine the propagation of trophic cascades in benthic systems. Our results support the hypothesis that predators interact with resource availability to determine food‐web structure.
The Surface Activity of Borate Surfmers with Different Hydrophobic Chain Length and Their Mixing Effect with Hexadecyl Trimethyl Ammonium Bromide
Authors: Liang Zhengyong , Ma Lijuan , Lü Chunxu , Zhai Yujia
Published: October 2011

The effect of different chain length, solution pH and inorganic salt addition on the surface activity of synthesized borate surfmers in aqueous solution was investigated through the surface tension method. Much emphasis was laid on the mixing effect of the borate surfmers with cetyl or hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). The results showed that the synthesized borate surfmers possess excellent surface activity with a minimum solution γCMC of 28.6 mN·m−1 (pH = 7, 298 K). The surface activity of the borate surfmers tended to enhance with the increase in the hydrophobic chain length and solution pH. Meanwhile, the inorganic salt addition had no obvious impact on it. The effect of chain length on the mixed system was demonstrated through regular solution theory. The synergistic interaction between borate surfmers and CTAB was studied. The chain growth favored the increase in |βm| of the mixed system, indicating a strengthening interaction of the two components.
Tibial tubercle fractures in children with intra-articular involvement: Surgical tips for technical ease
Authors: Howarth William R. , Gottschalk Hilton P. , Hosalkar Harish S.
Published: October 2011

Background

Tibial tubercle fractures often occur in athletic adolescents close to skeletal maturity. These fractures can present with marked displacement of the apophysis, intra-articular extension, and associated soft tissue injuries, such as tibial meniscal ligament tears. Here, we present our surgical technique which focuses on recreating the meniscal–articular relationship (using suture anchors) in severely displaced fractures.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed all tibial tuberosity fractures treated with this technique over the last 2.5 years. Fractures with a minimum of a 12-month follow-up post-fixation were identified. Clinical records and radiographs were reviewed. Data included patient age, gender, involved side, injury classification (modified Ogden), mechanism of injury, treatment, return to activity, and complications.

Results

Six patients met the inclusion criteria. Mean age at time of surgery was 14.9 (range 13.2–16.8) years. All patients were male and the mean follow-up period was 14 (12–26) months. Range of motion was started at 4 weeks post-operatively in a hinged knee brace, and return to sports occurred at an average of 3.75 months postoperatively (range 3–5 months). No evidence of growth disturbance of the proximal tibia or recurvatum at final follow-up was evident.

Conclusion

We speculate that patients who sustain a tibial tubercle avulsion fracture types III or V will likely have intra-articular pathology, specifically capsular avulsion or coronary ligament disruption. By utilizing suture anchors, our technique emphasizes renewing the anatomic articular environment to ensure better long-term results and maintaining these active individuals in sports.
Sedimentary Facies and Soft-sediment Deformation Structures in the Late Miocene-Pliocene Middle Siwalik Subgroup, Eastern Himalaya, Darjiling District, India
Authors: Kundu Abhik , Matin Abdul , Mukul Malay , Eriksson Patrick G.
Published: October 2011

The Himalayan fold-and-thrust belt has propagated from its Tibetan hinterland to the southern foreland since ~55 Ma. The Siwalik sediments (~20 – 2 Ma) were deposited in the frontal Himalayan foreland basin and subsequently became part of the thrust belt since ~12 Ma. Restoration of the deformed section of the Middle Siwalik sequence reveals that the sequence is ~325 m thick. Sedimentary facies analysis of the Middle Siwalik rocks points to the deposition of the Middle Siwalik sediments in an alluvial fan setup that was affected by uplift and foreland-ward propagation of Greater and Lesser Himalayan thrusts. Soft-sediment deformation structures preserved in the Middle Siwalik sequence in the Darjiling Himalaya are interpreted to have formed by sediment liquefaction resulting from increased pore-water pressure probably due to strong seismic shaking. Soft-sediment structures such as convolute lamination, flame structures, and various kinds of deformed cross-stratification are thus recognized as palaeoseismic in origin. This is the first report of seismites from the Siwalik succession of Darjiling Himalaya which indicates just like other sectors of Siwalik foreland basin and the present-day Gangetic foreland basin that the Siwalik sediments of this sector responded to seismicity.
Zugang und Wirksamkeit bei der medizinischen Rehabilitation für Menschen mit Migrationshintergrund
Authors: Brzoska Patrick , Yilmaz-Aslan Yüce , Razum Oliver
Published: October 2011

Einleitung

Menschen mit Migrationshintergrund unterscheiden sich in gesundheitlicher Hinsicht von Menschen ohne Migrationshintergrund. In der rehabilitativen Versorgung begegnen sie zahlreichen Zugangs- und Wirksamkeitsbarrieren, die einer bedarfs- und bedürfnisgerechten Rehabilitation entgegenstehen. Um den Zugang und die Wirksamkeit bei der Rehabilitation für diese Bevölkerungsgruppe zu verbessern, ist eine migrationssensible Ausrichtung von rehabilitativen Versorgungsangeboten in Form professioneller und systematischer Lösungsansätze erforderlich.
ESSENTIAL COMMUTATIVITY OF SOME INTEGRAL AND COMPOSITION OPERATORS
Authors: ZHOU ZE-HUA , ZHANG LIANG , ZENG HONG-GANG
Published: October 2011

In general, multiplication of operators is not essentially commutative in an algebra generated by integral-type operators and composition operators. In this paper, we characterize the essential commutativity of the integral operators and composition operators from a mixed-norm space to a Bloch-type space, and give a complete description of the universal set of integral operators. Corresponding results for boundedness and compactness are also obtained.
The limits to ‘spin-off’: UK defence R & D and the development of gallium arsenide technology
Authors: SPINARDI GRAHAM
Published: October 2011

UK defence R & D played a leading role in the development of gallium arsenide and other III–V semiconductor materials. Often touted as the semiconductor of the future because of its potential for high-speed computing, gallium arsenide had unique properties compared to silicon that made it attractive for military applications. Some consumer applications were also developed, and these eventually became significant with its use in mobile phone handsets in the mid-1990s. However, despite the apparent advantage of close links to the defence establishments and early access to expertise in III–V technologies, UK companies had limited success in these civil markets, preferring instead to focus on defence procurement.
S-Allylcysteine inhibits tumour progression and the epithelial–mesenchymal transition in a mouse xenograft model of oral cancer
Authors: Pai Man-Hui , Kuo Yueh-Hsiung , Chiang En-Pei Isabel , Tang Feng-Yao
Published: October 2011

Oral cancer is prevalent worldwide. Studies have indicated that an increase in the osteopontin (OPN) plasma level is correlated with the progression of oral cancer. Our previous report showed that the aqueous garlic extract S-allylcysteine (SAC) inhibited the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) of human oral cancer CAL-27 cells in vitro. Therefore, the present study investigated whether SAC consumption would help prevent tumour growth and progression, including the EMT, in a mouse xenograft model of oral cancer. The results demonstrated that SAC dose-dependently inhibited the growth of oral cancer in tumour-bearing mice. The histopathological and immunohistochemical staining results indicated that SAC was able to effectively suppress the tumour growth and progression of oral cancer in vivo. The chemopreventive effect of SAC was associated with the suppression of carcinogenesis factors such as N-methylpurine DNA glycosylase and OPN. SAC significantly suppressed the phosphorylation of Akt, mammalian target of rapamycin, inhibitor of κBα and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 in tumour tissues. The results demonstrated that the SAC-mediated suppression of cyclin D1 protein was associated with an augmented expression of the cell-cycle inhibitor p16Ink4. Furthermore, SAC inhibited the expression of cyclo-oxygenase-2, vimentin and NF-κB p65 (RelA). These results show that SAC has potential as an agent against tumour growth and the progression of oral cancer in a mouse xenograft model.
When balanced for precursor fatty acid supply echium oil is not superior to linseed oil in enriching lamb tissues with long-chain n-3 PUFA
Authors: Kitessa Soressa M. , Young Paul , Nattrass Greg , Gardner Graham , Pearce Kelly , Pethick David W.
Published: October 2011

Vegetable oils containing stearidonic acid (SDA, 18 : 4n-3) are considered better precursors of long-chain n-3 PUFA (LC n-3 PUFA) than those with only α-linolenic acid (ALA, 18 : 3n-3). The present study re-examined this premise using treatments where added ALA from linseed oil was matched with ALA plus SDA from echium oil. Lambs (n 6) were abomasally infused with saline (control (C), 25 ml), echium oil low (EL, 25 ml), echium oil high (EH, 50 ml), linseed oil low (LL, 25 ml) or linseed oil high (LH, 50 ml) for 4 weeks. The basal ration used was identical across all treatments. EPA (20 : 5n-3) in meat increased from 6·5 mg in the C lambs to 16·8, 17·7, 13·5 and 11·7 (sem 0·86) mg/100 g muscle in the EL, EH, LL and LH lambs, respectively. For muscle DPA (docosapentaenoic acid; 22 : 5n-3), the corresponding values were 14·3, 22·2, 18·6 18·2 and 19·4 (sem 0·57) mg/100 g muscle. The DHA (22 : 6n-3) content of meat was 5·8 mg/100 g in the C lambs and ranged from 4·53 to 5·46 (sem 0·27) mg/100 g muscle in the oil-infused groups. Total n-3 PUFA content of meat (including ALA and SDA) increased from 39 mg to 119, 129, 121 and 150 (sem 12·3) mg/100 g muscle. We conclude that both oil types were effective in enhancing the EPA and DPA, but not DHA, content of meat. Furthermore, we conclude that, when balanced for precursor n-3 fatty acid supply, differences between linseed oil and echium oil in enriching meat with LC n-3 PUFA were of little, if any, nutritional significance.
TRADE-OFFS BETWEEN BIOMASS USE AND SOIL COVER. THE CASE OF RICE-BASED CROPPING SYSTEMS IN THE LAKE ALAOTRA REGION OF MADAGASCAR
Authors: NAUDIN K. , SCOPEL E. , ANDRIAMANDROSO A. L. H. , RAKOTOSOLOFO M. , ANDRIAMAROSOA RATSIMBAZAFY N. R. S. , RAKOTOZANDRINY J. N. , SALGADO P. , GILLER K. E.
Published: October 2011

Farmers in the Lake Alaotra region of Madagascar are currently evaluating a range of conservation agriculture (CA) cropping systems. Most of the expected agroecological functions of CA (weed control, erosion control and water retention) are related to the degree of soil cover. Under farmers’ conditions, the grain and biomass productivity of these systems is highly variable and the biomass is used for several purposes. In this study, we measured biomass production of cover crops and crops in farmers’ fields. Further, we derived relationships to predict the soil cover that can be generated for a particular quantity of mulch. We used these relationships to explore the variability of soil cover that can be generated in farmers’ fields, and to estimate how much of the biomass can be removed for use as livestock feed, while retaining sufficient soil cover. Three different kinds of cropping systems were investigated in 91 farmers’ fields. The first two cropping sequences were on the hillsides: (i) maize + pulse (Vigna unguiculata or Dolichos lablab) in year 1, followed by upland rice in year 2; (ii) the second crop sequence included several years of Stylosanthes guianensis followed by upland rice; (iii) the third crop sequence was in lowland paddy fields: Vicia villosa or D. lablab, which was followed by rice within the same year and repeated every year. The biomass available prior to rice sowing varied from 3.6 t ha−1 with S. guianensis to 7.3 t ha−1 with V. villosa. The relationship between the mulch quantity (M) and soil cover (C) was measured using digital imaging and was well described by the following equation: C = 1 − exp(−Am × M), where Am is an area-to-mass ratio with R2 > 0.99 in all cases. The calculated average soil cover varied from 56 to 97% for maize + V. unguiculata and V. villosa, respectively. In order to maintain 90% soil cover at rice sowing, the average amount of biomass of V. villosa that could be removed was at least 3 t ha−1 for three quarters of the fields. This quantity was less for other annual or biennial cropping systems. On average the V. villosa aboveground biomass contained 236 kg N ha−1. The study showed that for the conditions of farmers of Malagasy, the production and conservation of biomass is not always sufficient to fulfil all the above-cited agroecological functions of mulch. Inventory of the soil cover capacity for different types of mulch may help farmers to decide how much biomass they can remove from the field.
Judges, Masters, Diviners: Slaves’ Experience of Criminal Justice in Colonial Suriname
Authors: Davis Natalie Zemon
Published: October 2011

“Two negroes hanged,” John Gabriel Stedman wrote in his Suriname journal for March 9, 1776, and then two days later, among his purchases of “soap, wine, tobacco, [and] rum” and his dinners with an elderly widow, he records, “A negro's foot cut off.” Stedman expanded on these events in the laterNarrativeof his years as a Dutch–Scottish soldier fighting against the Suriname Maroons:

And now, this being the period of the [court] sessions, another Negro's leg was cut off for sculking from a task to which he was unable, while two more were condemned to be hang'd for running away altogether. The heroic behavior of one of these men deserves particularly to be quotted, he beg'd only to be heard for a few moments, which, being granted, he proceeded thus––

“I was born in Africa, where defending my prince during an engagement, I was made a captive, and sold for a slave by my own countrimen. One of your countrimen, who is now to be my judge, became then my purchaser, in whose service I was treated so cruelly by his overseer that I deserted and joined the rebels in the woods . . .”

To which his former master, who as he observed was now one of his judges, made the following laconick reply, “Rascal, that is not what we want to know. But the torture this moment shall make you confess crimes as black as yourself, as well as those of your hateful accomplices.” To which the Negroe, who now swel'd in every vain with rage [replied, holding up his hands], “Massera, the verry tigers have trembled for these hands . . . and dare you think to threaten me with your wretched instrument? No, I despise the greatest tortures you can now invent, as much as I do the pitiful wrech who is going to inflict them.” Saying which, he threw himself down on the rack, where amidst the most excruciating tortures he remained with a smile and without they were able to make him utter a syllable. Nor did he ever speak again till he ended his unhappy days at the gallows.
Self-Perception in Andean Quechua-Speaking Children Entering School Using the Rorschach Method
Authors: Belmont Alejandro Rafael
Published: October 2011

Using the Rorschach Psychodiagnostic Test, this study examines self-perception in Andean Quechua-speaking children beginning their education in Spanish. A comparative analysis was made between 30 Quechua-speaking children from a community in the Peruvian Andes and 30 Spanish-speaking children from the Lima, Peru, all 6 and 7 years old. Student’s t-test and Z-test statistical analyses were used to compare data. Results show significant differences in self-concept (self-perception) for morbid content (MOR) between groups as well as for structural variables included in the Rorschach analysis. Quantitative data also illustrate the disparity between both groups and age-related norms published by Exner. Different aspects of validity for the Rorschach test are discussed as well as educational issues, considering this culturally heterogeneous population that has rarely been studied or made itself accessible to evaluation.
How much floating light nonaqueous phase liquid can a phreatic surface sustain? Riesenkampf's scheme revisited
Authors: Kacimov Anvar , Obnosov Yurii , Al‐Maktoumi Ali , Al‐Balushi Mohammed
Published: October 2011

Steady, Darcian, one‐phase, phreatic surface flow of groundwater into a horizontal well with a pancake lens of light nonaqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) accumulated in the water table trough is studied by the method of complex analysis. A sharp interface model assumes groundwater capped by two isobaric limbs (groundwater–vadose zone interfaces) of a free surface with an in‐between cambered segment of an immiscible LNAPL‐water interface, along which pressure is hydrostatically increasing with the depth of the LNAPL “channel.” The complex potential polygon is mapped onto an auxiliary half plane where the complex physical coordinate of the flow domain is represented in terms of singular integrals as a solution of the Keldysh‐Sedov problem. The shapes of semi‐infinite “wings” of the water table contacting the vadose zone gas and of a finite length LNAPL‐groundwater interface are found from parametric equations that involve the sink strength and location with respect to the pancake surface, the ordinate of the lowest trough point, and the volume of LNAPL accreted in the lens. Critical conditions, corresponding to the lens contour cusping toward the sink, are found. The Riesenkampf solution contains a free parameter, which is fixed by specifying either a point on the free surface or the volume of the trough‐intercepted LNAPL.
Potential for phosphite and phosphonate utilization by Prochlorococcus
Authors: Feingersch Roi , Philosof Alon , Mejuch Tom , Glaser Fabian , Alalouf Onit , Shoham Yuval , Béjà Oded
Published: October 2011

Phosphonates (Pn) are diverse organic phosphorus (P) compounds containing C–P bonds and comprise up to 25% of the high-molecular weight dissolved organic P pool in the open ocean. Pn bioavailability was suggested to influence markedly bacterial primary production in low-P areas. Using metagenomic data from the Global Ocean Sampling expedition, we show that the main potential microbial contributor in Pn utilization in oceanic surface water is the globally important marine primary producer Prochlorococcus. Moreover, a number of Prochlorococcus strains contain two distinct putative Pn uptake operons coding for ABC-type Pn transporters. On the basis of microcalorimetric measurements, we find that each of the two different putative Pn-binding protein (PhnD) homologs transcribed from these operons possesses different Pn- as well as inorganic phosphite-binding specificities. Our results suggest that Prochlorococcus adapt to low-P environments by increasing the number of Pn transporters with different specificities towards phosphite and different Pns.
Abdominal Obesity and Late‐Onset Asthma: Cross‐Sectional and Longitudinal Results: The 3C Study
Authors: Leone Nathalie , Courbon Dominique , Berr Claudine , Barberger‐Gateau Pascale , Tzourio Christophe , Alpérovitch Annick , Zureik Mahmoud
Published: October 2011

Whereas global obesity assessed by BMI has been related to asthma risk, little is known as to the potential implication of abdominal adiposity in this relationship. In the elderly, in whom asthma remains poorly studied, abdominal adiposity tends to increase at the expense of muscle mass. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between abdominal adiposity, assessed by waist circumference (WC), and prevalence and incidence of asthma in a large elderly cohort. Cross‐sectional analysis was based on 7,643 participants aged ≥65 years including 592 (7.7%) with lifetime physician‐diagnosed asthma. Longitudinal analysis involved 6,267 baseline nonasthmatics followed‐up for a period of 4 years, 67 of whom exhibited incident asthma. Baseline WC was categorized according to sex‐specific criteria (men/women): <94/80 cm (reference), [94–102[/[80–88] (abdominal overweight), and ≥102/88 (abdominal obesity). Logistic and Cox regression models estimated asthma risk associated with WC after adjustment for age, sex, educational level, smoking status, BMI, physical ability, dyspnea, chronic bronchitis symptoms and history of cardiovascular disease. At baseline, asthma risk increased with increasing WC independently of BMI and other confounders (adjusted odds ratio (ORa), 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.30, 1.02–1.65 and ORa: 1.76, 1.31–2.36 for abdominal overweight and obesity, respectively). Asthma incidence was related to WC (hazard ratio (HRa), 95% CI: 2.69, 1.21–5.98 and HRa: 3.84, 1.55–9.49, for abdominal overweight and obesity, respectively). Estimates were similar in both sexes. In the elderly, abdominal adiposity was independently associated with increased prevalence and incidence of asthma. Studies aiming to understand the mechanisms involved in the adiposity‐asthma link are needed.
The Relationship Between Symptoms of Depression and Body Weight in Younger Adults
Authors: Fowler‐Brown Angela G. , Ngo Long H. , Wee Christina C.
Published: October 2011

A bidirectional relationship between obesity and depression may exist, though previous results are conflicting. The objectives of our study were to determine whether there is a bidirectional relationship between obesity and symptoms of depression in younger adults and whether this relationship varies with sociodemographic factors. We used data from 7,980 participants in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 to examine whether baseline depressive symptoms (score ≥ 10 on a seven‐item subscale of the CES‐D) in 1992, predicted adjusted percent change in BMI between 1992 and 1994. We then examined whether obesity in 1992 predicted the development of symptoms of depression in 1994, after adjustment for confounders. We found that the presence of baseline depressive symptoms was not prospectively associated with increase in percent BMI, except in Hispanic women. Additionally, baseline obesity was not associated with higher risk of future symptoms of depression in the sample overall (adjusted risk ratio (RR) 1.20; 99% CI 0.91–1.60). However, in those of higher socioeconomic status, obesity was associated with almost double the risk of depressive symptoms compared to nonobese (highest income category: adjusted RR 1.97; 99% CI 1.14–3.40). We concluded that although obesity was not associated with risk of depression symptoms in the population overall, obesity was associated with an increased risk of developing depressive symptoms in those of higher socioeconomic status. Sociodemographic factors may be important modifiers of the relationship between obesity and depression.
Post-Traumatic Frontal and Parieto-Occipital Extradural Haematomas: a Retrospective Analysis of 41 Patients and Review of the Literature
Authors: Balik V. , Lehto H. , Hoza D. , Phornsuwannapha S. , Toninelli S. , Romani R. , Sulla I. , Hernesniemi J.
Published: October 2011

The purpose of this study was to analyse the differences between patients with frontal (FEDH) or parieto-occipital (POEDH) epidural haematomas and evaluate possible statistically significant prognostic factors.

In this retrospective study of a group of 41 patients with a FEDH (17) or POEDH (24 individuals), the authors analysed the influence of gender, age, type of injury, clinical presentation, Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score on admission, radiological findings, and time interval from trauma to surgery on outcomes. A good recovery and moderate disability were considered a “good” or “favourable outcome”, whereas severe disability, a vegetative state or death was a “poor outcome”.

In the POEDH subgroup, a higher GCS score on admission and a younger age were statistically significant prognostic factors for a better outcome (p=0.006, rs=0.702). In the subgroup of patients with FEDHs, the results were not significant. However, patients with FEDHs more frequently had “good outcomes” than members of the POEDH subgroup (88.2 vs. 70.9%). Children (≤ 18 years old) constituted a smaller portion of the POEDH subgroup (12.5%) than those in the FEDH subgroup (41.2%). The evaluation of time intervals between the accident and surgery (≤ 24 h vs. > 24 h) showed no significant influence on outcomes in any of the studied subgroups. However, patients undergoing surgery within 24 h of their injury had a less favourable GCS score on admission than those operated on more than 24 h after their injury. Subacute and chronic clinical courses predominated in patients with a FEDH (10/17 FEDH vs. 11/22 POEDH). Different accompanying intradural lesions occurred in 12 patients of the POEDH subgroup, but only in 2 of the FEDH subgroup (50 vs. 11.8%). However, the presence of such lesions did not significantly deteriorate surgical outcomes in either of the subgroups.
Melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene polymorphisms in three Italian cattle breeds
Authors: Guastella Anna Maria , Sorbolini Silvia , Zuccaro Antonio , Pintus Elia , Bordonaro Salvatore , Marletta Donata , Macciotta Nicolò Pietro Paolo
Published: October 2011

The Melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) is one of the main genes implicated in the determination of the coat colour in mammals. This locus showed a relevant genetic variation between breeds that can be exploited for breed traceability of the animal productions. Modicana, Cinisara and Sardo-Modicana are three Italian endangered cattle breeds. Genetic characterisation by molecular markers is a fundamental prerequisite for managing genetic resources and for developing potential genetic traceability protocols. In order to improve the knowledge on Modicana, Cinisara and Sardo-Modicana breeds and to evaluate the possibility to develop DNA-based protocols for their mono-breeds products traceability, the genetic structure of MC1R gene was analysed. Four main alleles were observed in a representative sample of 162 animals. In the black coated Cinisara breed (n = 42), the ED and E+ alleles segregated with a frequency of 0.93 for ED allele. In the red coated Modicana (n = 60) and Sardo-Modicana (n = 60) breeds the E+ and E1 alleles segregated with frequencies of 0.42, 0.57 and 0.52, 0.47, respectively. The recessive allele e showed a low frequency (0.01) in both breeds. Sequencing a subsample of 34 animals the rare E2 allele was found only in Modicana and Sardo-Modicana at a good frequency (0.50). A new PCR-RFLP test, based on BstOI restriction endonuclease, was devised to assay for this allele. Results of the work indicate that red coat in Modicana and Sardo-Modicana cattle is genetically determined by the E+ and E1 alleles instead of the e allele at homozygote status, as occurs in other red European breeds. In these three Italian breeds of local importance, MC1R polymorphisms can be used to discriminate Cinisara from Modicana and Sardo-Modicana, but it was not able to distinguish between the two red coat populations.
On the selective ion binding hypothesis for potassium channels
Authors: Kim Ilsoo , Allen Toby W.
Published: October 2011

The mechanism by which K
+
channels select for K
+
over Na
+
ions has been debated for the better part of a century. The prevailing view is that K
+
channels contain highly conserved sites that selectively bind K
+
over Na
+
ions through optimal coordination. We demonstrate that a series of alternating sites within the KcsA channel selectivity filter exists, which are thermodynamically selective for either K
+
(cage made from two planes of oxygen atoms) or Na
+
ions (a single plane of four oxygen atoms). By combining Bennett free energy perturbation calculations with umbrella sampling, we show that when K
+
and Na
+
are both permitted to move into their preferred positions, the thermodynamic preference for K
+
over Na
+
is significantly reduced throughout the entire selectivity filter. We offer a rationale for experimental measures of thermodynamic preference for K
+
over Na
+
from Ba
2+
blocking data, by demonstrating that the presence of Ba
2+
ions exaggerates K
+
over Na
+
thermodynamic stability due to the different binding locations of these ions. These studies reveal that K
+
channel selectivity may not be associated with the thermodynamics of ions in crystallographic K
+
binding sites, but requires consideration of the kinetic barriers associated with the different multi-ion permeation mechanisms.
Estrogen induces apoptosis in estrogen deprivation-resistant breast cancer through stress responses as identified by global gene expression across time
Authors: Ariazi Eric A. , Cunliffe Heather E. , Lewis-Wambi Joan S. , Slifker Michael J. , Willis Amanda L. , Ramos Pilar , Tapia Coya , Kim Helen R. , Yerrum Smitha , Sharma Catherine G. N. , Nicolas Emmanuelle , Balagurunathan Yoganand , Ross Eric A. , Jordan V. Craig
Published: October 2011

In laboratory studies, acquired resistance to long-term antihormonal therapy in breast cancer evolves through two phases over 5 y. Phase I develops within 1 y, and tumor growth occurs with either 17β-estradiol (E
2
) or tamoxifen. Phase II resistance develops after 5 y of therapy, and tamoxifen still stimulates growth; however, E
2
paradoxically induces apoptosis. This finding is the basis for the clinical use of estrogen to treat advanced antihormone-resistant breast cancer. We interrogated E
2
-induced apoptosis by analysis of gene expression across time (2–96 h) in MCF-7 cell variants that were estrogen-dependent (WS8) or resistant to estrogen deprivation and refractory (2A) or sensitive (5C) to E
2
-induced apoptosis. We developed a method termed differential area under the curve analysis that identified genes uniquely regulated by E
2
in 5C cells compared with both WS8 and 2A cells and hence, were associated with E
2
-induced apoptosis. Estrogen signaling, endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), and inflammatory response genes were overrepresented among the 5C-specific genes. The identified ERS genes indicated that E
2
inhibited protein folding, translation, and fatty acid synthesis. Meanwhile, the ERS-associated apoptotic genes Bcl-2 interacting mediator of cell death (BIM; BCL2L11) and caspase-4 (CASP4), among others, were induced. Evaluation of a caspase peptide inhibitor panel showed that the CASP4 inhibitor z-LEVD-fmk was the most active at blocking E
2
-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, z-LEVD-fmk completely prevented poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage, E
2
-inhibited growth, and apoptotic morphology. The up-regulated proinflammatory genes included IL, IFN, and arachidonic acid-related genes. Functional testing showed that arachidonic acid and E
2
interacted to superadditively induce apoptosis. Therefore, these data indicate that E
2
induced apoptosis through ERS and inflammatory responses in advanced antihormone-resistant breast cancer.
Evaluation of a Substance Use Disorder Curriculum for Internal Medicine Residents
Authors: Stein Melissa R. , Arnsten Julia H. , Parish Sharon J. , Kunins Hillary V.
Published: October 2011

Teaching about diagnosis, treatment, and sequelae of substance use disorders (SUDs) is insufficient in most Internal Medicine residency programs. To address this, the authors developed, implemented, and evaluated a novel and comprehensive SUD curriculum for first year residents (interns) in Internal Medicine, which anchors the ensuing 3-year longitudinal SUD curriculum. This intern curriculum includes didactic and experiential elements and allows skills practice. Topics include local epidemiology of substance abuse, neurobiology of SUDs, and screening, treatment, and referral. The entire curriculum is delivered over 7 hours during a month-long ambulatory rotation. Among 58 interns who have completed a pre-post evaluation of the curriculum, the majority reported an increased sense of responsibility for and confidence in treating patients with SUDs.
Driving While Impaired (DWI) Intervention Service Provider Orientations: The Scales of the DWI Therapeutic Educator Inventory (DTEI)
Authors: DeMuro Scott , Wanberg Kenneth , Anderson Rachel
Published: October 2011

The therapeutic educator who provides services to driving while impaired (DWI) offenders is a unique professional hybrid, combining education and therapeutic service delivery. In an effort to understand and address this service provider, a 69-item DWI Therapeutic Educator Inventory (DTEI) was constructed. Using principal components and common factor analyses, 6 reliable DWI provider orientation styles were identified: judicial, disease, structure, relationship, interaction, and empathic-supportive. Second-order factoring identified 2 broad reliable dimensions: correctional and therapeutic. These findings further support the construct validity of the DTEI and raise a new question for research: do different provider orientations impact intervention outcomes, such as relapse and recidivism?
Predictive Utility of Brief Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Antiretroviral Medication Nonadherence
Authors: Broyles Lauren Matukaitis , Gordon Adam J. , Sereika Susan M. , Ryan Christopher M. , Erlen Judith A.
Published: October 2011

Alcohol use negatively affects adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART), thus human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) care providers need accurate, efficient assessments of alcohol use. Using existing data from an efficacy trial of 2 cognitive-behavioral ART adherence interventions, the authors sought to determine if results on 2 common alcohol screening tests (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test—Consumption [AUDIT-C] and its binge-related question [AUDIT-3]) predict ART nonadherence. Twenty-seven percent of the sample ( n = 308) were positive on the AUDIT-C and 34% were positive on the AUDIT-3. In multivariate analyses, AUDIT-C–positive status predicted ART nonadherence after controlling for race, age, conscientiousness, and self-efficacy ( P = .036). Although AUDIT-3–positive status was associated with ART nonadherence in unadjusted analyses, this relationship was not maintained in the final multivariate model. The AUDIT-C shows potential as an indirect screening tool for both at-risk drinking and ART nonadherence, underscoring the relationship between alcohol and chronic disease management.
Do Words Matter? Incongruent Responses to Inconsistently Worded AUDIT-C Alcohol Screening Instruments
Authors: Broyles Lauren Matukaitis , Gordon Adam J. , Sereika Susan M. , Ryan Christopher M. , Erlen Judith A.
Published: October 2011

The first 3 questions of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT-C) are often used as a brief alcohol screening instrument. However, the implications of common modifications made to the original AUDIT questions and response options have not been considered. The authors examined existing data from a randomized controlled trial of 310 persons with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) that was testing the efficacy of 2 antiretroviral medication adherence interventions. Logistic regression was used to model the probability of participants having inconsistent AUDIT-C item responses. Three patterns of conflicting responses to the AUDIT-C items were identified. Common item modifications resulted in 14% ( n = 48) of the parent study sample reporting conflicting responses across related AUDIT-C items. The odds of having conflicting data were 3 times greater in opioid users (odds ratio [OR] = 3.139, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.267–7.777, P = .01) and greater in persons with higher levels of conscientiousness (OR = 1.053, 95% CI = 1.006–1.103, P = .03). Inconsistent question format and response options may impede proper scoring and interpretation of the AUDIT-C. Further discussion and consensus building are needed on the psychometrically ideal version of the AUDIT-C.
Endometriosis
Authors: Mackintosh Will , Arora Rohit , Amu Olubusola
Published: October 2011

Endometriosis is a common and debilitating gynaecological problem affecting up to 50% of premenopausal women presenting to general practice in the UK. It is characterized by the presence of endometrial glands and stromal tissue in locations other than the uterine cavity. Common associations include pelvic pain, dysmenorrhoea, dyspareunia and sub-fertility although clinical investigation findings do not always correlate well with the degree and severity of symptoms. The impact on quality of life for women with severe symptoms results in GPs playing a central role in diagnosis and managing physical, mental and social aspects of the condition. This article aims to provide an overview of current guidelines and strategies for recognizing and managing endometriosis in general practice.
Model-based Clustering and Typologies in the Social Sciences
Authors: Ahlquist John S. , Breunig Christian
Published: October 2011

Social scientists spend considerable energy constructing typologies and discussing their roles in measurement. Less discussed is the role of typologies in evaluating and revising theoretical arguments. We argue that unsupervised machine learning tools can be profitably applied to the development and testing of theory-based typologies. We review recent advances in mixture models as applied to cluster analysis and argue that these tools are particularly important in the social sciences where it is common to claim that high-dimensional objects group together in meaningful clusters. Model-based clustering (MBC) grounds analysis in probability theory, permitting the evaluation of uncertainty and application of information-based model selection tools. We show that the MBC approach forces analysts to consider dimensionality problems that more traditional clustering tools obscure. We apply MBC to the “varieties of capitalism,” a typology receiving significant attention in political science and economic sociology. We find weak and conflicting evidence for the theory's expected grouping. We therefore caution against the current practice of including typology-derived dummy variables in regression and case-comparison research designs.
The two-regime method for optimizing stochastic reaction–diffusion simulations
Authors: Flegg Mark B. , Chapman S. Jonathan , Erban Radek
Published: October 2011

Spatial organization and noise play an important role in molecular systems biology. In recent years, a number of software packages have been developed for stochastic spatio-temporal simulation, ranging from detailed molecular-based approaches to less detailed compartment-based simulations. Compartment-based approaches yield quick and accurate mesoscopic results, but lack the level of detail that is characteristic of the computationally intensive molecular-based models. Often microscopic detail is only required in a small region (e.g. close to the cell membrane). Currently, the best way to achieve microscopic detail is to use a resource-intensive simulation over the whole domain. We develop the two-regime method (TRM) in which a molecular-based algorithm is used where desired and a compartment-based approach is used elsewhere. We present easy-to-implement coupling conditions which ensure that the TRM results have the same accuracy as a detailed molecular-based model in the whole simulation domain. Therefore, the TRM combines strengths of previously developed stochastic reaction–diffusion software to efficiently explore the behaviour of biological models. Illustrative examples and the mathematical justification of the TRM are also presented.
Nonlinear pre-stress for cloaking from antiplane elastic waves
Authors: Parnell William J.
Published: October 2011

A theory is presented showing that cloaking of objects from antiplane elastic waves can be achieved by employing nonlinear elastic pre-stress in a neo-Hookean elastomeric material. This approach would appear to eliminate the requirement of metamaterials with inhomogeneous anisotropic shear moduli and density. Waves in the pre-stressed medium are bent around the cloaked (cavity) region by inducing inhomogeneous stress fields via pre-stress. The equation governing antiplane waves in the pre-stressed medium is equivalent to the antiplane equation in an unstressed medium with inhomogeneous and anisotropic shear modulus and isotropic scalar mass density. Note however that these properties are induced naturally by the pre-stress. As the magnitude of pre-stress can be altered at will, this enables objects of varying size and shape to be cloaked by placing them inside the fluid-filled deformed cavity region.
Bat severe acute respiratory syndrome-like coronavirus ORF3b homologues display different interferon antagonist activities
Authors: Zhou Peng , Li Hongxia , Wang Hanzhong , Wang Lin-Fa , Shi Zhengli
Published: October 2011

The ORF3b protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) has a nuclear localization signal (NLS) at its C terminus and antagonizes interferon (IFN) function by modulating the activity of IFN regulatory factor 3 (IRF3). SARS-like coronaviruses (SL-CoVs) found in bats share an identical genome organization and high sequence identity for most of their gene products. In this study, ORF3b homologues were identified from three bat SL-CoV strains. These ORF3b homologues were C-terminally truncated and lacked the C-terminal NLS of SARS-CoV. IFN antagonist activities analysis demonstrated that one SL-CoV ORF3b still possessed IFN antagonist and IRF3-modulating activities. These results indicate that different ORF3b proteins display different IFN antagonist activities and this function is independent of the protein’s nuclear localization, suggesting a potential link between bat SL-CoV ORF3b function and viral pathogenesis.
Activation of the STAT6 transcription factor in Jurkat T-cells by the herpesvirus saimiri Tip protein
Authors: Kim Yuri , Kwon Eun-Kyung , Jeon Ju-Hong , So Insuk , Kim In-Gyu , Choi Myung-Sik , Kim Ik-Sang , Choi Joong-Kook , Jung Jae Ung , Cho Nam-Hyuk
Published: October 2011

Herpesvirus saimiri (HVS), a T-lymphotropic monkey herpesvirus, induces fulminant T-cell lymphoma in non-natural primate hosts. In addition, it can immortalize human T-cellsin vitro. HVS tyrosine kinase-interacting protein (Tip) is an essential viral gene required for T-cell transformation bothin vitroandin vivo. In this study, we found that Tip interacts with the STAT6 transcription factor and induces phosphorylation of STAT6 in T-cells. The interaction with STAT6 requires the Tyr127residue and Lck-binding domain of Tip, which are indispensable for interleukin (IL)-2-independent T-cell transformation by HVS. It was also demonstrated that Tip induces nuclear translocation of STAT6, as well as activation of STAT6-dependent transcription in Jurkat T-cells. Interestingly, the phosphorylated STAT6 mainly colocalized with vesicles containing Tip within T-cells, but was barely detectable in the nucleus. However, nuclear translocation of phospho-STAT6 and transcriptional activation of STAT6 by IL-4 stimulation were not affected significantly in T-cells expressing Tip. Collectively, these findings suggest that the constitutive activation of STAT6 by Tip in T-cells may contribute to IL-2-independent T-cell transformation by HVS.