bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quality of life and social determinants of anxiolytics and hypnotics use in women in Poland: A population-based study
Authors: Zagozdzon Pawel , Kolarzyk Emilia , Marcinkowski Jerzy T.
Published: April 2012

Background:

The majority of studies show a substantially higher consumption of anxiolytics and antidepressants among women than among men and in the age bracket above 45 years.

Aims:

To analyse association between the use of hypnotics/anxiolytics, and various characteristics of Polish women, including health-related quality of life.

Method:

One thousand, five hundred and sixty (1,560) women aged 45–60 years completed a questionnaire dealing with the use of hypnotics/anxiolytics, demographic characteristics, environmental and work stress exposure, and self-reported quality of life (SF-36 form).

Results:

The following variables were revealed as the predictors of hypnotic/anxiolytic use on univariate analysis: age; social pension; stress at work and environmental stress; hormone replacement therapy; headache; palpitations; mood swings or increased muscular tension; anger; duration of symptoms longer than one week; consulting a specialist; and low physical and mental health-related quality of life. The significant protective factors included: vocational and tertiary education; job satisfaction; and home as place of rest. The independent predictors of anxiolytic/hypnotic use included consulting a specialist and symptoms lasting more than one week, while job satisfaction and home as place of rest were the independent protective factors.

Conclusions:

The use of hypnotic/anxiolytic medication is strongly associated with environmental and psychosocial characteristics of women between 40 and 65 years of age.
Social inequalities in adolescent depression: The role of parental social support and optimism
Authors: Piko Bettina F , Luszczynska Aleksandra , Fitzpatrick Kevin M
Published: April 2012

Aims:

Interpersonal theory suggests relationships between socio-economic status (SES) and adolescent psychopathology mediated by negative parenting. This study examines the role of perceived parental social support and optimism in understanding adolescents’ depression and self-rated health among a sample of Hungarian youth.

Methods:

Using a self-administered questionnaire, data ( N = 881) were collected from high-school students (14–20 years old) in Szeged, Hungary (a regional centre in the southeastern region, near to the Serbian border, with a population of 170,000 inhabitants). To analyse the overall structure of the relationship between objective/subjective SES, parental support, optimism and health outcomes (depression, self-perceived health), structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed.

Results:

Findings suggest the following: (1) SES variables generate social inequalities in adolescent depression through parental social support, particularly maternal support; and (2) parents provide youths with different levels of social support that in turn may strengthen or weaken optimism during the socialization process.

Conclusions:

In addressing depression prevention and treatment, we may want to take into account socio-economic differences in social networks and levels of optimism, which may influence youths’ psychosocial adjustment and development of psychopathology.
Frontières ethniques, citoyenneté et écoles religieuses « séparées » : une cartographie des enjeux théoriques
Authors: Tremblay Stéphanie
Published: April 2012

The author discusses the theoretical issues behind the phenomenon of Faith and Ethnic Schools, a controversial issue in many national debates about multiculturalism. She explores, in the first part, the nature of ethnicity and religion, two concepts often discussed and often misunderstood in discussions on social sciences. She continues with an analysis of the role of the school role in the construction and the reproduction (or not) of ethnic boundaries in the light of different normative conceptions of ethnicity, before she examines the political implications of each of them (types of citizenship) : communautarian, liberal and republican models. In spite of the normative particularities of these political projects, they have a common goal : to balance moral pluralism and the common good. With reference to this goal, the author explores whether separate schools can apply their distinctive values to the normative perspective of citizenship in a pluralistic and democratic society.
Using Digital Stories to Understand the Lives of Alaska Native Young People
Authors: Wexler Lisa , Eglinton Kristen , Gubrium Aline
Published: April 2012

To better understand how young Alaska Native (Inupiaq) people are creatively responding to the tensions of growing up in a world markedly different from that of their parents and grandparents, the pilot study examined youth-produced digital stories as representations of their everyday lives, values, and identities. Two hundred and seventy-one youth–produced digital stories were examined and assigned descriptive attributes; of these, 31 stories were selected and subjected to a more rigorous coding and a thematic analysis. Findings fall into three main categories: self-representation, sites of achievement, and relationships. Participants’ digital stories overwhelmingly depicted positive self-images that included both codified cultural values and pop cultural images to construct novel forms of cultural identity. The gendered depictions of achievement signal a need for more varied, valued, and accessible avenues for success for boys. Lastly, relationships were prominent in the stories, but there was an absence of young adult role models, particularly men, in the stories.
The Federal Home Loan Bank Board, Redlining, and the National Proliferation of Racial Lending Discrimination, 1921–1950
Authors: Woods Louis Lee
Published: April 2012

By utilizing the annual reports of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board (FHLBB) and its monthly journal, the Federal Home Loan Bank Review, this essay argues that the incorporation of the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation’s appraisal scheme had several detrimental consequences. By mandating their appraisal analysis as a prerequisite for membership into the federal banking system, the FHLBB established unified national lending standards designed to evaluate neighborhood demographics as a factor far exceeding the condition of the appraised property itself. With the inclusion of these “scientific appraisal standards” into their uniform lending policies, FHLBB officials rated entire residential communities as hazardous bank investments whenever they were inhabited by undesirable occupants. Ultimately, the standardized lending policies of the FHLBB systematically disadvantaged low-income and minority city-dwelling residents from obtaining mortgage financing, and by midcentury they exacerbated the disproportionately substandard urban housing conditions endured by nonwhites in the United States.
Extracts from The Cochrane Library
Authors: Burton Martin J. , Altman Kenneth W. , Rosenfeld Richard M.
Published: April 2012

The “Cochrane Corner” is a quarterly section in the Journal that highlights systematic reviews relevant to otolaryngology– head and neck surgery, with invited commentary to aid clinical decision making. This installment features a Cochrane Review, “Topical Anaesthetic or Vasoconstrictor Preparations for Flexible Fibre‐optic Nasal Pharyngoscopy and Laryngoscopy,” that finds no evidence of reduced pain or discomfort for topical treatment prior to endoscopy.
Indian Consumer Kaun Hai? The Class-Based Grammar of Indian Advertising
Authors: Cayla Julien , Elson Mark
Published: April 2012

Advertising proves to be a particularly useful source of images, stories, and vocabulary, to study the globalization of the Indian economy and the construction of Indian identity. The authors analyze how advertising executives and other cultural producers, such as magazine editors, try to answer the question “Indian consumer kaun hai?” (Who is the Indian consumer?) while trying to develop narratives that can represent Indian ways of living. In a country as diverse as India, this is an extremely difficult task. Drawing from a content analysis of the Hindi and English versions of India Today as well as interviews with Indian advertising executives, the authors detail how cultural producers imagine Indian consumers. This work illuminates the striking differences, between the imagined cultural world of the English speaking elite, and their vernacular counterparts. By showing the importance of the English language, and Western cultural references in indexing the “modern Indian,” this work contributes to macromarketing efforts to study globalization and its effects.
The social life of style
Authors: Moore Emma
Published: April 2012

Variationist sociolinguistics has provided essential information about community-wide patterns of language variation and change. However, as the field has developed, the need to provide coherent explanations for observed correlations has highlighted problems with the conceptualization of style, social meaning and the linguistic variable. Using data from two case studies, this article illustrates how a more nuanced account of stylistic practice provides a richer understanding of the social and cognitive basis of language use. In particular, it is argued that the linguistic analysis of social groups should be driven by the specific social concerns of the groups studied, not by the search for variable ways to ‘say the same thing’. This approach not only enables a fuller account of the social meaning of language features, it demonstrates that social meanings may be encoded at the intersection of components of the grammar (phonology, morphosyntax and discourse), and in more complex ways than has previously been assumed.
Dickens, the suspended quotation and the corpus
Authors: Mahlberg Michaela , Smith Catherine
Published: April 2012

This article presents a computer-assisted approach to the study of character discourse in Dickens. It focuses on the concept of the ‘suspended quotation’ – the interruption of a character’s speech by at least five words of narrator text. After an outline of the concept of the suspended quotation as introduced by Lambert (1981) , the article compares manually derived counts for suspensions in Dickens with automatically generated figures. This comparison shows how corpus methods can help to increase the scale at which the phenomenon is studied. It highlights that quantitative information for selected sections of a novel does not necessarily represent the patterns that are found across the whole text. The article also includes a qualitative analysis of suspensions. With the help of the new tool CLiC, it investigates interruptions of the speech of Mrs Sparsit in Hard Times and illustrates how suspensions can be useful places for the presentation of character information. CLiC is further used to find patterns of the word pause that provide insights into how suspensions contribute to the representation of pauses in character speech.
Polymer-filled honeycombs to achieve a structural material with appreciable damping
Authors: Murray Gabriel , Gandhi Farhan , Hayden Eric
Published: April 2012

In this study, lossy polymeric infills are introduced into metallic honeycombs with the goal that the resulting filled honeycombs simultaneously have high stiffness and appreciable loss factor. A finite element analysis is conducted with the honeycomb walls modeled with beam elements and the polymeric infill modeled with shell elements. Soft (10 MPa) and stiffer (100 MPa) fillers are used, and the filled honeycombs are oriented to deform along the x- and y-directions. The article presents a discussion on the cell geometries that yield the highest stiffness and loss factor, for loading in the two principle directions. When the honeycomb is loaded, the Poisson’s contraction of the cell walls in the transverse direction deforms and increases the strain energy in the polymer, to levels significantly greater than that in an isotropic polymer sheet subject to the same global strain. From the results in the study, it was predicted that filled aluminum honeycombs can achieve a Young’s modulus in the range of 2–7 GPa while simultaneously having a loss factor in the range of 5%–10%. Experimental measurement of Young’s modulus of both unfilled and filled honeycombs of different cell geometries and for different loading directions was compared with the finite element predictions. The finite element predictions compared well with the experiments for the unfilled cases and the trends matched for the filled cases.
Authored assemblages in a digital world: Illustrations of a child’s online social, critical and semiotic meaning-making
Authors: Winters Kari-Lynn , Vratulis Vetta
Published: April 2012

Drawing on case illustrations of a six-year-old child as he ‘assembles’ a digital world using Webkinz™, this paper proposes an approach that researchers and educators might use to understand, analyse and critique multimodality. This multidisciplinary theoretical framework integrates new literacies, social semiotics and critical literacy perspectives. Data were collected during a broader three-week case study via a side-shadowing interview technique (McClay and Mackey, 2009), where the first author sat next to the child, making detailed research notes, interviewing him and taking screenshots of his digital productions. The findings suggest that authorship is rarely linear as authors continually remix, layer, embed and inter-animate semiotic resources as they assemble their sociocultural worlds and critical positions within these worlds.
The LL game
Authors: Gambetta Diego , Origgi Gloria
Published: April 2012

We investigate a phenomenon which we have experienced as common when dealing with an assortment of Italian public and private institutions: people promise to exchange high-quality goods and services, but then something goes wrong and the quality delivered is lower than had been promised. While this is perceived as ‘cheating’ by outsiders, insiders seem not only to adapt to, but to rely on this outcome. They do not resent low-quality exchanges; in fact, they seem to resent high-quality ones, and are inclined to put pressure on or avoid dealing with agents who deliver high quality. The equilibrium among low-quality producers relies on an unusual preference ranking which differs from that associated with the Prisoners’ Dilemma and similar games, whereby self-interested rational agents prefer to dish out low quality in exchange for high quality. While equally ‘lazy’, agents in our low-quality worlds are oddly ‘pro-social’: for the advantage of maximizing their raw self-interest, they prefer to receive low-quality goods and services, provided that they too can in exchange deliver low quality without embarrassment. They develop a set of oblique social norms to sustain their preferred equilibrium when threatened by the intrusion of high quality. We argue that high-quality collective outcomes are endangered not only by self-interested individual defectors, but by ‘cartels’ of mutually satisfied mediocrities.
To separate or not to separate? Parental decision-making regarding the separation of twins in the early years of schooling
Authors: Staton Sally , Thorpe Karen , Thompson Catherine , Danby Susan
Published: April 2012

In recent times concerns about possible adverse effects of early separation and advocacy for individual rights have resulted in a movement away from organizational level policies about the separation of twin children as they enter school. Instead, individualized approaches that focus on the twin children’s characteristics and family perspectives have been proposed. This study, conducted in Australia where all but a few families had choice about the class placement of their twin children, questioned parents ( N = 156) about their placement decisions. Results indicated that most parents opted for placement together in the early years of schooling. The choice to separate twins at school entry was associated with parent identification of risk in the twin relationship, while being kept together was associated with parent identification of absence of such risk. The findings are discussed in light of the current evidence against separation, and suggest that parent choices regarding the separation of twin children in the early years are informative to educational policy and practice.
GLP-1 receptor agonists: A clinical perspective on cardiovascular effects
Authors: Mundil Dhanwantee , Cameron-Vendrig Alison , Husain Mansoor
Published: April 2012

The active incretin hormone glucagon-like peptide-1(7-36)amide (GLP-1) is a 30-amino acid peptide that exerts glucoregulatory and insulinotropic actions by functioning as an agonist for the GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R). In addition to its anti-diabetic effects, GLP-1 has demonstrated cardioprotective actions. Here we review the cardiovascular effects of the GLP-1 analogues currently approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, namely exenatide and liraglutide. We discuss their anti-hyperglycaemic efficacy, and offer a clinical perspective of their effects on cardiovascular risk factors such as body weight, blood pressure, heart rate and lipid profiles, as well as their potential consequences on cardiovascular events, such as arrhythmias, heart failure, myocardial infarction and death. Lastly, we briefly review additional GLP-1R agonists in clinical development.
In situ synthesis of silver nanoparticles on alkali-treated cotton fabrics
Authors: Yazdanshenas Mohammad E , Shateri-Khalilabad Mohammad
Published: April 2012

Cotton fabrics were alkali-treated with sodium hydroxide at different concentrations in the range from 1 M to 6 M in order to investigate the effect of alkali treatment on the formation of silver nanoparticles. Alkali-treated fabrics were dipped into the silver nitrate solution followed by chemical reduction, which caused in situ formation of silver nanoparticles on the surface of fabrics. As-prepared fabrics were characterized by scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis and also antimicrobial test was carried out. In addition, the color variation, antibacterial durability, and mechanical properties of the fabrics were assessed. The considerable effect of alkali pre-treatment on loading and stabilizing silver nanoparticles was demonstrated. Fabrics treated at higher sodium hydroxide concentrations have higher silver content. Silver nanoparticles are homogeneous and evenly distributed on fibers with high surface coverage. Treated fabrics exhibit strong antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, even after 10 laundering cycles. This procedure is facile, cost-effective and versatile and provides a simple route to manufacturing of cotton textiles with high silver content.
Road to the Nursing Home
Authors: Bentkover Judith , Cai Shubing , Makineni Rajesh , Mucha Lisa , Treglia Michael , Mor Vincent
Published: April 2012

Objectives: To estimate long-term care costs and disease progression among Medicare beneficiaries aged 65+ with ADRD. Methods: Retrospective analysis of Medicare Part A claims and nursing home (NH) Minimum Data Set (MDS) records among beneficiaries 1999-2007. Expenditures were grouped into 3 periods; PRE, events occurring between date of ADRD diagnosis, before first NH admission; PERI, from first NH admission to at least 100 days; and, PERM, after 120 days. Utilization and reimbursements were computed for each period. Results: Demographics of the3,681,702 ADRD beneficiaries showed average age of 83 (+/−7), female (67.7%) and white (87.4%). Medicare reimbursements per person increased by 58% from the PRE ($47,912) to PERM period ($75,654). Age, ethnicity, gender (male), and comorbidities were significantly related to total reimbursements in each phase. Conclusions: Applying a taxonomy of NH phases, Medicare expenditures per person year are higher among patients in their terminal phase and higher still with comorbidities.
Cognitive Stimulation in a-MCI
Authors: Moro V. , Condoleo M. T. , Sala F. , Pernigo S. , Moretto G. , Gambina G.
Published: April 2012

Nowadays, preventing the effects of mental decline is an international priority, but there is little research into cognitive training in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We present the results of a program aimed at teaching memory strategies and improving metacognitive abilities. This was associated with training to ameliorate caregivers’ assistance. Two groups (A and B) were compared in a crossover design. After the first evaluation, group A (but not B) participated in a 6-month cognitive stimulation program. After a second assessment, only B received treatment and then a final evaluation was carried out on both the groups. The results show that (1) both the groups improved their performance as an effect of training; (2) improvements are specific to the functions trained; (3) in the interval without intervention, performance of group B worsened; and (4) group A has maintained their results over time. In conclusion, our results show that specific training may reduce memory impairment in MCI.
Prevalence of Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment in a Bulgarian Urban Population
Authors: Dimitrov Ivan , Tzourio Christophe , Milanov Ivan , Deleva Nadezhda , Traykov Latchezar
Published: April 2012

Background: Prevalence of cognitive impairment and dementia has not been studied in Bulgaria up to date. A 2-phase cross-sectional study was designed in order to determine the prevalence of dementia, its subtypes, and mild cognitive impairment in a Bulgarian population. Methods: The study sample consisted of 605 participants over the age of 65, residents of the city of Varna. A total of 540 participants (89%) completed the screening phase of the study. All positive screens and a control group were included in the diagnostic phase of the study, where comprehensive neuropsychological, clinical, and imaging assessments were performed. Results: Dementia was diagnosed in 39 persons (7.2%) and 36 had mild cognitive impairment (6.7%). Alzheimer’s disease was the most frequent type of dementia (3.1%), followed by vascular dementia (2.0%). Discussion: Our results support the hypothesis that prevalence of vascular cognitive impairment may be higher in Bulgaria than in most European countries.
Population dynamics with a mixed type of sexual and asexual reproduction in a fluctuating environment
Authors: Barbuti Roberto , Mautner Selma , Carnevale Giorgio , Milazzo Paolo , Rama Aureliano , Sturmbauer Christian
Published: April 2012

Background

Carassius gibelio, a cyprinid fish from Eurasia, has the ability to reproduce both sexually and asexually. This fish is also known as an invasive species which colonized almost all continental Europe, most likely originating from Asia and Eastern Europe. Populations of both sexually and asexually reproducing individuals exist in sympatry. In this study we try to elucidate the advantages of such a mixed type of reproduction. We investigate the dynamics of two sympatric populations with sexual and asexual reproduction in a periodically fluctuating environment. We define an individual-based computational model in which genotypes are represented byLloci, and the environment is composed ofLresources for which the two populations compete.

Results

Our model demonstrates advantageous population dynamics where the optimal percentage of asexual reproduction depends on selection strength, on the number of selected loci and on the timescale of environmental fluctuations. We show that the sexual reproduction is necessary for "generating" fit genotypes, while the asexual reproduction is suitable for "amplifying" them. The simulations show that the optimal percentage of asexual reproduction increases with the length of the environment stability period and decrease with the strength of the selection and the number of loci.

Conclusions

In this paper we addressed the advantages of a mixed type of sexual and asexual reproduction in a changing environment and explored the idea that a species that is able to adapt itself to environmental fluctuation can easily colonize a new habitat. Our results could provide a possible explanation for the rapid and efficient invasion of species with a variable ratio of sexual and asexual reproduction such asCarassius gibelio.
Mutations in LRP5 cause primary osteoporosis without features of OI by reducing Wnt signaling activity
Authors: Korvala Johanna , Jüppner Harald , Mäkitie Outi , Sochett Etienne , Schnabel Dirk , Mora Stefano , Bartels Cynthia F , Warman Matthew L , Deraska Donald , Cole William G , Hartikka Heini , Ala-Kokko Leena , Männikkö Minna
Published: April 2012

Background

Primary osteoporosis is a rare childhood-onset skeletal condition whose pathogenesis has been largely unknown. We have previously shown that primary osteoporosis can be caused by heterozygous missense mutations in the Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5) gene, and the role of LRP5 is further investigated here.

Methods

LRP5 was analyzed in 18 otherwise healthy children and adolescents who had evidence of osteoporosis (manifested as reduced bone mineral density i.e. BMD, recurrent peripheral fractures and/or vertebral compression fractures) but who lacked the clinical features of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) or other known syndromes linked to low BMD. Also 51 controls were analyzed. Methods used in the genetic analyses included direct sequencing and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). In vitro studies were performed using luciferase assay and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to examine the effect of two novel and three previously identified mutations on the activity of canonical Wnt signaling and on expression of tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (Tph1) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-Htr1b).

Results

Two novel LRP5 mutations (c.3446 T > A; p.L1149Q and c.3553 G > A; p.G1185R) were identified in two patients and their affected family members. In vitro analyses showed that one of these novel mutations together with two previously reported mutations (p.C913fs, p.R1036Q) significantly reduced the activity of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway. Such reductions may lead to decreased bone formation, and could explain the bone phenotype. Gut-derived Lrp5 has been shown to regulate serotonin synthesis by controlling the production of serotonin rate-limiting enzyme, Tph1. LRP5 mutations did not affect Tph1 expression, and only one mutant (p.L1149Q) reduced expression of serotonin receptor 5-Htr1b (p < 0.002).

Conclusions

Our results provide additional information on the role of LRP5 mutations and their effects on the development of juvenile-onset primary osteoporosis, and hence the pathogenesis of the disorder. The mutations causing primary osteoporosis reduce the signaling activity of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway and may therefore result in decreased bone formation. The specific mechanism affecting signaling activity remains to be resolved in future studies.
Comparing risk factors of HIV among hijra sex workers in Larkana and other cities of Pakistan: an analytical cross sectional study
Authors: Altaf Arshad , Zahidie Aysha , Agha Ajmal
Published: April 2012

Background

In 2005, Pakistan was first labeled as a country with concentrated epidemic of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). This was revealed through second generation surveillance conducted by HIV/AIDS Surveillance Project (HASP). While injection drug users (IDUs) were driving the epidemic, subsequent surveys showed that Hijra (transgender) sex workers (HSWs) were emerging as the second most vulnerable group with an average national prevalence of 6.4%. An exceptionally high prevalence (27.6%) was found in Larkana, which is a small town on the right bank of river Indus near the ruins of Mohenjo-Daro in the province of Sindh. This paper presents the risk factors associated with high prevalence of HIV among HSWs in Larkana as compared to other cities of the country.

Methods

Data were extracted for secondary analysis from 2008 Integrated behavioral and biological survey (IBBS) to compare HSWs living in Larkana with those living in other cities including Karachi and Hyderabad in Sindh; Lahore and Faisalabad in Punjab; and Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. After descriptive analysis, univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify risk factors. P value of 0.25 or less was used to include factors in multivariate analysis.

Results

We compared 199 HSWs from Larkana with 420 HSWs from other cities. The average age of HSWs in Larkana was 26.42 (±5.4) years. Majority were Sindhi speaking (80%), uneducated (68%) and unmarried (97%). In univariate analysis, factors associated with higher prevalence of HIV in Larkana included younger age i.e. 20–24 years (OR: 5.8, CI: 2.809–12.15), being unmarried (OR: 2.4, CI: 1.0–5.7), sex work as the only mode of income (OR: 5.5, CI: 3.70–8.2) and longer duration of being involved in sex work 5–10 years (OR: 3.3, CI: 1.7–6.12). In multivariate logistic regression the HSWs from Larkana were more likely to lack knowledge regarding preventive measures against HIV (OR 11.9, CI: 3.4–41.08) and were more prone to use of alcohol during anal intercourse (OR: 6.3, CI: 2.77–17.797).

Conclusion

Outreach programs focusing on safer sexual practices and VCT are urgently needed to address the upsurge of HIV among HSWs in Larkana.
Designing the ideal model for assessment of wound contamination after gunshot injuries: a comparative experimental study
Authors: von See Constantin , Rana Majeed , Stoetzer Marcus , Kokemueller Horst , Ruecker Martin , Gellrich Nils-Claudius
Published: April 2012

Background

Modern high-velocity projectiles produce temporary cavities and can thus cause extensive tissue destruction along the bullet path. It is still unclear whether gelatin blocks, which are used as a well-accepted tissue simulant, allow the effects of projectiles to be adequately investigated and how these effects are influenced by caliber size.

Method

Barium titanate particles were distributed throughout a test chamber for an assessment of wound contamination. We fired .22-caliber Magnum bullets first into gelatin blocks and then into porcine hind limbs placed behind the chamber. Two other types of bullets (.222-caliber bullets and 6.5 × 57 mm cartridges) were then shot into porcine hind limbs. Permanent and temporary wound cavities as well as the spatial distribution of barium titanate particles in relation to the bullet path were evaluated radiologically.

Results

A comparison of the gelatin blocks and hind limbs showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in the mean results for all parameters. There were significant differences between the bullets of different calibers in the depth to which barium titanate particles penetrated the porcine hind limbs. Almost no particles, however, were found at a penetration depth of 10 cm or more. By contrast, gas cavities were detected along the entire bullet path.

Conclusion

Gelatin is only of limited value for evaluating the path of high-velocity projectiles and the contamination of wounds by exogenous particles. There is a direct relationship between the presence of gas cavities in the tissue along the bullet path and caliber size. These cavities, however, are only mildly contaminated by exogenous particles.
The NAMPT inhibitor FK866 reverts the damage in spinal cord injury
Authors: Esposito Emanuela , Impellizzeri Daniela , Mazzon Emanuela , Fakhfouri Gohar , Rahimian Reza , Travelli Cristina , Tron Gian Cesare , Genazzani Armando A , Cuzzocrea Salvatore
Published: April 2012

Background

Emerging data implicate nicotinamide phosphoribosyl transferase (NAMPT) in the pathogenesis of cancer and inflammation. NAMPT inhibitors have proven beneficial in inflammatory animal models of arthritis and endotoxic shock as well as in autoimmune encephalitis. Given the role of inflammatory responses in spinal cord injury (SCI), the effect of NAMPT inhibitors was examined in this setting.

Methods

We investigated the effects of the NAMPT inhibitor FK866 in an experimental compression model of SCI.

Results

Twenty-four hr following induction of SCI, a significant functional deficit accompanied widespread edema, demyelination, neuron loss and a substantial increase in TNF-α, IL-1β, PAR, NAMPT, Bax, MPO activity, NF-κB activation, astrogliosis and microglial activation was observed. Meanwhile, the expression of neurotrophins BDNF, GDNF, NT3 and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 decreased significantly. Treatment with FK866 (10 mg/kg), the best known and characterized NAMPT inhibitor, at 1 h and 6 h after SCI rescued motor function, preserved perilesional gray and white matter, restored anti-apoptotic and neurotrophic factors, prevented the activation of neutrophils, microglia and astrocytes and inhibited the elevation of NAMPT, PAR, TNF-α, IL-1β, Bax expression and NF-κB activity.

We show for the first time that FK866, a specific inhibitor of NAMPT, administered after SCI, is capable of reducing the secondary inflammatory injury and partly reduce permanent damage. We also show that NAMPT protein levels are increased upon SCI in the perilesional area which can be corrected by administration of FK866.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that the inflammatory component associated to SCI is the primary target of these inhibitors.
Neovascularization of coronary tunica intima (DIT) is the cause of coronary atherosclerosis. Lipoproteins invade coronary intima via neovascularization from adventitial vasa vasorum, but not from the arterial lumen: a hypothesis
Authors: Subbotin Vladimir M
Published: April 2012

Background

An accepted hypothesis states that coronary atherosclerosis (CA) is initiated by endothelial dysfunction due to inflammation and high levels of LDL-C, followed by deposition of lipids and macrophages from the luminal blood into the arterial intima, resulting in plaque formation. The success of statins in preventing CA promised much for extended protection and effective therapeutics. However, stalled progress in pharmaceutical treatment gives a good reason to review logical properties of the hypothesis underlining our efforts, and to reconsider whether our perception of CA is consistent with facts about the normal and diseased coronary artery.

Analysis

To begin with, it must be noted that the normal coronary intima is not a single-layer endothelium covering a thin acellular compartment, as claimed in most publications, but always appears as a multi-layer cellular compartment, or diffuse intimal thickening (DIT), in which cells are arranged in many layers. If low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) invades the DIT from the coronary lumen, the initial depositions ought to be most proximal to blood, i.e. in the inner DIT. The facts show that the opposite is true, and lipids are initially deposited in the outer DIT. This contradiction is resolved by observing that the normal DIT is always avascular, receiving nutrients by diffusion from the lumen, whereas in CA the outer DIT is always neovascularized from adventitial vasa vasorum. The proteoglycan biglycan, confined to the outer DIT in both normal and diseased coronary arteries, has high binding capacity for LDL-C. However, the normal DIT is avascular and biglycan-LDL-C interactions are prevented by diffusion distance and LDL-C size (20 nm), whereas in CA, biglycan in the outer DIT can extract lipoproteins by direct contact with the blood. These facts lead to the single simplest explanation of all observations: (1) lipid deposition is initially localized in the outer DIT; (2) CA often develops at high blood LDL-C levels; (3) apparent CA can develop at lowered blood LDL-C levels. This mechanism is not unique to the coronary artery: for instance, the normally avascular cornea accumulates lipoproteins after neovascularization, resulting in lipid keratopathy.

Hypothesis

Neovascularization of the normally avascular coronary DIT by permeable vasculature from the adventitial vasa vasorum is the cause of LDL deposition and CA. DIT enlargement, seen in early CA and aging, causes hypoxia of the outer DIT and induces neovascularization. According to this alternative proposal, coronary atherosclerosis is not related to inflammation and can occur in individuals with normal circulating levels of LDL, consistent with research findings.
Factoring-in agglomeration of carbon nanotubes and nanofibers for better prediction of their toxicity versus asbestos
Authors: Murray Ashley R , Kisin Elena R , Tkach Alexey V , Yanamala Naveena , Mercer Robert , Young Shih-Houng , Fadeel Bengt , Kagan Valerian E , Shvedova Anna A
Published: April 2012

Background

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) and carbon nanofibers (CNF) are allotropes of carbon featuring fibrous morphology. The dimensions and high aspect ratio of CNT and CNF have prompted the comparison with naturally occurring asbestos fibers which are known to be extremely pathogenic. While the toxicity and hazardous outcomes elicited by airborne exposure to single-walled CNT or asbestos have been widely reported, very limited data are currently available describing adverse effects of respirable CNF.

Results

Here, we assessed pulmonary inflammation, fibrosis, oxidative stress markers and systemic immune responses to respirable CNF in comparison to single-walled CNT (SWCNT) and asbestos. Pulmonary inflammatory and fibrogenic responses to CNF, SWCNT and asbestos varied depending upon the agglomeration state of the particles/fibers. Foci of granulomatous lesions and collagen deposition were associated with dense particle-like SWCNT agglomerates, while no granuloma formation was found following exposure to fiber-like CNF or asbestos. The average thickness of the alveolar connective tissue - a marker of interstitial fibrosis - was increased 28 days post SWCNT, CNF or asbestos exposure. Exposure to SWCNT, CNF or asbestos resulted in oxidative stress evidenced by accumulations of 4-HNE and carbonylated proteins in the lung tissues. Additionally, local inflammatory and fibrogenic responses were accompanied by modified systemic immunity, as documented by decreased proliferation of splenic T cells ex vivo on day 28 post exposure. The accuracies of assessments of effective surface area for asbestos, SWCNT and CNF (based on geometrical analysis of their agglomeration) versus estimates of mass dose and number of particles were compared as predictors of toxicological outcomes.

Conclusions

We provide evidence that effective surface area along with mass dose rather than specific surface area or particle number are significantly correlated with toxicological responses to carbonaceous fibrous nanoparticles. Therefore, they could be useful dose metrics for risk assessment and management.
Meiotic errors followed by two parallel postzygotic trisomy rescue events are a frequent cause of constitutional segmental mosaicism
Authors: Robberecht Caroline , Voet Thierry , Utine Gülen E , Schinzel Albert , de Leeuw Nicole , Fryns Jean-Pierre , Vermeesch Joris
Published: April 2012

Structural copy number variation (CNV) is a frequent cause of human variation and disease. Evidence is mounting that somatic acquired CNVs are prevalent, with mosaicisms of large segmental CNVs in blood found in up to one percent of both the healthy and patient populations. It is generally accepted that such constitutional mosaicisms are derived from postzygotic somatic mutations. However, few studies have tested this assumption. Here we determined the origin of CNVs which coexist with a normal cell line in nine individuals. We show that in 2/9 the CNV originated during meiosis. The existence of two cell lines with 46 chromosomes thus resulted from two parallel trisomy rescue events during postzygotic mitoses.
Enhanced generation of retinal progenitor cells from human retinal pigment epithelial cells induced by amniotic fluid
Authors: Sanie-Jahromi Fatemeh , Ahmadieh Hamid , Soheili Zahra-Soheila , Davari Maliheh , Ghaderi Shima , Kanavi Mozhgan Rezaei , Samiei Shahram , Deezagi Abdolkhalegh , Pakravesh Jalil , Bagheri Abouzar
Published: April 2012

Background

Retinal progenitor cells are a convenient source of cell replacement therapy in retinal degenerative disorders. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression patterns of the homeobox genes PAX6 and CHX10 (retinal progenitor markers) during treatment of human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells with amniotic fluid (AF), RPE cells harvested from neonatal cadaver globes were cultured in a mixture of DMEM and Ham's F12 supplemented with 10% FBS. At different passages, cells were trypsinized and co-cultured with 30% AF obtained from normal fetuses of 1416 weeks gestational age.

Results

Compared to FBS-treated controls, AF-treated cultures exhibited special morphological changes in culture, including appearance of spheroid colonies, improved initial cell adhesion and ordered cell alignment. Cell proliferation assays indicated a remarkable increase in the proliferation rate of RPE cells cultivated in 30% AF-supplemented medium, compared with those grown in the absence of AF. Immunocytochemical analyses exhibited nuclear localization of retinal progenitor markers at a ratio of 33% and 27% for CHX10 and PAX6, respectively. This indicated a 3-fold increase in retinal progenitor markers in AF-treated cultures compared to FBS-treated controls. Real-time PCR data of retinal progenitor genes (PAX6, CHX10 and VSX-1) confirmed these results and demonstrated AF's capacity for promoting retinal progenitor cell generation.

Conclusion

Taken together, the results suggest that AF significantly promotes the rate of retinal progenitor cell generation, indicating that AF can be used as an enriched supplement for serum-free media used for the in vitro propagation of human progenitor cells.
Brazilian solar saltworks - ancient uses and future possibilities
Authors: De Medeiros Rocha Renato , Costa Diógenes FS , Lucena-Filho Milton A , Bezerra Rodolfo M , Medeiros David HM , Azevedo-Silva Antonio M , Araújo Cristian N , Xavier-Filho Lauro
Published: April 2012

Coastal solar saltworks of Brazil are exploited for sea salt, which becomes progressively concentrated by evaporation. This study aimed to review the current and new potential uses of these systems, in order to provide more dynamic for this activity. The first evaporation ponds are also used for artisanal fisheries, ensuring the livelihood of many families. All the brine rich in secondary salts (bittern) can be widely used by the chemical industry, while the Brazil shows an incipient production of "flower of salt", a salt with distinct characteristics with higher market value than sodium chloride. On the other hand, the saltponds have a high potential for management and obtaining of large populations of Artemia spp., purifying the brine through the action as biological filter. This microcrustacean occurs naturally in intermediate salinity ponds, being commonly used in aquaculture. Species of microalgae and halobacteria found in the saltworks are employed for extraction of beta-carotene and glycerol, used in an extensive list of products with high commercial value. These ecosystems represent refuge zones for many species of migratory birds, becoming imperative to promote the conservation of these hypersaline wetlands.
4D gravity response of compacting reservoirs: Analytical approach
Authors: Tempone Pamela , Landrø Martin , Fjær Erling
Published: April 2012

Time-lapse gravity is a technique sensitive to subsurface change in mass and in mass distribution. We attempted to devise a method to predict gravity effects caused by redistribution of subsurface mass induced by reservoir compaction. First, displacements and strains due to compaction were modeled using a geomechanical model. Then, 4D gravity effects were derived from the displacements and the volumetric strains computed in and around the reservoir. A sensitivity study was carried out for geomechanical parameters, such as Poisson’s ratio, as well as for geometrical parameters, such as reservoir radius and depth. Finally, changes in gravity due to compaction were compared to changes induced by reservoir fluid substitution. Given a rigid basement close below a strongly compacting reservoir, our modeling case showed that the deformation itself could give gravity changes comparable to changes caused by reservoir fluid density changes, which are the changes traditionally targeted by gravity monitoring. For a homogeneous subsurface, the compaction gave negligible gravity changes for our modeling case.
Antitumor Activity and Safety of Tivozanib (AV-951) in a Phase II Randomized Discontinuation Trial in Patients With Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Nosov Dmitry A. , Esteves Brooke , Lipatov Oleg N. , Lyulko Alexei A. , Anischenko A. A. , Chacko Raju T. , Doval Dinesh C. , Strahs Andrew , Slichenmyer William J. , Bhargava Pankaj
Published: April 2012

Purpose

The antitumor activity and safety of tivozanib, which is a potent and selective vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1, -2, and -3 inhibitor, was assessed in patients with advanced/metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Patients and Methods

In this phase II, randomized discontinuation trial, 272 patients received open-label tivozanib 1.5 mg/d (one cycle equaled three treatment weeks followed by a 1-week break) orally for 16 weeks. Thereafter, 78 patients who demonstrated ≥ 25% tumor shrinkage continued to take tivozanib, and 118 patients with less than 25% tumor change were randomly assigned to receive tivozanib or a placebo in a double-blind manner; patients with ≥ 25% tumor growth were discontinued. Primary end points included safety, the objective response rate (ORR) at 16 weeks, and the percentage of randomly assigned patients who remained progression free after 12 weeks of double-blind treatment; secondary end points included progression-free survival (PFS).

Results

Of 272 patients enrolled onto the study, 83% of patients had clear-cell histology, 73% of patients had undergone nephrectomy, and 54% of patients were treatment naive. The ORR after 16 weeks of tivozanib treatment was 18% (95% CI, 14% to 23%). Of the 118 randomized patients, significantly more patients who were randomly assigned to receive double-blind tivozanib remained progression free after 12 weeks versus patients who received the placebo (49% v 21%; P = .001). Throughout the study, the ORR was 24% (95% CI, 19% to 30%), and the median PFS was 11.7 months (95% CI, 8.3 to 14.3 months) in the overall study population. The most common grade 3 and 4 treatment-related adverse event was hypertension (12%).

Conclusion

Tivozanib was active and well tolerated in patients with advanced RCC. These data support additional development of tivozanib in advanced RCC.