bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The efficacy of anal fistula plug in fistula‐in‐ano: a systematic review
Authors: Garg P. , Song J. , Bhatia A. , Kalia H. , Menon G. R. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractAims  To assess the efficacy of anal fistula plug (AFP) procedure for the treatment of fistula‐in‐ano especially the complex fistulas.Method  The database of PUBMED, MEDLINE, SCOPUS, EMBASE and COCHRANE LIBRARY for the period 1995–2009 was searched. A systematic analysis was carried to evaluate the success rate of AFP procedure in fistula‐in‐ano.Results  A total of 25 studies were extracted and 12 (n = 317) were finally included in the systematic review. The follow‐up period ranged from 3.5 to 12 months. The AFP procedure had a success rate (patient cure rate) ranging from 24% to 92%. In complex fistula‐in‐ano in prospective studies (8/12 studies), the success rate was 35–87%. The success rate in patients with Crohn’s disease was 29–86%. The success rate in the patients with single tracts was 44–93% and in patients with multiple tracts, success ranged from 20% to 71%. The abscess formation/sepsis rate was 4–29% (11/108) and the plug extrusion rate was 4–41% (42/232–19%).Conclusion  Anal fistula plug procedure has a success rate ranging from 24% to 92% in different studies. In prospective studies of complex fistula‐in‐ano, there was a moderate success rate of 35–87%. As AFP is associated with low morbidity and sepsis, it appears to be a safe procedure. Further randomized controlled trials studying objective parameters of fistula healing are needed to substantiate these findings.
Assessment of posterior compartment prolapse: a comparison of evacuation proctography and 3D transperineal ultrasound
Authors: Steensma A. B. , Oom D. M. J. , Burger C. W. , Schouten W. R. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractIntroduction  Evacuation proctography (EP) is considered to be the gold standard investigation for the diagnosis of posterior compartment prolapse. 3D transperineal ultrasound (3DTPUS) imaging of the pelvic floor is a noninvasive investigation for detection of pelvic floor abnormalities. This study compared EP with 3DTPUS in diagnosing posterior compartment prolapse.Method  In a prospective observational study, patients with symptoms related to posterior compartment prolapse participated in a standardized interview, clinical examination, 3DTPUS and EP. Both examinations were analysed separately by two experienced investigators, blinded against the clinical data and against the results of the other imaging technique. After the examinations, all patients were asked to fill out a standardized questionnaire concerning their subjective experience.Results  Between 2005 and 2007, 75 patients were included with a median age of 59 years (range 22–83). The Cohen’s Kappa Index for enterocole was 0.65 (good) and for rectocele it was 0.55 (moderate). The level of correlation for intussusception was fair (κ = 0.21).Conclusion  This study showed moderate to good agreement between 3DTPUS and EP for detecting enterocele and rectocele.
From Agreement to Application: An Analysis of Determinations under the WTO Antidumping Agreement
Authors: Reynolds Kara M. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractAlthough the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Antidumping Agreement includes rules that govern the application of antidumping duties, countries still have a great deal of latitude in how they decide whether to impose this form of protection. This research is one of the first papers to explore country‐specific differences in the determinants of antidumping injury decisions. Using a series of probit regressions, I compare the leading determinants of injury determinations in nine of the largest users of antidumping protection at the WTO. The results prove that investigating authorities in one country may be swayed by a very different set of economic and political factors than their counterparts in other countries.
TRANSITIONING OUT OF POVERTY
Authors: Brasington David , Kato Mika , Semmler Willi 
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACTWe analyze the role of social environment and human capital formation in persistence of poverty and inequality. We present a Romer type variety model where the presence of economies of agglomeration in social environment may cause two basins of attraction; whereby we may interpret the lower basin as a poverty trap and the upper basin as a take‐off region. We then consider the size of income transfer to regions and its effect on inequality and welfare. We provide supporting evidence of existing inequality and poverty trap using educational attainment data for the USA.
From welfare state to welfare society: toward a viable system of welfare in Japan and England
Authors: Laratta Rosario 
Published: April 2009

Laratta R. From welfare state to welfare society: toward a viable system of welfare in Japan and England Int J Soc Welfare 2010: 19: 131–141 © 2009 The Author(s), Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of Social Welfare.This article compares the impact that public welfare reforms during the 1980s and 1990s had, and are still having, on the relationship between statutory organisations and the non‐profit sector in two developed countries, England and Japan. The author argues that the failure of these reforms clearly shows that, although non‐profit organisations may not be able to effectively replace the state in the provision of welfare services, they can contribute, working closely with the statutory organisations, to the shaping, financing and delivery of public services in a variety of ways. It is also interesting to note that, while the public welfare reforms of the late 1990s in England produced a shift away from a culture based on privatisation and contracting‐out toward a partnership culture of collaboration between state and non‐profit entities, similar reforms in Japan have resulted instead in an uncertain area of deregulation and privatisation.
Social security for China's rural aged: a proposal based on a universal non‐contributory pension
Authors: Yang Yinan , Williamson John B. , Shen Ce 
Published: April 2009

Yang Y, Williamson JB, Shen C. Social security for China's rural aged: a proposal based on a universal non‐contributory pensionInt J Soc Welfare 2010: 19: 236–245 © 2009 The Author(s), Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of Social Welfare.China's relative lack of social security coverage for rural elders exacerbates the already severe rural–urban economic disparity, slows the rate of rural poverty reduction, and raises social justice concerns. Our analysis draws on evidence from a number of sources including interviews with experts on China, Chinese government documents, Chinese newspaper accounts, and other sources from other countries. Based on our analysis of what has been tried in other countries and the current situation in rural China, we offer some suggestions for Chinese policy makers. We suggest that, for rural China, a universal non‐contributory old‐age pension deserves serious consideration, and refer to our proposed model as a Rural Old‐Age Social Pension. It will reduce the level of poverty in rural areas and the degree of income inequality between rural and urban areas while simultaneously promoting social and political stability.
Bacterial pathogens in wild birds: a review of the frequency and effects of infection
Authors: Benskin Clare McW. H. , Wilson Kenneth , Jones Keith , Hartley Ian R. 
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACTThe importance of wild birds as potential vectors of disease has received recent renewed empirical interest, especially regarding human health. Understanding the spread of bacterial pathogens in wild birds may serve as a useful model for examining the spread of other disease organisms, both amongst birds, and from birds to other taxa. Information regarding the normal gastrointestinal bacterial flora is limited for the majority of wild bird species, with the few well‐studied examples concentrating on bacteria that are zoonotic and/or relate to avian species of commercial interest. However, most studies are limited by small sample sizes, the frequent absence of longitudinal data, and the constraints of using selective techniques to isolate specific pathogens. The pathogenic genera found in the gut are often those suspected to exist in the birds’ habitat, and although correlations are made between bacterial pathogens in the avian gut and those found in their foraging grounds, little is known about the effect of the pathogen on the host, unless the causative organism is lethal. In this review, we provide an overview of the main bacterial pathogens isolated from birds (with particular emphasis on enteropathogenic bacteria) which have the potential to cause disease in both birds and humans, whilst drawing attention to the limitations of traditional detection methods and possible study biases. We consider factors likely to affect the susceptibility of birds to bacterial pathogens, including environmental exposure and heterogeneities within the host population, and present probable avenues of disease transmission amongst birds and from birds to other animal taxa. Our primary aim is to identify gaps in current knowledge and to propose areas for future study.
The quality of preterm infants’ spontaneous movements: an early indicator of intelligence and behaviour at school age
Authors: Butcher Phillipa R. , Van Braeckel Koen , Bouma Anke , Einspieler Christa , Stremmelaar Elisabeth F. , Bos Arend F. 
Published: April 2009

Background:  The quality of very preterm infants’ spontaneous movements at 11 to 16 weeks post‐term age is a powerful predictor of their later neurological status. This study investigated whether early spontaneous movements also have predictive value for the intellectual and behavioural problems that children born very preterm often experience.Methods:  Spontaneous movement quality was assessed, using Prechtl’s method, at 11 to 16 weeks post‐term in 65 infants born at ≤ 33 weeks of gestation in a single centre. Intelligence and behaviour were assessed with standardised tests at 7 to 11 years of age. Neurological status was assessed with Touwen’s test. Multiple regression was used to determine the predictive value of movement quality for intelligence and behavioural problems. The Sobel test was used to determine if neurological status mediated associations found between early movement quality and outcome.Results:  Spontaneous movement quality at 11 to 16 weeks post‐term was significantly, positively associated with later intelligence. The number of normal postural patterns displayed contributed most strongly to the association, which was not mediated by neurological status. Fidgety movements, strong predictors of later neurological dysfunction, were not associated with intelligence. Spontaneous movement quality was not associated with internalising or externalising problems but showed a trend to an association with attention problems.Conclusion:  These findings suggest that, in children born preterm, early spontaneous movement quality has clear prognostic value for neurological and intellectual outcome, and to a lesser extent, for attentional outcome. However, cognitive outcome was associated with the presence of specific, age‐appropriate postural patterns, while neurological outcome has been associated with the presence of global movement abnormalities. The presence of specific, age‐appropriate postural patterns may reflect the integrity of areas of the brain involved in cognitive processing and the regulation of attention later in childhood. Alternately, it may facilitate cognitive and attentional development.
Cyclic AMP‐dependent activation of rhodopsin gene transcription in cultured retinal precursor cells of chicken embryo
Authors: Voisin Pierre , Bernard Marianne 
Published: April 2009

AbstractThe present study describes a robust 50‐fold increase in rhodopsin gene transcription by cAMP in cultured retinal precursor cells of chicken embryo. Retinal cells isolated at embryonic day 8 (E8) and cultured for 3 days in serum‐supplemented medium differentiated mostly into red‐sensitive cones and to a lesser degree into green‐sensitive cones, as indicated by real‐time RT‐PCR quantification of each specific opsin mRNA. In contrast, both rhodopsin mRNA concentration and rhodopsin gene promoter activity required the presence of cAMP‐increasing agents [forskolin and 3‐isobutyl‐1‐methylxanthine (IBMX)] to reach significant levels. This response was rod‐specific and was sufficient to activate rhodopsin gene transcription in serum‐free medium. The increase in rhodopsin mRNA levels evoked by a series of cAMP analogs suggested the response was mediated by protein kinase A, not by EPAC. Membrane depolarization by high KCl concentration also increased rhodopsin mRNA levels and this response was strongly potentiated by IBMX. The rhodopsin gene response to cAMP‐increasing agents was developmentally gated between E6 and E7. Rod‐specific transducin α subunit mRNA levels also increased up to 50‐fold in response to forskolin and IBMX, while rod‐specific phosphodiesterase‐VI and rod arrestin transcripts increased 3‐ to 10‐fold. These results suggest a cAMP‐mediated signaling pathway may play a role in rod differentiation.
STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVES ON ETHICAL CHALLENGES IN HIV VACCINE TRIALS IN SOUTH AFRICA
Authors: ESSACK ZAYNAB , KOEN JENNIFER , BARSDORF NICOLA , SLACK CATHERINE , QUAYLE MICHAEL , MILFORD CECILIA , LINDEGGER GRAHAM , RANCHOD CHITRA , MUKUKA RICHARD 
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACTThere is little published literature on the ethical concerns of stakeholders in HIV vaccine trials. This study explored the ethical challenges identified by various stakeholders, through an open‐ended, in‐depth approach. While the few previous studies have been largely quantitative, respondents in this study had the opportunity to spontaneously identify the issues that they perceived to be of priority concern in the South African context. Stakeholders spontaneously identified the following as ethical priorities: informed consent, social harms, collaborative relationships between research stakeholders, the participation of children and adolescents, access to treatment for participants who become infected with HIV, physical harms, fair participant and community selection, confidentiality, benefits, and payment.While there is some speculation that research in developing countries poses special ethical challenges, overall no issues were identified that have not been anticipated in international guidance, literature and popular frameworks. However, the South African context affords a distinctive gloss to these expected issues; for example, respondents were concerned that the predominant selection of black participants may perpetuate racist practices of apartheid. Stakeholders should be aware of contextual factors impacting on the implementation of ethical principles. We make a series of recommendations for South African trials, including amendments to the ethical‐legal framework and research policies, and, for further research.
The hepoxilins and some analogues: a review of their biology
Authors: Pace‐Asciak Cecil R 
Published: April 2009

The hepoxilin pathway was discovered over two decades ago. Products in this pathway are derived through the 12S‐lipoxygenase/hepoxilin synthase enzyme system and contain intrinsic biological activity. This activity relates to the reorganization of calcium and potassium ions within the cell, and in inflammation and insulin secretion. Although the natural hepoxilins are chemically unstable, chemical analogues (PBTs) have been synthesized with chemical and biological stability. The PBTs antagonize the natural hepoxilins. The PBTs showed bioavailability, excellent tolerance and stability in vivo. In proof of principle studies in vivo in animal models, the PBTs have shown actions as anti‐inflammatory agents, anti‐thrombotic agents, anti‐cancer agents and anti‐diabetic agents. These studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the base structure of the hepoxilin (and PBT) molecule and serve as an excellent framework for the design and preparation of second‐generation compounds with improved pharmaceutical properties as therapeutics for the above‐mentioned diseases.This article is part of a themed issue on Mediators and Receptors in the Resolution of Inflammation. To view this issue visit http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/121548564/issueyear?year=2009
Intrathecal injection of the neurosteroid, DHEAS, produces mechanical allodynia in mice: involvement of spinal sigma‐1 and GABAAreceptors
Authors: Yoon Seo‐Yeon , Roh Dae‐Hyun , Seo Hyoung‐Sig , Kang Suk‐Yun , Han Ho‐Jae , Beitz Alvin J , Lee Jang‐Hern 
Published: April 2009

Background and purpose: The neurosteroid, dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) and its non‐sulphated form, DHEA, are considered as crucial endogenous modulators of a number of important physiological events. Evidence suggests that DHEAS and DHEA modulate central nervous system‐related functions by activating sigma‐1 receptors and/or allosterically inhibiting γ‐aminobutyric acic receptor type A (GABAA) receptors. As both the sigma‐1 receptor and the GABAAreceptor play important roles in spinal pain transmission, the present study was designed to examine whether intrathecally injected DHEAS or DHEA affect nociceptive signalling at the spinal cord level.Experimental approach: We first determined whether intrathecal (i.t.) DHEA or DHEAS injection was able to affect nociceptive thresholds to peripheral mechanical stimulation and subsequently examined whether this effect was mediated by sigma‐1 or the GABAAreceptors.Key results: The i.t. DHEAS injection dose‐dependently decreased the nociceptive threshold to mechanical stimulation, thus producing mechanical allodynia. Moreover, this DHEAS‐induced mechanical allodynia was significantly reduced by administration of the sigma‐1 receptor antagonist, BD‐1047 or the GABAAreceptor agonist, muscimol. Conversely, i.t. DHEA had no effect on mechanical sensitivity. However, when i.t. DHEA was combined with the GABAAreceptor antagonist bicuculline, DHEA dose‐dependently produced mechanical allodynia similar to that of DHEAS. This effect was blocked by BD‐1047 and by muscimol.Conclusions and implications: These findings indicate that i.t. injection of DHEAS produces mechanical allodynia and that the development of this mechanical allodynia is mediated by sigma‐1 and GABAAreceptors. The findings of this study raise several interesting questions for further investigations into the mechanisms underlying neurosteroid modulation of spinal pain transmission.British Journal of Pharmacology(2009)157,666–673; doi:10.1111/j.1476‐5381.2009.00197.x; published online 30 April 2009
The plasma–occupancy relationship of the novel GABAAreceptor benzodiazepine site ligand, α5IA, is similar in rats and primates
Authors: Atack John R , Eng Wai‐si , Gibson Ray E , Ryan Christine , Francis Barbara , Sohal Bindi , Dawson Gerard R , Hargreaves Richard J , Burns H Donald 
Published: April 2009

Background and purpose: α5IA (3‐(5‐methylisoxazol‐3‐yl)‐6‐[(1‐methyl‐1,2,3‐triazol‐4‐yl)methyloxy]‐1,2,4‐triazolo[3,4‐a]phthalazine) is a triazolophthalazine with subnanomolar affinity for α1‐, α2‐, α3‐ and α5‐containing GABAAreceptors. Here we have evaluated the relationship between plasma α5IA concentrations and benzodiazepine binding site occupancy in rodents and primates (rhesus monkey).Experimental approach: In awake rats, occupancy was measured at various times after oral dosing with α5IA (0.03–30 mg·kg−1) using anin vivo{[3H]flumazenil (8‐fluoro 5,6‐dihydro‐5‐methyl‐6‐oxo‐4H‐imidazo[1,5‐a][1,4]benzodiazepine‐3‐carboxylic acid ethyl ester)} binding assay. In anaesthetized rhesus monkeys, occupancy was measured using {[123I]iomazenil (ethyl 5,6‐dihydro‐7‐iodo‐5‐methyl‐6‐oxo‐4H‐imidazo[1,5‐a][1,4]benzodiazepine‐3‐carboxylic acid ethyl ester)} γ‐scintigraphy and a bolus/infusion paradigm. In both rat and rhesus monkey, the plasma drug concentration corresponding to 50% occupancy (EC50) was calculated.Key results: In rats, α5IA occupancy was dose‐ and time‐dependent with maximum occupancy occurring within the first 2 h. However, rat plasma EC50was time‐independent, ranging from 42 to 67 ng·mL−1over a 24 h time course with the average being 52 ng·mL−1(i.e. occupancy decreased as plasma drug concentrations fell). In rhesus monkeys, the EC50for α5IA displacing steady‐state [123I]iomazenil binding was 57 ng·mL−1.Conclusions and implications: Rat plasma EC50values did not vary as a function of time indicating that α5IA dissociates readily for the GABAAreceptorin vivo. These data also suggest that despite the different assays used (terminal assays of [3H]flumazenilin vivobinding in rats and [123I]iomazenil γ‐scintigraphy in anaesthetized rhesus monkeys), these techniques produced similar plasma α5IA EC50values (52 and 57 ng·mL−1respectively) and that the plasma–occupancy relationship for α5IA translates across these two species.
Comprehensive evaluation of a novel nuclear factor‐κB inhibitor, quinoclamine, by transcriptomic analysis
Authors: Cheng W‐Y , Lien J‐C , Hsiang C‐Y , Wu S‐L , Li C‐C , Lo H‐Y , Chen J‐C , Chiang S‐Y , Liang J‐A , Ho T‐Y 
Published: April 2009

Background and purpose:  The transcription factor nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) has been linked to the cell growth, apoptosis and cell cycle progression. NF‐κB blockade induces apoptosis of cancer cells. Therefore, NF‐κB is suggested as a potential therapeutic target for cancer. Here, we have evaluated the anti‐cancer potential of a novel NF‐κB inhibitor, quinoclamine (2‐amino‐3‐chloro‐1,4‐naphthoquinone).Experimental approach:  In a large‐scale screening test, we found that quinoclamine was a novel NF‐κB inhibitor. The global transcriptional profiling of quinoclamine in HepG2 cells was therefore analysed by transcriptomic tools in this study.Key results:  Quinoclamine suppressed endogenous NF‐κB activity in HepG2 cells through the inhibition of IκB‐α phosphorylation and p65 translocation. Quinoclamine also inhibited induced NF‐κB activities in lung and breast cancer cell lines. Quinoclamine‐regulated genes interacted with NF‐κB or its downstream genes by network analysis. Quinoclamine affected the expression levels of genes involved in cell cycle or apoptosis, suggesting that quinoclamine exhibited anti‐cancer potential. Furthermore, quinoclamine down‐regulated the expressions of UDP glucuronosyltransferase genes involved in phase II drug metabolism, suggesting that quinoclamine might interfere with drug metabolism by slowing down the excretion of drugs.Conclusion and implications:  This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of quinoclamine by transcriptomic analysis. Our findings suggest that quinoclamine is a novel NF‐κB inhibitor with anti‐cancer potential.