bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cytokines and Strokes of Ill Fortune
Authors: Blume Warren T. 
Published: March 2009

Incidence of Seizures in the Acute Phase of Stroke: A Population-based Study. Szaflarski JP, Rackley AY, Kleindorfer DO, Khoury J, Woo D, Miller R, Alwell K, Broderick JP, Kissela BM. Epilepsia 2008;49(6):974–981. Purpose The incidence of seizures within 24 h of acute stroke has not been studied extensively. We aimed to establish the incidence of acute poststroke seizures in a biracial cohort and to determine whether acute seizure occurrence differs by race/ethnicity, stroke subtype, and/or stroke localization. Methods We identified all stroke cases between July 1993 and June 1994 and in 1999 within the population of the Greater Cincinnati metropolitan region. Patients with a prior history of seizures/epilepsy were excluded from analysis. Results A total of 6044 strokes without a history of seizure(s) were identified; 190 (3.1%) had seizures within the first 24 h of stroke onset. Of ICH/SAH patients, 8.4% had a seizure within the first 24 h of stroke onset ( p ≤ 0.0001 vs all other stroke subtype). Of the patients with ischemic stroke, we observed higher incidence of seizures in cardioembolic versus small or large vessel ischemic ( p = 0.02) strokes. Patients with seizures experienced higher mortality than patients without seizures ( p < 0.001) but seizures were not an independent risk factor of mortality at 30 days after stroke. Independent risk factors for seizure development included hemorrhagic stroke, younger age, and prestroke Rankin score of ≥1. Race/ethnicity or localization of the ischemic stroke did not influence the risk for seizure development in the studied population. Discussion The overall incidence of acute seizures after stroke was 3.1%, with a higher incidence seen in hemorrhagic stroke, younger patients, and those presenting with higher prestroke Rankin scores. Acute seizures were associated with a higher mortality at 30 days after stroke.
Bridging Practice and Theory: A Design Science Approach
Authors: Holmström Jan , Ketokivi Mikko , Hameri Ari‐Pekka 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTDespite ambitious efforts in various fields of research over multiple decades, the goal of making academic research relevant to the practitioner remains elusive: theoretical and academic research interests do not seem to coincide with the interests of managerial practice. This challenge is more fundamental than knowledgetransfer, it is one of diverging knowledgeinterestsand means of knowledgeproduction. In this article, we look at this fundamental challenge through the lens of design science, which is an approach aimed primarily at discovery and problem solving as opposed to accumulation of theoretical knowledge. We explore in particular the ways in which problem‐solving research and theory‐oriented academic research can complement one another. In operations management (OM) research, recognizing and building on this complementarity is especially crucial, because problem‐solving–oriented research produces the very artifacts (e.g., technologies) that empirical OM research subsequently evaluates in an attempt to build explanatory theory. It is indeed the practitioner—not the academic scientist—who engages in basic research in OM. This idiosyncrasy prompts the question: how can we enhance the cross‐fertilization between academic research and research practice to make novel theoretical insights and practical relevance complementary? This article proposes a design science approach to bridge practice to theory rather than theory to practice.
Customization Strategies in Electronic Retailing: Implications of Customer Purchase Behavior*
Authors: Thirumalai Sriram , Sinha Kingshuk K. 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTIn this article, we assess the implications of customer purchase behavior on customization in electronic retailing. We develop a classification scheme for customization strategies in electronic retailing. The classification scheme comprises three customization strategies: (i) transaction customization, (ii) decision customization, and (iii) product customization. We develop scales to measure each of the three customization strategies using a systematic four‐stage scale development process. Building on the extant literature on customer purchase behavior, we design an experiment to examine the alignment of the customization strategies with three well‐established product types: (i) convenience goods, (ii) shopping goods, and (iii) specialty goods, and its implications for customer value. The findings of the experiment indicate that there are significant differences in the customer value for the three customization strategies across the three product types. The contributions of the study, the managerial implications of the study findings, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.
Experiments and Model Simulations of the Viscosity and Dilatation of Glass Coatings with Temperature Dependence
Authors: Azzou Adila , Denoirjean Paule , Kameyama Tetsuya , Sugiyama Toyohiko , Blanchart Philippe 
Published: March 2009

Glass coatings on ceramics or metals are microcomposite materials, consisting of granular oxide phases as pigments and small bubbles that are distributed in glass. Knowledge of dilatation and viscosity versus temperature is essential for applications and simulation methods are necessary. However, the significance of the models depends on the specificity of the compositions and microstructure of glass‐containing pigments. In this study, the viscosity and dilatation of glass coatings were characterized by dilatometry and the sessile drop method. The results show how the physical properties vary with the quantity of zircon grains and bubbles. Simulations with calculation methods for bulk glasses show discrepancies with the experiments, which are caused by the presence of zircon grains and bubbles. We provide evidence that improved models can be obtained by adding equations describing the behavior of glasses containing rigid inclusions and bubbles. The resulting methods provide the opportunity to discover new composition areas of glass coatings having predefined combinations of properties.
Instant provisionalization of immediate single‐tooth implants is essential to optimize esthetic treatment outcome
Authors: De Rouck Tim , Collys Kristiaan , Wyn Iris , Cosyn Jan 
Published: March 2009

AbstractObjective: The immediate single‐tooth implant has become a viable treatment option. However, the impact of the restorative procedure on esthetics is currently unclear. The goal of this study was to compare the soft tissue outline at immediate implants following two restorative protocols: immediate connection of a temporary crown or submerged healing during which a removable partial denture is used.Material and methods: A 1‐year single‐blind randomized clinical study was performed in 49 patients. Twenty‐four patients were assigned to the immediate restoration group and 25 to the delayed restoration group. Clinical and radiographic evaluations of soft and hard tissues were carried out after 3, 6 and 12 months.Results: Implant survival, bone remodeling, probing depth and bleeding tendency were not influenced by the restorative protocol. Delayed restoration resulted in initial papilla loss taking up to 1 year to attain comparable height as for immediate restoration. Midfacial recession was systematically 2.5–3 times higher following delayed restoration pointing to a 0.75 mm additional loss in comparison with immediate restoration after 1 year.Conclusions: If the primary implant stability permits it, immediate single‐tooth implants should be instantly provisionalized in the interest of optimal midfacial esthetics.
Degradation of collagen‐guided tissue regeneration membranes by proteolytic enzymes of Porphyromonas gingivalis and its inhibition by antibacterial agents
Authors: Sela Michael N. , Babitski Eleonora , Steinberg Doron , Kohavi David , Rosen Graciela 
Published: March 2009

AbstractPrevious studies have shown that whole cells of several periodontal pathogenic bacteria including Porphyromonas gingivalis may degrade the clinically used regeneration membranes Biomend Extend™ and Bio‐Gide®. Fractionation of P. gingivalis cells revealed that cell membrane‐associated proteases are responsible for the in vitro degradation of the collagen membranes. In the present study, the specific role of extracellular vesicles and the purified Arg‐gingipain enzyme of P. gingivalis in the degradation of three differently cross‐linked collagen membranes (Ossix™; Bio‐Gide® and Biomend Extend™) was examined. In addition, the inhibitory effect of antibacterial agents and antibiotics used in local periodontal therapy on the enzymatic degradation was evaluated. The data presented show that while all tested collagen membranes, are prone to lysis by oral bacterial proteases, cross‐linked membranes are more resistant to proteolysis. Furthermore, therapeutical concentrations of the antibacterial and antibiotic agents chlorhexidine, cetylpyridiniumchloride, minocycline and doxycycline were found to partially inhibit the enzymatic breakdown of the membranes, while metronidazole had no such effect. These results suggest that the presence of P. gingivalis cells, extracellular vesicles and enzymes in the vicinity of regeneration membranes in the periodontium, may change their physical structure and therefore alter their biological properties. Furthermore, the use of cross‐linked collagen membranes and antibacterial agents may significantly inhibit this proteolytic process.
Nonlinearity of effects of invasive ecosystem engineers on abiotic soil properties and soil biota
Authors: Straube Daniela , Johnson Edward A. , Parkinson Dennis , Scheu Stefan , Eisenhauer Nico 
Published: March 2009

Invasions of non‐indigenous species into natural communities are currently rated as one of the most important threats to biodiversity. Particularly exotic ecosystem engineers such as earthworms potentially have profound impacts on community assembly and functioning. We investigated the impact of invasion by the lumbricid earthworms into an aspen forest of the Canadian Rocky Mountains on soil organic matter, microorganisms and microarthropod communities. Building on the results of previous studies in this forest, we expected positive effects ofLumbricus terrestrismiddens and negative effects ofOctolasion tyrtaeumon soil biota (increase and decrease in soil nutrient concentrations, microbial parameters and soil microarthropod density and diversity, respectively). Further, we expected that earthworm effects change with time.Combined results of previous and the present study suggest a wavelike colonization pattern forDendrobaena octaedraandO. tyrtaeumand that indeed the impact of earthworms on soil biota changed with time, likely due to changes in earthworm density. Unexpectedly,L. terrestrismiddens neither affected soil abiotic nor soil biotic properties. By contrast and in contrast to our hypothesis, carbon and nitrogen concentration and C‐to‐N ratio in deeper soil layers increased in presence ofO. tyrtaeum, thereby likely enhancing nutrient availability for soil microorganisms and microarthropods. Even though the density of this endogeic species was rather low, presence ofO. tyrtaeumresulted in increased densities of a number of microarthropod taxa and increased microarthropod diversity.The results suggest that at low density, invasive ecosystem engineers, such asO. tyrtaeum,cause disturbances of intermediate strength thereby beneficially affecting soil microorganisms and most microarthropods. This contrasts earlier effects during the wavelike invasion ofO. tyrtaeuminto the aspen forest when densities ofO. tyrtaeumwere high resulting in generally detrimental effects on soil biota. The results emphasize the nonlinearity of earthworm effects on abiotic and biotic soil properties and call for further long‐term investigations.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: TNFα Gene Silencing Reduced Lipopolysaccharide‐Promoted Proliferation of Endometriotic Stromal Cells
Authors: Miyamoto Ayako , Taniguchi Fuminori , Tagashira Yukiko , Watanabe Ayako , Harada Tasuku , Terakawa Naoki 
Published: March 2009

Problem  We previously reported that lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐promoted endometriotic stromal cell (ESC) proliferation by inducing TNFα production. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of TNFα gene silencing on LPS‐treated ESCs.Method of study  Endometriotic stromal cells (ESCs) and endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) (EMSCs) were obtained from ovarian chocolate cysts and uterine myoma, respectively. Using PCR array, LPS‐induced gene expression profiling after transfection of TNFα siRNA into ESCs was performed. Down‐regulated genes by TNFα silencing were examined using real‐time RT‐PCR. Effect of TNFα silencing was examined using ELISA and BrdU incorporation, respectively.Results  In PCR array, TNFα silencing in ESCs repressed LPS‐induced expression of cIAP2 and IL‐8, NFκB pathway responsive genes. After adding LPS, the levels of cIAP2 and IL‐8 expression in ESCs were higher compared with those in EMSCs. TNFα silencing attenuated the LPS‐induced ESC proliferation.Conclusion  Tumor necrosis factor α may be involved in cell proliferation of endometriotic tissues.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: The Characterization of the Subpopulation of Suppressive B7H4+ Macrophages and the Subpopulation of CD25+ CD4+ and FOXP3+ Regulatory T‐cells in Decidua during the Secretory Cycle Phase, Arias Stella Reaction, and Spontaneous Abortion – A Preliminary Report
Authors: Wicherek Lukasz , Basta Pawel , Pitynski Kazimierz , Marianowski Piotr , Kijowski Jacek , Wiatr Joanna , Majka Marcin 
Published: March 2009

Problem  The presence of immunosuppressive cells within the endometrium and decidua is crucial for establishing maternal immune tolerance against fetal antigens. We decided to evaluate the subpopulations of Treg cells and B7H4 macrophages in eutopic endometrium typified by Arias Stella reaction during the development of Fallopian tube pregnancy as well as in decidua at the time of spontaneous abortion (SA), and to compare these findings to those observed in the endometrium during the secretory cycle phase of healthy women.Method of study  The decidual tissue samples evaluated in our study were obtained from 26 women who underwent curettage as a result of the following circumstances: five of the women because of a laparoscopic procedure necessitated by Fallopian tube pregnancy, and 11 of them because of SA. The control group consisted of 10 patients on whom curettage was preformed as an additional procedure during laparoscopic myomectomy. The presence of regulatory T‐cells and B7H4‐positive macrophages in the samples was analysed by fluorescence‐activated cell sorter (FACScan).Results  Both the percentages of FOXP3+ cells in the subpopulation of CD25+ CD4+ T lymphocytes and the percentage of B7H4‐positive cells in the macrophage subpopulation found in the deciduae of patients suffering SA were higher than those found in eutopic endometrium with Arias Stella reaction. No such differences in the percentages of these cells were observed when the tissue samples from patients with SA were compared with those from the control group. The percentage of B7H4‐positive macrophages, however, was found to be significantly lower in endometrium with Arias Stella reaction in comparison to that observed in secretory endometrium.Conclusion  The alterations in both the Treg cell and suppressive B7H4+ macrophage subpopulations would seem to be related to the suppression of maternal immune cells in the endometrium at the beginning of decidualization.
Effect of a single dental health education on the management of permanent avulsed teeth by different groups of professionals
Authors: De Lourdes Vieira Frujeri Maria , Costa Jr Edson Dias 
Published: March 2009

Abstract –  Introduction:  Tooth avulsion is the complete displacement of a tooth from its socket due to intentional or non‐intentional injuries. Treatment in these cases comprises tooth replantation. This accident is very critical as the success of tooth replantation is directly dependent on several factors, such as extra‐alveolar period, storage of the tooth until replantation, type of retention employed, time of endodontic intervention, type of drug prescribed, oral hygiene status as well as general health. This trauma commonly occurs during sports practice, school, and leisure activities. The first measures are critical for the prognosis of the avulsed tooth. Several studies report lack of knowledge of the population, educators, sports professionals, and health professionals in the management of tooth avulsion. This study evaluated the influence of education on different groups of professionals, addressing the knowledge and prevention and emergency management of the avulsed tooth.Method:  The study was conducted on five different groups of professionals (elementary school teachers, physical education professionals, bank employees, dental doctors, and pediatricians) from the city of Brasília, DF, Brazil. The professionals attended a lecture and were evaluated by a questionnaire applied twice, before and after the lecture.Results:  The results of the 479 returned questionnaires were analyzed. The difference between questionnaires before and after the lecture was statistically analyzed by the Wilcoxon test. There was statistically significant change in the performance of professional groups after information was provided (P < 0.0001).Conclusion:  Education is extremely important to favor the knowledge on prevention and emergency management of an avulsed tooth, and may enhance the prognosis of tooth avulsion.
The option of compassionate use in metastatic melanoma – way out of a therapeutic dilemma?
Authors: Tsianakas Athanasios , Schiller Meinhard , Luger Thomas A. , Sunderkötter Cord 
Published: March 2009

SummaryMetastasized melanoma has an unfavorable prognosis. Therefore there is strong need for new innovative therapies. In cases in which standard therapies have failed and inclusion in clinical studies is not possible due to diverse causes, the option of compassionate use now opens new therapeutic windows. Compassionate use describes the use of not (yet) approved drugs for humanitarian reasons. It was legally established in Germany through drug laws issued in 2006. We describe legal aspects of compassionate use are discussed, taking two of our cases as examples. Finally, examples for necessary documents to apply for compassionate use are provided.
Planting the Nation's ‘Waste Lands’: Walter Scott, Forestry and the Cultivation of Scotland's Wilderness
Authors: Oliver Susan 
Published: March 2009

AbstractIn October 1827 the Quarterly Review included a review of the second edition of Robert Monteath's The Planter's Guide and Profitable Planter. The review was published anonymously according to custom, but the author was Sir Walter Scott. A keen amateur plantsman who would later be involved in producing official reports on tree husbandry in Scotland, Scott's interest in ecology, forestry and the cultural value of landscape was of long standing. He had spent a small fortune on trees for his Abbotsford estate, and the cost had contributed to his insolvency in 1826. The present article looks at Scott's review as a work of Romantic ecocriticism concerned with the relationships between nationhood, economics and natural sustainability. Definitions of ‘waste land’ are considered, and the use of literary references to emphasize the need for sustainable planting is explored along with debates over imported Canadian species of pine. The cultural exchange of trees for people is shown to raise interesting questions, as is the advent of the railways that Scott ignores in his essay despite his interest in that new form of transport.
A New Global Poetics?
Authors: Huk Romana 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe review article considers the last dozen years’ worth of arguments for de‐emphasizing national boundaries in the writing/reading of new poetries. It considers the ways in which such arguments illuminate and are illuminated by debates about the future of comparative literature in general, as well as by trends in literary theory (from Hardt and Negri's Empire to Slavoj Žižek's In Defense of Lost Causes). The piece moves in anecdotal fashion, charting my own recent invitation to consider whether there is such a thing as a ‘new global poetics’ (ACLA Conference 2007, Puebla, Mexico) and my subsequent, mixed and changing responses to issues that should, by implication, change the way we both teach and write about literature.
Postdispersal Seed Fate of Tropical Montane Trees in an Agricultural Landscape, Southern Costa Rica
Authors: Cole Rebecca J. 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTVariation in postdispersal seed fate is an important factor driving patterns of forest regeneration. Because most previous studies have not tracked final seed fate and have commonly equated seed removal with predation without considering the possibility of secondary dispersal, little is known about individual seed mortality factors in successional and degraded habitats. This study tracked the postdispersal fate of large‐seeded tropical montane trees in abandoned pasture, young secondary forests, and small forest fragments during two consecutive years in an agricultural landscape in southern Costa Rica. The incidence of secondary dispersal by animals, scatterhoarding in particular, and the effects of seed burial on germination were measured. Overall, seeds survived through germination more often in secondary forests with high levels of mortality occurring in abandoned pastures and forest fragments. The majority of seed mortality was caused by rodent predation in forest fragments, insects and fungal pathogens in secondary forests, and a combination of desiccation, insects, and fungal pathogens in pastures. Seeds were frequently secondarily dispersed in larger forest fragments, whereas they were only rarely moved in pastures and secondary forests. Burial tended to improve germination in pastures and was important for an often scatterhoarded species, Otoba novogranatensis, in all habitats. The results of this study suggest that: (1) seed mortality factors differ in response to the type of habitat degradation; (2) large‐seeded species have high potential for survival when dispersed to young secondary forests; and (3) seed removal is not a reliable proxy for seed predation, particularly in less degraded forest fragments.
Effects of Vegetation Thinning on Above‐ and Belowground Carbon in a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest in Mexico
Authors: Vargas Rodrigo , Allen Edith B. , Allen Michael F. 
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACTMature tropical forests are disappearing and secondary forests are becoming more abundant, thus there is an increasing need to understand the ecology and management of secondary forests. In the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, seasonally dry tropical forests are subject to frequent fire, and early‐successional stands are extremely dense. We applied vegetation thinning (removal of all stems < 2 cm in diameter) to hasten secondary succession and open the understory to reduce the fire ladder in an 11‐yr‐old stand. We quantified the effect of vegetation thinning on above‐ and belowground carbon over 5 yr. Aboveground carbon included all standing vegetation and belowground carbon included fine roots and organic carbon in the Oi, Oe, and Oa soil horizons. Trees with diameter of 2–10 cm and > 10 cm had higher carbon accumulation rates in thinned plots than in control plots. Carbon stored in the Oi‐horizon and the Oe > 2 mm fraction remained significantly higher in thinned plots even 5 yr after treatment. Carbon in fine roots was significantly higher in thinned plots, and radiocarbon (14C) data suggest that fine roots in thinned plots were recently produced in comparison with fine roots in control plots. We did not find significant differences in total ecosystem carbon after 5 yr (126 ± 6 and 136 ± 8 Mg C/ha, respectively). These results suggest rapid carbon recovery and support the hypothesis that young tropical forests thinned to hasten succession and reduce the fire hazard may have only a short‐term negative impact on carbon accumulation in vegetation and soils.