bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A retrospective comparison of surgical removal and subsequent CO2laser ablation versus topical administration of mitomycin C as therapy for equine corneolimbal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Clode Alison B. , Miller Chelsey , McMullen Richard J. , Gilger Brian C. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractObjective To compare the complications and nonrecurrence rate following topical mitomycin C (MMC) therapy vs. CO2laser ablation for treating equine corneolimbal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).Study design Retrospective study.Sample population Twenty‐five horses with corneolimbal SCC.Procedures Medical records of horses undergoing surgical tumor resection followed by either topical MMC therapy (0.04%) or CO2laser ablation between the years of 2004 and 2010 were reviewed. Recurrence and complications were compared between groups and within MMC subgroups defined by the time at which treatment was initiated relative to surgery.Results Therapy with topical MMC resulted in a nonrecurrence rate comparable to that achieved with CO2laser ablation (82.4% vs. 85.7%, respectively). Initiation of MMC following epithelialization of the surgical site a mean of 15 days postoperatively did not result in increased recurrence rates relative to treatment in the immediate postoperative period. Vision‐ or globe‐threatening complications tended to occur with greater frequency in horses receiving topical MMC in the immediate postoperative period (5 of 6 major complications) relative to following epithelialization of the surgical site (1 of 6 major complications).Conclusions Horses receiving adjunctive topical MMC therapy were no more likely to experience tumor recurrence than were horses undergoing CO2laser ablation in the horses in this study. Initiation of two to three rounds of MMC following epithelialization of the surgical site results in fewer major complications and achieves comparable disease resolution relative to treatment in the immediate postoperative period.
Determinants of capital budgeting methods and hurdle rates in Nordic firms
Authors: Brunzell Tor , Liljeblom Eva , Vaihekoski Mika 
Published: December 2011

AbstractWe study the determinants for the choice of capital budgeting methods and the setting of hurdle rates (WACCs) in five Nordic countries. Combining survey data with a rich set of determinants, including ownership data, CFO characteristics, and financial data, we find that the use of the Net Present Value method and the sophistication of the capital budgeting are related to firm characteristics, variables proxying for real option features in investments and CFO characteristics (age and education). We also find support for significantly higher hurdle rates than motivated by economic theory. The premium is weakly positively related to managerial short‐term pressure and strongly negatively related to the sophistication level of the firm’s capital budgeting.
GETTING PAST NATURE AS A GUIDE TO THE HUMAN SEX RATIO
Authors: MURPHY TIMOTHY F. 
Published: December 2011

ABSTRACTSex selection of children by pre‐conception and post‐conception techniques remains morally controversial and even illegal in some jurisdictions. Among other things, some critics fear that sex selection will distort the sex ratio, making opposite‐sex relationships more difficult to secure, while other critics worry that sex selection will tilt some nations toward military aggression. The human sex ratio varies depending on how one estimates it; there is certainly no one‐to‐one correspondence between males and females either at birth or across the human lifespan. Complications about who qualifies as ‘male’ and ‘female’ complicate judgments about the ratio even further. Even a judiciously estimated sex ratio does not have, however, the kind of normative status that requires society to refrain from antenatal sex selection. Some societies exhibit lopsided sex ratios as a consequence of social policies and practices, and pragmatic estimates of social needs are a better guide to what the sex ratio should be, as against looking to ‘nature’. The natural sex ratio cannot be a sound moral basis for prohibiting parents from selecting the sex of their children, since it ultimately lacks any normative meaning for social choices.
Mitochondrial DNA reveals hidden diversity and an ancestral lineage of the bank vole in the Italian peninsula
Authors: Colangelo P. , Aloise G. , Franchini P. , Annesi F. , Amori G. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractThe Italian Peninsula was one of the main refugia in southern Europe during the climatic oscillations of the Pleistocene, and was considered a ‘hotspot’ of biodiversity. A number of phylogeographic analyses identified highly divergent lineages in Italy that apparently did not contribute to the post‐glacial re‐colonization of Europe, supporting the existence of refugia within refugia in the southern‐most part of Italy. For the bank vole Myodes glareolus, genetic analyses highlighted a low variability for this species on the Italian peninsula, suggesting that cryptic refugia of central Europe were the main source of postglacial re‐colonization in Europe.In this work, we analysed the mtDNA phylogeography of M. glareolus with a special emphasis on the Italian refugium. We extended previous analyses by including new sequences from a wider range of samples across the Italian peninsula. Our results suggest a high mitochondrial diversity of the bank vole in Italy and support the existence of an ancient and deeply divergent population in the Calabria region. This population did not participate to the recent re‐colonization of Italy while we highlight the possible occurrence of multiple and more recent colonization events between Europe and Italy. The phylogeographic pattern observed in Italy appears compatible with refugia‐within‐refugia scenario.
Effect of probiotic lactobacilli on faecal enzyme and genotoxic activity in human faecal water in the presence of the carcinogen PhIP in vitro
Authors: NOWAK ADRIANA , KATARZYNA ŚLIŻEWSKA , ELŻBIETA KLEWICKA 
Published: December 2011

The average β‐glucuronidase activity for children was 0.48 ± 0.04 U/mg, for adults 0.75 ± 0.27 U/mg and for elderly 1.55 ± 0.06 U/mg. For β‐glucosidase, it was 0.19 ± 0.02 U/mg for children, 0.77 ± 0.26 U/mg for adults and 1.18 ± 0.27 U/mg for elderly. In the presence of probiotics, the highest decrease in genotoxicity was observed for Lactobacillus casei 0908 (to 7.99 ± 1.32) and Lactobacillus paracasei 0919 (to 6.19 ± 1.44) for all children. In adults, lower mean genotoxicity was regarded after incubation of PhIP with L. casei 0908 (it was 5.27 ± 1.13) and L. paracasei 0919 (it was o 6.01 ± 1.00). For elderly, statistically significant decrease was maintained after incubation of PhIP with L. casei 0900 (to 6.72 ± 2.67).
Abdominal radical trachelectomy in West London
Authors: Saso S , Ghaem‐Maghami S , Chatterjee J , Naji O , Farthing A , Mason P , McIndoe A , Hird V , Ungar L , Del Priore G , Smith JR 
Published: December 2011

Please cite this paper as: Saso S, Ghaem‐Maghami S, Chatterjee J, Naji O, Farthing A, Mason P, McIndoe A, Hird V, Ungar L, Del Priore G, Smith J. Abdominal radical trachelectomy in West London. BJOG 2012;119:187–193.Objective  Traditionally, the surgical management of invasive cervical carcinoma that has progressed beyond microinvasion has been a radical abdominal hysterectomy. However, this results in the loss of fertility, with significant consequences for the young patient. This report describes abdominal radical trachelectomy (ART) as a potential replacement for radical hysterectomy in patients with stage IA2–IIA cervical cancer who desire a fertility‐sparing procedure without decreasing the curative rates.Design  Observational, retrospective study.Setting  Teaching hospital and regional cancer centre in London, UK.Population  Patients undergoing ART.Methods  Patients presenting during the period 2000–2009 with cervical cancer stage IA2–IIA were offered a trachelectomy, if they expressed a desire to preserve fertility. The type of trachelectomy (vaginal/abdominal) was chosen based on patient anatomy and neoplastic and magnetic resonance imaging characteristics. Each patient was counselled as to the experimental nature of the procedure.Main outcome measures  Survival, recurrence and fertility issues among ART patients.Results  A total of 30 patients underwent ART (open and laparoscopic) between 2001 and 2009. Three patients presented with a recurrence, two of which have died (median follow‐up: 24 months). Only three patients required further surgical re‐intervention because of operative complications. Ten patients attempted to conceive, resulting in three conceptions (30%) and two live children.Conclusions  Abdominal radical trachelectomy provides a feasible, cost‐effective and safe treatment option for young women who have been diagnosed with early‐stage cervical cancer and wish to preserve their fertility.
Understanding regional differences in maternal mortality: a national case–control study in France
Authors: Saucedo M , Deneux‐Tharaux C , Bouvier‐Colle M‐H 
Published: December 2011

Please cite this paper as: Saucedo M, Deneux‐Tharaux C, Bouvier‐Colle M. Understanding regional differences in maternal mortality: a national case–control study in France. BJOG 2012;119:573–581.Objectives  To assess the risk of postpartum maternal death associated with region, and to examine whether the quality of care received by the women who died differed by region.Design  A national case–control study.Setting  France.Population  Selected from recent nationwide surveys, 328 postpartum maternal deaths from 2001 through 2006 as cases; and a representative sample (n = 14 878) of women who gave birth in 2003 as controls.Methods  Crude and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) of maternal death associated with region were calculated with logistic regression, and the quality of care for women who died was compared according to region with chi‐square tests or Fisher’s exact tests.Main outcome measures  Risk of postpartum maternal death associated with region, and quality of care.Results  After adjustment for maternal age and nationality, the risk of maternal death was higher in the Ile‐de‐France region (aOR 1.6, 95% CI 1.2–2.0) and the overseas districts (aOR 3.5, 95% CI 2.4–5.0) than in the group for the rest of continental France. In both regions, the excess risk of death from haemorrhage, amniotic fluid embolism and hypertensive disorders was significant. In continental France, after further controlling for women’s obstetric characteristics, the risk of maternal death in Ile‐de‐France remained higher (aOR 1.8. 95% CI 1.3–2.6). The women in the cases groups received suboptimal care more frequently in Ile‐de‐France than in the other continental regions (64% versus 43%, P = 0.01).Conclusions  These results suggest that quality of care and organisation of health services may play a role in the differential risk of maternal mortality between regions in France. Research on severe maternal morbidity and its determinants is needed to clarify the mechanisms involved.
Placental site trophoblastic tumours and the concept of fertility preservation
Authors: Saso S , Haddad J , Ellis P , Lindsay I , Sebire NJ , McIndoe A , Seckl MJ , Smith JR 
Published: December 2011

Please cite this paper as: Saso S, Haddad J, Ellis P, Lindsay I, Sebire N, McIndoe A, Seckl M, Smith J. Placental site trophoblastic tumours and the concept of fertility preservation. BJOG 2011; DOI: 10.1111/j.1471‐0528.2011.03230.x.The standard management of placental site trophoblastic tumours (PSTTs) is a radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymph node sampling. We present five cases to demonstrate a modified Strassman procedure (MSP), which is an alternative fertility‐sparing technique. Each had a presumed solitary uterine PSTT. Following surgery, one patient remained in remission with her fertility intact. The other four underwent a completion hysterectomy because of incomplete excision of the disease. No residual disease was later found in two of these four uteri. This treatment should only be offered after extensive counselling. We intend to investigate the use of intraoperative frozen section analysis with cold‐knife dissection in future.
Vascular endothelial growth factor in the ischemic retina and its regulation by somatostatin
Authors: Cervia Davide , Catalani Elisabetta , Dal Monte Massimo , Casini Giovanni 
Published: December 2011

J. Neurochem. (2012) 120, 818–829.AbstractIn a retinal ischemic ex vivo model, we have reported protective effects of somatostatin (SRIF) receptor 2 (sst2). As an ischemic condition not only causes cell death but also induces a vascular response, we asked whether vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is altered in this model and whether its expression, release or localization are affected by sst2 activation. Ex vivo retinas of wild‐type (WT) and sst1 KO mice (which over‐express sst2) were incubated in ischemic conditions with SRIF, octreotide (OCT) or a VEGF trap. Ischemia in WT retinas caused increase of VEGF release and decrease of VEGF mRNA. Both effects were counteracted by SRIF or OCT. VEGF immunoreactivity was in retinal neurons and scarcely in vessels. Ischemia caused a significant shift of VEGF immunoreactivity from neurons to vessels. The increase of vascular VEGF was reduced in sst1 KO retinas and in WT retinas treated with SRIF or OCT. VEGF trap also limited this increase, demonstrating that vascular VEGF was of extracellular origin. Together, the data show a VEGF response to ischemia, in which VEGF released by damaged neurons reaches the retinal capillaries. The activation of sst2 protects neurons from ischemic damage, thereby limiting VEGF release and the VEGF response.
Inhibitory effects of dopamine on spinal synaptic transmission via dopamine D1‐like receptors in neonatal rats
Authors: Kawamoto K , Otsuguro K , Ishizuka M , Ito S 
Published: December 2011

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Dopamine released from the endings of descending dopaminergic nerve fibres in the spinal cord may be involved in modulating functions such as locomotion and nociception. Here, we examined the effects of dopamine on spinal synaptic transmissions in rats.EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Spinal reflex potentials, monosynaptic reflex potential (MSR) and slow ventral root potential (sVRP), were measured in the isolated spinal cord of the neonatal rat. Dopamine release was measured by HPLC.KEY RESULTS Dopamine at lower concentrations (<1 µM) depressed sVRP, which is a C fibre‐evoked polysynaptic response and believed to reflect nociceptive transmission. At higher concentrations (>1 µM), in addition to a potent sVRP depression, dopamine depolarized baseline potential and slightly depressed MSR. Depression of sVRP by dopamine was partially reversed by dopamine D1‐like but not by D2‐like receptor antagonists. SKF83959 and SKF81297, D1‐like receptor agonists, and methamphetamine, an endogenous dopamine releaser, also caused the inhibition of sVRP. Methamphetamine also depressed MSR, which was inhibited by ketanserin, a 5‐HT2A/2C receptor antagonist. Methamphetamine induced the release of dopamine and 5‐HT from spinal cords, indicating that the release of endogenous dopamine and 5‐HT depresses sVRP and MSR respectively.CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS These results suggested that dopamine at lower concentrations preferentially inhibited sVRP, which is mediated via dopamine D1‐like and other unidentified receptors. The dopamine‐evoked depression is involved in modulating the spinal functions by the descending dopaminergic pathways.
Modeling Metal Flow Systems
Authors: Bollinger L. Andrew , Davis Chris , Nikolić Igor , Dijkema Gerard P.J. 
Published: December 2011

SummarySubstance flow analysis (SFA) is a frequently used industrial ecology technique for studying societal metal flows, but it is limited in its ability to inform us about future developments in metal flow patterns and how we can affect them. Equation‐based simulation modeling techniques, such as dynamic SFA and system dynamics, can usefully complement static SFA studies in this respect, but they are also restricted in several ways. The objective of this article is to demonstrate the ability of agent‐based modeling to overcome these limitations and its usefulness as a tool for studying societal metal flow systems.The body of the article summarizes the parallel implementation of two models—an agent‐based model and a system dynamics model—both addressing the following research question: What conditions foster the development of a closed‐loop flow network for metals in mobile phones? The results from in silico experimentation with these models highlight three important differences between agent‐based modeling (ABM) and equation‐based modeling (EBM) techniques. An analysis of how these differences affected the insights that could be extracted from the constructed models points to several key advantages of ABM in the study of metal flow systems. In particular, this analysis suggests that a key advantage of the ABM technique is its flexibility to enable the representation of societal metal flow systems in a more native manner. This added flexibility endows modelers with enhanced leverage to identify options for steering metal flows and opens new opportunities for using the metaphor of an ecosystem to understand metal flow systems more fully.
Trypanosoma (Megatrypanum) melophagium in the Sheep Ked Melophagus ovinus from Organic Farms in Croatia: Phylogenetic Inferences Support Restriction to Sheep and Sheep Keds and Close Relationship with Trypanosomes from Other Ruminant Species
Authors: Martinković Franjo , Matanović Krešimir , Rodrigues Adriana C. , Garcia Herakles A. , Teixeira Marta M. G. 
Published: December 2011

ABSTRACTTrypanosoma (Megatrypanum) melophagium is a parasite of sheep transmitted by sheep keds, the sheep‐restricted ectoparasite Melophagus ovinus (Diptera: Hippoboscidae). Sheep keds were 100% prevalent in sheep from five organic farms in Croatia, Southeastern Europe, whereas trypanosomes morphologically compatible with T. melophagium were 86% prevalent in the guts of the sheep keds. Multilocus phylogenetic analyses using sequences of small subunit rRNA, glycosomal glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase, spliced leader, and internal transcribed spacer 1 of the rDNA distinguished T. melophagium from all allied trypanosomes from other ruminant species and placed the trypanosome in the subgenus Megatrypanum. Trypanosomes from sheep keds from Croatia and Scotland, the only available isolates for comparison, shared identical sequences. All biologic and phylogenetic inferences support the restriction of T. melophagium to sheep and, especially, to the sheep keds. The comparison of trypanosomes from sheep, cattle, and deer from the same country, which was never achieved before this work, strongly supported the host‐restricted specificity of trypanosomes of the subgenus Megatrypanum. Our findings indicate that with the expansion of organic farms, both sheep keds and T. melophagium may re‐emerge as parasitic infections of sheep.
Restoration of flooded meadows in Estonia – vegetation changes and management indicators
Authors: Metsoja Jaak‐Albert , Neuenkamp Lena , Pihu Silvia , Vellak Kai , Kalwij Jesse M. , Zobel Martin 
Published: December 2011

AbstractQuestionHow does restoration management affect vegetation diversity and composition in flooded meadows, and can plant species serve as indicators of management status?LocationFlooded meadows in Alam‐Pedja Nature Reserve, central Estonia (26°14′ E, 58°28′ N).MethodsPlant community composition was described in 2000 and 2010 for restored and unmanaged stands of mesic, wet and tall sedge meadows, encompassing a survey of 280 vegetation plots of 1 m × 1 m. The impact of restoration management (mulching for first 5 yrs, mowing in Jul with hay removal in consecutive years) on vegetation diversity in different meadow types was estimated using general linear models, changes in plant community composition were described by NMDS ordination, multiple permutation tests and Indicator species analysis.ResultsRestoration management resulted in an increase in species richness on mesic meadows in one of the study sites, and caused a decrease in spatial species turnover and significant changes in community composition in all sites. The effects of restoration on species composition were greater in drier, more elevated mesic meadows, and least prominent in tall sedge meadows in floodplain depressions. Indicator species analysis revealed Ranunculus auricomus as a common indicator of management in mesic and wet meadows, and Carex cespitosa and Calamagrostis canescens as indicators of abandonment in wet and tall sedge meadows, respectively.ConclusionsRestoration management was successful on flooded meadows that had been abandoned for 15–20 yrs, where water regime and soil fertility have not been altered by human activities, and where the local species pool is still available. The current community composition under different management regimes made it possible to propose several species as management status indicators, which may further be used in practical decision‐making when evaluating the status of meadow communities.
Deinstitutionalization and Quality of Life of Individuals With Intellectual Disability: A Review of the International Literature
Authors: Chowdhury Monali , Benson Betsey A. 
Published: December 2011

AbstractThe policy of deinstitutionalization was based on the proposition that quality of life (QoL) of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) will improve as a result of being moved from institutions to community‐based care settings. The aim of this literature review was to evaluate whether this assumption has become a reality now that the social policy of deinstitutionalization has progressed in many countries across the globe. A total of 15 studies were examined that assessed QoL as an outcome of community living following deinstitutionalization. Results indicated that relocation had a general positive impact on life quality of participants. However, many of the studies found that improvements were most prominent shortly after the move and plateaued after a year. Also, participants continued to have low levels of community integration. There was some evidence that healthcare needs might not be adequately met in the community. The role of service providers was indicated as vital in the continued development of participants' life quality. Common limitations of the studies reviewed included lack of subjective assessments of QoL and limited use of standardized measures of QoL. The authors note that the directions for future research should include examining whether QoL outcomes after deinstitutionalization are affected by level of ID and age of participants. Overall, additional empirical research is needed to identify the factors that are critical in enhancing QoL of participants in community‐based care following deinstitutionalization.
Palliative care in the emergency department: An oxymoron or just good medicine?
Authors: Lukin William , Douglas Carol , O'Connor Alan 
Published: December 2011

AbstractIn 2006, the American Board of Emergency Medicine co‐sponsored hospice and palliative medicine as a recognized medical subspecialty. There is recognition of the need for these skills to be available in EDs in the USA. This article discusses the rationale for integrating a palliative approach in the ED. We need to engage our palliative care colleagues to increase clinical support to meet the needs of these vulnerable patients and to foster collaborative educational opportunities.