bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Green legitimation: the construction of an environmental ethos
Authors: Wæraas Arild , Ihlen Øyvind 
Published: May 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of manipulation as a legitimation strategy. Focusing on the role of verbal communication, are integrated insights from rhetorical theory with strategic and institutional approaches to legitimacy in a study of three documents published by the “most admired” companies in the USA in 2007; General Electric (GE), Toyota, and Starbucks.Design/methodology/approachThe research is based on a qualitative analysis of three documents that describe the environmental focus and policies of GE, Toyota, and Starbucks. The approach involves analyzing and synthesizing a large number of environmental claims made by these companies.FindingsThe analysis of the texts reveals a constructed organizationalethosthat is combined with strong environmental focus to appear trustworthy in environmental matters in the eyes of consumers and stakeholders. Relying on four categories of environmental statements, the companies practice a form of “green” legitimation.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is limited by the small number of publications used as data sources, which makes generalizations problematic. It does not investigate the effects of the verbal claims.Originality/valueThe paper adds to the literature on organizational legitimation, providing valuable insights into manipulative legitimation. It demonstrates the need to combine insights from strategic and institutional approaches to legitimacy.
Answering the call! Adapting a traditional hunting practice to monitor duiker populations
Authors: Van Vliet Nathalie , Kaniowska Ewa , Bourgarel Mathieu , Fargeot Christian , Nasi Robert 
Published: May 2009

AbstractIn several regions of the Congo Basin the call of an endangered duiker is traditionally used by hunters to attract animals. We explore the possibility to standardize this call method to improve day time transect counts. Our study shows that the call is particularly efficient for the most common duiker species [Philantomba monticola (previously Cephalophus monticola), Cephalophus callipygus and Cephalophus dorsalis]. The call increases the number of direct sightings in secondary forests and counterbalances the bias caused by vegetation density in classic day time counts. The method is more effective during the first 4 min of the call and from 9.00 to 11.00 hours, particularly during the dry season. Hunting using the call does not significantly increase the sex bias (more males killed) obtained without the call. Compared with day time visual counts, the call method ensures a more reliable species identification because animals are better seen and for a longer time. Derived from a traditional practice, the call can be easily appropriated by local communities in participatory duiker surveys. However, the method is not recommended when multi‐species surveys are to be carried out or when densities are to be estimated because the area surveyed per unit call is unknown.
Differential expression and affinities of Arabidopsis gibberellin receptors can explain variation in phenotypes of multiple knock‐out mutants
Authors: Suzuki Hiroyuki , Park Seung‐Hyun , Okubo Kyoko , Kitamura Jun , Ueguchi‐Tanaka Miyako , Iuchi Satoshi , Katoh Etsuko , Kobayashi Masatomo , Yamaguchi Isomaro , Matsuoka Makoto , Asami Tadao , Nakajima Masatoshi 
Published: May 2009

SummaryIn Arabidopsis, three receptors exist for the phytohormone gibberellin. Of the three, only a double loss‐of‐function mutant (atgid1a atgid1c) shows a dwarf phenotype, while other double and all single mutants show no abnormality in height. In this study we show that the expression of AtGID1b–GUS mRNA, driven by the AtGID1b promoter, is low in inflorescence stems, but may be 10% of AtGID1a–GUS mRNA, driven by the AtGID1a promoter. However, AtGID1b–GUS enzymatic activity does not exist in them. This factor strongly suggests that atgid1a atgid1c lacks sufficient AtGID1b protein for normal stem growth. In the stamens of pAtGID1c::AtGID1c–GUS transformants, we detected clear AtGID1c–GUS activity, while another atgid1a atgid1b, which has short stamens in its flowers, causes the adhesion of little pollen to stigmas thus leading to its low fertility. We then evaluated the affinity of the AtGID1–DELLA interaction by a competitive yeast three‐hybrid system and also by QCM apparatus. AtGID1c showed a quite lower affinity to RGL2, the major DELLA protein in floral buds, than AtGID1a or AtGID1b. The low affinity of the AtGID1c–RGL2 interaction is likely to be responsible for the failure of AtGID1c to hold RGL2, which is required for normal stamen development. Taken together with expressional information of DELLA genes, we propose that in a double loss‐of‐function mutant of gibberellin receptors, the emergence of any phenotype(s) depends on the abundance of the remaining receptor and its preference to DELLA proteins existing at a target site.
Intermittent preventive treatment using artemisinin‐based combination therapy reduces malaria morbidity among school‐aged children in Mali
Authors: Barger Breanna , Maiga Hamma , Traore Oumar Bila , Tekete Mamadou , Tembine Intimbeye , Dara Antoine , Traore Zoumana Isaac , Gantt Soren , Doumbo Ogobara K. , Djimde Abdoulaye A. 
Published: May 2009

SummaryObjective  To assess the efficacy of intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) against malaria in school‐aged children.Methods  This was an open randomized controlled trial of seasonal IPT among school children (IPTsc) aged 6–13 years in Kollé, Mali. The study began in September 2007 and completed follow‐up in May 2008. Students were randomized to one of three study arms: Sulfadoxine–pyrimethamine plus artesunate (SP/AS), amodiaquine plus artesunate (AQ/AS) or vitamin C. All students received two full treatment doses, given 2 months apart during the season of high transmission from September to December. Groups were compared with respect to incidence of clinical malaria, asymptomatic parasitemia and haemoglobin concentration.Results  A total of 296 students were randomized, and retention in the study was 99.3%. Clinical malaria incidence in the SP/AS and AQ/AS arms was reduced by 66.6% and 46.5%, respectively, vs. vitamin C (P < 0.001). There were fewer clinic visits for any cause among the children receiving SP/AS or AQ/AS (P = 0.024). The prevalence of asymptomatic parasitemia was fivefold higher in the vitamin C arm than either SP/AS or AQ/AS at each post‐treatment evaluation (P < 0.001). At the end of the transmission period, children treated with IPT had lower rates of anaemia (SP/AS, 17.7%; AQ/AS, 16.0%; vitamin C, 29.6%; P = 0.039).Conclusion  IPT among school children reduced the rates of clinical malaria, all‐cause acute clinic visits, asymptomatic parasitemia and anaemia among school‐aged children.
Changes of serum cytokines and expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA by Kupffer cells after relief from obstructive jaundice in rats
Authors: Meng Ying , Gong Yi‐Chun , Dou Yan , Li Wen 
Published: May 2009

AbstractAims:  To investigate the changes of serum endotoxin, tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α), interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression by Kupffer cells after relief of obstructive jaundice (OJ) by internal biliary drainage (ID) and external biliary drainage (ED) in rats.Materials and Methods:  Forty eight adult Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned to four groups: OJ, ID, ED and sham operation (SH). Inducible nitric oxide synthase mRNA by the Kupffer cells was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The serum TNF‐α and IL‐6 were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and endotoxin by kinetic turbidimetric limulus tests.Results:  Serum endotoxin, IL‐6 and TNF‐α levels were significantly elevated in OJ rats compared to that of SH rats (P < 0.01). After relief from OJ, the elevated endotoxin, IL‐6 and TNF‐α levels could be significantly depressed by ID (P < 0.01). However, the serum IL‐6 level was increased in ED rats (P < 0.05) and the TNF‐α level was not depressed by ED. Expression of iNOS mRNA by Kupffer cells was markedly stronger in the OJ group than in the SH group (P = 0.005). After relief from OJ, the iNOS mRNA expression was suppressed by ID (P = 0.139, ID vs OJ). However, the iNOS mRNA expression was promoted by ED (P = 0.321 ED vs OJ; P = 0.016 ED vs SH).Conclusions:  The levels of serum endotoxin, TNF‐α and IL‐6 and the expression of iNOS mRNA by Kupffer cells were increased in rats with obstructive jaundice. Internal biliary drainage could entirely reverse the changes, but external drainage only partially did.
Toll‐like receptors and their role in gastrointestinal disease
Authors: Testro Adam G , Visvanathan Kumar 
Published: May 2009

AbstractThe innate immune response to invading pathogens is centred upon a family of non‐clonal, germline‐encoded pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), the Toll‐like receptors (TLRs). These provide specificity for a vast range of microbial pathogens, and offer an immediate anti‐microbial response system. Thirteen mammalian TLRs have been described; 10 are expressed in humans, each responsible for the recognition of distinct, invariant microbial structures originating from bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa. The two most thoroughly studied are TLR4 and TLR2, the PRRs for Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive bacterial products, respectively. TLR4 is also the major receptor recognising endogenous ligands released from damaged or dying cells. Activation of a TLR by its relevant ligand rapidly ignites a complex intracellular signaling cascade that ultimately results in upregulation of inflammatory genes and production of proinflammatory cytokines, interferons and recruitment of myeloid cells. It also stimulates expression, upon antigen presenting cells, of co‐stimulatory molecules required to induce an adaptive immune response. Whilst a robust TLR response is critical for survival and defence against invading pathogens, inappropriate signaling in response to alterations in the local microflora environment can be detrimental. Such ‘unhelpful TLR responses’ could form the basis for a large number of gastrointestinal and liver disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease, viral hepatitis, autoimmune liver diseases and hepatic fibrosis. As our understanding of TLRs expands, the pathogenesis of a number of gastrointestinal disorders will be further elucidated, and this offers potential for specific therapies aimed directly at TLR signaling.
Pharmacogenetics of fluoropyrimidine and cisplatin. A future application to gastric cancer treatment
Authors: Shimoyama Shouji 
Published: May 2009

AbstractChemotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of gastric cancer both in adjuvant or advanced settings. Recent randomized trials in Japan have proved that S‐1, a novel fluoropyrimidine derivative, and cisplatin are the most promising agents. However, both the efficacy and toxicity of a given regimen vary widely among patients due to the inherited variability of genes that involve drug anabolism and catabolism. A narrow therapeutic index of antitumor agents, i.e. a given regimen being too toxic and/or less effective to some segment of patients, prevents the overall improvement of treatment outcomes. Pharmacogenetics, a research field elucidating genetic polymorphism in drug metabolizing enzymes, may contribute to identifying patients who benefit from chemotherapy or who will experience life‐threatening toxicity. There are several crucial enzymes identified involving anabolism and the catabolism of fluoropyrimidine and cisplatin, including dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase, thymidylate synthase, orotate phosphoribosyl transferase, glutathione S transferase, and excision repair cross complementary group. Various polymorphisms and ethnic variabilities of these genes have been elucidated. This review highlights variations within biological functions, detection systems, and possible clinical applications of these enzymatic polymorphisms. This knowledge provides a tool to determine an optimum regimen according to the patient's drug metabolizing characteristics. This stance will contribute to establishing individualized therapies for gastric cancer, which offers superior efficacy with a minimal chance of severe toxicity.
Preoperative management for tricuspid regurgitation in hypoplastic left heart syndrome
Authors: Baba Kenji , Ohtsuki Shin‐ichi , Kamada Masahiro , Kataoka Kouichi , Ohno Naoki , Okamoto Yoshio , Takeuchi Mamoru , Iwasaki Tatsuo , Sano Shunji , Morishima Tsuneo 
Published: May 2009

AbstractBackground:  Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is an important finding in hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). The aim of the present study was to investigate changes in the degree of TR after the preoperative management of HLHS with mechanical ventilation, and whether the improvement of TR under preoperative management would affect the short‐term prognosis of Norwood operation.Methods:  Clinical and echocardiographic data of 55 patients with HLHS who underwent preoperative echocardiography and management at Department of Pediatrics, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, were retrospectively reviewed. Preoperative management with mechanical ventilation was performed in 31 of these patients. Based on echocardiography the 55 patients were divided into a trivial–mild TR group (group A) and a moderate–severe TR group (group B).Results:  After preoperative management, TR improved in six of the 31 patients and was unchanged in 25; in five of the nine group B patients, TR before management improved to the level of group A after management. In‐hospital deaths after surgery included 17 of the 48 patients in group A and five of the six in group B, but there was only one death in the five patients for whom TR improved from group B to group A level.Conclusion:  Preoperative management of HLHS resulted in an improvement in the degree of TR. The short‐term prognosis was better for the patients in group A than those in group B, and so preoperative management is useful for HLHS patients, especially those with moderate or severe TR at admission, with the exception of severe dysplasia of tricuspid valve.
Distribution of anuran amphibians in massively altered landscapes in south‐eastern Australia: effects of climate change in an aridifying region
Authors: Mac Nally Ralph , Horrocks Gregory , Lada Hania , Lake P. Sam , Thomson James R. , Taylor Andrea C. 
Published: May 2009

ABSTRACTAim  We explored whether the anuran amphibian faunas differed among landscapes that are relatively intact (largely covered in forests and woodlands) and others that are completely converted to agriculture. We also used historical data sets to assess the current condition of the anuran fauna in a region predicted to experience, and experiencing, severe drying and warming.Location  Five pairs of landscapes (each of c. 20 km2) – one in each pair being almost completely wooded and the other cleared for agriculture – across a 30,000 km2 region of northern Victoria, Australia.Methods  Sites were repeatedly surveyed in the austral winter–spring breeding seasons of 2006 and 2007, with records collected of numbers of calling males and the presence of egg masses and tadpoles. We characterized the sites using static (e.g. dimensions, surrounding physiognomic characteristics such as tree cover) and labile (e.g. pH, dissolved oxygen) variables. Data were analysed using hierarchical Bayesian models.Results  For calling males, landscape type did not affect densities or species richness measures. The availability of a grassy verge around water bodies was an important predictor for most species, but other labile and static variables seemed not to be important. Fewer than half of the species historically known from the region were recorded. There were no important predictors of occurrence of egg masses or tadpoles. Reproduction effectively may have failed over the period, with fewer than one in four sites showing evidence of egg masses or tadpoles.Main conclusions  The proportion of sites at which some well‐studied species (e.g. Crinia signifera, Limnodynastes dumerilii) were recorded has dropped substantially since the 1970s, as have average densities of calling males of Crinia spp. The remnant anuran fauna appears to be dominated by resilient and hardy species with low current diversity. The on‐going (12+ years) drought in these landscapes suggests a bleak long‐term prognosis for the few remaining species of anuran amphibians.
Can Multinational Corporations Afford to Ignore the Global Common Good?1
Authors: DE BETTIGNIES HENRI‐CLAUDE , LÉPINEUX FRANÇOIS 
Published: May 2009

ABSTRACTContemporary advances in the fields of globalization and technologies raise the question of the relationship between international business and the global common good. Half of the hundred biggest economies in the world are now corporations. Nation‐states were traditionally viewed as the guarantors of the common good; however, the current historical stage is marked by the waning of the role of government, and reveals an emerging situation characterized by a co‐responsibility of multiple agents in this respect. Three major evolutions are likely to induce multinational corporations (MNCs) to take the global common good into account: the imperative of the preservation of our biosphere, the rise of an anti‐globalization sentiment with all its potential consequences, and the necessity to design a global social contract. Besides, these three phenomena are interconnected, which adds to the pressure on MNCs to change their policies.
Coatings of Low‐Density Lipoprotein and Synthetic Glycoconjugates as Substrata for Hepatocytes
Authors: Yura Hirofumi , Ishihara Masayuki , Nakamura Shingo , Kishimoto Satoko , Kanatani Yasuhiro , Horio Takuya , Ishizuka Takamitsu , Kawakami Mitsuyuki , Matsui Takemi 
Published: May 2009

AbstractAsialoglycoprotein (ASGP) receptors expressed on rat hepatocytes interact with glycoproteins containing galactose or N‐acetylgalactosamine residues at the nonreducing termini of oligosaccharide chains to mediate endocytosis, and cholesterol transport protein with apolipoprotein B (LDL, low‐density lipoprotein) in plasma interacts with LDL receptors and heparinoids in the extracellular matrix. We developed novel techniques to prepare galactose‐ and LDL‐immobilized culture plates, using galactose‐tagged polystyrene (galactose‐carrying polystyrene [GalCPS]: N‐p‐vinylbenzyl‐O‐β‐D‐galactopyranosyl‐[1→4]‐D‐gluconamide) and poly(2‐acrylamide‐2‐methyl‐1‐propanesulfonate) (PAPS), respectively. Hepatocytes adhered well to plates coated with either GalCPS or LDL, and therefore the GalCPS‐ and LDL‐coated plates were examined as specific substrata for culturing hepatocytes. These cultures promoted the formation of three‐dimensional, multicellular aggregates with regulation of excess proliferation of non‐parenchymal cells. Furthermore, the LDL coating resulted in higher albumin synthesis and an identical level of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) compared with cells cultured on collagen‐ and GalCPS‐coated plates. Thus, the two culture systems described here, and especially the LDL‐coated plates, have potential for the development of a hybrid artificial liver.
Red blood cell antibodies in pregnancy and their clinical consequences: synergistic effects of multiple specificities
Authors: Nordvall Maria , Dziegiel Morten , Hegaard Hanne Kristine , Bidstrup Mogens , Jonsbo Finn , Christensen Birgit , Hedegaard Morten 
Published: May 2009

BACKGROUND: The objective was to determine clinical consequences of various specificities for the infant/fetus. The population was patients referred between 1998 and 2005 to the tertiary center because of detected red blood cell (RBC) alloimmunization. Altogether 455 infants were delivered by 390 alloimmunized women.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study. Data were obtained from the blood bank register and the obstetric and neonatal database. As indicators of hemolytic activity of the antibodies, the frequency of the therapeutic interventions intrauterine transfusion, exchange transfusion, and simple transfusion was used.RESULTS: Anti‐D was the most common antibody (46.6%), followed by anti‐K (15.4%). A combination of antibodies was detected in 27%. All three types of therapeutic intervention were significantly more frequent in women with anti‐D plus an additional antibody than in women with anti‐D as the sole antibody. The anti‐D titer closely paralleled the clinical importance of the antibody. One case of anti‐s with a titer of 512 required all three types of transfusion.CONCLUSIONS: Anti‐D was the single most frequent and harmful specificity closely followed by anti‐K. Combinations of antibody specificities were more harmful than single specificities, and a potentially synergistic effect should be considered.
Simple evaluation of aortic arch calcification by chest radiography in hemodialysis patients
Authors: OGAWA Tetsuya , ISHIDA Hideki , MATSUDA Nami , FUJIU Ayuko , MATSUDA Akiko , ITO Kyoko , ANDO Yoshitaka , NITTA Kosaku 
Published: May 2009

AbstractVascular calcification is associated with a poor prognosis in dialysis patients. It can be assessed with computed tomography but simple inoffice techniques may provide useful information. We compared the results obtained with a simple noninvasive technique with those obtained using multidetector computed tomography for aortic arch calcification volume (AoACV) in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients. The enrolled study subjects were 63 (32 men and 31 women) maintenance HD patients. Calcification of the aortic arch was semiquantitatively estimated with a AoAC score (AoACS) on plain chest radiology. The AoACV was increased, with a mean value of 6.6 ranging from 0% to 36.5%. The coefficient of intraobserver variation was less than 2.5%. Aortic arch calcification score was highly correlated with AoACV (r=0.635, P<0.001). Multiple regression analysis showed age (F value=12.62, P<0.001) and pulse pressure (F value=4.54, P=0.037) to be significant independent determinants of AoACS. In conclusion, a simple measurement of AoACS may be useful for inoffice imaging to choose a therapeutic regimen in HD patients.
Effects of topical dorzolamide on retinal and retrobulbar hemodynamics
Authors: Harris Alon , Arend Oliver , Arend Suzanne , Martin Bruce 
Published: May 2009

ABSTRACT.Purpose:Topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitors such as dorzolamide have been developed as ocular hypotensive agents devoid of the side effects plaguing their systemic predecessors. We evaluated the influence of dorzolamide on retinal and retrobulbar blood flow markers to determine if the drug has orbital vascular as well as ocular hypotensive effects.Methods:Eleven persons with healthy eyes received either placebo or two drops 2% dorzolamide, 2 h prior to studies conducted in double‐masked, counterbalanced fashion. Four retrobulbar vessels (nasal and temporal posterior ciliary, central retinal, and ophthalmic arteries) were analyzed by color Doppler imaging; scanning laser ophthalmoscopy was used to examine retinal and superficial optic nerve head blood linear velocity.Results:Dorzolamide lowered IOP from 15.7 ± 0.7 to 13.7 ± 0.7 mmHg (p < 0.05). The drug also hastened retinal arteriovenous passage of fluorescein dye, and accelerated capillary dye transit in the macula and optic nerve head. The drug, however, left unaltered blood velocity or resistance index in any retrobulbar vessel.Conclusions:Dorzolamide is an effective ocular hypotensive agent that accelerates blood velocity in the retinal and superficial optic nerve head without an apparent effect upon retrobulbar hemodynamics.