bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The effect of intravesical electrical stimulation on bladder function and synaptic neurotransmission in the rat spinal cord after spinal cord injury
Authors: Hong Chang Hee , Lee Hye‐young , Jin Mei Hua , Noh Ji Yeun , Lee Bong Hee , Han Sang Won 
Published: November 2008

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of intravesical electrical stimulation (IVES) on bladder function and synaptic neurotransmission in the lumbosacral spinal cord in the spinalized rat, as the clinical benefits of IVES in patients with increased residual urine or reduced bladder capacity have been reported but studies on the mechanism of IVES have mainly focused on bladder Aδ afferents in central nervous system‐intact rats.MATERIALS AND METHODSIn all, 30 female Sprague‐Dawley rats were divided equally into three groups: normal control rats, sham‐stimulated spinalized rats and IVES‐treated spinalized rats. IVES was started 5 weeks after spinal cord injury (SCI) and was performed 20 min a day for 5 consecutive days. At 7 days after IVES, conscious filling cystometry was performed. Sections from the L6 and S1 spinal cord segments were examined for n‐methyl‐d‐aspartic acid receptor 1 (NMDAR1) subunit and γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) immunoactivity.RESULTSIn IVES‐treated spinalized rats, the number and maximal pressure of nonvoiding detrusor contractions were significantly less than in sham‐stimulated spinalized rats. The mean maximal voiding pressure was also lower in IVES‐treated than in sham‐stimulated spinalized rats. IVES significantly reduced the interval between voiding contractions compared with the untreated spinalized rats. There was an overall increase in NMDAR1 immunoactivity after SCI, which was significantly lower in IVES‐treated spinalized rats. Immunoactivity of GABA after SCI was significantly lower than in the control group and was significantly higher in IVES‐treated spinalized rats.CONCLUSIONOur results suggest that IVES might affect voiding contractions in addition to inhibiting C‐fibre activity and that IVES seems to have a more complex effect on the bladder control pathway. For synaptic neurotransmission in the spinal cord, IVES could possibly shift the balance between excitation and inhibition towards inhibition.
Face‐specific binding of prothrombin fragment 1 and human serum albumin to inorganic and urinary calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals
Authors: Cook Alison F. , Grover Phulwinder K. , Ryall Rosemary L. 
Published: November 2008

OBJECTIVETo compare the intracrystalline distributions of prothrombin fragment 1 (PTF1) and human serum albumin (HSA) within inorganic and urinary calcium oxalate (CaOx) monohydrate (COM) crystals and to determine whether binding of PTF1 can be explained by interactions between particular γ‐carboxyglutamic (Gla) residues and atomic arrays on individual faces of the COM crystal.MATERIALS AND METHODSCOM crystals were precipitated from inorganic solutions and ultrafiltered urine containing fluorescent HSA or PTF1 at different relative concentrations and examined by fluorescence microscopy. Accelrys Materials Studio and Discovery Studio were used to model the binding of PTF1 to the top, side and apical faces of the COM crystal.RESULTSPTF1 alone always adsorbed predominantly to the COM apical surfaces, while HSA bound principally to the side faces under inorganic conditions, but to the apical faces in urine. In the presence of each other, both proteins competed for adsorption to the apical faces, with attachment of PTF1 dominating over that of HSA. Modelling showed that urinary PTF1 had equal theoretical bonding potential for all three COM surfaces.CONCLUSIONS(i) Anisotropic inclusion of HSA and PTF1 into urinary and inorganic COM crystals results from their preferential binding to specific COM faces; (ii) the binding preference of HSA differs under inorganic and urinary conditions; (iii) preferential binding of PTF1 to the apical faces of COM is more complex than can be explained by interactions between Gla groups and surface atomic arrays; (iv) future studies of interactions between urinary proteins and stone mineral crystal surfaces should be performed in urine.
When Does University Research Get Commercialized? Creating Ambidexterity in Research Institutions
Authors: Ambos Tina C. , Mäkelä Kristiina , Birkinshaw Julian , D'Este Pablo 
Published: November 2008

abstractWe examine the tensions that make it difficult for a research‐oriented university to achieve commercial outcomes. Building on the organizational ambidexterity literature, we specify the nature of the tensions (between academic and commercially‐oriented activities) at both organizational and individual levels of analysis, and how these can be resolved. We develop hypotheses linking specific aspects of the organization and the individual researcher to the likelihood of their research projects generating commercial outcomes, and we test them using a novel dataset of 207 Research Council‐funded projects, combining objective data on project outcomes with the perceptions of principal investigators. We show that the tension between academic and commercial demands is more salient at the level of the individual researcher than at the level of the organization. Universities show evidence that they are able to manage the tensions between academic and commercial demands, through for example their creation of ‘dual structures’. At the individual level, on the other hand, the tensions are more acute, so that the people who deliver commercial outcomes tend to be rather different to those who are accustomed to producing academic outcomes.
Entry into Insular Domains: A Longitudinal Study of Knowledge Structuration and Innovation in Biotechnology Firms
Authors: George Gerard , Kotha Reddi , Zheng Yanfeng 
Published: November 2008

abstractWe focus on the firm's decision to enter insular technology domains and its effect on the impact that its subsequent innovation has on the field. Insular domains are technical domains that rely heavily on prior innovations within the same domain for subsequent innovations. We show that the returns to entering insular domains vary with the firm's depth and breadth of knowledge. By analysing data from 128 biotechnology firms over a 20‐year period, we find that the relationship between depth of technological capabilities and technology impact is nuanced: depth is necessary but not sufficient for high impact innovation. Firms whose knowledge is spread over disparate domains have negative returns from entering insular domains. The implications of these findings for theories of innovation and the discovery of entrepreneurial opportunities are discussed.
Corporate Venture Capital, Disembodied Experimentation and Capability Development
Authors: Keil Thomas , Autio Erkko , George Gerard 
Published: November 2008

abstractStudies invoking a capabilities lens often ascribe deliberateness in organizational decisions to develop new capabilities. Drawing on five longitudinal case studies of large, global firms in the information and communication technology sector, we examine how firms engender cognizance of their future capability needs in situations characterized by high decision‐making uncertainty. We develop a theoretical account of how firms use investments in start‐ups to actively engage in experimentation outside organizational boundaries, a learning process which we term as disembodied experimentation. Disembodied experimentation creates awareness of voids in the capability base of an incumbent and helps to overcome inertial restraints thereby influencing the decision to invest in capability development. The relationship between learning from disembodied experimentation and the decision to develop capabilities is moderated by knowledge brokering functions and adaptation complexity.
Three generations of technology‐enhanced learning
Authors: Hakkarainen Kai 
Published: November 2008

AbstractThe purpose of the present paper was to examine three generations of research on technology‐mediated learning carried on by the present investigator's research group. The first generation focused on examining computer‐supported collaborative learning from the cognitive perspective. The main focus was to examine to what extent knowledge‐seeking inquiry elicited conceptual change. Problems of transferring inquiry learning culture from one country to another pushed us to examine social practices and other participatory aspects of learning that had been invisible to cognitive researchers. The second‐generation research focused on analyzing patterns of participation in computer‐supported collaborative learning. The emerging third generation research aims at overcoming the dichotomy between the cognitive (knowledge acquisition) perspective and socio‐cultural (participation) perspective by means of long‐standing and deliberate efforts of knowledge‐creation, involving what is calledobjects of activity. Theoretical and methodological implications of the generations are discussed.
Capital Inflows, Resource Reallocation and the Real Exchange Rate*
Authors: Lartey Emmanuel K. K. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractA large capital inflow to a developing economy can potentially cause a real exchange rate appreciation that is detrimental to the prospects of its tradable sector; a phenomenon known as the Dutch Disease. I analyse the effects of both the level and share of capital inflow on resource reallocation and real exchange rate movements in a small open economy. I find that there exists a trade‐off between resource reallocation and the degree of real exchange rate appreciation. In particular, the less labour the tradable sector loses to the non‐tradable sector, the greater is the real exchange rate appreciation. This result is driven by the share of investment accounted for by foreign capital, and suggests that an emerging market economy that adopts a production technique which utilizes a greater share of foreign capital relative to domestic capital will be more susceptible to the Dutch Disease following an increase in capital inflow. The results also imply that a policy designed to minimize real exchange rate appreciation during capital inflow episodes should encompass measures aimed at stabilizing prices of non‐tradables.
Applying evidence in the real world: a case study in library and information practice
Authors: Sladek Ruth M. , Tieman Jennifer 
Published: November 2008

AbstractBackground/objectives:  Methodological decisions made during the research process can influence generalizability of findings to real world practice. The aims of this study were to explore the impact of decisions made in the development of a palliative care search filter and to consider the implications for implementation.Methods:  Three elements of the original study methodology were explored: (i) choice of OVID medline field delimiters; (ii) use of the general medical literature to evaluate the filter's performance; and (iii) use of the OVID interface. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and precision rates of variant search strategies were compared to consider each issue.Results:  The delimiter .af. outperformed the alternatives of .tw. or .mp. in OVID medline, improving sensitivity from 45.4 to 46.2%. Applying the filter in the specialist palliative literature resulted in 87.5% (692/791) of articles being retrieved using either .tw. or .mp., increasing to 100% (791/791) with the .af. delimiter. Finally, a PubMed version of the filter was successfully validated.Conclusions:  Reviewing three methodological decisions that preserved validity in an original study led to the improved utility of a search filter in practice. Generating high‐quality evidence is only part of evidence‐based practice: consideration of generalizability issues can inform further research and effective evidence implementation.
Impact of heme oxygenase‐1 on cholesterol synthesis, cholesterol efflux and oxysterol formation in cultured astroglia
Authors: Hascalovici Jacob R. , Song Wei , Vaya Jacob , Khatib Soliman , Fuhrman Bianca , Aviram Michael , Schipper Hyman M. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractUp‐regulation of heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1) and altered cholesterol (CH) metabolism are characteristic of Alzheimer‐diseased neural tissues. The liver X receptor (LXR) is a molecular sensor of CH homeostasis. In the current study, we determined the effects of HO‐1 over‐expression and its byproducts iron (Fe2+), carbon monoxide (CO) and bilirubin on CH biosynthesis, CH efflux and oxysterol formation in cultured astroglia. HO‐1/LXR interactions were also investigated in the context of CH efflux. hHO‐1 over‐expression for 3 days (∼2–3‐fold increase) resulted in a 30% increase in CH biosynthesis and a two‐fold rise in CH efflux. Both effects were abrogated by the competitive HO inhibitor, tin mesoporphyrin. CO, released from administered CORM‐3, significantly enhanced CH biosynthesis; a combination of CO and iron stimulated CH efflux. Free iron increased oxysterol formation three‐fold. Co‐treatment with LXR antagonists implicated LXR activation in the modulation of CH homeostasis by heme degradation products. In Alzheimer’s disease and other neuropathological states, glial HO‐1 induction may transduce ambient noxious stimuli (e.g. β‐amyloid) into altered patterns of glial CH homeostasis. As the latter may impact synaptic plasticity and neuronal repair, modulation of glial HO‐1 expression (by pharmacological or other means) may confer neuroprotection in patients with degenerative brain disorders.
In‐situ grown silica sinters in Icelandic geothermal areas
Authors: TOBLER DOMINIQUE J , STEFÁNSSON ANDRI , BENNING LIANE G 
Published: November 2008

ABSTRACTField in‐situ sinter growth studies have been carried out in five geochemically very different Icelandic geothermal areas with the aim to quantify the effects of water chemistry, (e.g. silica content (250 to 695 p.p.m. SiO2), salinity (meteoric to seawater), pH (7.5 to 10)), temperature (42–96 °C) and microbial abundance (prevalence, density) on the growth rates, textures and structures of sinters forming within and around geothermal waters. At each location, sinter growth was monitored over time periods between 30 min and 25 months using glass slides that acted as precipitation substrates from which sinter growth rates were derived.In geothermal areas like Svartsengi and Reykjanes, subaqueous sinters developed rapidly with growth rates of 10 and 304 kg year−1 m−2, respectively, and this was attributed primarily to the near neutral pH, high salinity and medium to high silica content within these geothermal waters. The porous and homogeneous precipitates that formed at these sites were dominated by aggregates of amorphous silica and they contained few if any microorganisms. At Hveragerdi and Geysir, the geothermal waters were characterized by slightly alkaline pH, low salinity and moderate silica contents, resulting in substantially lower rates of sinter growth (0.2–1.4 kg year−1 m−2). At these sites sinter formation was restricted to the vicinity of the air–water interface (AWI) where evaporation and condensation processes predominated, with sinter textures being governed by the formation of dense and heterogeneous crusts with well‐defined spicules and silica terraces. In contrast, the subaqueous sinters at these sites were characterized by extensive biofilms, which, with time, became fully silicified and thus well preserved within the sinter edifices. Finally, at Krafla, the geothermal waters exhibited high sinter growth rates (19.5 kg year−1 m−2) despite being considerably undersaturated with respect to amorphous silica. However, the bulk of the sinter textures and structure were made up of thick silicified biofilms and this indicated that silica precipitation, i.e. sinter growth, was aided by the surfaces provided by the thick biofilms. These results further suggest that the interplay between purely abiotic processes and the ubiquitous presence of mesophilic and thermophilic microorganisms in modern silica rich terrestrial hydrothermal settings provides an excellent analogue for processes in Earth's and possibly Mars's ancient past.
Feasibility of Myxomatous Mitral Valve Repair Using Direct Leaflet and Chordal Radiofrequency Ablation
Authors: WILLIAMS JEFFREY L. , TOYODA YOSHIYA , OTA TAKEYOSHI , GUTKIN DMITRY , KATZ WILLIAM , ZENATI MARCO , SCHWARTZMAN DAVID 
Published: November 2008

Objective: Minimally invasive repair of mitral valve prolapse (MVP) causing severe mitral regurgitation (MR) should reduce MR and have chronic durability. Our ex vivo, acute in vivo, and chronic in vivo studies suggest that direct application of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) to mitral leaflets and chordae can effect these repair goals to decrease MR.
Methods: A total of seven canines were studied to assess the effects of RFA on mitral valve structure and function. RFA was applied ex vivo (n = 1), acutely in vivo using a right lateral thoracotomy and cardiopulmonary bypass (n = 3), and chronically in vivo using percutaneous access to the heart (n = 3). RFA was applied to the mitral valve and its associated chordae. Mitral valve structure and function (in vivo preparations) were then assessed.
Results: Ex vivo application of RFA resulted in qualitative reduction in mitral leaflet surface area and chordal length. Acute in vivo application of RFA to canines found to have MVP causing severe MR demonstrated a 43.7–60.7% statistically significant (P = 0.039) reduction in postablation MR. Chronic, in vivo, percutaneous application of RFA was found to be feasible and the engendered alterations durable.
Conclusion: These data suggest that myxomatous mitral valve repair using radiofrequency energy delivered via catheter is feasible.
Clinical Verification of a Theory for Predicting Side Branch Stenosis after Main Vessel Stenting in Coronary Bifurcation Lesions
Authors: VASSILEV DOBRIN , GIL ROBERT 
Published: November 2008

Objectives: To verify in a clinical scenario a theory for predicting side branch (SB) stenosis after main vessel stent implantation in coronary bifurcation lesions.
Background: Many unresolved issues remain regarding SB compromise when the parent vessel is stented.
Methods: Bifurcation lesions (all Medina types) were subjected to angiographic analysis to determine the angle, defined as α, between the axes of the parent vessel and the SB. Using the prediction that the percent diameter stenosis (%DS) is equal to the cosine of angle α and relating it to a formula to determine the minimal lumen diameter (MLD) led to the following equation: MLD = ds · (1 –cos α); ds refers to the diameter of the SB. The predicted and observed SB stenosis values following angiography were compared.
Results: Fifty‐two patients with 57 lesions were included in the analysis. Patient demographics and characteristics were similar to those in previous studies. There was a high coefficient of determination between the predicted and observed values of %DS (r2= 0.82, P < 0.001) and MLD (r2= 0.86, P < 0.001). We determined a cutoff value of 70% for predicted %DS for SB closure. When using multivariate regression analysis, the only predictor of SB ostial stenosis after stenting was α angle, whereas the predictors of MLD included the angle α and the RVD of the SB.
Conclusions: Our analysis shows that the most powerful independent predictor of SB compromise is a new variable angle α.
A Bayesian Meta‐Analysis Comparing AngioJet® Thrombectomy to Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Alone in Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: GRINES CINDY L. , NELSON TERESA R. , SAFIAN ROBERT D. , HANZEL GEORGE , GOLDSTEIN JAMES A. , DIXON SIMON 
Published: November 2008

Objective: The purpose of this meta‐analysis was to compare outcomes for AngioJet thrombectomy versus percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) without thrombectomy in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients.
Background: PCI is the preferred treatment for revascularizing the infarct‐related artery in patients with AMI. There is controversy about the benefits of thrombectomy as an adjunct to PCI.
Methods: AMI studies published between January 1, 1999, and March 1, 2007, were used to compare AngioJet thrombectomy plus PCI to PCI alone. Bayesian meta‐analytic estimates were used to estimate the odds ratios (95% CI) for short‐term mortality, major adverse cardiac events (MACE), and final TIMI 3 flow.
Results: The AngioJet data included 11 studies and 1,018 patients. The PCI data included 81 studies and 24,076 patients. The AngioJet group included more patients with large thrombus burden, rescue PCI after failed thrombolytic therapy, and longer symptom duration compared to the PCI group. Despite the higher risk profile of AngioJet patients, the groups had similar odds of short‐term mortality, 0.98 (0.53, 1.50), MACE, 1.25 (0.54, 2.40), and final TIMI 3 flow, 1.12 (0.70, 2.27).
Conclusion: AngioJet thrombectomy results in clinical and angiographic outcomes that are similar to PCI in lower risk AMI patients. These observations suggest that AngioJet thrombectomy may reduce the additional risk associated with visible thrombus in the infarct‐related lesion.
Tau dephosphorylation and microfilaments disruption are upstream events of the anti‐proliferative effects of DADS in SH‐SY5Y cells
Authors: Aquilano Katia , Vigilanza Paola , Filomeni Giuseppe , Rotilio Giuseppe , Ciriolo Maria R. 
Published: November 2008

Abstract

Introduction
Material and methods
Results
Discussion

Garlic organosulphur compounds have been successfully used as redox anti‐proliferative agents. In this work, we dissect the effects of diallyl disulphide (DADS) focusing on the events upstream of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induced in neuroblastoma SH‐SY5Y cells. We demonstrate that DADS is able to cause early morphological changes, cytoskeleton oxidation, microfilaments reduction and depolymerization of microtubules. These events are attenuated in cells stably overexpressing the antioxidant enzyme SOD1, suggesting that superoxide plays a crucial role in destabilizing cytoskeleton. Moreover, we evidence that the main microtubules‐associated protein Tau undergoes PP1‐mediated dephosphorylation as demonstrated by treatment with okadaic acid as well as by immunoreaction with anti‐Tau‐1 antibody, which specifically recognizes its dephosphorylated forms. Tau dephosphorylation is inhibited by the two‐electron reductants NAC and GSH ester but not by SOD1. The inability of DADS to induce apoptosis in neuroblastoma‐differentiated cells gives emphasis to the anti‐proliferative activity of DADS, which can be regarded as a promising potent anti‐neuroblastoma drug by virtue of its widespread cytoskeleton disrupting action on proliferating cells.