bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Porcine pathogens and xenotransplantation: PERV and beyond!
Authors: Scobie L. 
Published: April 2010

Concerns regarding the transmission of potentially zoonotic porcine viruses via a xenotransplant have prompted a significant number of studies on methods to eliminate or prevent expression and transmission of these viruses. The main focus of these studies, to date, has been the porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV); PERV is a genetically acquired element and present in the genome of all swine. This situation is problematic as it cannot simply be eliminated from swine by using methods currently employed to exclude exogenous pathogens in barrier facilities. As such, alternative strategies have been sought to circumvent the potential risk of PERV expression and transmission via a xenotransplant, however, there are other existing and emerging pathogens of concern that should be addressed when using this novel technology in vivo.Zoonotic porcine viruses have been identified that require specific diagnostic methods to confirm their absence. Animal husbandry and the exclusion of pathogens from SPF herds for use in xenotransplantation have been widely discussed and a number of organizations have issued guidelines on the screening for infectious agents. Although these recommendations on monitoring protocol and the identification of adventitious agents are clear, there is no comprehensive list of pathogens to be excluded from these animals that can be applied to all centres carrying out xenotransplantation. Currently, SPF animals used for research purposes are monitored for specific pathogens as defined by local guidelines, and may not be tested for all pathogens relevant to xenotransplantation.As recent data has indicated the potential for certain porcine pathogens to cross the species barrier, it is clear that xenotransplantation is a unique situation which may require us to address a more comprehensive panel of microorganisms than is currently recommended for SPF animals. This presentation will discuss data on the presence of pathogens in pigs, other than PERV, that may cause concern during the clinical application of xenotransplantation and the issues regarding the potential transfer of new zoonotic microorganisms.
Cell therapeutic strategies to improve pig islet graft survival after xenotransplantation
Authors: Sattler C. , Steinsdörfer M. , Offers M. , Seissler J. 
Published: April 2010

Transplantation of the whole pancreas organ or isolated Langerhans‐islets is the only methods to cure Type 1 diabetes. Transplantation is largely limited by the lack of organ donors and considerable side effects of immunosuppressive therapies. Porcine pancreas represents a promising cell source to overcome the shortage of islets. Due to the strong rejection of xenoantigens novel strategies such as the generation of transgenic pig islets are needed. Another complementary alternative is the co‐transplantation with immunomodulatory cells that mediate only local immunosuppression at the transplantation site.Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are unique cells residing in different tissues which possess pleiotropic immunoregulatory activities. We isolated murine and human MSCs from bone‐marrow (CD73+, CD105+) and used them for in vitro experiments (mixed lymphocyte reaction after mitogen, allogenic and xenogenic stimulation) and co‐transplantation studies in diabetic C57BL/6 mice.Both murine and human MSCs exert strong immunosuppressive effects on lymphocyte proliferation (up to 75% and 80% respectively). Interestingly, there were major differences in the underlying mechanisms. We were able to demonstrate for the first time that mouse MSCs suppressed MLR by a combination of prostaglandin E2 production and adenosine formation. Only human but not mouse MSCs do express the tryptophan degrading enzyme indoleamine 2,3‐dioxygenase (IDO) upon stimulation with proinflammatory cytokines. Our features such as TGFβ and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) production also contribute to the immunoregulatory effect. When human lymphocytes were challenges with porcine antigens there was a strong proliferative immune response which can be suppressed in a dose‐dependent manner by the addition of hMSCs (inhibition up to 95%). Co‐transplantation of allogenic islets with MSCs favoured islet cell function and survival. This effect was dependent on the MSC source as demonstrated by the fact that the use of donor MSCs resulted in longer survival rate as compared to syngenic MSCs. In current experiments we test the effect of hMSCs in the NOD SCID‐IL2R–/–mouse model to study immune response of human PBMCs towards porcine islets.In conclusion, our results strongly support and extend the concept that MSCs are potent candidates to control cellular immune rejection. We observed surprising differences in the immunosuppressive properties between mouse and human MSCs. Since human MSCs also strongly suppress immune response against pig antigens, they are promising novel candidates to modulate the local microenviroment for islet cell xenotransplantation. The next step is to analyse survival of transgenic pig islets (CTLA‐4 Ig) with and without hMSC in diabetic NOD SCID‐IL2R–/–mice.Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Transregio Forschergruppe ‘‘Xenotransplantation’’, FOR 535).
Survival and function of CD47‐deficient thymic grafts in mice
Authors: Wang Yuantao , Wang Hui , Wang Shumei , Fu Yaowen , Yang Yong‐Guang 
Published: April 2010

Wang Y, Wang H, Wang S, Fu Y, Yang Y‐G. Survival and function of CD47‐deficient thymic grafts in mice. Xenotransplataion 2010; 17: 160–165. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.Abstract: Background:  We have previously shown that the interspecies incompatibility of CD47 plays an important role in triggering rejection of xenogeneic hematopoietic cells by macrophages. However, it remains unknown whether CD47 incompatibility also contributes to the rejection of non‐hematopoietic xenografts.Aims:  Here, we investigated the role of CD47 in preventing macrophage‐mediated rejection of thymic epithelial cells in a mouse model of thymic transplantation across the CD47 barrier.Methods:  Wild‐type (WT) and CD47 KO mice were thymectomized and treated with T cell‐depleting mAbs, and implanted with fetal thymus from syngeneic WT or CD47 KO donors.Results:  Transplantation of CD47 KO mouse thymus led to T cell recovery in thymectomized, T cell‐depleted WT mice. Similar to the control WT mouse thymic grafts, CD47 KO mouse thymic grafts showed a normal distribution of thymocyte subsets, and almost all of the thymocytes were recipient origin. Furthermore, histological analysis confirmed long‐term survival of CD47 KO mouse thymic epithelial cells in WT mouse recipients.Conclusions:  These results demonstrate that, unlike hematopoietic cells, CD47 KO mouse thymus can survive and function in WT mice. Furthermore, our data implicate that the role of CD47 in xenograft rejection may differ for different types of xenografts, and that CD47 incompatibility is unlikely to impede thymic xenotransplantation, a potential approach to inducing xenotolerance, by triggering macrophage‐mediated rejection.
An Exceptional Response? Security, Development and Civil Society in Spanish Policy after 11‐M
Authors: Colás Alejandro 
Published: April 2010

ABSTRACTThis article considers the ways in which Spanish state institutions responded to the Madrid bombings of 11 March 2004 in the context of the global ‘War on Terror’. It examines three inter‐related arenas of Spanish policy after 9/11 in which security and civil society are invoked in ways that impact upon the country's development agenda toward its southern Mediterranean partners. The first relates to Spain's external relations with its North African neighbours, and in particular the place of migration in shaping these relations over the last decade. The second concerns Spain's political relations with the representative organizations of its own Muslim populations. A third area of analysis pertains to the juridical‐institutional reactions of the state to the 11 March attacks: how have public authorities and civil society been affected and refashioned in the face of jihadist terrorism on the peninsula? The author argues that in each of these domains, the post‐9/11 context generally, and the 11 March attacks in particular, have elicited a securitization of civil society, which has in turn been associated with the country's international relations and domestic politics. Such securitization, however, has only been partially successful, thus vindicating the continuation of ‘politics as usual’ among Spain's state officials and its civil society.
Managing Dissent in a Post‐genocide Environment: The Challenge of Political Space in Rwanda
Authors: Beswick Danielle 
Published: April 2010

ABSTRACTThis article analyses how political space, defined here as the ability of actors other than the government to critically engage in debate on government policy and practice, is being constituted in post‐genocide Rwanda. Using evidence from interviews with civil society activists and examples from the Rwandan Government's post‐genocide policies, it explores the kind of political space which results from an interplay of potentially competing influences. These include the promotion of a liberal approach to democracy, favoured by many of Rwanda's donors, and a more tightly‐managed and limited transition which is both preferred by and beneficial for the RPF Government. The article shows that although space could be seen in some areas as opening, this trend is hampered by government actions, including legislative and shadow methods, by donor reluctance to pressure the ruling RPF and by fear within civil society of tackling politically sensitive issues. In conclusion, the author suggests that this fear is reinforced by government policies which narrow perceptions of political space, exacerbated by perceived abandonment of civil society by donors, and that in combination these factors pose a long‐term challenge to more openly contested politics in Rwanda.
Accountability and Inaction: NGOs and Resource Lodging in Development
Authors: Harsh Matthew , Mbatia Paul , Shrum Wesley 
Published: April 2010

ABSTRACTFrom the late 1980s, research on NGOs had a normative focus and was vulnerable to changing donor preoccupations. This article contributes a new conceptual approach, analysing the practices through which relationships and resources are translated into programmes and projects. The theoretical justification for this move combines the new ethnography of development practice with a re‐agency approach to transactions across time and space. The study is based on data including thirty hours of video ethnography involving interviews and field visits with Kenyan NGOs in a variety of sectors. The analysis focuses on the problem of accountability that emerged through the interactions of donors and state corruption. We argue that NGOs operating in capital cities often provide organizational solutions to this problem. Depending on donor preferences, varying amounts of resources become ‘lodged’ or absorbed in ‘capital NGOs’ as they provide accounts of programmes that satisfy donors. However, no matter the donor preferences, capital NGOs provide accountability independently of increased action with communities or increased resources transferred to them. We conclude that the institutionalization of the NGO field as a well‐grounded specialization depends in part on the degree to which researchers can sideline the stories generated in inter‐organizational contexts such as workshops and policy meetings, and substitute understandings based on accounting practices, resource flows and social ties.
Counter‐terrorism and the Regulation of Civil Society in the USA
Authors: Sidel Mark 
Published: April 2010

ABSTRACTThis article examines the impact of counter‐terrorism measures on non‐profit regulation in the USA, where some of the most interventionist legal and policy responses took hold soon after the brutal attacks of September 2001. It highlights the sternness of these measures by comparing the US approach to counter‐terrorism and charity regulation with that of the UK. It suggests that the different institutional arrangements for charity regulation in the two countries account in part for different treatment and policy choices, with implications for civil society groups working domestically and overseas. The article particularly analyses the impact of legislation and policy on the American philanthropic sector, and the responses of civil society to measures enacted and undertaken in the USA. It argues that groups directly affected by the new legislation and hardened policy, especially Muslim charities and some civil liberties group, have openly resisted these measures, while mainstream non‐profit sector and philanthropic institutions have often acquiesced in the introduction of new policies, ‘guidelines’ and legislation, opposing them only when they felt directly threatened.
Efavirenz directly modulates the oestrogen receptor and induces breast cancer cell growth
Authors: Sikora MJ , Rae JM , Johnson MD , Desta Z 
Published: April 2010

ObjectivesEfavirenz‐based HIV therapy is associated with breast hypertrophy and gynaecomastia. Here, we tested the hypothesis that efavirenz induces gynaecomastia through direct binding and modulation of the oestrogen receptor (ER).MethodsTo determine the effect of efavirenz on growth, the oestrogen‐dependent, ER‐positive breast cancer cell lines MCF‐7, T47D and ZR‐75‐1 were treated with efavirenz under oestrogen‐free conditions in the presence or absence of the anti‐oestrogen ICI 182,780. Cells treated with 17β‐oestradiol in the absence or presence of ICI 182,780 served as positive and negative controls, respectively. Cellular growth was assayed using the crystal violet staining method and an in vitro receptor binding assay was used to measure the ER binding affinity of efavirenz.ResultsEfavirenz induced growth in MCF‐7 cells with an estimated effective concentration for half‐maximal growth (EC50) of 15.7 μM. This growth was reversed by ICI 182,780. Further, efavirenz binds directly to the ER [inhibitory concentration for half maximal binding (IC50) of ∼52 μM] at a roughly 1000‐fold higher concentration than observed with 17β‐oestradiol.ConclusionsOur data suggest that efavirenz‐induced gynaecomastia may be caused, at least in part, by drug‐induced ER activation in breast tissues.
The Transmission of US Monetary Policy to the Euro Area*
Authors: Neri Stefano , Nobili Andrea 
Published: April 2010

AbstractThis paper studies how changes in the federal funds rate by the US Federal Reserve affect the eurozone economy. In our analysis, the international transmission mechanism works through movements in the exchange rate, commodity prices, short‐term interest rates and the trade balance. We find that an increase in the federal funds rate causes the euro to immediately depreciate, while commodity, and in particular oil, prices decline sharply, reflecting a decline in demand. Lower commodity prices stimulate household consumption in the short run, and the higher aggregate demand induces an expansion of eurozone economic activity. Our results show that the effects of changes in the federal funds rate on commodity prices are greater than previously found in the literature. Our analysis also assesses the likely effects on the eurozone economy of the European Central Bank's (ECB's) own responses to macroeconomic developments. We find that the expansionary effect of lower commodity prices and a depreciated euro on the eurozone economy is partially offset by the ECB increasing short‐term nominal interest rates to curb inflationary pressures in an expanding economy. This result highlights the importance of commodity prices and the euro–dollar exchange rate as inputs into European monetary policy‐making, as seen, for example, in the Eurosystem staff macroeconomic projections used by the Governing Council to assess the risks to price stability.
Cross‐Border Diversification in Bank Asset Portfolios*
Authors: Buch Claudia M. , Driscoll John C. , Ostergaard Charlotte 
Published: April 2010

AbstractWe compute optimally diversified international asset portfolios for banks located in France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States using the mean–variance portfolio model with currency hedging. We compare these benchmark portfolios with the actual cross‐border asset positions of banks from 1995 to 2003 and ask whether the differences are best explained by regulations, institutions, cultural conditions or other financial frictions. Our results suggest that both culture and regulations affect the probability of a country's being overweighted in banks' portfolios: countries whose residents score higher on a survey measure of trust are more likely to be overweighted, while countries that have tighter capital controls are less likely to be overweighted. From a policy standpoint, the importance of culture suggests a limit to the degree of financial integration that may be achievable by the removal of formal economic barriers.
Reforming the Global Reserve Regime: The Role of a Substitution Account*
Authors: Kenen Peter B. 
Published: April 2010

AbstractThe governor of China's central bank recently revived a proposal for the creation of a ‘substitution account’, managed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), into which central banks and governments could deposit dollar reserves in exchange for claims denominated in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), the Fund's quasi‐currency. This paper summarizes simulations that measure the potential cost of such an arrangement to the United States were it to guarantee the solvency of the account. The simulations show that those costs would be small relative to the size of US external assets and of the US economy. The paper also shows how the costs could be shared with the depositors. Creation of a substitution account could make the SDRs the principal reserve asset in the international monetary system, achieving a major reform of the reserve regime and enhancing the role of the International Monetary Fund.
Evolution of development of vascular cambia and secondary growth
Authors: Spicer Rachel , Groover Andrew 
Published: April 2010

SummarySecondary growth from vascular cambia results in radial, woody growth of stems. The innovation of secondary vascular development during plant evolution allowed the production of novel plant forms ranging from massive forest trees to flexible, woody lianas. We present examples of the extensive phylogenetic variation in secondary vascular growth and discuss current knowledge of genes that regulate the development of vascular cambia and woody tissues. From these foundations, we propose strategies for genomics‐based research in the evolution of development, which is a next logical step in the study of secondary growth.

Contents

Summary
577

I.
Introduction
577

II.
Generalized function of vascular cambia and their developmental and evolutionary origins
578

III.
Variation in secondary vascular growth in angiosperms
581

IV.
Genes and mechanisms regulating secondary vascular growth and their evolutionary origins
584

V.
Evolution of development approaches for the study of secondary vascular growth
587

VI.
Conclusions
589

Acknowledgements
589

References
589
Reliability and validity of the attitudes to ageing questionnaire for Canadian and Norwegian older adults
Authors: Kalfoss Mary H. , Low Gail , Molzahn Anita E. 
Published: April 2010

Scand J Caring Sci; 2010; 24; 75–85 Reliability and validity of the attitudes to ageing questionnaire for Canadian and Norwegian older adultsThe aim of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire (AAQ), a new scale designed for cross‐cultural comparisons of older adults. There are currently very few measures intended to measure the attitudes of older adults to their own ageing. The instrument was designed as part of a larger study to develop a measure of quality of life (QOL) of older adults and to assess factors related to QOL; it was hypothesized that attitudes to ageing would be related to QOL. Canadian (n = 202) and Norwegian (n = 490) data were used. In both study samples, a series of correlation analyses indicated that item scores correlated most strongly with their parent subscales (r=0.42–0.79; p < 0.01). Acceptable internal consistency was shown (Cronbach’s alpha of 0.70 or greater for all subscales). In a confirmatory factor analyses (CFA), all 24 items in the AAQ were retained (p < 0.001); the observed lack of goodness of fit and residual covariance patterns provided empirical support, in part, for the construct validity of the AAQ. Patterns of correlations of the AAQ subscales with WHOQOL‐OLD facets, WHOQOL‐BREF domains, a global QoL item and GDS scores provided evidence of convergent and divergent validity. Nonsignificant correlations were found between psychological growth and two facets of the WHOQOL‐OLD in the Canadian sample. Subscale scores also significantly discriminated between healthy and unhealthy groups. Further validation of the scale among older people, across countries, is recommended.
Conservation biogeography – foundations, concepts and challenges
Authors: Richardson David M. , Whittaker Robert J. 
Published: April 2010

AbstractConservation biogeography involves the application of biogeographical principles, theories, and analyses to problems regarding biodiversity conservation. The field was formally defined in 2005, and considerable research has been conducted in the ensuing 5 years.This editorial sets the context for 16 contributions in a special issue of Diversity and Distributions on developments and challenges in conservation biogeography. Papers are grouped into the following main themes: species distribution modelling; data requirements; approaches for assigning conservation priorities; approaches for integrating information from numerous disparate sources; special challenges involving invasive species; and the crucial issue of determining how elements of biodiversity are likely to respond to rapid climate change. One paper provides a synthesis of requirements for a robust conservation biogeography for freshwater ecosystems.Conservation biogeography is well poised to make a significant contribution to the process of providing policy makers with objectively formulated scenarios and options for the effective management of biodiversity. The editorial, and the papers in the special issue, deliberate on many of the exciting developments in play in the field, and the many complex challenges that lie ahead.