bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychotherapy intervention to reduce depressive symptoms in patients with diabetic foot syndrome
Authors: Simson U. , Nawarotzky U. , Friese G. , Porck W. , Schottenfeld‐Naor Y. , Hahn S. , Scherbaum W. A. , Kruse J.
Published: February 2008

Aims  Compared to the population as a whole, patients with diabetes mellitus suffer a significantly higher rate of depressive symptoms, especially when they develop complications. Psychotherapy treatments in diabetes mellitus can lead to improvements in both depressive symptoms and glycaemic control. The objective of this study was to investigate whether depressive symptoms can be reduced by psychotherapy treatment delivered as a joint interdisciplinary service to in‐patients with diabetic foot syndrome and comorbid depression.

Methods  Thirty in‐patients with diabetic foot syndrome and comorbid depression were randomized to either an intervention group (n = 15) with supportive psychotherapy treatment or a control group (n = 15) that received only standard medical treatment. Patients completed a set of questionnaires at the beginning and end of treatment. These recorded sociodemographic variables, anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) and diabetes‐related problems (Problem Areas in Diabetes Scale).

Results  Although the diabetic foot syndrome improved significantly in 75% of patients, the extent of depressive symptoms and anxiety reported by the control group did not decrease by the end of treatment. In contrast, in the intervention group, anxiety, depression and diabetes‐related problems were all reduced. The extent of anxiety and depression was not, as had been anticipated, associated with the severity of the physical symptoms.

Conclusions  These results indicate that psychotherapeutic intervention during in‐patient treatment can have a positive influence on anxiety, depressive symptoms and diabetes‐related problems in patients with diabetic foot syndrome.
Relationship between mean blood glucose and glycated haemoglobin in Type 2 diabetic patients
Authors: Makris K. , Spanou L. , Rambaouni‐Antoneli A. , Koniari K. , Drakopoulos I. , Rizos D. , Haliassos A.
Published: February 2008

Aims  To correlate the values of MBG to HbA1c in Greek patients with Type 2 diabetes and/or metabolic syndrome.

Methods  We followed up 140 Greek adult patients: 92 patients with Type 2 diabetes treated with insulin or oral glucose‐lowering medication, and 48 patients with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome not receiving any treatment. MBG was calculated for each patient from self‐measurements of blood glucose using a portable glucometer, made six times a day (before eating and 2 h after a meal), three times a week for 1 month. HbA1c was determined by HPLC at 0 and 12 weeks.

Results   HbA1c at 0 (x) and 12 weeks (y) correlated strongly (y = 0.790x + 1.115, r = 0.92), confirming that the patient's glycaemic status remained stable during the whole period of follow‐up. Linear regression was performed on MBG values; HbA1c at 12 weeks, sex, age, body mass index (BMI) and patient status (Type 2 diabetes treated or not) were used as independent variables. None of the independent variables reached statistical significance in the model, with the exception of HbA1c at 12 weeks. The final model was: MBG (mg/dl) = (34.74 × HbA1c) – 79.21, r = 0.93; or MBG (mmol/l) = 1.91 × HbA1c – 4.36, r = 0.93.

Conclusions  Our results establish for the first time a strong correlation between MBG and HbA1c in Type 2 diabetic patients and support the idea of expressing HbA1c results as MBG. This will help patients to gain a clearer interpretation of the result, with less confusion. This simplification will allow every person with diabetes using home glucose‐monitoring to understand his or her own target level.
Impact of deprivation on cardiovascular risk factors in people with diabetes: an observational study
Authors: Wild S. , MacLeod F. , McKnight J. , Watt G. , MacKenzie C. , Ford I. , McConnachie A. , Lindsay R. S.
Published: February 2008

Aim  To examine the influence of deprivation on prevalence of diabetes and of cardiovascular disease risk factors in people with diabetes.

Methods  Cross‐sectional study of 52 280 people in diabetes registers of Greater Glasgow and Lothian NHS Board areas linked to hospital admission data.

Results  Age‐ and sex‐adjusted prevalence of diabetes increased from 2.3% in the least deprived quintile (Q1) to 3.3% in the most deprived quintile (Q5; P < 0.001), as did prevalence of vascular disease (Q1 20%, Q5 27%; P < 0.001). Prevalence of current smoking (Q1 13%, Q5 32%; P < 0.001), obesity (Q1 38%, Q5 51%; P < 0.001) and above‐target glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c; ≥ 7.5%: Q1 46% vs. Q5 47%; P = 0.01) were higher in the most deprived quintile. In contrast, the proportion of people with above‐target cholesterol were similar (proportion ≥ 5.0 mmol/l: Q1 26%, Q5 24%; P = 0.07) and the proportion of people with above‐target systolic blood pressure (SBP) was lower (SBP ≥ 140 mmHg: Q1 44%, Q5 37%; P = 0.02) in the most deprived quintile. In people with diabetes and prevalent vascular disease, deprivation was associated with failure to reach cholesterol target [odds ratio cholesterol ≥ 5.0 mmol/l: Q5 vs. Q1 1.23 (1.04–1.45) P = 0.013]. SBP and cholesterol were markedly lower compared with previous population surveys.

Conclusions  The burden of diabetes and vascular disease is greater in more deprived populations. Our data confirm a major advance in management of cholesterol and blood pressure management. Deprivation is still associated with failure to reach cholesterol targets in secondary prevention as well as higher prevalence of obesity and smoking.
Does serum 1,5‐anhydroglucitol establish a relationship between improvements in HbA1c and postprandial glucose excursions? Supportive evidence utilizing the differential effects between biphasic insulin aspart 30 and insulin glargine
Authors: Moses A. C. , Raskin P. , Khutoryansky N.
Published: February 2008

Aim  To investigate the relationship between changes in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and postprandial glucose excursions on 1,5‐anhydroglucitol (1,5‐AG) in patients with Type 2 diabetes, utilizing the differential effects between biphasic insulin aspart 30 (BIAsp 30) or insulin glargine (IGlar) on postprandial glucose (PPG) levels.

Methods  1,5‐AG was measured using the GlycoMark® assay at baseline and after 12 and 28 weeks in the INITiation of Insulin to reach HbA1c Target (INITIATE) study of 233 patients randomized to either BIAsp 30 or IGlar.

Results  Baseline 1,5‐AG was low and not significantly different (4.9 ± 3.5 and 4.3 ± 2.6 µg/ml in the BIAsp 30 and IGlar groups, respectively). After 28 weeks, the levels of 1,5‐AG were higher in the BIAsp 30 than in the IGlar group (13.4 vs. 11.1 µg/ml, P = 0.008) and change from baseline was 25% greater with BIAsp 30 than IGlar (8.4 vs. 6.7 µg/ml, P = 0.011). 1,5‐AG levels increased as a function of decreasing HbA1c or the average change in postprandial plasma glucose (PPGave) with significant relationships for 1,5‐AG/ HbA1c vs. HbA1c or 1,5‐AG/PPGave vs. PPGave (both P < 0.0001), respectively.

Conclusions  As reported in previous publications, 1,5‐AG reflects ambient glycaemic control and increases with reductions in HbA1c and postprandial glucose. The greater reductions in postprandial excursion achieved with BiAsp 30 compared with glargine were associated with greater increases in 1,5‐AG. Even moderate elevations in HbA1c substantially lower 1,5‐AG, suggesting that it can be most discriminating in identifying patients with excessive postprandial glucose excursions at HbA1c levels that approach the upper end of the normal range.
Recent developments in calcium‐related obesity research
Authors: Major G. C. , Chaput J.‐P. , Ledoux M. , St‐Pierre S. , Anderson G. H. , Zemel M. B. , Tremblay A.
Published: February 2008

The influence of calcium and dairy food intake on energy balance is the object of a growing scientific literature. This manuscript presents the information discussed by subject experts during a symposium on calcium and obesity, initially planned to document in a comprehensive manner the role of calcium and dairy food on energy balance and body composition. This manuscript is organized into 13 propositions statements which either resume the presentation of an invited speaker or integrate recent developments in calcium‐related obesity research. More specifically, the effects of calcium and dairy consumption on body weight and adiposity level, appetite, weight loss intervention outcome, lipid‐lipoprotein profile and the risk to develop metabolic syndrome are discussed together with the metabolic mechanisms proposed to explain these effects. Taken together, the observations presented in this manuscript suggest that calcium and dairy food intake can influence many components of energy and fat balance, indicating that inadequate calcium/dairy intake may increase the risk of positive energy balance and of other health problems.
Can Both Low and High Self‐esteem Be Related to Aggression in Children?
Authors: Diamantopoulou Sofia , Rydell Ann‐Margret , Henricsson Lisbeth
Published: February 2008

This study examined the opposing hypotheses that either low or exaggerated but disputed self‐esteem is related to aggression in 652 12‐year‐old schoolchildren. Children provided peer nominations of social acceptance and of physical aggression, self‐ratings of global self‐worth and of social satisfaction. Teachers rated aggressive behavior and internalizing problems. Exaggerated but disputed self‐esteem was conceptualized as discrepancies between self and peer evaluations of social satisfaction and of social acceptance, respectively, in combination with peer rejection. The main results showed that both low levels of global self‐worth and exaggerated but disputed self‐esteem were related to aggression. The findings indicated that, depending on how self‐esteem is conceptualized, aggressive children may appear to have both a low and a high self‐esteem. Regarding gender differences, exaggerated self‐esteem was more strongly related to aggression in boys than in girls.
Type 2 and type 3 inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate (IP3) receptors promote the differentiation of granule cell precursors in the postnatal cerebellum
Authors: Futatsugi Akira , Ebisui Etsuko , Mikoshiba Katsuhiko
Published: February 2008

During postnatal development of the cerebellum, granule cell precursors (GCPs) proliferate in the external granular layer (EGL), exit the cell cycle, differentiate, and migrate from the EGL to the internal granular layer. In the present study, we report that type 2 and 3 inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate (IP3) receptors (IP3R2 and IP3R3) regulate the differentiation of GCPs after postnatal day 12 (P12). 5‐Bromodeoxyuridine labeling experiments revealed that in mutant mice lacking both of these receptors (double mutants) a greater number of GCPs remain undifferentiated after P12. Consequently, the EGL of the double mutants is thicker than that of control mice at this age and thereafter. In addition, granule cells remain in the EGL of the double mutants at P21, an age when migration has concluded in wild‐type mice. Whereas differentiation of GCPs was reduced in the double mutants, the absence of IP3R2 and IP3R3 did not affect the doubling time of GCPs. We conclude that intracellular calcium release via IP3R2s and IP3R3s promotes the differentiation of GCPs within a specific interval of postnatal development in the cerebellum.
Gene expression profiling in brain following acute systemic hypertonicity: novel genes possibly involved in osmoadaptation
Authors: Maallem Saïd , Wierinckx Anne , Lachuer Joel , Kwon Moo H. , Tappaz Marcel L.
Published: February 2008

In brain osmoprotective genes known to be involved in cellular osmoadaptation to hypertonicity, as well as the related transcription factor tonicity‐responsive enhancer binding protein (TonEBP) are only expressed in some cell subsets. In the search for other genes possibly involved in osmoadaptation of brain cells we have analyzed, through microarray, the transcriptional profile of forebrain from rats subjected to 45 min, 90 min, and 6 h systemic hypertonicity. Microarray data were validated by quantitative real‐time PCR. Around 23 000 genes gave a reliable hybridization signal. The number of genes showing a higher expression increased from around 15 (45 min) up to nearly 200 (6 h). Among about 30 immediate early genes (IEGs) encoding transcription factors, only Atf3, Verge, and Klf4 showed a rapid increased expression. TonEBP‐mRNA tissue level and TonEBP‐mRNA labeling in neurons remained unchanged whereas TonEBP labeling was rapidly increased in neurons. Sodium‐dependent neutral amino acid transporter‐2 (SNAT2) encoded by gene Slc38a2 showed a delayed increased expression. The rapid tonicity‐induced activation of Atf3, Verge, and Klf4 may regulate genes involved in osmoadaptation. Nfat5 encoding TonEBP is not an IEG and the early tonicity‐induced expression of TonEBP in neurons may result from translational activation. Increased expression of sodium‐dependent neutral amino‐acid transporter 2 may lead to the cellular accumulation of amino acids for adaptation to hypertonicity.
The inflammatory cytokine, interleukin‐1 beta, mediates loss of astroglial glutamate transport and drives excitotoxic motor neuron injury in the spinal cord during acute viral encephalomyelitis
Authors: Prow Natalie A. , Irani David N.
Published: February 2008

Astrocytes remove glutamate from the synaptic cleft via specific transporters, and impaired glutamate reuptake may promote excitotoxic neuronal injury. In a model of viral encephalomyelitis caused by neuroadapted Sindbis virus (NSV), mice develop acute paralysis and spinal motor neuron degeneration inhibited by the AMPA receptor antagonist, NBQX. To investigate disrupted glutamate homeostasis in the spinal cord, expression of the main astroglial glutamate transporter, GLT‐1, was examined. GLT‐1 levels declined in the spinal cord during acute infection while GFAP expression was preserved. There was simultaneous production of inflammatory cytokines at this site, and susceptible animals treated with drugs that blocked IL‐1β release also limited paralysis and prevented the loss of GLT‐1 expression. Conversely, infection of resistant mice that develop mild paralysis following NSV challenge showed higher baseline GLT‐1 levels as well as lower production of IL‐1β and relatively preserved GLT‐1 expression in the spinal cord compared to susceptible hosts. Finally, spinal cord GLT‐1 expression was largely maintained following infection of IL‐1β‐deficient animals. Together, these data show that IL‐1β inhibits astrocyte glutamate transport in the spinal cord during viral encephalomyelitis. They provide one of the strongest in vivo links between innate immune responses and the development of excitotoxicity demonstrated to date.
Use of imiquimod 5% cream (Aldara™) in cats with multicentric squamous cell carcinoma in situ: 12 cases (2002–2005)*
Authors: Gill V. L. , Bergman P. J. , Baer K. E. , Craft D. , Leung C.
Published: February 2008

Multicentric squamous cell carcinoma in situ (MSCCIS) is a variant of squamous cell carcinoma in cats, commonly referred to as Bowen’s‐like disease. Imiquimod 5% cream (Aldara™) is a novel immune response modifier (IRM) that has been reported as a successful treatment for Bowen’s disease in humans. The purpose of this study was to describe clinical findings, treatment protocols and survival in cats with MSCCIS treated with imiquimod 5% cream and to examine the effects of imiquimod 5% cream in cats with MSCCIS. The expression of papillomavirus group‐specific antigen in the study population was also determined. From review of medical records, 12 cats were identified with a histologic diagnosis of MSCCIS and treatment with imiquimod 5% cream. Initial lesions responded to imiquimod 5% cream in all cats. Most cats (75%) developed new lesions. New lesions also responded to imiquimod 5% cream in all cats treated. Five cats (41%) had side effects suspected to be associated with the use of imiquimod 5% cream, including local erythema (25%), increased liver enzymes and neutropenia (8%), and partial anorexia and vomiting (8%). Kaplan–Meier median treatment duration and median survival time probabilities for cats in this study were 1189 days, respectively. A time to failure model was generated as many cats were censored from analysis well before the aforementioned projected median. This model resulted in a shorter median survival time of 243 days. No patient‐related, tumour‐related or treatment‐related prognostic variables were identified. No expression for papilloma group‐specific antigen was found. Imiquimod 5% cream appears to be well tolerated in the majority of cats, and further studies are warranted to further examine its usefulness in cats with this disease.
The Necessity of Studio Art as a Site and Source for Dissertation Research
Authors: Baxter Kristin , Ortega López Hugo , Serig Dan , Sullivan Graeme
Published: February 2008

The issue raised by the authors in this article question why studio art continues to be ignored as a site and source for research in art education. The necessity of the field to be able to participate within the research community in addressing cultural, social, educational and political concerns is acknowledged. It is argued, however, that the exclusive use of methods of inquiry that align with the conventions of social science research has been done at the expense of fully appreciating the capacity of artistic research undertaken in studio contexts. This tendency is especially prevalent in doctoral research in higher education. Three accounts of dissertation research are given that incorporate studio activity as a central agency of inquiry in conceptualising and theorising issues. Each highlights the capacity of art practice to reveal insights that are a consequence of what the researcher did in the studio setting as issues, ideas and interpretive stances emerged, and problems were re‐conceptualised. What is different in these accounts from more mainstream approaches to research is the readiness to accept that constructing new knowledge is a creative and critical process.
Navigating a Way through Plurality and Social Responsibility
Authors: Gall David A.
Published: February 2008

Teachers need to have a clearer understanding of the dynamic process effecting change in culture and identity if they are to overcome fears about teaching diversity. This article draws on Eastern and Western insights on culture to clarify its dynamic process. In particular, teachers need to be aware of the two phases of culture: in one it appears as an organic integrity that suffers violence when any aspect of it is changed, removed or replaced; in the other it appears as a mechanical assemblage of parts momentarily caught in a particular relationship, comfortable with change. Each moment requires appropriate curriculum planning and pedagogical practice. Crucial to achieving that end is keeping the two phases distinct while exploring and exposing their relationship in culture and identity transformation. This will help a great deal to alleviate teachers’fears about teaching diversity or multiculturalism.
From Obstacle to Growth Dewey's Legacy of Experience‐Based Art Education
Authors: Van Moer Eva , De Mette Tom , Elias Willem
Published: February 2008

In the last decades theories that emphasise visitors’experience as the key element in the process of meaning‐making have influenced art education in museums considerably. However, there is remarkably little evidence in practice that museums shape their exhibits and educational tools by the actual experiences of visitors. Because museum education is still too much knowledge‐based, people often do not come to understanding or engagement of thinking. This article demonstrates this inconsistency and its consequences based on visitors’conversations during a museum visit while looking at contemporary art. In order to engage visitors into their own thinking and create lasting experiences, the article also investigates Dewey's ideas about experienced‐based education and inquiry learning. The study especially shows that experiences felt as obstacles for interpretation are extremely suitable to stimulate, deepen and improve visitors’engagement in the inquiry cycle.
The Use of Projective Drawings to Determine Visual Themes in Young Kuwaiti Women Impacted by the Iraqi Invasion
Authors: Pepin‐Wakefield Yvonne
Published: February 2008

This study is part of a larger qualitative research project which examines visual imagery created through projective art tasks undertaken by young Kuwaiti women who were resident in Kuwait during the 1990 Saddam‐Hussein‐led Iraqi invasion of their country. The purpose of this article is to present evidence from the study as it is evolving. This study uses projective drawing tasks to elicit and examine the mental schema (i.e. colours, images and symbols [CIS]) of women between the ages of 20 and 22, who lived in Kuwait during the invasion. Piaget's model of the preoperational stage of childhood development is referred to when connecting nonverbal cognitive structures associated with the projective drawing tasks. The focus of this study was to determine if CIS themes could be generated through projective drawing tasks by individuals who had experienced a similar traumatic event. Visual data collected during research sessions bore this out. While thematic CIS did occur, further interpretation of the visual data was not a goal of the study.
Craft‐Art as a Basis for Human Activity
Authors: Karppinen Seija
Published: February 2008

This article based on my doctoral thesis examines the Basic Arts Education system in Finland, focusing on Basic Crafts Education and its description through action concepts. The main task of the study was to create a concept model. In the first part of the study a concept map was created from the practice of Basic Crafts Education. The aim of the second part of the study was to specify the concept map and to ground a concept model, which describes the reality of Basic Crafts Education. Basic Crafts Education, which I define as craft‐art, is examined from the viewpoints of art education, socio‐cultural education and education for the future. In addition, craft‐art is explored as a basic human activity as defined by the philosopher and theorist Hannah Arendt.

In the study the Delphi Expert Method was used and carried out through question rounds by email. The empirical data consists of expert knowledge where experts represent different crafts fields and areas in Basic Crafts Education such as pedagogy, education and administration.
The Intertextual Method for Art Education Applied in Japanese Paper Theatre—a Study on Discovering Intercultural Differences
Authors: Paatela‐Nieminen Martina
Published: February 2008

In art education we need methods for studying works of art and visual culture interculturally because there are many multicultural art classes and little consensus as to how to interpret art in different cultures. In this article my central aim was to apply the intertextual method that I developed in my doctoral thesis for Western art education to explore whether the method would also work from a non‐Western point of view. My hypothesis was that it is possible to find local and global differences that arise from selected texts and study them interculturally. As postmodernism calls attention to marginal areas, I applied my method to a form of visual culture that is not well known in the European art education context, the Japanese kamishibai which can be translated as Japanese paper theatre.

Based on the results, my study will propose a method for understanding visual culture and the multiple relations ‐ local and global ‐ between different cultures. Japanese paper theatre also offers an interesting potential for using visual and verbal stories in the theory and practice of art education.
Postcolonialism and the Study of the Middle Ages
Authors: Altschul Nadia R.
Published: February 2008

This article focuses on the use of postcolonial criticism in the study of the European Middle Ages. It concentrates on two issues critiqued in particular by historians: anachronism and applicability. The article is thus structured around two questions: Why should medievalists explore contemporary postcolonial issues instead of strictly medieval ones? And why should the tools of postcolonial theory be considered applicable to medieval societies and times?
Simulating Massachusetts Municipalities' Recession Readiness: Early Warning of a Perfect Storm?
Authors: SNOW DOUGLAS , GIANAKIS GERASIMOS , FORTESS ERIC
Published: February 2008

We simulate effects of two recessions on Massachusetts municipalities in light of their relative dependence on state aid, capacity to increase property taxes under Proposition 2½ constraints, growth, and nondiscretionary costs. We also explore the efficacy of local government stabilization funds in light of current literature on stabilization funds, slack resources in general, and the state–local fiscal relationship. We found substantial variance in Massachusetts municipalities' recession readiness. Fifty‐five (16 percent) municipalities have insufficient resources to weather a severe recession scenario without significant sacrifice due to reliance on state grants‐in‐aid, low property tax revenue growth, erosion of property tax revenue increments by increases in nondiscretionary expenditures, and inadequate stabilization funds.
Effects of Outsourcing on Performance Measurement and Reporting: The Experience of Italian Local Governments
Authors: GROSSI GIUSEPPE , MUSSARI RICCARDO
Published: February 2008

Much has changed over the past few years regarding the financial and nonfinancial information Italian Local Governments (LGs) publish even as a consequence of the process of externalization of local public services. This paper is aimed at describing the causes and the effects of the administrative reform process that interested Italian LGs and at identifying the possible different dimensions of LG performance. In particular, this paper distinguishes among performance achieved by LGs strictu sensu (general performance), performance attained by the municipal group (group performance), and performance achieved by all other producers of local public services (global performance). The group and global dimensions of performance are briefly discussed, as well as the tools used to measure them.
A Comprehensive Model of Determinants of Property Tax Assessment Quality: Evidence in New York State
Authors: EOM TAE HO
Published: February 2008

This study proposes and examines a comprehensive model for the determinants of property tax assessment quality. In addition to providing evidence in support of reform of property tax administration by institutionalizing the full market value standard, a specific revaluation cycle, and county or statewide assessment functions, this study examines the impact of the monitoring pressure of residents on the quality of assessment. The empirical results reveal that the median tax share, the median property value as a share of median income, the ratio of state aid to total expenditures, and the share of adults with college or higher education have significant impacts on the quality of property tax assessment.
Reducing Government Involvement in a Market: Lessons from the Privatization of Sallie Mae
Authors: STANTON THOMAS H.
Published: February 2008

Government intervention shapes institutions and markets; even when government seeks to reduce its involvement, it must protect against resulting market distortions. Government provided substantial benefits to Sallie Mae as a government‐sponsored enterprise (GSE). Giving up GSE status allowed Sallie Mae to expand the scope of its financial services beyond restrictions of its GSE charter. Benefits of GSE status led to scale economies and low cost structure that now propel the company's dominance and growth as a non‐GSE. Lessons from Sallie Mae apply to removal of GSE status from other GSEs and to restructuring and deregulation in other economic sectors.
Ingestion without Inactivation of Bacteriophages by Tetrahymena
Authors: AKUNYILI AGNES A. , ALFATLAWI MIAAD , UPADHYAYA BANDANA , RHOADS LAURA S. , EICHELBERGER HENRY , VAN BELL CRAIG T.
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACT. Tetrahymena has been shown to ingest and inactivate bacteriophages, such as T4, in co‐incubation experiments. In this study, Tetrahymena thermophila failed to inactivate phages ΦX174 and MS2 in co‐incubations, although ΦX174 were ingested by T. thermophila, as demonstrated by: (1) recovery at defecation in a pulse‐chase experiment, (2) recovery from Tetrahymena by detergent lysis, and (3) transmission electron microscopy. We conclude, therefore, that the phages must be digestion‐resistant. Internalized ΦX174 were further shown to be partially protected from lethal damage by ultraviolet (UV) C and UVB irradiation. Finally, ingested ΦX174 were shown to be rapidly transported through buffer in a horizontal swimming, race tube‐like assay. The transport and protection of phages may confer evolutionary advantages that explain the acquisition of digestion‐resistance by some phages.
Peroxisome Proliferation in Foraminifera Inhabiting the Chemocline: An Adaptation to Reactive Oxygen Species Exposure?1
Authors: BERNHARD JOAN M. , BOWSER SAMUEL S.
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACT. Certain foraminiferal species are abundant within the chemocline of marine sediments. Ultrastructurally, most of these species possess numerous peroxisomes complexed with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER); mitochondria are often interspersed among these complexes. In the Santa Barbara Basin, pore‐water bathing Foraminifera and co‐occurring sulfur‐oxidizing microbial mats had micromolar levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), a reactive oxygen species that can be detrimental to biological membranes. Experimental results indicate that adenosine triphosphate concentrations are significantly higher in Foraminifera incubated in 16 μM H2O2 than in specimens incubated in the absence of H2O2. New ultrastructural and experimental observations, together with published results, lead us to propose that foraminiferans can utilize oxygen derived from the breakdown of environmentally and metabolically produced H2O2. Such a capability could explain foraminiferal adaptation to certain chemically inhospitable environments; it would also force us to reassess the role of protists in biogeochemistry, especially with respect to hydrogen and iron. The ecology of these protists also appears to be tightly linked to the sulfur cycle. Finally, given that some Foraminifera bearing peroxisome–ER complexes belong to evolutionarily basal groups, an early acquisition of the capability to use environmental H2O2 could have facilitated diversification of foraminiferans during the Neoproterozoic.
Exploring Ocean Biogeochemistry by Single‐Cell Microprobe Analysis of Protist Elemental Composition1
Authors: TWINING BENJAMIN S. , BAINES STEPHEN B. , VOGT STEFAN , De JONGE MARTIN D.
Published: February 2008

ABSTRACT. The biogeochemical cycles of many elements in the ocean are linked by their simultaneous incorporation into protists. In order to understand these elemental interactions and their implications for global biogeochemical cycles, accurate measures of cellular element stoichiometries are needed. Bulk analysis of size‐fractionated particulate material obscures the unique biogeochemical roles of different functional groups such as diatoms, calcifying protists, and diazotrophs. Elemental analysis of individual protist cells can be performed using electron, proton, and synchrotron X‐ray microprobes. Here we review the capabilities and limitations of each approach and the application of these advanced techniques to cells collected from natural communities. Particular attention is paid to recent studies of plankton biogeochemistry in low‐iron waters of the Southern Ocean. Single‐cell analyses have revealed significant inter‐taxa differences in phosphorus, iron, and nickel quotas. Differences in the response of autotrophs and heterotrophs to iron fertilization were also observed. Two‐dimensional sub‐cellular mapping indicates the importance of iron to photosynthetic machinery and of zinc to nuclear organelles. Observed changes in diatom silicification and cytoplasm content following iron fertilization modify our understanding of the relationship between iron availability and silicification. These examples demonstrate the advantages of studying ocean biogeochemistry at the level of individual cells.
Inequalities in access to education and healthcare
Authors: Nunn J. , Freeman R. , Anderson E. , Carneiro L. C. , Carneiro M. S. A. , Formicola A. , Frezel R. , Kayitenkore J. , Luhanga C. , Molina G. , Morio I. , Nartey N. O. , Ngom P. I. , De Lima Navarro M. F. , Segura A. , Oliver S. , Thompson S. , Wandera M. , Yazdanie N.
Published: February 2008

The burden of disease is borne by those who suffer as patients but also by society at large, including health service providers. That burden is felt most severely in parts of the world where there is no infrastructure, or foreseeable prospects of any, to change the status quo without external support. Poverty, disease and inequality pervade all the activities of daily living in low‐income regions and are inextricably linked. External interventions may not be the most appropriate way to impact on this positively in all circumstances, but targeted programmes to build social capital, within and by countries, are more likely to be sustainable. By these means, basic oral healthcare, underpinned by the primary healthcare approach, can be delivered to more equitably address needs and demands. Education is fundamental to building knowledge‐based economies but is often lacking in such regions even at primary and secondary level. Provision of private education at tertiary level may also introduce its own inequities. Access to distance learning and community‐based practice opens opportunities and is more likely to encourage graduates to work in similar areas. Recruitment of faculty from minority groups provides role models for students from similar backgrounds but all faculty staff must be involved in supporting and mentoring students from marginalized groups to ensure their retention. The developed world has to act responsibly in two crucial areas: first, not to exacerbate the shortage of skilled educators and healthcare workers in emerging economies by recruiting their staff; second, they must offer educational opportunities at an economic rate. Governments need to lead on developing initiatives to attract, support and retain a competent workforce.
Adapting to changes in molecular biosciences and technologies
Authors: Ford P. , Seymour G. , Beeley J. A. , Curro F. , DePaola D. , Ferguson D. , Finkelstein M. , Gaengler P. , Neo J. , Niessen L. , Oktay I. , Park B. K. , Wolowski A. , Claffey N.
Published: February 2008

Dental education, like any other educational programme in a research‐intensive university environment, must be research led or at least research informed. In this context, as the research and knowledge base of dentistry lies in the biological and physical sciences, dental education must be led by advances in research in both these areas. There is no doubt that biotechnology and nanotechnology have, over the past 25 years, led research in both these areas. It is therefore logical to assume that this has also impacted on dental education. The aim of this paper is twofold; on one hand to examine the effects of biotechnology and nanotechnology and their implications for dental education and on the other to make recommendations for future developments in dental education led by research in biotechnology and nanotechnology. It is now generally accepted that dental education should be socially and culturally relevant and directed to the community it serves. In other words, there can be no universal approach and each dental school or indeed curriculum must apply the outcomes in their own social, cultural and community settings.
Quality assurance, benchmarking, assessment and mutual international recognition of qualifications
Authors: Hobson R. , Rolland S. , Rotgans J. , Schoonheim‐Klein M. , Best H. , Chomyszyn‐Gajewska M. , Dymock D. , Essop R. , Hupp J. , Kundzina R. , Love R. , Memon R. A. , Moola M. , Neumann L. , Ozden N. , Roth K. , Samwel P. , Villavicencio J. , Wright P. , Harzer W.
Published: February 2008

The aim of this report is to provide guidance to assist in the international convergence of quality assurance, benchmarking and assessment systems to improve dental education. Proposals are developed for mutual recognition of qualifications, to aid international movement and exchange of staff and students including and supporting developing countries. Quality assurance is the responsibility of all staff involved in dental education and involves three levels: internal, institutional and external. Benchmarking information provides a subject framework. Benchmarks are useful for a variety of purposes including design and validation of programmes, examination and review; they can also strengthen the accreditation process undertaken by professional and statutory bodies. Benchmark information can be used by institutions as part of their programme approval process, to set degree standards. The standards should be developed by the dental academic community through formal groups of experts. Assessment outcomes of student learning are a measure of the quality of the learning programme. The goal of an effective assessment strategy should be that it provides the starting point for students to adopt a positive approach to effective and competent practice, reflective and lifelong learning. All assessment methods should be evidence based or based upon research. Mutual recognition of professional qualifications means that qualifications gained in one country (the home country) are recognized in another country (the host country). It empowers movement of skilled workers, which can help resolve skills shortages within participating countries. These proposals are not intended to be either exhaustive or prescriptive; they are purely for guidance and derived from the identification of what is perceived to be ‘best practice’.
Profile of the dentist in the oral healthcare team in countries with developed economies
Authors: Sanz M. , Treasure E. , Dijk W. van , Feldman C. , Groeneveld H. , Kellett M. , Pazdera J. , Rouse L. , Sae‐Lim V. , Seth‐Smith A. , Yen E. , Zarkowski P.
Published: February 2008

This paper confines itself to the description of the profile of a general dentist while outlining where the boundary between specialist and generalist may lie. The profile must reflect the need to recognize that oral health is part of general health. The epidemiological trends and disease variation of a country should inform the profile of the dentist. A particular tension between the provision of oral healthcare in publicly funded and private services may result in dentists practicing dentistry in different ways. However, the curriculum should equip the practitioner for either scenario. A dentist should work to standards appropriate to the needs of the individual and the population within the country’s legal and ethical framework. He/she should have communication skills appropriate to ascertain the patient’s beliefs and values. A dentist should work within the principles of equity and diversity and have the knowledge and clinical competence for independent general practice, including knowledge of health promotion and prevention. He/she should participate in life‐long learning, which should result in a reflective practitioner whose clinical skills reflect the current evidence base, scientific breakthroughs and needs of their patients. Within the 4–5 years of a dental degree it is not possible for a student to achieve proficiency in all areas of dentistry. He/she needs to have the ability to know their own limitations and to access appropriate specialist advice for their patients while taking responsibility for the oral healthcare they provide. The dentist has the role of leader of the oral health team and, in this capacity; he/she is responsible for diagnosis, treatment planning and the quality control of the oral treatment. The dental student on graduation must therefore understand the principles and techniques which enable the dentist to act in this role. He/she should have the abilities to communicate, delegate and collaborate both within the dental team and with other health professionals, to the benefit of the patient. The profile of a dentist should encompass the points raised but will also be based upon competency lists which are published by a variety of countries and organizations. It is important that these lists are dynamic so that they are able to change in light of new evidence and technologies.
Profile of the oral healthcare team in countries with emerging economies
Authors: Nash D. , Ruotoistenmäki J. , Argentieri A. , Barna S. , Behbehani J. , Berthold P. , Catalanotto F. , Chidzonga M. , Goldblatt L. , Jaafar N. , Kikwilu E. , Konoo T. , Kouzmina E. , Lindh C. , Mathu‐Muju K. , Mumghamba E. , Nik Hussein N. , Phantumvanit P. , Runnel R. , Shaw H. , Forna N. , Orliaguet T. , Honkala E.
Published: February 2008

Health is a critical dimension of human well‐being and flourishing, and oral health is an integral component of health: one is not healthy without oral health. Significant barriers exist to ensuring the world’s people receive basic healthcare, including oral healthcare. Amongst these are poverty, ignorance, inadequate financial resources and lack of adequate numbers of educated and trained (oral) healthcare workers. Emerging economies are encouraged to develop a national strategic plan for oral health. International organizations have developed goals for oral health that can be referenced and adapted by emerging economies as they seek to formulate specific objectives for their countries. Demographic data that assess the nature and extent of oral diseases in a country are essential to sound planning and the development of an oral healthcare system that is relevant, effective and economically viable. Prevention should be emphasized and priority consideration be given to oral healthcare for children.

The types and numbers of members of the oral healthcare team (workforce) will vary from country to country depending on the system developed. Potential members of the workforce include: generalist dentists, specialist dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists, denturists, expanded function dental assistants (dental nurses) and community oral health workers/aides. Competences for dentists, and other members of the team, should be developed to ensure quality care and developed economies should cooperate with emerging economies. The development, by more advanced economies, of digital, virtual curricula, which could be used by emerging economies for educating and training members of the oral healthcare team, should be an important initiative. The International Federation of Dental Educators and Associations (IFDEA) should lead in such an effort.
Leadership, governance and management in dental education – new societal challenges
Authors: Townsend G. , Thomas R. , Skinner V. , Bissell V. , Cohen L. , Cowpe J. , Giuliani M. , Gomez‐Roman G. , Hovland E. , Imtiaz A. , Kalkwarf K. , Kim K.‐K. , Lamster I. , Marley J. , Mattsson L. , Paganelli C. , Quintao C. , Swift J. , Thirawat J. , Williams J. , Soekanto S. , Jones M.
Published: February 2008

Dental schools around the world face new challenges that raise issues with regard to how they are governed, led and managed. With rapid societal changes, including globalization and consumerism, the roles of universities and their funding have become intensely debated topics. When financial burdens on universities increase, so does the pressure on dental schools. This is exacerbated by the relative expense of running dental schools and also by the limited understanding of both university managers and the public of the nature and scope of dentistry as a profession. In these circumstances, it is essential for dental schools to have good systems of leadership and management in place so that they can not only survive in difficult times, but flourish in the longer term. This paper discusses the concept of governance and how it relates to leadership, management and administration in dental schools and hospitals. Various approaches to governance and management in dental schools on different continents and regions are summarized and contrasted. A number of general governance and leadership issues are addressed. For example, a basic principle supported by the Working Group is that an effective governance structure must link authority and responsibility to performance and review, i.e. accountability, and that the mechanism for achieving this should be transparent. The paper also addresses issues specific to governing, leading and managing dental schools. Being a dean of a modern dental school is a very demanding role and some issues relating to this role are raised, including: dilemmas facing deans, preparing to be dean and succession planning. The importance of establishing a shared vision and mission, and creating the right culture and climate within a dental school, are emphasized. The Working Group advocates establishing a culture of scholarship in dental schools for both teaching and research. The paper addresses the need for effective staff management, motivation and development, and highlights the salience of good communication. The Working Group suggests establishing an advisory board to the dean and school, including lay persons and other external stakeholders, as one way of separating governance and management to some extent and providing some checks and balances within a dental school. Several other suggestions and recommendations are made about governance, management and leadership issues, including the need for schools to promote an awareness of their roles by good communication and thereby influence perceptions of others about their roles and values.
Why Didn't Jesus Write a Book?
Authors: Armitage J. Mark
Published: February 2008

In Summa Theologiae III.42.4 Aquinas asks whether or not Christ should have committed his teaching to writing, and in this article I offer an in-depth analysis of his answer. I begin with a point-by-point account of III.41.4, noting that Aquinas's concerns are with salvation-history rather than with questions of the practicalities of preaching and theologizing or with problems of hermeneutics. Drawing on other parts of the Summa, I then examine the three principal reasons why, according to Aquinas, Jesus should not have committed his teaching to writing – his excellence as a teacher, the excellence of his teaching, and the requirement that his teaching should be disseminated in an orderly manner. Observing that for Aquinas ‘Christ's action is our instruction’, I show how his actio operates as both mystery and teaching to implant the New Law within human hearts. Jeremiah 31:31–33 and Hebrews 8:8,10 are key texts for Aquinas, who believes that the promise that the New Law would be written on hearts could never have been fulfilled had Christ committed his teaching to writing.
Archi-Liturgical Culture Wars
Authors: Nichols Aidan
Published: February 2008

From a comparison of the much-discussed and supposedly epoch-making Neo-Modernist ‘Jubilee church’ in Rome and a new study of John Ninian Comper's church architecture, the article enquires into theologically informed principles of church design and in their light considers some crucial elements in the symbolics of ecclesial space, notably altar, screen, communion rails and tabernacle.