Iowa Research Online Copyright (c) 2013 University of Iowa All rights reserved. http://ir.uiowa.edu Recent documents in Iowa Research Online en-us Mon, 20 May 2013 01:32:41 PDT 3600 Little Village May 15-June 5, 2013 http://ir.uiowa.edu/littlevillage/133 http://ir.uiowa.edu/littlevillage/133 Fri, 17 May 2013 10:56:34 PDT Degradation of MONOCULM 1 by APC/C-TAD1 regulates rice tillering http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/518 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/518 Thu, 16 May 2013 13:06:40 PDT A rice tiller is a specialized grain-bearing branch that contributes greatly to grain yield. The MONOCULM 1 (MOC1) gene is the first identified key regulator controlling rice tiller number; however, the underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated. Here we report a novel rice gene, Tillering and Dwarf 1 (TAD1), which encodes a co-activator of the anaphase-promoting complex (APC/C), a multi-subunit E3 ligase. Although the elucidation of co-activators and individual subunits of plant APC/C involved in regulating plant development have emerged recently, the understanding of whether and how this large cell-cycle machinery controls plant development is still very limited. Our study demonstrates that TAD1 interacts with MOC1, forms a complex with OsAPC10 and functions as a co-activator of APC/C to target MOC1 for degradation in a cell-cycle-dependent manner. Our findings uncovered a new mechanism underlying shoot branching and shed light on the understanding of how the cell-cycle machinery regulates plant architecture.

]]> Cao Xu et al. Differential Expression of Ikaros Isoforms in Monozygotic Twins With MLL-rearranged Precursor-B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/517 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/517 Thu, 16 May 2013 13:06:38 PDT Infant leukemia associated with rearrangement of the MLL gene typically presents with high-risk clinical features. Relapse is common despite aggressive therapy and perturbations in signaling pathways may contribute to disease resistance. We evaluated twin 4-month-old monozygotic baby boys who presented with MLL-rearranged precursor-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Two different MLL/AF4 variants were found in both the twins, the first involving MLL intron 8 and AF4 intron 3 and the second stemming from translocations of MLL exon 10 and AF4 exon 4. We detected expression of the DNA-binding Ikaros isoforms, Ik1, Ikx +, Ik2 and the dominant-negative 114 Ikaros isoform in both patients. However, the dominant-negative Ik8 isoform was detected in only I boy, suggesting a common genetic ontogeny that was modulated by leukemic evolution. Further exploration of Ikaros expression in the background of MLL rearrangements may provide new insights into disease pathogenesis and could offer targets for novel chemotherapeutic agents.

]]> Thomas Russell et al. Association of human RAD52 protein with transcription factors http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/516 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/516 Thu, 16 May 2013 13:06:35 PDT The human RAD52 protein has been implicated in DNA homologous recombination. Four major functional domains have been identified: a DNA binding domain (amino acids 1-85), a self-association and UBC9-interacting domain (amino acids 85-159), an RPA-interacting domain (amino acids 221-280), and a RAD51-interacting domain (amino acids 287-330). However, it is uncertain about the functional roles of the C-terminal region of RAD52 protein. In this report, we demonstrate an association of a C-terminal domain of human RAD52 (amino acids 302-418) with the XPB and XPD subunits of transcription factor TFIIH and RNA polymerase II (RNAPII). Using a Gal-4 binding based transcription assay, we further show that this C-terminal domain activates transcription. However, the RAD52 self-association domain suppresses transcription, resulting in an overall activity of transcriptional suppression by the full-length RAD52 protein. These results suggest a novel activity of RAD52 in transcription regulation and may further imply a functional role of RAD52 in targeting DNA damage on transcription active loci to recombinational repair. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.

]]> J. M. Liu et al. BCCIP Functions through p53 to regulate the expression of p21(Waf1/Cip1) http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/515 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/515 Thu, 16 May 2013 13:06:32 PDT The BCCIP protein is a BRCA2 and CDKN1A (p21(Waf1/Cip1)) Interacting Protein, which binds to a highly conserved domain of BRCA2, and a C-terminal domain of the CDK-inhibitor p21. We have previously reported that overexpression of BCCIP increases p21 mRNA and protein levels, and inhibits G(1) to S progression. In this report, we show that a partial shutdown of BCCIP expression by RNA interference reduces p21 levels and impairs G(1)/S checkpoint activation in response to ionizing radiation in HT1080 cells. We further show that the regulation of p21 expression by BCCIP is dependent on p53, and BCCIP regulates p53 transcription activity. These data provide a new mechanism by which BCCIP regulates p21 functions.

]]> Xiangbing Meng et al. Inhibition of G(1) to S cell cycle progression by BCCI beta http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/514 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/514 Thu, 16 May 2013 13:06:29 PDT The BCCIPalpha protein was identified as a BRCA2 and CDKN1A (p21, or p21(Waf1/Cip1)) Interacting Protein. It binds to a highly conserved domain proximate to the C-terminus of BRCA2 protein and the C-terminal domain of the CDK-inhibitor p21. Previous reports showed that BCCIPa enhances the inhibitory activity of p21 toward CDK2 and that BCCIPalpha inhibits the growth of certain tumor cells. Here we show that a second isoform, BCCIbeta, also binds to p21 and inhibits cell growth. The growth inhibition by BCCIPbeta can be partially abrogated in p21 deficient cells. Overexpression of BCCIPbeta delays the G1 to S progression and results in an elevated p21 expression. These data suggest BCCIPbeta as a new regulator for the G(1)-S cell cycle progression and cell growth control.

]]> Xiangbing Meng et al. Genomic structure of the human BCCIP gene and its expression in cancer http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/513 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/513 Thu, 16 May 2013 13:06:27 PDT Human BCCIPalpha (Tok-1alpha) is a BRCA2 and CDKN1A (Cip1, p21) interacting protein. Our previous studies have showed that overexpression of BCCIPalpha inhibits the growth of certain tumor cells [Oncogene 20 (2001) 336]. In this study, we report the genomic structure of the human BCCIP gene, which contains nine exons. Alternative splicing of the 3-terminal exons produces two isoforms of BCCIP transcripts, BCCIPalpha and BCCIPbeta. The BCCIP gene is flanked by two genes that are transcribed in the opposite orientation of the BCCIP gene. It lies head-to-head and shares a bi-directional promoter with the uroporphyrinogen III synthase (UROS) gene. The last three exons of BCCIP gene overlap the 3'-terminal seven exons of a DEAD/H helicase-like gene (DDX32). Using a matched normal/tumor cDNA array, we identified a reduced expression of BCCIP in kidney tumor, suggesting a role of BCCIP in cancer etiology. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.

]]> Xiangbing Meng et al. IKK inhibitor bay 11-7082 induces necroptotic cell death in precursor-B acute lymphoblastic leukaemic blasts http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/512 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/512 Thu, 16 May 2013 13:06:25 PDT Xiangbing Meng et al. DWARF27, an Iron-Containing Protein Required for the Biosynthesis of Strigolactones, Regulates Rice Tiller Bud Outgrowth http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/511 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/511 Thu, 16 May 2013 13:06:22 PDT Tillering in rice (Oryza sativa) is one of the most important agronomic traits that determine grain yields. Previous studies on rice tillering mutants have shown that the outgrowth of tiller buds in rice is regulated by a carotenoid-derived MAX/RMS/D (more axillary branching) pathway, which may be conserved in higher plants. Strigolactones, a group of terpenoid lactones, have been recently identified as products of the MAX/RMS/D pathway that inhibits axillary bud outgrowth. We report here the molecular genetic characterization of d27, a classic rice mutant exhibiting increased tillers and reduced plant height. D27 encodes a novel iron-containing protein that localizes in chloroplasts and is expressed mainly in vascular cells of shoots and roots. The phenotype of d27 is correlated with enhanced polar auxin transport. The phenotypes of the d27 d10 double mutant are similar to those of d10, a mutant defective in the ortholog of MAX4/RMS1 in rice. In addition, 2'-epi-5-deoxystrigol, an identified strigolactone in root exudates of rice seedlings, was undetectable in d27, and the phenotypes of d27 could be rescued by supplementation with GR24, a synthetic strigolactone analog. Our results demonstrate that D27 is involved in the MAX/RMS/D pathway, in which D27 acts as a new member participating in the biosynthesis of strigolactones.

]]> Hao Lin et al. Rice gene OsNAC19 encodes a novel NAC-domain transcription factor and responds to infection by Magnaporthe grisea http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/510 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/510 Thu, 16 May 2013 13:06:19 PDT The plant-specific NAC-domain proteins have been identified to play important roles in plant responses to stresses or in plant development regulation. In this research, a full-length cDNA clone OsNAC19 (Oryza sativa NAC19), encoding a novel NAC-domain protein, was isolated from a cDNA library prepared with rice leaves infected by incompatible race 131 of blast fungus (Magnaporthe grisea). The similarity between OsNAC 19 and the members of OsNAC3 subgroup is from 65.87 to 51.53%. One plant-specific NAC domain is located in the N-terminus of OsNAC19. The protein OsNAC19 was localized in the nucleus of onion epidemical cells. The fusion protein of OsNAC19 with GAL4 DNA-binding domain (BD) activated the reporter genes LacZ and HIS3 in a yeast assay system, and the activation domain was located within amino acid 181-240 of its C-terminal region. The expression of gene OsNAC19 was high in rice seedling roots, culms and blade sheathes, but its expression in rice leaves was low. The expression of OsNAC19 in rice leaves could be induced by the infection of blast fungus, and by application of exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA), ABA and ethylene but ethylene had a relatively weak induction effect. These data suggest that OsNAC19 protein is a transcriptional activator involved in rice response to infection by M. grisea and may play a role in the MeJA-mediated signaling pathway. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

]]> Ruiming Lin et al. Molecular cloning and characterization of a rice gene encoding AP2/EREBP-type transcription factor and its expression in response to infection with blast fungus and abiotic stresses http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/509 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/509 Thu, 16 May 2013 13:06:17 PDT The AP2/EREBP domain-containing transcription factors play various functions in developmental processes and stress-related responses in plants. In present study, a full-length cDNA OsEBP2 (Oryza sativa ethylene-responsive-element binding protein2), encoding a 396-amino-acid protein containing one AP2/EREBP domain, was isolated from a cDNA library prepared with japonica rice leaves infected by blast fungus Magnaporthe grisea, which is identity to the locus OsO9g26420 and has been isolated from the japonica variety before. OsEBP2 is a member of Group VII of ERF family and is orthologous to OsBIERF1 in indica variety. OsEBP2 transcripts were detected at a similar level in the leaf, sheath and root of young Aichiasahi plants and in stem of 10-week-old plants. OsEBP2 expression was induced to increase more strongly in the compatible interaction between rice variety Aichiasahi and race 220 of M. grisea than in the incompatible one. OsEBP2 responded transiently to the treatments with MeJA, ABA and ethophen. In its promoter region several ciselements involved in stress responses are present. Based on these results, we propose that the transcription factor encoded by gene OsEBP2 may be involved in rice defense response to infection by blast fungus and in stress response. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

]]> Running Lin et al. BCCIP regulates homologous recombination by distinct domains and suppresses spontaneous DNA damage http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/508 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/508 Thu, 16 May 2013 13:06:15 PDT Homologous recombination (HR) is critical for maintaining genome stability through precise repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and restarting stalled or collapsed DNA replication forks. HR is regulated by many proteins through distinct mechanisms. Some proteins have direct enzymatic roles in HR reactions, while others act as accessory factors that regulate HR enzymatic activity or coordinate HR with other cellular processes such as the cell cycle. The breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA2 encodes a critical accessory protein that interacts with the RAD51 recombinase and this interaction fluctuates during the cell cycle. We previously showed that a BRCA2- and p21-interacting protein, BCCIP, regulates BRCA2 and RAD51 nuclear focus formation, DSB-induced HR and cell cycle progression. However, it has not been clear whether BCCIP acts exclusively through BRCA2 to regulate HR and whether BCCIP also regulates the alternative DSB repair pathway, non-homologous end joining. In this study, we found that BCCIP fragments that interact with BRCA2 or with p21 each inhibit DSB repair by HR. We further show that transient down-regulation of BCCIP in human cells does not affect non-specific integration of transfected DNA, but significantly inhibits homology-directed gene targeting. Furthermore, human HT1080 cells with constitutive down-regulation of BCCIP display increased levels of spontaneous single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and DSBs. These data indicate that multiple BCCIP domains are important for HR regulation, that BCCIP is unlikely to regulate non-homologous end joining, and that BCCIP plays a critical role in resolving spontaneous DNA damage.

]]> Huimei Lu et al. BCCIP is required for the nuclear localization of the p21 protein http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/507 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/507 Thu, 16 May 2013 13:06:13 PDT The p21 (CDKN1A, Waf1 or Cip1) protein is widely known as an inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK), which plays a critical role in regulation of the G(1)-S transition during the cell cycle progression. The inhibition of G(1)-S transition by p21 is mainly mediated in the nucleus. However, the cytoplasmic p21 has been shown to play a pro-proliferation and anti-apoptosis role. Thus, the regulation of p21's intracellular distribution has a significant implication for cell fate determination. BCCIP is a BRCA2 and CDKN1A Interacting Protein. Previous reports showed that BCCIP enhances the p21 suppression activity towards CDK2, and BCCIP downregulation reduces p21 expression by abrogating p53 transcription activity. In this report, we demonstrate that the BCCIP-p21 interaction is enhanced in response to DNA damage using Fluorescent Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) technique. We found that the downregulation of BCCIP reduces nuclear p21 and increases cytoplasmic p21. This p21 redistribution is not caused by the reduced expression of endogenous p21 resulting from BCCIP downregulation, because exogenously expressed p21 also preferably distributes in the cytoplasm. The BCCIP regulation of p21 distribution is not related to the status of Thr-145 phosphorylation that is known to cause cytoplasmic distribution. These data suggest that regulation of p21 intracellular distribution as a new mechanism for BCCIP to modulate p21 functions.

]]> Jinjiang Fan et al. Cloning and Characterization of the DHDPS Gene Encoding the Lysine Biosynthetic Enzyme Dihydrodipocolinate Synthase from Zizania latifolia (Griseb) http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/506 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/506 Thu, 16 May 2013 13:06:11 PDT Dihydrodipicolinate synthase (DHDPS) is the main enzyme of a specific branch of the aspartate pathway leading to lysine biosynthesis in higher plants. We have cloned and characterized the DHDPS gene from Zizania latifolia Griseb, which was named ZlDHDPS. Sequence analysis indicates that it contains an ORF of 954 bp interrupted by two exons and one intron encoding a polypeptide of 317 amino acids lacking a plastid transit peptide and a stop codon. The sequence of ZlDHDPS has high identity with known plant DHDPS in GenBank. Southern blotting analysis indicates that there are two copies of Z. latifolia DHDPS (ZlDHDPS) gene in the Z. latifolia nuclear genome. RT-PCR analysis shows the expression of ZlDHDPS is tissue specific and high level expression is present in fast-growing tissue and reproductive tissue. The 5'-regulatory sequence of ZlDHDPS contains a GT-1 box and a (CA)n element, which may play a role in regulating the expression of ZlDHDPS. The fusion construct of the ZlDHDPS sequence with the reporter gene GUS was transiently expressed in the onion epidermal cells by particle gun-mediated bombardment suggesting that ZlDHDPS was located in the cytoplasm, different from DHDPS gene of other species. Functional complementary analysis showed that ZlDHDPS can recover the DHDPS-deleted mutant of Escherichia coli.

]]> Fanna Kong et al. The BRCA2-interacting protein BCCIP functions in RAD51 and BRCA2 focus formation and homologous recombinational repair http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/505 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/505 Thu, 16 May 2013 13:06:09 PDT Homologous recombinational repair (HRR) of DNA damage is critical for maintaining genome stability and tumor suppression. RAD51 and BRCA2 colocalization in nuclear foci is a hallmark of HRR. BRCA2 has important roles in RAD51 focus formation and HRR of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). We previously reported that 13CCIPalpha interacts with BRCA2. We show that a second isoform, BCCIPP, also interacts with BRCA2 and that this interaction occurs in a region shared by BCCIPot and BCCIPP. We further show that chromatin-bound BRCA2 colocalizes with BCCIP nuclear foci and that most radiation-induced RAD51 foci colocalize with BCCIP. Reducing BCCIPalpha by 90% or BCCIPbeta by 50% by RNA interference markedly reduces RAD51 and BRCA2 foci and reduces HRR of DSBs by 20- to 100-fold. Similarly, reducing BRCA2 by 50% reduces RAD51 and BCCIP foci. These data indicate that BCCIP is critical for BRCA2- and RAD51-dependent responses to DNA damage and HRR.

]]> H. M. Lu et al. Select gamma-Secretase Inhibitors Induce Apoptosis in Pre-B ALL Cells and Disrupt the Balance Between Constitutive Notch Signaling and Repression. http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/504 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/504 Thu, 16 May 2013 13:06:08 PDT Bridget S. Wilson et al. Recovery from DNA damage-induced G(2) arrest requires actin-binding protein filamin-A/actin-binding protein 280 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/503 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/503 Thu, 16 May 2013 13:06:06 PDT Filamin-A (filamin-1) is an actin-binding protein involved in the organization of actin networks. Our previous study shows that filamin-A interacts with BRCA2, and lack of filamin-A expression results in increased cellular sensitivity to several DNA damaging agents in melanoma cells (Yuan, Y., and Shen, Z. (2001) J. Biol. Chem. 276, 48318-48324), suggesting a role of filamin-A in DNA damage response. In this report, we demonstrated that deficiency of filamin-A results in an 8-h delay in the recovery from G(2) arrest in response to ionizing radiation. However, filamin-A deficiency does not affect the initial activation of the G(2)/M checkpoint. We also found that filamin-A deficiency results in sustained activation of Chk1 and Chk2 after irradiation. This in turn causes a delay in the dephosphorylation of phospho-Cdc2, which is inhibitory to the G(2)/M transition. In addition, filamin-A-deficient M2 cells undergo mitotic catastrophe-related nuclear fragmentation after they are released from the G(2) arrest. Together, these data suggest a functional role of filamin-A in the recovery from G(2) arrest and subsequent mitotic cell death after DNA damage.

]]> Xiangbing Meng et al. Abrogation of the transactivation activity of p53 by BCCIP down-regulation http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/502 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/502 Thu, 16 May 2013 13:06:01 PDT The tumor suppression function of p53 is mostly conferred by its transactivation activity, which is inactivated by p53 mutations in similar to 50% of human cancers. In cancers harboring wild type p53, the p53 transactivation activity may be compromised by other mechanisms. Identifying the mechanisms by which wild type p53 transactivation activity can be abrogated may provide insights into the molecular etiology of cancers harboring wild type p53. In this report, we show that BCCIP, a BRCA2 and CDKN1A- interacting protein, is required for the transactivation activity of wild type p53. In p53 wild type cells, BCCIP knock down by RNA interference diminishes the transactivation activity of p53 without reducing the p53 protein level, inhibits the binding of p53 to the promoters of p53 target genes p21 and HDM2, and reduces the tetrameric formation of p53. These data demonstrate a critical role of BCCIP in maintaining the transactivation activity of wild type p53 and further suggest down-regulation of BCCIP as a novel mechanism to impair the p53 function in cells harboring wild type p53.

]]> Xiangbing Meng et al. Short panicle1 encodes a putative PTR family transporter and determines rice panicle size http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/501 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/501 Thu, 16 May 2013 13:05:57 PDT The architecture of the rice inflorescence, which is determined mainly by the number and length of primary and secondary inflorescence branches, is of importance in both agronomy and developmental biology. The position and number of primary branches are established during the phase transition from vegetative to reproductive growth, and several of the genes identified as participating in this process do so by regulating the meristemic activities of inflorescence. However, little is known about the molecular mechanism that controls inflorescence branch elongation. Here, we report on a novel rice mutant, short panicle1 (sp1), which is defective in rice panicle elongation, and thus leads to the short-panicle phenotype. Gene cloning and characterization indicate that SP1 encodes a putative transporter that belongs to the peptide transporter (PTR) family. This conclusion is based on the findings that SP1 contains a conserved PTR2 domain consisting of 12 transmembrane domains, and that the SP1-GFP fusion protein is localized in the plasma membrane. The SP1 gene is highly expressed in the phloem of the branches of young panicles, which is consistent with the predicted function of SP1 and the sp1 phenotype. Phylogenetic analysis implies that SP1 might be a nitrate transporter. However, neither nitrate transporter activity nor any other compounds transported by known PTR proteins could be detected in either a Xenopus oocyte or yeast system, in our study, suggesting that SP1 may need other component(s) to be able to function as a transporter, or that it transports unknown substrates in the monocotyledonous rice plant.

]]> Shengben Li et al. The Rhetorics of Health and Medicine: Inventional Possibilities for Scholarship and Engaged Practice http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/17 http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/17 Wed, 15 May 2013 16:55:26 PDT This essay argues that rhetoricians of health of medicine should continue to carve out an expansive focus on the exigencies, functions, and impacts of health-related discourse; attend to the movement, surrounding networks, and ecologies of this discourse; and work with other scholars/researchers, both inside and outside disciplinary rhetorical studies, toward a variety of goals.

]]> Blake Scott et al. Constructing Texts in Fringe Science: Challenges in Propaedeutics http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/16 http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/16 Wed, 15 May 2013 16:55:26 PDT This brief article examines the scholarship of propaedeutics, which is involved when teasing meaning from cutting-edge scientific and technological fields that are often in flux. Because these fields are plagued with uncertainty, mired in shifting jargon, highly controversial, and often politicized, the scholar who studies these areas must build texts in order to approach the claims and counterclaims made by proponents and opponents and offer rhetorical critical insight. The term fringe science is used to describe three sub-fields that have been the subject of work by the author and his team. Nanotechnology, synthetic biology, and geo-engineering are three highly interdisciplinary technological fields that offer many opportunities for rhetoricians of science and technology as well as pose risks. To critique them demands a basic understanding of what they are and what they purport to be.

]]> David M. Berube Emerging Directions in Science, Publics, and Controversy http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/15 http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/15 Wed, 15 May 2013 16:55:25 PDT This essay discusses the major themes that emerged as part of an Octavian roundtable discussion on the topics of science, publics and controversy at the Association of Rhetoric of Science and Technologies’ (ARST) 2012 Vicentennial preconference. Participants expressed interest in developing research exploring the differing scales and types of scientific controversies and the roles that rhetoricians might play as interveners in public disagreements on techno-scientific issues. Participants also explored the emerging phenomenon—such as the role of the internet in facilitating interaction between lay publics, science, and scientists—that they believed would provide fertile sites of investigation for scholars in rhetoric and communication interested in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine.

]]> James Wynn et al. Projecting Possible Lines of Sight for RSSTM http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/14 http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/14 Wed, 15 May 2013 16:55:24 PDT Scholarship concerning visual representations in science, technology, and medicine is in a preliminary phase. This essay surveys selected areas where visually-oriented rhetorical studies of science, technology and medicine are emerging. It examines the relationships between visual and verbal dimensions of scientific, technical, and medical texts; raises questions concerning the appropriateness of using concepts from the linguistic tradition to analyze visuals; and outlines fruitful areas for further study, ranging from studies of the truth-value of images through public communication about visualizations.

]]> Lawrence J. Prelli et al. The Rhetoric of Technology as a Rhetorical Technology http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/13 http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/13 Wed, 15 May 2013 16:55:23 PDT Defining the “rhetoric of technology” encounters the challenges scholars have identified when defining both “rhetoric” and “technology,” and it raises issues about how to demarcate the rhetoric of technology from media studies and other cognate fields. One distinguishing feature of both rhetoric and technology is the focus on invention. Giving priority to invention highlights the liminal positionality of a rhetoric of technology, which lies betwixt and between science and commerce, and novelty and familiarity. Considering invention further encourages interdisciplinary reflexivity about the decisions made in technological development and dissemination.

]]> John A. Lynch et al. Genres in Scientific and Technical Rhetoric http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/12 http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/12 Wed, 15 May 2013 16:55:22 PDT The idea of genre marks large-scale repeated patterns in human symbolic production and interaction, patterns that are taken to be meaningful. Genre thus can be defined by reference to pattern, or form, and by reference to theories of meaning and interaction. This report on a discussion of scientific and technical genres at the 2012 Vicentennial meeting of the Association for the Rhetoric of Science & Technology (ARST) briefly considers the differences and difficulties with different ways of defining genres and their relevance to science and technology, explorations of the ways genres change or evolve, and pedagogical applications of genre analysis in scientific and technical discourse.

]]> Carolyn R. Miller et al. Audiences, Brains, Sustainable Planets, and Communication Technologies: Four Horizons for the Rhetoric of Science and Technology http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/11 http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/11 Wed, 15 May 2013 16:55:21 PDT This response to papers by Leah Ceccarelli, Randy Harris, and Carl Herndl and Lauren Cutlip in the “Horizons of Possibility” panel at the 2012 ARST Vicentennial conference raises questions about each of the visions as they relate, respectively, to ARST audiences, brain science, and sustainable planets and programs. It also suggests renewed attention to communication technologies by scholars studying the rhetoric of science and technology, maintaining that rhetoricians need to come to terms with emerging twenty-first century communicative forms.

]]> Carolyn R. Miller Horizon Myths http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/10 http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/10 Wed, 15 May 2013 16:55:21 PDT In this short response to the papers in the “Horizons of Possibility” group, I first identify a dialectic between calls to disciplinarity and calls to engagement. Then, instead of offering a transcendent synthesis, I point to two recent narratives suggesting that stakeholders in scientific debates are starting to seek out rhetoricians as resources.

]]> Lynda Walsh "How Can We Act?" A Praxiographical Program for the Rhetoric of Technology, Science, and Medicine http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/9 http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/9 Wed, 15 May 2013 16:55:19 PDT The future of the rhetoric of science—which will increasingly take the form of a rhetoric of technology, science, and medicine (RTSM)—will be shaped by its move away from its modernist, humanistic roots in response to institutional pressures and historical contingencies. This paper advocates a “praxiographical” emphasis on the ability to intervene in science policy and other STEM-related discourses for the field of RTSM. It describes four research foci emerging from this emphasis to be used as areas of programmatic concern at an Institute for Applied Rhetoric of Science and Sustainability at the newly organized Patel College of Global Sustainability at the University of South Florida.

]]> Carl G. Herndl et al. The Rhetoric of Science Meets the Science of Rhetoric http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/8 http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/8 Wed, 15 May 2013 16:55:18 PDT Thirty years before the beginning of the still ongoing cognitive revolution, Kenneth Burke articulated a universalist program of verbal resources that falls into close synch with many of the findings and principles of that revolution. In this paper, I connect Burke’s program to the insights of Jeanne Fahnestock in her work on figuration and argumentation and argue that cognitive rhetoric in this mode can undergird rhetoric of science.

]]> Randy Harris To Whom Do We Speak? The Audiences for Scholarship on the Rhetoric of Science and Technology http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/7 http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/7 Wed, 15 May 2013 16:55:18 PDT A review of work being published in our journals establishes that we most often think of ourselves as passive intellectuals, engaged in critical reflection about rhetorics of science and technology. But another persona lurks in that scholarship as well—the rhetorician as agent of change making the world a better place. This paper argues that rhetoricians of science and technology need to think harder about how we take the academic understandings developed in our primary internal discursive genre and transform them into productive engagements with external publics. Whether we encounter those publics in the classroom or in civic forums or in scientific or technical organizations, we need to be able to translate our research findings to these empowered stakeholders in ways that are meaningful and constructive. By sharing best practices for pedagogy and public engagement, rhetoricians of science and technology can improve our chances of making an impact with our research.

]]> Leah Ceccarelli Promoting the Discipline: Rhetorical Studies of Science, Technology, and Medicine http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/6 http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/6 Wed, 15 May 2013 16:55:16 PDT Condit, Prelli, and Depew and Lyne offer useful taxonomies of scholarship in the rhetoric of science, technology and medicine (RSTM), and once again provoke questions about the distinctiveness of a rhetorical approach. Rhetorical studies examine the choices rhetors make at all levels of invention (e.g., lines of argument, arrangement, terminology, visuals). But rhetoricians have not been clear in defining the distinctive contribution of their approach, and scholars in related fields do not routinely access or acknowledge rhetorical studies. There are also impediments to framing rhetorical studies for scientists and practitioners: the term rhetoric still has negative connotations in science publications, and rhetorical concepts like cooperation and reputation are addressed by other fields, creating a competing discourse. Nevertheless, RSTM will expand, and new directions for scholarship include visual rhetoric and the new persuasive practices brought about by online publication.

]]> Jeanne Fahnestock State of the Art Twenty Years On: Reflections http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/5 http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/5 Wed, 15 May 2013 16:55:15 PDT This paper discusses three position papers presented at the vicentennial conference of the Association for the Rhetoric of Science and Technology (ARST) concerning the disciplinary prospects of rhetoric of science and technology as a field. It identifies common themes among the three papers, including a theoretical focus on rhetorical invention, the prospects for viable responses to institutional changes and pressures in the academy, and the possibilities for interdisciplinary and public engagement by rhetoricians of science. It also identifies points of departure among the three papers, including their respective foci on globalization, the place of style in invention, and the interaction of the technical and public spheres.

]]> John A. Campbell The Productivity of Scientific Rhetoric http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/4 http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/4 Wed, 15 May 2013 16:55:15 PDT We argue that the rhetoric of science occupies an important niche in contemporary science studies. Although we are pluralistic about how different rhetoricians of science can and do conduct their inquiries, we assert that their disciplinarily distinctive approach is to treat argumentation as a constituent of context. From this perspective, we observe various interacting forms of rationality at work in the controversies that constitute science in society. We argue that modes of discovery and modes of proof are mutually engaged in the process of rhetorical invention. We identify a variety of topics or commonplaces that show invention as we conceive it at work. We take a pro-science attitude toward the role of science in finding the truth and in sustaining democratic institutions.

]]> David J. Depew et al. Mind the Gaps": Hidden Purposes and Missing Internationalism in Scholarship on the Rhetoric of Science and Technology in Public Discourse http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/3 http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/3 Wed, 15 May 2013 16:55:14 PDT Since 1984, academic essays addressing the public rhetorics of science and technology have embodied at least four purposes: theory-building, discounting scientific representations, deprecating scientific influence, and strategizing to improve the efficacy of scientific rhetorics. Some of these purposes are in conflict with each other, but there has been little explicit discussion about the purposes for ARST studies. This essay argues in favor of a synthetic vision that places humanistic, social scientific, and natural science endeavors as part of an over-lapping set of practices, each of which demonstrably makes distinctive positive contributions to globalizing human consciousness. The essay argues that the few existing studies illustrate how increased internationalism in ARST studies is not only important in its own right, but also could provide one academic route for expanding the imagined relational possibilities among humanistic "critics," the natural or social sciences, and broader societies.

]]> Celeste M. Condit The Prospect of Invention in Rhetorical Studies of Science, Technology, and Medicine http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/2 http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/2 Wed, 15 May 2013 16:55:13 PDT This paper recommends three general lines of inquiry concerning rhetorical invention as alternative ways to advance work in rhetorical studies of science, technology, and medicine. One line of inquiry involves the study of the creative processes and imaginative practices involved in the invention of perspectives in discourses of and about science, technology, and medicine. This line of inquiry is elaborated with attention to the master tropes, dramatism, argument, and visual representations. The second general line of inquiry involves identification, analysis, and critique of the commonplaces that are deployed as authoritative in discourses about purportedly “expert” matters. The third line of inquiry concerns articulation of the distinctive place of a rhetorical perspective, informed by an emphasis on invention, in cross-disciplinary projects involving science, technology and medicine.

]]> Lawrence J. Prelli Conspectus: Inventing Futures for the Rhetoric of Science, Technology, and Medicine http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/1 http://ir.uiowa.edu/poroi/vol9/iss1/1 Wed, 15 May 2013 16:55:12 PDT This introduction to the Association for the Rhetoric of Science & Technology’s (ARST) twentieth anniversary special issue of Poroi reflects on the inventional resources for scholarship concerning the rhetoric of science, technology, and medicine (RSTM). After previewing the essays in the special issue, it outlines four questions facing RSTM scholars. These questions concern how to discern the purposes of our scholarship, how to reach the multiple audiences for our work, how to use multiple methods while retaining our rhetorical core, and how to orient our work theoretically. The essay concludes by briefly discussing how these questions present both challenges and opportunities for future RSTM inquiry and engagement.

]]> Lisa Keranen Present and future perspectives on the use of free or encapsulated pancreatic islet cell transplantation as a treatment of pregnancy complicated by type 1 diabetes http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/500 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/500 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:06:20 PDT Pregnancies complicated by insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) pose significant health risks to both the mother and her developing fetus. Congenital malformations in the offspring of diabetic mothers have an incidence which is 2-5 times that seen in the background. Euglycemia in the first trimester of pregnancy can reduce this incidence, but achieving euglycemia with conventional exogenous insulin therapy is both costly and difficult. Even with intense insulin dosage adjustments, the blood glucose profile of the diabetic pregnant patient does not mimic that seen in nondiabetic patients. Both the difficulties and inadequacies of conventional therapy for IDDM-complicated pregnancy provide a stimulus for research to develop improved therapeutic modalities. Islet transplantation holds great promise as a treatment for pregnancies complicated by IDDM. This article reviews the current status of islet transplantation including the use of immunomodulation and immunoisolation techniques and their potential use for the treatment of IDDM pregnancies.

]]> Stephen K. Hunter Perinatal management of women with immune thrombocytopenic purpura: survey of United States perinatologists http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/499 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/499 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:06:18 PDT OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine how perinatologists in the United States manage the care of women with immune thrombocytopenic purpura with respect to mode of delivery. Study Design: US members of the Society of Perinatal Obstetricians were surveyed with a 4-question questionnaire. Two mailings were sent. Questions 1 and 2 asked for a response regarding the perinatal management of delivery for women with chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura and new-onset disease. The options were cordocentesis or fetal scalp blood sampling and cesarean delivery if the platelet count was <50,000 cells/microL, cesarean delivery if the maternal platelet count was <50,000 cells/microL, cesarean delivery of all women with immune thrombocytopenic purpura, and trial of labor without determining fetal platelet count. The third question asked for an opinion on whether cesarean delivery was protective against intracranial hemorrhage in cases of immune thrombocytopenic purpura. The fourth question asked whether the practitioner was in academic or private practice or both. RESULTS: Among the 1596 perinatologists surveyed, there were 940 informative responses (58.9%). Most would allow a trial of labor for women with chronic (59.0%) or new-onset (66.6%) immune thrombocytopenic purpura. In cases of chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura, 31.0% of those responding would perform an invasive procedure to determine fetal platelet count, followed by cesarean delivery if this count was <50, 000 cells/microL. In cases of new-onset immune thrombocytopenic purpura, 25.4% would do so. Of the respondents, 11.8% reportedly considered cesarean delivery protective against intracranial hemorrhage, whereas 56.6% did not and 31.6% were unsure. CONCLUSIONS: The management of women with immune thrombocytopenic purpura remains controversial in the United States. Approximately two thirds of perinatologists would allow a trial of labor without a procedure to determine fetal platelet count. Most physicians surveyed did not consider cesarean delivery to be protective against intracranial hemorrhage.

]]> D. Peleg et al. Oral hypoglycemic agents in pregnancy http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/498 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/498 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:06:16 PDT Pregnancies in diabetic women are associated with increased risk of spontaneous abortion, congenital malformations, preeclampsia, preterm labor, macrosomia, shoulder dystocia, and cesarean section. Advances in antepartum cares and strict adherence to dietary and insulin regimens have been shown to significantly reduce the rate of maternal morbidity as well as perinatal morbidity and mortality. Historically, reports of potential fetal teratogenicity and hypoglycemic effects on the fetus contraindicated the use of oral hypoglycemic agents in pregnancies complicated with either type II diabetes mellitus (DM) or gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Recently, physicians increasingly prescribe newer generations of oral hypoglycemic agents to treat GDM and type II DM to pregnant patients. This review addresses the safety, current recommendations, and controversies surrounding use of the available oral hypoglycemic agents during pregnancy. TARGET AUDIENCE: Obstetricians & Gynecologists, Family Physicians LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After completion of this article, the reader should be able to describe the mechanisms of actions of the various oral hypoglycemic agents, to list the known side effects of these agents, and to summarize the data on the use of these agents during pregnancy.

]]> N. D. Tran et al. Bioartificial pancreas use in diabetic pregnancy http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/497 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/497 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:06:14 PDT The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of Bioartificial Pancreas (BAP) technology use during diabetic pregnancy. In particular, the study asked 1) can microencapsulated islet cells effectively correct carbohydrate metabolism during diabetic pregnancy and 2) will such therapy, if initiated before conception, eliminate diabetes-induced congenital malformations in the fetus? Streptozotocin-induced diabetic female mice (ICR) received transplants of rat islets encapsulated within alginate microbeads. Animals were placed with male mice and bred. Random, nonfasting blood glucose (BG) determinations were made posttransplantation and throughout pregnancy. Pups were delivered by cesarean section on day 19 of gestation. Outcome parameters from transplanted animals (Tx) were compared to nondiabetic control animals and to untreated diabetic (DM) animals. Transplanted animals had significantly lower BG levels throughout pregnancy, compared with DM animals, but also had levels that were often lower than those seen in control nondiabetic animals, and had increased episodes of documented hypoglycemia. The malformation and fetal loss rate in the Tx group was significantly lower than the untreated group (ICR: 5.4% vs. 40%). Only 3 of 84 pups from the Tx group had major malformations, but all had anencephaly, a malformation not seen in any other study group. Both maternal BG levels and fetal malformation rates are significantly reduced using BAP technology in our animal models. However, the possible role these encapsulated islets may play in producing increased episodes of hypoglycemia or specific congenital malformations in pregnancy must be thoroughly investigated before any clinical studies.

]]> Stephen K. Hunter et al. Theoretical prediction of induction period from transient pore evolvement in polyester-based microparticles http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/496 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/496 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:06:10 PDT A model was developed and compared to experimental results for prediction of the induction period during drug delivery from various compositions of biodegradable copolymer PLGA microparticles. The uniqueness of this model is that it considers transient pore evolvement and uses the kinetic parameters of polymer degradation, which are independent of experimental measurements of microparticle erosion, in its analysis. Delivery data from PLGA microparticles (50:50, 75:25, and 85:15) releasing ovalbumin (OVA, 46 kDa) and bovine serum albumin (BSA, 66 kDa) were determined and used as the model systems. Experimental measurements were carried out from 85 to 150 days depending on the PLGA characteristics. The predicted induction periods were approximately 45, 70, and 105 days for the release of both OVA and BSA from 50:50, 75:25, and 85:15 PLGA microparticles, respectively. Overall, these values were in very good agreement with experimentally estimated results.

]]> A. Zhao et al. Mathematical modeling of myoglobin facilitated transport of oxygen in devices containing myoglobin-expressing cells http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/495 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/495 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:06:08 PDT Low pO(2) is perhaps the most significant factor in artificial pancreas failure. In these environments, not only is the beta cell production of insulin reduced, but the cell death rate is also significantly higher. Mathematical models are developed to test the feasibility of facilitated oxygen transport in enhancing O(2) flux to genetically engineered cells in a bioartificial device such as a pancreas. For this device, it is proposed that beta cells be genetically engineered to express myoglobin throughout the cell. In addition, the significance of including myoglobin throughout the alginate matrix present to provide immuno-protection for the transplanted cells is considered. The mathematical analysis predicts that myoglobin facilitated oxygen transport has the potential of increasing the oxygen concentration at the centre of a cluster of cells (islet) with an effective radius of 100 microm by 50%. These theoretical models for myoglobin facilitated oxygen transport with homogeneous Michaelis-Menten consumption also indicate that including myoglobin in the alginate gel would beneficially improve the flux of oxygen to the transplanted cells.

]]> H. K. Tilakaratne et al. Biodegradable microspheres containing group B Streptococcus vaccine: immune response in mice http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/494 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/494 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:06:06 PDT OBJECTIVE: This study seeks to show the feasibility of producing a group B Streptococcus (GBS) vaccine, which is capable of producing both a local IgA immune response at the mucosal surface where GBS is colonized and a humoral IgG response, which is capable of transplacental passive immunization. STUDY DESIGN: Inactivated GBS antigen was microencapsulated in poly (D, L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLG) with a water-in-oil-in-water double emulsion technique. Immunostimulatory synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides containing cytidine-phosphate-guanosine (CpG) motifs were coencapsulated as a potent adjuvant. The ICR strain of mouse was used in these studies. Female mice with normal immune systems were immunized with the PLG microparticles containing GBS type III polysaccharide (GBS PS) vaccine and CpG adjuvant (PLG/GBS/CpG) via the oral, vaginal, or nasal routes or by the intramuscular or intraperitoneal routes. Booster doses were administered 4 weeks after the initial immunization. Vaginal washings and blood samples were obtained 3 weeks after the booster dose and examined for both IgG and secretory IgA (sIgA) GBS antibodies with the use of an enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay method. RESULTS: PLG/GBS/CpG microparticles elicited a significantly higher GBS antibody response when compared with nonencapsulated GBS antigen or PLG-encapsulated GBS PS vaccine without the addition of the CpG adjuvant. IgG and secretory IgA (sIgA) antibodies to GBS antigen were documented in both the vaginal washings and blood samples. CONCLUSION: Preliminary findings indicate that this novel PLG/GBS/CpG vaccine elicited both IgA and IgG antibody responses to the GBS PS antigen studied. This antibody response may provide both protection against maternal GBS colonization and passive transplacental immunization for the fetus and neonate.

]]> Stephen K. Hunter et al. Intrauterine growth restriction: identification and management http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/493 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/493 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:06:04 PDT Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a common diagnosis in obstetrics and carries an increased risk of perinatal mortality and morbidity. Identification of IUGR is crucial because proper evaluation and management can result in a favorable outcome. Certain pregnancies are at high risk for growth restriction, although a substantial percentage of cases occur in the general obstetric population. Accurate dating early in pregnancy is essential for a diagnosis of IUGR. Ultrasound biometry is the gold standard for assessment of fetal size and the amount of amniotic fluid. Growth restriction is classified as symmetric and asymmetric. A lag in fundal height of 4 cm or more suggests IUGR. Serial ultrasonograms are important for monitoring growth restriction, and management must be individualized. General management measures include treatment of maternal disease, good nutrition and institution of bed rest. Preterm delivery is indicated if the fetus shows evidence of abnormal function on biophysical profile testing. The fetus should be monitored continuously during labor to minimize fetal hypoxia.

]]> D. Peleg et al. Information from your family doctor. Intrauterine growth restriction: when your baby stops growing before birth http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/492 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/492 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:06:03 PDT D. Peleg et al. Protective immunization in mice against group B streptococci using encapsulated C5a peptidase http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/491 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/491 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:06:00 PDT OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to test whether C5a peptidase encapsulated within a biodegradable polymer can act as a vaccine and elicit an immune response to prevent group B streptococci (GBS) infection in mice and provide protection to pups. STUDY DESIGN: C5a peptidase was encapsulated in semipermeable microspheres of poly(lactide-co-glycolide). Female ICR mice were immunized with encapsulated C5a peptidase, free C5a peptidase, or empty microparticles. Booster doses were given at days 21 and 42. Antibody responses were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Challenge with GBS type III was performed 4 days after the final booster in the vaginal vault of adult mice and intraperitoneally 48 hours after the birth for pups. RESULTS: Encapsulated C5a peptidase elicited a systemic immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibody response after intramuscular and intranasal administration. Unencapsulated C5a peptidase elicited a smaller systemic response. In addition to the strong IgG response, a secretory IgA response was observed in the vaginal mucosa after intranasal vaccination. No evidence of GBS colonization was found in vaccinated mice. Eighty-seven percent and 81% of the pups from intramuscularly and intranasally vaccinated dams survived a 90% lethal dose (LD90) GBS challenge vs 9% born to nonvaccinated dams. CONCLUSION: Encapsulated C5a peptidase elicited significant immune responses and protection against GBS challenge. C5a peptidase microsphere encapsulation has potential as a GBS vaccine.

]]> D. A. Santillan et al. Liver transplant after massive spontaneous hepatic rupture in pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/490 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/490 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:05:55 PDT BACKGROUND: Spontaneous hepatic rupture associated with preeclampsia is a rare but life-threatening situation. Several different surgical treatments have been described, depending on the severity of the rupture. Liver transplantation has become the mainstay for patients with end-stage liver disease. Transplantation in the setting of liver trauma or massive parenchymal disruption is not well defined. To our knowledge, this treatment has not been reported for spontaneous hepatic rupture in pregnancy. CASE: Massive, spontaneous hepatic rupture occurred in a patient at 36 weeks' gestation as a result of severe preeclampsia. Conventional surgical therapies were unsuccessful in controlling the massive hemorrhage. As a life-saving measure, the patient underwent total hepatectomy with the creation of an end-to-side portcaval shunt, thereby rendering the patient anhepatic. The patient was listed as urgently needing a liver for transplantation through the United Network for Organ Sharing. A suitable donor liver was located approximately 8 hours after the emergency hepatectomy. The patient underwent orthotopic liver transplantation after being maintained in an anhepatic state for almost 13 hours. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 41, suffering only from some ischemic lower extremity neuropathy secondary to hypovolemic hypotension occurring during the hepatectomy procedure. CONCLUSION: In the reported case, spontaneous hepatic rupture resulted in a massive hemorrhage that could not be controlled by previously reported techniques and required total hepatectomy followed by liver transplantation.

]]> Stephen K. Hunter et al. Antidepressants may mitigate the effects of prenatal maternal anxiety on infant auditory sensory gating http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/489 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/489 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:05:54 PDT OBJECTIVE: Prenatal maternal anxiety has detrimental effects on the offspring's neurocognitive development, including impaired attentional function. Antidepressants are commonly used during pregnancy, yet their impact on offspring attention and their interaction with maternal anxiety has not been assessed. The authors used P50 auditory sensory gating, a putative marker of early attentional processes measurable in young infants, to assess the impact of maternal anxiety and antidepressant use. METHOD: A total of 242 mother-infant dyads were classified relative to maternal history of anxiety and maternal prenatal antidepressant use. Infant P50 auditory sensory gating was recorded during active sleep at a mean age of 76 days (SD=38). RESULTS: In the absence of prenatal antidepressant exposure, infants whose mothers had a history of anxiety diagnoses had diminished P50 sensory gating. Prenatal antidepressant exposure mitigated the effect of anxiety. The effect of maternal anxiety was limited to amplitude of response to the second stimulus, while antidepressant exposure had an impact on the amplitude of response to both the first and second stimulus. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal anxiety disorders are associated with less inhibition during infant sensory gating, a performance deficit mitigated by prenatal antidepressant exposure. This effect may be important in considering the risks and benefits of antidepressant use during pregnancy. Cholinergic mechanisms are hypothesized for both anxiety and antidepressant effects, although the cholinergic receptors involved are likely different for anxiety and antidepressant effects.

]]> Stephen K. Hunter et al. Leukemia in pregnancy and fetal response to multiagent chemotherapy http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/488 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/488 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:05:52 PDT BACKGROUND: Leukemia is rare in pregnancy and treatment with intensive, multiagent chemotherapy produces complete remission in most adults, but might have deleterious effects on fetuses. CASE: A 24-year-old gravida 3 para 2 presented at 24 weeks with pruritus, rash, pancytopenia, and hepatitis. A bone marrow biopsy found acute lymphocytic leukemia. She completed three cycles of intensive multiagent chemotherapy with transient oligohydramnios in each cycle. Although there was decreased fetal growth rate, umbilical artery Doppler scans were normal. She delivered a normal 2150-g male infant at 36 weeks. CONCLUSION: Pregnant women with newly diagnosed leukemia should not delay treatment, but multiagent chemotherapy might have transient effects on fetuses, most notably oligohydramnios. However, if fetal testing is normal, delivery might not be indicated.

]]> W. F. Hansen et al. Indoleamine 2,3 Dioxygenase (IDO) Deficiency Results: in Vascular Dysfunction and Proteinuria in Pregnancy http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/487 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/487 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:05:50 PDT Mark K. Santillan et al. Group B streptococci causing neonatal bloodstream infection: antimicrobial susceptibility and serotyping results from SENTRY centers in the Western Hemisphere http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/486 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/486 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:05:45 PDT OBJECTIVE: Group B streptococcal infection is a common cause of neonatal sepsis. Surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibility and serotype frequencies of invasive group B streptococci is important to ensure the effectiveness of therapeutic regimens and to guide vaccine development. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective surveillance of neonatal bloodstream infection was performed at all Western Hemisphere sites participating in the SENTRY Program. From January 1997 through December 1999, a total of 122 isolates of bloodstream infections with group B streptococci were collected and sent to the University of Iowa for antimicrobial susceptibility testing and serotyping. RESULTS: No isolates were resistant to penicillin. More than 25% of isolates from US hospitals and 14% of isolates from Canadian hospitals were erythromycin resistant. Seven percent of isolates from the United States and Canada were resistant to clindamycin. No clindamycin or erythromycin resistance was found among isolates from Latin America. Clindamycin and erythromycin resistance was most frequent among serotype V strains. CONCLUSIONS: No emerging resistance to penicillin was noted among bloodstream infection isolates of group B streptococci from a broad geographic area; erythromycin and clindamycin resistance was found in the United States and Canada and appeared most frequently among serotype V strains.

]]> J. I. Andrews et al. Encapsulated beta-islet cells as a bioartificial pancreas to treat insulin-dependent diabetes during pregnancy http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/485 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/485 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:05:42 PDT OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine the effectiveness of the bioartificial pancreas technique in correcting (1) maternal carbohydrate metabolism and (2) fetal malformation rates in a pregnant diabetic animal model. STUDY DESIGN: Insulin secretion from encapsulated rat islets cultured in the presence of homologous rat prolactin was determined and compared with that of controls. Streptozotocin-induced diabetic Balb/c mice were then transplanted with rat islet cells encapsulated within alginate microbeads and were then bred. Blood glucose determinations were made after transplantation and throughout gestation. Pups were delivered by cesarean section on day 19 of gestation. Outcome parameters from the transplanted study animals were compared with those of nondiabetic controls and untreated diabetic animals. RESULTS: Insulin secretion was increased twofold in encapsulated rat islets exposed to prolactin compared with control values. Throughout gestation maternal weights and blood, glucose levels of transplanted animals were similar to those of nondiabetic controls. A fetal malformation rate of only 1.4% was observed in the pups from transplanted animals. CONCLUSIONS: Transplanted encapsulated islets are capable of normalizing maternal carbohydrate metabolism in a pregnant diabetic animal model. This therapy, if instituted before conception, also appears to eliminate the increase in fetal malformations seen in diabetic pregnancies.

]]> Stephen K. Hunter et al. Maternal parenting stress and mothers' reports of their infants' mastery motivation http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/484 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/484 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:05:40 PDT T. A. Sparks et al. Rotary culture enhances pre-osteoblast aggregation and mineralization http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/483 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/483 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:05:38 PDT Three-dimensional environments have been shown to enhance cell aggregation and osteoblast differentiation. Thus, we hypothesized that three-dimensional (3D) growth environments would enhance the mineralization rate of human embryonic palatal mesenchymal (HEPM) pre-osteoblasts. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential use of rotary cell culture systems (RCCS) as a means to enhance the osteogenic potential of pre-osteoblast cells. HEPM cells were cultured in a RCCS to create 3D enviroments. Tissue culture plastic (2D) cultures served as our control. 3D environments promoted three-dimensional aggregate formations. Increased calcium and phosphorus deposition was significantly enhanced three- to 18-fold (P < 0.001) in 3D cultures as compared with 2D environments. 3D cultures mineralized in 1 wk as compared with the 2D cultures, which took 4 wks, a decrease in time of nearly 75%. In conclusion, our studies demonstrated that 3D environments enhanced osteoblast cell aggregation and mineralization.

]]> S. R. Facer et al. Periodontal disease in pregnancy complicated by type 1 diabetes mellitus http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/482 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/482 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:05:36 PDT BACKGROUND: Systemic disease and hormonal changes have been implicated as complicating factors for periodontal disease. Diabetes has been identified as a risk factor for periodontal disease, and diabetics can experience periodontal destruction at an earlier age than non-diabetic individuals. Increased hormone levels during pregnancy can contribute to increased gingival inflammation. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) on the periodontal status of pregnant women. METHODS: Thirty-three (13 diabetic and 20 non-diabetic) subjects, 20 to 39 weeks gestation, participated in this study. The mean age of the diabetics and non-diabetics was 28.5 +/- 7.1 (SD) and 27.0 +/- 7.3 years, respectively. The following parameters were assessed at Ramfjord's reference teeth: plaque index (PI), gingival inflammation (GI), probing depth (PD), gingival margin (GM) location, and clinical attachment level (CAL). RESULTS: Diabetic subjects had significantly (P<0.001) higher PI (1.48 +/- 0.69) and GI (1.77 +/- 0.44) scores than non-diabetics (PI = 0.63 +/- 0.38; GI = 0.93 +/- 0.48). Mean PD for diabetics (2.95 +/- 0.69 mm) was significantly different (P<0.024) from that of non-diabetics (2.44 +/- 0.32 mm). Although mean GM location was coronal to the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) in both groups, gingival margins were at a more apical position (P<0.001) in the diabetics (-0.20 +/- 1.24 mm) compared to non-diabetics (-1.76 +/- 0.53 mm). Mean CAL values also varied significantly (P<0.001) between diabetics (2.60 +/- 1.54 mm) and non-diabetics (0.68 +/- 0.65 mm). Significant differences were seen for GI (P<0.001), PD (P=0.005), GM location (P<0.001), and CAL (P<0.001) when assessing the effect of diabetes and controlling for plaque. When assessing the effect of plaque and controlling for diabetes, the only significant difference was GI (P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study demonstrate that periodontal inflammation and destruction are increased in pregnant diabetics as compared to non-diabetic pregnant patients. These findings may have implications for diabetic control and, hence, maternal and fetal outcomes in pregnant diabetic patients.

]]> J. M. Guthmiller et al. In vivo biocompatibility evaluation of Cibacron blue-agarose http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/481 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/481 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:05:33 PDT This study investigated the biocompatibility of Cibacron blue-agarose as a biomaterial for microencapsulation. Cibacron blue-agarose is known to have an affinity for albumin under certain pH conditions and in the proper steric environment. Thus it was postulated that the material's high affinity for host albumin might reduce a secondary immune response and reduce the fibrotic overgrowth that often accompanies transplanted foreign materials. In vivo tests were performed using the Lewis rat model. Both Cibacron blue-agarose and plain agarose disks were prepared, with some disks from each group being pre-exposed to sera from Lewis rats. The disks were transplanted into the peritoneal cavities of Lewis rats. After 115 days the disks were excised. Fibrotic overgrowth was analyzed using light microscopy, and a blind study was used to measure the average growth thickness on each disk. The results demonstrated that all disks developed some fibrotic encapsulation and that the presence of Cibacron blue was not significant in reducing fibrotic overgrowth (p = 0.62). Agarose disks pre-exposed to sera had significantly less average overgrowth than any other group (p = 0. 06).

]]> J. M. Kao et al. Cyclic changes in glycemia assessed by continuous glucose monitoring system during multiple complete menstrual cycles in women with type 1 diabetes http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/480 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/480 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:05:30 PDT Many women with diabetes notice changes in glucose control perimenstrually. To describe the pattern of changes in glucose control throughout the complete menstrual cycle, and the reproducibility of these changes, we performed a pilot study evaluating glycemic profiles continuously for three cycles in four women with type 1 diabetes. All participants had hemoglobin A1c <7.5% and regular menstrual periods off oral contraceptives. They used Medtronic MiniMed (Northridge, CA) Continuous Glucose Monitoring System (CGMS) devices continuously for three complete menstrual cycles, checked capillary glucose measurements six times daily, changed their own sensors every 3 days, and were seen seven times per menstrual cycle to download data and draw blood. Prolonged monitoring was safely carried out over three consecutive menstrual cycles. We observed two different patterns of glycemic control in relation to the menstrual cycle in these women. The first pattern, seen in two women, was characterized by increased frequency of hyperglycemia in the luteal phase. One of these women also had a hyperglycemic peak in the follicular phase. In the other two women, no characteristic cycle-related pattern was noted. The glucose profiles appeared reproducible between cycles in all women, but varied between women. Thus the menstrual cycle has a reproducible effect on glucose control in a subset of women with type 1 diabetes. Prolonged use of continuous glucose monitoring was safe in the subjects studied, and is the first method clinically available to monitor glucose control over prolonged periods in individuals with diabetes.

]]> W. S. Goldner et al. Promotion of neovascularization around hollow fiber bioartificial organs using biologically active substances http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/479 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/479 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:05:28 PDT A limiting factor of the long-term function of bioartificial organs is oxygen delivery to the encapsulated tissue. This study determined whether incorporation of endothelial cell growth factor (ECGF) into the alginate core of a hollow fiber bioartificial organ will induce neovascularization around the hollow fiber. Polyethersulfone (PES) and polyvinylidine difluoride (PVDF) hollow fibers were examined. Endothelial cell growth factor was incorporated into sodium alginate, extruded into the lumen of hollow fibers, and cured in calcium chloride. Samples without ECGF were fabricated and used as controls. Hollow fibers were implanted into 16 rats. For each rat, two implants were placed subcutaneously and two intraperitoneally, one with and one without ECGF at each site. Implants were placed on opposite sides of each animal. Implants were removed 65 days later and examined using immunohistochemical methods and light microscopy to determine the extent of neovascularization. A total of 64 implants were used. Most intraperitoneal implants were found free floating but were encased within a 100-microm thick avascular fibrotic reaction. This finding was independent from the presence of ECGF. Hollow fibers without ECGF, implanted subcutaneously, also had an avascular fibrotic reaction surrounding each implant. Subcutaneous implants with incorporation of ECGF within the alginate core had marked neovascularization within the fibrotic overgrowth that surrounded these implants. This was most prevalent in hollow fibers, with the thin separation layer facing the fiber lumen irrespective of limiting pore size. Potent angiogenic factors, such as ECGF, incorporated into diffusion chamber bioartificial organs can promote neovascularization around the subcutaneously implanted hollow fiber and may improve oxygen delivery to the tissue encapsulated within devices based on this technology.

]]> Stephen K. Hunter et al. Characterizing short-term release and neovascularization potential of multi-protein growth supplement delivered via alginate hollow fiber devices http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/478 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/478 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:05:26 PDT H. K. Tilakaratne et al. Can myoglobin expression in pancreatic beta cells improve insulin secretion under hypoxia? An exploratory study with transgenic porcine islets http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/477 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/477 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:05:24 PDT Himantha Kushanie Tilakaratne et al. The Intramolecular Friedel-Crafts Ketone Synthesis - a Student Experiment Including Chromatographic-Separation of Products http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/476 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/476 Tue, 14 May 2013 14:26:56 PDT S. G. Levine et al. BRCA1 and BRCA2 alterations in ovarian MMMT http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/475 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/475 Tue, 14 May 2013 14:26:52 PDT J. P. Geisler et al. Small Cell Carcinoma of the Uterine Cervix: A Single-Center Experience http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/474 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/474 Tue, 14 May 2013 14:26:49 PDT Boris G. Naraev et al. Incidence and Management of Gastrointestinal Perforation from Bevacizumab in Advanced Cancers http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/473 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/473 Tue, 14 May 2013 14:26:47 PDT Taher Abu-Hejleh et al. Thromboembolic events in patients treated with definitive chemotherapy and radiation therapy for invasive cervical cancer http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/472 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/472 Tue, 14 May 2013 14:26:45 PDT G. M. Jacobson et al. High Grade Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Uterine Cervix: Outcomes and the Role of Radiation and Chemotherapy - The University of Iowa Experience http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/471 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/471 Tue, 14 May 2013 14:26:43 PDT Boris G. Naraev et al. Thromboembolic events in patients with cervical carcinoma: Incidence and effect on survival http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/470 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/470 Tue, 14 May 2013 14:26:41 PDT Geraldine Jacobson et al. Malignant pericardial effusion with cardiac tamponade in ovarian adenocarcinoma http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/469 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/469 Tue, 14 May 2013 14:26:35 PDT Emily E. Petersen et al. P21 expression predicts outcome in p53-null ovarian carcinoma http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/468 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/468 Tue, 14 May 2013 14:26:34 PDT S. L. Rose et al. Ovarian cancer p53 mutation is associated with tumor microvessel density http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/467 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/467 Tue, 14 May 2013 14:26:31 PDT Michael J. Goodheart et al. Selective suppression of cervical cancer Hela cells by 2-O-beta-d-glucopyranosyl-l-ascorbic acid isolated from the fruit of Lycium barbarum L. http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/466 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/466 Tue, 14 May 2013 14:26:29 PDT Zhiping Zhang et al. Progress toward Generating a Transgenic CRE-Reporter Ferret Model To Study Stem/Progenitor Cell Lineage Relationships in the Lung http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/465 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/465 Tue, 14 May 2013 14:26:12 PDT Xiaoming Liu et al. Compensatory Induction of Cgrp in Cystic Fibrosis Airways Alters the Biologic Properties of the Submucosal Gland Progenitor Cell Niche http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/464 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/464 Tue, 14 May 2013 14:26:11 PDT W. Xie et al. CGRP induction in cystic fibrosis airways alters the submucosal gland progenitor cell niche in mice http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/463 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/463 Tue, 14 May 2013 14:26:09 PDT Weiliang Xie et al. Comparative Study of DNA Repair and Cell Proliferation Markers in High Grade Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Uterine Cervix and Small Cell Carcinoma of the Lung http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/462 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/462 Tue, 14 May 2013 14:26:07 PDT Boris G. Naraev et al. Cftr Defects in Airway Submucosal Glands Alter Properties of the Glandular Stem/progenitor Cell Niche http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/461 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/461 Tue, 14 May 2013 14:26:05 PDT W. Xie et al. Sox17 modulates Wnt3A/beta-catenin-mediated transcriptional activation of the Lef-1 promoter http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/460 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/460 Tue, 14 May 2013 14:26:03 PDT Xiaoming Liu et al. The Role of LEF1 in Endometrial Gland Formation and Carcinogenesis http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/459 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/459 Tue, 14 May 2013 14:26:01 PDT Dawne N. Shelton et al. Mismatch repair gene expression defects contribute to microsatellite instability in ovarian carcinoma http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/458 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/458 Tue, 14 May 2013 14:26:00 PDT J. P. Geisler et al. The influence of microvessel density on ovarian carcinogenesis http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/457 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/457 Tue, 14 May 2013 14:25:58 PDT P. J. B. Stone et al. The impact of p53 protein core domain structural alteration on ovarian cancer survival http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/456 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/456 Tue, 14 May 2013 14:25:55 PDT S. L. Rose et al. BRCA2 alteration is important in clear cell carcinoma of the ovary http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/455 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/455 Tue, 14 May 2013 14:25:53 PDT Michael J. Goodheart et al. The relationship of molecular markers of p53 function and angiogenesis to prognosis of stage I epithelial ovarian cancer http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/454 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/454 Tue, 14 May 2013 14:25:51 PDT Michael J. Goodheart et al. An anatomic classification of rectovaginal septal defects http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/453 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/453 Tue, 14 May 2013 12:25:48 PDT N B. Rosensheim et al. Benign Lesions of the Endometrium http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/452 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/452 Tue, 14 May 2013 12:25:45 PDT Rene R. Genadry Imaging the female urethra with ultrasound http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/451 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/451 Tue, 14 May 2013 12:25:41 PDT R Sanders et al. Recurrent Anal Incontinence http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/450 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/450 Tue, 14 May 2013 12:25:40 PDT Rene R. Genadry et al. Normal gross and histologic anatomy of the human female urethra: a basis for understanding urinary incontinence http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/449 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/449 Tue, 14 May 2013 12:25:38 PDT J Haderer et al. Miscellaneous diseases http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/448 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/448 Tue, 14 May 2013 12:25:35 PDT Rene R. Genadry et al. Anatomy and Embryology http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/447 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/447 Tue, 14 May 2013 12:25:33 PDT J Anderson et al. Anatomy and Embryology http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/446 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/446 Tue, 14 May 2013 12:25:30 PDT J Anderson et al. Imaging of the Pelvic Floor http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/445 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/445 Tue, 14 May 2013 12:25:21 PDT H Pannu et al. Obstetric vesico-vaginal fistulas at the National Hospital of Niamey, Niger. http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/444 http://ir.uiowa.edu/obgyn_pubs/444 Tue, 14 May 2013 12:25:18 PDT OBJECTIVE: To determine the epidemiologic and therapeutic characteristics of obstetric vesico-vaginal fistulas at the National Hospital of Niamey, Niger.

METHODS: From December 2003 to February 2005, 111 consecutive patients with vesico-vaginal fistulas presenting for treatment were included and prospectively followed up. Demographic and clinical data were collected. The patients were re-evaluated 3 months after surgery.

RESULTS: Among the 104 patients treated surgically 87% were aged between 15 and 36 years; 84% were married before they were 19 years old; 51% were divorced; and 80% did not live with their husbands. The fistula was caused by the first delivery in 43% of the patients; 93% were in labor for more than 24 hours; 35% were delivered at home; and perinatal death was 100%. The overall cure rate was 73%.

CONCLUSION: These epidemiologic characteristics provide data towards the development of an obstetric fistula prevention program in Niger.

]]> I Nafiou et al. Adolescent Adult Female Humans Incidence Niger Obstetric Labor Complications Poverty Pregnancy Prospective Studies Treatment Outcome Vesicovaginal Fistula