bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dyslipidaemia in patients with lupus nephritis
Authors: CHONG YIP BOON , YAP DESMOND YH , TANG COLIN SO , CHAN TAK MAO
Published: March 2011

Aim:  There is little data on the prevalence and severity of dyslipidaemia in Asian patients with lupus nephritis (LN). Whether the dyslipidaemia in LN patients differs from subjects with comparable levels of renal impairment also remains undefined.

Methods:  Lipid profiles of 100 Chinese patients with quiescent LN (age 46.3 ± 9.3 years, 83% female, maintenance prednisolone dose 5.80 ± 2.43 mg/day) were studied and compared with 100 controls who had non‐lupus non‐diabetic chronic kidney diseases (CKD), matched for sex, age and renal function.

Results:  LN patients and CKD controls had similar renal function and proteinuria, while blood pressure was higher in controls. Twenty‐five percent of LN patients and 17% of controls were receiving statin treatment. Despite this, 59% of LN patients and 46% CKD controls showed abnormal lipid parameters (P = 0.066). LN patients showed higher levels of total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) than controls (5.28 ± 0.12 vs 4.86 ± 0.08 mmol/L, P = 0.004; and 1.62 ± 0.12 vs 1.20 ± 0.07 mmol/L, P = 0.002, respectively). More LN patients had abnormal TC, TG or low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) (54%, 16% and 38%; P = 0.016, = 0.005 and = 0.021, respectively). Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) treatment was associated with lower TC, LDL‐C and HDL‐cholesterol.

Conclusion:  Dyslipidaemia is prevalent in LN patients and is more severe than controls with a similar degree of CKD despite disease quiescence, low steroid dose and low level of proteinuria. Concomitant corticosteroid and renal impairment are likely contributing factors. HCQ treatment is associated with reduced severity of dyslipidaemia in LN patients.
EMMPRIN (CD147) regulation of MMP‐9 in bronchial epithelial cells in COPD
Authors: JOUNEAU STEPHANE , KHORASANI NADIA , DE SOUZA PATRICIA , MACEDO PATRICIA , ZHU JIE , BHAVSAR PANKAJ K. , CHUNG KIAN F.
Published: March 2011

Background and objective:  Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN or CD147) induces the production of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) such as MMP‐9, which plays an important role in COPD. We determined its cellular origin and role in MMP‐9 production in COPD.

Methods:  Bronchial biopsies, alveolar macrophages (AM) and blood monocytes (BM) from patients with COPD, healthy smokers and non‐smokers, and bronchial epithelial cells (EC) from surgically resected airways from patients with COPD were stimulated with LPS or CRP in the presence and absence of an anti‐EMMPRIN blocking antibody. EMMPRIN in BAL, plasma, conditioned media and cell lysates was quantified and immunohistochemical localization of EMMPRIN was determined in bronchial biopsies. MMP‐9 activity and mRNA was also determined.

Results:  EMMPRIN levels in BAL fluid were higher in patients with COPD compared with non‐smokers and smokers. There was greater EMMPRIN expression in EC from patients with COPD compared with smokers and non‐smokers. EC secreted and expressed more EMMPRIN protein than BM and AM. Blocking EMMPRIN decreased MMP‐9 activity in supernatant of EC, but not in those from AM and BM, and decreased MMP‐9 mRNA expression in EC.

Conclusions:  The increased EMMPRIN expression in COPD is reflected by an increased release from bronchial EC, which are one of the main source of EMMPRIN. EMMPRIN regulates MMP‐9 expression in COPD.
Paclitaxel and cisplatin chemotherapy for metastatic urothelial carcinoma after failure of two courses of platinum‐based regimens
Authors: Joung Jae Young , Kwon Whi‐An , Cho In‐Chang , Kim Eun Kyung , Park Sohee , Yoon Hyekyoung , Seo Ho Kyung , Chung Jinsoo , Park Weon Seo , Lee Kang Hyun
Published: March 2011

Objectives:  We investigated the outcomes of paclitaxel and cisplatin chemotherapy as an optional regimen for patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma after failure of two consecutive platinum‐based regimens.

Methods:  We retrospectively analyzed the data of 21 patients who had evidence of disease progression after two consecutive platinum‐based regimens, gemcitabine and cisplatin (GC course), and methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin and cisplatin (M‐VAC course) as first‐line and second‐line treatments. As third‐line chemotherapy, patients received paclitaxel (175 mg/m2) and cisplatin (70 mg/m2) every 3 weeks until disease progression.

Results:  Complete remission occurred in one patient (4.8%), partial remission occurred in three patients (14.3%) and stable disease occurred in five patients (23.8%). The overall response rate was 19.0% and the overall disease control rate, including stable disease, was 42.9%. The median progression‐free survival (PFS) was 3 months (95% CI 3.0–5.0). The median overall survival was 9 months (95% CI 7.0–15.0). Grade 3 to 4 neutropenia appeared in 85.7% of patients. No life‐threatening complications were observed.

Conclusions:  Paclitaxel and cisplatin chemotherapy could be an optional regimen for patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma after the failure of two consecutive standard platinum‐based regimens.
Rare calcium oxalate monohydrate calculus attached to the wall of the renal pelvis
Authors: Grases Felix , Costa‐Bauza Antonia , Prieto Rafael M , Saus Carlos , Servera Antonio , García‐Miralles Reyes , Benejam Joan
Published: March 2011

Most renal calculi can be classified using well‐established criteria in a manner that reflects both composition and fine structure under specific pathophysiological conditions. However, when a large patient population is considered, rare renal calculi invariably appear, some of which have never been classified; careful study is required to establish stone etiology in such cases. The patient in the present case report formed two types of calculi. One was attached on the wall of the renal pelvis near the ureter and part of the calculus was embedded inside pelvic renal tissue. The calculus developed on an ossified calcification located in the pelvis tissue. Current knowledge on the development of calcification in soft tissues suggests a pre‐existing injury as an inducer of its development. A mechanism of calculus formation is proposed. The second stone was a typical jack‐stone calculus.
Sharing the load: Parents and carers talk to consumer consultants at a child and youth mental health inpatient unit
Authors: Geraghty Kerry , McCann Karen , King Robert , Eichmann Kathryn
Published: March 2011

Caring for a child or adolescent affected by mental illness has been identified as imposing stresses and burdens in excess of those usually associated with child rearing. Peer support has been identified as one means by which these stresses and burdens can be reduced. This study investigated the work of a peer support service provided by Mater Child and Youth Mental Health Service in Brisbane, Australia. The study took the form of a content analysis of records of consultations between consumer consultants and 50 families/carers of children admitted into the acute inpatient unit during the period May 2006–April 2008. The content analysis identified four key themes or domains: experience of service provision, emotions and feelings associated with the admission, need for information, and coping with challenges. The findings from the study affirm the role of consumer consultants in child and adolescent inpatient services. Some families value a peer perspective and the opportunity to seek advice and information around a wide variety of topics from people not directly involved in the treatment of their child.
Sequencing and assembly of low copy and genic regions of isolated Triticum aestivum chromosome arm 7DS
Authors: Berkman Paul J. , Skarshewski Adam , Lorenc Michał T. , Lai Kaitao , Duran Chris , Ling Edmund Y.S. , Stiller Jiri , Smits Lars , Imelfort Michael , Manoli Sahana , McKenzie Megan , Kubaláková Marie , Šimková Hana , Batley Jacqueline , Fleury Delphine , Doležel Jaroslav , Edwards David
Published: March 2011

The genome of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) is predicted to be greater than 16 Gbp in size and consist predominantly of repetitive elements, making the sequencing and assembly of this genome a major challenge. We have reduced genome sequence complexity by isolating chromosome arm 7DS and applied second‐generation technology and appropriate algorithmic analysis to sequence and assemble low copy and genic regions of this chromosome arm. The assembly represents approximately 40% of the chromosome arm and all known 7DS genes. Comparison of the 7DS assembly with the sequenced genomes of rice (Oryza sativa) and Brachypodium distachyon identified large regions of conservation. The syntenic relationship between wheat, B. distachyon and O. sativa, along with available genetic mapping data, has been used to produce an annotated draft 7DS syntenic build, which is publicly available at http://www.wheatgenome.info. Our results suggest that the sequencing of isolated chromosome arms can provide valuable information of the gene content of wheat and is a step towards whole‐genome sequencing and variation discovery in this important crop.
Large‐Time Asymptotics for Solutions of a Generalized Burgers Equation with Variable Viscosity
Authors: Rao Ch. Srinivasa , Satyanarayana Engu
Published: March 2011

In this paper, we discuss the large‐time asymptotics for periodic solutions of a generalized Burgers equation with variable viscosity (GBEV). Large‐time asymptotics for the solutions of the GBEV depend on the parameters present in the partial differential equation and also the period of the solution of the GBEV. Large‐time asymptotic expansions of the solutions are obtained by improving the solution of the linearized GBEV for certain parametric regions via a perturbative approach. These constructed large‐time asymptotics are compared with the corresponding numerical solutions and are found to be in good agreement for large time. For certain other parametric region, our numerical study suggests that the solution of the inviscid GBEV describes the large‐time behavior of the periodic solutions of the GBEV.
The Application of Neumann Type Systems for Solving Integrable Nonlinear Evolution Equations
Authors: Chen Jinbing
Published: March 2011

An algorithm to obtain finite‐gap solutions of integrable nonlinear evolution equations (INLEEs) is provided by using the Neumann type systems in the framework of algebraic geometry. From the nonlinearization of Lax pairs, some INLEEs in 1+1 and 2+1 dimensions are reduced into a class of new Neumann type systems separating the spatial and temporal variables of INLEEs over a symplectic submanifold (M, ω2). Based on the Lax representations of INLEEs, we deduce the Lax–Moser matrix for those Neumann type systems that yield the integrals of motion, elliptic variables, and a hyperelliptic curve of Riemann surface. Then, we attain the Liouville integrability for a hierarchy of Neumann type systems in view of a Lax equation on (M, ω2) and a set of quasi‐Abel–Jacobi variables. We also specify the relationship between Neumann type systems and INLEEs, where the involutive solutions of Neumann type systems give rise to the finite parametric solutions of INLEEs and the Neumann map cuts out a finite dimensional invariant subspace for INLEEs. Under the Abel–Jacobi variables, the Neumann type flows, the 1+1, and 2+1 dimensional flows are integrated with Abel–Jacobi solutions; as a result, the finite‐gap solutions expressed by Riemann theta functions for some 1+1 and 2+1 dimensional INLEEs are achieved through the Jacobi inversion with the aid of the Riemann theorem.
A Stochastic Analysis of Some Two‐Person Sports
Authors: Paindaveine Davy , Swan Yvik
Published: March 2011

We consider two‐person sports where each rally is initiated by a server, the other player (the receiver) becoming the server when he/she wins a rally. Historically, these sports used a scoring based on the side‐out scoring system, in which points are only scored by the server. Recently, however, some federations have switched to the rally‐point scoring system in which a point is scored on every rally. As various authors before us, we study how much this change affects the game. Our approach is based on a rally‐level analysis of the process through which, besides the well‐known probability distribution of the scores, we also obtain the distribution of the number of rallies. This yields a comprehensive knowledge of the process at hand, and allows for an in‐depth comparison of both scoring systems. In particular, our results help to explain why the transition from one scoring system to the other has more important implications than those predicted from game‐winning probabilities alone. Some of our findings are quite surprising, and unattainable through Monte Carlo experiments. Our results are of high practical relevance to international federations and local tournament organizers alike, and also open the way to efficient estimation of the rally‐winning probabilities.
A “Tranquilizing” Influence? British “Proto‐peacekeeping” in Ottoman Macedonia 1904–1905
Authors: Brooks Julian
Published: March 2011

Peacekeeping is challenging. The United Nations era is most well known for its multilateral peacekeeping initiatives, but these were preceded by interventions by the Great Powers of Europe in parts of the Ottoman Empire such as Lebanon and Macedonia. The Mürzsteg Reform Program of 1903–1908 was one such multilateral operation by the Great Powers, which has largely been dismissed for its failure to bring peace and stability to Ottoman Macedonia. However, an apparent exception to the rule was the British patrolled sector, where the British “peacekeepers” managed to swiftly establish themselves in a position of authority and implement reforms. Even their physical presence was credited for providing a pacifying effect on the local population. The British success was in stark juxtaposition to the French, Italian, and Austrian sectors, where political and ethnic violence continued and “peacekeepers” faced physical obstruction and bureaucratic recalcitrance from the Ottoman authorities. The intent of this study is to examine British official reports and diplomatic correspondence to address the question of whether the British “proto‐peacekeeping” operation in Ottoman Macedonia was a truly a success and, if so, what factors can account for it.
Naturalness, Representation and the Metaphysics of Truth
Authors: Edwards Douglas
Published: March 2011

Abstract: This paper explores how consideration of the notions of naturalness and eligibility, which have played an increasingly significant role in contemporary metaphysics, might impact on the study of truth. In particular, it aims to demonstrate how taking such notions seriously may be of benefit to ‘representational’ theories of truth by showing how the naturalness of truth on a representational account provides a response to the ‘Scope Problem’ presented by Lynch (2009).
When a Precedent of Donation Favors Defection in the Prisoner’s Dilemma
Authors: Garapin Alexis , Llerena Daniel , Hollard Michel
Published: March 2011

In this paper, we examine the question of whether a collective activity can influence cooperation in a subsequent repeated one-shot prisoner’s dilemma (PD) game. We conduct two series of experiments. The first consists of control experiments in which 30 periods of a PD game are played, with a random rematching of the pairs in every period. In a second series of experiments, subjects first play a donation game (DG) and then the PD game. In the DG, they collectively discuss the amount of a donation to a given charity, before putting the question to an individual and anonymous vote. Cooperation levels in the PD games preceded by the DG are significantly lower than those observed in the control experiment.
Vegaphobia: derogatory discourses of veganism and the reproduction of speciesism in UK national newspapers1
Authors: Cole Matthew , Morgan Karen
Published: March 2011

This paper critically examines discourses of veganism in UK national newspapers in 2007. In setting parameters for what can and cannot easily be discussed, dominant discourses also help frame understanding. Discourses relating to veganism are therefore presented as contravening commonsense, because they fall outside readily understood meat‐eating discourses. Newspapers tend to discredit veganism through ridicule, or as being difficult or impossible to maintain in practice. Vegans are variously stereotyped as ascetics, faddists, sentimentalists, or in some cases, hostile extremists. The overall effect is of a derogatory portrayal of vegans and veganism that we interpret as ‘vegaphobia’. We interpret derogatory discourses of veganism in UK national newspapers as evidence of the cultural reproduction of speciesism, through which veganism is dissociated from its connection with debates concerning nonhuman animals' rights or liberation. This is problematic in three, interrelated, respects. First, it empirically misrepresents the experience of veganism, and thereby marginalizes vegans. Second, it perpetuates a moral injury to omnivorous readers who are not presented with the opportunity to understand veganism and the challenge to speciesism that it contains. Third, and most seriously, it obscures and thereby reproduces exploitative and violent relations between human and nonhuman animals.
The displaced and dispossessed of Darfur: explaining the sources of a continuing state‐led genocide
Authors: Hagan John , Kaiser Joshua
Published: March 2011

The millions of survivors who fled from attacks to Sudanese‐controlled displacement camps and the refugee camps in Chad are the living ghosts of the Darfur genocide. The 1948 Genocide Convention incorporates extermination by mass killing and elimination through forced migration as two distinct elements of genocide. Genocide scholars and public discourse emphasize extermination by killing, but they give far less explanatory attention to the elimination processes that the Genocide Convention describes as ‘deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction’. (Article IIUnited Nations 1948.) In Darfur, understanding the latter processes requires theoretical attention to the history of food, water, and famine and detailed methodological attention to temporal processes of displacement. We demonstrate how intentional state‐led attacks on food and water massively dislodged Black Africans in Darfur from February 2003 to August 2004. The political leadership of the Sudanese state dehumanized and forcibly displaced Black Africans from their homes in Darfur to camps where they largely remain, not only through mass killings and rapes, but also by destroying life‐sustaining access to food and water, leading to the genocidal elimination of group life in this region.
A global energy network? The expansion and integration of non‐triad national oil companies
Authors: DE GRAAFF NANÁ
Published: March 2011

It is widely perceived that the rising influence of state‐owned energy companies from outside the traditional triad (USA, EU, Japan) is transforming the structure of the global energy market and generating a new wave of resource‐nationalism. There is, however, little empirical analysis of how this process has unfolded. Addressing this empirical gap, in this article I employ a longitudinal social network analysis of the changing corporate relations of five major non‐triad state‐owned energy companies in the period 1997–2007. The findings indicate that, in terms of corporate relations, alongside the global expansion of the non‐triad state‐owned energy companies, there was also an increased integration between them and the private energy companies during this decade. This implies that apart from the resurgence of resource‐nationalism – frequently highlighted in academia and politics – this period also witnessed an increasing transnationalization of the global energy market.
Mary Whiton Calkins (1863–1930)
Authors: Furumoto Laurel
Published: March 2011

Mary Whiton Calkins (1863–1930) was fourteenth President of the American Psychological Association, invented the paired-associate technique, founded an early psychological laboratory, and developed a system of self-psychology. Her eminence as a psychologist and a scholar was widely acknowledged and she was the recipient of two honorary degrees. Calkins published prolifically in both psychology and philosophy, moving away from psychology into philosophy during the latter half of her career. Both her work in psychology and philosophy came to center on the importance of the self. Calkins studied with William James, Josiah Royce and Hugo Münsterberg at Harvard in the 1890s, and although she completed all the requirements for the Ph.D., she was not granted the degree because she was a woman. In 1902, she was offered a Radcliffe degree which she declined on principle, because she believed that work done at Harvard should be recognized by a Harvard degree regardless of whether the recipient was a female or a male. On many occasions throughout her life, she expressed her opposition to differentiation between the sexes based on the assumption of inherent differences in mental abilities.
Karen Horney: Theorist in Psychoanalysis and Feminine Psychology
Authors: O'Connell Agnes N.
Published: March 2011

Karen Horney is unique and unparalleled in personality theory. She has the distinction of being the only woman whose theory is detailed in personality textbooks. Horney is known as a neo-Freudian for her revision of Freudian thought; a social psychological theorist for her emphasis on cultural and social influences; a humanist for her holistic view and emphasis on self-realization; and a feminist for her development of a feminine psychology. She was a founder of the Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis and founder and dean of the American Institute for Psychoanalysis, a training institute. She was a teacher who could simplify the most difficult concepts; a therapist with deep human involvement; Editor of the American Journal of Psychoanalysis; a Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association; a regular contributor to scientific sessions; and a prolific writer. She was personally and professionally a “well-rounded balance of an abundance of striving and creative possibility.”
Edna Heidbreder: Systematic and Cognitive Psychologist
Authors: Furumoto Laurel
Published: March 2011

After completing her undergraduate degree at Knox College in 1911, Edna Heidbreder was a high school teacher of history for several years. She began her graduate work at the University of Wisconsin where she received a master's degree in philosophy in 1918. Undertaking doctoral work in psychology at Columbia she completed her Ph.D. in 1924 and was offered a position in the Psychology Department at the University of Minnesota. There she remained until 1934 when she accepted a position in the Department of Psychology at Wellesley College which she held until her retirement in 1955. Two lines of interest persisted throughout her career: her work in cognition and systematic psychology. Her book Seven Psychologies published in 1933 has received praise in reviews spanning four decades. Heidbreder views the women of her generation as working during a period when there was a lull in women's rights activism. She believes that most women during that period felt that the best way to improve their situation was to prove that they could be competent professionals as the women pioneers had claimed women could. She believes that today women remain at a disadvantage compared to men in psychology primarily because of the pervasive stereotypes in our society which make it difficult for men to take the intellectual interests and abilities of women seriously.
Mary Cover Jones: Feminine as Asset
Authors: Logan Deana Dorman
Published: March 2011

Mary Cover Jones has played many roles during her career as a psychologist—researcher, professor, wife of the eminent psychologist Harold E. Jones, and friend to some of the great names in the field such as Erik Erikson and Nevitt Sanford. Included in the paper is a discussion of three of her primary areas of research—the case study of Peter which provided a preview of behavior modification, evidence from longitudinal studies regarding the problems of early and late maturing, and work on personality antecedents in problem drinkers. In addition, her part in the establishment of the major longitudinal studies at the University of California is reported. Finally, her successful application of traditionally feminine strengths to these many professional undertakings is discussed.
Occupational Endeavor As Life History: Anne Roe
Authors: Simpson Elizabeth Léonie
Published: March 2011

As an exemplar of the fulfilled and integrative life, Harvard Professor Emerita Anne Roe provides a model of both personal and professional achievement. In her adult life the roles of researcher, administrator and teacher have been in dialectical interaction with those of wife and mother defined in the normative terms of the times. Her work, complicated by years of chronic illness, has been concerned with the intellectual functions of normal, aphasic and mentally disordered adults; behavior of newborn infants; status of foster children from different backgrounds; the effects of alcohol; personalities of artists and scientists; the psychology of occupations; behavior and evolution; the psychology of creativity; and the relations between early experiences and career patterns. Professional recognition has taken many forms, including entry in the World Who's Who in Science in which she and her husband George Gaylord Simpson, the evolutionist, are separately listed for achievement in distinct fields. Forced curtailment of professional life has led to development in arts and crafts as a new occupational endeavor.
Habitat selection of breeding riparian birds in an urban environment: untangling the relative importance of biophysical elements and spatial scale
Authors: Pennington Derric N. , Blair Robert B.
Published: March 2011

Aim  Urbanization is a leading threat to global biodiversity, yet little is known about how the spatial arrangement and composition of biophysical elements – buildings and vegetation – within a metropolitan area influence habitat selection. Here, we ask: what is the relative importance of the structure and composition of these elements on bird species across multiple spatial scales?

Location  The temperate metropolitan area of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

Methods  We surveyed breeding birds on 71 plots along an urban gradient. We modelled relative density for 48 bird species in relation to local woody vegetation composition and structure and to tree cover, grass cover and building density within 50–1000 m of each plot. We used an information‐theoretic approach to compare models and variables.

Results  At the proximate scale, native tree and understory stem frequency were the most important vegetation variables explaining bird distributions. Species’ responses to landscape biophysical features and spatial scales varied. Most native species responded positively to vegetation measures and negatively to building density. Models combining both local vegetation and landscape information represented best or competitive models for the majority of species, while models containing only local vegetation characteristics were rarely competitive. Smaller spatial scales (≤ 500 m) were most important for 36 species, and eight species had best models at larger scales (> 500 m); however, several species had competitive models across multiple scales.

Main conclusions  Habitat selection by birds within the urban matrix is the result of a combination of factors operating at both proximate and broader spatial scales. Efforts to manage and design urban areas to benefit native birds require both fine‐scale (e.g., individual landowners and landscape design) and larger landscape actions (e.g., regional comprehensive planning).
Inhibition of nociceptive responses after systemic administration of amidated kyotorphin
Authors: Ribeiro MMB , Pinto A , Pinto M , Heras M , Martins I , Correia A , Bardaji E , Tavares I , Castanho M
Published: March 2011

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Kyotorphin (KTP; L‐Tyr‐L‐Arg), an endogenous neuropeptide, is potently analgesic when delivered directly to the central nervous system. Its weak analgesic effects after systemic administration have been explained by inability to cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and detract from the possible clinical use of KTP as an analgesic. In this study, we aimed to increase the lipophilicity of KTP by amidation and to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of a new KTP derivative (KTP‐amide – KTP‐NH2).

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH We synthesized KTP‐NH2. This peptide was given systemically to assess its ability to cross the BBB. A wide range of pain models, including acute, sustained and chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain, were used to characterize analgesic efficacies of KTP‐NH2. Binding to opioid receptors and toxicity were also measured.

KEY RESULTS KTP‐NH2, unlike its precursor KTP, was lipophilic and highly analgesic following systemic administration in several acute and chronic pain models, without inducing toxic effects or affecting motor responses and blood pressure. Binding to opioid receptors was minimal. KTP‐NH2 inhibited nociceptive responses of spinal neurons. Its analgesic effects were prevented by intrathecal or i.p. administration of naloxone.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Amidation allowed KTP to show good analgesic ability after systemic delivery in acute and chronic pain models. The indirect opioid‐mediated actions of KTP‐NH2 may explain why this compound retained its analgesic effects although the usual side effects of opioids were absent, which is a desired feature in next‐generation pain medications.
The indolocarbazole, Gö6976, inhibits guanylyl cyclase‐A and ‐B
Authors: Robinson Jerid W , Lou Xiaoying , Potter Lincoln R
Published: March 2011

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP) decrease vascular volume and pressure by activating guanylyl cyclase‐A (GC‐A). C‐type natriuretic peptide (CNP) activation of guanylyl cyclase‐B (GC‐B) stimulates long bone growth. This study investigated the effects of the indolocarbazole, Gö6976, on the guanylyl cyclase activity of GC‐A and GC‐B as a first step towards developing small molecule regulators of these enzymes.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Whole cell cGMP concentrations or 32P‐cGMP accumulation in membrane preparations measured the effects of indolocarbazoles on the enzymatic activity GC‐A and GC‐B from transfected 293T or endogenously expressing 3T3‐L1 cells.

KEY RESULTS Gö6976 blocked cellular CNP‐dependent cGMP elevations in 293T‐GC‐B cells. The t½ for Gö6976 inhibition was 7 s and IC50 was 380 nM. Gö6976 increased the EC50 for CNP 4.5‐fold, but increasing the CNP concentration did not overcome the inhibition. Half of the inhibition was lost 1 h after removal of Gö6976 from the medium. Cellular exposure to Gö6976 reduced basal and natriuretic peptide‐dependent, but not detergent‐dependent, GC‐A and GC‐B activity. Inhibition was also observed when Gö6976 was added directly to the cyclase assay. A constitutively phosphorylated form of GC‐B was similarly inhibited.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS These data demonstrate that Gö6976 potently, rapidly and reversibly inhibited GC‐A and GC‐B via a process that did not require intact cells, known phosphorylation sites or inactivation of all catalytic sites. This is the first report of an intracellular inhibitor of a transmembrane guanylyl cyclase and the first report of a non‐kinase target for Gö6976.
Indirect modulation of neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission in the hippocampus by activation of proteinase‐activated receptor‐2
Authors: Gan J , Greenwood SM , Cobb SR , Bushell TJ
Published: March 2011

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Proteinase‐activated receptor‐2 (PAR2) is widely expressed in the CNS under normal physiological conditions. However, its potential role in modulating neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission remains to be determined. Here, we have investigated whether PAR2 activation modulates synaptic activity in the hippocampus.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH PAR2 activation and its effect on the hippocampus were examined in rat primary cultures and acute slices using whole cell patch clamp and standard extracellular recordings, respectively.

KEY RESULTS PAR2 activation leads to a depolarization of hippocampal neurones and a paradoxical reduction in the occurrence of synaptically driven spontaneous action potentials (APs). PAR2‐induced neuronal depolarization was abolished following either the inhibition of astrocytic function or antagonism of ionotropic glutamate receptors whilst the PAR2‐induced decrease in AP frequency was also reduced when astrocytic function was inhibited. Furthermore, when examined in acute hippocampal slices, PAR2 activation induced a profound long‐term depression of synaptic transmission that was dependent on NMDA receptor activation and was sensitive to disruption of astrocytic function.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS These novel findings show that PAR2 activation indirectly inhibits hippocampal synaptic activity and indicate that these receptors may play an active role in modulating normal physiological CNS function, in addition to their role in pathophysiological disorders.
Pyoderma Gangrenosum‐like Lesions in Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency I Treated with Intravenous Immunoglobulin
Authors: Nord Kristin M. , Pappert Amy S. , Grossman Marc E.
Published: March 2011

Abstract:  A 31‐year‐old Caucasian male with leukocyte adhesion deficiency I and a 20‐year history of recurrent, painful cutaneous ulcerations on the extremities presented with fatigue and worsening pain in both legs. He had experienced minimal improvement in his leg ulcers from treatment with systemic steroids, numerous courses of systemic antibiotics, and brief trials of infliximab and mycophenolate mofetil. He was treated with monthly intravenous immunoglobulin infusions. Upon completion of six courses of intravenous immunoglobulin his ulcerations had nearly healed for the first time in a decade.
“Big Questions” about Intergovernmental Relations and Management: Who Will Address Them?
Authors: Kincaid John , Stenberg Carl W.
Published: March 2011

Fiscal, administrative, and political tensions among the partners in the federal system have not eased, and perhaps have grown, since the demise of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations in 1996. Yet no governmental organizational capacity exists to address big intergovernmental questions in an ongoing manner through nonpartisan or bipartisan research, data collection, deliberation, and policy formulation.
Enhancing the Legitimacy of Local Government Pandemic Influenza Planning through Transparency and Public Engagement
Authors: French P. Edward
Published: March 2011

Ethical issues in an influenza pandemic often require local government officials to make unprecedented, complex decisions. Effective planning with significant input from key community stakeholders is required well ahead of time in order to anticipate and mitigate a serious health crisis. The author evaluates the pandemic plans of 28 large cities across the United States using criteria derived from guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The analysis reveals that planning legitimacy can be enhanced by wider transparency and civic engagement, greater opportunities for the inclusion of all stakeholders in decision making, mock community‐wide exercises and drills, as well as more public access to comprehensive emergency planning information.
Kinds of environments—a framework for reflecting on the possible contours of a better world
Authors: Simandan Dragos
Published: March 2011

One of the significant developments in the interdisciplinary field of judgment and decision making is the classification of environments as a function of (a) their capacity to enable people to learn from experience (kind environments vs. wicked environments) and (b) the consequences of having failed to understand and adapt to them (exacting environments vs. lenient environments). Based on the premise that ‘environment’ is a key geographical concept, I explore the usefulness of appropriating these classifications in geography and argue that they can stimulate normative work on the possible contours of a better world as well as illuminate in novel ways long‐standing geographical concerns with the problematic of fairness.
Fragmentation regimes of Canada's forests
Authors: Wulder Michael A. , White Joanne C. , Coops Nicholas C.
Published: March 2011

Canada is a large nation, approximately 1 billion hectares in size, and until recently, no national assessment of forest fragmentation had been undertaken. To assess national level biodiversity and ecosystem condition, national drivers of forest fragmentation are identified as being either primarily natural (e.g., resulting from wildfires, water features, or topography), or primarily anthropogenic (e.g., resulting from urbanization or roads and associated activities such as forest harvesting and oil and gas exploration). The relative importance of each of these fragmentation drivers within Canada's ten forested ecozones, which occupy approximately 650 million ha, is assessed using ecozone summaries and standard scores. Forest pattern metrics were generated from a Landsat‐derived land cover product and fragmentation drivers were characterized using available national datasets. Through this analysis, we combine and portray the relative importance of forest patches with spatial layers indicative of natural and anthropogenically induced conditions as driving various fragmentation regimes over the forested area of Canada. The forest fragmentation in Canada can be characterized primarily by natural drivers, whereas fragmentation regimes attributable to anthropogenic drivers are typically regionally located and related to industrial activities and access (i.e., roads). We identify three scenarios in our results that characterize forest fragmentation in Canada: ecozones with similar forest patterns but different drivers; ecozones with similar patterns and drivers; and finally, ecozones with both different patterns and different drivers. Our findings indicate that national assessments of forest fragmentation should account for both natural (and inherent) and anthropogenic sources of fragmentation.
Starting Over: A Tentative Theory Exploring the Effects of Past Relationships on Postbereavement Remarried Couples
Authors: BRIMHALL ANDREW SCOTT , ENGBLOM‐DEGLMANN MICHELLE LEE
Published: March 2011

Using grounded theory methodology 24 participants were asked to discuss how the death of a previous spouse, either theirs or their partner's, was currently affecting their second marriage. Participants were interviewed individually and as a couple. The central category was memories of the deceased spouse. Six additional categories emerged from the data: past spouse on pedestal, current/past comparison, insecurity of current spouse, curiosity about past spouse/relationship, partner's response to curiosity, and impact on the current relationship. Existing literature, auditors, and participant feedback were all used to validate the results. Expanding on a tentative theory (Brimhall, Wampler, & Kimball, 2008), provisional hypotheses were developed, thus helping clinicians who work with complex issues involving remarried couples
Family Structure and Family Processes in Mexican‐American Families
Authors: ZEIDERS KATHARINE H. , ROOSA MARK W. , TEIN JENN‐YUN
Published: March 2011

Despite increases in single‐parent families among Mexican Americans, few studies have examined the association of family structure and family adjustment. Utilizing a diverse sample of 738 Mexican‐American families (21.7% single parent), the current study examined differences across family structure on early adolescent outcomes, family functioning, and parent–child relationship variables. Results revealed that early adolescents in single‐parent families reported greater school misconduct, conduct disorder/oppositional deviant disorder, and major depressive disorder symptoms, and greater parent–child conflict than their counterparts in 2‐parent families. Single‐parent mothers reported greater economic hardship, depression, and family stress. Family stress and parent–child conflict emerged as significant mediators of the association between family structure and early adolescent outcomes, suggesting important processes linking Mexican‐American single‐parent families and adolescent adjustment.
“Hay Que Ponerse en los Zapatos del Joven”: Adaptive Parenting of Adolescent Children Among Mexican‐American Parents Residing in a Dangerous Neighborhood
Authors: CRUZ‐SANTIAGO MICHELLE , RAMÍREZ GARCÍA JORGE I.
Published: March 2011

We examined parenting of adolescents with Consensual Qualitative Research analyses of five 90‐minute focus groups with 45 Mexican immigrant parents residing in a high‐crime and low‐income neighborhood. Parents identified gangs as their major challenge in parenting. Relatedly, they endorsed control‐oriented practices to ensure the safety of their adolescents. In addition, parents used practices that aimed to build strong, trusting relationships with their adolescents. The co‐occurrence of parenting strategies that promote strong parent–adolescent bonds along with strict monitoring highlights the need to conceptualize parenting with both controllingas well assupportive dimensions. Moreover, the parents' narratives pertaining to the dangers in their neighborhood suggest that interventions for Latino families should be not only consistent with their cultural heritage, but also grounded in the families' local neighborhood contexts.
An Assessment of the Effectiveness of the Hertzian Indentation Technique for Determining the Fracture Toughness of Brittle Materials
Authors: Paliwal Bhasker , Tandon Rajan , Buchheit Thomas E. , Rodelas Jeffrey M.
Published: March 2011

Ring crack initiation loads on glass using a spherical WC indenter were measured, and the methodology proposed by Warren and Hills and Warren was used to estimate glass toughness (KIC). The values obtained were overestimates of KIC, primarily because the methodology does not account for friction correctly. Corrected results that show that the stress‐intensity factor at the surface crack tip is extremely sensitive to the friction coefficient, μ and to Poisson's ratio, ν of the substrate are presented. This sensitivity and an inability to obtain the minimum load for crack initiation despite numerous experimental trials, cast doubt on the utility of the technique to measure KIC.
The m–t Transformation and Twinning Analysis of Hot‐Pressed Sintered 3YSZ Ceramics
Authors: Wu Yu‐Chuan , Chiang Yu‐Tsung
Published: March 2011

Microstructures of 3 mol% yttria‐stabilized zirconia (3YSZ) with different content of TiN were investigated in this study by XRD, SEM, and TEM. The specimens were hot‐pressing sintered at 1450°C for 2.5 h under 50 MPa in vacuum, and then further characterized on microstructure change and phase distribution. The TiN added to 3YSZ can suppress tetragonal (t) to monoclinic (m)‐3YSZ phase transformations, reduce 3YSZ grain size, and improve its mechanical properties. The ceramic was formed of homogeneously dispersed 3YSZ and TiN grains with average size of 0.7 and 1 μm, respectively. The coexistence of t‐ and m‐phases was observed in one grain, and the nucleation of m‐phase with acicular twin occurred preferentially at grain boundaries of t‐phase. The TEM analysis was focused on the 3YSZ–30 wt% TiN specimens in order to identify the relationships between t‐ and m‐structures, and twin structures of m‐phase. Two crystallographic relations of t‐ to m‐transformation are (100)m//(110)t, [010]m//[001]t in type I, and (100)m//(110)t, [001]m//[001]t in the type II. The acicular (100)m and lathlike (110)m twins in m‐phase were also observed.
Oral hygiene measures and the periodontal status of school children
Authors: Kolawole KA , Oziegbe EO , Bamise CT
Published: March 2011

To cite this article:
 
Int J Dent Hygiene
9, 2011; 143–148 DOI: 10.1111/j.1601‐5037.2010.00466.x Kolawole KA, Oziegbe EO, Bamise CT.Oral hygiene measures and the periodontal status of school children.

Background:  Tooth brushing and other mechanical cleaning procedures are considered the most reliable methods of effective plaque removal, which is essential for prevention of periodontal diseases.

Objective:  To investigate the relationship between oral hygiene practices, socioeconomic status and gingival health in a group of Nigerian children.

Methods:  Our study population consisted of 242 randomly selected school children in Ile‐Ife, Nigeria. Participants completed a questionnaire on oral hygiene measures, their gingival health was assessed using oral hygiene index (OHI), plaque index (PI) and index of gingival inflammation (GI).

Results:  Toothbrushing once daily was the most common practice (52.1%). Toothbrush with a fluoride‐containing toothpaste was the most common tooth cleaning aid, while the up and down brushing technique was predominantly used. There was no statistically significant gender difference in toothbrushing frequency; however, significant gender differences were observed in PI and OHI scores (P < 0.05). Gingivitis was absent in 28.9% of the children,, while 50.8% had mild, 13.6% moderate and 6.6% severe gingivitis. There was a weak but significant negative correlation between oral hygiene frequency and GI (P < 0.05). Socioeconomic status had no relationship with oral hygiene frequency, however it had low but significant correlation with OHI and GI (P < 0.05). A logistic regression analysis of the predictors on gingivitis showed that male gender and medium textured toothbrush had significant association with gingival health.

Conclusions:  Gingival health was influenced by gender, socioeconomic status, oral hygiene frequency and toothbrush texture. Motivation to apply instructions given on oral health care and regular reinforcement are essential.
Factors associated with short‐course antiretroviral prophylaxis (dual therapy) adherence for PMTCT in Nkangala district, South Africa
Authors: Peltzer Karl , Sikwane Elisa , Majaja Mmapaseka
Published: March 2011

Aim:  To identify factors that influence adherence to short‐course antiretroviral (ARV) prophylaxis by pregnant women and mothers participating in the HIV prevention of mother to child (PMTCT) programme.

Methods:  The sample interviewed included 139 HIV‐positive antenatal women (mean gestational age 32 weeks; sexually transmitted diseases [STD] = 2.8, range 4–9 months) and 607 postnatal HIV‐positive women, with either having an infant aged 1–10 weeks (30.8%), 11 weeks to 6 months (36.7%) or 7–12 months (32.5%) from Nkangala district, Mpumalanga province, South Africa.

Results:  A large percentage of antenatal and postnatal women in this study initiated ARV prophylaxis for PMTCT or were on ARV (85.6% and 98%, respectively). Sixty‐one per cent of antenatal and 85.9% of postnatal women reported complete adherence to the appropriate medication schedule in the 4 days preceding the interview or prior to delivery. In multivariate analysis, it was found that women with higher HIV status disclosure and less discrimination were better in maternal AZT adherence, women with higher male involvement were better in maternal and infant nevirapine adherence.

Conclusion:  Adherence to maternal and infant dual therapy prophylaxis was found to be less than optimal. Community factors (discrimination, HIV disclosure, male involvement) contribute to adherence to short‐course ARV prophylaxis in this largely rural setting in South Africa.