bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ambulatory blood glucose measurement, dietary composition and physical activity levels in otherwise healthy women reporting symptoms that they attribute to hypoglycaemia
Authors: Simpson Elizabeth J. , Holdsworth Michelle , Macdonald Ian A.
Published: May 2006

Reactive hypoglycaemia (RH) is a condition that has been popularised in the media and lay literature, particularly that targeting women, over the past 30 years. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether a non-patient group reporting symptoms that they attributed to a low blood glucose level would demonstrate biochemical hypoglycaemia when symptomatic and whether their habitual diet and activity level differed from those of controls. Thirty non-obese, healthy women (aged 19–45 years) reporting symptoms more than once a week that they attributed to hypoglycaemia (RH group), and eighteen controls, measured their finger-prick blood glucose level 3h after breakfast and lunch, and recorded their diet and activity daily for 7d. The RH group also measured their blood glucose when symptoms were being experienced. Symptoms less than 4h after eating were classed as postprandial. The mean postprandial blood glucose level in the RH group when asymptomatic (4·66 (sem 0·08) mmol/l) was significantly lower than that of controls (5·05 (sem 0·11) mmol/l; P<0·01). Symptoms occurred 2·6 (sem 0·13) h after eating, at a lower blood glucose level (4·18 (sem 0·10) mmol/l; P<0·001) than when the women were asymptomatic. On symptomatic days, the RH group were more physically active than the controls (1·64 (sem 0·04) v. 1·50 (sem 0·03) multiples of resting energyexpenditure; P<0·05), with a lower energy intake (7901 (sem 311) et al.. 9332 (sem 227) kJ; P<0·001). In conclusion, subjects reporting symptoms they associated with hypoglycaemia generally did not demonstrate biochemical hypoglycaemia but did have significantly lower blood glucose levels than controls. Higher physical activity and a failure to match energy intake to estimated energy requirement may be important in the aetiology of symptoms.
Antioxidant activity of vitamin B6 delays homocysteine-induced atherosclerosis in rats
Authors: Endo Naoko , Nishiyama Kazuo , Otsuka Akira , Kanouchi Hiroaki , Taga Masaki , Oka Tatsuzo
Published: May 2006

Elevated plasma homocysteine is a risk factor for atherosclerotic disease. In the present study, we have examined whether the oxidative stress due to a low level of vitamin B6 accelerates the development of homocysteine-induced atherosclerosis in rats. First, the effect of homocysteine thiolactone intake (50mg/kgperd) on vascular integrity, lipid peroxide concentration, endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) expression and biochemical profiles was examined at day 1, day 21 and day 42 (five rats per group). The histochemical staining ofthe rat aorta showed no change at day 1 and day 21, but the subendothelial space was observed to be enlarged in rat aorta at day 42 with exposure to homocysteine thiolactone. Expression of eNOS was observed in rat aorta at day 42, but not at day 1 and day 21. Serum lipid peroxide concentration and biochemical profiles including glucose cholesterol and triacylglycerol showed no change at any day. Second, the effect of homocysteine thiolactone intake in the presence and absence of vitamin B6 on vascular integrity was examined at day 1 and day 14 (five rats per group). Aortic lesions were observed in vitamin B6-deficient rat aorta at day 14 but not in vitamin B6-supplemented rats. The expression of eNOS was also observedin vitamin B6-deficient rat aorta at day 14. Serum lipid concentrations of the vitamin B6-deficient group significantly increased compared with concentrations of the vitamin B6-supplemented group, though serum concentration of homocysteine did not change between both groups. These results suggest that the oxidative stress caused by a low level of vitamin B6 accelerates the development of homocysteine-induced atherosclerosis in rats.
Dietary fructo-oligosaccharides in healthy adults do not negatively affect faecal cytotoxicity: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial
Authors: Scholtens Petra A. M. J. , Alles Martine S. , Willemsen Linette E. M. , van den Braak Claudia , Bindels Jacques G. , Boehm Günther , Govers Mirjam J. A. P.
Published: May 2006

Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) are widely used in commercial food products. Most studies on FOS concern the health benefits, but some negative effects were recently reported concerning thefaecal cytotoxicity and excretion of mucin-type oligosaccharides in combination with a Ca-restricted diet. The present study was performed to investigate whether these effects of FOS are observed in adults consuming a regular diet unrestricted in Ca. The study was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial, involving eleven healthy adults, who consumed 25–30g FOS or maltodextrin (control) in a random order for 2 weeks in addition to their regular diet. Stools were collected for analysis of pH and SCFA (as markers of fermentation), for the assessment of faecal water cytotoxicity, and for the analysis of alkaline phosphataseactivity (as a marker of epithelial cell turnover) andO-linked oligosaccharides (to estimate the excretion of mucin-type oligosaccharides). FOS consumption significantly altered bacterial fermentation (increased percentage of acetate, decreased percentage of butyrate) and tended to decrease stool pH. Furthermore, FOS consumption resulted in a significantly higher stool frequency and in significantly more complaints of flatulence. No significant differences between the control and FOS period were observed in the mean cytotoxicity of faecal water (37·5 (sem 6·9) % v. 18·5 (sem 6·9) % P=0·084), in mean alkaline phosphatase activity (27·7 (sem 2·9) v. 24·6 (sem 3·2) U/g dry faeces; P=0·496) or in the mean excretion of mucin-type oligosaccharides (49·9 (sem 4·0)v. 53·5 (sem 4·3) mg/g dry faeces; P=0·553). We conclude that dietary FOS in a dose up to 25–30g/d altered the bacterial fermentation pattern but did not affect faecal cytotoxicity or the faecal concentration of mucin-type oligosaccharides in human adults consuming a regular diet.
Nutritional evaluation of protein, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium bioavailability from lupin (Lupinus albus var. multolupa)-based diets in growing rats: effect of α-galactoside oligosaccharide extraction and phytase supplementation
Authors: Porres Jesús M. , Aranda Pilar , López-Jurado María , Urbano Gloria
Published: May 2006

The nutritional composition of the legumeLupinus albusvar.multolupa, raw or after α-galactoside extraction, and its effect on the bioavailability of protein, P, Ca, and Mg by growing rats wasevaluated using a balance technique. The protein and dietary fibre content of the lupin floursstudied was high, and 89–94% of the dietary fibre was present as insoluble dietary fibre. The α-galactoside extraction process did not disrupt the nutritional quality of protein, and the digestive and metabolic utilisation of this nutrient was high and comparable with that obtained from a casein–cystine control diet (pair-fed to the average daily food intake of the experimental groups fed the different lupin diets). Bioavailability of P, Ca, and Mg from the lupin diets tested was high, and supplementation of an exogenous microbial phytase (750 phytase units/kg) did not cause any further improvement. Mineral content in the bone tissue (femur and sternum) did not correlate to mineral balance, which, on the other hand, was related to the mineral content of other tissues such as blood, plasma, liver and kidney. Due to its ability to grow under adverse edaphic and climatic conditions and to its good nutritional quality, α-galactoside-free lupin flour supplemented with the required amounts of minerals and vitamins to meet nutrient requirements can be used as an excellent dietary source for the preparation of dietetic products.
Effect of processed and fermented soyabeans on net absorption in enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli-infected piglet small intestine
Authors: Kiers Jeroen L. , Nout M.J. Robert , Rombouts Frans M. , van Andel Esther E. , Nabuurs Marius J.A. , van der Meulen Jan
Published: May 2006

Infectious diarrhoea is a major problem in both children and piglets. Infection of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) results in fluid secretion and electrolyte losses in the small intestine. In the present study the effect of processed and fermented soyabean products on net absorption during ETEC infection was investigated. Soyabean was processed into an autoclaved, a cooked and a mould-fermented (tempeh) product. The soyabean products were pre-digested and the effect of the products on net absorption in the small intestineof piglets was studied. Pairs of small-intestinal segments, one non-infected and the other ETEC-infected, were perfused simultaneously with the different products during 8h. Net absorption of fluid, DM, Na, chloride, K and total solutes was determined. Net fluid absorption washighest for cooked soyabean followed by autoclaved soyabean and tempeh as a result of the osmolality of these products. In ETEC-infected segments, cooked soyabean and tempeh showed minor fluid losses (27 (se 23) and 43 (se 20) μl/cm2, respectively) compared with the saline control (260 (se 23) μl/cm2). Tempeh resulted in a high uptake of solutes. Processed soyabean products, particularly cooked soyabean and tempeh, are beneficial in maintaining fluid balance during ETEC infection. Additionally, tempeh showed high DM and total solute absorption. Therefore, particularly, tempeh may bebeneficial in the case of post-weaning diarrhoeain piglets and possibly in children as well.
Tissue-specific regulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase gene expression by dietary soya protein isolate in rats
Authors: Xiao Chao Wu , Wood Carla , Huang Wenxin , Abbé Mary R.L' , Gilani G. Sarwar , Gerard M. Cooke , Curran Ivan
Published: May 2006

We have recently reported that intake of soya protein isolate (SPI) inhibited the DNA-binding activities of hepatic thyroid hormone receptor (TR). The genes for acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), a rate-limiting enzyme in fatty acid synthesis, contain the thyroid hormone response element in their promoters and are regulated by TR. The present study has examined the effect oflong-term feeding of SPI and soya isoflavones (ISF) on the gene expression and protein phosphorylation of different ACC isoforms in different tissues and plasma triacylglycerol (TAG) levels in rats. Sprague-Dawley female rats were fed diets containing 20% casein or alcohol-washed SPI with or without supplemental ISF for 70, 190 and 310d. SPI intake significantly reduced plasma TAG concentrations compared with casein, whereas supplemental ISF had no effect. Hepatic ACCα and ACCβ mRNA abundance and protein content were markedly lowerin the rats fed SPI than in those fed casein. The protein contents of ACCα in the kidneyand ACCβ, the predominant isoform in the heart and kidney, were unchanged by dietary SPI.The ratios of phospho-ACCα/ACCα and phospho-ACCβ/ACCβ were not differentamong dietary groups in all tissues measured. The present study demonstrates that ingestion ofSPI decreases plasma TAG level and down-regulates ACCα and ACCβ gene expression in the liver but not in the heart and kidney. The results indicate that the effect of SPI is tissue-specific and that alteration of ACC gene expression rather than phosphorylation status may play a major role in the regulation of ACC activities by soya proteins.
Serum phospholipid fatty acid pattern is associated with bone mineral density in children, but not adults, with cystic fibrosis
Authors: Gronowitz Eva , Mellström D , Strandvik B
Published: May 2006

Essential fatty acids (EFA) have proved to be important for normal bone mineral density (BMD) and bone growth in animal studies. Patients with cystic fibrosis often have low serum EFA levels, and low BMD has also been reported in patients with normal anthropometry. The aim of the present study was to analyse if BMD during a 2-year period was related to fatty acid status in patients with cystic fibrosis. Fifty-four patients, aged 6–33 years, were studied prospectively. BMD was measured with dual X-ray absorptiometry, and fatty acid concentrations in serum phospholipids were determined with capillary GLC. The cystic fibrosis patients showed low linoleic acid concentration and a high arachidonic acid (AA):DHA ratio in serum. The high eicosatrienoic acid:AA ratio, an indicator of EFA deficiency, increased further over 2 years, as did the total concentration of saturated fatty acids. In the adults there were no significant changes in fatty acids during the study. In the children, positive correlations were found between palmitic acid and bone mineral content in the lumbar spine and femoral neck. The lumbar spine BMDZscore correlated negatively with the AA:DHA ratio. No correlation was seen in adults except for a positive correlation between EFA deficiency index and the areas of lumbar spine and femoral neck. The present results imply that fatty-acid status influenced BMD in cystic fibrosis children, but not in adults, indicating that fatty-acid status wouldbe important for bone growth.
Influence of fish oil on ruminal biohydrogenation of C18 unsaturated fatty acids
Authors: Wąsowska I. , Maia M. R. G. , Niedźwiedzka K. M. , Czauderna M. , Ramalho Ribeiro J. M. C. , Devillard E. , Shingfield K. J. , Wallace R. J.
Published: May 2006

Dietarycis-9,trans-11-conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is generally thought to be beneficial for human health. Fish oil added to ruminant diets increases the CLA concentration of milk and meat, an increase thought to arise from alterations in ruminal biohydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acids. To investigate the mechanism for this effect,in vitroincubations were carried out with ruminal digesta and the main biohydrogenating ruminal bacterium,Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens. Linoleic acid (LA) or α-linolenic acid (LNA) was incubated (1·67g/l) with strained ruminal digesta from sheep receiving a 50:50 grass hay–concentrate ration. Adding fish oil (up to 4·17g/l) tended to decrease the initial rate of LA (P=0·025) and LNA (P=0·137) disappearance, decreased (P<0·05) the transient accumulation of conjugated isomers of both fatty acids, and increased (P<0·05) the accumulation oftrans-11-18:1. Concentrations of EPA (20:5n-3) or DHA (22:6n-3), the major fatty acids in fish oil, were low (100mg/l or less) after incubation of fish oil with ruminal digesta. Addition of EPA or DHA (50mg/l) to pure cultures inhibited the growth and isomerase activity ofB. fibrisolvens, while fish oil had no effect. In contrast, similar concentrations of EPA and DHA had no effect on biohydrogenation of LA by mixed digesta, while the addition of LA prevented metabolism of EPA and DHA. Neither EPA nor DHA was metabolised byB. fibrisolvensin pure culture. Thus, fish oil inhibits ruminal biohydrogenation by a mechanism which can be interpreted partly, but not entirely, in terms of its effects onB. fibrisolvens.
Transepithelial flux of early and advanced glycation compounds across Caco-2 cell monolayers and their interaction with intestinal amino acid and peptide transport systems
Authors: Grunwald Simone , Krause René , Bruch Mandy , Henle Thomas , Brandsch Matthias
Published: May 2006

Maillard products arise from condensation reactions between amino acids or proteins with reducing sugars during food processing. As ubiquitous components of human food, these early or advanced glycation products may be subject to intestinal absorption. The present study was performed to investigate the intestinal uptake of Maillard products and to determine whether they are substrates for peptide and amino acid transporters expressed at the apical membrane of Caco-2 cells. At a concentration of 10mm, Nɛ-(carboxymethyl)-L-lysine, Nα-hippuryl-Nɛ-(1-deoxy-d-fructosyl)-l-lysine,Nα-hippuryl-Nɛ-(carboxymethyl)-L-lysine and Nɛ-(1-deoxy-d-fructosyl)-l-lysine inhibited the [14C]glycylsarcosine uptake mediated by the H+–peptide co-transporter PEPT1 by 13 to 45%.For Nɛ-(1-deoxy-d-fructosyl)-l-lysine, an inhibitory constant of 8·7mm was determined, reflecting a low affinity to PEPT1 in comparison with natural dipeptides. Uptake of l-[3H]lysine was weakly affected by Nɛ-(carboxymethyl)-L-lysine, Nα-hippuryl-l-lysine and Nα-hippuryl-Nɛ-(carboxymethyl)-L-lysine but strongly inhibited by Nɛ-(1-deoxy-d-fructosyl)-l-lysine (81%). None of the Maillard products was able to inhibit the uptake of l-[3H]leucine by more than 15%. We also studied the transepithelial flux of Maillard productsacross Caco-2 cell monolayers cultured on permeable filters. The flux rates of Maillard products ranged from 0·01 to 0·3%/cm2 per h and were shown to be muchlower than those of carrier substrates such as glycylsarcosine, l-proline and the space marker 14C]mannitol. We conclude that the Maillard products investigated in the present study are neither transported by PEPT1 nor by carriers for neutral amino acids. The low transepithelial flux measured for these compounds most probably occurs by simple diffusion.
Observers' decision moment in deception detection experiments: Its impact on judgment, accuracy, and confidence
Authors: Masip Jaume , Garrido Eugenio , Herrero Carmen
Published: May 2006

Research into the nonverbal detection of deception has typically been conducted by asking observers to judge whether a number of videotaped statements are truthful or deceptive. In most cases, the behavioural segments used in this research have been very short. A typical result is that observers tend to judge the statements as truthful (truth bias). In the present experiment, observers watched a series of video clips showing senders answering three questions about an event that they had witnessed. Observers had to indicate whether each sender's statement was truthful or deceptive, their judgmental confidence, and when they had made their decision about the sender's credibility: during his or her first, second, or third answer. Competing predictions were made about the influence of the decision moment on the observers' judgments and accuracy. The results replicated most research findings reported in the US and North‐European literature, including the truth bias phenomenon. However, the proportion of judgments of truthfulness decreased as observers decided later, particularly for the deceptive statements. This yielded an increase in accuracy in judging deceptive accounts. These results are consistent with the idea that initial credibility judgments are made heuristically, either because there is not enough information available or because observers are in the first, automatic stage of current attribution and person perception models. Heuristic decision making may produce a high proportion of judgments of truthfulness. Later judgments would be made in a systematic manner. The truth bias detected in deception research may be caused by researchers having used very brief and uninformative behavioural samples. The moment when observers made their decision had only a marginal negative influence on confidence.
Origins and development of indigenous psychologies: An international analysis
Authors: Allwood Carl Martin , Berry John W.
Published: May 2006

This article examines the origin, development, and characteristics of the indigenous psychologies (IPs) initiated in various regions of the world. These IPs arose as a reaction to the mainstream version of psychology and seek to reflect the social, political, and cultural character of peoples around the world. Fifteen contributions from researchers from different parts of the world are presented, replying to four questions that were posed to them. A number of common themes were identified in the contributions. Post‐colonial reactions to mainstream psychology, and the belief that it was not an efficient aid to solving local social problems, were seen as important reasons for developing IPs. IPs were generally seen as attempts to produce a local psychology within a specific cultural context. Different views about what methods are legitimate in IPs were present (from experiments to various more “humanistic” methods). IPs were commonly seen as being able to open up, invigorate, and improve mainstream psychology. The style of theorizing in the IPs was felt by many to be to build theories from the “bottom up” on the basis of local phenomena, findings, and experiences. Some contributors saw the IP as a kind of cultural psychology, and a few noted that IP and cross‐cultural psychology have an interactive mutually enriching relationship. Nearly half of the contributors emphasized the critical reaction to their work on IP by colleagues working more in the line of mainstream psychology. Many contributors felt that IP could contribute to the development of a more general universal psychology. Different indications of heterogeneity in the IPs were found among the contributors, for example, with respect to the role given to religion in the local IP. Sometimes the presence of different IPs within the same country was reported. This also indicates heterogeneity in the IPs.
Moral face and social face: Contingent self‐esteem in Confucian society
Authors: Hwang Kwang‐Kuo
Published: May 2006

Three empirical studies related to the Chinese concept of face are reviewed to provide examples of the indigenous approach of Chinese psychology. Using the technique of paired comparison, the first study indicated that college students (who are preparing to enter the job market) feel that they “have face” most when they do well in their academic performance, followed by being morally upright. Retirees (who have withdrawn from the workplace) feel that they “have face” most when their children are morally upright and successful in their careers. The second study (on patterns of emotional reactions of related others to an agent's social and moral incidents) showed, first, that incidents of positive achievement were generally evaluated by college students as being experienced with a more intense feeling of having face than were incidents of positive morality, while incidents of negative morality were experienced with a more intense feeling of “having no face” than were incidents of negative achievement. Second, for a positive incident of having face, the intensity of emotional reaction experienced by acquaintances was generally lower than that of family members. The difference was not so strong as in the negative incident of having no face. The third study (which was a cross‐cultural one on cognitive distortion caused by misconduct of related others) indicated that American college students tended to adopt a consistent standard to judge the wrongness of illegal behaviours, regardless of their relationships with the transgressor. But Taiwanese college students tended to judge an illegal behaviour as more wrong when it was done by a person outside the family, while they held a more lenient attitude towards the misconduct of parents, and a similar or more harsh attitude towards their children. Research findings are interpreted in the context of Confucian tradition.
Shufa: Chinese calligraphic handwriting (CCH) for health and behavioural therapy
Authors: Kao Henry S. R.
Published: May 2006

This paper presents an overview of psychological research on the Chinese art of calligraphy (Shufa). Using a theoretical framework, we have investigated the scientific nature of calligraphic brush handwriting as well as its treatment effects on behavioural and clinical disorders. The paper begins with an introduction to Chinese calligraphy, Chinese characters, and the character structures. This is followed by an account of a research‐based framework of the psychological characteristics of Chinese calligraphy handwriting (CCH). Our basic research includes measures of the writer's physiological changes associated with the brush‐writing act, and the results show that the practitioner experiences relaxation and emotional calmness evident in decelerated respiration, slower heart‐rate, decreased blood pressure, and reduced muscular tension. The cognitive effects of the CCH practice included quickened response time and improved performance in discrimination and figure identification, as well as enhanced visual spatial abilities, spatial relations, abstract reasoning, and aspects of memory and attention in the practitioners. Following these findings, our applied and clinical research has resulted in positive effects of the CCH treatment on behavioural changes in individuals with autism, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); on cognitive improvements in reasoning, judgement, and cognitive facilitation; and on hand steadiness in children with mild retardation; as well as enhanced memory, concentration, spatial orientation, and motor coordination in Alzheimer's patients. Similarly, we have successfully applied the CCH treatment to patients with psychosomatic diseases of hypertension and diabetes, as well as mental diseases of schizophrenia, depression, and neurosis in terms of the patients' emotions, concentration, and hospital behaviours. This new system of CCH behavioural treatment has also been applied to users of other writing systems. In summary, the present CCH research has its roots in a Chinese art, has been scientifically investigated, and offers an alternative approach to improved health.
Indigenous psychological analysis of academic achievement in Korea: The influence of self‐efficacy, parents, and culture
Authors: Kim Uichol , Park Young‐Shin
Published: May 2006

This paper examines the factors that contribute to the high educational achievement of Korean students. The authors outline the limitations of psychological and educational theories that emphasize the biological basis (i.e., innate ability, IQ), individualistic values (e.g., intrinsic motivation, ability attribution, and self‐esteem), and structural features (e.g., high educational spending, small class size, and individualized instruction). Although the Korean government spends significantly less per student, class size is larger, cooperative learning is emphasized, and students have lower self‐concepts, they outperform their Western counterparts in reading, mathematics, and sciences (National Center for Educational Statistics,2000; Organization for Economic Co‐operation and Development,2003). The indigenous psychology approach is used to examine factors that explain the high academic achievement of Korean students. Empirical studies that examine the role of self‐efficacy at the individual level, social support at the relational level, and Confucian values at the cultural level are reviewed. First, Koreans view education as a part of self‐cultivation that is pursued for its own sake and as a way to achieve personal, social, and occupational success. Second, Koreans do not believe in innate ability but believe it can be acquired through persistent effort and discipline. Third, parents play a key role in maintaining a strong relational bond and influencing their children's achievement throughout their lives. The sacrifice and support provided by parents are essential ingredients for their children's success. Fourth, emotional support, rather than informational support, is reported to be the most important. Fifth, self‐serving bias has not been found: Students attribute their success to effort and failure to a lack of effort and ability. Finally, although Western theories assume guilt and external pressure to have negative consequences, the reverse is the case. In Korea, children feel a sense of indebtedness toward their parents for all their devotion, sacrifice, and support. This promotes filial piety and academic achievement. Parental expectation and pressure had positive impact on their children's academic achievement.
Human ontogenesis: An indigenous African view on development and intelligence
Authors: Nsamenang A. Bame
Published: May 2006

Views on development and intelligence mirror mainstream Euro‐American ethnocentrism and are presented as being applicable to all of human diversity. In contrast, an African worldview visualizes phases of human cyclical ontogenesis of systematic socialization of responsible intelligence in participatory curricula that assign stage‐appropriate developmental tasks. In these curricula, knowledge is not separated into discrete disciplines, but all strands of it are interwoven into a common tapestry, which is learned by children at different developmental stages, who participate in the cultural and economic life of the family and society. This line of thought permits the integration of diverse ethnocultural realities and disparate theoretical threads into a common conceptual system—social ontogenesis. A theory of social ontogenesis addresses how, throughout ontogeny, children are co‐participants in social and cultural life. The theory anchors human development as partly determined by the social ecology in which the development occurs and by how the human being learns and develops. Its seminal concept is sociogenesis, defined as individual development that is perceived and explained as a function of social, not biological, factors. But social ontogenetic thinking does not exclude nature; it assumes that biology underpins social ontogenesis. The biological commonality that the human species shares in the genetic code plays out into a bewildering diversity of specific individuality across ecocultures. Thus, contextualist theorists stress how different ontogenetic pathways and intelligences are situated in the socio‐ecological contexts and cultural systems in which children are nurtured. The empirical grounding of this theory is based on impressionistic data from the Nso people of Cameroon, with supportive evidence in other parts of Africa. The universality of social ontogenesis offers an innovative impetus to conceptualize and generate developmental knowledge that empowers. It is a learning paradigm that permits the study of human development in the context of children's engagement of cognition when they are participants in cultural communities. This can expand visions and databases beyond restrictive Eurocentric grids.
Indigenized conceptual and empirical analyses of selected Chinese psychological characteristics
Authors: Yang Kuo‐Shu
Published: May 2006

An academic movement to switch from Westernized Chinese psychology to an indigenized Chinese psychology in Chinese societies (Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China) has existed for about three decades. Indigenous‐oriented Chinese psychologists have conducted serious indigenized research on about 50 different broad topics. Kuo‐Shu Yang's conceptual and empirical analyses on 3 of them are briefly reviewed in this article: (a) Chinese familism, familization and pan‐familism; (b) Chinese psychological traditionality and modernity; and (c) theoretical and empirical analyses of the Chinese self. On the first topic, an indigenized conceptual scheme for the psychological components of Chinese familism at the cognitive, affective, and intentional levels was proposed. On the basis of the framework, standardized familism scales were constructed and used to study the relationships among the major components at each psychological level, using Taiwan students and adults as participants. In addition, the process of familization, an important aspect of Chinese familism, and its ability to form pan‐familism in outside‐family organizations, is briefly analysed. On the second topic, Yang empirically found that Chinese psychological traditionality (T) and modernity (M) were two independent psychological syndromes, each with five factor‐analytically identifiable oblique components. Two separate standardized assessment tools were developed and applied in various empirical studies involving T and M. One study revealed that most T factors only negligibly correlated with most M factors, indicating a general trend for the two sets of components to coexist with each other during the process of societal modernization. Finally, on the third topic, Yang developed a four‐part theory of the Chinese self from an indigenized perspective, based upon his conception of social vs individual orientation. The theory proposed that the Chinese self is composed of four self subsystems, viz., individual‐, relationship‐, familistic(group)‐, and other‐oriented selves, differing from each other in many respects. Yang and associates have conducted a series of empirical studies to examine a number of testable hypotheses derived from the theory. Findings from these studies are basically supportive.
Autoimmune arthritis associated with mutated interleukin (IL)-6 receptor gp130 is driven by STAT3/IL-7–dependent homeostatic proliferation of CD4+ T cells
Authors: Sawa Shin-ichiro , Kamimura Daisuke , Jin Gui-Hua , Morikawa Hideyuki , Kamon Hokuto , Nishihara Mika , Ishihara Katsuhiko , Murakami Masaaki , Hirano Toshio
Published: May 2006

Mice homozygous for the F759 mutation in the gp130 interleukin (IL)-6 receptor subunit have enhanced gp130-mediated signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3 activation and spontaneously developed a lymphocyte-mediated rheumatoid arthritis-like joint disease. Here, we show that the development of the disease is dependent on both major histocompatibility complex (MHC) II–restricted CD4+ T cells and IL-6 family cytokines. In spite of the necessity for CD4+ T cells, the gp130 mutation was only required in nonhemtopoietic cells for the disease. The gp130 mutation resulted in enhanced production of IL-7. Conditional knockout of STAT3 in nonlymphoid cells showed that the enhancement of IL-7 production was dependent on STAT3 activation by IL-6 family cytokines. Homeostatic proliferation of CD4+ T cells was enhanced in gp130 mutant mice and acceleration of homeostatic proliferation enhanced the disease, whereas the inhibition of homeostatic proliferation suppressed the disease. Anti–IL-7 antibody treatment inhibited not only the enhanced homeostatic proliferation, but also the disease in gp130 mutant mice. Thus, our results show that autoimmune disease in gp130 mutant mice is caused by increased homeostatic proliferation of CD4+ T cells, which is due to elevated production of IL-7 by nonhematopoietic cells as a result of IL-6 family cytokine-gp130-STAT3 signaling.
Impaired degranulation but enhanced cytokine production after FcεRI stimulation of diacylglycerol kinase ζ–deficient mast cells
Authors: Olenchock Benjamin A. , Guo Rishu , Silverman Michael A. , Wu Jennifer N. , Carpenter Jeffery H. , Koretzky Gary A. , Zhong Xiao-Ping
Published: May 2006

Calcium and diacylglycerol are critical second messengers that together effect mast cell degranulation after allergen cross-linking of immunoglobulin (Ig)E-bound FcεRI. Diacylglycerol kinase (DGK)ζ is a negative regulator of diacylglycerol-dependent signaling that acts by converting diacylglycerol to phosphatidic acid. We reported previously that DGKζ−/− mice have enhanced in vivo T cell function. Here, we demonstrate that these mice have diminished in vivo mast cell function, as revealed by impaired local anaphylactic responses. Concordantly, DGKζ−/− bone marrow–derived mast cells (BMMCs) demonstrate impaired degranulation after FcεRI cross-linking, associated with diminished phospholipase Cγ activity, calcium flux, and protein kinase C–βII membrane recruitment. In contrast, Ras-Erk signals and interleukin-6 production are enhanced, both during IgE sensitization and after antigen cross-linking of FcεRI. Our data demonstrate dissociation between cytokine production and degranulation in mast cells and reveal the importance of DGK activity during IgE sensitization for proper attenuation of FcεRI signals.
T helper type 1–specific Brg1 recruitment and remodeling of nucleosomes positioned at the IFN-γ promoter are Stat4 dependent
Authors: Zhang Fuping , Boothby Mark
Published: May 2006

Transcriptional competence of the interferon-γ (IFN-γ) locus is enhanced as Th1 effectors develop from naive CD4 T lymphocytes; conversely, this gene is repressed during Th2 differentiation. We now show that the Switch (Swi)–sucrose nonfermenter (SNF) component Brahma-related gene 1 (Brg1) is recruited, and positioned nucleosomes are remodeled, in a Th1-specific manner that is dependent on the transcription factor Stat4 and calcineurin phosphatase activity. Interference with specific components of mammalian Swi–SNF complexes decreased CD4 T cell differentiation into IFN-γ–positive Th1 cells. These findings reveal a collaborative mechanism of IFN-γ gene regulation during Th1 differentiation and suggest that a Th1-specific chromatin structure is created by early recruitment of Swi–SNF complexes and nucleosome remodeling dependent on Stat4 and calcineurin activation.
Role of the caspase-1 inflammasome in Salmonella typhimurium pathogenesis
Authors: Lara-Tejero Maria , Sutterwala Fayyaz S. , Ogura Yasunori , Grant Ethan P. , Bertin John , Coyle Anthony J. , Flavell Richard A. , Galán Jorge E.
Published: May 2006

Caspase-1 is activated by a variety of stimuli after the assembly of the “inflammasome,” an activating platform made up of a complex of the NOD-LRR family of proteins. Caspase-1 is required for the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18, and is involved in the control of many bacterial infections. Paradoxically, however, its absence has been reported to confer resistance to oral infection by Salmonella typhimurium. We show here that absence of caspase-1 or components of the inflammasome does not result in resistance to oral infection by S. typhimurium, but rather, leads to increased susceptibility to infection.
An Ixodes scapularis protein required for survival of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in tick salivary glands
Authors: Sukumaran Bindu , Narasimhan Sukanya , Anderson John F. , DePonte Kathleen , Marcantonio Nancy , Krishnan Manoj N. , Fish Durland , Telford Sam R. , Kantor Fred S. , Fikrig Erol
Published: May 2006

Anaplasma phagocytophilum is the agent of human anaplasmosis, the second most common tick-borne illness in the United States. This pathogen, which is closely related to obligate intracellular organisms in the genera Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma, persists in ticks and mammalian hosts; however, the mechanisms for survival in the arthropod are not known. We now show that A. phagocytophilum induces expression of the Ixodes scapularis salp16 gene in the arthropod salivary glands during vector engorgement. RNA interference–mediated silencing of salp16 gene expression interfered with the survival of A. phagocytophilum that entered ticks fed on A. phagocytophilum–infected mice. A. phagocytophilum migrated normally from A. phagocytophilum–infected mice to the gut of engorging salp16-deficient ticks, but up to 90% of the bacteria that entered the ticks were not able to successfully infect I. scapularis salivary glands. These data demonstrate the specific requirement of a pathogen for a tick salivary protein to persist within the arthropod and provide a paradigm for understanding how Rickettsia-like pathogens are maintained within vectors.
NetGen: generating phylogenetic networks with diploid hybrids
Authors: Morin M. M. , Moret B. M. E.
Published: May 2006

Summary: NetGen is an event-driven simulator that creates phylogenetic networks by extending the birth–death model to include diploid hybridizations. DNA sequences are evolved in conjunction with the topology, enabling hybridization decisions to be based on contemporary evolutionary distances. NetGen supports variable rate lineages, root sequence specification, outgroup generation and many other options. This note describes the NetGen application and proposes an extension of the Newick format to accommodate phylogenetic networks.

Availability: NetGen is written in C and is available in source form at

Contact:  morin@cs.unm.edu
Functional noncoding sequences derived from SINEs in the mammalian genome
Authors: Nishihara Hidenori , Smit Arian F.A. , Okada Norihiro
Published: May 2006

Recent comparative analyses of mammalian sequences have revealed that a large number of nonprotein-coding genomic regions are under strong selective constraint. Here, we report that some of these loci have been derived from a newly defined family of ancient SINEs (short interspersed repetitive elements). This is a surprising result, as SINEs and other transposable elements are commonly thought to be genomic parasites. We named the ancient SINE family AmnSINE1, for Amniota SINE1, because we found it to be present in mammals as well as in birds, and some copies predate the mammalian-bird split 310 million years ago (Mya). AmnSINE1 has a chimeric structure of a 5S rRNA and a tRNA-derived SINE, and is related to five tRNA-derived SINE families that we characterized here in the coelacanth, dogfish shark, hagfish, and amphioxus genomes. All of the newly described SINE families have a common central domain that is also shared by zebrafish SINE3, and we collectively name them the DeuSINE (Deuterostomia SINE) superfamily. Notably, of the ∼1000 still identifiable copies of AmnSINE1 in the human genome, 105 correspond to loci phylogenetically highly conserved among mammalian orthologs. The conservation is strongest over the central domain. Thus, AmnSINE1 appears to be the best example of a transposable element of which a significant fraction of the copies have acquired genomic functionality.
Evaluating community policing: problems and prospects
Authors: Palmiotto Michael J. , Donahue Michael E.
Published: May 2006

Outlines alternative research strategies for evaluation of Community policing (CP). Briefly discusses the failure of policing as a formal mechanism of social control and traces the evolution of CP. Identifies features which provide a paradigm for CP. Gives lists of objectives to determine whether CP is being implemented and is successful. Compares methods of data collection. Examines two types of quasi‐experimental designs for evaluation: pre‐test/post‐test group or interrupted time‐series design. Proposes causal‐comparative research as an alternative to these designs.
Policing culturally diverse groups; continuing professional development programs for police
Authors: Lumb Richard C.
Published: May 2006

Policing has never been an easy task in a society where the basic rights of individuals take precedence over accusation of criminality and enforcement of the law. The police are faced with countless situations which evoke confrontation and promote disagreement. Often these situations deteriorate to the point where physical force is used, resulting in injury or death. These encounters are often between the police and individuals or groups from different cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. Confronting this problem and endeavoring to change behavior, police managers’ benefit from a professional development program on aspects of policing culturally diverse groups.
Preparing police for community policing; an evaluation of training for Chicago’s alternative policing strategy
Authors: Dantzker Gail , Lurigio Arthur J. , Hartnett Susan , Houmes Sheila , Davidsdottir Sigurlina , Donovan Kristen
Published: May 2006

This article presents the findings of a process evaluation of training for Chicago’s Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS), which is the city’s version of community policing. The study’s approach and instrumentation were adopted from the field of adult education and involved observation and ratings of trainee and trainer behaviors. Two types of training were observed: orientation and skills building. Also, personal interviews were conducted with sergeants, lieutenants, and sworn trainers. The trainers overall were enthusiastic and knowledgeable but did not make adequate techniques to draw participants into the learning process. The article concludes with recommendations on how to implement training for community policing.
From the classroom to the community: introducing process in police diversity training
Authors: Blakemore Jerome L. , Barlow David , Padgett Deborah L.
Published: May 2006

The preparation of police officers for work in a multicultural society has become a major concern for police departments, local governments, and the general community. This article provides a critique of the methods used in cultural diversity training and suggests a number of principles and strategies for conducting this training. Rather than a standardized training format, the article proposes that diversity training provide participants with skills to develop and maintain cultural competence. This application suggests that successful cultural diversity training is didactic and experiential. encouraging officers to “connect” with the communities they seek to understand.
The influence of history and the rule of law on the development of community policing in Germany
Authors: Gramckow Heike P.
Published: May 2006

Explains resistance to community policing in Germany in terms of historical and legal constraints. Notes similar problem areas in other countries, e.g. information exchange with the public and with other agencies. Recognizes the limitations of legislation in changing practices or attitudes. Concludes that the negative attitudes toward community policing shown in Germany, the UK and the USA form a common basis for learning.
Clearance of leukaemic blasts from peripheral blood during standard induction treatment predicts the bone marrow response in acute myeloid leukaemia: a pilot study
Authors: Gianfaldoni Giacomo , Mannelli Francesco , Baccini Michela , Antonioli Elisabetta , Leoni Franco , Bosi Alberto
Published: May 2006

Although several parameters are useful for risk stratification of patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), there are no firm criteria for predicting response to induction treatment of individual patients. Daily flow cytometry (FC) analysis, carried out during induction treatment in 30 AML patients, showed that the clearance of blasts from peripheral blood (PBC) correlated closely with response, as assessed by bone marrow FC on day 14, and by morphologic analysis at haematopoietic recovery. Therefore, a major treatment outcome can be predicted very early in AML patients, thus providing an opportunity for tailoring treatment modalities from the outset.
Downregulation of DBC1 expression in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is mediated by aberrant methylation of its promoter
Authors: San José‐Enériz Edurne , Agirre Xabier , Román‐Gómez José , Cordeu Lucia , Garate Leire , Jiménez‐Velasco Antonio , Vázquez Iria , Calasanz María José , Heiniger Anabel , Torres Antonio , Prósper Felipe
Published: May 2006

The DBC1 gene is a potential tumour suppressor gene that is commonly hypermethylated in epithelial cancers. We studied the role of promoter hypermethylation in the regulation of DBC1 in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) cell lines and 170 ALL patients at diagnosis. Abnormal methylation of DBC1 was observed in all ALL cell lines and in 17% of ALL patients. Moreover, DBC1 methylation was associated with decreased DBC1 expression, while treatment of ALL cells with 5‐Aza‐2′‐deoxycytidine resulted in demethylation of the promoter and upregulation of DBC1 expression. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation identified the deletion of one allele of DBC1 in some ALL cell lines, which indicated that the lack of DBC1 expression was due to deletion of one allele and methylation of the other. In conclusion, these results demonstrate, for the first time, that the expression of DBC1 is downregulated in a percentage of patients with ALL due to the hypermethylation of its promoter and/or gene deletion.