bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Air Traffic Control
Authors: Durso Francis T. , Manning Carol A.
Published: January 2009

Determining how the controller (or air navigation service provider) of the future will function in tomorrow's Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) will require an understanding of the existing literature. In this chapter, after an analysis of the controller's job, we focus on technology, which is an important factor in air traffic control (ATC) today and will become increasingly so in NextGen. We then turn to workload and the extent to which it can be predicted. From human-technology interaction and workload, we move to the multiple facets of cognition thought to underlie these and other aspects of the controller's job. Beyond individual cognition, we review collaboration among controllers and discuss both synchronous cooperation and the cooperative shift change. As we move up the system, we look at error, risk, and safety. Finally, we consider the work on controller selection, covering both “select-in” (KSAOs) and “select-out” (e.g., medical and suitability) factors. For NextGen to be successful, human factors researchers must determine from today's research how the human operator can best function to provide ATC services in the future.
Office Ergonomics: A Review of Pertinent Research and Recent Developments
Authors: Brand Jay L.
Published: January 2009

Office ergonomics provides an arbitrary framework for integrating a large body of research that is relevant to the design of office work environments to optimize the health, safety, comfort, and effectiveness of their human occupants. In this chapter, I organize this vast literature by focusing on important empirical and practical developments over the last decade. In particular, a systems perspective is maintained in order to more fully interpret the salient psychosocial (subjective) variables that mediate the influence of physical-environment characteristics on relevant human outcomes. I suggest that this approach is important for capturing current trends as well as moving the discipline forward. Included are reviews of research related to seating and other furniture considerations (e.g., the update of HFS 100 to HFES 100), pertinent information technologies (e.g., input devices and laptops), lighting, thermal comfort, and other general ambient conditions (e.g., private [cellular] offices vs. open-plan offices).
Intracerebral Dendritic Cells Critically Modulate Encephalitogenic versus Regulatory Immune Responses in the CNS
Authors: Zozulya Alla L. , Ortler Sonja , Lee JangEun , Weidenfeller Christian , Sandor Matyas , Wiendl Heinz , Fabry Zsuzsanna
Published: January 2009

Dendritic cells (DCs) appear in higher numbers within the CNS as a consequence of inflammation associated with autoimmune disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, but the contribution of these cells to the outcome of disease is not yet clear. Here, we show that stimulatory or tolerogenic functional states of intracerebral DCs regulate the systemic activation of neuroantigen-specific T cells, the recruitment of these cells into the CNS and the onset and progression of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Intracerebral microinjection of stimulatory DCs exacerbated the onset and clinical course of EAE, accompanied with an early T-cell infiltration and a decreased proportion of regulatory FoxP3-expressing cells in the brain. In contrast, the intracerebral microinjection of DCs modified by tumor necrosis factor α induced their tolerogenic functional state and delayed or prevented EAE onset. This triggered the generation of interleukin 10 (IL-10)-producing neuroantigen-specific lymphocytes in the periphery and restricted IL-17 production in the CNS. Our findings suggest that DCs are a rate-limiting factor for neuroinflammation.
Microglial VEGF Receptor Response Is an Integral Chemotactic Component in Alzheimer's Disease Pathology
Authors: Ryu Jae K. , Cho Taesup , Choi Hyun B. , Wang Yu Tian , McLarnon James G.
Published: January 2009

We hypothesize that microglial chemotactic responses to amyloid-β peptide (Aβ1–42) serve as an early and integral component of inflammatory response in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain. This study reports a receptor for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), termed VEGF-1 (Flt-1), subserves microglial chemotactic responses induced by Aβ1–42stimulation,in vivoandin vitro. Expression of Flt-1 was significantly increased in tissue obtained from AD patients [compared with tissue from nondemented (ND) individuals], in Aβ1–42-injected rat hippocampus, and in peptide-stimulated human microglia. Single and double immunohistochemical staining demonstrated marked immunoreactivity, for both Flt-1 and its ligand VEGF, in association with microglia and Aβ deposits in AD, but not ND, brain tissue. Functionally, treatment with anti-Flt-1 antibody was highly effective in inhibiting microglial mobility and chemotactic responses measuredin vitrousing a transwell migration assay.In vivo, transplanted enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-labeled microglia exhibited Flt-1-dependent chemotaxis induced by peptide injection with anti-Flt-1 effective in blocking migration of cells. Importantly, anti-Flt-1 reduction of microglial mobility was neuroprotective in peptide-injected hippocampus and associated with a significant increase in numbers of viable hippocampal neurons. The results of this study suggest critical functional roles for Flt-1 in mediating microglial chemotactic inflammatory responses which contribute to pathological conditions in AD brain.
Reelin Stabilizes the Actin Cytoskeleton of Neuronal Processes by Inducing n-Cofilin Phosphorylation at Serine3
Authors: Chai Xuejun , Förster Eckart , Zhao Shanting , Bock Hans H. , Frotscher Michael
Published: January 2009

The extracellular matrix protein Reelin, secreted by Cajal-Retzius cells in the marginal zone of the cortex, controls the radial migration of cortical neurons. Reelin signaling involves the lipoprotein receptors apolipoprotein E receptor 2 (ApoER2) and very low density lipoprotein receptor (VLDLR), the adapter protein Disabled1 (Dab1), and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K). Eventually, Reelin signaling acts on the cytoskeleton; however, these effects on cytoskeletal organization have remained elusive. In Reelin-deficient mutant mice, most cortical neurons are unable to migrate to their destinations, suggesting a role for Reelin signaling in the dynamic cytoskeletal reorganization that is required for neurons to migrate. Here, we show that Reelin signaling leads to serine3 phosphorylation of n-cofilin, an actin-depolymerizing protein that promotes the disassembly of F-actin. Phosphorylation at serine3 renders n-cofilin unable to depolymerize F-actin, thereby stabilizing the cytoskeleton. We provide evidence for ApoER2, Dab1, Src family kinases (SFKs), and PI3K to be involved in n-cofilin serine3 phosphorylation. Phosphorylation of n-cofilin takes place in the leading processes of migrating neurons as they approach the Reelin-containing marginal zone. Immunostaining for phospho-cofilin in dissociated reeler neurons is significantly increased after incubation in Reelin-containing medium compared with control medium. In a stripe choice assay, neuronal processes are stable on Reelin-coated stripes but grow on control stripes by forming lamellipodia. These novel findings suggest that Reelin-induced stabilization of neuronal processes anchors them to the marginal zone which appears to be required for the directional migration process.
Dynamic Changes in Brain Activity during Prism Adaptation
Authors: Luauté Jacques , Schwartz Sophie , Rossetti Yves , Spiridon Mona , Rode Gilles , Boisson Dominique , Vuilleumier Patrik
Published: January 2009

Prism adaptation does not only induce short-term sensorimotor plasticity, but also longer-term reorganization in the neural representation of space. We used event-related fMRI to study dynamic changes in brain activity during both early and prolonged exposure to visual prisms. Participants performed a pointing task before, during, and after prism exposure. Measures of trial-by-trial pointing errors and corrections allowed parametric analyses of brain activity as a function of performance. We show that during the earliest phase of prism exposure, anterior intraparietal sulcus was primarily implicated in error detection, whereas parieto-occipital sulcus was implicated in error correction. Cerebellum activity showed progressive increases during prism exposure, in accordance with a key role for spatial realignment. This time course further suggests that the cerebellum might promote neural changes in superior temporal cortex, which was selectively activated during the later phase of prism exposure and could mediate the effects of prism adaptation on cognitive spatial representations.
Relating Structure to Function: Heschl's Gyrus and Acoustic Processing
Authors: Warrier Catherine , Wong Patrick , Penhune Virginia , Zatorre Robert , Parrish Todd , Abrams Daniel , Kraus Nina
Published: January 2009

The way in which normal variations in human neuroanatomy relate to brain function remains largely uninvestigated. This study addresses the question by relating anatomical measurements of Heschl's gyrus (HG), the structure containing human primary auditory cortex, to how this region processes temporal and spectral acoustic information. In this study, subjects' right and left HG were identified and manually indicated on anatomical magnetic resonance imaging scans. Volumes of gray matter, white matter, and total gyrus were recorded, and asymmetry indices were calculated. Additionally, cortical auditory activity in response to noise stimuli varying orthogonally in temporal and spectral dimensions was assessed and related to the volumetric measurements. A high degree of anatomical variability was seen, consistent with other reports in the literature. The auditory cortical responses showed the expected leftward lateralization to varying rates of stimulus change and rightward lateralization of increasing spectral information. An explicit link between auditory structure and function is then established, in which anatomical variability of auditory cortex is shown to relate to individual differences in the way that cortex processes acoustic information. Specifically, larger volumes of left HG were associated with larger extents of rate-related cortex on the left, and larger volumes of right HG related to larger extents of spectral-related cortex on the right. This finding is discussed in relation to known microanatomical asymmetries of HG, including increased myelination of its fibers, and implications for language learning are considered.
Sensory Input Enhances Synaptogenesis of Adult-Born Neurons
Authors: Livneh Yoav , Feinstein Naomi , Klein Marguerita , Mizrahi Adi
Published: January 2009

The adult mammalian brain maintains a prominent stem cell niche in the subventricular zone supplying new neurons to the olfactory bulb. We examined the dynamics of synaptogenesis by imaging the formation and elimination of clusters of a postsynaptic marker (PSD95), genetically targeted to adult-born neurons. We imagedin vivoadult-born periglomerular neurons (PGNs) during two phases of development, immaturity and maturity. Immature PGNs showed high levels of PSD95 puncta dynamics during 12–72 h intervals. Mature PGNs were more stable compared with immature PGNs but still remained dynamic, suggesting that synaptogenesis persists long after these neurons integrated into the network. By combining intrinsic signal and two photon imaging we followed PSD95 puncta in sensory enriched glomeruli. Sensory input upregulated the development of adult-born PGNs only in enriched glomeruli. Our data provide evidence for an activity-based mechanism that enhances synaptogenesis of adult-born PGNs during their initial phases of development.
Oxytocin Makes a Face in Memory Familiar
Authors: Rimmele Ulrike , Hediger Karin , Heinrichs Markus , Klaver Peter
Published: January 2009

Social recognition is the basis of all social interactions. Here, we show that, in humans, the evolutionarily highly conserved neuropeptide oxytocin, after intranasal administration, specifically improves recognition memory for faces, but not for nonsocial stimuli. With increased oxytocin levels, previously presented faces were more correctly assessed as “known,” whereas the ability of recollecting faces was unchanged. This pattern speaks for an immediate and selective effect of the peptide strengthening neuronal systems of social memory.
Simultaneous Silencing ofNpyandDbhExpression in Hindbrain A1/C1 Catecholamine Cells Suppresses Glucoprivic Feeding
Authors: Li Ai-Jun , Wang Qing , Dinh Thu T. , Ritter Sue
Published: January 2009

Previous data have strongly implicated hindbrain catecholamine/neuropeptide Y (NPY) coexpressing neurons as key mediators of the glucoprivic feeding response. Catecholamine/NPY cell bodies are concentrated in the A1 and caudal C1 cell cluster (A1/C1) in the ventrolateral medulla, a region highly sensitive to glucoprivic challenge. To further investigate the importance of this catecholamine subpopulation in glucoregulation, we used small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology to produce a targeted gene knockdown of NPY and dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DBH), a catecholamine biosynthetic enzyme. Unilateral injection of NPY siRNA and DBH siRNA (0.02 nmol each) both significantly inhibited expression of the targeted genes up to 2 d, as revealed by real-time PCR, and reduced protein expression up to 8 d, as revealed by immunohistochemistry, compared with the control nontargeting siRNA (ntRNA) side. Subsequently, targeted siRNA or control ntRNA was injected bilaterally into A1/C1 and responses to 2-deoxy-d-glucose (2DG; 200 mg/kg)-induced glucoprivation were tested 3–7 d later. Silencing of eitherNpyorDbhalone did not reduce glucoprivic feeding or hyperglycemic responses, compared with responses of ntRNA-injected controls. In contrast, simultaneous silencing of bothNpyandDbhreduced 2DG-induced feeding by 61%. Neither the hyperglycemic response to 2DG nor feeding elicited by mercaptoacetate (68 mg/kg)-induced blockade of fatty acid oxidation (“lipoprivic feeding”) was reduced by simultaneous silencing of these two genes. These results suggest that catecholamines and NPY act conjointly to control glucoprivic feeding and that the crucial NPY/catecholamine coexpressing neurons are concentrated in the A1/C1 cell group.
State-, Timing-, and Pattern-Dependent Neuromodulation of Synaptic Strength by a Serotonergic Interneuron
Authors: Sakurai Akira , Katz Paul S.
Published: January 2009

Here we report that a serotonergic neuron evokes two distinct neuromodulatory actions with different state, timing, and firing pattern dependencies. These neuromodulatory actions may have important behavioral functions. In the mollusc,Tritonia diomedea, EPSCs evoked by ventral swim interneuron B (VSI) exhibited intrinsic plasticity; after a spike train, EPSC amplitude increased from a basal state to a potentiated state, which usually lasted >10 min. While the synapse was in a potentiated state, stimulation of a serotonergic dorsal swim interneuron (DSI) decreased VSI synaptic strength, returning it to a basal state. The extent of the DSI-evoked decrement was strongly correlated with the magnitude of the homosynaptic potentiation. This synaptic reset, or depotentiation, by DSI was blocked by the serotonin receptor antagonist methysergide and mimicked by a serotonin puff. In contrast to this state-dependent neuromodulatory action, we found that a previously described DSI-evoked transient enhancement of VSI synaptic strength was state-independent, producing the same multiplicative increase in EPSC amplitude regardless of whether the synapse was in a potentiated or basal state. These two actions also differed in their dependencies on the firing pattern of DSI and VSI action potentials. Results suggest that state-independent synaptic enhancement by DSI may play a short-term role during a swim motor pattern, whereas state-dependent actions may have longer-lasting consequences, resetting VSI synaptic strength after a swim bout. Thus, differences in two neuromodulatory actions at one synapse may allow a serotonergic neuron to play distinct roles at different stages of a motor pattern.
Characteristics of Responses of Golgi Cells and Mossy Fibers to Eye Saccades and Saccadic Adaptation Recorded from the Posterior Vermis of the Cerebellum
Authors: Prsa Mario , Dash Suryadeep , Catz Nicolas , Dicke Peter W. , Thier Peter
Published: January 2009

The anatomical organization of the granular layer of the cerebellum suggests an important function for Golgi cells (GC) in the pathway conveying mossy fiber (MF) afferents to Purkinje cells. Based on such anatomic observations, early proposals have attributed a role in “gain control” for GCs, a function disputed by recent investigations, which assert that GCs instead contribute to oscillatory mechanisms. However, conclusive physiological evidence based on studies of cerebellum-dependent behavior supporting/dismissing the gain control proposition has been lacking as of yet. We addressed the possible function of this interneuron by recording the activity of a large number of both MFs and GCs during saccadic eye movements from the same cortical area of the monkey cerebellum, namely the oculomotor vermis (OMV). Our cellular identification conformed to previously established criteria, mainly to juxtacellular labeling studies correlating physiological parameters with cell morphology. Response patterns of both MFs and GCs were highly heterogeneous. MF discharges correlated linearly with eye saccade metrics and timing, showing directional preference and precise direction tuning. In contrast, GC discharges did not correlate strongly with the metrics or direction of movement. Their discharge properties were also unaffected by motor learning during saccadic adaptation. The OMV therefore receives a barrage of information about eye movements from different oculomotor areas over the MF pathway, which is not reflected in GCs. The unspecificity of GCs has important implications for the intricacies of neuronal processing in the granular layer, clearly discrediting their involvement in gain control and instead suggesting a more secluded role for these interneurons.
TRPV1 Is Activated by Both Acidic and Basic pH
Authors: Dhaka Ajay , Uzzell Valerie , Dubin Adrienne E. , Mathur Jayanti , Petrus Matt , Bandell Michael , Patapoutian Ardem
Published: January 2009

Maintaining physiological pH is required for survival, and exposure to alkaline chemicals such as ammonia (smelling salts) elicits severe pain and inflammation through unknown mechanisms. TRPV1, the capsaicin receptor, is an integrator of noxious stimuli including heat and extracellular acidic pH. Here, we report that ammonia activates TRPV1, TRPA1 (another polymodal nocisensor), and other unknown receptor(s) expressed in sensory neurons. Ammonia and intracellular alkalization activate TRPV1 through a mechanism that involves a cytoplasmic histidine residue, not used by other TRPV1 agonists such as heat, capsaicin or low pH. Our studies show that TRPV1 detects both acidic and basic deviations from homeostatic pH.
Lipocalin-2 Is an Autocrine Mediator of Reactive Astrocytosis
Authors: Lee Shinrye , Park Jae-Yong , Lee Won-Ha , Kim Ho , Park Hae-Chul , Mori Kiyoshi , Suk Kyoungho
Published: January 2009

Astrocytes, the most abundant glial cell type in the brain, provide metabolic and trophic support to neurons and modulate synaptic activity. In response to a brain injury, astrocytes proliferate and become hypertrophic with an increased expression of intermediate filament proteins. This process is collectively referred to as reactive astrocytosis. Lipocalin 2 (lcn2) is a member of the lipocalin family that binds to small hydrophobic molecules. We propose that lcn2 is an autocrine mediator of reactive astrocytosis based on the multiple roles of lcn2 in the regulation of cell death, morphology, and migration of astrocytes. lcn2 expression and secretion increased after inflammatory stimulation in cultured astrocytes. Forced expression of lcn2 or treatment with LCN2 protein increased the sensitivity of astrocytes to cytotoxic stimuli. Iron and BIM (Bcl-2-interacting mediator of cell death) proteins were involved in the cytotoxic sensitization process. LCN2 protein induced upregulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), cell migration, and morphological changes similar to characteristic phenotypic changes termed reactive astrocytosis. The lcn2-induced phenotypic changes of astrocytes occurred through a Rho–ROCK (Rho kinase)–GFAP pathway, which was positively regulated by nitric oxide and cGMP. In zebrafishes, forced expression of rat lcn2 gene increased the number and thickness of cellular processes in GFAP-expressing radial glia cells, suggesting that lcn2 expression in glia cells plays an important rolein vivo. Our results suggest that lcn2 acts in an autocrine manner to induce cell death sensitization and morphological changes in astrocytes under inflammatory conditions and that these phenotypic changes may be the basis of reactive astrocytosisin vivo.
Advocating for Universal Newborn Hearing Screening
Authors: Hollenbeck Lani
Published: January 2009

Universal newborn hearing screening and follow-up is an important detection and intervention program promoting childhood development and the acquisition of fundamental language, social, and cognitive skills. These skills provide the basis for later success in school and in society. Nursing has an important role to play in advocating for newborn hearing screening and in supporting families throughout the screening process.
Barbara Vaughan: Reflective Practice in the United Kingdom
Authors: Manthey Marie , Vaughan Barbara
Published: January 2009

Reflective practice is an approach in which you look at events from your practice and analyze them. It involves thinking about your work in a particular structured way, sometimes with the help of a reflective journal, log or diary…. Reflective practice requires a conscious effort on your part … It is a particular way of thinking about situations, analyzing them and learning from them. You then test out what you learned by building it into your practice.

—(Vaughan and Manthey, 2001)
A Backpack and a Mission: The Journey of a Missionary Nurse
Authors: Eucken Emily
Published: January 2009

A medical mission to a small village in Fiji brought improved health care to a community and an indelible change in a nurse's heart.
Nursing School: The Extended Version
Authors: Meger Melissa
Published: January 2009

A nursing education is interrupted, reinforced, enhanced, and completed by service in the Minnesota Army National Guard.
A Sex Offender Therapist's Story
Authors: Scheela Rochelle A.
Published: January 2009

A therapist who works with sex offenders explains how she got involved in this work, what the treatment program entails, and the difficult homework the offenders must complete to graduate. She also describes the remodeling process offenders experience as they progress through treatment. Most of the offenders she has worked with are remorseful, have been victims themselves, work very hard in treatment, and make remarkable changes to become safe, productive members of society. That is why she has found this work to be some of the most challenging and rewarding work of her life.
Training Traditional Birth Attendants in Southern Sudan
Authors: Haarsager Mary
Published: January 2009

Traditional birth attendants are currently the principal service providers to pregnant women in southern Sudan. A training program provides education to promote maternal and newborn health as well as birth preparedness and establishes mechanisms for supportive supervision.
Centering Pregnancy: Group Prenatal Care
Authors: Stemig Cari
Published: January 2009

A group model for providing prenatal care offers enhanced opportunities for patient education and interpersonal support. Research points to improved clinical outcomes as well as increased patient satisfaction.
Scaling Up HIV Treatment for Pregnant Women: Components of a Midwifery Model of Care as Identified by Midwives in Eastern Cape, South Africa
Authors: Dohrn Jennifer
Published: January 2009

With escalating numbers of pregnant women infected with HIV in South Africa, an assessment was conducted in a district in the Eastern Cape to evaluate midwifery interventions. A series of interviews and observations at primary health care centers identified major issues for midwives, with prioritizing HIV testing as central to antenatal care; fast-tracking eligible HIV-positive pregnant women into comprehensive care with antiretroviral treatment; testing pregnant women with unknown HIV status in labor; and promoting early postpartum care. An emerging model of midwifery care promotes integration of HIV testing and services as a priority at each step in the reproductive cycle for women’s care.
Ethical Dilemmas in Pediatric Discharge Planning
Authors: Tresgallo Mary Ellen , Richmond Lynn , Blustein Jeff , Dubler Nancy N.
Published: January 2009

Ethical dilemmas can arise when formulating a discharge plan for a child from a medically complex hospitalization. Four principal stakeholders are involved in the discharge plan: the patient, the family, the medical caregivers, and the hospital. Since pediatric patients are considered to be a “vulnerable” population, they require special protection from the potential risks associated with an imprudent discharge plan. Balancing the ethical principles of parental autonomy, the child’s right to self-determination, beneficence, the child’s best interest, and the appropriate use of limited resources can impede the expediency with which a discharge plan is executed. In this article, through the use of illustrative cases, we discuss some of the more common ethical issues encountered in pediatric discharge planning. We provide an ethical analysis of these issues as well as recommendations for their potential resolution.
DNP Residency: A Model for the Clinical Doctorate
Authors: Honig Judy , Smolowitz Janice
Published: January 2009

The doctor of nursing practice clinical residency is a key component of doctoral nursing education that combines clinical practicum with scholarly reading and seminars to provide an in-depth experience for students. During the residency students integrate and synthesize knowledge by demonstrating competency in an area of nursing practice and completing a scholarly project. This article describes a doctor of nursing practice residency for students whose focus is the delivery of care to a panel of patients across clinical settings over time.
Regional risk assessment as a part of the long-term receiving water study
Authors: Landis Wayne G , Thomas Jill F
Published: January 2009

A regional-scale watershed assessment using the relative risk model has now been performed on each of the watersheds that are part of the Long-Term Receiving Waters Study (LTRWS) to generate patterns of risk at each study site. The watersheds assessed included the lower McKenzie and mid-Willamette rivers in Oregon, USA; Codorus Creek in Pennsylvania, USA; and the Leaf River in Mississippi, USA. In each case, the goal was to put the LTRWS into a watershed and regional context, including multiple sources, stressors, habitats, and assessment endpoints. In each instance, the relative risk model provided measures of relative risk and testable hypotheses about patterns within the watersheds. There were similarities among the 3 risk studies. First, land use within the watershed was the most important driver of risk in each instance, even compared with point sources. Second, the list of endpoints was similar for each risk assessment. Water quality was held as important, along with populations critical to recreation or commercial use. At each site, data from the LTRWS and other sources could be used to support the risk patterns predicted from the risk assessment process. However, the sampling design of the LTRWS prevented the confirmation of specific cause–effect relationships. A fundamental conclusion is that risk assessment, using an adaptation of the relative risk model, should be performed as an integral part of any watershed assessment and management effort. These initial watershed risk assessments have led to similar assessments across the world.
Considerations for the Antiretroviral Management of Women in 2008
Authors: Clark Rebecca
Published: January 2009

Clinicians should be familiar with sex-specific considerations when managing antiretroviral (ARV) treatment among women. Pregnancy is a critical influence on when to start treatment and what ARVs should be included in a regimen. Sex, pregnancy and hormonal contraceptive therapies can each influence ARV pharmacokinetic profiles. Women may be prone to have higher serum levels with selected ARV treatments, which may improve potency but also increase the risk for toxicities. Several studies have demonstrated that women do have higher frequencies of selected ARV-associated adverse events when compared with men. Although HIV treatment guidelines for nonpregnant women do not differ from men, clinicians should be aware of the high potential for certain ARV-related toxicities and follow suggestions in order to decrease the risk of side effects.
Management of Endometrial Cancer
Authors: Fowler Wiley , Mutch David
Published: January 2009

Endometrial cancer is the fourth most common malignancy diagnosed in US women. Although most cases present in early stages and respond well to surgical staging with appropriately administered adjuvant radiation, the prognosis for advanced endometrial cancers is comparatively poor. Currently available treatments for advanced and recurrent metastatic endometrial cancer have significant toxicities, and are given to a population that is usually elderly with multiple other medical comorbidities. This article examines the pathogenesis of endometrial cancer as well as its diagnosis and management.
Predicting Outcomes in Pregnancies of Unknown Location
Authors: Kirk Emma , Bourne Tom
Published: January 2009

A pregnancy of unknown location (PUL) is a descriptive term used to classify a woman when she has a positive pregnancy test but no intra- or extra-uterine pregnancy is visualized on transvaginal sonography. Expectant management has been shown to be safe for the majority of women with a PUL. Serum progesterone and human chorionic gonadotrophin levels as well as mathematical models play a role in predicting the final outcomes of PULs, which include intrauterine pregnancy, failing PUL and ectopic pregnancy. Other possible predictors of outcome have been studied, but currently no factor has been identified that combines accuracy with reproducibility and simplicity. This article discusses the various aspects of the management of women with PULs. Future work should be aimed at prospectively testing current models in order to predict the outcome of a PUL and minimizing follow-up.
3D Ultrasound in Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine
Authors: Coyne Lucy , Jayaprakasan Kannamannadiar , Raine-Fenning Nick
Published: January 2009

With advances occurring in medicine on a daily basis, it was only a matter of time before essential gynecological investigations, such as ultrasound, were modified. Many clinicians remain unconvinced by its reputed advantages and 3D ultrasound is not without disadvantages. These mainly relate to the cost implications and training requirements. 3D ultrasound imaging is still at a relatively early stage in terms of its role as a day-to-day imaging modality in gynecology and reproductive medicine. 3D imaging has several obvious benefits that relate to an improved spatial orientation and the demonstration of multiplanar views, of which the coronal plane is particularly useful. It offers a more objective and reproducible measurement of volume and vascularity of the region of interest, and an improved assessment of normal and pathological pelvic organs through further postprocessing modalities, including tomographic ultrasound imaging and various rendering modalities. It also has the benefit of offering reduced scanning time, the option of teleconsultation and storage of images for re-evaluation. However, other than its application in the assessment and differentiation of uterine anomalies, there is very little evidence demonstrating that 3D ultrasound results in a clinically relevant benefit or negates the need for further investigation. Future work should ensure that 3D ultrasound is compared with conventional imaging in randomized trials where the observer is blind to the outcome, only after which will we truly be able to evaluate its role in an evidence-based manner.
Intimate Partner Violence: A Clinical Review of Screening and Intervention
Authors: Gottlieb Amy S
Published: January 2009

One in four American women will be physically assaulted or raped by an intimate partner during her lifetime. Such exposure has wide-ranging health effects. Abused women have an increased risk of cardiac, gastrointestinal, gynecologic, musculoskeletal, neurologic and psychological complaints. They also have a greater utilization of medical services and are more likely to access outpatient primary care and specialty care, emergency departments and mental health and substance abuse services than women without a history of partner violence. Most major US medical organizations recommend routine screening of all women for partner abuse. Offering abused women empathy and validation along with referral to local resources is encouraged. Physicians should also document the abuse in the victim's medical record.
Cardiovascular Risk in Women with Nonspecific Chest Pain
Authors: Woodward Mark
Published: January 2009

Evaluation of: Robinson JG, Wallace R, Limacher M et al.: Cardiovascular risk in women with non-specific chest pain (from the Women's Health Initiative hormone trials). Am. J. Cardiol. 102(6), 693–699 (2008). Chest pain is common, and often a specific cause fails to be diagnosed. There is particular concern that many women with a diagnosis of nonspecific chest pain (NSCP) may have atypical indications of coronary artery disease. Analysis of data from the Women's Health Initiative hormone therapy trials, amongst 24,834 postmenopausal women aged 50–79 years who were initially free of cardiovascular disease, found that NSCP was associated with a 139% (95% CI: 46–292%) increase in the risk of subsequent angina. Similar proportional increases in risk were found for cardiac surgery or interventions and nonfatal myocardial infarction. Thus, a diagnosis of NSCP in a woman, using current technology, does not rule out the possibility of increased coronary risk. It would be prudent to treat women with NSCP as being at a higher than average risk of cardiovascular disease
Ductal Carcinoma In Situ of the Breast: 11 Reasons to Consider Treatment with Excision Alone
Authors: Silverstein Melvin J
Published: January 2009

For the last 15 years, there has been a vigorous ongoing debate as to whether or not all conservatively treated patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DOS) require radiation therapy following excision or whether selected patients with DOS can be treated by excision alone. At just about all breast cancer symposia where DOS is discussed, experts are assigned to debate the pros and cons of radiation therapy after excision. The debate is often heated. This article outlines numerous reasons to consider excision alone in the treatment of selected DOS patients.
New Treatments for Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Women
Authors: Adeyemo Mopelola A , Chang Lin
Published: January 2009

The estimated prevalence of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in Western countries is 7–15%, with a female:male ratio of 2–2.5:1 in IBS patients who seek healthcare services; however, the female predominance is lower in the general population. IBS has a significant impact on health-related quality of life and is associated with a significant healthcare and economic burden. Management of IBS is comprised of general measures and pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatment. However, there are ongoing efforts to find more effective therapeutic approaches. As advancements in the understanding of the pathophysiology of IBS continue to grow, new and effective treatments with novel mechanisms of action that have the potential to improve relief of IBS symptoms over current treatments are likely to be developed. This article provides an overview of current and emerging therapies for IBS and also highlights sex and gender differences in clinical trials and treatment response.
Prevention of Preterm Birth
Authors: Denney Jeffrey M , Culhane Jennifer F , Goldenberg Robert L
Published: January 2009

The preterm birth rate in the USA is nearing 13%. The recent rise has been attributed to increased indicated preterm births and multiple births following artificial conceptions. There are few obstetrical interventions that successfully delay or prevent spontaneous preterm birth or reduce the risk factors leading to indicated preterm birth. On the other hand, there are many strategies that have improved outcomes for those infants who are born preterm. These include the use of corticosteroids for fetal maturation and regionalization of perinatal care for high-risk mothers and their infants. Several interventions, including progesterone use and cerclage, demonstrate promise in reducing spontaneous preterm births. The most pressing need is to better define the populations of pregnant women for whom these and other interventions will effectively reduce preterm birth.
Prenatal Nutrition: a Critical Window of Opportunity for Mother and Child
Authors: Shapira Niva
Published: January 2009

The prenatal period encompasses a critical window for future health and functioning of mother and child. Attention previously focused on undernutrition risk (i.e., in developing countries and famine conditions) shifted to mismatch between prenatal ‘programming’ by undernutrition and postnatal overconsumption (i.e., low birthweight vs rapid postnatal growth), now to overconsumption/overweight throughout the reproductive cycle and short- and long-term health risks, including obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease. Moreover, overconsumption/overweight do not guarantee adequacy of critical nutrients (i.e., against birth defects or for brain development). Multinutrient supplementation – including zinc, iodine, choline and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially n-3 – may have advantages over single-nutrient supplements, for example, iron or folate. Future nutritional care for healthy in utero programming may necessitate individual assessment and follow-up, including preconception nutritional preparation, appropriate weight gain, metabolic balance and food-based regimens enhanced by key nutrient fortification and/or supplementation, warranting further research into nutritional optimization of pregnancy outcomes.
Higher Education Transformation: Some Trends in California and Asia
Authors: Hawkins John N.
Published: January 2009

This article discusses higher education transformation in California, the wider USA, and Asia. It touches on several sensitive topics, including the relationship between higher education and the public good versus commodification, privatization, and centralization versus decentralization, as well as others. In the USA and California, this has led to questions of whether historic conceptions of the ‘public good’ can be sustained within the policy frame it has created. The notion of higher education as a public good, especially for the large public research universities, is also being challenged in the Asia region as the state withdraws from maintaining the levels of financial support it has provided in the past. The author suggests that scholars and practitioners in both Asia and the USA should remain engaged with each other and continue to share policies and practices as their respective higher education institutions seek to develop and grow in the increasingly global knowledge society.
Higher Education Reforms in South Korea: Public—Private Problems in Internationalising and Incorporating Universities
Authors: Kim Terri
Published: January 2009

This article analyses the policy and practices of restructuring higher education in South Korea in light of the distinctive characteristics of Korean higher education development and government–higher education relations. The role of government in the development of higher education in Korea has been typically as a direct regulator rather than a coordinator. However, the global trend towards neo-liberal policies, such as privatization and a ‘lean’ state which coordinates market competition, began to be influential in Korea during the 1990s, which eventually led to a shift in higher education policies. There is a public rhetoric about neo-liberal public sector reforms and restructuring; and policy implementations are being made accordingly. The article critically reviews the current government's political rationale for restructuring higher education against the backdrop of ‘globalization’. It is suggested that despite such influences, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has not yet shifted its role in regulating the higher education sector: the fundamental relations of the MOE and the higher education sector have not changed. This article discusses why and how the relations of government to higher education are, in fact, unchanging in Korea.
University Restructuring in Singapore: Amazing or a Maze?
Authors: Lee Michael H. , Gopinathan Saravanan
Published: January 2009

The Singapore government has put forward a comprehensive restructuring program of university education since the 1990s. Public universities in Singapore are going to be developed as world-class universities through a series of university education policies and reforms. This article reviews major developments of university education policies and reforms in Singapore since the mid-1990s and examines critically the impact of the restructuring policies and reforms on the university system in Singapore. It is argued that universities in Singapore can enjoy a higher degree of institutional autonomy within a more stringent framework of public accountability. The university restructuring policy is not only aimed at transforming Singapore as a regional education hub, but also developing public universities in the island-state as world-class higher education institutions. Singapore's universities have to cope with many unprecedented changes and challenges amidst the restructuring process.
When Socialism Meets Market Capitalism: Challenges for Privatizing and Marketizing Education in China and Vietnam
Authors: Mok Ka Ho
Published: January 2009

China and Vietnam have experienced drastic social, economic and political changes, especially when these two socialist regimes have started economic reforms in the last few decades. In order to create more opportunities for higher education with limited national resources, both Chinese and Vietnamese governments have adopted strategies along the lines of marketization and privatization to reform their higher education systems. The major objective of this article is to critically examine how the market transition taking place in China and Vietnam has led to changes in education governance, particularly examine how these two governments have approached the challenges of global capitalism by transforming the socialist education model into a more market-oriented one. This article also discusses the major challenges and policy implications when education is increasingly privatized and marketized in China and Vietnam.
Creating World-Class Universities in Japan: Policy and Initiatives
Authors: Oba Jun
Published: January 2009

For a very long time the Japanese government concentrated its higher education investment on a handful of national institutions, until the policy came to be called into question in the late 1980s in the face of globalisation and other factors. Higher education reform was significantly accelerated in the 1990s: the government has continuously deregulated the higher education system including the incorporation of national universities, and has brought more and more competition through diverse competitive funding schemes. Some policies – not only higher education policies but also science and technology ones – were explicitly designed to develop ‘world-class’ education and research centres, such as the 21st COE programme. This article suggests that although a funding policy based on competition, with a strict evaluation, seems to be a move in the right direction, a right balance of budget allocation between competitive funds and basic education-research funds should be sought. Furthermore, the programmes of the government have to be offered in a more consistent manner, and more concerted and integrated efforts will be required, to address the critical problem of building world-class universities.
Mixtures of fermionic atoms with mass imbalance in optical lattices
Authors: Farkašovský Pavol
Published: January 2009

We study ground-state properties of ultracold fermionic mixtures with strong mass imbalance in one and two-dimensional optical lattices through large scale numerical simulations of the attractive Falicov-Kimball model in harmonic confining potentials. In the one-dimensional case, we observe a formation of insulating atomic-density-wave domains at low particle fillings and a coexistence of insulating and metallic domains at intermediate and large particle fillings. Moreover, we show how the formation of metallic regions is reflected in the momentum distribution of the light atoms. In two dimensions, we find a rich spectrum of density-wave patterns including the homogeneous distributions, the axial striped distributions, the labyrinthine phases as well as the segregated phases.
Prevalence of intestinal parasites in shelter dogs and cats in the metropolitan area of Barcelona (Spain)
Authors: Gracenea Mercedes , Gómez Maria , Torres Jordi
Published: January 2009

Prevalence of intestinal parasites in dogs and cats in Barcelona and surrounding areas was studied by analyzing 505 faecal samples of dogs and 50 of cats using a formol-ether diphasic method for helminths, a modified acid-fast technique for Cryptosporidium and other coccidian oocysts, and the Heindenhein technique for Giardia and Entamoeba trophozoites and cysts. Parasites were found in 26.9% of dogs and 34.0% of cats. Giardia duodenalis, Cryptosporidium sp., coccidian oocysts and Entamoeba sp. were detected in both dogs and cats. Taenia sp., Dipylidium caninum, Ancylostoma caninum, Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina, Trichuris vulpis and Uncinaria sp. were also found in dogs but only Ancylostoma tubaeforme and Toxocara cati in cats. There was a significant relationship for G. duodenalis and Cryptosporidium sp. with seasonality and for G. duodenalis with geographical origin in dogs. Significant differences were also found for T. canis between stray and domestic dogs and for T. vulpis between males and females.
A new trematode species parasitizing the catfish Hoplosternum littorale (Osteichthyes, Callichthyidae) from Paraná River, Brazil, with an emendation of the diagnosis of Magnivitellinum (Trematoda, Macroderoididae)
Authors: Lacerda Ana , Takemoto Ricardo , Pavanelli Gilberto
Published: January 2009

Magnivitellinum corvitellinum sp. nov. is a parasite from the intestine of tamboatá Hoplosternum littorale, a freshwater catfish from Paraná River, Brazil. This species has an elongate body, a small cirrus-sac, testes in the posterior half of the body and well-developed follicular vitellines. It differs from the only other species in the genus, M. simplex, in having tegumental spines along the body, ventral sucker distinctly bigger than oral sucker, oesophagus absent and vitellaria extending from posterior margin of ventral sucker to near posterior extremity of body. An emendation of the generic diagnosis is proposed in view of the presence of tegumental spines along the body, absence of oesophagus, relative size of ventral and oral suckers and uterus covering caeca from the level of ventral sucker to the end of caeca. This is the fourth trematode species recorded parasitizing Hoplosternum littorale.