bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Osmotic adjustment and requirement for sodium in marine protist thraustochytrid
Authors: Shabala Lana , McMeekin Tom , Shabala Sergey 
Published: July 2009

SummaryA non‐invasive ion‐selective microelectrode technique was used to elucidate the ionic mechanisms of osmotic adjustment in a marine protist thraustochytrid. Hypoosmotic stress caused significant efflux of Na+, Cl– and K+ from thraustochytrid cells. Model calculations showed that almost complete osmotic adjustment was achieved within the first 30 min after stress onset. Of these, sodium was the major contributor (more than half of the total osmotic adjustment), with chloride being the second major contributor. The role of K+ in the process of osmotic adjustment was relatively small. Changes in Ca2+ and H+ flux were attributed to intracellular signalling. Ion flux data were confirmed by growth experiments. Thraustochytrium cells showed normal growth patterns even when grown in a sodium‐free solution provided the medium osmolality was adjusted by mannitol to one of the seawater. That suggests that the requirement of sodium for thraustochytrid growth cycle is due to its role in cell osmotic adjustment rather than because of the direct Na+ involvement in cell metabolism. Altogether, these data demonstrate the evidence for turgor regulation in thraustochytrids and suggest that these cells may be grown in the absence of sodium providing that cell turgor is adjusted by some other means.
Are prostate needle biopsies predictive of the laterality of significant cancer and positive surgical margins?
Authors: Frota Rodrigo , Stein Robert J. , Turna Burak , Kamoi Kazumi , Lin Yi‐Chia , Magi‐Galluzzi Cristina , Aron Monish , Gill Inderbir S. 
Published: July 2009

OBJECTIVETo determine whether data obtained from preoperative prostate needle biopsy can predict the laterality of significant cancer and positive surgical margins on final‐specimen pathology after laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP).PATIENTS AND METHODSData from 490 patients undergoing LRP by one surgeon were reviewed retrospectively. The demographic characteristics, intraoperative data and pathological results were analysed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to determine which factors before and during LRP influenced the positive surgical margin status.RESULTSThere was only minor agreement between the laterality of positive needle biopsies and laterality of any cancer and significant cancer on final‐specimen pathology (κ = 0.135 and 0.151, respectively). This was irrespective of the number of needle cores obtained or final‐specimen Gleason grade. Similarly, the laterality of dominant cancer on needle biopsy had only a minor agreement with the location of positive surgical margins (κ = 0.050) and fair agreement with the location of extracapsular extension on final‐specimen pathology (κ = 0.235).CONCLUSIONSPreoperative needle biopsy data have only a minor correlation with the laterality of significant cancer and positive surgical margins at final pathology of LRP specimens. Recognition of this fact, and the frequent bilaterality of significant cancer, with its potential for contralateral positive surgical margins even when the biopsies are positive only unilaterally, is an important consideration when planning nerve‐sparing, and potentially for focal therapy.
Bladder neck contracture after retropubic radical prostatectomy: incidence and risk factors from a large single‐surgeon experience
Authors: Erickson Bradley A. , Meeks Joshua J. , Roehl Kimberly A. , Gonzalez Christopher M. , Catalona William J. 
Published: July 2009

OBJECTIVETo examine a large, single‐surgeon series of patients with prostate cancer who underwent retropubic radical prostatectomy (RRP) for men with postoperative bladder neck contractures (BNCs).PATIENTS AND METHODSFrom 1983 to 2007, 4132 men underwent RRP for prostate cancer by one surgeon. All patients had BN reconstruction with mucosal eversion. The bladder to membranous urethral anastomosis was made using six 2/0 chromic catgut sutures over an 18 F Foley catheter. The catheter was left in place for 10 days. Data from these men is stored in a prospective database, which was reviewed in this study for men with BNCs after RRP. Men with BNCs were compared with all other men in the series to determine risk factors for BNC development.RESULTSOverall, BNCs developed in 110 patients (2.5%). Examining our last 500 patients there was a contemporary BNC rate of <1%. The median (range) follow‐up was 44  (12–233) months. Tumour characteristics were similar in the men with BNCs and those with no BNCs, and the rates of organ‐confined disease were also similar (65% vs 70%, P = 0.27). Men with BNCs had higher median preoperative prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) levels (6.7 vs 5.7 mg/dL; P = 0.009) and were more likely to have PSA failure after RRP (30% vs 16%, P < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, non‐nerve sparing (P = 0.003) and a surgical date before 1992 (P < 0.001) were significant predictors of BNC. Patients with BNCs had lower potency rates (49% vs 63%, P < 0.003) and continence rates (88% vs 94%, P = 0.07) at the 18‐month follow‐up.CONCLUSIONSBNCs are rare, occurring in <1% in our modern series. The important surgical factors in preventing BNCs are to avoid closing the BN too tightly and attaining good apposition of the BN with the urethral stump with a watertight closure. BNCs are more common with non‐nerve‐sparing surgery and early in a surgeon’s experience.
Symbols Build Communication and Thought: The Role of Gestures and Words in the Development of Engagement Skills and Social‐emotional Concepts during Toddlerhood
Authors: Vallotton Claire D. , Ayoub Catherine C. 
Published: July 2009

AbstractSocial skills and symbol skills are positively associated in middle childhood, but the relation between these domains is less clear in newly verbal toddlers. Vygotsky proposed that symbols are both tools for interaction and mental tools for thought. Do symbols help even very young children build skills for interacting with and conceptualizing the social world? Longitudinal data from 108 children and mothers were collected when children were 14, 24, and 36 months. Children's gestures and words during mother–child interactions were used as symbol skill indicators to predict children's abilities to engage others and the number of social‐emotional concepts children portray during play. In a series of growth models, words had a stronger effect on engagement skills whereas early gesture use predicted later development of social‐emotional concepts. Therefore, even in early development, symbols serve as both communication tools and mental tools to construct understanding of the social‐emotional world.
Spillovers from Multinationals to Heterogeneous Domestic Firms: Evidence from Hungary
Authors: Békés Gábor , Kleinert Jörn , Toubal Farid 
Published: July 2009

AbstractFirms cluster their economic activities to exploit technological and informational spillovers from other firms. Spillovers from multinational firms can be particularly beneficial to firms in less developed economies, because technological superiority and management expertise of foreign multinational firms yield various opportunities for learning. Yet, the importance of foreign firms’ spillovers might vary with respect to two key features of domestic firms: their productivity level and their export status. In line with theories on the absorptive capacity of firms, we argue on the basis of an empirical analysis of Hungarian firms that larger and more productive firms are more able than smaller firms to reap spillovers from multinationals. However, the export status is found to be of minor importance once higher productivity is controlled for.
Effects of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor backbone on the efficacy of first‐line boosted highly active antiretroviral therapy based on protease inhibitors: meta‐regression analysis of 12 clinical trials in 5168 patients
Authors: Hill A , Sawyer W 
Published: July 2009

ObjectivesTenofovir/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) and abacavir/lamivudine (ABC/3TC) are widely used with ritonavir (RTV)‐boosted protease inhibitors (PIs) as first‐line highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), but there is conflicting evidence on their relative efficacy. The ACTG 5202 and BICOMBO trials suggested higher efficacy for TDF/FTC, whereas the HEAT trial showed no efficacy difference between the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) backbones.MethodsA systematic MEDLINE search identified 21 treatment arms in 12 clinical trials of 5168 antiretroviral‐naïve patients, where TDF/FTC (n=3399) or ABC/3TC (n=1769) was used with RTV‐boosted PI. For each NRTI backbone and RTV‐boosted PI, the percentage of patients with viral load <50 HIV‐1 RNA copies/mL at week 48 by standardized Intent to Treat, Time to Loss of Virological Failure (ITT TLOVR) analysis were combined using inverse‐variance weighting. The effect of baseline HIV RNA, CD4 cell count and choice of NRTI backbone were examined using a weighted analysis of covariance.ResultsAcross all the trials, HIV RNA suppression rates were significantly higher for those with baseline viral load below 100 000 copies/mL (77.2%) vs. above 100 000 copies/mL (70.9%) (P=0.0005). For the trials of lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r), atazanavir/ritonavir (ATV/r) and fosamprenavir/ritonavir (FAPV/r) using either TDF/FTC or ABC/3TC, the HIV RNA responses were significantly lower when ABC/3TC was used, relative to TDF/FTC, for all patients (P=0.0015) and for patients with baseline viral load <100 000 copies/mL (70.1%vs. 80.6%, P=0.0161), and was borderline for those with viral load >100 000 copies/mL (67.5%vs. 71.5%, P=0.0523).ConclusionsThis systematic meta‐regression analysis suggests higher efficacy for first‐line use of a TDF/FTC NRTI backbone with boosted PIs, relative to use of ABC/3TC. However, this effect may be confounded by differences between the trials in terms of baseline characteristics, patient management or adherence.
Boosted protease inhibitors as a therapeutic option in the treatment of HIV‐infected children
Authors: Ramos JT 
Published: July 2009

ObjectivePaediatric HIV treatment must address various special considerations. Administration of pharmacokinetically enhanced protease inhibitors (PIs) can improve paediatric therapeutic outcomes. The objective of this study was to review the use of boosted PI regimens in children.MethodsSystematic literature searches of published manuscripts and conference databases using generic drug names and specific keywords were performed to ensure thorough and balanced reporting of available data.ResultsBoosted PI regimens offer multiple options across a range of ages and are efficacious in naïve and experienced children; safety and tolerability are similar to those observed in adults. Novel boosted PI simplification approaches may foster adherence and diminish resistance.ConclusionsBoosted PIs are key components of first‐ and second‐line treatments in children. Identifying factors associated with the response to highly active antiretroviral therapy in children may ultimately permit individualized therapies.
Active tuberculosis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis latent infection in patients with HIV/AIDS
Authors: Gutierrez EB , Gomes V , Picone CM , Suga H , Atomiya AN 
Published: July 2009

ObjectivesTuberculosis (TB) remains an important disease associated with HIV infection and AIDS in Brazil, even in a setting of free access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and TB treatment. In previous studies, isoniazid therapy (IT) for latent infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (LIMTb) was found to reduce the risk of TB by 62% in patients with a tuberculin test (TT)>5 mm. The objectives of this study were to investigate the occurrence of TB, the prevalence of LIMTb and the coverage of the TT and IT, and to estimate the number of missed opportunities to prevent TB in patients with HIV/AIDS.MethodsA random sample of patients with HIV/AIDS was selected; data from the medical files were obtained, and a TT was performed in consenting subjects.ResultsIn the 203 subjects included in the study, TB occurrence was 13.3%, LIMTb prevalence was 20% and the coverage of the TT and IT was 59.2 and 55%, respectively. Patients with TB had a lower nadir CD4 cell count, but their CD4 recovery was comparable to that of non‐TB patients. Patients with LIMTb always had a higher CD4 cell count.ConclusionsBy expanding the coverage of the TT and IT to nearly 100%, we could more than double the number of prevented cases of TB. TB prevention programmes must be reinforced to reduce the number of missed opportunities for diagnosis, and IT must be improved to reduce TB among patients with HIV/AIDS. Empowering patients with knowledge about TB, the preventive role of IT and the need for an annual TT may be the best way of lowing rates of TB in patients with HIV/AIDS.
Changes in biomarkers of cardiovascular risk after a switch to abacavir in HIV‐1‐infected individuals receiving combination antiretroviral therapy
Authors: Kristoffersen US , Kofoed K , Kronborg G , Benfield T , Kjaer A , Lebech A‐M 
Published: July 2009

ObjectivesTo investigate, using a longitudinal design, whether biomarkers of cardiovascular risk change after a switch to an abacavir (ABC)‐containing regimen in HIV‐1‐infected individuals already receiving combination antiretroviral therapy (ART).MethodsThirty‐five HIV‐1‐infected individuals who switched ART to an ABC‐containing regimen were identified. Twenty‐two HIV‐1‐infected individuals who switched ART from and to a non‐ABC‐containing regimen served as controls. Plasma concentrations of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (sVCAM‐1), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM‐1), matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9), myeloperoxidase (MPO) and high sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP) were measured in blood samples before the switch in ART, and 3 months and 12 months afterwards. Log10‐transformed data were compared with paired t‐tests.ResultsMedian MMP9 increased from 45.5 to 64.4 μg/mL after 3 months of ABC exposure (P=0.011) and remained increased after 12 months (64.2 μg/mL; P=0.013). MPO increased from median 8.8 to 10.4 μg/mL (P=0.036) after 3 months of ABC exposure but was not increased after 12 months of exposure (9.1 μg/mL). hs‐CRP increased from 3.3 to 4.2 μg/mL after 3 months (P=0.031) but was not increased after 12 months of exposure (2.8 μg/mL). Neither sVCAM‐1 nor sICAM‐1 changed after the initiation of ABC. No changes were observed in the control group.ConclusionsMMP9, MPO and hs‐CRP all increased after a switch in ART to an ABC‐containing regimen. This indicates increased cardiovascular risk in viral load‐suppressed HIV‐1‐infected individuals switching to ABC and proposes a proinflammatory potential as the underlying pathogenetic mechanism.
Perspectives on narrative methods in social work research
Authors: Larsson Sam , Sjöblom Yvonne 
Published: July 2009

Larsson S, Sjöblom Y. Perspectives on narrative methods in social work researchInt J Soc Welfare 2010: 19: 272–280 © 2009 The Author, Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd and the International Journal of Social Welfare.The narrative turn has entered many different academic disciplines and is now also emerging in social work. This article focuses on a discussion of the possibilities and limitations of doing narrative research in social work, including a scrutiny of definitions and of a number of theoretical and methodological arguments often used by some of the leading narrative researchers.
Cartographies of Race and Class: Mapping the Class‐Monopoly Rents of American Subprime Mortgage Capital
Authors: WYLY ELVIN , MOOS MARKUS , HAMMEL DANIEL , KABAHIZI EMANUEL 
Published: July 2009

AbstractThe worst global financial crisis since the Great Depression has drawn worldwide attention to America's subprime mortgage sector and its linkages with predatory exploitation in working‐class and racially marginalized communities. During nearly two decades of expansion, agents of subprime capital fought regulation and reform by (1) using the doctrine of risk‐based pricing to equate financial innovation with democratized access to capital, (2) appealing to the cultural myths of the ‘American Dream’ of homeownership, and (3) dismissing well‐documented cases of racial discrimination and predatory abuse as anecdotal evidence of rare problems confined to a few lost‐cause places in what is otherwise a benevolent free‐market landscape. In this article, we challenge these three tactics. Properly adapted and updated,Harvey's (1974) theory of class‐monopoly rent allows us to map and interpret the localized, neighborhood exploitations of class and race in several hundred US metropolitan areas as they were woven through Wall Street securitization conduits into global networks of debt and investment. Understanding the structural inequalities of class‐monopoly rent is essential for analysis, organizing, and policy responses to the crisis.RésuméLa crise financière mondiale la plus grave depuis la Grande Dépression a attiré le regard de la planète sur le secteur américain des prêts hypothécaires à risque (subprime) et sur ses liens avec une exploitation abusive au sein des communautés ouvrières et raciales marginalisées. Durant près de vingt ans de prospérité, les établissements de crédit hypothécaire à risque ont combattu réglementations et réformes: ils ont appliqué une ‘tarification au risque’ pour rapprocher innovation financière et accès démocratisé au capital; ils ont tiré parti des mythes culturels liés au ‘Rêve américain’ de la propriété individuelle; ils ont écarté les cas vérifiés de discrimination raciale et de comportement abusif, sous prétexte d’anecdotes isolées circonscrites à de rares sites voués à l’échec dans ce qui est par ailleurs une sphère bienveillante du libéralisme de marché. L’article met en cause ces trois tactiques. Une fois adaptée et actualisée, la théorie de Harvey (1974) sur les rentes de monopole de classe permet de cartographier les exploitations localisées (quartiers) de classes et de races dans plusieurs centaines de zones métropolitaines américaines, et d’expliquer comment elles ont glissé, via les canaux de titrisation de Wall Street, jusqu’aux réseaux internationaux d’endettement et de placement. Il faut appréhender les inégalités structurelles des rentes de monopole de classe pour pouvoir analyser, organiser et répondre à la crise par des politiques publiques.
Creating Liquidity out of Spatial Fixity: The Secondary Circuit of Capital and the Subprime Mortgage Crisis
Authors: GOTHAM KEVIN FOX 
Published: July 2009

AbstractSince the classic work of Henri Lefebvre and David Harvey, the ‘secondary circuit of capital’ has been a focal point for debate among critical urban scholars. Against the background of contemporary debates on financialization, this article investigates the institutional and political roots of the subprime mortgage crisis. Empirically, the article situates the current turmoil of the US mortgage sector with reference to a series of ad hoc legal and regulatory actions taken since the 1980s to promote the securitization of mortgages and expand the secondary mortgage market. Securitization is a process of converting illiquid assets into transparent securities and is a critical component of the financialization of real estate markets and investment. Specifically, I examine the crucial role played by the US Treasury Department's Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in creating the polices and legal‐regulatory conditions that have nurtured the growth of a market for securitizing subprime loans. Theoretically, the article examines the subprime mortgage crisis as an illustration of the contradictions of capital circulation as expressed in the tendency of capital to annihilate space through time.Résumé Depuis les travaux de référence d’Henri Lefebvre et de David Harvey, le ‘circuit secondaire des capitaux’ a suscité de nombreuses discussions entre spécialistes critiques de la ville. Avec en toile de fond les débats contemporains sur la financiarisation, cet article étudie les racines institutionnelles et politiques de la crise des subprimes. Sur le plan empirique, il situe le bouleversement actuel du secteur américain des prêts hypothécaires par rapport à une série de mesures de Droit et de réglementations spécifiques adoptées depuis les années 1980 pour promouvoir la titrisation et le marché secondaire des crédits hypothécaires. La titrisation, qui permet de convertir des actifs peu liquides en valeurs mobilières transparentes, est une composante essentielle de la financiarisation de l’investissement et des marchés immobiliers. Une attention particulière est accordée au rôle crucial qu’ont joué, aux États‐Unis, l’autorité de surveillance des banques relevant du ministère des Finances (OCC), ainsi que le ministère du Logement et de l’Urbanisme (HUD), dans la création des cadres et des conditions juridico‐réglementaires qui ont nourri l’essor du marché de la titrisation des prêts hypothécaires à risque. Sur le plan théorique, l’article analyse la crise des subprimes comme une illustration des contractions de la circulation des capitaux, ces derniers tendant à anéantir l’espace par le temps.