bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The roles of PCNA SUMOylation, Mms2‐Ubc13 and Rad5 in translesion DNA synthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Halas Agnieszka , Podlaska Agnieszka , Derkacz Joanna , McIntyre Justyna , Skoneczna Adrianna , Sledziewska‐Gojska Ewa
Published: March 2011

Mms2, in concert with Ubc13 and Rad5, is responsible for polyubiquitination of replication processivity factor PCNA. This modification activates recombination‐like DNA damage‐avoidance mechanisms, which function in an error‐free manner. Cells deprived of Mms2, Ubc13 or Rad5 exhibit mutator phenotypes as a result of the channelling of premutational DNA lesions to often error‐prone translesion DNA synthesis (TLS). Here we show that Siz1‐mediated PCNA SUMOylation is required for the stimulation of this TLS, despite the presence of PCNA monoubiquitination. The stimulation of spontaneous mutagenesis by Siz1 in cells carrying rad5 and/or mms2 mutations is connected with the known role of PCNA SUMOylation in the inhibition of Rad52‐mediated recombination. However, following UV irradiation, Siz1 is engaged in additional, as yet undefined, mechanisms controlling genetic stability at the replication fork. We also demonstrate that in the absence of PCNA SUMOylation, Mms2‐Ubc13 and Rad5 may, independently of each other, function in the stimulation of TLS. Based on this finding and on an analysis of the epistatic relationships between SIZ1, MMS2 and RAD5, with respect to UV sensitivity, we conclude that PCNA SUMOylation is responsible for the functional differences between the Mms2 and Rad5 homologues of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe.
BAG3‐related myofibrillar myopathy in a Chinese family
Authors: Lee HC , Cherk SW , Chan SK , Wong S , Tong TW , Ho WS , Chan AY , Lee KC , Mak CM
Published: March 2011

Lee HC, Cherk SW, Chan SK, Wong S, Tong TW, Ho WS, Chan AY, Lee KC, Mak CM. BAG3‐related myofibrillar myopathy in a Chinese family.

In contrast to the usual slow disease progression in myofibrillar myopathies, patients with Bag3opathy often have a rapidly progressive and more severe phenotype with a worse prognosis. We describe a Chinese patient, born to non‐consanguineous parents, who first presented at age 6 with clumsy walking and difficult climbing staircase. With a history of restrictive lung disease previously diagnosed as asthma, she progressed rapidly with proximal myopathy, rigid spine and bilateral tightening of the Achilles tendons requiring surgical elongation. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with restrictive physiology was shown by echocardiogram. Moreover, prolonged QT interval was also noted in the patient. Family history was unremarkable yet her father was incidentally found to have prolonged QT interval. Mutation analysis with genomic DNA of the proband showed heterozygous de novo known mutation c.626C>T (p.Pro209Leu) and a germline variation c.772C>T (p.Arg258Trp) in BAG3. Her father was found to be a carrier of c.772C>T. Muscle biopsy findings were suggestive of myofibrillar myopathy on light microscopy and ultrastructural studies. To our knowledge, this is the first Chinese case of Bag3opathy so far reported.
Growth of a nation part I: impact of organ donor obesity on whole‐organ pancreas transplantation
Authors: Fridell Jonathan A. , Mangus Richard S. , Taber Tim E. , Goble Michelle L. , Milgrom Martin L. , Good Jason , Vetor Ryan , Powelson John A.
Published: March 2011

Fridell JA, Mangus RS, Taber TE, Goble ML, Milgrom ML, Good J, Vetor R, Powelson JA. Growth of a nation part I: impact of organ donor obesity on whole‐organ pancreas transplantation. Clin Transplant 2011: 25: E225–E232. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Abstract:  Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the USA. Consequently, there are an increasing number of potential organ donors that are obese, but would otherwise be appropriate donors for pancreas transplantation (PTx). This is a retrospective study of all PTx performed at Indiana University between 2003 and 2009 (n = 308) comparing donors with body mass index (BMI) <25, 25–29.9, and ≥30 kg/m2. Data included recipient and donor demographics, seven and 90‐d graft loss, one‐yr pancreas, kidney (for simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplant only) and patient survival, causes of graft loss and death, peak amylase and lipase, length of stay, readmissions, complications, HbA1C, and c‐peptide. Of the 308 donors, 84 (27%) were overweight and 43 (14%) were obese. The overweight donors were significantly older, and the obese donors had hypertension significantly more frequently than the other two groups. There were no significant differences in recipient transplant demographics. There was no significant difference in length of stay or 90‐d readmissions, seven or 90‐d pancreas graft loss, one‐yr graft or patient survival, peak serum amylase or lipase, HbA1C, or c‐peptide. The incidence of post‐transplant technical, immunological, and infectious complications were similar. Although technically challenging, PTx of allografts from obese donors can be accomplished with similar results compared to normal BMI donors.
A single nomenclature and associated database for alleles at the major histocompatibility complex class II DRB1 locus of sheep
Authors: Ballingall K. T. , Herrmann‐Hoesing L. , Robinson J. , Marsh S. G. E. , Stear M. J.
Published: March 2011

The development of standardised nomenclatures with associated databases containing reference sequences for alleles at polymorphic loci within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) has been facilitated by the development of the immuno polymorphism database (IPD). Recently, included within IPD‐MHC is information on allelic diversity within sheep species (IPD‐MHC‐OLA). Here, we present the first report of progress in populating the sheep IPD‐MHC database with alleles at the class II MHC DRB1 locus. The sequence of 63 Ovar‐DRB1 alleles within 24 allelic families is now held within the database, each meeting the minimum requirement of a complete second exon. These sequences are derived from a combination of genomic and cDNA‐based approaches and represent the most extensive collection of validated alleles at the sheep DRB1 locus yet described. Although these 63 alleles probably represent only a fraction of the DRB1 allelic diversity in sheep species worldwide, we encourage the research community to use the official allelic nomenclature and to contribute allelic sequences to the database via its web‐based submission tool. In time, the IPD‐MHC‐OLA resource will underpin population‐based MHC genotyping studies and help to simplify meta‐analyses of multi‐source data from wild and domestic sheep populations.
Dermoscopy: Ex vivo visualization of fleas head and bag of eggs confirms the diagnosis of Tungiasis
Authors: Dunn Rebecca , Asher Ruth , Bowling Jonathan
Published: March 2011

Tungiasis, caused by the impregnated female sand flea Tunga penetrans, is increasingly common in returned travellers from endemic areas. Clinical suspicion is raised by the clinicodermoscopic correlation, leading to rapid treatment which involves extraction of the intact flea. Ex vivo dermoscopy demonstrates the parasite's head and distended abdomen full of eggs, confirming the diagnosis.
Overexpression of immunoglobulin (CD79a) binding protein1 (IGBP‐1) in small lung adenocarcinomas and its clinicopathological significance
Authors: Sakashita Shingo , Li Dongping , Nashima Naohumi , Minami Yuko , Furuya Shuuichiro , Morishita Yukio , Tachibana Keisei , Sato Yukio , Noguchi Masayuki
Published: March 2011

Immunoglobulin binding protein 1 (IGBP‐1) was initially identified as a signal transduction molecule coprecipitating with MB1 (Igα) of the B cell antigen receptor (BCR) complex and was later found to be broadly expressed. Immunoglobulin binding protein 1 has been characterized as an associated and regulatory component of the catalytic subunits of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), which is the most abundant phosphatase and plays important roles in cell growth and cell cycle control. The aim of this study was to investigate the expressional characteristics of IGBP‐1 and PP2Ac during pulmonary adenocarcinogenesis. The positivity rate of IGBP‐1 increased during the course of sequential progression from non‐invasive carcinoma (8/30, 26.7%) to invasive adenocarcinoma (37/46, 80.4%) among cases that showed areas of lepidic growth. In contrast, all of the small adenocarcinomas showing a non‐lepidic growth pattern were positive for IGBP‐1 (20/20, 100%). All cancers that proved ultimately fatal were positive for IGBP‐1, and log‐rank analysis showed that IGBP‐1 positivity was significantly correlated with a poor prognosis. In contrast, atypical adenomatous hyperplasias and lung adenocarcinomas were uniformly positive for PP2Ac. Protein phosphatase 2A was not associated with carcinoma progression. Thus we have demonstrated that IGBP‐1 is expressed universally in advanced lung adenocarcinomas, and that its overexpression is significantly related to outcome.
Relationship between asthma control status, the Asthma Control Test™ and urgent health‐care utilization in Asia
Authors: LAI CHRISTOPHER K.W. , KO FANNY W.S. , BHOME ARVIND , DE GUIA TERESITA S. , WONG GARY W.K. , ZAINUDIN BIN M.Z. , NANG AN N. , BOONSAWAT WATCHARA , CHO SANG H. , GUNASEKERA KIRTHI D. , HONG JIAN G. , HSU JENG‐YUAN , VIET NHUNG N. , YUNUS FAISAL , MUKHOPADHYAY AMARTYA
Published: March 2011

Background and objective:  Accurate assessment of control is an integral part of asthma management. We investigated the relationship between control status derived from the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), the Asthma Control Test (ACT) and urgent health‐care utilization.

Methods:  Asthma Insights and Reality in Asia‐Pacific Phase 2 (AIRIAP 2) was a cross‐sectional, community‐based survey of 4805 subjects with asthma from urban centres across Asia. A symptom control index was derived from the AIRIAP 2 questionnaire using the GINA control criteria for day‐ and night‐time symptoms, need for rescue medication, activity limitation and exacerbations; lung function was excluded. The main outcomes were asthma control, based on these GINA criteria and the ACT, and the relationship between control and self‐reported urgent health‐care utilization (hospitalization, emergency room visits or other unscheduled urgent visits) related to asthma over the previous 12 months.

Results:  Each of the symptom criteria was significantly associated with urgent health‐care utilization, with odds ratios (ORs) ranging from 2.25 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.94–2.61) for daytime symptoms to 2.57 (95% CI: 2.29–2.90) for nocturnal awakening. Similarly, control status was significantly associated with urgent health‐care utilization, with ORs of 0.19 (95% CI: 0.13–0.28), 0.70 (95% CI: 0.65–0.76) and 1.00 for controlled, partly controlled and uncontrolled, respectively. The optimal ACT cut‐off score for identifying uncontrolled asthma was ≤19 for subjects aged ≥12 years. Urgent health‐care utilization was reported by 57.2% versus 28.7% of patients scoring ≤19 versus >19 (P < 0.001).

Conclusions:  The GINA control classification and the ACT are valid symptom‐based measures that are significantly associated with urgent health‐care utilization.
Pathology of the pleura: What the pulmonologists need to know
Authors: CAGLE PHILIP T. , ALLEN TIMOTHY CRAIG
Published: March 2011

Primary and metastatic pleural neoplasms, and non‐neoplastic pleural diseases, can have similar clinical, radiographic and gross features. However, treatments and prognoses of these diverse pleural conditions vary greatly. Accurate diagnosis of pleural disease is therefore extremely important, and histological interpretation of pleural biopsies is vital to rendering an accurate diagnosis. Smaller biopsies contribute to the difficulties in accurately characterizing pleural lesions, and immunostains are frequently employed in their assessment. Diffuse malignant mesothelioma, the most common primary pulmonary neoplasm, is rare; however, other less common primary pleural neoplasms, including solitary fibrous tumour, the most common benign primary pleural neoplasm, occur. These neoplasms are discussed. Also, non‐neoplastic pleural diseases, including granulomatous pleuritis, eosinophilic pleuritis and fibrous and fibrinous pleuritis, among other diseases, are discussed.
Affective Forecasting Errors in the 2008 Election: Underpredicting Happiness
Authors: Norris Catherine J. , Dumville Amanda G. , Lacy Dean P.
Published: March 2011

Individuals tend to be very bad at predicting their emotional responses to future events, often overestimating both the intensity and duration of their responses, particularly to negative events. The authors studied affective forecasting errors in the 2008 election in a large sample of undergraduates at Dartmouth College. Replicating past research, McCain supporters overpredicted their negative affect in response to the (future) election of Barack Obama. Obama supporters, however, underpredicted their happiness in response to his victory. Results are discussed with reference to mechanisms proposed to underlie the impact bias, as well as the unique circumstances surrounding this historic election season.
The coastal metropolitan corn trade in later seventeenth‐century England1
Authors: HIPKIN STEPHEN
Published: March 2011

Exploiting hitherto unexamined London port book data, this article shows that during the last quarter of the seventeenth century the coastal metropolitan corn import trade was twice the size that historians relying on the work of Gras have assumed it to have been. More significantly, it demonstrates that Gras's failure to examine the capital's grain trade other than in terms of aggregate corn imports has disguised the nature and extent of its contribution to the development of the London economy. By the 1680s, the coastal trade comprised two distinct strands of roughly equal size: one providing food and drink for the London population, the other fuelling the overland trade of the capital. It is argued that the former was unnecessary for the provision of the city other than in barren years, but that the latter may have been indispensable for the development of the overland transport infrastructure of the metropolitan region at the height of the late seventeenth‐century commercial revolution. Thanks largely to the agency of southern English mariners commanding large coasters, London's demand for fodder crops after the mid‐1670s drew most of the coast stretching from Berwick to Whitehaven into the orbit of the metropolitan corn market.
Social protection and poverty
Authors: Barrientos Armando
Published: March 2011

Barrientos A. Social protection and poverty

Int J Soc Welfare 2011: 20: 240–249 © 2011 United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD), International Journal of Social Welfare © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of Social Welfare.

In the last decade, social protection has emerged as a policy framework employed to address poverty and vulnerability in developing countries. The article links social protection to new perspectives on poverty and vulnerability, identifies and discusses key issues in the emergence of social assistance programmes in developing countries, and assesses their potential contribution to addressing poverty and vulnerability in the South.
Clinical and laboratory study of ocular rosacea in northern Greece
Authors: Lazaridou E. , Fotiadou C. , Ziakas N.G. , Giannopoulou C. , Apalla Z. , Ioannides D.
Published: March 2011

Background  The prevalence of ophthalmic involvement in rosacea is probably higher than previously presumed and varies considerably among several studies.

Objective  This study aimed to determine the incidence of ocular disease among a population of rosacea patients in Northern Greece, to objectively determine the presence of eye dryness in rosacea patients with and without clinical ophthalmic involvement and correlate the severity of ocular disease with the severity of cutaneous rosacea.

Methods  One hundred patients with rosacea were assessed for the stage of their disease and examined for ocular symptoms and signs. In 24 of them the tear break up time (TBUT) and Schirmer test were performed in each eye, along with 24 controls.

Results  A total of 33 patients (33%) were positive for ophthalmic findings. The most frequent symptoms and signs were burning sensation and tearing, and conjunctivitis and blepharitis, respectively. Eleven patients with ophthalmic manifestations had mild to moderate erythematotelangiectatic rosacea, 17 had moderate papulopustular rosacea and four exhibited findings of phymatous rosacea. The total mean value of patients’ Schirmer tests was significantly lower compared with the healthy controls (P < 0.0001). Mean TBUT was shorter in the rosacea group than that in the age‐matched controls (P < 0.0001).

Conclusion  Ocular involvement in rosacea is a common phenomenon with eye dryness being an early sign. Tear function tests, like Schirmer test and TBUT, although not specific, could contribute to the screening and early diagnosis of the disease, to prevent the potential development of sight‐threatening conditions.
Plasma and tissue osteopontin in relation to plasma selenium in patients with psoriasis
Authors: Kadry D. , Rashed L.
Published: March 2011

Background  The association between psoriasis and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is well documented yet the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Over‐expression of osteopontin (OPN) was reported in plasma of patients with psoriasis; with increased cardiovascular risk factors in these patients. Selenium (Se) compounds are effective in down‐regulation of OPN expression.

Objective  We investigated the levels of OPN and Se in psoriasis, and their relation to metabolic status in patients to identify a possible link between these markers and co‐morbidities observed.

Methods  Plasma and tissue samples from 20 patients with psoriasis and 10 control subjects were collected for enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays. The clinical significance of plasma, tissue OPN and plasma Se levels in patients vs. control subjects was analysed in relation to metabolic disorders.

Results  Plasma and tissue OPN were significantly higher in patients than in controls (P < 0.001). Plasma Se levels were significantly lower in patients than in controls (P < 0.001). Elevated plasma OPN levels (≥51.10 ng/mL) and depressed plasma Se (≤5.19 μg/dL) were significantly associated with the occurrence of psoriasis. Plasma OPN negatively correlated with plasma Se in patients (P = 0.003), but not in controls (P = 0.183).

Conclusions  High plasma OPN and low plasma Se levels are predictable factors for occurrence of psoriasis. Further studies examining the effects of Se supplementations on the levels of plasma OPN, together with their effects on psoriasis outcome and cardiovascular risk factors in these patients, are needed.
Serum Tie2 levels: clinical association with microangiopathies in patients with systemic sclerosis
Authors: Noda S. , Asano Y. , Aozasa N. , Akamata K. , Yamada D. , Masui Y. , Tamaki Z. , Kadono T. , Sato S.
Published: March 2011

Background Tie2 and its ligand, angiopoietins (Ang), regulate the transition between vascular quiescence and angiogenesis. Although defective angiogenesis is one of the major causes of microangiopathies in systemic sclerosis (SSc), the role of Ang/Tie2 signalling in the development of SSc has never been examined.

Objective To investigate the clinical significance of the soluble Tie2 domain (sTie2) in serum samples from SSc patients.

Methods Serum sTie2 levels were determined by a specific enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay in 48 SSc patients and nine normal controls.

Results There was no significant difference in serum sTie2 levels between SSc patients and healthy controls (14.8 ± 3.4 vs. 14.7 ± 1.1 ng/mL). When we set the cut‐off value at 16.97 ng/mL (mean + 2SD) based on the data of normal controls, 27% of SSc patients showed elevated serum sTie2 levels. The frequencies of nailfold bleeding and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) were significantly higher in patients with increased serum sTie2 levels than in those with sTie2 levels not elevated (70% vs. 47% and 60% vs. 21%, respectively,P < 0.05). There was also a trend towards the elevation of serum sTie2 levels in SSc patients with PAH compared to those without; however, it did not reach statistical significance (16.7 ± 3.6 vs. 14.2 ± 3.4 ng/mL,P = 0.059).

Conclusion Soluble Tie2 domain (sTie2) may be related to the development of vascular abnormalities in SSc, possibly by modulating the Ang/Tie2‐mediated angiogenic process. Furthermore, the serum sTie2 levels may serve as a useful marker for SSc‐related PAH, contributing to early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention.
Effectiveness of a modified tutorless problem‐based learning method in dermatology – a pilot study
Authors: Kaliyadan F. , Amri M. , Dhufiri M. , Amin T.T. , Khan M.A.
Published: March 2011

Background and aims Problem‐Based Learning (PBL) is a student‐centred instructional strategy in which students learn in a collaborative manner, the learning process being guided by a facilitator. One of the limitations of conventional PBL in medical education is the need for adequate resources in terms of faculty and time. Our study aimed to compare conventional PBL in dermatology with a modified tutorless PBL in which pre‐listed cues and the use of digital media help direct the learning process.

Methods Thirty‐one‐fifth year medical students were divided into two groups: the study group comprising 16 students were exposed to the modified PBL, whereas the control group comprising 15 students were given the same scenarios and triggers, but in a conventional tutor‐facilitated PBL. Knowledge acquisition and student feedback were assessed using a post‐test and a Likert scale‐based questionnaire, respectively.

Results The post‐test marks showed no significant statistical differences between the two groups. The general feedback regarding the modified PBL was positive and the students felt comfortable with the module. The learning objectives were met satisfactorily in both groups.

Conclusion Modified tutorless PBL modules might be an effective method to incorporate student‐centred learning in dermatology without constraints in terms of faculty resources or time.
Do Customer Acquisition Cost, Retention and Usage Matter to Firm Performance and Valuation?
Authors: Livne Gilad , Simpson Ana , Talmor Eli
Published: March 2011

Abstract:  We examine the valuation role of customer acquisition cost, retention and usage in the wireless industry during the period 1997–2004. We develop and test a model that links customer acquisition cost, customer retention and call usage to future financial performance and valuation. In doing so, we control for the role of traditional accounting measures as predictors of firm performance. Although the wireless industry maintains a rapid pace of technological and commercial changes, fundamental accounting numbers are found to be value relevant. We provide new evidence that customer acquisition cost is likely a firm value driver. Specifically, we show that this cost is positively associated with customer retention, future profits and current market values. However, customer acquisition cost is not associated with future revenues, suggesting that successful investment in customer acquisition is capable of saving future expenses and hence of improving profitability. There does not seem to be a direct association between customer retention and usage. Nevertheless, we document a positive relation between retention and future revenues, as well as a positive association between usage and future profits. Collectively, these results suggest that retention and usage play an important mediating role linking customer acquisition with benefit generation. Consistent with this, we find some evidence that customer retention and usage enhance market values.
Long‐term patterns in harbour seal site‐use and the consequences for managing protected areas
Authors: Cordes L. S. , Duck C. D. , Mackey B. L. , Hall A. J. , Thompson P. M.
Published: March 2011

There have been marked declines of UK harbour seal populations over at least the last decade. Protected areas, such as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), provide one tool to improve the conservation status of these populations. However, the design and management of SACs is often limited by a lack of information on long‐term patterns in the use of seal haul‐out sites and foraging areas. The Moray Firth is the only UK region where long‐term harbour seal population studies have been conducted in parallel with detailed studies of foraging ecology. We used this opportunity to investigate changes in the use of haul‐out sites and foraging areas within two adjacent estuaries, where annual haul‐out counts were made over a 20‐year period. In 1988, >99% of seals and all mother‐pup pairs were located at haul‐out sites within an area that was subsequently designated as a SAC to protect harbour seals. In addition to previously reported declines in this area, we detected a shift in haul‐out distribution resulting from the development of a new pupping site that, by 2008, held 37% of mother pup pairs in the area. Foraging areas of breeding females were compared in 1989 and 2009 using a combination of VHF and GPS–GSM telemetry, confirming that females foraged in broadly similar areas in both periods. This suggests that the development of this new pupping site was not driven by the need to forage further offshore, but instead was more likely due to local variation in haul‐out site characteristics. These results are discussed in relation to potential drivers of haul‐out site choice and the need to develop a broader suite of measures for managing habitat quality within this and other SACs for harbour seals.
Type 2 diabetes: perceptions of quality of life and attitudes towards diabetes from a gender perspective
Authors: Svenningsson Irene , Marklund Bertil , Attvall Stig , Gedda Birgitta
Published: March 2011

Scand J Caring Sci; 2011; 25; 688–695

Type 2 diabetes: perceptions of quality of life and attitudes towards diabetes from a gender perspective

Objective:  To compare obese and normal‐weight people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), with a focus on their attitudes towards the disease, quality of life (QoL) and treatment from a gender perspective.

Methods:  Two hundred and eighty‐seven people with T2DM participated in a cross‐sectional study. Health‐related quality of life (HRQL) data from the Medical Outcomes Short Form Study 36 (SF 36), Well‐Being Questionnaire (W‐BQ12), Diabetes Attitude Scale (DAS) and Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQs) were used. The results are presented descriptively. The Mann–Whitney U‐test was conducted to examine differences between normal‐weight and obese diabetics and between women and men.

Results:  The results of this study show that there was a gender difference in the perception of QoL; obese females with diabetes experienced more limitations in daily life due to physical and emotional problems than obese males with diabetes. Obese men had reduced physical and vitality scores compared to normal‐weight individuals. Compared to normal‐weight females with diabetes, obese women had lower vitality scores, more body pain and more severe physical impacts. The negative emotional impact for obese females with diabetes was also demonstrated by the results of the W‐BQ12 questionnaire. Obese females with diabetes felt that the disease was more overwhelming and difficult to handle in comparison to obese males with diabetes. There was no difference between the groups in terms of how they experienced treatment.

Conclusion:  There was a gender difference in the perceptions of QoL of people with T2DM. There was also a difference between the QoL of obese and normal‐weight people with T2DM, as the obese may suffer from underlying depression. Further investigations are needed for health professionals to be able to meet the unique needs of each specific diabetic group.
A SPATIO‐TEMPORAL KERNEL METHOD FOR MAPPING CHANGES IN PREHISTORIC LAND‐USE PATTERNS
Authors: GROVE M.
Published: March 2011

Archaeologists are accustomed to considering both the spatial distributions of sites and the temporal distributions of dates as means of analysing the dynamics of prehistoric societies. However, spatial and temporal approaches have thus far remained largely separate, rather than being combined within a single, unified framework. A formal methodology is outlined that combines univariate kernel density estimation based on radiocarbon dates with bivariate kernel density estimation based on spatial site coordinates; the approach allows archaeologists to arrive at reconstructed land‐use distributions through time that not only correct for the problematic issue of site contemporaneity, but also reflect the continuous nature of the archaeological record. The model is implemented using as a data set a series of sites from the Mesolithic of Atlantic Iberia; the results demonstrate that it is capable of providing key insights into changing patterns of land use that are not apparent from either the temporal or the spatial perspective alone.
When do parties emphasise extreme positions? How strategic incentives for policy differentiation influence issue importance
Authors: WAGNER MARKUS
Published: March 2011

Parties have an incentive to take up extreme positions in order to achieve policy differentiation and issue ownership, and it would make sense for a party to stress these positions as well. These incentives are not the same for all issues and all parties but may be modified by other strategic conditions: party size, party system size, positional distinctiveness and systemic salience. Using manifesto‐based measures of salience and expert assessments of party positions, the findings in this article are that parties emphasise extreme positions if, first, they are relatively small in terms of vote share; second, the extreme position is distinctive from those of other parties; and third, other parties fail to emphasise the issue. These findings have consequences for our understanding of party strategies, party competition and the radicalisation of political debates.
Uncovering beauty: Titian's Triumph of Love in the Vendramin collection
Authors: WHISTLER CATHERINE
Published: March 2011

An allegory of the power of love by Titian painted about 1543–46 was originally made as a cover for a female portrait in the collection of Gabriel Vendramin (1484–1552) in Venice. This is a rare instance of the survival of a documented canvas cover (timpano) linked to a specific image. My article considers the visual and literary contexts for such covers, and the cultural setting of the Vendramin collection, where sociable viewing involved shared aesthetic and haptic experiences. I suggest that the lost portrait depicted the Venetian patrician Elisabetta Querini Massola (d. 1559) whose virtue and beauty were celebrated in poems by Pietro Bembo, Pietro Aretino and Giovanni della Casa. I link the imagery of the cover to two sonnets by Della Casa in praise of Elisabetta. For reasons of decorum a timpano would have been appropriate for a noblewoman's portrait, but Titian's inventive allegory was designed both to evoke Vendramin's celebrated collection and to recall qualities associated with the image it concealed.
Fenoxycarb modulates ecdysone receptor B1 and programmed cell death of the anterior silk gland of silkworm Bombyx mori
Authors: GONCU Ebru , PARLAK Osman
Published: March 2011

Fenoxycarb, O‐ethyl N‐(2‐(4‐phenoxyphenoxy)‐ethyl) carbamate has been shown to be one of the most potent juvenile hormone analogues against a variety of insect species. In the present study, topical application of fenoxycarb to fifth‐instar larvae of the silkworm Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) was performed immediately after the fourth ecdysis (on day 0), day 3 and day 6 of the instar and then its effects on the anterior silk glands (ASG) and ecdysone receptor B1 (EcR‐B1) protein were investigated during larval pupal development. Fenoxycarb application increased the instar length and prevented metamorphic events, depending on the application time. The ASGs of B. mori undergo programmed cell death during the larval–pupal metamorphosis and an insect steroid, 20‐hydroxyecdysone (20E), triggers this cell death. The exact mechanism by which 20E and juvenile hormone regulates programmed cell death in insect tissues is poorly understood. To gain insights into how juvenile hormone regulates metamorphic events like programmed cell death in the anterior silk glands, we analyzed the progression of programmed cell death with morphological observations and biochemical experiments like acid phosphatase activity and DNA electrophoresis. Then we examined the EcR‐B1 protein levels and their relationships with programmed cell death. Our results indicated that fenoxycarb modulates programmed cell death of the anterior silk glands and EcR‐B1 protein level, depending on the application time. Fenoxycarb may exhibit its effects in at least two different ways: (i) acting on prothoracic gland secretory activity; and/or (ii) regulation of EcR‐B1 expression in the anterior silk glands for programmed cell death process.
Flying distance of frass kicked by the grasshopper Atractomorpha lata and factors affecting the flying distance
Authors: TANAKA Yosuke , KASUYA Eiiti
Published: March 2011

Adults of the grasshopper Atractomorpha lata use a hind leg kick to project their frass a considerable distance from themselves. To clarify the defecation behavior quantitatively and collect basic information that aids in clarification of the adaptive significance of this behavior, we measured the flying distance of kicked frass and examined the factors affecting the flying distance in adult A. lata. Males and females kicked their frass an average of 252 and 487 mm away, respectively. This represented more than ten times the body length or 100 times the length of the frass pellet for either sex. Only sex affected the flying distance of frass. There were sexual differences in hind‐femur length (females longer than males), volume of frass pellet (females larger than males) and ratio of diameter to length of frass pellet (RFP; larger in males than in females). The flying distance appears to be affected by the femur length, volume of frass pellet and RFP when data of both males and females were combined for analysis. However, none of these effects were observed when testing the effects within each sex. These results suggest that the sex difference in the flying distance does not result from the sex difference in femur length, volume of frass pellet or RFP. Because A. lata kicked their frass far away in both sexes, the frass‐kicking behavior might give benefit common to both males and females.
Severe Neonatal Congenital Erythropoietic Porphyria
Authors: Hogeling Marcia , Nakano Taizo , Dvorak Christopher C. , Maguiness Sheilagh , Frieden Ilona J.
Published: March 2011

Abstract:  Congenital erythropoietic porphyria is a rare form of porphyria, presenting during the neonatal period or during infancy. Clinical features include photosensitive blistering and severe anemia. Wood’s lamp fluorescence of the diaper is a useful screening test. We describe a severely affected neonate with systemic involvement due to a homozygous mutation. Because of ongoing severe hemolytic anemia and severe photosensitivity, bone‐marrow transplantation was performed, but the patient ultimately succumbed to chemotherapy‐induced lung damage, as well as severe pulmonary hypertension, likely due to his chronic hemolytic anemia.
Evaluation of a Tenoscopic Approach for Desmotomy of the Accessory Ligament of the Deep Digital Flexor Tendon in Horses
Authors: Caldwell Fred J. , Waguespack R. Wayne
Published: March 2011

Objective:To develop a tenoscopic approach for desmotomy of the accessory ligament of the deep digital flexor tendon (AL‐DDFT) in horses.

Study Design:Experimental.

Animals:Cadaveric forelimbs (n=10) and 4 forelimbs from 2 horses anesthetized for terminal teaching procedures, and 12 forelimbs of 6 experimental horses.

Methods:Saline distention of the carpal flexor sheath facilitated insertion of an arthroscope into the distal medial aspect of the sheath between the AL‐DDFT and deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT). Location of an instrument portal on the lateral aspect of the metacarpus was identified with a needle. The lateral aspect of the AL‐DDFT was transected and the arthroscope and instrument were switched to transect the remaining fibers on the medial aspect. Cadaveric specimens were dissected for evaluation. Experimental horses were monitored for 30 days postoperatively.

Results:Minor complications including incomplete division of the AL‐DDFT and shallow incision into the suspensory ligament were observed in some cadaver specimens. The AL‐DDFT was completely transected in all experimental horses with no suspensory ligament damage. Mean±SD surgical time (incision to skin closure) was 28.3±11.8 minutes. On ultrasonographic examination, transection of the AL‐DDFT was complete in all experimental horses. Minor DDFT fiber disruption was noted in 1 limb during ultrasound examination at day 30.

Conclusions:A tenoscopic approach through the carpal flexor sheath provided adequate access for desmotomy of the AL‐DDFT.
Acetabular Ventroversion with Double Pelvic Osteotomy Versus Triple Pelvic Osteotomy: A Cadaveric Study in Dogs
Authors: Punke John P. , Fox Derek B. , Tomlinson James L. , Davis J. Wade , Mann F. A.
Published: March 2011

Objective:To determine which of 3 different plate angles (20°, 25°, 30°) used in double pelvic osteotomy (DPO) would result in the most similar acetabular angle (AA) achieved with a 20° triple pelvic osteotomy (TPO) technique in dogs.

Study Design:Experimental anatomic study.

Animals:Cadaveric canine pelves (n=8).

Methods:Transverse plane computed tomographic images of cadaveric pelves with intact sacroiliac joints, mounted in a custom jig, were made (baseline) and again after DPO (20°, 25°, 30°) and TPO (20°) and pelvic angles measured in 6 transverse planes. Pelvic angles of the 3 DPO techniques were compared with TPO using concordance correlation to determine which DPO angle resulted in an acetabular ventroversion angle closest to TPO.

Results:Mean ± SD AAs were 32.89 ± 2.23 (baseline), 47.39 ± 4.39 (20° DPO), 51.43 ± 5.06 (25° DPO), 54.75 ± 4.38 (30° DPO), and 50.20 ± 5.76 (20° TPO). Concordance correlations for the AA compared with 20° TPO were 0.027 (baseline), 0.721 (20° DPO), 0.902 (25° DPO), and 0.593 (30° DPO). A concordance correlation of ≥0.8 indicates good correlation.

Conclusions:A 25° DPO is most similar in acetabular ventroversion to 20° TPO (concordance correlation, 0.902).
Ex Vivo Biomechanical Evaluation of the Canine Cranial Cruciate Ligament‐Deficient Stifle with Varying Angles of Stifle Joint Flexion and Axial loads after Tibial Tuberosity Advancement
Authors: Hoffmann Daniel E. , Kowaleski Michael P. , Johnson Kenneth A. , Evans Richard B. , Boudrieau Randy J.
Published: March 2011

Objective:To evaluate the effect of tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA) on cranial tibial thrust (CrTT), retropatellar force (RPF), patellar tendon load (PTL), and patellar tendon angle determined by the tibial plateau angle (PTATPA) method or common tangent (PTACT) method in the canine cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL)‐deficient stifle joint.

Study Design:Ex vivo cadaver study.

Sample Population:Cadaveric canine hind limbs (n=30).

Methods:Stifle joints were subjected to 3 differing loading conditions using a constrained limb press model (Group1: 30% body weight axial load at stifle and talocrural joint angles of 135 ± 5° and 145 ± 5°, respectively; Group 2: 30% body weight axial load at stifle and talocrural angles of 145 ± 5° and 135 ± 5°, respectively; and Group 3: 50% body weight axial load at stifle and talocrural joint angles of 135 ± 5° and 145 ± 5°, respectively). The CrCL was transected in situ under load; sensors allowed direct measurement of CrTT, RPF, and PTL. Lateral radiographic projections were used to assess PTATPAand PTACT. Descriptive statistics were used to report CrTT (by design this force returned to 0‐point values, defined as the neutral point of advancement [NPA]). At the NPA, RPF was compared with baseline using a 2‐tailed sign test. PTL within groups were compared using a paired t‐test; pair‐wise comparisons of PTATPAand PTACTwere performed using a paired t‐test. Comparisons between loading conditions were made with a 1‐way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test. Equivalence tests were used to test mean PTATPAand PTACTfor equivalence to 90°. Significance was set at aP‐value of .05.

Results:CrTT returned to baseline values, and RPF and PTL at NPA were reduced below baseline values in all specimens in a near linear fashion with TTA. At the NPA, PTATPA>PTACTin 2 of the 3 loading conditions, but insufficient evidence to suggest they differed in the third. Mean PTATPAand PTACTvaried between loading conditions. The threshold for each of the groups evaluated, at which the PTA could be significantly different from 90°, was larger for PTATPAthan PTACTin all groups, as greater variation was observed with PTATPAversus PTACT.

Conclusion:This study further supports the claim that reduction of CrTT occurs after TTA in the CrCL‐deficient stifle joint through an alteration of PTA. Additionally, RPF and PTL also decrease after TTA. The PTACTmay be a more precise method of determining PTA.
Toggle‐Pin Technique for Management of Coxofemoral Luxation in an Alpaca
Authors: Quinteros Diego D. , García‐López José M. , Jenei Thomas
Published: March 2011

Objective: To report repair of a coxofemoral joint luxation in an Alpaca using a toggle‐pin technique.

Study Design: Case report.

Animals: An 11‐month intact male Alpaca with luxation of the right coxofemoral joint.

Methods: The Alpaca was anesthetized and an open repair and reduction of the luxation was performed using a toggle‐pin technique.

Results: The luxation was successfully reduced. An Ehmer sling was used for the initial 3 days after surgery and the Alpaca was discharged 7 days postoperatively without complications. Follow‐up examinations confirmed maintained reduction of the coxofemoral joint, as well as no evidence of lameness or muscle atrophy.

Conclusions: Coxofemoral joint luxations in Alpacas can be successfully repaired using a toggle‐pin technique alone, without the need for other techniques such as capsular reconstruction or greater trochanter transposition. Use of an Ehmer sling for the immediate postoperative period provided additional protection to the repair and was tolerated well.
Outcome after Lacerations of the Superficial and Deep Digital Flexor Tendons, Suspensory Ligament and/or Distal Sesamoidean Ligaments in 106 Horses
Authors: Jordana Mireia , Wilderjans Hans , Boswell Jane , Dewulf Jeroen , Smith Roger K. W. , Martens Ann
Published: March 2011

Objective:To report outcome after the surgical treatment of lacerations of the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT), deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT), suspensory ligament (SL), and/or distal sesamoidean ligaments (DSL) in horses.

Study Design:Case series.

Animals:Horses (n=106) with lacerations of the SDFT, DDFT, SL, and/or DSL.

Methods:Medical records (1988–2002) were reviewed for signalment, limb and tendon/ligament involvement (location and extent of injury, tendon sheath involvement), method of repair, and outcome.

Results:The median age of horses was 7 years and the follow‐up time ranged from 1 to 10 years. Fifty‐five percent of horses returned to their previous level of performance, 27% to a lower level, and 18% were euthanatized. Multivariate statistical analysis demonstrated that the number of structures transected had the most significant influence on outcome. No significant association was detected between outcome and tendon sheath involvement, tendon suturing, casting, or limb affected. Fetlock hyperextension was the most significant complication.

Conclusions:A high survival rate can be expected after SDFT, DDFT, SL, and/or DSL lacerations in horses, but only 55% of affected horses returned to their previous activity level. The number of structures affected was the major factor determining whether horses returned to an equal level of performance.
An In Vitro Biomechanical Comparison of Equine Proximal Interphalangeal Joint Arthrodesis Techniques: Two Parallel Transarticular Headless Tapered Variable Pitch Screws Versus Two Parallel Transarticular AO Cortical Bone Screws Inserted in Lag Fashion
Authors: Gudehus Timm , Sod Gary A. , Riggs Laura M. , Mitchell Colin F. , Martin George S.
Published: March 2011

Objectives: To compare the mean number of cycles to failure under axial compression of equine proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint arthrodesis constructs created by 2 parallel transarticular Acutrak Plus screws (AP‐TS) or 2 parallel transarticular 5.5 mm cortical screws inserted in lag fashion (AO‐TLS).

Study Design: Paired in vitro biomechanical testing of 2 methods of stabilizing cadaveric adult equine forelimb PIP joints.

Sample Population: Cadaveric adult equine forelimbs (n=5 pairs).

Methods: For each forelimb pair, 1 PIP joint was stabilized with AP‐TS and 1 with AP‐TLS. The 5 construct pairs were tested for cyclic fatigue under axial compression. Mean number of cycles to failure for each fixation method were compared by a paired t‐test within each group with statistical significance set at P<.05.

Results: The mean number of cycles to failure under axial compression for AO‐TLS fixation and AP‐TS fixation were 57,723±8488 and 35,322±4698, respectively.

Conclusion: The AO‐TLS was superior to the AP‐TS in resisting cyclic fatigue under axial compression.
Making—or Picking—Winners: Evidence of Internal and External Price Effects in Historic Preservation Policies
Authors: Noonan Douglas S. , Krupka Douglas J.
Published: March 2011

This article measures the impacts of historic preservation regulations on property values inside and outside of officially designated historic districts. The analysis relies on a model of historic designation to control for the tendency to designate higher‐quality properties. An instrumental variables model using rich data on historic significance corrects for this bias. The results for Chicago during the 1990s indicate that price impacts from designation inside a landmark district vary considerably across homes inside the districts. Controlling for extant historic quality, which the market values positively, restrictions apparently have negative price effects on average both within and outside districts.
Explaining Asset Mispricing Using the Resale Option and Inflation Illusion
Authors: Hayunga Darren K. , Lung Peter P.
Published: March 2011

We investigate the overconfidence theory and inflation‐illusion hypothesis of asset mispricing. Both concepts address subjective asset valuation but place the impetus on differing explanations within the standard dividend‐growth model. We find that one of the theoretical outcomes of overconfidence—asset turnover—consistently explains mispricing in U.S. housing markets. Further, we find that asset turnover subsumes expected inflation in certain specifications, suggesting that dispersion in investors' beliefs is a better explanation of asset mispricing than the investors' inability to properly discount future cash flows.