bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Initial Fixation Strength of Transosseous-Equivalent Suture Bridge Rotator Cuff Repair Is Comparable With Transosseous Repair
Authors: Behrens Steve B. , Bruce Benjamin , Zonno Alan J. , Paller David , Green Andrew
Published: November 2011

Background: The outcome of rotator cuff repair correlates with tendon healing. Early studies of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair demonstrate lower healing rates than traditional open techniques. Transosseous-equivalent repair techniques (suture bridge) were developed to improve the initial fixation strength.

Purpose: To compare the initial in vitro tensile fixation strength of a transosseous-equivalent suture bridge (TOE-SB) rotator cuff repair construct to a traditional transosseous (TO) suture construct.

Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.

Methods: Identical simulated rotator cuff tears were created on 8 matched pairs of humeri. Each matched pair underwent repair with 4 sutures using either the TOE-SB or TO technique. Initial fixation strength was tested in a custom testing jig. Each shoulder underwent 1000 cycles each of low and then high load testing. Gap displacement was measured at anterior and posterior sites of the repair with digital video tracking of paired reflective markers and recorded at predetermined cycle intervals.

Results: There were no statistically significant differences in gap formation at the repair sites under low or high load conditions between TOE-SB and TO techniques. The mean maximal gap formation of the repairs during low load testing in the TOE-SB and TO constructs was 0.93 ± 0.88 mm and 0.55 ± 0.22 mm, respectively ( P = .505). The mean maximal gap formation during high load testing in the TOE-SB and TO constructs was 2.04 ± 1.10 mm and 2.28 ± 1.62 mm, respectively ( P = .517). The most significant increase in gap distance occurred at the transition from low load to high load in both constructs. Most of the incremental displacement occurred within the first 100 cycles for both high and low load testing ( P < .001).

Conclusion: The arthroscopic TOE-SB technique is comparable in initial fixation strength to the traditional TO simple suture repair technique.

Clinical Relevance: Arthroscopic techniques can achieve initial fixation strength comparable with traditional TO techniques performed without suture anchors.
Biomechanical and Histological Evaluations of the Doubled Semitendinosus Tendon Autograft After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Sheep
Authors: Kondo Eiji , Yasuda Kazunori , Katsura Taro , Hayashi Riku , Kotani Yoshihisa , Tohyama Harukazu
Published: November 2011

Background: A sheep or goat anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction model with the semitendinosus tendon autograft has not as of yet been established.

Hypothesis: The semitendinosus tendon graft may be necrotized after ACL reconstruction until 12 weeks. Structural properties of the femur-graft-tibia complex may not be restored to the normal ACL level even at 12 months after surgery.

Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.

Methods: Thirty-eight mature sheep were used. In each animal, the right knee underwent ACL reconstruction using the semitendinosus tendon autograft. Two of them were not tested because of pneumonia. Twenty of 36 sheep were used for biomechanical evaluations. Five randomly selected animals were sacrificed at 0, 12, 24, or 52 weeks after surgery. In each animal, both the knees were harvested, and the left knee was used to obtain the control data. The remaining 16 sheep were used for histological evaluation. Two or 3 randomly selected animals were sacrificed at 0, 2, 6, 12, 24, or 52 weeks after surgery.

Results: The tendon graft was predominantly acellular at 2 weeks. Although cell infiltration increased at 6 weeks, the core portion remained necrotic even at 12 weeks. At 24 and 52 weeks, the necrotic lesion disappeared in the core portion. In each period, the anteroposterior translation of the reconstructed knee remained significantly greater than that of the control ( P < .0001). At 52 weeks, the maximum load of the femur-graft-tibia complex was significantly lower than that of the femur-ACL-tibia complex ( P < .0001), although there was no significant difference in the cell density, the tissue dimensions, the stiffness, and the elongation at failure between the 2 complexes.

Conclusion: The sheep ACL reconstruction model showed predominant intrinsic fibroblast necrosis in the tendon autograft until 12 weeks. Although the structural properties of the femur-graft-tibia complex gradually improved, they were not completely restored to the femur-ACL-tibia complex level even at 52 weeks.

Clinical Relevance: Remodeling of the semitendinosus tendon autograft after ACL reconstruction is not different from that of the bone-tendon-bone graft. This study has suggested that vigorous activity should not be permitted for patients in the early periods after ACL reconstruction using semitendinosus tendon autografts, which are necrotized and weakened after surgery.
The Social Production of the Urban Structure of Mazatlan, Mexico
Authors: Beraud J. L.
Published: November 2011

In the processes of spatial transformation subject to the laws of capitalism, the rural field was displaced by the demographic concentration and centralization of productive activities in cities. In the growth of urban structure these register the decisive practices of the social agents (factions of capital, the state, including all its levels, and labor) – whose actions create the city and define its identity. The above assertions are illustrated by an historical analysis of the social production of space in Mazatlan, a city that could have been just like any other in the industrialized world, but that today presents the characteristics of a Third World place as a result of the weak development of its productive forces, but especially of the way state intervention brought resources to the area only to have them exploited by elements of private capital, including foreign extractive sources.
Computer-aided design and optimization of profile extrusion dies for thermoplastics and rubber: a review
Authors: Pittman J F T
Published: November 2011

A review is provided of issues and techniques in design and optimization of profile extrusion dies for thermoplastics and rubber, with particular emphasis on unplasticized polyvinyl chloride and rubber compounds. Traditional profile die design methods are contrasted with computer-based ones, with respect to efficiency and economic benefits. The main types of die construction are outlined. Physical phenomena relevant to the design and performance of dies are summarized, including: rheology and kinematics of the flow, wall slip, extrusion instabilities, residence time and degradation, extrudate swell, draw-down, and thermal effects. Approaches and strategies for die design are explained, including: flow balancing – with guidance from analytic flow results, the Avoid-Cross-Flow strategy, use of flow separators, and designing for extrudate swell. Published computer simulations of die flow used to assist with design are reviewed. Introducing automatic die design, the structure and elements of a computerized design optimization environment are set out. Key components and options within this are described, including: objective functions, constraints, design variables, optimization algorithms, design parameterization and flow domain meshing, and optimization strategies. Published implementations of computerized profile die design optimization are described. Automatic design optimization is compared with the work of a designer assisted by flow simulations in the industrial environment, showing how substantial reductions in demands on the designer's time are possible. The nature and potential of robust design is outlined, with techniques for its implementation. Conclusions are drawn as to the present state of the art in computer-assisted profile die design and optimization, and potential advances.
From discursive event to discourse événement: A case study of political–religious discourse in Argentina
Authors: Eduardo Bonnin Juan
Published: November 2011

This article analyses the interplay between religious and political discourse in Argentina, departing from a case study located in the transition towards democracy in April 1987, and conveying military, political and religious discourse within the conflicts that surrounded the government of President Raúl R. Alfonsín (1983–9). It involved a well-established discourse genre, the homily, within an historical social practice, the Catholic mass; but it also included the violation of one of its main features, namely the monopoly of talk by priests. By challenging the bishop’s monologue, questioned by the homily, President Alfonsín settled a different ground, neither religious nor political, an événement that required urgent recontextualization. The mass media, as privileged agents representing contemporary social practices, recontextualized it through the multimodal attribution of genericity (Adam and Heidmann, 2004) in two main different ways, ascribing the event to either a religious or political field. In both cases, as we will see later, the actions and actors involved were consistently opposite, responding to different ideological motivations and with different strategic goals. The underlying theoretical point is that genres are not fixed in events, but rather represent ways of dealing with the exceptionality of événements that bring out ideological or political tensions.
Regimenting discourse, controlling bodies: Disinformation, evaluation and moral categorization in a state bureaucratic agency
Authors: Codó Eva
Published: November 2011

This article examines, from a critical and ethnographic sociolinguistic perspective, the socio-discursive practices unfolding at the information desk of a Spanish immigration office in Barcelona. Drawing on a corpus of ethnographic materials and interactional data, the article discusses why frontline communication became constituted as it did, what practical routines and ideological considerations grounded it, and how multiple social and institutional orders intersected in the shaping of practical and symbolic gatekeeping. I claim that, through various micro-strategies of control, evaluation and moral hierarchization, the government employees at this bureaucratic agency enacted the disciplinary and exclusionary regime of the nation-state, and socialized their clients into becoming ‘good’ migrants.
The discursive construction of civil judgments in Mainland China
Authors: Han Zhengrui
Published: November 2011

China has made a continuing effort over the past decade to conduct a judicial reform (Hu, 2007; Jiang, 1997) in order to accommodate its fast-developing market and economy. The judicial reform changes a number of aspects of Chinese litigation practices including the selection of judges, the hearing of cases and the writing of judgments. This research aims at describing, analyzing and explaining some of the ways in which Chinese judges change their discursive construction of civil judgments due to the ongoing judicial reform. A variety of data are used in this research: a medium-sized corpus of Chinese civil judgments, lawyers and judges’ accounts, written laws (statutes) and legal news reports. Analytical results suggest that Chinese civil judgments, although being a highly institutionalized and standardized genre, include a number of discursive instances demonstrating Chinese judges’ context-specific writing variations and their efforts in enhancing the transparency of background litigation practices.
Strategies of legitimization in political discourse: From words to actions
Authors: Reyes Antonio
Published: November 2011

From an interdisciplinary framework anchored theoretically in Critical Discourse Analysis and using analytical tools from Systemic Functional Linguistics, this article accounts for a crucial use of language in society: the process of legitimization. This article explains specific linguistic ways in which language represents an instrument of control (Hodge and Kress, 1993: 6) and manifests symbolic power (Bourdieu, 2001) in discourse and society. Taking into account previous studies on legitimization (i.e. Martín Rojo and Van Dijk, 1997; Van Dijk, 2005; Van Leeuwen, 1996, 2007, 2008; Van Leeuwen and Wodak, 1999), this particular work develops and proposes some key strategies of legitimization employed by social actors to justify courses of action. The strategies of legitimization can be used individually or in combination with others, and justify social practices through: (1) emotions (particularly fear), (2) a hypothetical future, (3) rationality, (4) voices of expertise and (5) altruism. This article explains how these strategies are linguistically constructed and shaped.

This study explains the use of these discursive structures and strategies through examples of speeches given by leaders with differing ideologies, specifically George W. Bush and Barack Obama, in two different armed conflicts, Iraq (2007) and Afghanistan (2009), to underline their justifications of military presence in the notorious ‘War on Terror’.
The Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) group – It was 20 years ago today
Authors: Isenberg DA , Ramsey-Goldman R , Gladman D , Hanly JG
Published: November 2011

The Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) group is 20 years old this year (2011). This brief review traces the origins of the group focussing on its more recent history and reviewing some of its major contributions to lupus research during the past two decades.
Mycophenolate mofetil inducing remission of lupus enteritis
Authors: Al Balushi F , Humby F , Mahto A , Kelly C , Jawad A
Published: November 2011

We report the case of a young woman with a background history of discoid lupus who presented with abdominal pain, vomiting and intermittent diarrhoea. Physical examination revealed tenderness in the right upper quadrant with a palpable right inguinal lymph node without any other clinical signs of active lupus. Laboratory investigations showed normal inflammatory markers, positive ANA and Anti-Ro antibodies, persistent hypocomplementemia and lymphopenia, CT showed marked bowel oedema involving the small and large bowel (halo sign) with massive ascites and moderate right-sided pleural effusion. Mantoux test, AFB and TB cultures were negative. A diagnosis of lupus enteritis was made and treatment with high-dose steroids was commenced with little improvement. Treatment with cyclophosphamide was discussed but declined by the patient. Mycophenolate mofetil was commenced and resulted in significant clinical and radiological resolution. To the best of the authors’ knowledge this is the first report of the successful use of mycophenolate mofetil in inducing and maintaining remission in lupus enteritis.
The Role of the Media in Shaping the UK Debate on ‘Assisted Dying’
Authors: Saunders Peter
Published: November 2011

This paper reviews the legislative background, the major stakeholders and the alignment of the various media in the UK debate on ‘assisted dying’. It explains the way the four main arenas of debate—parliament, the institutions, the courts and the media—have engaged with the issues and then outlines how the pro-legalisation lobby has courted media publicity through high-profile personal stories, court cases, parliamentary bills and amendments, celebrity endorsement and the Falconer commission. In particular it argues that the BBC has breached its own editorial guidelines on both impartiality and suicidal portrayal and is at risk of promoting further suicides by fuelling suicide contagion. It concludes that the police and the courts must uphold the will of parliament and that the media must act responsibly in covering the debate, giving equal weight and exposure to the arguments of both sides and following international guidelines on the coverage of individual cases.
Global shifts in contemporary times: the changing trajectories of steel towns in China, Germany and the United Kingdom
Authors: Hudson Ray , Swanton Dan
Published: November 2011

At one level, this paper centres on the closure of a steel plant in Germany, the closure and then reprieve of another in the UK and the expansion of a third in China, but at another level this changing geography of steel production can be seen as symptomatic of and symbolizing profound changes in the global manufacturing economy. The closures at Dortmund (permanently) and Redcar/south Teesside (temporarily) both reflected the growing international – not to say global – restructuring of the steel industry and the strategies that steel-producing companies adopted in the face of profound changes in markets and patterns of production and trade. To that extent, at first sight this might appear to be a familiar and not unexpected outcome of those processes. However, the outcomes both at local level and for the steel plants themselves turned out to be very different because they reflected the complexity of global processes and the interacting effects of many influences operating at different spatial scales within the complex social relations of capital. Not least this was because the closure in Dortmund and the ending of steel-making there were directly implicated in a major expansion of steel production in China, by Shagang in Jiangsu Province, via the transfer of a major steel complex, disassembled in Dortmund and reassembled in Jinfeng. The disassembly of a major production complex, its transport to the other side of the world and its reassembly there as functional fixed capital added a dramatic and radical new twist to the meaning of global shift.
The Impact of Interpersonal Perceptions on Team Processes
Authors: LeDoux Jared A. , Gorman C. Allen , Woehr David J.
Published: November 2011

This study utilized the social relations model (SRM) to examine the influence of interpersonal perceptions on team processes and outcomes. We hypothesized that the three components of the SRM (assimilation, consensus, and unique relations) would yield differential relationships with group process outcomes. We proposed that unique relations in members’ perceptions of group members, perceptual relationships specific to particular dyads within a focal group, would be a source of negativity within teams’ outcomes. Participants were undergraduates who worked in small groups for assignments for the duration of one semester; each member rated themselves and their teammates on five individual-level characteristics. Hypotheses about unique relations were supported. This component of the SRM model was positively related to conflict and negatively related to cohesion, showing the greatest relative importance among the three SRM components in predicting team process and outcomes.
Intrathecal Drug Delivery System (IDDS) for Cancer Pain Management
Authors: Upadhyay Surjya Prasad , Mallick Piyush N.
Published: November 2011

Cancer pain remains undertreated and a significant number of patients with cancer pain die from severe untreated pain. With increasing survival rate in cancer, the prevalence of cancer pain is also increasing in number. Though majority of patients with cancer pain can be effectively treated with conventional medical management, still a significant portion of patients required some form of interventional pain management techniques. Among the interventional techniques, intrathecal drug delivery is increasingly used in cancer pain management. Our objective of this article is to review literatures and clinical studies on intrathecal drug delivery system (IDDS) in cancer pain management and to provide updates on its use, precautions, contraindications, side effects and its management, socioeconomic consideration, and management of IDDS in difficult or uncommon situations.
A Review of Neurofeedback Treatment for Pediatric ADHD
Authors: Lofthouse Nicholas , Arnold L. Eugene , Hersch Sarah , Hurt Elizabeth , DeBeus Roger
Published: November 2011

Objective: The aim of this paper was to review all randomized published trials and unpublished conference presentations on the neurofeedback (NF) treatment of pediatric ADHD, and their relevance, strengths, and limitations. Method: Via PsychInfo and Medline searches and contacts with NF researchers 14 studies were identified and reviewed. Results: The majority were conducted from 1994 to 2010, with 5- to 15-year-olds, usually male and White with the combined type of ADHD. Most studies used theta/beta NF with a unipolar-electrode placement at Cz and demonstrated, where reported, an overall ADHD mean effect size of d = 0.69, a medium effect. Main study strengths, within some studies, include use of randomization, treatment control conditions, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria, evidence-based assessment of ADHD, standard treatment outcome measures, multidomain assessment, and, for some studies, moderate sample size, some type of blind and the identification of medication as a concomitant treatment. Main study limitations (and directions for future research) include the lack of adequate blinding of participants, raters and NF trainers, a sham-NF/blinded control treatment condition, posttreatment follow-up, generalizability, specific details about delivery of NF, identification and control of comorbidity, and the identification, measurement, and control of concomitant treatments and potential side effects. Conclusion: Based on the results and methodologies of published studies, this review concludes that NF for pediatric ADHD can be currently considered as “probably efficacious.”
Trusting organizations: The institutionalization of trust in interorganizational relationships
Authors: Kroeger Frens
Published: November 2011

Recent research on interorganizational trust has stressed the need to develop a deeper understanding of the multi-level nature of this construct. This article focuses on trust on different analytical levels in an interorganizational context, and on the hitherto underspecified connections between these. Based on an institutionalization approach, it revisits the classic question: (how) can organizations trust each other? To do so, we consider organizations as objects of trust and reappraise the transferral from interpersonal to interorganizational trust in ‘facework’ (Giddens, 1990). We also examine the conflicts and struggles of trust and power that can arise from this process between boundary spanners and their organizational constituents. Next, we consider organizations as subjects of trust in interorganizational relationships. We detail the institutionalization of trust and its reproduction on an organizational level, and how it can be transmitted to new generations of organizational actors, creating path-dependent histories of trust which are truly interorganizational. Taking up the theme of trust and power, we analyse ways in which the institutionalization of trust can entail that of power, too, and examine the implications of this from a critical point of view. We conclude that in interorganizational trust, both the subject and object of trust move across analytical levels, and further, that this movement demonstrates the significance of the organization as a distinct entity that can be both trusted and trusting.
Institutional trust and multilevel government in the European Union: Congruence or compensation?
Authors: Muñoz Jordi , Torcal Mariano , Bonet Eduard
Published: November 2011

Does trust in national institutions foster or hinder trust in the institutions of the European Union (EU)? There is no agreement in the literature on popular support for the EU about the direction of the relationship between trust in national and European institutions. Some scholars argue that both will be positively related, others have proposed the opposite hypothesis: low levels of trust in national institutions will lead citizens to higher levels of support for the EU. We argue that both hypotheses are true but operate at different levels: whereas more trusting citizens tend to be so in both the national and the European arenas, we also find that at the country level the relationship is negative: living in a country with highly trusted and well-performing institutions hinders trust in the European Parliament. We test our hypotheses using data from the European Social Survey and Hierarchical Linear Modeling.
The Belgian national past: Between commemoration and silence
Authors: Rosoux Valerie , van Ypersele Laurence
Published: November 2011

This article examines the gradual deconstruction of the Belgian national identity. Is it possible to speak of a de facto differentiation or even ‘federalization’ of the so-called ‘national past’ in Belgium? How do Belgians choose to remember and forget this past? To contribute to an understanding of these issues, the article considers two very different episodes of Belgian history, namely the First World War and the colonization of the Congo. On the one hand, the memory of the First World War appears to provide the template for memory conflicts in Belgium, and thus informs the memories of other tragedies such as the Second World War. On the other hand, the memory of the colonial past remains much more consensual – providing a more nuanced picture of competing views on the past. Beyond the differences between the ways in which these episodes are officially portrayed, the same fundamental trend may be observed: the gradual fragmentation of a supposedly smooth and reliable national version of history.
Effects of different current densities on properties of MAO coatings embedded with and without α-Al2O3 nanoadditives
Authors: Li H X , Li W J , Song R G , Ji Z G
Published: November 2011

Ceramic coatings have been synthesised on 6063 aluminium alloy by microarc oxidation (MAO) technique in the solution of NaAlO2 electrolyte with and without α-Al2O3 nanoadditive. Effects of different current densities on the properties of ceramic coatings have been studied in this paper. The phase composition and microstructure of the MAO coatings were investigated by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analyses respectively. Microhardness, adhesion and wear resistance tests were also performed. X-ray diffraction shows that the ceramic coating prepared in NaAlO2 electrolyte with α-Al2O3 nanoadditive has better crystallisation in comparison with that prepared without α-Al2O3 nanoadditive. Scanning electron microscopy shows that the surface of the coating prepared with α-Al2O3 nanoadditive became denser and smoother and the number of pores decreased with increasing current density from 15 to 20 A dm−2. Mechanical property tests show that values of microhardness and adhesion of the ceramic coatings increase with increasing current density, while the samples prepared under the current density of 20 A dm−2 with α-Al2O3 nanoadditive have better wear resistance than the others, which is mainly attributed to its dense surface, high hardness and relatively low friction coefficient.
Estimation of fracture toughness of tempered nanostructured bainite
Authors: Al Hamdany A , Al Fattal D , Jabbar T A , Bhadeshia H K D H
Published: November 2011

Fine structures consisting of a mixture of extremely thin bainite plates embedded in a matrix of austenite, are now a commercial proposition. Whereas the phase transformation theory for such structures is fairly well established, the understanding of their mechanical properties is not. The present work is an attempt to express the fracture toughness of such steels using a neural network method exploiting data available for martensitic and ordinary bainitic steels. It is demonstrated that in spite of uncertainties, the model captures reasonable trends and is able to estimate unseen experimental results on the nanostructured bainite.
SF3B1 mutations are prevalent in myelodysplastic syndromes with ring sideroblasts but do not hold independent prognostic value
Authors: Patnaik Mrinal M. , Lasho Terra L. , Hodnefield Janice M. , Knudson Ryan A. , Ketterling Rhett P. , Garcia-Manero Guillermo , Steensma David P. , Pardanani Animesh , Hanson Curtis A. , Tefferi Ayalew
Published: November 2011

SF3B1 mutations were recently reported in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs), especially in the presence of ring sideroblasts (RSs). We sought to define the interaction between SF3B1 mutations, morphology, karyotype, and prognosis in MDS with more than or equal to 15% RS (MDS-RS). We studied 107 patients with MDS-RS, including 48 with refractory anemia with RS (RARS), 43 with refractory cytopenia with multilineage dysplasia (RCMD)-RS, 11 with refractory anemia with excess blasts-1 (RAEB1)–RS, and 5 with RAEB2-RS. SF3B1 mutations were detected in 53 (∼ 50%) patients: 35 RARS (73%), 16 RCMD-RS (37%), and 2 RAEB1-RS (18%). In univariate analysis, the presence of SF3B1 mutations was associated with better overall (P < .01) and leukemia-free (P < .01) survival; however, in both instances, significance was completely accounted for by World Health Organization morphologic risk categorization. In other words, when RARS and RCMD-RS were analyzed separately, there was no additional prognostic value from the presence or absence of SF3B1 mutations.
Lack of involvement of type 7 phosphodiesterase in an experimental model of asthma
Authors: Chevalier E. , Lagente V. , Dupont M. , Fargeau H. , Palazzi X. , Richard V. , Dassaud M. , Fric M. , Coupe M. , Carré C. , Leduc S. , Bernardelli P. , Vergne F. , Berna P. , Bertrand C.P.
Published: November 2011

Type 7 phosphodiesterases (PDE7) are responsible for the decrease of intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) in many cells involved in allergic asthma by suppressing their potential to respond to many activating stimuli. The elevation of intracellular cAMP has been associated with immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory activities and represents a potential treatment of asthma.

Our aim was to evaluate the impact of the deletion of the murine phosphodiesterase (PDE)7B gene and then to evaluate the efficacy of a newly described selective PDE7A and -B inhibitor on an ovalbumin (OVA)-induced airway inflammation and airway hyperreactivity (AHR) model in mice.

Inflammation was determined 72 h after single OVA challenge or 24 h after multiple challenges by the relative cell influx and cytokine content in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. AHR and immunoglobulin E levels in serum were determined after multiple challenges.

For the first time, we have demonstrated that the deletion of the PDE7B gene or the pharmacological inhibition of PDE7A and -B had no effect on all the parameters looked at in this model. These results highlight the absence of any implication of the PDE7 enzyme in our model.
TBX3 over-expression causes mammary gland hyperplasia and increases mammary stem-like cells in an inducible transgenic mouse model
Authors: Liu Jing , Esmailpour Taraneh , Shang Xiying , Gulsen Gultekin , Liu Andy , Huang Taosheng
Published: November 2011

Background

The T-box transcription factor TBX3 is necessary for early embryonic development and for the normal development of the mammary gland. Homozygous mutations, in mice, are embryonic lethal while heterozygous mutations result in perturbed mammary gland development. In humans, mutations that result in the haploinsufficiency of TBX3 causes Ulnar Mammary Syndrome (UMS) characterized by mammary gland hypoplasia as well as other congenital defects. In addition to its role in mammary gland development, various studies have also supported a role for Tbx3 in breast cancer development. TBX3 is over-expressed in various breast cancer cell lines as well as cancer tissue and has been found to contribute to breast cancer cell migration. Previous studies have suggested that TBX3 contributes to cancer development by its ability to bypass senescence by repressing the expression of p14ARF-tumor suppressor. Although many studies have shown that a dysregulation of TBX3 expression may contribute to cancer progression, no direct evidence shows TBX3 causes breast cancer.

Results

In this study, we created doxycycline inducible double transgenic mice (MMTV-rtTA;tet-myc-TBX3-IRES-Luciferase) to test whether TBX3 over-expression can induce tumor formation within the mammary gland. Although over-expression of TBX3, alone, did not induce tumor formation it did promote accelerated mammary gland development by increasing mammary epithelial cell proliferation. We also show that TBX3 directly binds to and represses NFκBIB, an inhibitor of the NF-κB pathway known to play a role in regulating cell proliferation. Lastly, we also show that the over-expression of TBX3 is associated with an increase in mammary stem-like cells.

Conclusions

Overall, our data suggests that over-expression of TBX3 may contribute to breast cancer development by promoting accelerated mammary gland development through the inhibition of the NF-κB pathway and stimulation of both mammary epithelial cell and stem-like cell proliferation.
Extensive recombination events and horizontal gene transfer shaped the Legionella pneumophila genomes
Authors: Gomez-Valero Laura , Rusniok Christophe , Jarraud Sophie , Vacherie Benoit , Rouy Zoé , Barbe Valerie , Medigue Claudine , Etienne Jerome , Buchrieser Carmen
Published: November 2011

Background

Legionella pneumophila is an intracellular pathogen of environmental protozoa. When humans inhale contaminated aerosols this bacterium may cause a severe pneumonia called Legionnaires' disease. Despite the abundance of dozens of Legionella species in aquatic reservoirs, the vast majority of human disease is caused by a single serogroup (Sg) of a single species, namely L. pneumophila Sg1. To get further insights into genome dynamics and evolution of Sg1 strains, we sequenced strains Lorraine and HL 0604 1035 (Sg1) and compared them to the available sequences of Sg1 strains Paris, Lens, Corby and Philadelphia, resulting in a comprehensive multigenome analysis.

Results

We show that L. pneumophila Sg1 has a highly conserved and syntenic core genome that comprises the many eukaryotic like proteins and a conserved repertoire of over 200 Dot/Icm type IV secreted substrates. However, recombination events and horizontal gene transfer are frequent. In particular the analyses of the distribution of nucleotide polymorphisms suggests that large chromosomal fragments of over 200 kbs are exchanged between L. pneumophila strains and contribute to the genome dynamics in the natural population. The many secretion systems present might be implicated in exchange of these fragments by conjugal transfer. Plasmids also play a role in genome diversification and are exchanged among strains and circulate between different Legionella species.

Conclusion

Horizontal gene transfer among bacteria and from eukaryotes to L. pneumophila as well as recombination between strains allows different clones to evolve into predominant disease clones and others to replace them subsequently within relatively short periods of time.
Characteristics of the aberrant pyramidal tract in comparison with the pyramidal tract in the human brain
Authors: Kwon Hyeok Gyu , Son Su Min , Chang Min Cheol , Kim Saeyoon , Kwon Yong Hyun , Jang Sung Ho
Published: November 2011

Background

The aberrant pyramidal tract (APT) refers to the collateral pathway of the pyramidal tract (PT) through the medial lemniscus in the midbrain and pons. Using diffusion tensor tractography (DTT), we investigated the characteristics of the APT in comparison with the PT in the normal human brain.

Results

In thirty-four (18.3%, right hemisphere: 20, left hemisphere: 14) of the 186 hemispheres, the APTs separated from the PT at the upper midbrain level, descended through the medial lemniscus from the midbrain to the pons, and then rejoined with the PT at the upper medulla. Nine (26.5%) of the 34 APTs were found to originate from the primary somatosensory cortex without a primary motor cortex origin. Values of fractional anisotropy (FA) and tract volume of the APT were lower than those of the PT (P < 0.05); however, no difference in mean diffusivity (MD) value was observed (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

We found that the APT has different characteristics, including less directionality, fewer neural fibers, and less origin from the primary motor cortex than the PT.
Predictors of long-term pain and disability in patients with low back pain investigated by magnetic resonance imaging: A longitudinal study
Authors: McNee Philip , Shambrook James , Harris E Clare , Kim Miranda , Sampson Madeleine , Palmer Keith T , Coggon David
Published: November 2011

Background

It is possible that clinical outcome of low back pain (LBP) differs according to the presence or absence of spinal abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in which case there could be value in using MRI findings to refine case definition of LBP in epidemiological research. We therefore conducted a longitudinal study to explore whether spinal abnormalities on MRI for LBP predict prognosis after 18 months.

Methods

A consecutive series of patients aged 20-64 years, who were investigated by MRI because of mechanical LBP (median duration of current episode 16.2 months), were identified from three radiology departments, and those who agreed completed self-administered questionnaires at baseline and after a mean follow-up period of 18.5 months (a mean of 22.2 months from MRI investigation). MRI scans were assessed blind to other clinical information, according to a standardised protocol. Associations of baseline MRI findings with pain and disability at follow-up, adjusted for treatment and for other potentially confounding variables, were assessed by Poisson regression and summarised by prevalence ratios (PRs) with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

Questionnaires were completed by 240 (74%) of the patients who had agreed to be followed up. Among these 111 men and 129 women, 175 (73%) reported LBP in the past four weeks, 89 (37%) frequent LBP, and 72 (30%) disabling LBP. In patients with initial disc degeneration there was an increased risk of frequent (PR 1.3, 95%CI 1.0-1.9) and disabling LBP (PR 1.7, 95%CI 1.1-2.5) at follow-up. No other associations were found between MRI abnormalities and subsequent outcome.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that the MRI abnormalities examined are not major predictors of outcome in patients with LBP. They give no support to the use of MRI findings as a way of refining case definition for LBP in epidemiological research.
Predicting recovery at home after Ambulatory Surgery
Authors: Viñoles Juan , Ibáñez Maía V , Ayala Guillermo
Published: November 2011

The correct implementation of Ambulatory Surgery must be accompanied by an accurate monitoring of the patient post-discharge state. We fit different statistical models to predict the first hours postoperative status of a discharged patient. We will also be able to predict, for any discharged patient, the probability of needing a closer follow-up, or of having a normal progress at home.

Background

The status of a discharged patient is predicted during the first 48 hours after discharge by using variables routinely used in Ambulatory Surgery. The models fitted will provide the physician with an insight into the post-discharge progress. These models will provide valuable information to assist in educating the patient and their carers about what to expect after discharge as well as to improve their overall level of satisfaction.

Methods

A total of 922 patients from the Ambulatory Surgery Unit of the Dr. Peset University Hospital (Valencia, Spain) were selected for this study. Their post-discharge status was evaluated through a phone questionnaire. We pretend to predict four variables which were self-reported via phone interviews with the discharged patient: sleep, pain, oral tolerance of fluid/food and bleeding status. A fifth variable called phone score will be built as the sum of these four ordinal variables. The number of phone interviews varies between patients, depending on the evolution. The proportional odds model was used. The predictors were age, sex, ASA status, surgical time, discharge time, type of anaesthesia, surgical specialty and ambulatory surgical incapacity (ASI). This last variable reflects, before the operation, the state of incapacity and severity of symptoms in the discharged patient.

Results

Age, ambulatory surgical incapacity and the surgical specialty are significant to explain the level of pain at the first call. For the first two phone calls, ambulatory surgical incapacity is significant as a predictor for all responses except for sleep at the first call.

Conclusions

The variable ambulatory surgical incapacity proved to be a good predictor of the patient's status at home. These predictions could be used to assist in educating patients and their carers about what to expect after discharge, as well as to improve their overall level of satisfaction.
Regulation of mtl operon promoter of Bacillus subtilis: requirements of its use in expression vectors
Authors: Morabbi Heravi Kambiz , Wenzel Marian , Altenbuchner Josef
Published: November 2011

Background

Several vector systems have been developed to express any gene desired to be studied in Bacillus subtilis. Among them, the transcriptionally regulated promoters involved in carbohydrate utilization are a research priority. Expression systems based on Bacillus promoters for xylose, maltose, and mannose utilization, as well as on the heterologous E. coli lactose promoter, have been successfully constructed. The promoter of the mtlAFD operon for utilization of mannitol is another promising candidate for its use in expression vectors. In this study, we investigated the regulation of the mtl genes in order to identify the elements needed to construct a strong mannitol inducible expression system in B. subtilis.

Results

Regulation of the promoters of mtlAFD operon (P

mtlA
) and mtlR (P

mtlR
) encoding the activator were investigated by fusion to lacZ. Identification of the P

mtlA
and P

mtlR
transcription start sites revealed the σA like promoter structures. Also, the operator of P

mtlA
was determined by shortening, nucleotide exchange, and alignment of P

mtlA
and P

mtlR
operator regions. Deletion of the mannitol-specific PTS genes (mtlAF) resulted in P

mtlA
constitutive expression demonstrating the inhibitory effect of EIICBMtl and EIIAMtl on MtlR in the absence of mannitol. Disruption of mtlD made the cells sensitive to mannitol and glucitol. Both P

mtlA
and P

mtlR
were influenced by carbon catabolite repression (CCR). However, a CcpA deficient mutant showed only a slight reduction in P

mtlR
catabolite repression. Similarly, using P

groE
as a constitutive promoter, putative cre sites of P

mtlA
and P

mtlR
slightly reduced the promoter activity in the presence of glucose. In contrast, glucose repression of P

mtlA
and P

mtlR
was completely abolished in a ΔptsG mutant and significantly reduced in a MtlR (H342D) mutant.

Conclusions

The mtl operon promoter (P

mtlA
) is a strong promoter that reached a maximum of 13,000 Miller units with lacZ as a reporter on low copy plasmids. It is tightly regulated by just one copy of the mtlR gene on the chromosome and subject to CCR. CCR can be switched off by mutations in MtlR and the glucose transporter. These properties and the low costs of the inducers, i.e. mannitol and glucitol, make the promoter ideal for designing regulated expression systems.
LPS preconditioning redirects TLR signaling following stroke: TRIF-IRF3 plays a seminal role in mediating tolerance to ischemic injury
Authors: Vartanian Keri B , Stevens Susan L , Marsh Brenda J , Williams-Karnesky Rebecca , Lessov Nikola S , Stenzel-Poore Mary P
Published: November 2011

Background

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is activated in response to cerebral ischemia leading to substantial brain damage. In contrast, mild activation of TLR4 by preconditioning with low dose exposure to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) prior to cerebral ischemia dramatically improves outcome by reprogramming the signaling response to injury. This suggests that TLR4 signaling can be altered to induce an endogenously neuroprotective phenotype. However, the TLR4 signaling events involved in this neuroprotective response are poorly understood. Here we define several molecular mediators of the primary signaling cascades induced by LPS preconditioning that give rise to the reprogrammed response to cerebral ischemia and confer the neuroprotective phenotype.

Methods

C57BL6 mice were preconditioned with low dose LPS prior to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Cortical tissue and blood were collected following MCAO. Microarray and qtPCR were performed to analyze gene expression associated with TLR4 signaling. EMSA and DNA binding ELISA were used to evaluate NFκB and IRF3 activity. Protein expression was determined using Western blot or ELISA. MyD88-/- and TRIF-/- mice were utilized to evaluate signaling in LPS preconditioning-induced neuroprotection.

Results

Gene expression analyses revealed that LPS preconditioning resulted in a marked upregulation of anti-inflammatory/type I IFN-associated genes following ischemia while pro-inflammatory genes induced following ischemia were present but not differentially modulated by LPS. Interestingly, although expression of pro-inflammatory genes was observed, there was decreased activity of NFκB p65 and increased presence of NFκB inhibitors, including Ship1, Tollip, and p105, in LPS-preconditioned mice following stroke. In contrast, IRF3 activity was enhanced in LPS-preconditioned mice following stroke. TRIF and MyD88 deficient mice revealed that neuroprotection induced by LPS depends on TLR4 signaling via TRIF, which activates IRF3, but does not depend on MyD88 signaling.

Conclusion

Our results characterize several critical mediators of the TLR4 signaling events associated with neuroprotection. LPS preconditioning redirects TLR4 signaling in response to stroke through suppression of NFκB activity, enhanced IRF3 activity, and increased anti-inflammatory/type I IFN gene expression. Interestingly, this protective phenotype does not require the suppression of pro-inflammatory mediators. Furthermore, our results highlight a critical role for TRIF-IRF3 signaling as the governing mechanism in the neuroprotective response to stroke.