bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Culture and Crying
Authors: van Hemert Dianne A. , van de Vijver Fons J. R. , Vingerhoets Ad J. J. M.
Published: April 2011

Results of a cross-cultural study of adult crying across 37 countries are presented. Analyses focused on country differences in recency of last crying episode and crying proneness and relationships with country characteristics. Three hypotheses on the nature of country differences in crying were evaluated: (a) distress due to exposure to taxing conditions, (b) norms regarding emotional expressiveness, and (c) personality (at country level). Individuals living in more affluent, democratic, extraverted, and individualistic countries tend to report to cry more often. These indicators relate to freedom of expression rather than to suffering; therefore, our data provide support for a model that views country differences in crying as being connected with country differences in expressiveness and personality rather than in distress. Gender differences in crying proneness were larger in wealthier, more democratic, and feminine countries. Differences in the meaning of crying at individual level (usually viewed as a sign of distress) and country level (as a sign of expressiveness and personality) are discussed.
Gender Differences in Cardiac Repolarization Following Intravenous Sotalol Administration
Authors: Somberg John C. , Preston Richard A. , Ranade Vasant , Cvetanovic Ivana , Molnar Janos
Published: April 2011

Background: Females are more susceptible to drug-induced torsade de pointes (TdP), which is associated with excessive prolongation of the heart rate-corrected QT interval (QTc). Sotalol prolongs the cardiac action potential that can be observed as QT prolongation and can induce TdP. The aim of this study was to assess gender differences in sotalol-induced QTc prolongation. Methods: A total of 15 healthy volunteers, 9 female and 6 male (age: 32 ± 8 years) received 75 mg intravenous sotalol over 2.5 hours at a constant infusion rate. A 12-lead electrocardiograph (ECG) was recorded at baseline, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 hours following the start of the infusion, and blood samples were collected simultaneously. QTc was calculated by the Fridericia and Framingham formulas. The 2 formulas resulted in virtually identical QTc intervals. The data analysis included repeated measures of analysis of variance (ANOVA), univariate analysis, and linear regression analysis. Results: The longest average QTc intervals were observed at 2 hours of sotalol infusion in both genders. Compared to baseline, the increase was very significant in females (411 ± 13 vs 438 ± 13 ms, P < .001), while it was less significant in males (395 ± 23 vs 413 ± 27 ms, P < .05). The magnitude of individual changes from baseline were greater in females than in males (34 ± 8 vs 21 ± 12 ms, P < .05). In each gender, QTc and serum sotalol concentration strongly correlated ( r = .93, P < .001). An upward shift of the regression line in females indicates a longer QTc at any concentration level. Males had greater body weight and body surface area than females ( P < .05) but neither correlated with QTc or predicted QTc prolongation. The univariate analysis indicated that the single predictor for the greater QTc prolongation was female gender. Conclusion: Females had greater QTc prolongation than males following sotalol administration. This enhanced response to drug action may explain the higher incidence of drug-induced TdP seen in females.
Individual and Family Adaptation in Taiwanese Families Living With Down Syndrome
Authors: Hsiao Chiu-Yueh , Van Riper Marcia
Published: April 2011

The primary aim of this study was to examine the effects of family demographics, family demands, and family appraisal on adaptation in Taiwanese families of children with Down syndrome. A second aim was to assess the potential mediating effect of family appraisal on the relationship between family demands and adaptation. Eighty-three families completed mailed questionnaires. Data were analyzed using a principal component analysis and a mixed linear modeling. Gender, family demands, and family appraisal were significantly associated with individual health. Age of the child with Down syndrome, family demands, and family appraisal significantly accounted for family functioning. Family appraisal partially mediated the relationship between family demands and individual and family adaptation. Identification of family factors that influence adaptation will help in the development of culturally sensitive interventions to improve outcomes in Taiwanese families of children with Down syndrome.
Surrogate Mothers
Authors: Chang Yu-Ting , Hayter Mark
Published: April 2011

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the experiences of Taiwanese aboriginal grandmothers when raising their grandchildren. Adopting a phenomenological approach, interviews were conducted with 15 Taiwanese aboriginal grandmothers who served as primary caregiver to a grandchild or grandchildren. Data were analyzed using Giorgi’s phenomenological method. Four themes emerged from the data analysis, reflecting the parenting experience of grandmothers: using aged bodies to do energetic work: represented the physical effects of raising grandchildren; conflicting emotions: reflected the psychological effects of raising grandchildren; lifelong and privative obligation: described the cultural and societal beliefs of raising grandchildren; and coping strategies for raising grandchildren outlined methods the grandmothers used to cope with parenting their grandchildren. The results of this study offers insights into surrogate parenting within an underresearched group in Taiwan and will enable health care providers to be more aware of the physical, emotional, and social effects of the role of grandparent parenting.
From the Follower’s Viewpoint: A Configurational Approach to the Ideal Academic Leader
Authors: Smothers Jack , Bing Mark N. , White Darin , Trocchia Philip J. , Absher Keith
Published: April 2011

These studies examine the context-specific differences in implicit leadership theory (ILT)—based conceptualizations (i.e., perceptual configurations) of the ideal academic leader in two contexts: private and public universities. Specifically, the authors measured the perceived importance of leadership abilities and traits among university faculty followers (i.e., non—department heads and non-deans) to reveal the ILTs of academic followers and how the ILTs influence these faculty perceptions depending on university context (i.e., private vs. public university context). The studies were conducted within academic business units, and they examined the faculties’ conceptualizations of the ideal academic leader (e.g., department head or dean) among more than 500 business school members from more than 220 universities. Conceptualizations of the ideal academic leader varied substantially across private and public contexts, indicating that the leadership characteristics desired by faculty followers are context specific. Implications of the findings and directions for future research are discussed.
Fitting Engagement Into a Nomological Network
Authors: Wefald Andrew J. , Reichard Rebecca J. , Serrano Shawn A.
Published: April 2011

Engagement is an emerging job attitude that has been theoretically linked to both leadership and personality variables as well as important work outcomes. However, given the variations in construct definitions of engagement as well as limited existing empirical research, the authors empirically examined the nomological network of multiple measures of engagement based on Schaufeli’s three-factor engagement, Shirom’s vigor, and Britt’s one-factor engagement. Using data from an online survey of 382 working professionals, the authors conducted a series of hierarchical regression analyses and structural equation modeling to test the hypotheses. Results indicate strong relationships between engagement measures and personality (especially positive affect) and weaker relationships between engagement and leadership. Furthermore, multiple measures of engagement demonstrated significant relationships with the important work outcomes of turnover intentions, job satisfaction, and affective commitment. This research contributes to the literature on engagement by simultaneously examining multiple conceptualizations and measurements of work engagement and demonstrating leverage points for leaders to influence the state-like construct of engagement. Results suggested that engagement is related to important organizational outcomes and that engagement mediates the relationship between personality and organizational outcomes. Implications and suggestions for practice and future research are provided.
Genetic Underpinnings of Transformational Leadership
Authors: Chaturvedi Sankalp , Arvey Richard D. , Zhang Zhen , Christoforou Paraskevi T.
Published: April 2011

In this study, the authors investigate the extent to which dispositional hope mediates genetic influences on transformational leadership. Based on a sample of female twins (214 identical and 178 fraternal) from the Minnesota Twin Registry, results indicated that 53% of the variance in hope and 49% of the variance in transformational leadership were accounted for by genetic factors. After controlling for positive emotionality and negative emotionality, it was found that the genetic influence on transformational leadership was mediated by dispositional hope with the overlapping genetic factors explaining 20.8% of the total variance in transformational leadership.
Tumor-associated macrophages as major source of APRIL in gastric MALT lymphoma
Authors: Munari Fabio , Lonardi Silvia , Cassatella Marco A. , Doglioni Claudio , Cangi Maria Giulia , Amedei Amedeo , Facchetti Fabio , Eishi Yoshinobu , Rugge Massimo , Fassan Matteo , de Bernard Marina , D'Elios Mario M. , Vermi William
Published: April 2011

Lymphoid hyperplasia of gastric mucosa associated with Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection represents a preneoplastic condition of the mucosa associated lymphoid tissue (MALT), which may evolve to a B-cell lymphoma. While it is well established that the initial neoplastic proliferation of B cells is antigen-driven and dependent on the helper activity of HP-specific T cells, it needs to be elucidated which cytokine or soluble factor(s) promote B-cell activation and lymphomagenesis. Herein, we originally report that gastric MALT lymphoma express high levels of a proliferation inducing ligand (APRIL), a novel cytokine crucial in sustaining B-cell proliferation. By immunohistochemistry, we demonstrate that APRIL is produced almost exclusively by gastric lymphoma-infiltrating macrophages located in close proximity to neoplastic B cells. We also show that macrophages produce APRIL on direct stimulation with both HP and HP-specific T cells. Collectively, our results represent the first evidence for an involvement of APRIL in gastric MALT lymphoma development in HP-infected patients.
p90RSK2 is essential for FLT3-ITD– but dispensable for BCR-ABL–induced myeloid leukemia
Authors: Elf Shannon , Blevins Dean , Jin Lingtao , Chung Tae-Wook , Williams Ifor R. , Lee Benjamin H. , Lin Jian-Xin , Leonard Warren J. , Taunton Jack , Khoury Hanna J. , Kang Sumin
Published: April 2011

p90 ribosomal S6 kinase 2 (p90RSK2) is important in diverse cellular processes including gene expression, cell proliferation, and survival. We found that p90RSK2 is commonly activated in diverse leukemia cell lines expressing different leukemogenic tyrosine kinases, including BCR-ABL and FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3–internal tandem duplication (FLT3-ITD). Interestingly, in a murine BM transplantation (BMT) model, genetic deficiency of RSK2 did not affect the pathogenesis or disease progression of BCR-ABL–induced myeloproliferative neoplasm (PN). In contrast, FLT3-ITD induced a T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia in BMT mice receiving RSK2 knockout (KO) BM cells, phenotypically distinct from the myeloproliferative neoplasm induced by FLT3-ITD using wild-type BM cells. In consonance with these results, inhibition of RSK2 by an RSK inhibitor, fmk, did not effectively induce apoptosis in BCR-ABL–expressing murine Ba/F3 cells, human K562 cells or primary tissue samples from CML patients, whereas fmk treatment induced significant apoptotic cell death not only in FLT3-ITD–positive Ba/F3 cells, human Molm14 and Mv(4;11) leukemia cells, but also in primary tissue samples from AML patients. These results suggest that RSK2 is dispensable for BCR-ABL–induced myeloid leukemia, but may be required for pathogenesis and lineage determination in FLT3-ITD–induced hematopoietic transformation. RSK2 may thus represent an alternative therapeutic target in the treatment of FLT3-ITD–positive leukemia.
WEE1 inhibition sensitizes osteosarcoma to radiotherapy
Authors: PosthumaDeBoer Jantine , Würdinger Thomas , Graat Harm CA , van Beusechem Victor W , Helder Marco N , van Royen Barend J , Kaspers Gertjan JL
Published: April 2011

Background

The use of radiotherapy in osteosarcoma (OS) is controversial due to its radioresistance. OS patients currently treated with radiotherapy generally are inoperable, have painful skeletal metastases, refuse surgery or have undergone an intralesional resection of the primary tumor. After irradiation-induced DNA damage, OS cells sustain a prolonged G2cell cycle checkpoint arrest allowing DNA repair and evasion of cell death. Inhibition of WEE1 kinase leads to abrogation of the G2arrest and could sensitize OS cells to irradiation induced cell death.

Methods

WEE1 expression in OS was investigated by gene-expression data analysis and immunohistochemistry of tumor samples. WEE1 expression in OS cell lines and human osteoblasts was investigated by Western blot. The effect of WEE1 inhibition on the radiosensitivity of OS cells was assessed by cell viability and caspase activation analyses after combination treatment. The presence of DNA damage was visualized using immunofluorescence microscopy. Cell cycle effects were investigated by flow cytometry and WEE1 kinase regulation was analyzed by Western blot.

Results

WEE1 expression is found in the majority of tested OS tissue samples. Small molecule drug PD0166285 inhibits WEE1 kinase activity. In the presence of WEE1-inhibitor, irradiated cells fail to repair their damaged DNA, and show higher levels of caspase activation. The inhibition of WEE1 effectively abrogates the irradiation-induced G2arrest in OS cells, forcing the cells into premature, catastrophic mitosis, thus enhancing cell death after irradiation treatment.

Conclusion

We show that PD0166285, a small molecule WEE1 kinase inhibitor, can abrogate the G2checkpoint in OS cells, pushing them into mitotic catastrophe and thus sensitizing OS cells to irradiation-induced cell death. This suggests that WEE1 inhibition may be a promising strategy to enhance the radiotherapy effect in patients with OS.
Planning and problem-solving training for patients with schizophrenia: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Rodewald Katlehn , Rentrop Mirjam , Holt Daniel V , Roesch-Ely Daniela , Backenstraß Matthias , Funke Joachim , Weisbrod Matthias , Kaiser Stefan
Published: April 2011

Background

The purpose of this study was to assess whether planning and problem-solving training is more effective in improving functional capacity in patients with schizophrenia than a training program addressing basic cognitive functions.

Methods

Eighty-nine patients with schizophrenia were randomly assigned either to a computer assisted training of planning and problem-solving or a training of basic cognition. Outcome variables included planning and problem-solving ability as well as functional capacity, which represents a proxy measure for functional outcome.

Results

Planning and problem-solving training improved one measure of planning and problem-solving more strongly than basic cognition training, while two other measures of planning did not show a differential effect. Participants in both groups improved over time in functional capacity. There was no differential effect of the interventions on functional capacity.

Conclusion

A differential effect of targeting specific cognitive functions on functional capacity could not be established. Small differences on cognitive outcome variables indicate a potential for differential effects. This will have to be addressed in further research including longer treatment programs and other settings.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00507988
A novel AMPK activator, WS070117, improves lipid metabolism discords in hamsters and HepG2 cells
Authors: Lian Zeqin , Li Yan , Gao Jian , Qu Kai , Li Jin , Hao Linghua , Wu Song , Zhu Haibo
Published: April 2011

Background

WS070117 is a novel small molecule compound that significantly improves lipid metabolism disorders in high-fat-diet (HFD) induced hyperlipidemia in hamsters.

Methods and Results

We evaluated liver/body weight ratio, liver histology, serum and hepatic lipid content in HFD-fed hamsters treated with WS070117 for 8 weeks. Comparing with HFD fed hamsters, WS070117 (2 mg/kg per day and above) reduced serum triglyceride (TAG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and hepatic cholesterol and triglyceride contents. Oil Red O staining of liver tissue also showed that WS070117 improved lipid accumulation. We then carried out an experiment in the oleic acid (OLA)-induced steatosis model in HepG2 cell to investigate the lipid-lowering effect of WS070117. Oleic acid (0.25 mM) markedly induced lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells, but WS070117 (10 μM) inhibited cellular lipid accumulation. In OLA-treated HepG2 cells, WS070117 (above 1 μM) treatment reduced lipid contents which synthesized from [1-14C] labeled acetic acid. Because WS070117 is an analog of adenosine, we evaluated the effect of WS070117 on AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling. The results showed that the activation of AMPK in OLA-induced steatosis in HepG2 cells was up-regulated by treatment with 0.1, 1 and 10 μM WS070117. The hepatic cellular AMPK phosphorylation is also up regulated by WS070117 (6 and 18 mg/kg) treatment in HFD fed hamsters.

Conclusion

These new findings identify WS070117 as a novel molecule that regulates lipid metabolism in the hyperlipidemia hamster model. In vitro and in vivo studies suggested that WS070117 may regulate lipid metabolism through stimulating the activation of AMPK and its downstream pathways.
Effect of anti-IgE therapy on food allergen specific T cell responses in eosinophil associated gastrointestinal disorders
Authors: Foster Barbara , Foroughi Shabnam , Yin Yuzhi , Prussin Calman
Published: April 2011

Background

Anti-IgE therapy inhibits mast cell and basophil activation, blocks IgE binding to both FcεRI and CD23 and down regulates FcεRI expression by antigen (Ag) presenting cells (APCs). In addition to its classical role in immediate hypersensitivity, IgE has been shownin vitroto facilitate Ag presentation of allergens, whereby APC bound IgE preferentially takes up allergens for subsequent processing and presentation. The purpose of this study was to determine whether anti-IgE therapy, by blocking facilitated Ag presentationin vivo, attenuates allergen specific Th2 cell responses.

Methods

To test this hypothesis, food allergen specific T cell responses were examined during a 16-week clinical trial of omalizumab in nine subjects with eosinophilic gastroenteritis and food sensitization. Allergen specific T cell responses were measured using carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester dye dilution coupled with intracellular cytokine staining and polychromatic flow cytometry. Four independent indices of allergen specific T cell response (proliferation, Ag dose response, precursor frequency, and the ratio of Th2:Th1 cytokine expression) were determined.

Results

Eight of the 9 subjects had measurable food allergen specific responses, with a median proliferation index of 112-fold. Allergen specific T cell proliferation was limited to CD4 T cells, whereas CD8 T cell did not proliferate. Food allergen specific responses were Th2 skewed relative to tetanus specific responses in the same subjects. In contradistinction to the original hypothesis, anti-IgE treatment did not diminish any of the four measured indices of allergen specific T cell response.

Conclusions

In sum, using multiple indices of T cell function, this study failed to demonstrate that anti-IgE therapy broadly or potently inhibits allergen specific T cell responses. As such, these data do not support a major role for IgE facilitated Ag presentation augmenting allergen specific T cell responsesin vivo.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov identifierNCT00084097
Eriocaulon buergerianum extract protects PC12 cells and neurons in zebrafish against 6-hydroxydopamine-induced damage
Authors: Wang Meiwei , Zhang Zaijun , Cheang Lorita Chi-Veng , Lin Zhixiu , Lee Simon Ming-Yuen
Published: April 2011

Background

Ericaulon buergerianum (Gujingcao) is an ophthalmic, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial Chinese medicinal herb. This study aims to investigate the neuroprotective effects of Ericaulon buergerianum ethanol extract (EBE) and to elucidate its underlying action mechanism.

Methods

The viability of dopaminergic (DA) neuron in zebrafish was examined by anti-tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunostaining. The locomotor activity of zebrafish was assessed with a digital video tracking system. The viability and cellular damage of the PC12 cells were determined by MTT and LDH assays respectively. The nuclear morphological changes in apoptotic cells were evaluated with DNA staining by Hoechst 33342 dye. Intracellular nitric oxide (NO) was quantified by DAF-FM diacetate staining. The expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was determined by Western blot.

Results

EBE inhibited the 6-OHDA-induced decrease in total distance of movement in zebrafish. Pretreatments of EBE (25, 50, 100 and 200 μg/ml) increased the viability of 6-OHDA-damaged PC12 cells in a dose dependent manner. Protection against 6-OHDA-induced nuclear fragmentation and accumulation of apoptotic bodies was also observed in EBE pretreated cells. Anti-oxidative (inhibition of NO production and iNOS expression in PC12 cells in vitro) activities of EBE are related to its neuroprotective effects in 6-OHDA-induced DA neuron damage.

Conclusion

EBE exhibited significant neuroprotective activities in zebrafish, including recovery of dopaminergic neuron loss caused by 6-OHDA in a dose-dependent manner in vivo, inhibition of 6-OHDA-induced decrease of total distance in movement in zebrafish. The iNOS-NO pathway may be involved.
Prevalence of antibody to Trypanosoma cruzi in Hispanic-surnamed patients seen at Parkland Health & Hospital System, Dallas, Texas
Authors: Arena Roberto , Mathews Christine E , Kim Anne Y , Lenz Tim E , Southern Paul M
Published: April 2011

Background

Chagas disease constitutes an important public health threat in terms of morbidity and mortality in the areas in the United States where immigrant populations from Latin America are conspicuous. We conducted a survey to assess the prevalence of anti-T. cruzi antibody in Hispanic-surnamed patients seen at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas.

Findings

Five hundred serum specimens from Hispanic-surnamed patients were tested by a preliminary ELISA method. On a subset of 50 sera confirmatory testing was also performed using an alternative ELISA, indirect immunofluorescence, and TESA immunoblot. For 274 of 500 Hispanic-surnamed patients, we were able to ascertain immigration status upon medical chart review. Of the 274 sera analyzed, one sample tested as positive for anti-T. cruzi antibody by the preliminary ELISA, and by the three confirmatory methods.

Conclusions

The goal of this study is to increase the awareness of T. cruzi infection and Chagas disease in areas where the Latin American immigrant communities are growing. Our study highlights the importance of testing for Chagas disease in the populations most at risk, and the need for current data on the actual seroprevalence in areas where such immigrant populations are conspicuous. Larger-scale epidemiologic surveys on Chagas disease in the immigrant communities from Latin America are warranted.
A pilot histomorphology and hemodynamic of vasculogenic mimicry in gallbladder carcinomas in vivo and in vitro
Authors: Sun Wei , Fan Yue Z , Zhang Wen Z , Ge Chun Y
Published: April 2011

Background

Vasculogenic mimicry (VM), as a new blood supply for tumor growth and hematogenous metastases, has been recently described in highly aggressive human melanoma cells, etc. We previously reported VM in human gallbladder carcinomas and its clinical significance. In this study, we further studied histomorphology and hemodynamic of VM in gallbladder carcinomas in vivo and in vitro.

Methods

The invasive potential of human gallbladder carcinoma cell lines GBC-SD and SGC-996 were identified by Transwell membrane. The vasculogenic-like network structures and the signal intensities i.e. hemodynamic in gallbladder carcinomas stimulated via the three-dimensional matrix of GBC-SD or SGC-996 cells in vitro, the nude mouse xenografts of GBC-SD or SGC-996 cells in vivo were observed by immunohistochemistry (H&E staining and CD31-PAS double staining), electron microscopy and micro-MRA with HAS-Gd-DTPA, respectively.

Results

Highly aggressive GBC-SD or poorly aggressive SGC-996 cells preconditioned by highly aggressive GBC-SD cells could form patterned networks containing hollow matrix channels. 85.7% (6/7) of GBC-SD nude mouse xenografts existed the evidence of VM, 5.7% (17/300) channels contained red blood cells among these tumor cell-lined vasculatures. GBC-SD xenografts showed multiple high-intensity spots similar with the intensity observed at tumor marginal, a result consistent with pathological VM.

Conclusions

VM existed in gallbladder carcinomas by both three-dimensional matrix of highly aggressive GBC-SD or poorly aggressive SGC-996 cells preconditioned by highly aggressive GBC-SD cells in vitro and GBC-SD nude mouse xenografts in vivo.
Identification of Circulating Nonclassic Human Leukocyte Antigen G (HLA-G)–Like Molecules in Exudates
Authors: Gonzalez Álvaro , Alegre Estibaliz , Arroyo Ainhoa , LeMaoult Jöel , Echeveste José Ignacio
Published: April 2011

BACKGROUND

HLA-G in biological fluids has been proposed to be useful as a tumor marker as both a diagnostic and prognostic factor. Most HLA-G measurement procedures are based on ELISA methods using highly specific antibodies. However, results of published studies are in conflict regarding the clinical utility and even the nature of HLA-G present in circulation.

METHODS

We collected 118 exudates, 94 from cancer patients and 24 from patients without tumors. We measured HLA-G concentrations by ELISA using MEM-G/9 or G233 as capture antibody. Samples were immunoprecipitated with an anti–HLA-G antibody and analyzed by Western blot using a different anti–HLA-G antibody.

RESULTS

Discrepancies in HLA-G concentrations in exudates were observed depending on what capture anti–HLA-G antibody was used for ELISA (r = 0.376). These discrepancies were not observed when the ELISAs were performed using culture supernatants from HLA-G1–transfected cells (r = 0.983). Immunoprecipitation and Western blot of cell culture supernatants with 2 different anti–HLA-G antibodies produced the typical band at 39 kDa assigned to HLA-G. When the immunoprecipitation and western blot were performed with exudates, however, there were bands at 53 kDa and 70–76 kDa, higher molecular weights than those usually assigned to HLA-G. These HLA-G–like molecules were associated with β2-microglobulin and could also form disulfide bridges with other HLA-G–like molecules.

CONCLUSIONS

The main HLA-G antigenic molecules in exudates are HLA-G–like complexes, a factor that should be considered when analyzing HLA-G in biological fluids.
Epic, Exile, and the Global: Felicia Hemans's The Forest Sanctuary
Authors: Sussman Charlotte
Published: April 2011

Charlotte Sussman, “Epic, Exile, and the Global: Felicia Hemans's The Forest Sanctuary” (pp. 481–512)

Why are there no children in the poems that Felicia Hemans wrote about the New World in the 1820s? Despite the longstanding representation of the Americas as a place where British culture might be renewed and reproduced, Hemans's poems depict it as a place where lineages end and human fecundity fails. From one perspective, these poems can be read as a topical political intervention into the widespread debate during this decade over the value of emigration. From another perspective, however, Hemans's poems can be seen as interrogating literary representations of the gendering of exile, particularly those inherited from epic poetry. The first issue is synchronic: it asks what the absence of child-bearing in these poems can tell us about the political landscape of the early nineteenth century. The second issue is diachronic: it raises questions about literary history—the development of genres over time. This essay argues that the two issues intersect in Hemans's The Forest Sanctuary (1826), in the poem's implicit reevaluation of the role of the female body in the individual and mass migrations that characterized the long eighteenth century. In this way, Hemans engages with epic to narrate neither the founding nor the decline of a nation. Rather, through this genre, she explores the detachment of persons from nations and from the demands of that social formation on the procreative capacity of the female body.
At World's Edge: Post/Coloniality, Charles Maturin, and the Gothic Wanderer
Authors: Doyle Laura
Published: April 2011

Laura Doyle, “At World's Edge: Post/Coloniality, Charles Maturin, and the Gothic Wanderer” (pp. 513–547)

The Gothic text has been shown to represent colonialism's crimes through its literary tropes of imprisonment, terror, rape, and tyranny. This essay takes a further step to propose that Gothic texts also register the historical resistance to colonialism's crimes. That is, they refer to anti-colonial insurgency—in Ireland, India, the Caribbean, and elsewhere—in the process evincing ambivalent anxieties about global, imperial instability. After reviewing the Gothic‘s entanglement with discourses of both liberation and barbarism, reflective of its contradictory political investments, the essay focuses on Charles Maturin's Melmoth the Wanderer (1820) to demonstrate the ways in which Gothic texts are structured against insurgency even as, in their “wandering,” haunted figures, they unveil a world in turmoil.
Evidence for a conserved function of heart and neural crest derivatives expressed transcript 2 in mouse and human decidualization
Authors: Huyen D V , Bany B M
Published: April 2011

Previously, we showed that heart and neural crest derivatives expressed transcript 2 (Hand2) mRNA levels dramatically increase in mouse uterine endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) as they undergo decidualization in vivo. However, to date, little is known about the expression and function of this transcription factor in mouse or human uterus decidualization. Therefore, this study was conducted to provide a more detailed assessment of Hand2 gene expression and function in the mouse uterus during the peri-implantation period and also in mouse plus human ESCs during decidualization in vitro. The results show that Hand2 mRNA and protein levels increase in the mouse uterus during decidualization and this does not depend on the presence of a conceptus. Interestingly, Hand2 mRNA and protein are present in ESCs adjacent to the luminal epithelium in the uterus prior to the onset of implantation. We find that progesterone is likely a regulator of Hand2 expression during uterine sensitization of the mouse uterus. Finally, Hand2 expression increases in mouse and human fibroblast cells as they undergo decidualization in vitro. This expression is significantly increased in response to prostaglandin E2. In particular, reduction of Hand2 expression in these cells using small hairpin RNA or small interfering RNA approaches results in the reduced extent of decidualization as shown by the reduced expression of a subset of decidualization markers. The results of this study support the hypothesis that Hand2 expression not only plays an important role in decidualization but may also play a role in obtaining proper progesterone-dependent uterine sensitization required for implantation to begin.
Natural Variation in CDC28 Underlies Morphological Phenotypes in an Environmental Yeast Isolate
Authors: Lee Hana N , Magwene Paul M , Brem Rachel B
Published: April 2011

Morphological differences among individuals in a species represent one of the most striking aspects of biology, and a primary aim of modern genetics is to uncover the molecular basis of morphological variation. In a survey of meiosis phenotypes among environmental isolates of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we observed an unusual arrangement of meiotic spores within the spore sac in a strain from Ivory Coast, West Africa. We mined population genomic data to identify CDC28 as the major genetic determinant of meiotic and budding cell shape behaviors in this strain. Molecular genetic methods confirmed the role of the Ivory Coast variant of CDC28 in the arrangement of spores after meiosis, in the shape of budding cells in rich medium and in the morphology of filamentous growth during nitrogen limitation. Our results shed new light on the role of CDC28 in yeast cell division, and our work suggests that with the growing availability of genomic data sets in many systems, a priori prediction of functional variants will become an increasingly powerful strategy in molecular genetics.
Transcription Initiation From Within P Elements Generates Hypomorphic Mutations in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: LaFave Matthew C , Sekelsky Jeff
Published: April 2011

Numerous transposable element insertions in Drosophila melanogaster cause hypomorphic mutations. We report that transcription initiation within a region found in many P-element constructs provides an explanation for why some gene function is retained. We detected evidence of this transcription in four different types of P constructs, regardless of whether the insertion was in a coding exon, intron, 5′ untranslated region, or upstream of the gene span.
Determination of strains of Helicobacter pylori and of polymorphism in the interleukin-8 gene in patients with stomach cancer
Authors: Vinagre Ruth Maria Dias Ferreira , Corvelo Tereza Cristina de Oliveira , Arnaud Vanda Catão , Leite Ana Claudia Klautau , Barile Katarine Antonia dos Santos , Martins Luisa Caricio
Published: April 2011

CONTEXT: Gastric neoplasia is the second most common cause of death by cancer in the world and H. pylori is classified as a type I human carcinogen by the World Health Organization. However, despite the high prevalence of infection by H. pylori around the world, less than 3% of individuals carrying the bacteria develop gastric neoplasias. Such a fact indicates that evolution towards malignancy may be associated with bacterial factors in the host and the environment. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between polymorphism in the region promoting the IL-8 (-251) gene and the H. pylori genotype, based on the vacA alleles and the presence of the cagA gene, using clinical and histopathological data. METHODS: In a prospective study, a total of 102 patients with stomach cancer and 103 healthy volunteers were analysed. Polymorphism in interleukin 8 (-251) was determined by the PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism reaction and sequencing. PCR was used for genotyping the vacA alleles and the cagA in the bacterial strains PCR. Gastric biopsies were histologically assessed. RESULTS: The H. pylori serology was positive for 101 (99%) of all patients analysed, and 98 (97%) of them were colonized by only one strain. In patients with monoinfection, 82 (84%) of the bacterial strains observed had the s1b/m1 genotype. The cagA gene was detected in 74 (73%) of patients infected by H. pylori. The presence of the cagA gene was demonstrated as associated with the presence of the s1b/m1 genotype of the vacA gene (P = 0.002). As for polymorphism in the interleukin 8 (-251) gene we observed that the AA (P = 0.026) and AT (P = 0.005) genotypes were most frequent in the group of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. By comparing the different types of isolated bacterial strains with the interleukin -8 (-251) and the histopathological data we observed that carriers of the A allele (AT and AA) infected by virulent strains (m1s1 cagA+) demonstrated a greater risk of presenting a degree of inflammation (OR = 24.75 CI 95% 2.29-267.20 P = 0.004) and increased neutrophilic activity (OR = 28.71 CI 95% 2.62-314 P = 0.002) in the gastric mucosa. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that the interaction between polymorphism in the interleukin -8 (-251) gene, particularly with carriers of the A allele and the infecting type of H. pylori strain (s1m1 cagA positive) performs an important function in development of gastric adenocarcinoma.
Mortality from epilepsy: Brazil (capitals), 1980-2007
Authors: Gomes Marleide da Mota
Published: April 2011

OBJECTIVE: To provide data about age, gender, time and space variation by means of mortality statistics from epilepsy in Brazil. METHOD: It was used demographic and mortality data obtained from the Brazilian Ministry of Health, regarding Brazil (capitals) over the calendar years 1980-2007. For the description of the data it was used Microsoft Office Excel 2007 spreadsheet, and figuring of trends by linear regression, GraphPad Prism 5.0. RESULTS: There is a tendency to elderly mortality, and male mortality in almost age group, although regarding the relative frequency rates by age, 20-39 age strata is more representative. The mortality at home is proportionally predominant at 20-29 years of age, 47.52%. Adjusted death rates/100,000, 2007, do not show clear regional predominance. CONCLUSION: We can infer that various deaths coded as epilepsy, may be due to an acute symptomatic seizures. Sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP) may be misdiagnosed and probably more represented at the group with more deaths at home.
Restless legs syndrome and multiple sclerosis: a Brazilian multicenter study and meta-analysis of the literature
Authors: Fragoso Yára Dadalti , Finkelsztejn Alessandro , Gomes Sidney , Maciel Damacio Ramon Kaimen , Oliveira Celso Luis S. , Lopes Josiane , Cristovam Rafael A.
Published: April 2011

OBJECTIVE: The increased prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in multiple sclerosis (MS) has recently been the subject of a few papers. The present study investigated the prevalence of RLS symptoms in MS patients and in controls in four Brazilian cities. Additionally, a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature was carried out on the subject of RLS-MS. METHOD: MS patients and controls were investigated regarding the presence of the four typical symptoms of RLS. A questionnaire assessing RLS severity was also used for patients and controls presenting the four RLS symptoms criteria. The systematic review and meta-analysis on the subject were carried out according to the strict international criteria. RESULTS: In the present report, the RLS-MS association was confirmed as being more than fortuitous in Brazilian MS patients, in a multicenter case-control study. MS patients also presented RLS symptoms of greater severity than did the control population. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature showed that MS patients had a fourfold higher chance of presenting RLS than did the controls. CONCLUSION: Although underlying mechanisms to explain the association RLS-MS are still a matter of discussion, there is a clear association of these two neurological conditions.
Imipramine for vestibular dysfunction in panic disorder: a prospective case series
Authors: Mezzasalma Marco Andre , Mathias Kátia de Vasconcellos , Nascimento Isabella , Valença Alexandre M. , Nardi Antonio E.
Published: April 2011

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of imipramine on the treatment of comorbid chronic dizziness and panic disorder. METHOD: Nine patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia associated with chronic dizziness underwent otoneurological screening and were treated with a 3-months course of imipramine. Anxiety levels were measured with the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A), dizziness levels were evaluated using the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), and panic severity and treatment outcome were assessed with the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI). RESULTS: At the baseline 33.3% (n=3) had a bilateral peripheral deficit vestibulopathy, the mean scores for HAM-A were 27.2±10.4, for DHI were 51.7±22.7, and for CGI-S were 4.8±0.9. All patients had a significant reduction in their HAM-A (11.1±5.5, p=0.008), DHI (11.5±8.1, p=0.008) and CGI-I (1.8±0.7, p=0.011) levels after 3-months imipramine treatment (mean=72.2±23.2 mg/day). CONCLUSION: This study found a decrease in anxiety levels and in the impact of dizziness in the patients' quality of life after a 3-months treatment course with imipramine.
A prospective study of 39 patients with trigeminal neuralgia treated with percutaneous balloon compression
Authors: Campos Wuilker Knoner , Linhares Marcelo N.
Published: April 2011

OBJECTIVE: Trigeminal neuralgia is the most common facial pain. It may be treated with percutaneous balloon compression (PBC), which is considered to be a safe and efficient procedure. The purpose of this study was to review our results with PBC and to assess the factors influencing the outcome. METHOD: A multivariate analysis was used to study 39 patients during a 50-month postoperative period. RESULTS: There was predominance of the female gender (54%), the right side of the face (84%) and V2V3 roots of trigeminal nerve (33%). The mean age was 62.3 years. No major complications or deaths occurred. Among all variables, postoperative hypoesthesia was the single prognostic factor capable of positively influencing the results (p=0.02). Most patients (80%) were pain-free after 50 months with a 90% satisfaction rate. CONCLUSION: PBC was a safe procedure with low morbidity, no mortality, high approval ratings, and was an important improving on patients' quality of life.
Endoscopic anatomy of the approaches to the sellar area and planum sphenoidale
Authors: Ramos Henrique Faria , Monteiro Tatiana Alves , Pinheiro Neto Carlos Diógenes , Mariani Pedro Paulo , Fortes Felipe Sartor Guimarães , Sennes Luiz Ubirajara
Published: April 2011

The productive work between otolaryngologists and neurosurgeons has resulted in the emergence of endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery. The goal of the present study is to describe the endoscopic anatomy of the endonasal approach to the sellar region and planum sphenoidale, highlighting the key points of the surgical approach and the neurovascular landmarks. METHOD: Descriptive study of the endoscopic endonasal dissection of 9 fresh cadavers with exposure of the anatomic structures. RESULTS: The endoscopic endonasal ethmoidectomy and sphenoidotomy allows an expanded access to the sellar area and planum sphenoidale. The surface anatomy of the sphenoid sinus is easily identifiable and provides safe landmarks, guiding the intracranial dissection. CONCLUSION: The endoscopic endonasal approach to the skull base by the ENT and neurosurgeon is feasible, but it requires adequate anatomical knowledge and endoscopic skills for its realization, which can be obtained by practicing in cadavers.
Advanced techniques in magnetic resonance imaging of the brain in children with ADHD
Authors: Pastura Giuseppe , Mattos Paulo , Gasparetto Emerson Leandro , Araújo Alexandra Prufer de Queiroz Campos
Published: April 2011

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects about 5% of school-aged child. Previous published works using different techniques of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have demonstrated that there may be some differences between the brain of people with and without this condition. This review aims at providing neurologists, pediatricians and psychiatrists an update on the differences between the brain of children with and without ADHD using advanced techniques of magnetic resonance imaging such as diffusion tensor imaging, brain volumetry and cortical thickness, spectroscopy and functional MRI. Data was obtained by a comprehensive, non-systematic review of medical literature. The regions with a greater number of abnormalities are splenium of the corpus callosum, cingulated girus, caudate nucleus, cerebellum, striatum, frontal and temporal cortices. The brain regions where abnormalities are observed in studies of diffusion tensor, volumetry, spectroscopy and cortical thickness are the same involved in neurobiological theories of ADHD coming from studies with functional magnetic resonance imaging.
Decomposition and nutrient release of leguminous plants in coffee agroforestry systems
Authors: Matos Eduardo da Silva , Mendonça Eduardo de Sá , Cardoso Irene Maria , Lima Paulo César de , Freese Dirk
Published: April 2011

Leguminous plants used as green manure are an important nutrient source for coffee plantations, especially for soils with low nutrient levels. Field experiments were conducted in the Zona da Mata of Minas Gerais State, Brazil to evaluate the decomposition and nutrient release rates of four leguminous species used as green manures (Arachis pintoi, Calopogonium mucunoides, Stizolobium aterrimum and Stylosanthes guianensis) in a coffee agroforestry system under two different climate conditions. The initial N contents in plant residues varied from 25.7 to 37.0 g kg-1 and P from 2.4 to 3.0 g kg-1. The lignin/N, lignin/polyphenol and (lignin+polyphenol)/N ratios were low in all residues studied. Mass loss rates were highest in the first 15 days, when 25 % of the residues were decomposed. From 15 to 30 days, the decomposition rate decreased on both farms. On the farm in Pedra Dourada (PD), the decomposition constant k increased in the order C. mucunoides < S. aterrimum < S. guianensis < A. pintoi. On the farm in Araponga (ARA), there was no difference in the decomposition rate among leguminous plants. The N release rates varied from 0.0036 to 0.0096 d-1. Around 32 % of the total N content in the plant material was released in the first 15 days. In ARA, the N concentration in the S. aterrimum residues was always significantly higher than in the other residues. At the end of 360 days, the N released was 78 % in ARA and 89 % in PD of the initial content. Phosphorus was the most rapidly released nutrient (k values from 0.0165 to 0.0394 d-1). Residue decomposition and nutrient release did not correlate with initial residue chemistry and biochemistry, but differences in climatic conditions between the two study sites modified the decomposition rate constants.