bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interpreting UKIP's ‘Earthquake’ in British Politics: UK Television News Coverage of the 2009 and 2014 EU Election Campaigns
Authors: Cushion Stephen , Thomas Richard , Ellis Oliver
Published: May 2015

UK broadcasters came under fire for the amount of airtime UKIP and its leader Nigel Farage received after the party won the most votes in the 2014 EU election. Our content analysis of television news during the 2009 and 2014 campaigns found little bias in terms of soundbites, but in the more recent election Farage visually appeared in coverage to a greater degree than other party leaders. Moreover, two core UKIP policies—being in or out of Europe and immigration—dominated coverage in 2014. We suggest the ‘UKIP factor’ and the media's fascination with Nigel Farage help explain why the 2014 campaign was more visible on television news than was the case in 2009 and was largely reported through a Westminster prism. Although television news bulletins attempt to impartially report elections, the 2014 campaign agenda was largely contested on UKIP's ideological terrain and the party's electoral fortunes.
Exemplary series and Christian typology: modelling on sainthood in Damascus
Authors: Bandak Andreas
Published: May 2015

In this paper, I explore the way in which examples are used in sermons among the pious followers of Our Lady of Soufanieh in Damascus, Syria. In the sermons, a particular logic of seriation functions to present specific models and exemplars as prisms of lives to be imitated. The framing of these lives takes place through entextualizations, whereby the life of some is made into texts that others are told to emulate. The process of making life into text and text into life is explored in the production of examples at the weekly Saturday sermons in Soufanieh. While directly related to life as lived, such sermons also stand for a broader class of life asforma vitae, that is, lives to be followed. I thus explore the example as exemplum, a particular moral story used for edification and didactic purposes, one which situates the listener at the centre of the story by integrating the miraculous happenings in Soufanieh with the response of the individual. The sermons thus serve to examine exemplification and the modelling of sainthood in Damascus in the years preceding the current civil war.
Temporality and the torments of time
Authors: Hinton Ladson
Published: May 2015

Immersion in time gives birth to consciousness, as well as conflict and torment. When human beings developed a sense of future, they also gained the ability to anticipate threats from nature or their fellow beings. They thereby created cultures that are bastions of survival, as well as places of poetry, art and religion where they could band together and reflect upon their common plight.

The practice of psychoanalysis is in many ways a temporal process, a process of remembering, for owning and elaborating a past that gives us substance, thereby providing a basis for reflective consciousness. Stimulated by Freud's early writings, Lacan, Laplanche and their successors in particular have focussed extensively on time and psychoanalysis, and their views are a central point of this discussion.

A substantial case study is offered that provides concrete examples of these perspectives. A multi‐faceted view of temporality emerges, one that is more syncopated than linear or teleological. In conclusion, I will briefly discuss recent findings in the neuroscience of memory and ‘time travel’ that underpin contemporary psychoanalytic ideas in surprising ways. It is important to remember that acceptance of the contradictory nature of temporal experience can open space for increased freedom and playfulness.
Saying goodbye to the hero: Jung, Liber Novus and conversion from addiction
Authors: Addenbrooke Mary
Published: May 2015

Two chapters in Liber Novus throw fresh light on Jung's epistemology of addiction. Taking these as a starting point, the nature of the challenges that patients confront in leaving addiction behind are explored. It is suggested that an archetypal process of separation is constellated at the point of quitting as the precursor to a life without the object of the addiction. A short account is given of Jung's part in the inception of Alcoholics Anonymous and the potential role of a ‘conversion experience’ as an initiation into psychological reorientation away from the negative individuation experienced by the hero. The case of a patient addicted to heroin illustrates the contribution of an analytic approach in an NHS setting, along with other workers in a rehabilitation centre. Certain challenges of working with addicted people are outlined, including arousal of the psychotherapist's rescue fantasies.
Isolation and characterisation of lactic acid bacteria strains from raw camel milk for potential use in the production of fermented Tunisian dairy products
Authors: Fguiri Imen , Ziadi Manel , Atigui Moufida , Ayeb Naziha , Arroum Samira , Assadi Mouna , Khorchani Touhami
Published: May 2015

The aim of this work was to study the suitability of camel milk for the production of dairy products by lactic acid fermentation. Sixty strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from camel milk. The strains were tested for their acidification activity, ability to use citrate, exopolysaccharide production, lipolytic, proteolytic activities and resistance to antibiotics. Ten strains were investigated for their ability to metabolize carbohydrates and that resulted in the identification of 5 Lactococcus lactis, 1 Lactobacillus pentosus, 2 Lactobacillus plantarum, 1 Lactobacillus brevis and 1 Pediococcus pentosaceus strains. Two strains of Lactococcus lactis SCC133 and SLch14 were selected to produce traditional Tunisian fermented dairy products (Lben, Raib, Jben cheese and Smen). These strains were chosen based on their acid production capacity and their ability to produce a high yield of biomass.
Thermal inactivation of tickborne encephalitis virus in milk
Authors: Saier Regine , Maier Gabriele , Atamer Zeynep , Hinrichs Joerg
Published: May 2015

Tickborne encephalitis, a zoonotic virus infection, is transmitted to humans usually by the bite of an infected tick. It may also be acquired by ingesting infected dairy products. In this study, the infectivity of tickborne encephalitis virus, suspended in milk and other media, remained unchanged during a period of five days of storage at 8 °C. After heat treatments in the range of 60 to 80 °C, a decrease of approximately 4 or 4.5 log units in the virus titre was observed. Kinetic parameters for the inactivation were calculated, and the line of equal effects showing a 3‐log inactivation was determined.
Approaches to minimise yoghurt syneresis in simulated tzatziki sauce preparation
Authors: Vareltzis Patroklos , Adamopoulos Konstantinos , Stavrakakis Efstratios , Stefanakis Athanasios , Goula Athanasia M.
Published: May 2015

The phenomenon of syneresis becomes more profound in increased moisture yoghurt‐based products. Such a product is the traditional Greek appetizer tzatziki that contains cucumber, a vegetable with a high moisture content. During the manufacture of tzatziki, the addition of cucumber causes the protein network to break up, provoking an increase in syneresis. The aim of this study was to investigate a tzatziki manufacturing procedure that will lead to significantly decreased syneresis. Two different manufacturing procedures were compared: the extra moisture coming from cucumber was introduced before or after fermentation. The effect of adding whey protein concentrate (WPC), albumin, sodium caseinate or a mixture of these was also studied. The results show that the addition of extra moisture before yoghurt fermentation leads to a significantly lower syneresis (7.5%) and higher consistency (2000 cp) than those obtained in the case of addition after fermentation (25% and 1500 cp, respectively). The use of albumin, WPC or a mixture of albumin, WPC and sodium caseinate further decreased the phenomenon of syneresis to below 5%, without altering the colour of the product (ΔΕ* < 2.3).
Fitness components of Drosophila melanogaster developed on a standard laboratory diet or a typical natural food source
Authors: Kristensen Torsten Nygaard , Henningsen Astrid Kallestrup , Aastrup Christian , Bech‐Hansen Mads , Bjerre Lise B. Hoberg , Carlsen Benjamin , Hagstrup Marie , Jensen Sofie Graarup , Karlsen Pernille , Kristensen Line , Lundsgaard Cecillie , Møller Tine , Nielsen Lise D. , Starcke Camilla , Sørensen Christine Riisager , Schou Mads Fristrup
Published: May 2015

Drosophila melanogaster is often used as a model organism in evolutionary biology and ecophysiology to study evolutionary processes and their physiological mechanisms. Diets used to feed Drosophila cultures differ between laboratories and are often nutritious and distinct from food sources in the natural habitat. Here we rear D. melanogaster on a standard diet used in our laboratory and a field diet composed of decomposing apples collected in the field. Flies developed on these two diet compositions are tested for heat, cold, desiccation, and starvation resistance as well as developmental time, dry body mass and fat percentage. The nutritional compositions of the standard and field diets were analyzed, and discussed in relation to the phenotypic observations. Results showed marked differences in phenotype of flies from the two types of diets. Flies reared on the field diet are more starvation resistant and they are smaller, leaner, and have lower heat resistance compared to flies reared on the standard diet. Sex specific effects of diet type are observed for several of the investigated traits and the strong sexual dimorphism usually observed in desiccation resistance in D. melanogaster disappeared when rearing the flies on the field diet. Based on our results we conclude that care should be taken in extrapolating results from one type of diet to another and especially from laboratory to field diets.
Influence of the propagation strategy for obtaining robust Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells that efficiently co‐ferment xylose and glucose in lignocellulosic hydrolysates
Authors: Tomás‐Pejó Elia , Olsson Lisbeth
Published: May 2015

Development of xylose‐fermenting yeast strains that are tolerant to the inhibitors present in lignocellulosic hydrolysates is crucial to achieve efficient bioethanol production processes. In this study, the importance of the propagation strategy for obtaining robust cells was studied. Addition of hydrolysate during propagation of the cells adapted them to the inhibitors, resulting in more tolerant cells with shorter lag phases and higher specific growth rates in minimal medium containing acetic acid and vanillin than unadapted cells. Addition of hydrolysate during propagation also resulted in cells with better fermentation capabilities. Cells propagated without hydrolysate were unable to consume xylose in wheat straw hydrolysate fermentations, whereas 40.3% and 97.7% of the xylose was consumed when 12% and 23% (v/v) hydrolysate, respectively, was added during propagation. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed changes in gene expression, depending on the concentration of hydrolysate added during propagation. This study highlights the importance of using an appropriate propagation strategy for the optimum performance of yeast in fermentation of lignocellulosic hydrolysates.
Metaproteomics reveals major microbial players and their biodegradation functions in a large‐scale aerobic composting plant
Authors: Liu Dongming , Li Mingxiao , Xi Beidou , Zhao Yue , Wei Zimin , Song Caihong , Zhu Chaowei
Published: May 2015

Composting is an appropriate management alternative for municipal solid waste; however, our knowledge about the microbial regulation of this process is still scare. We employed metaproteomics to elucidate the main biodegradation pathways in municipal solid waste composting system across the main phases in a large‐scale composting plant. The investigation of microbial succession revealed that Bacillales, Actinobacteria and Saccharomyces increased significantly with respect to abundance in composting process. The key microbiologic population for cellulose degradation in different composting stages was different. Fungi were found to be the main producers of cellulase in earlier phase. However, the cellulolytic fungal communities were gradually replaced by a purely bacterial one in active phase, which did not support the concept that the thermophilic fungi are active through the thermophilic phase. The effective decomposition of cellulose required the synergy between bacteria and fungi in the curing phase.
Influence of Antihypertensive Therapy on Cerebral Perfusion in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome: Relationship with Cognitive Function and 24‐h Arterial Blood Pressure Monitoring
Authors: Efimova Nataliya Y. , Chernov Vladimir I. , Efimova Irina Y. , Lishmanov Yuri B.
Published: May 2015

Aims

To investigate the regional cerebral blood flow, cognitive function, and parameters of 24‐h arterial blood pressure monitoring in patients with metabolic syndrome before and after combination antihypertensive therapy.

Methods

The study involved 54 patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS) investigated by brain single‐photon emission computed tomography, 24‐h blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), and comprehensive neuropsychological testing before and after 24 weeks of combination antihypertensive therapy.

Results

Patients with metabolic syndrome had significantly poorer regional cerebral blood flow compared with control group: by 7% (P = 0.003) in right anterior parietal cortex, by 6% (P = 0.028) in left anterior parietal cortex, by 8% (P = 0.007) in right superior frontal lobe, and by 10% (P = 0.00002) and 7% (P = 0.006) in right and left temporal brain regions, correspondingly. The results of neuropsychological testing showed 11% decrease in mentation (P = 0.002), and 19% (P = 0.011) and 20% (P = 0.009) decrease in immediate verbal and visual memory in patients with MetS as compared with control group. Relationships between the indices of ABPM, cerebral perfusion, and cognitive function were found. Data showed an improvement of regional cerebral blood flow, ABPM parameters, and indicators of cognitive functions after 6 months of antihypertensive therapy in patients with MetS.

Conclusion

The study showed the presence of diffuse disturbances in cerebral perfusion is associated with cognitive disorders in patients with metabolic syndrome. Combination antihypertensive treatment exerts beneficial effects on the 24‐h blood pressure profile, increases cerebral blood flow, and improves cognitive function in patients with MetS.
Expatriation: A Last Refuge for the Wealthy?
Authors: Kudrle Robert T.
Published: May 2015

Emigration by the rich may increase substantially as persons seek to avoid home country taxation. Until recently those with high income and wealth could evade taxes through the use of secret foreign investment. Recent policy initiatives from the Obama Administration and the Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) with the G20 promise to reduce such evasion. The US stands virtually alone in its insistence on global taxation of its citizens at home and abroad. Other countries tax only residents and often levy only modest penalties for indefinite departure from the home country. Modern technology coupled with increased international cooperation makes citizenship‐based taxation feasible. In a world of sharply varying income – and especially wealth – taxation, states will need to devote increased policy attention to the tax‐motivated international mobility of the rich. The attractions of citizenship‐based taxation will grow. It should not be abandoned by the US, and its efficacy should be studied by other states.
Stateless Persons and the Question of Rights
Authors: Schenner Johanna K.
Published: May 2015

On 4 November 2014, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) launched the worldwide campaign to put an end to statelessness within the time frame of the next ten years. Therefore, according to the UNHCR reasoning no persons should be affected by statelessness in 2024. The launch of the campaign followed the Global Forum on Statelessness in September 2014 that aimed at highlighting the implications of statelessness of concerned persons and to simultaneously raise awareness (Guardian, ). In an era when nation states have been in existence for over 300 years and citizenship being granted to nationals by states either by Right of the Soil (jus soli) or by Right of the Blood (jus sanguinis), the condition of statelessness comes as a surprise to many persons disposing of citizenship. The legal status of possessing citizenship is generally taken for granted. In my view, the existence of stateless people points to weaknesses in current national legal rights regimes and bears great risks of both affected persons and society.
Sugary drink consumption and dental caries in New South Wales teenagers
Authors: Skinner J , Byun R , Blinkhorn A , Johnson G
Published: May 2015

Background

The consumption of water, milk and various sugary drinks and their relationship with the caries experience of a random sample of teenagers aged 14 to 15 years living in New South Wales, Australia was investigated.

Methods

Data were obtained from both clinical and questionnaire components of the NSW Teen Dental Survey, 2010. The analyses allowed for various demographic and behavioural risk factors using caries experience (DMFT >0) and mean DMFT as the key outcome variables.

Results

Males were more likely than females to consume large volumes of sugary drinks. Consuming two or more glasses of sugary drinks per day led to significantly increased caries experience amongst this sample of 14 and 15 year olds. Factors found to be associated with elevated sugary drink consumption included family income, gender, and mother's education level.

Conclusions

There is a strong correlation between increased caries experience of NSW teenagers and high levels of consumption of sugary drinks.
Potentially preventable hospital separations related to oral health: a 10‐year analysis
Authors: Kruger E , Tennant M
Published: May 2015

Background

The aims of this study were to assess the rates of hospitalizations for potentially preventable dental conditions over a 10‐year period in Western Australia; to analyse trends over 10 years in rate changes of hopitalizations; and to analyse the mix of preventable dental conditions by age group and Aboriginal status.

Methods

The principal diagnosis, as classified by the International Classification of Disease (ICD‐10AM), was used to select hospitalization data for all patients who were discharged from hospital in Western Australia for the financial years 1999–2000 to 2008–2009, for a potentially preventable oral health condition.

Results

Over a 10‐year period more than 65 000 people were hospitalized. Population rates of hospitalization increased significantly over the period for both Aboriginal and non‐Aboriginal population groups. Admission rates were higher for Aboriginal people. Children under 14 were more likely to be admitted; the most common condition that required hospitalization was dental caries, and the highest rates of hospitalization were for those from the most socio‐economically disadvantaged areas.

Conclusions

These hospitalizations remain a considerable and increasing financial burden on health budgets. An increase in efforts is necessary to curb escalating government health expenditure by reducing avoidable and preventable oral health related hospitalizations.
Bacteriology of deep neck infections: analysis of 634 patients
Authors: Celakovsky P , Kalfert D , Smatanova K , Tucek L , Cermakova E , Mejzlik J , Kotulek M , Vrbacky A , Matousek P , Stanikova L , Hoskova T
Published: May 2015

Background

The aim of this study was to review the bacteriology of deep neck infections (DNI) and identify the factors that influence the incidence of causative bacteria.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of 634 patients with DNI was performed. Statistical analysis was used to compare the incidence of common pathogens in various conditions such as age of the patients, aetiology and associated diabetes mellitus.

Results

Bacteria were isolated in 514 cultures (81%). Aerobic bacteria were isolated from 246 cultures (39%) and anaerobic bacteria from 61 cultures (10%). Both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria were isolated from 207 cultures (32%). The most common aerobic bacteria were Streptococcus pyogenes (41%) and Staphylococcus aureus (32%). The most common anaerobic bacteria were Peptostreptococcus species (28%), followed by Prevotela species (8%) and Proprionibacterium species (7%). The incidence of anaerobic bacteria was higher in adults, in patients with infections of dental origin and in non‐diabetic patients.

Conclusions

The bacteriology of DNI is polymicrobial, including both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. The incidence of anaerobic bacteria is higher in adults, in patients with infections of dental origin and in non‐diabetic patients.
Henry George, Jane Jacobs, and Free Trade
Authors: Boyle David
Published: May 2015

Henry George and Jane Jacobs were both journalists and made a contribution to economics based on their commitment to the original version of free trade, as understood by 19th‐century liberals, rather than the late 20th‐century version. The distinctive concept of free trade, as originally understood, was as an instrument for small‐scale producers to break up entrenched monopolies and serve the interests of the ordinary citizen. That was how Cobden used it in the debates over the Corn Laws in the 1840s, and how Ruskin, Gesell, Chesterton, and other critics conceived of economic liberation. In debates over free trade in recent decades, that term has come to mean a defense of power and privilege, the exact opposite of the intent of 19th‐century liberals. George and Jacobs sought to restore the original meaning by developing theories of development and distribution that would enable the market system to benefit everyone.
Henry George and Jane Jacobs on the Sources of Economic Growth
Authors: Peirce William S.
Published: May 2015

Henry George and Jane Jacobs shared a remarkably similar vision of the economic functioning of cities and of the sources of the economic growth of cities, despite having differing primary objectives. George wrote Progress and Poverty and subsequent works to persuade the public of the equity and efficiency of public capture of economic rents of land and other natural resources and elimination of taxes on labor and capital. Jacobs acquired fame for The Death and Life of Great American Cities in which she challenged the prevailing orthodoxy of the urban planning profession. Both saw the density and diversity of economic and cultural activities in cities as a facilitator of innovation and entrepreneurship in all aspects of civilization. Both also recognized the power of the price system in coordinating the activities of independent decision makers and the importance of trade for economic growth.
Corneal collagen cross‐linking for infectious keratitis: an update of clinical studies
Authors: Chan Tommy C. Y. , Lau Tiffany W. S. , Lee Jacky W. Y. , Wong Ian Y. H. , Jhanji Vishal , Wong Raymond L. M.
Published: May 2015

Collagen cross‐linking (CXL) with ultraviolet light‐activated riboflavin is a corneal surface procedure developed for the treatment of keratoconus and corneal ectasia. With the known microbicidal and corneal stiffening effects of ultraviolet irradiation and photoactivated riboflavin, it has recently been introduced for the management of infectious keratitis, especially for ulcers resistant to antimicrobial therapy or associated with corneal melting. Various authors have attempted to use CXL as an adjunctive, salvage or even as the sole treatment for infectious corneal ulcers. The aim of this review was to provide a summary of the clinical studies in the literature. It is worth noting that there is still no consensus on the treatment protocol of CXL against infectious keratitis. The disparities in outcome measures, treatment protocol and study design can confound the interpretation and hamper the generalization of the study results. Based on current evidence, the role of CXL in infectious keratitis remained unclear despite the reported success in some clinical cases. Further investigations are warranted concerning the efficacy and safety of treating infectious keratitis with CXL.
Complementary effects of bevacizumab and MMC in the improvement of surgical outcome after glaucoma filtration surgery
Authors: Van Bergen Tine , Vandewalle Evelien , Moons Lieve , Stalmans Ingeborg
Published: May 2015

Purpose

To determine the optimum administration route of bevacizumab after glaucoma filtering surgery (GFS) and to investigate whether a reduced dose of mitomycin‐C (MMC) in combination with bevacizumab could improve surgical outcome with a reduced incidence of side‐effects.

Methods

Plasma levels of bevacizumab were determined via ELISA after intracameral (IC), subconjunctival (SC) and intravitreal (IV) injections in mice, subjected to a mouse model of GFS. Application of MMC was compared to bevacizumab (SC, 25 μg) and to the combined use of both adjuvants. Surgical sponges soaked in MMC 0.02% or 0.01% were exposed to the sclera for 1 or 2 min. Treatment outcome was studied by bleb investigation.

Results

The three administration routes of bevacizumab equally improved surgical outcome. The VEGF antibody was detected at relatively high levels in plasma shortly after IV injection, whereas it was minimally absorbed after IC and SC injections. Both bevacizumab (SC) and MMC 0.02% (2 min) similarly increased bleb area. As compared to MMC, the combined injection with bevacizumab induced an additional effect on surgical outcome. Exposure of MMC 0.02% for 1 or 2 min together with bevacizumab equally improved surgical outcome, but 2 min application induced corneal toxicity. The combined use of bevacizumab and 1‐min MMC 0.01% also improved surgical outcome compared to monotherapy, although to a lesser extent than the combination with 1‐min MMC 0.02%.

Conclusions

Adjunctive bevacizumab not only enhances the beneficial effect of MMC on surgical outcome, but also allows reducing the administration time of MMC 0.02%, thereby eliminating its toxic effects on the cornea.
Geographical indication protection and rural livelihoods: insights from India and Thailand
Authors: Jena Pradyot Ranjan , Ngokkuen Chuthaporn , Rahut Dil Bahadur , Grote Ulrike
Published: May 2015

The paper synthesises the results from empirical case studies undertaken in India and Thailand on the welfare impacts of geographical indications (GIs). The findings indicate a positive effect from GI protection on the well‐being of farm households and rural poverty. GI protection also preserves the traditional knowledge embedded in a GI good as well as the traditional heritage of the locality that produces the good. The findings support the call for stronger intellectual property rights protection.
Pharmacological actions of nobiletin in the modulation of platelet function
Authors: Vaiyapuri Sakthivel , Roweth Harvey , Ali Marfoua S , Unsworth Amanda J , Stainer Alexander R , Flora Gagan D , Crescente Marilena , Jones Chris I , Moraes Leonardo A , Gibbins Jonathan M
Published: May 2015

Background and Purpose

The discovery that flavonoids are capable of inhibiting platelet function has led to their investigation as potential antithrombotic agents. However, despite the range of studies on the antiplatelet properties of flavonoids, little is known about the mechanisms by which flavonoids inhibit platelet function. In this study, we aimed to explore the pharmacological effects of a polymethoxy flavonoid, nobiletin, in the modulation of platelet function.

Experimental Approach

The ability of nobiletin to modulate platelet function was explored by using a range ofin vitroandin vivoexperimental approaches. Aggregation, dense granule secretion and spreading assays were performed using washed platelets. Fibrinogen binding, α‐granule secretion and calcium mobilization assays were performed using platelet‐rich plasma and whole blood was used in impedance aggregometry and thrombus formation experiments. The effect of nobiletinin vivowas assessed by measuring tail bleeding time usingC57BL/6 mice.

Key Results

Nobiletin was shown to suppress a range of well‐established activatory mechanisms, including platelet aggregation, granule secretion, integrin modulation, calcium mobilization and thrombus formation. Nobiletin extended bleeding time in mice and reduced the phosphorylation ofPKB(Akt) andPLCγ2 within the collagen receptor (glycoproteinVI)‐stimulated pathway, in addition to increasing the levels of cGMPand phosphorylation of vasodilator‐stimulated phosphoprotein, a protein whose activity is associated with inhibitory cyclic nucleotide signalling.

Conclusions and Implications

This study provides insight into the underlying molecular mechanisms through which nobiletin modulates haemostasis and thrombus formation. Therefore, nobiletin may represent a potential antithrombotic agent of dietary origins.
The GPR 55 agonist, L‐α‐lysophosphatidylinositol, mediates ovarian carcinoma cell‐induced angiogenesis
Authors: Hofmann Nicole A , Yang Jiang , Trauger Sunia A , Nakayama Hironao , Huang Lan , Strunk Dirk , Moses Marsha A , Klagsbrun Michael , Bischoff Joyce , Graier Wolfgang F
Published: May 2015

Background and Purpose

Highly vascularized ovarian carcinoma secretes the putative endocannabinoid and GPR55 agonist, L‐α‐lysophosphatidylinositol (LPI), into the circulation. We aimed to assess the involvement of this agonist and its receptor in ovarian cancer angiogenesis.

Experimental Approach

Secretion of LPI by three ovarian cancer cell lines (OVCAR‐3, OVCAR‐5 and COV‐362) was tested by mass spectrometry. Involvement of cancer cell‐derived LPI on angiogenesis was tested in the in vivo chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay along with the assessment of the effect of LPI on proliferation, network formation, and migration of neonatal and adult human endothelial colony‐forming cells (ECFCs). Engagement of GPR55 was verified by using its pharmacological inhibitor CID16020046 and diminution of GPR55 expression by four different target‐specific siRNAs. To study underlying signal transduction, Western blot analysis was performed.

Key Results

Ovarian carcinoma cell‐derived LPI stimulated angiogenesis in the CAM assay. Applied LPI stimulated proliferation, network formation, and migration of neonatal ECFCs in vitro and angiogenesis in the in vivo CAM. The pharmacological GPR55 inhibitor CID16020046 inhibited LPI‐stimulated ECFC proliferation, network formation and migration in vitro as well as ovarian carcinoma cell‐ and LPI‐induced angiogenesis in vivo. Four target‐specific siRNAs against GPR55 prevented these effects of LPI on angiogenesis. These pro‐angiogenic effects of LPI were transduced by GPR55‐dependent phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and p38 kinase.

Conclusions and Implications

We conclude that inhibiting the pro‐angiogenic LPI/GPR55 pathway appears a promising target against angiogenesis in ovarian carcinoma.
Exploration of the cognitive, adaptive and behavioral functioning of patients affected with Bardet–Biedl syndrome
Authors: Kerr E. N. , Bhan A. , Héon E.
Published: May 2015

The aim of the study was to investigate the behavioral phenotype of patients affected with Bardet–Biedl syndrome (BBS). Twenty‐four patients with molecularly confirmed diagnosis of BBS (6–38 years old) were evaluated using standardized neuropsychological tests. Results were compared with normative data. The mean intellectual functioning of participants fell 1.5 standard deviations below normal expectations; though, the majority of participants (75–80%) did not display an intellectual disability. The group's mean performance on most cognitive tasks and all scales of adaptive functioning was significantly weaker than norms. The majority (55–60%) of participants displayed broadly average verbal fluency and auditory rote learning, while 22–40% were severely impaired in the same areas. The majority of participants were severely impaired in perceptual reasoning (53%), attentional capacity (69%), and functional independence (74%). Symptoms associated with Autism were reported for 77% of participants. Behavioral issues were unrelated to intellectual ability but significantly correlated with adaptive functioning. This first neurocognitive evaluation of a molecularly confirmed cohort of BBS patients shows that the majority of patients experience significant difficulties with perceptual intellectual abilities, auditory attentional capacity, adaptive independence, and behavior. The frequency of autism‐related symptoms far exceeds the incidence rate of diagnosed autism in general and warrants further investigations.
Racialized Mobility Transitions in Philadelphia: Connecting Urban Sustainability and Transport Justice
Authors: SHELLER MIMI
Published: May 2015

National level statistics show a decade‐long decline in the use of cars in the United States as well as other developed countries. This transition has been connected to growth in more sustainable forms of urban transport such as walking, bicycling, and increased use of transit, as well as changes in urban spatial planning. This article examines the recent trends toward more sustainable mobility in Philadelphia, in order to locate these cultural changes in a specific spatial, cultural, and racial context. The article raises the crucial yet often ignored issue of how urban spatial form and mobility regimes in post‐industrial cities like Philadelphia are highly inflected by racial space and racialized mobilities. It suggests that wider trends toward decreasing young white automobility in cities across the U.S. must be situated in relation to changing patterns of suburbanization of poverty, gentrification of city centers, and struggles over public transit access and investment. The specific case is analyzed in relation to multi‐level transition theories, cultural analysis of mobility frames and discourses, and the addition of local observation of everyday transport drawing on perspectives from mobilities research. A focus on racial space and transport inequality adds new insights to understanding the limits of any transition that may be taking place in the American automobility regime, and it expands how such transitions are being culturally framed and promoted.
Cyclists as Part of the City's Organism: Structural Stories on Cycling in Copenhagen
Authors: FREUDENDAL‐PEDERSEN MALENE
Published: May 2015

This article examines Copenhagen cyclists' emotional and “rational” stories about cycling in the city. Copenhagen is branded as a city of cyclists; nevertheless, the car still plays a dominant role in both policy and planning and thus everyday life. This shapes cyclists' stories as well as their praxis. This paper reveals how Copenhagen cyclists contest the role of the car but simultaneously support the automobile system that privileges cars over bikes through their narrations and praxis. This article employs the concept “structural stories” (Freudendal‐Pedersen 2009) to reveal how particular rationales are used to explain everyday actions and choices. Structural stories are understood and expressed as universal truths, and as such they create paths for mobilities praxis. The stories also reveal contradictions in the image of Copenhagen and the way that people actually live and move through the city. The article draws on empirical data compiled from several research projects on mobilities in Copenhagen between 2007 and 2013. It suggests ways to further engender cycling in the city.
New Disability Mobilities and Accessibilities in Urban India
Authors: FRIEDNER MICHELE , OSBORNE JAMIE
Published: May 2015

This article analyzes mobilities and accessibilities in urban India in relation to disability in India. The concept of disability has become a privileged site for the state and NGOs to situate development interventions and for corporations to engage in corporate social responsibility initiatives. These state, NGO, and corporate efforts are directed at a specific kind of disabled individual and are heavily based upon market logics. Utilizing data from disability‐related conferences held in New Delhi and Bangalore, and other initiatives developing in these cities for disabled people, this article critically examines new disability mobilities and accessibilities and argues that a new assemblage of state, NGO, and corporation is forming around disability and giving rise to a new “disability marketplace.” This article calls for analysts and activists working in the arena of disability to be more specific in their treatment of the concepts of mobility and accessibility, and more aware of the consequences of reifying the concept of disability.
Neoadjuvant chemoradiation for rectal cancer is not associated with higher rates of thromboembolism
Authors: Smart P. J. , Stocchi L. L. , Remzi F. H.
Published: May 2015

Aim

Thromboembolism (TE) is a leading cause of death amongst cancer patients. The effect of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) on the risk of TE in rectal cancer patients is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine whether nCRT was associated with an increased risk of TE in patients with rectal cancer, either during therapy or with subsequent treatment.

Method

This was a retrospective study from a prospectively maintained database at a tertiary referral centre. Participants included patients with rectal cancer treated between January 2000 and December 2013. The primary outcome was the rate of TE in patients with rectal cancer who had nCRT compared with those who did not.

Results

One hundred and seventy‐one (7.8%) of 2181 rectal cancer patients developed TE. Patients who had nCRT did not have an increased incidence of TE compared with those who had surgery alone (81/946, 8.6% vs 94/1235, 7.6%, P = 0.42) after a median follow‐up of 95 months. Ten (1.1%) of 946 patients who received nCRT developed TE during or immediately after nCRT. Most TE events occurred in the 30‐day postoperative period (70 patients, 3.2%).

Conclusion

The prevalence of TE in patients with rectal cancer was 7.8%, with most events occurring in within 30 days of surgery. Neoadjuvant chemoradiation was not associated with an increased risk of TE.
Factors predicting 30‐day readmission after laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery within an enhanced recovery programme
Authors: Francis N. K. , Mason J. , Salib E. , Allanby L. , Messenger D. , Allison A. S. , Smart N. J. , Ockrim J. B.
Published: May 2015

Aim

Hospital readmission within 30 days of surgery has become a marker of poor quality patient care. This study aimed to investigate factors predictive of 30‐day readmission after laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery within an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programme.

Method

Consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer within an ERAS programme between 2002 and 2009 were included. Data were collected relating to patient demographics, neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, ERAS compliance, and operative and postoperative outcomes. A logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with readmissions after adjusting for the potential effect of covariables simultaneously.

Results

In all, 268 cancer patients underwent laparoscopic colorectal surgery (108 rectal resections), of whom 34 (12.7%) were readmitted due most commonly to bowel obstruction (29%) and surgical site infection (18%). The use of neoadjuvant therapy (odds ratio 4.49, 95% CI 1.41–14.35; P = 0.011) and ERAS compliance above 93% (odds ratio 0.38, 95% CI 0.18–0.84; P = 0.016) were independent predictors of readmission.

Conclusion

Poor ERAS compliance and preoperative chemoradiotherapy were significant predictors of readmission following laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery. Further research is required to expand the scope of ERAS beyond hospital discharge.
Asymmetrical allocation ofJAK1mRNAduring spermatogonial stem cell division inXenopus laevis
Authors: Hyakutake Keiichiro , Kawasaki Toshihiro , Zhang JiDong , Kubota Hiroshi , Abe Sin‐Ichi , Takamune Kazufumi
Published: May 2015

DuringXenopusspermatogenesis, each primary spermatogonium (PG), the largest single cell in the testis, undergoes mitotic divisions with a concomitant decrease in size to produce smaller differentiating spermatogonia. The spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) occur in thisPGpopulation. Taking advantage of identifiable and isolatable properties ofXenopusSSCs, we examinedJAK1gene expression during the spermatogenesis because there have been reports on the important role ofJAK/STATpathway in regulating the status ofSSCs inDrosophilaand mouse. Surprisingly,in situhybridization revealed the presence ofJAK1mRNAin the differentiating spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes as well as somePGs. Inhibition ofJAK1 activity in the testis caused a decrease in percentage of BrdU‐incorporating spermatogonia, suggesting thatJAK1 was at least involved in regulation of spermatogonial proliferation. Interestingly, single cell reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) clearly showed two different types ofSSCs:SSCs withJAK1mRNA(JAK1+) or withoutJAK1mRNA(JAK1−). SinceJAK1−SSClevel was increased by induction of testis regeneration, self‐renewingSSCs were thought to beJAK1−. In addition, we found barrel‐shapedPGs, in whichJAK1mRNAwas localized asymmetrically to one half of the cell. The stainability with propidium iodide and morphology of two nuclei in the barrel‐shapedPGwere similar to those ofPGnucleus. Based on the above observations, we propose the hypothesis thatJAK1+SSCis preparing for production ofPGs destined to differentiate (destinedPGs) and the accumulatedJAK1mRNAin theSSCis distributed exclusively into the destinedPGs through mitotic division.
Sex‐dependent modulation of age‐related cognitive decline by the L‐type calcium channel gene Cacna1c (Cav1.2)
Authors: Zanos Panos , Bhat Shambhu , Terrillion Chantelle E. , Smith Robert J. , Tonelli Leonardo H. , Gould Todd D.
Published: May 2015

Increased calcium influx through L‐type voltage‐gated calcium channels has been implicated in the neuronal dysfunction underlying age‐related memory declines. The present study aimed to test the specific role of Cacna1c (which encodes Cav1.2) in modulating age‐related memory dysfunction. Short‐term, spatial and contextual/emotional memory was evaluated in young and aged, wild‐type as well as mice with one functional copy of Cacna1c (haploinsufficient), using the novel object recognition, Y‐maze and passive avoidance tasks, respectively. Hippocampal expression of Cacna1c mRNA was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Ageing was associated with object recognition and contextual/emotional memory deficits, and a significant increase in hippocampal Cacna1c mRNA expression. Cacna1c haploinsufficiency was associated with decreased Cacna1c mRNA expression in both young and old animals. However, haploinsufficient mice did not manifest an age‐related increase in expression of this gene. Behaviourally, Cacna1c haploinsufficiency prevented object recognition deficits during ageing in both male and female mice. A significant correlation between higher Cacna1c levels and decreased object recognition performance was observed in both sexes. Also, a sex‐dependent protective role of decreased Cacna1c levels in contextual/emotional memory loss has been observed, specifically in male mice. These data provide evidence for an association between increased hippocampal Cacna1c expression and age‐related cognitive decline. Additionally, they indicate an interaction between the Cacna1c gene and sex in the modulation of age‐related contextual memory declines.
Lateralization of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with chronic ambulatory electrocorticography
Authors: King‐Stephens David , Mirro Emily , Weber Peter B. , Laxer Kenneth D. , Van Ness Paul C. , Salanova Vicenta , Spencer David C. , Heck Christianne N. , Goldman Alica , Jobst Barbara , Shields Donald C. , Bergey Gregory K. , Eisenschenk Stephan , Worrell Gregory A. , Rossi Marvin A. , Gross Robert E. , Cole Andrew J. , Sperling Michael R. , Nair Dileep R. , Gwinn Ryder P. , Park Yong D. , Rutecki Paul A. , Fountain Nathan B. , Wharen Robert E. , Hirsch Lawrence J. , Miller Ian O. , Barkley Gregory L. , Edwards Jonathan C. , Geller Eric B. , Berg Michel J. , Sadler Toni L. , Sun Felice T. , Morrell Martha J.
Published: May 2015

Objective

Patients with suspected mesial temporal lobe (MTL) epilepsy typically undergo inpatient video–electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring with scalp and/or intracranial electrodes for 1 to 2 weeks to localize and lateralize the seizure focus or foci. Chronic ambulatory electrocorticography (ECoG) in patients with MTL epilepsy may provide additional information about seizure lateralization. This analysis describes data obtained from chronic ambulatory ECoG in patients with suspected bilateral MTL epilepsy in order to assess the time required to determine the seizure lateralization and whether this information could influence treatment decisions.

Methods

Ambulatory ECoG was reviewed in patients with suspected bilateral MTL epilepsy who were among a larger cohort with intractable epilepsy participating in a randomized controlled trial of responsive neurostimulation. Subjects were implanted with bilateral MTL leads and a cranially implanted neurostimulator programmed to detect abnormal interictal and ictal ECoG activity. ECoG data stored by the neurostimulator were reviewed to determine the lateralization of electrographic seizures and the interval of time until independent bilateral MTL electrographic seizures were recorded.

Results

Eighty‐two subjects were implanted with bilateral MTL leads and followed for 4.7 years on average (median 4.9 years). Independent bilateral MTL electrographic seizures were recorded in 84%. The average time to record bilateral electrographic seizures in the ambulatory setting was 41.6 days (median 13 days, range 0–376 days). Sixteen percent had only unilateral electrographic seizures after an average of 4.6 years of recording.

Significance

About one third of the subjects implanted with bilateral MTL electrodes required >1 month of chronic ambulatory ECoG before the first contralateral MTL electrographic seizure was recorded. Some patients with suspected bilateral MTL seizures had only unilateral electrographic seizures. Chronic ambulatory ECoG in patients with suspected bilateral MTL seizures provides data in a naturalistic setting, may complement data from inpatient video‐EEG monitoring, and can contribute to treatment decisions.