bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Learners’ Selective Perceptions of Information During Instructed Learning in French: Consequences
Authors: DREWELOW ISABELLE
Published: February 2012

The present study examined how American learners of French perceived the influence of instruction on their existing stereotypes about the French people to determine the effects of these stereotypes on their language learning and cultural openness. During a semester, 22 undergraduate students, all native English speakers enrolled in 4 sections of first‐semester French at a large Midwestern university were interviewed 3 times via Instant Messenger. The data analysis revealed that, for some participants, the information received during instruction was selectively interpreted (Barna, 1998; Bennett, 1998) through the lenses of beliefs and images present in their habitus (Bourdieu, 1982), with as a result the reinforcement of preexisting stereotypes and impressions. This article focuses on 3 participants who, at some point during the semester, identified a stereotype about the French people and how they believed their instructor or the instructional material participated in its reinforcement.
Explicit and Implicit Feedback, Modified Output, and SLA: Does Explicit and Implicit Feedback Promote Learning and Learner–Learner Interactions?
Authors: ADAMS REBECCA , NUEVO ANA MARÍA , EGI TAKAKO
Published: February 2012

Research on interactional feedback has typically focused on feedback learners receive from native speakers (i.e., NS–learner contexts). However, for many second language (L2) learners, the majority of their opportunities to engage in interaction occur with other learners (i.e., learner–learner contexts). The literature has suggested that feedback in learner–learner interaction contexts differs from that found in NS–learner contexts in the quantity of feedback moves (e.g., Mackey, Oliver, & Leeman, 2003), types of feedback used (Pica, Lincoln‐Porter, Paninos, & Linnell, 1996), and narrowness of linguistic foci (Toth, 2008). The current study examines how learners provide each other with two types of input‐providing feedback, recasts (implicit feedback), and explicit corrections (explicit feedback), in order to investigate how different types of feedback and responses to feedback promote learning of English past tense and locatives. Findings suggest a limited evidence for a relationship between implicit feedback, modified output, and L2 learning, and evidence for a negative effect of explicit corrections from peers. These findings indicate that the role of feedback and modified output in learning may be different in learner–learner interactions than has been found in NS–learner interactions.
Possibility of Crosslingual Transfer: A Comparative Study of Chinese (L1) and English (L2) Lessons
Authors: HE AN E
Published: February 2012

This article reports a comparative study of first language (L1) Chinese and second language (L2) English lessons in Hong Kong secondary schools. Aiming to explore how to take advantage of L1 academic proficiency for the benefit of L2 development, the study asked how Chinese and English lessons compare in terms of the content knowledge covered and the levels and depth of such coverage. Through a corpus‐aided approach, 3 differences were identified, namely, the “aboutness” of the lessons through a keyword analysis, the “abstractness” reflected in the use of metalanguage, and the “richness in coverage” of meanings in classrooms. The findings indicated that the Chinese lessons were either text‐based, involving discussion of literary concepts in metalanguage, or task‐based, engaging students in debating about a current issue, while English lessons were based on linguistic knowledge and composed mainly of discrete grammatical drills through simple classroom routines. This article argues that the 3 differences identified were deficiencies in the L2 classrooms. However, they could also be areas where crosslingual transfer might be possible. Constant exposure to literary text‐related concepts and cognitively complex tasks in the L1 may lead to students’ development of academic language proficiency; such proficiency could be capitalized for the development of academic proficiency in the L2.
The Efficacy of Corrective Feedback and Textual Enhancement in Promoting the Acquisition of Grammatical Redundancies
Authors: LYDDON PAUL A.
Published: February 2012

Many second language acquisition researchers (e.g., Doughty & Williams, 1998; R. Ellis, 2007; Long, 1996, 2007; Lyster, Lightbown, & Spada, 1999; Russell & Spada, 2006) have advocated the use of negative feedback to promote learner noticing of errors and the internalization of correct forms. At the same time, the true efficacy of this practice is uncertain, for it not only entails additional linguistic input but may generally enhance otherwise non‐salient language features as well (Leeman, 2003). This study examined the development of the à/au/en/aux distinction before French toponyms among 136 2nd‐semester university French learners randomly assigned to an interactive, computer‐based reading lesson featuring either textually enhanced or unenhanced target forms and one of four types of corrective feedback: meaning‐focused, implicit form‐focused, non‐metalinguistic explicit form‐focused, or metalinguistic explicit form‐focused. Learners in all treatment groups showed continuous improvement in mean target item accuracy. However, no differences were observed between any of the conditions. These findings suggest no benefit for highlighting or repeated correction and explanation, at least for the structures in question. Thus, instructors who feel the need to teach these types of necessary grammatical redundancies should perhaps focus on maximizing learners’ opportunities to process them through meaningful interaction rather than concentrate on the forms themselves.
Humor as Safe House in the Foreign Language Classroom
Authors: POMERANTZ ANNE , BELL NANCY D.
Published: February 2012

Analyses of second language (L2) classroom interaction often categorize joking and other humorous talk by students as disruptive, off‐task behavior, thereby rendering it important only from a classroom management perspective. Studies of language play, however, have illustrated that such jocular talk not only allows students to construct a broader and perhaps more desirable range of classroom identities, but also occasions more complex and creative acts of language use than those normally found in L2 instructional settings. Likewise, critical sociolinguists have observed that the use of humor may constitute opposition and/or resistance to monotonous, culturally insensitive, or even face‐threatening classroom practices. This article presents a case for a particular communicative mode—humor—to be seen as a pedagogical safe house (Canagarajah, 1999, 2004; Pratt, 1991), extending this notion beyond spatial and temporal domains. Specifically, it draws on the notions of performance, calibration (Bauman, 2004; Rampton, 2006), and layered simultaneity (Blommaert, 2005; Kramsch & Whiteside, 2008) to understand how particular instances of classroom humor function in this fashion. It then considers how an understanding of humor as a safe house can inform recent theoretical discussions of communicative competence and L2 classroom interaction.
The First Language in Science Class: A Quasi‐Experimental Study in Late French Immersion
Authors: TURNBULL MILES , CORMIER MARIANNE , BOURQUE JIMMY
Published: February 2012

This article reports analysis of data collected from a quasi‐experimental study in 2 Canadian late French immersion science classes. We examine if, how, and when the first language (L1) is used when students in the first years of their second language learning talk about complex science concepts. We compare differences in groups following a 2‐month intervention. Specifically, we study differences in complexity of oral utterances, and differences in use of L1 in oral utterances after participating in an intervention using a literacy‐based approach, or the typical, district‐prescribed approach. Furthermore, we assess whether increased use of the L1 in complex content statements is positively associated with gains in French and science knowledge. Advanced statistical analyses linked the complexity of student utterances with language use, written skills in French, and performance in science. In this way, this article makes a significant contribution to the existing body of literature on this important topic.
Persistent Fighting and Shifting Power
Authors: Powell Robert
Published: February 2012

Three striking features about both interstate and civil war are (1) there are often periods of persistent fighting, (2) fighting commonly ends in negotiated settlements as well as in militarily decisive outcomes, and (3) fighting sometimes recurs. This article links these features to shifts in the distribution of power and to the fact that one of the functions of fighting is to forestall adverse shifts. The analysis centers on a simple model of state consolidation. The equilibrium displays these features: Fighting occurs when the distribution of power is shifting rapidly. The factions avoid fighting and cut deals when the distribution of power shifts slowly or is stable. Fighting resumes if the distribution of power again begins to shift rapidly. The analysis also shows that state consolidation can occur without fighting if the process is sufficiently slow. Fighting now rather than later can also reduce the total cost of fighting.
The Authority to Do Good: Publicly Responsible Behavior among Private Mortgage Lenders
Authors: Moulton Stephanie
Published: February 2012

Private organizations are increasingly relied on, explicitly and implicitly, to carry out public objectives. But given that profit and public motives are not always aligned, why do private firms behave in publicly responsible ways? Specifically, how do diverse regulative, economic, normative, and cultural influences combine to enable or constrain publicly responsible behavior? This analysis focuses on a specific group of private actors: mortgage lenders. Through semi‐structured interviews with private lending agents participating in a public mortgage program, this analysis investigates influences that contribute to publicly responsible behavior. From the interviews, four different publicness dispositions are identified: pecuniary (sensitive to economic and regulative constraints), traditional (sensitive to regulative and isomorphic constraints), altruistic (sensitive to isomorphic and cultural‐cognitive influences), and opportunistic (sensitive to multiple influences). Even for organizations (and their actors) operating within the same policy context and the same public program, responses to political authority likely are contingent on varying publicness dispositions.
Early and Mid‐Term Clinical Outcome of Emergency PCI in Patients with STEMI due to Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: PARMA ANTONIO , FIORILLI ROSARIO , DE FELICE FRANCESCO , CHINI FRANCESCO , ROSSI PAOLO GIORGI , BORGIA PIERO , NAZZARO MARCO STEFANO , MUSTO CARMINE , GUASTICCHI GABRIELLA , VIOLINI ROBERTO
Published: February 2012

Objectives:

Evaluation of acute and mid‐term outcomes of patients with ST‐elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing emergency PCI due to unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) disease.

Background:

STEMI patients due to ULMCA disease represent a rare, high risk group. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) may be the preferred strategy of myocardial revascularization but there are few data about this topic.

Methods:

We analyzed 30‐day and mid‐term mortality of 58 patients with STEMI and ULMCA disease as culprit lesion treated in our centre by emergency PCI between 2000 to 2010.

Results:

Mean age was 67.3 ± 11.5 years. Thirty (51.7%) patients had cardiogenic shock on admission. PCI success was achieved in 54 patients (93.1%). Mean follow‐up was 15.8 ± 10.9 months (median 14, range 6–45). Thirty‐day and mid‐term mortality rates were 39.7% and 44%. Backward binary logistic regression model identified cardiogenic shock at presentation (OR 12.6, 95% CI 2.97–53.6, P < 0.001), age ≥75 years (OR 5.9, 95% CI 1.3–26.5, P = 0.019) and post‐PCI TIMI flow grade <3 (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.8–5.7 P = 0.02) as independent predictors of 30‐day mortality. Cox proportional hazard ratio (HR) identified shock at presentation (HR 5.2, 95% CI 1.8–14.3, P < 0.002), age ≥75 years (HR 3.9, 95% CI 1.8–8.7, P < 0.001), post‐PCI TIMI flow grade <3 (HR 4.9, 95% CI 1.6–14.6; P < 0.005) as independent predictors of mid‐term mortality.

Conclusions:

In patients with STEMI and ULMCA as culprit lesion, emergency PCI is a valuable therapeutic strategy. Early and mid‐term survival depends on cardiogenic shock, advanced age, and PCI failure. Patients surviving the first month have good mid‐term prognosis. (J Interven Cardiol 2012;25:215–222)
The impact of arteriovenous fistula creation in pulmonary hypertension: Measurement of pulmonary pressures by right heart catheterization in a patient with respiratory failure following arteriovenous fistula creation
Authors: Poulikakos Dimitrios , Theti Davinder , Pau Vasanti , Banerjee Debasish , Jones Daniel
Published: February 2012

Pulmonary hypertension (PHT) is frequent in patients receiving hemodialysis (HD) and carries a high mortality. While it has been suggested that arteriovenous fistulae (AVF) may exacerbate PHT in HD patients, it has also been observed that creating AVF in patients with chronic lung disease and normal renal function may lead to improved exercise tolerance. Most of the observations regarding HD patients using echocardiography demonstrated that temporary closure of AVF improved pulmonary pressures. We present the case of a 45‐year‐old patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on HD who experienced respiratory failure following AVF formation and underwent right heart catheterization. Severe PHT was diagnosed but transient occlusion of the fistula failed to improve the PHT. This case supports the theory that fistula creation does not exacerbate pre‐existing PHT and that AVF can be the access of choice in patients with known chronic lung disease and pulmonary hypertension.
Split catheters in children on chronic hemodialysis: A single‐center experience
Authors: Paglialonga Fabio , Rossetti Giordano , Giannini Alberto , Chidini Giovanna , Napolitano Luisa , Testa Sara , Meregalli Elisa , Biasuzzi Antonietta , Edefonti Alberto
Published: February 2012

Tunneled central venous catheters (CVCs) play an increasing role as vascular access for chronic hemodialysis (HD) in children, but limited data exist about the optimal CVC choice. We analyzed the outcome, efficacy, and complications of tunneled CVCs, placed in our unit in the last 3 years. Nineteen 10 F Split‐Cath CVCs (two separate catheters fused along their length) were placed in 10 children, median age 9.19 years (range 2.15–13.31) and body weight (BW) between 10 and 40 kg. CVCs survival at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months was 94%, 77%, 51%, and 34%, respectively. Catheter survival was higher in children with BW > 20 kg than in smaller patients. Median survival was higher than that of 11 Quinton Permcath CVCs, placed in five children in the preceding 2 years (280 vs. 45 days, P < 0.05). Median blood flow rate and indices of HD adequacy were higher in children with lower BW (<20 kg vs. 20–30 kg vs. >30 kg) than in those with higher BW. Incidence of exit site and bloodstream infections was 2.32 and 0.66/1000 CVC days, respectively. One case of hemothorax due to subclavian artery puncture occurred during CVC placement. In conclusion, Split‐Cath 10 F CVC allows for effective dialysis in children undergoing HD, particularly those between 10 and 30 kg BW. Catheter survival is acceptable, but could be improved in small children.
L carnitine in hemodialysis patients
Authors: Calò Lorenzo A. , Vertolli Ugo , Davis Paul A. , Savica Vincenzo
Published: February 2012

Carnitine, 3‐hydroxy‐4‐trimethylaminobutyrate, a small, water soluble molecule that is essential for mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation, is significantly reduced in hemodialysis patients. Uremia‐induced carnitine deficiency, which is magnified by dialysis, is associated with symptoms or clinical problems such as anemia hyporesponsive to erythropoietin, cardiovascular diseases, and muscle weakness. This review examines studies dealing with the different clinical aspects of chronic renal failure patients in which carnitine deficiency may play a role and has also examined the studies, which have evaluated the effect of carnitine deficiency treatment. The reports reviewed in this study, including those more recent from our laboratory, have provided data suggesting that chronic renal failure and particularly hemodialysis patients can benefit from carnitine treatment in particular for renal anemia, insulin sensitivity, and protein catabolism. On the other hand, the heterogeneous clinical response to carnitine therapy in dialysis patients, reported by other studies, and the lack of large‐scale randomized trials are the rationale for the reluctance regarding a widespread use of carnitine supplements in dialysis patients. Well‐designed randomized clinical trials are therefore required to fully address the potentially important carnitine treatment in dialysis patients.
Transitions in Wetting Behavior Between Liquid Ag–CuO Alloys and Al2O3Substrates
Authors: Friant Jared R. , Meier Alan , Darsell Jens T. , Weil K. Scott
Published: February 2012

The study reported here examines wetting between Al2O3 and a series of Ag–CuO air braze filler metals. Based on in‐situ contact angle measurements, two transitions in wetting behavior were identified in the composition range of 0–40 mol% CuO. The first transition occurs directly at the miscibility gap boundary composition (for a given temperature) of the Ag–CuO phase diagram and is attributable to the presence of two liquid phases, one of which is rich in copper oxide and preferentially wets the alumina substrate via the mechanism predicted by Cahn's critical point wetting theory. The second transition occurs at a filler metal composition that falls well within the miscibility gap for the Ag–CuO system and may occur due to the formation of a reaction product between the substrate and the molten filler metal, as denoted by small, discontinuous reaction regions.
Spark Plasma Sintering and Hot Pressing of Hetero‐Doped LaNbO4
Authors: Syvertsen Guttorm E. , Estournès Claude , Fjeld Harald , Haugsrud Reidar , Einarsrud Mari‐Ann , Grande Tor
Published: February 2012

LaNbO4/La3NbO7 and LaNbO4/LaNb3O9 cer‐cer composites were prepared by impregnating Ca‐doped LaNbO4 powder, synthesized by spray pyrolysis, with La‐ or Nb‐precursor solutions. The sintering of the calcined powders was investigated by dilatometry, and dense composites were prepared by conventional sintering, hot pressing, and spark plasma sintering. The particle size of the starting powders was about 50 nm, and the average grain size of the dense materials ranged from 100 nm and upwards, depending on the sintering temperature, sintering procedure, and the phase composition. The unit cell parameters of LaNbO4 showed a finite size effect and approached the cell parameters of tetragonal LaNbO4 with decreasing crystallite size, both for the single‐phase material and the composites. The minority phase (La3NbO7 or LaNb3O9) were observed as isolated grains and accumulated at triple points and not along the grain boundaries, pointing to a large dihedral angle between the phases. The calcium‐solubility in the minority phases was larger than in LaNbO4, which corresponds well with previous reports. The electrical conductivity of the hetero‐doped materials was similar to, or lower than, that for Ca‐doped LaNbO4.
Combined White Luminescence from Eu3+, ML–Ag Particles and Ag+ in Ag–Eu3+ Co‐Doped H3BO3–BaF2 Glasses
Authors: Li Jing Jing , Chen Jin Deng , Wei Rong Fei , Guo Hai
Published: February 2012

Luminescent properties of Ag–Eu3+ co‐doped 80H3BO3–20BaF2 glasses prepared by melt‐quenching technique at relatively low temperature (1000°C) were characterized by absorption, excitation, emission spectra, and lifetime measurements systematically. A white emission (X = 0.373, Y = 0.334) has emerged by combining red, green, and blue emissions that originated from Eu3+, very small molecule‐like, nonplamonic Ag particles (ML–Ag) and Ag+, respectively. Under nonresonant excitation (310–370 nm), Eu3+ emission was enhanced significantly by 60 times. Our results suggest that Ag–Eu3+ co‐doped H3BO3–BaF2 glasses could be potentially applied as white phosphors in white light emitting diodes.
Posting of workers, EU enlargement and the globalization of trade in services
Authors: LALANNE Stéphane
Published: February 2012

Western Europe is the developed world's most attractive location for the posting of workers. The eastward expansion of the EU has widened the wage gaps between Member States and heightened the risk of social dumping. The liberalization of posting was initially pursued as part of the strategy for developing the internal market for services. But this came up against strong resistance in some Member States, prompting Community regulators to improve the protection of posted workers. As globalization's testing ground for the effects of trade openness, the European internal market shows that safeguards are needed to counterbalance the liberalization of posting.
Job attitudes, behaviours and well‐being among different types of temporary workers in Europe and Israel
Authors: GRACIA Francisco J. , RAMOS José , PEIRÓ José María , CABALLER Amparo , SORA Beatriz
Published: February 2012

Applying an innovative typology based on preference for temporary employment and perceived employability, the authors empirically examine four types of temporary workers (and a group of permanent workers for comparison). In a sample of 1,300 employees from six countries, they find significant differences between the four types on a broad set of variables – including demographic and job characteristics, attitude and insecurity – but not in life satisfaction and well‐being. They conclude with an argument against the equation of temporary employment with low‐skilled workers unable to find a permanent job, stressing the valuable implications of more sensitive research for policy‐making on flexicurity.
Primary school student employment and academic achievement in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru
Authors: POST David
Published: February 2012

Across Latin America, large numbers of students engage in non‐school work during their years of compulsory education, either in the home or in an outside job. Drawing upon newly available data, this article uses OLS and multi‐level models to detect associations between different intensities and locations of employment and student achievement in mathematics and reading in the final year of primary school in four Andean countries. Even after controlling for the selection of working students into worse schools, employment is found to have a detrimental impact on achievement, especially when students work four or more hours per day.
Economic and social upgrading in global production networks: A new paradigm for a changing world
Authors: BARRIENTOS Stephanie , GEREFFI Gary , ROSSI Arianna
Published: February 2012

A key challenge in promoting decent work worldwide is how to improve the position of both firms and workers in value chains and global production networks driven by lead firms. This article develops a framework for analysing the linkages between the economic upgrading of firms and the social upgrading of workers. Drawing on studies which indicate that firm upgrading does not necessarily lead to improvements for workers, with a particular focus on the Moroccan garment industry, it outlines different trajectories and scenarios to provide a better understanding of the relationship between economic and social upgrading.
Gender and reconciliation of work and family in Iran
Authors: Mehdizadeh Narjes
Published: February 2012

The problem of work–family balance has not yet been articulated in developing countries as it has been in the developed countries, though work–family tensions are growing in developing countries as well. Against this background, the author examines the distribution of female employment in Iran and considers its possible determinants – with female labour force participation a mere 12.5 per cent in 2006. Drawing on a survey of 800 highly educated mothers, she highlights the crucial need for better childcare facilities to improve women's work–family balance and labour force participation, arguing for a policy approach combining formal/informal childcare with working time regulation.
New ILO standards on decent work for domestic workers: A summary of the issues and discussions
Authors: Tomei Manuela , Belser Patrick
Published: February 2012

The world's millions of domestic workers are mostly excluded from national labour laws because they work in private homes, in employment relationships with special characteristics. They are highly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse – often overworked, underpaid and subjected to violence. Adopted in June 2011, the ILO's Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189), and its accompanying Recommendation (No. 201) embody the resolve of governments and workers' and employers' organizations worldwide to remedy this situation. The authors of this paper, who were closely associated with the preparations and tripartite negotiations that led to the adoption of these instruments, review their contents and highlights of the underlying debates.
Does regular exercise during pregnancy influence lumbopelvic pain? A randomized controlled trial
Authors: STAFNE SIGNE N. , SALVESEN KJELL Å. , ROMUNDSTAD PÅL R. , STUGE BRITT , MØRKVED SIV
Published: February 2012

Objective. To study lumbopelvic pain in women randomized to a regular exercise program during pregnancy in comparison to women receiving standard antenatal care. Design. A two‐armed, two‐center, randomized controlled trial. Setting. St Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital and Stavanger University Hospital. Population. A total of 855 pregnant women were randomized to intervention or control groups. Methods. The intervention was a 12 week exercise program, including aerobic and strengthening exercises, conducted between 20 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. One weekly group session was led by physiotherapists, and home exercises were encouraged twice a week. The control group received standard antenatal care. Main outcome measures. Self‐reports of lumbopelvic pain and sick leave due to lumbopelvic pain. The data were analysed according to the “intention‐to‐treat” principle. Results. There were no significant differences between groups of women reporting lumbopelvic pain at 36 weeks (74 vs. 75%, p=0.76). The proportion of women on sick leave due to lumbopelvic pain was lower in the intervention group (22% vs 31%, p=0.01). Conclusions. Exercise during pregnancy does not influence the prevalence of lumbopelvic pain, but women offered a regular exercise course seem to handle the disorder better.
Proliferative activity and histopathological features in diffuse grade II astrocytomas
Authors: Lind‐Landström Tove , Habberstad Andreas H. , Torp Sverre H.
Published: February 2012

Due to the heterogeneous histopathology of diffuse astrocytomas we wanted to investigate the frequency of various histological features in grade II tumours. Herein we present the results of a microscopical examination and revision of 109 consecutively operated grade II tumours. The most frequent subtype was fibrillary astrocytoma (87%), whereas the gemistocytic and protoplasmic subtypes constituted 12% and 1% respectively. Cell density was subjectively classified and ranged from low to high; most cases were judged as low to moderate (approx. 90%). Cellular/nuclear atypia was assessed as mild, moderate and severe, and was in the majority of cases mild to moderate (96%). Mitoses were observed in about 25% of the cases with a median of 0 (range 0–3). Apoptotic figures, microcystic changes, Rosenthal fibres, microcalcification and eosinophilic bodies were identified in approx. 45%, 38%, 7%, 5% and 2% of the cases respectively. In about 60% of the cases so called secondary changes of Scherer were seen. Significant correlations between features related to malignancy, such as mitotic activity, apoptoses and high cell density, were established. Further, Ki‐67/MIB‐1 proliferation indices corresponded significantly with mitoses, apoptoses, atypia and high cell density. Accordingly, the variegated histopathological appearance of diffuse astrocytomas makes the diagnosis of these tumours challenging. Accordingly, it is essential to know and be aware of this morphological diversity in the daily routine. The use of Ki‐67/MIB‐1 immunostaining may improve the diagnostic accuracy.
The oral‐systemic personalized medicine model at Marshfield Clinic
Authors: Glurich I , Acharya A , Shukla SK , Nycz GR , Brilliant MH
Published: February 2012

Oral Diseases (2012) 19, 1–17

Periodontal disease and diabetes, two diseases that have achieved epidemic status, share a bidirectional relationship driven by micro‐inflammatory processes. The present review frames the current understanding of the pathological processes that appear to link these diseases and advances the hypothesis that reversal of the epidemic is possible through application of interdisciplinary intervention and advancement of oral‐systemic personalized medicine. An overview of how Marshfield Clinic’s unique clinical, informatics and bio‐repository resources and infrastructures are being aligned to advance oral‐systemic personalized medicine is presented as an interventional model with the potential to reverse the epidemic trends seen for these two chronic diseases over the past several decades. The overall vision is to engineer a transformational shift in paradigm from ‘personalized medicine’ to ‘personalized health’.
The effect of dietary turmeric on antioxidant properties of thigh meat in broiler chickens after slaughter
Authors: DANESHYAR Mohsen
Published: February 2012

Two hundred and fifty‐day‐old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were used to investigate the dietary supplementation effects of different levels of 0.0 turmeric rhizome powder (TRP) (free TRP, F.TRP), 0.25 (low TRP, L.TRP), 0.5 (medium TRP, M.TRP) and 0.75% TRP (high TRP, H.TRP) or 50 mg/kg vitamin E (VE) on antioxidant properties of thigh meat in broiler chickens after slaughter. No effect of treatment was observed for the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total antioxidant status (TAS) in thigh meat (P > 0.05) but all were reduced over time (P < 0.0001). A significant treatment*time interaction was observed for thigh meat GPX activity (P = 0.02). Significant effects of treatment and time were observed for malondialdehyde (MDA) content (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the treatments for thigh meat MDA content at slaughter (P > 0.05). Three days after refrigerator storage, MDA content in thigh meat of M.TRP birds was lower than that of F.TRP birds (P < 0.05). Both the M.TRP and VE birds showed a lower MDA content in thigh meat as compared with F.TRP birds 7 days after storage (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary consumption of 5 mg/kg TRP can increases the thigh meat shelf‐life storage and quality in broiler chickens after slaughter.
IMAGING DIAGNOSIS—NASOFRONTAL SUTURE EXOSTOSIS IN A HORSE
Authors: Manso‐Díaz Gabriel , Taeymans Olivier
Published: February 2012

A 14‐year‐old Quarter Horse had chronic facial swelling and a more recent history of progressive bilateral epiphora. Radiographic findings were compatible with exostosis of the nasofrontal suture. Computed tomography (CT) of the head, including CT dacryorhinocystography, confirmed the diagnosis and allowed presurgical planning of resection of the exostosis, which resulted in resolution of the clinical signs.
PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF SERIAL 18FDG‐PET/CT TO ASSESS RESPONSE TO TOCERANIB PHOSPHATE THERAPY IN CANINE CANCER
Authors: LeBlanc Amy K. , Miller Ashley N. , Galyon Gina D. , Moyers Tamberlyn D. , Long Misty J. , Stuckey Alan C. , Wall Jonathan S. , Morandi Federica
Published: February 2012

PalladiaTM (toceranib phosphate—Pfizer Animal Health) is a novel orally administered receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) approved for treatment of canine mast cell tumors. Receptor tyrosine kinase dysregulation leads to tumor growth, progression, and metastasis. Toceranib's targets include vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR‐2/Flk‐1/KDR), platelet‐derived growth factor receptor, and kit. Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) is used commonly to diagnose, prognosticate, and monitor response to antineoplastic therapy in human patients. In this study, serial PET/CT imaging with 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose (18FDG) was used to assess response to toceranib therapy in dogs with measurable solid malignancies. Six tumor‐bearing dogs underwent tumor assessment using both standard RECIST criteria and PET/CT prior to and at a median of 5 weeks postinitiation of toceranib treatment. Toceranib was prescribed initially at a target dose 3.25 mg/kg PO q48 h, with subsequent modifications based on observed toxicity. Treatment was continued in patients achieving stable disease with acceptable drug tolerance. One dog was maintained on drug despite dose modification due to toxicity; measurable clinical and image‐based responses were seen after 10 weeks of therapy. All others had stable or progressive disease based on clinical restaging and PET/CT at first recheck. . Due to discordance with anatomic and metabolic imaging, further studies are needed to investigate the role of molecular imaging in assessment of drug response and identify other potential molecular targets of toceranib.
TWO ANATOMIC RESOURCES OF CANINE PELVIC LIMB MUSCLES BASED ON CT AND MRI
Authors: Sunico Sarena K. , Hamel Corentin , Styner Martin , Robertson Ian D. , Kornegay Joe N. , Bettini Chris , Parks Jerry , Wilber Kathy , Smallwood J. Edgar , Thrall Donald E.
Published: February 2012

Advances in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and three‐dimensional (3D) modeling software provide the tools necessary to create sophisticated, interactive anatomic resources that can assist in the interpretation of MR images of extremities, and learning the structure and function of limb musculature. Modeling provides advantages over dissection or consultation of print atlases because of the associated speed, flexibility, 3D nature, and elimination of superimposed arrows and labels. Our goals were to create a diagnostic atlas of pelvic limb muscles that will facilitate interpretation of MR images of patients with muscle injury and to create a 3D model of the canine pelvic limb musculature to facilitate anatomic learning. To create these resources, we used structural segmentation of MR images, a process that groups image pixels into anatomically meaningful regions. The Diagnostic Atlas is an interactive, multiplanar, web‐based MR atlas of the canine pelvic limb musculature that was created by manually segmenting clinically analogous MR sequences. Higher resolution volumetric MR and computed tomography (CT) data were segmented into separately labeled volumes of data and then transformed into a multilayered 3D computer model. The 3D Model serves as a resource for students of gross anatomy, encouraging integrative learning with its highly interactive and selective display capabilities. For clinicians, the 3D Model also serves to bridge the gap between topographic and tomographic anatomy, displaying both formats alongside, or even superimposed over each other. Both projects are hosted on an open‐access website, http://3dvetanatomy.ncsu.edu/
Effects of immunosuppressive therapy on wound healing
Authors: Bootun Roshan
Published: February 2012

Immunosuppressive therapy is increasingly being used in clinical practice and has been shown to affect wound healing to varying degrees. This article looks at the effects of the newer immunosuppressive agents on wound healing. It is shown that wound healing is impaired via different mechanisms. Some of the animal and human studies are reviewed in more detail. It is shown that some of the newer agents affect wound healing to such an extent that reduction or avoidance of these drugs until complete wound healing is achieved is advocated. More research is required for these newer agents to determine the most appropriate time to introduce them.
Chronic calcaneal osteomyelitis associated with soft‐tissue defect could be successfully treated with platelet‐rich plasma: a case report
Authors: Wang Hsin‐Fu , Gao You‐Shui , Yuan Ting , Yu Xiao‐Wei , Zhang Chang‐Qing
Published: February 2012

Chronic osteomyelitis associated with soft‐tissue defect following surgical management is a severe complication for orthopaedic surgeons. Traditionally, the treatment protocol for the notorious complication involved thorough debridement, bone grafting, long‐term antibiotic use and flap surgery. Alternatively, platelet‐rich plasma (PRP), a high concentration of platelets collected via centrifugation, has been successfully used as an adjuvant treatment for bone and soft‐tissue infection in medical practices. PRP has numerous significant advantages, including stypsis, inflammation remission and reducing the amount of infected fluid. It increases bone and soft‐tissue healing and allows fewer opportunities for transplant rejection. Through many years of studies showing the advantages of PRP, it has become preferred organic product for the clinical treatment of infections, especially for chronic osteomyelitis associated with soft‐tissue defect. To promote the clinical use of this simple and efficacious technique in trauma, we report the case of a patient with chronic calcaneal osteomyelitis associated with soft‐tissue defect that healed uneventfully with PRP.
Mercury in the Spinal Cord After Inhalation of Mercury
Authors: Roos Per M. , Dencker Lennart
Published: February 2012

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) affects anterior horn cells of the spinal cord causing an indolent slow and steady deterioration of muscle strength leading inevitably to death in respiratory failure. ALS is a model condition for neurodegenerative disorders. Exposure to different agents dispersed in the environment has been suggested to cause neurodegeneration but no convincing evidence for such a link has yet been presented. Respiratory exposure to metallic mercury (Hg0) from different sources may be suspected. Body distribution of metallic mercury is fast and depends on solubility properties. Routes of transport, metabolism, excretion and biological half‐life determine the overall toxic effects. Inhalation experiments were performed in 1984 where small marmoset monkeys (Callithrix jacchus) were exposed to 203Hg0 vapour mixed into the breathing air (4–5 μg/l). After 1 hr of exposure, they were killed and whole body autoradiograms prepared to study the distribution of mercury within organs. Autoradiograms showed that Hg was deposited inside the spinal cord. Areas of enhanced accumulation anatomically corresponding to motor nuclei could be observed. This study describes a reinvestigation, with new emphasis on the spinal cord, of these classical metal exposure data in a primate, focusing on their relevance for the causation of neurodegenerative disorders. A comparison with more recent rodent experiments with similar findings is included. The hypothesis that long‐time low‐dose respiratory exposure to metals, for example, Hg, contributes to neurodegenerative disorders is forwarded and discussed.
Morphological comparison of the regeneration process in Sabella spallanzanii and Branchiomma luctuosum (Annelida, Sabellida)
Authors: Licciano Margherita , Murray Joanna Michelle , Watson Gordon James , Giangrande Adriana
Published: February 2012

Within Annelida, the family Sabellidae is a particularly interesting clade in which to carry out comparative studies of regeneration, as its members vary in regeneration potential, with some even lacking this ability completely. However, data on the regenerative potential of sabellids are available only for a few species investigated early in the last century, and even for those, many aspects of regenerative ability are yet to be determined. In the present study, we compared the morphology of the regeneration process of anterior and posterior ends in Sabella spallanzanii and Branchiomma luctuosum, two sabellids that belong to closely related genera. Members of S. spallanzanii exhibited lower mortality in response to wounding and greater regenerative ability, with amputees able to complete the regeneration process more rapidly than in B. luctuosum. Moreover, results from this study suggest that adults of S. spallanzanii and B. luctuosum use different mechanisms to restore lost anterior body parts. In S. spallanzanii, both morphallaxis and epimorphosis appear to be important in anterior end regeneration, but in B. luctuosum, only epimorphosis appears to be important. Such variation among closely related taxa sharing similar body plans has rarely been reported, but might be profitably examined using molecular approaches in these and other species of sabellids. Results of such studies interpreted in the context of phylogeny may ultimately provide insight into the evolution of regeneration.
Moving Day and Night: Highly Labile Diel Activity Patterns in a Tropical Snake
Authors: Abom Rickard , Bell Kris , Hodgson Lauren , Schwarzkopf Lin
Published: February 2012

Most animals have well established diel activity patterns (e.g., diurnal, crepuscular, or nocturnal), and changes in behavior from diurnal to nocturnal are rare in single species. We radio tracked 50 keelback snakes in a single population, locating them up to four times a day, over five periods of the year in the Australian dry tropics to describe temporal variation in diel movement patterns. Snake body temperatures were also recorded to determine the relationship between activity patterns and body temperatures. Season influenced diel activity patterns significantly. Keelbacks were more likely to move, and moved further in the daytime in the mid‐dry (June–July), and late dry (Aug–Sep) seasons. In the mid‐dry season, 87 percent of movements were diurnal, whereas in the mid‐wet (Feb–March) season, although snakes were much more likely to move, only 43 percent of movements were diurnal. In the late dry season, snakes were slightly more likely to move at night than at any other time of day, and so at this time of the year, snakes could be classified as nocturnal. Thus, overall increased movements in the mid‐wet season (austral summer) were associated with more crepuscular and nocturnal movement. There was a significant relationship between individual snake body temperatures and movement rates in all seasons. Changes in movement patterns may be related to body temperature, and this diurnal species becomes cathemeral in the tropics in summer, when it is possible to maintain high body temperatures both day and night.
Yellow‐breasted capuchinCebus xanthosternos: support by zoos for its conservation – a success story
Authors: Lernould J. ‐M. , Kierulff M. C. M. , Canale G.
Published: February 2012

A breeding programme forYellow‐breasted capuchinCebus xanthosternoswas initiated at theRio deJaneiroPrimateCentre [Centro dePrimatologia doRio deJaneiro (CPRJ)],Brazil, in 1980 when this monkey was considered highly threatened. In 1987, a field survey concluded that an urgent measure that should be taken to save the species was the expansion of the breeding programme at theCPRJand the extension of the programme to other collections with expertise in breedingNewWorld primates.MulhouseZoo,France, proposed thatCPRJshould expand the breeding programme toEurope and that the participating zoos should be asked to fundin situconservation. The breeding programme began inEurope in 1990 atMulhouseZoo. At the end of 2010, there were 140Yellow‐breasted capuchins at 21European zoos. Since 2002,in situconservation actions have provided important information about wild populations. The largest forest fragments, scattered acrossc. 470 000 km2overAtlanticForest,Cerrado andCaatinga, were visited, and wild groups were monitored in three of them. The findings from these studies help us to understand the basic ecology of this primate and to build a conservation action plan for the future.
Serum iron metabolites in an opportunistic sample of different captive primate species
Authors:   Scientific Writing Experience at the European Association of Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarians 2010 Student Summer School
Published: February 2012

Previous reports in the literature indicate that primate species differ in their iron metabolism. Analyses were carried out of 229 serum samples of 18 different species, including marmosets, lemurs, woolly monkeys, colobines, macaques, baboons and great apes, for transferrin saturation (%TS), an indicator of iron absorption. In correspondence with our expectations based on the literature, lemurs and marmosets had significantly higher %TS values than great apes and macaques/baboons. The findings corroborate patterns previously described in individual studies, and underline that further efforts should be made to understand the reasons and consequences of these differences in iron metabolism.
SMRT compounds correct nonsense mutations in primary immunodeficiency and other genetic models
Authors: Gatti Richard A.
Published: February 2012

Within less than 10 years after the realization of the double helix of DNA, the ability of aminoglycosides to influence the misreading or readthrough of premature termination codons was discovered. It took another three decades to clone and sequence disease genes and appreciate the similarity of mutation spectra for most inborn errors. Nonsense mutations once again have become the target of readthrough compounds. In this brief review, we trace the development in our laboratory of the next generation of readthrough agents, small molecule readthrough (SMRT) drug‐like chemicals, and assays for comparing their in vitro activity. Possible mechanisms of action and potential clinical applications are considered.
Nitric Oxide Donor Exisulind Is an Effective Inhibitor of Murine Photocarcinogenesis†
Authors: Singh Tripti , Chaudhary Sandeep C. , Kapur Puneet , Weng Zhiping , Elmets Craig A. , Kopelovich Levy , Athar Mohammad
Published: February 2012

NO‐releasing nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NO‐NSAIDs) have been shown to have anti‐inflammatory, antiproliferative and apoptosis‐inducing effects in tumor cells. Herein, we have investigated the effects of NO‐exisulind on the growth of UVB‐induced skin tumor development in a murine model. We found that the topical treatment with NO‐exisulind significantly reduced UVB‐induced tumors in SKH‐1 hairless mice. The tumors/tumor bearing mouse, the number of tumors/mouse and tumor volume/mouse decreased significantly (P < 0.05) as compared with vehicle‐treated and UVB‐irradiated positive controls. Consistently, NO‐exisulind‐treated animals showed reduced expression of proliferation markers, such as PCNA and cyclin D1. These mice also manifested increased expression of proapoptotic Bax and decreased expression of antiapoptotic Bcl2 with an increase in the number of TUNEL‐positive cells in tumors. We also investigated whether NO‐exisulind‐treated tumors are less invasive and progress less efficiently from benign to malignant carcinomas. For this, tumors were stained for various epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers. NO‐exisulind decreased the expression of mesenchymal markers, such as Fibronectin, N‐cadherin, SNAI, Slug and Twist and enhanced the epithelial marker E‐cadherin. Similarly, UVB‐induced phosphorylation of Erk1/2 and p38 was decreased in NO‐exisulind‐treated animals. These data suggest that NO‐exisulind reduces tumor growth and inhibits tumor progression by blocking proliferation, inducing apoptosis and reducing EMT.
If roflumilast inhibits the innate immunity in the stable patient, what about infection?
Authors: Blasco Luis M.
Published: February 2012

Please cite this paper as: Blasco LM. If roflumilast inhibits the innate immunity in the stable patient, what about infection? Clin Respir J 2013; 7: e11–e12.