bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
‘Under the Wife's Feet’: Renegotiating Gender Divisions in Early Retirement
Authors: Cliff Dallas R.
Published: February 2011

There has rightly been much recent sociological concern with the effects of recession and the restructuring of the economy on family relationships. One important aspect of recent economic changes has been the pressure on older people to leave the workforce before the age of conventional retirement. Male early retirement has been a significant factor in accounting for the dramatic fall in the economic participation rates of older male workers over the last decade. Yet early retirement has been a relatively neglected topic in social scientific literature. Studies of unemployed and redundant males have tended to suggest that there is little renegotiating of the domestic division of labour within the home due to the ways in which traditional notions of masculine identity are called upon to protect the position of the unemployed male. This paper reports findings relating to these issues from a study of men from West Yorkshire who had taken early retirement from the local chemical industry. These findings suggest considerably more renegotiation than studies of unemployed and redundant males but neither the amount or type of such renegotiation seemed to be related to either marital disharmony or quality of life in retirement.
Union Membership and Perceived Powerlessness in Southern US Textiles
Authors: Zingraff Rhonda , Leiter Jeffrey
Published: February 2011

Using Marxist, mass society, organizational, and social movements literatures, we distinguish alternative accounts of the relationship between union membership and perceived powerlessness. Then, we illustrate the distinctions with survey data on southern US textile workers. Logistic and ordinary least squares regression analyses suggest two interpretations for this group of workers: union membership influences perceived powerlessness by providing members a responsive organization that contrasts with their lack of control in the workplace; and perceived powerlessness, when combined with endorsement of collective strategies for change, encourages union membership. In the southern textile case, we find that race is associated with specific ideological leanings regarding collective strategies. The location of our sample, its particular position in the political economy of the US, and the relative immaturity of its union allow for instructive comparisons with other sociological treatments of work attitudes and collective action.
Personal Histories and Social Restructuring: The Transformation of a Peasant Society
Authors: Nicholson Beryl
Published: February 2011

Using the capacity of linked census data to combine two levels, individual and aggregate, and two dimensions, longitudinal and cross-sectional, the process of structural change is explored to reveal aspects of change which are usually hidden. North Troms, in North Norway, which still had a peasant economy at the end of the Second World War is used as an example. The trajectories of those economically active in 1960 and 1970 are disentangled then reassembled to show how they combined as structural change. Only a minority of personal histories paralleled the change in society as a whole. Much more structural change resulted from succession of cohorts leaving and entering the labour force. By joining the study of individuals to that of structures, it is possible to see how change occurs in the spaces between people, out of the effects of many contradictions.
Rethinking Childhood Dependency: Children's Contributions to the Domestic Economy
Authors: Morrow Virginia
Published: February 2011

In industrialised countries, the growth of wage labour and capitalist relations of production have been associated with a decline in ‘child labour’. The general assumption within sociology is that children do not undertake productive labour, and that their new economic role is to attend school and prepare to become future members of the labour force. This paper presents evidence from a wider research project on children's involvement in ‘work’ and focuses on children's accounts of their contribution to domestic labour within their homes, based on an analysis of children's written descriptions of their everyday lives outside school. Data were collected from 730 children aged between 11 and 16 years in schools in Birmingham and Cambridgeshire, and in a small number of interviews and discussions with children. The paper suggests that children's labour has been rendered invisible behind dominant conceptualisations within sociology of ‘the child’ as passive and dependent, and argues that far from being mere ‘burdens’ on their families, some children may be making important contributions to household labour in the form of the routine daily tasks and child-care they undertake.
The Role of Dominance Hierarchy in the Evolution of Social Species
Authors: MOOSA MAHDI MUHAMMAD , UD‐DEAN S. M. MINHAZ
Published: January 2011

A number of animal species from different lineages live socially. One of the features of social living is the formation of dominance hierarchy. Despite its obvious benefit in the survival probability of the species, the hierarchical structureitself poses psychological and physiological burden leading to the chronic activation of stress related pathways. Considering these apparently conflicting observations, here we propose that social hierarchy can act as a selective force in the evolution of social species. We also discuss its role on social psychology.
The Normative Dimensions of Institutional Stewardship: High Reliability, Institutional Constancy, Public Trust and Confidence
Authors: Egan M. Jude
Published: January 2011

Todd LaPorte's contribution to knowledge about Hazardous Large Technical Systems (HLTS) and Critical Infrastructure (CI) systems has provided a way to place these systems in sociological context. The article describes LaPorte's development of the concept of Institutional Stewardship, as an amalgamation of High Reliability Organizations, Institutional Constancy, and Public Trust and Confidence has provided a way of understanding the enormous public challenges of managing and maintaining systems that create public vulnerabilities. The article suggests the development of the Vulnerability Principle as a way of bringing the requirement of Institutional Stewardship to the management of HLTs and CIs.
Regional genetic subdivision in the Mohave ground squirrel: evidence of historic isolation and ongoing connectivity in a Mojave Desert endemic
Authors: Bell K. C. , Matocq M. D.
Published: February 2011

The Mojave Desert is characterized by a unique biodiversity and is an area of particular interest for the development of renewable energy facilities, which could impact habitat quality and population connectivity. To begin understanding current habitat connectivity in a Mojave Desert endemic, we examine population genetic characteristics of the Mohave ground squirrel, Xerospermophilus mohavensis. We use microsatellite and mitochondrial data to examine the spatial distribution of genetic variation and to infer regional demographic history and connectivity across the species' range. We also examine the demographic history of individual populations and assess the degree to which X. mohavensis may be hybridizing with its sister species, Xerospermophilus tereticaudus. We find that populations of X. mohavensis group into three regionally defined genetic clusters with admixture among the groups. Patterns of regional genetic subdivision and inferred patterns of colonization are consistent with what would be expected from the location and timing of the historic lake and river systems of the region. On a more recent timescale, most X. mohavensis populations do not appear to have experienced genetic bottlenecks, as would be expected from known population declines. Finally, we find that hybridization between X. mohavensis and X. tereticaudus is limited, and thus, not a source of introgression into the threatened species. The patterns of diversity and regional connectivity that we describe here for the Mohave ground squirrel are a first step in determining critical conservation areas for endemic Mojave Desert fauna.
Cognitive age and fashion consumption
Authors: Lin Yu‐Tse , Xia Kang‐Ning
Published: January 2011

This study used two‐step structural equation modelling to explore whether cognitive age acts as a mediator between fashion attitudes and fashion behaviours. Three nested and one non‐nested competing models were compared with the base model to determine which model was the best. Data from 1344 consumers showed that cognitive age plays a mediatory role between fashion attitudes and fashion behaviours. It fully mediates between high fashion interest and fashion behaviours, and between utilitarian orientation and fashion behaviours. However, cognitive age only partially mediates between individual taste concern and fashion behaviours.
S100B alters neuronal survival and dendrite extension via RAGE‐mediated NF‐κB signaling
Authors: Villarreal Alejandro , Aviles Reyes Rolando X. , Angelo Maria Florencia , Reines Analia G. , Ramos Alberto Javier
Published: February 2011

J. Neurochem. (2011) 117, 321–332.

S100B is a soluble protein secreted by astrocytes that exerts pro‐survival or pro‐apoptotic effects depending on the concentration reached in the extracellular millieu. The S100B receptor termed RAGE (for receptor for advanced end glycation products) is highly expressed in the developing brain but is undetectable in normal adult brain. In this study, we show that RAGE expression is induced in cortical neurons of the ischemic penumbra. Increased RAGE expression was also observed in primary cortical neurons exposed to excitotoxic glutamate (EG). S100B exerts effects on survival pathways and neurite extension when the cortical neurons have been previously exposed to EG and these S100B effects were prevented by anti‐RAGE blocking antibodies. Furthermore, nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB) is activated by S100B in a dose‐ and RAGE‐dependent manner and neuronal death induced by NF‐κB inhibition was prevented by S100B that restored NF‐κB activation levels. Together, these findings suggest that excitotoxic damage can induce RAGE expression in neurons from ischemic penumbra and demonstrate that cortical neurons respond to S100B through engagement of RAGE followed by activation of NF‐κB signaling. In addition, basal NF‐κB activity in neurons is crucial to modulate the extent of pro‐survival or pro‐death S100B effects.
Safety evaluation of combination vinblastine and toceranib phosphate (Palladia®) in dogs: a phase I dose‐finding study
Authors: Robat C. , London C. , Bunting L. , McCartan L. , Stingle N. , Selting K. , Kurzman I. , Vail D. M.
Published: January 2011

Combining drugs with known single‐agent activity that lack overlapping dose‐limiting toxicities (DLT) and exert antitumour activity through different mechanisms could improve clinical outcome. As toceranib and vinblastine meet these requisites, a phase I trial was performed in combination in dogs with mast cell tumours. The DLT for the simultaneous combination was neutropenia and the maximally tolerated dose was vinblastine (1.6 mg m−2 every other week) concurrent with toceranib (3.25 mg kg−1 PO, every other day). This represents greater than a 50% reduction in dose intensity for vinblastine (compared with single‐agent use) and as such does not support this combination based on current drug combination paradigms. Although a strict adherence to dose paradigms speaks against the combination, evidence of significant activity (71% objective response) and enhanced myelosuppression suggest additive or synergistic activity. A prospective randomized evaluation comparing this combination with standard single‐agent treatments would seem prudent to interrogate this potential.
Table of Contents
Authors: Byrnes Heidi , Maxim Hiram H. , Norris John M.
Published: January 2011

This monograph presents in detail the genesis, design, and implementation of a full‐scale curricular innovation in a U.S. university German foreign language studies program, with a primary focus on writing development. Its goal is to demonstrate and articulate how college educators, from typically diverse scholarly persuasions, might conjointly craft a much‐needed response to calls for change in tertiary foreign language and cultural studies departments. After sketching the contemporary landscape of and challenges in collegiate foreign language studies, it theorizes an approach to educational design that is at once theoretically grounded in genre‐based literacy development, legitimately responsive to both literary‐cultural and language developmental values of faculty, and practically focused on student achievement of very advanced learning outcomes. Turning from ideation to application, the monograph then reports extensively on the actual curricular scope and sequence, genre‐based pedagogies, and associated assessment practices that were developed and implemented in a four‐year undergraduate German program. The emphasis throughout the monograph is on explaining why and how decisions were made while also demonstrating the outcomes of these decisions in the form of practicable educational efforts and products. It closes by arguing the need for additional inquiry‐driven program innovation of the sort reported here, if the value of college foreign language studies is to be enhanced, perpetuated, and, fundamentally, realized.
Author Bios, Figures and Tables, Acronyms Used, References
Authors: Byrnes Heidi , Maxim Hiram H. , Norris John M.
Published: January 2011

This monograph presents in detail the genesis, design, and implementation of a full‐scale curricular innovation in a U.S. university German foreign language studies program, with a primary focus on writing development. Its goal is to demonstrate and articulate how college educators, from typically diverse scholarly persuasions, might conjointly craft a much‐needed response to calls for change in tertiary foreign language and cultural studies departments. After sketching the contemporary landscape of and challenges in collegiate foreign language studies, it theorizes an approach to educational design that is at once theoretically grounded in genre‐based literacy development, legitimately responsive to both literary‐cultural and language developmental values of faculty, and practically focused on student achievement of very advanced learning outcomes. Turning from ideation to application, the monograph then reports extensively on the actual curricular scope and sequence, genre‐based pedagogies, and associated assessment practices that were developed and implemented in a four‐year undergraduate German program. The emphasis throughout the monograph is on explaining why and how decisions were made while also demonstrating the outcomes of these decisions in the form of practicable educational efforts and products. It closes by arguing the need for additional inquiry‐driven program innovation of the sort reported here, if the value of college foreign language studies is to be enhanced, perpetuated, and, fundamentally, realized.
Ideology and Social Position in Poland: The Determinants of Voting for the Right, 1991–2005*
Authors: Swindal Megan G.
Published: February 2011

Objective. The far Right's rise to power in Poland in 2005 left many observers curious about the relationship between conditions of rising inequality, recent E.U. accession, and the changing resonance of right‐wing ideology. This study analyzes Polish voting patterns over the 1991–2005 period in order to determine the effects of ideological and social‐structural variables on political behavior in a postsocialist context.

Methods. The study employs bivariate analysis to assess the persistence or novelty of associations between conservative ideologies and right‐wing voting throughout a period of macro‐structural change. The data are drawn from the Polish General Social Survey.

Results. The analysis indicates that by 2001, three ideological factors became newly correlated with voting for the Right: religious traditionalism, anti‐Communism, and free market values. Structurally, Poles with more years of education were the new base of party support by 2001.

Conclusions. Contrary to expectations, postsocialism's economic “losers”—those with less education, less income, the unemployed—were not more likely to turn to the Right. Middle‐class interests began to have greater political influence by the end of this period, a conclusion that seems supported by more recent election outcomes.
A Computational Cognitive Model of Syntactic Priming
Authors: Reitter David , Keller Frank , Moore Johanna D.
Published: January 2011

The psycholinguistic literature has identified two syntactic adaptation effects in language production: rapidly decaying short‐term priming and long‐lasting adaptation. To explain both effects, we present an ACT‐R model of syntactic priming based on a wide‐coverage, lexicalized syntactic theory that explains priming as facilitation of lexical access. In this model, two well‐established ACT‐R mechanisms, base‐level learning and spreading activation, account for long‐term adaptation and short‐term priming, respectively. Our model simulates incremental language production and in a series of modeling studies, we show that it accounts for (a) the inverse frequency interaction; (b) the absence of a decay in long‐term priming; and (c) the cumulativity of long‐term adaptation. The model also explains the lexical boost effect and the fact that it only applies to short‐term priming. We also present corpus data that verify a prediction of the model, that is, that the lexical boost affects all lexical material, rather than just heads.
An RNA Expression Method for Aging Forensic Hair Samples
Authors: Hampson Clint , Louhelainen Jari , McColl Suzzanne
Published: January 2011

Abstract: A common limitation to most forensic trace evidence analysis is the ability to determine the time at which the evidence was deposited at the crime scene. This issue of timing is vitally important as it may not only reveal when the crime occurred, but could exclude potential suspects from the investigation. Using a reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) assay, we monitored the relative expression ratio (RER) of two different RNA species (18S and β‐actin) in hair samples that were aged naturally over a period of 3 months. No gender or age‐of‐donor biases were observed, and results were linear up to 60 days. After 60 days, the results were more variable and gave unreliable estimates of time since deposition. Overall, the results presented in this paper suggest that the age of hair samples containing follicular tags can be approximated using a second‐order polynomial, although with limitations: Age = 3.31RER2 – 2.85RER – 0.54 (R2 = 0.98).
CD3 polymorphism in cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis)
Authors: Uda Akihiko , Tanabayashi Kiyoshi , Mukai Ryozaburo , Yachi Mayumi , Nam Ki‐Hoan , Yamada Akio
Published: February 2011

Abstract: Cynomolgus monkeys were divided into two groups in terms of the reactivity of their lymphocytes with the FN18 monoclonal antibody, which is directed to the CD3 of rhesus monkeys. It was shown that 24 (12.2%) out of 196 monkeys did not have lymphocytes that reacted with the FN18, although T cells from those animals responded well to mitogenic stimulation. We have determined the nucleotide sequences of the CD3δ, CD3γ, and CD3ε chains and found that two amino acids of the CD3ε chain of the FN18 non‐reactive monkeys were different when compared with the FN18 reactive monkeys. Our results indicated that the CD3ε molecule of cynomolgus monkeys is polymorphic at the epitope level, which is recognized by the FN18 monoclonal antibody.
ULTRASOUND‐GUIDED MESENTERIC LYMPH NODE IOHEXOL INJECTION FOR THORACIC DUCT COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC LYMPHOGRAPHY IN CATS
Authors: KIM MIEUN , LEE HYEYEON , LEE NAMSOON , CHOI MIHYEON , KIM JUNYOUNG , CHANG DONGWOO , CHOI MINCHEOL , YOON JUNGHEE
Published: January 2011

Computed tomographic (CT) lymphography was performed in cats using percutaneous ultrasound‐guided injection of contrast medium into a mesenteric lymph node. The thoracic duct and its branches were clearly delineated in CT images of seven cats studied. The thoracic duct was characterized by anatomic variation and appeared as single or multiple branches. The thoracic duct and the cisterna chyli were identified along the ventral or left ventral aspect of the vertebrae from the level of the cranial lumbar to the caudal cervical vertebrae. The thoracic duct was identified in the central caudal mediastinum, deviated to the left in the cranial mediastinum, and finally moved toward the venous system. Small volumes of extranodal contrast medium leakage were identified in all cats. After injection, the mesenteric lymph nodes were cytologically normal. Ultrasound‐guided CT lymphography via percutaneous mesenteric lymph node injection appears safe and effective in cats.
IMAGING DIAGNOSIS—SYNOVIAL MYXOMA OF LUMBAR VERTEBRAE ARTICULAR PROCESS JOINT
Authors: BLAIR WAKA H. , LEVINE JONATHAN M. , KERWIN SHARON C. , SPAULDING KATHY A. , YOUNG BENJAMIN D. , POOL ROY R.
Published: January 2011

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and histopathology were used to diagnose an articular process synovial myxoma in a dog. On MR images, the tumor was characterized by distortion of the left L1–L2 articular process, widening of the articular process joint, and the presence of a mass contiguous with the synovium of the articular process that displaced the spinal cord. The tumor was T2‐hyperintense, T1‐hypointense, relative to muscle, and had mild contrast enhancement. The MR features of articular process synovial myxoma may be distinct from other diseases of the articular process joint.
Sex determination and the control of Sox9 expression in mammals
Authors: Jakob Susanne , Lovell‐Badge Robin
Published: January 2011

In mouse sex determination, the presence or absence of Sertoli cells in the developing gonad is essential for the decision to form either a testis or an ovary. The transcription factor SOX9 has emerged as the master regulator of Sertoli cell differentiation during testis development and thus the crucial gene to determine sex. It is the target of two sets of regulatory controls, one positive and one negative, where one set tries to gain dominance over the other in the early gonad and then to establish and maintain the activity or silence of Sox9 throughout life. The data reveal the importance of the positive regulatory loops to reinforce initial decisions, whereas the maintenance of the gonadal phenotype appears to rely on the active repression of the opposite pathway.
Dmrt1 genes at the crossroads: a widespread and central class of sexual development factors in fish
Authors: Herpin Amaury , Schartl Manfred
Published: January 2011

A plethora of corroborative genetic studies led to the view that, across the animal kingdom, the gene‐regulatory cascades triggering sexual development bear little resemblance to each other. As a result, the common emerging picture is that the genes at the top of the cascade are not conserved, whereas the downstream genes have homologues in a much broader spectrum of species. Among these downstream effectors, a gene family involved in sex differentiation in organisms as phylogenetically divergent as corals, Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila, frogs, fish, birds and mammals is the dmrt gene family. Despite the attention that Dmrt1 factors have received, to date it has not been elucidated how Dmrt1s mediate their activities and putative downstream targets have yet to be characterized. However, a remarkable amount of descriptive expression data has been gathered in a large variety of fish, particularly with respect to early gonadal differentiation and sex change. This minireview aims at distilling the current knowledge of fish dmrt1s, in terms of expression and regulation. It is shown how gonadal identities correlate with dimorphic dmrt1 expression in gonochoristic and hermaphroditic fish species. It is also described how sex steroid hormones affect gonadal identity and dmrt1 expression. Emphasis is also given to recent findings dealing with transcriptional, post‐transcriptional, post‐translational and functional regulations of the dmrt1a/dmrt1bY gene pair in medaka.
Development and Validation of a Simulated Market to Test Children for Selected Consumer Skills
Authors: TURNER JOSEPHINE , BRANDT JEANETTE
Published: February 2011

This study investigated use of selected consumer skills by children of two ages. A simulated market was developed and used to determine each participating child's level of consumer competence. It was found that (a) children learn consumer skills by being given opportunities to participate in consumer decision‐making and sharing family responsibilities, (b) too little or excessive time spent in market search lessened the chance of obtaining a best buy, and (c) although children can and do learn to be consumers early, some skills depend upon maturation and use of education.
Analyzing Cost Differences in Life Insurance
Authors: CORBETT RICHARD B.
Published: February 2011

Several indexes for comparing the cost of life insurance policies are currently available. A variety of criticisms of these indexes has been offered. This paper identifies an additional problem: consumers may lack confidence in index values because they do not reconcile with data about company performance (e.g., lapse ratios, returns on invested assets). Analysis results suggest that policy costs are as much a function of actuarial manipulation for marketing advantage as of commonly cited textbook factors (mortality, interest, expenses) and competitive factors (lapse ratio, average policy size).
Pediatric dental management of a patient with osteogenesis imperfecta and dentinogenesis imperfecta
Authors: Muhney Kelly , Campbell Patricia Regener
Published: February 2011

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a genetic disorder that affects all connective tissue. Clinical manifestations of OI include bone fragility, hyperlaxity of joints, hearing loss, abnormalities of stature and facial structure, blue scleras, and dentinogenesis imperfecta (DI). OI is classified into four groups according to the severity and physical characteristics of the disease, although not all characteristics may be present in one individual. Currently, 20,000 to 50,000 individuals in the U.S. have been diagnosed with this disease. The aim of this article is to discuss medical and dental complications associated with OI and DI. A case presentation describes the clinical cars of a patient from birth to age 12.
Influence of Sex on Treatment and Outcome in Chronic Heart Failure
Authors: Frankenstein Lutz , Clark Andrew L. , Ribeiro Jorge P.
Published: January 2011

The population is aging, the prevalence of heart failure increases with age, and on average women live longer than men. There is evidence for sex‐specific effects of individual, guideline‐recommended drugs used for treatment of chronic heart failure. Women are underrepresented in most clinical trials and only a minority of drug applications to regulatory authorities have included sex analyses. The present review focuses on the potential female survival benefit in heart failure, the influence of sex on medical treatment in a broader sense, and the potential benefit to be derived from guideline recommended treatment and common adjunctive heart failure medication.
Carriage of Methicillin‐Resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius in Small Animal Veterinarians: Indirect Evidence of Zoonotic Transmission
Authors: Paul N. C. , Moodley A. , Ghibaudo G. , Guardabassi L.
Published: January 2011

Methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius (MRSP) is increasingly reported in small animals and cases of human infections have already been described despite its recent emergence in veterinary practice. We investigated the prevalence of MRSP and methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among small animal dermatologists attending a national veterinary conference in Italy. Nasal swabs were obtained from 128 veterinarians, seven of which harboured MRSP (n = 5; 3.9%) or MRSA (n = 2; 1.6%). A follow‐up study of two carriers revealed that MRSP persisted for at least 1 month in the nasal cavity. Methicillin‐susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) was isolated from 32 (25%) conference participants, whereas methicillin‐susceptible S. pseudintermedius (MSSP) was not detected, suggesting that MRSP may have a particular ability to colonize humans compared to MSSP. All isolates were characterized by spa typing. Methicillin‐resistant isolates were further typed by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, SCCmec and multi‐locus sequence typing. Two lineages previously associated with pets were identified among the five MRSP isolates; the European epidemic clone ST71‐SCCmec II‐III and ST106‐SCCmec IV. One of the two MRSA isolates displayed a genotype (ST22‐ SCCmecIV) frequently reported in dogs and cats. MRSP isolates were resistant to more antimicrobial agents compared with MRSA isolates and displayed the typical multidrug resistance patterns of MRSP in pets. The 32 MSSA isolates belonged to 20 spa types and the most frequent types (t12, t15 and t166) were associated with common S. aureus lineages in humans (CC30 and CC45). Although low, the 3.9% MRSP carriage rate found among small animal dermatologists was surprising in consideration of the rare occurrence of S. pseudintermedius in humans, the lack of MSSP detection and the recent appearance of MRSP in Europe. As cases of human MRSP infection have been linked with pets, veterinarians should be aware of this zoonotic risk and proper preventative measures should be taken to avoid MRSP transmission from animal patients.
Pitavastatin inhibits hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis model rats
Authors: Miyaki Tomokatsu , Nojiri Shunsuke , Shinkai Noboru , Kusakabe Atsunori , Matsuura Kentaro , Iio Etsuko , Takahashi Satoru , Yan Ge , Ikeda Kazuo , Joh Takashi
Published: January 2011

Aim:  Non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) may progress to liver cirrhosis, and NASH patients with liver cirrhosis are at risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma. Statins, 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methyglutaryl‐coenzyme A reductase inhibitors, are well known to reduce low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol and reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease and other major vascular events by anti‐inflammatory and antifibrotic effects, and antiproliferative properties in colorectal cancers have also been reported. Recently, statins have been reported to improve hepatic steatosis; however, the effect on fibrosis is controversial.

Methods:  The effects of pitavastatin (one of the strongest statins) were examined using a choline‐deficient L‐amino acid‐defined (CDAA) diet liver fibrosis model.

Results:  Pitavastatin significantly attenuated increases in serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, hepatic steatosis, oxidative stress, pre‐neoplastic lesions (glutathione S‐transferase placental form‐positive lesions), expression of cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor‐α and transforming growth factor‐β1, and the expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase‐1, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase‐2 and type I procollagen genes followed by attenuating fibrosis of the liver of CDAA‐fed rats.

Conclusion:  These results indicate that pitavastatin may inhibit steatosis, hepatic fibrosis and carcinogenesis in rat model of NASH.
Glanzmann thrombasthenia in a 17‐year‐old Peruvian Paso mare
Authors: Sanz Macarena G. , Wills Tamara B. , Christopherson Peter , Hines Melissa T.
Published: February 2011

Abstract: A 17‐year‐old Peruvian Paso mare was evaluated for bilateral epistaxis that had been present for at least 3 years. The mare had mild anemia, platelet count within the reference interval, unremarkable coagulation times, and a negative Coggins test. On endoscopic examination, structural abnormalities were not observed in the nasal cavities, pharynx, larynx, trachea, or either guttural pouch, but petechiation was noted in the nasal mucosa. Additional tests revealed prolonged cutaneous bleeding time, normal concentration of von Willebrand factor antigen, an abnormal clot retraction test, and failure of plalelet aggregation in response to agonists, suggesting a functional disorder of platelets. Genetic analysis indicated the horse was homozygous for a 10‐base‐pair deletion that included the last 3 base pairs of exon 11 and the first 7 base pairs of intron 11 of the gene encoding glycoprotein IIb. The diagnosis was Glanzmann thrombasthenia (GT) caused by a structural defect in glycoprotein IIb. GT is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by a defect in the glycoprotein IIb–IIIa complex on platelet surfaces. Separate genes encode each glycoprotein, and mutations in either gene can result in GT. This case of GT is unique given the age of the mare at the time of diagnosis. We conclude that GT, although an inherited disorder, should be considered in horses with suspected dysfunctional platelets, regardless of age.
Clinical and Histopathologic Characterization of a Central and Peripheral Axonopathy inRouge‐des‐prés(Maine Anjou) Calves
Authors: Timsit E. , Albaric O. , Colle M.A. , Costiou P. , Cesbron N. , Bareille N. , Assié S.
Published: January 2011

Background:Recently, a progressive pelvic limb ataxia and paraparesis leading invariably to recumbency has been reported inRouge‐des‐préscalves.

Objectives:To characterize the clinical and pathological findings of this newly reported disease and to investigate its potential causes.

Animals:Nine calves from 7 different farms were prospectively studied from initial diagnosis through postmortem examination.

Methods:Physical and neurological examinations, blood tests, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, and myelographic examinations were performed. Neuropathology was carried out on both central and peripheral nervous systems. Copper deficiency and organophosphate intoxication also were investigated. Pedigrees were analyzed.

Results:Age of onset varied from 2 to 6 weeks. Initial signs included pelvic limb ataxia and paraparesis. The neurological signs systematically progressed, over a 1–3‐month period, to severe pelvic limb and truncal ataxia along with moderate paraparesis, leading to permanent recumbency. Animals remained alert. Cranial nerve function was normal. Muscle atrophy was not observed and spinal reflexes were normal. Blood tests, CSF analysis, and myelographic examination did not identify any abnormality. Neuropathology indicated neuronal fiber degeneration particularly in the dorsolateral and ventromedial funiculi of the spinal cord and in the peripheral nerves. Degenerative lesions also were observed in lateral vestibular and thoracic nuclei. No environmental factors such as copper deficiency or organophosphate intoxication could be incriminated as the cause of this axonopathy. Pedigree analysis suggested an inherited defect.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance:The first description of a central and peripheral axonopathy is reported inRouge‐des‐préscalves. An inherited defect is highly suspected.
Effect of Diets Differing in Fat Content on Chronic Diarrhea in Cats
Authors: Laflamme D.P. , Xu H. , Long G.M.
Published: January 2011

Background: Fat‐restricted diets have been advocated for dogs with diarrhea for many years. Recommendations for cats with diarrhea have varied between low‐fat and high‐fat diets, but there have been no published studies to support either recommendation.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to compare the clinical responses of cats with chronic diarrhea to dietary management using either a high fat or a low fat, highly digestible diet.

Animals: Sixty pet cats with chronic diarrhea were recruited; 55 cats completed the study.

Methods: Randomized, double‐blinded, controlled clinical trial. Upon completion of baseline measures, cats were fed 1 of 2 diets for 6 weeks, during which the owners recorded fecal scores daily using an illustrated fecal score chart ranging from 0 (very watery) to 100 (firm and dry). After 6 weeks, cats were reevaluated by the attending veterinarians.

Results: Fecal scores improved significantly, with 78.2% of cats improving by at least 25 points on the 100‐point scale or having a final fecal score of at least 66. Over one third of the cats developed normal stools. There were no differences in clinical responses between the diets. Clinical improvement was noted within the 1st week, and maximized within 3 weeks.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance: These results show that dietary management can be helpful in cats with chronic diarrhea, but dietary fat content does not appear to affect the outcome. Cats that do not respond within 3 weeks should be evaluated further.
A Truncated Retrotransposon Disrupts the GRM1 Coding Sequence in Coton de Tulear Dogs with Bandera's Neonatal Ataxia
Authors: Zeng R. , Farias F.H.G. , Johnson G.S. , McKay S.D. , Schnabel R.D. , Decker J.E. , Taylor J.F. , Mann C.S. , Katz M.L. , Johnson G.C. , Coates J.R. , O'Brien D.P.
Published: January 2011

Background: Bandera's neonatal ataxia (BNAt) is an autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxia that affects members of the Coton de Tulear dog breed.

Objective: To identify the mutation that causes BNAt.

Animals: The study involved DNA from 112 Cotons de Tulear (including 15 puppies with signs of BNAt) and 87 DNA samples from dogs of 12 other breeds.

Methods: The BNAt locus was mapped with a genome‐wide association study (GWAS). The coding exons of positional candidate gene GRM1, which encodes metabotropic glutamate receptor 1, were polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐amplified and resequenced. A 3‐primer PCR assay was used to genotype individual dogs for a truncated retrotransposon inserted into exon 8 of GRM1.

Results: The GWAS indicated that the BNAt locus was in a canine chromosome 1 region that contained candidate gene GRM1. Resequencing this gene from BNAt‐affected puppies indicated that exon 8 was interrupted by the insertion of a 5′‐truncated retrotransposon. All 15 BNAt‐affected puppies were homozygous for the insert, whereas all other Cotons de Tulear were heterozygotes (n = 43) or homozygous (n = 54) for the ancestral allele. None of the 87 dogs from 12 other breeds had the insertion allele.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance: BNAt is caused by a retrotransposon inserted into exon 8 of GRM1. A DNA test for the GRM1 retrotransposon insert can be used for genetic counseling and to confirm the diagnosis of BNAt.
Serum Free Cortisol Fraction in Healthy and Septic Neonatal Foals
Authors: Hart K.A. , Barton M.H. , Ferguson D.C. , Berghaus R. , Slovis N.M. , Heusner G.L. , Hurley D.J.
Published: January 2011

Background: Relative cortisol insufficiency occurs in septic foals and impacts survival. Serum free (biologically available) cortisol concentration might be a better indicator of physiologic cortisol status than serum total cortisol concentration in foals.

Hypotheses: In septic foals, (1) low free cortisol concentration correlates with disease severity and survival and (2) predicts disease severity and outcome better than total cortisol concentration.

Animals: Fifty‐one septic foals; 11 healthy foals; 6 healthy horses.

Methods: In this prospective clinical study, foals meeting criteria for sepsis at admission were enrolled. University‐owned animals served as healthy controls. Basal and cosyntropin‐stimulated total cortisol concentration and percent free cortisol (% free cortisol) were determined by chemiluminescent immunoassay and ultrafiltration/ligand‐binding methods, respectively. Group data were compared by ANOVA, Mann‐Whitney U‐tests, and receiver operator characteristic curves. Significance was set at P < .05.

Results: Basal % free cortisol was highest in healthy foals at birth (58±8% mean±SD), and was higher (P≤.004) in healthy foals of all ages (33±6 to 58±8%) than in adult horses (7±3%). Cosyntropin‐stimulated total and free cortisol concentrations were lower (P≤.03) in foals with shock (total = 6.2±8.1 μg/dL; free = 3.5±4.8 μg/dL versus total = 10.8±6.0 μg/dL; free = 6.9±3.3 μg/dL in foals without shock) and in nonsurvivors (total = 3.8±6.9 μg/dL; free = 1.9±3.9 μg/dL versus total = 9.1±7.7 μg/dL; free = 5.5±4.4 μg/dL in survivors). Free cortisol was no better than total cortisol at predicting disease severity or outcome in septic foals.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Serum free cortisol is impacted by age and illness in the horse. There is no advantage to measuring free over total cortisol in septic foals.
Comparison of Signalment, Clinicopathologic Findings, Histologic Diagnosis, and Prognosis in Dogs with Glomerular Disease with or without Nephrotic Syndrome
Authors: Klosterman E.S. , Moore G.E. , de Brito Galvao J.F. , DiBartola S.P. , Groman R.P. , Whittemore J.C. , Vaden S.L. , Harris T.L. , Byron J.K. , Dowling S.R. , Grant D.C. , Grauer G.F. , Pressler B.M.
Published: January 2011

Background: Nephrotic syndrome (NS) develops most commonly in people with glomerular diseases associated with marked albuminuria. Hypernatremia, hypertension, and progressive renal failure are more prevalent in nephrotic than nonnephrotic human patients.

Hypothesis/Objectives: Dogs with NS have higher serum cholesterol, triglyceride, and sodium concentrations, higher urine protein:creatinine ratios (UPC) and systolic blood pressure, and lower serum albumin concentrations than dogs with nonnephrotic glomerular disease (NNGD). NS is associated with membranous glomerulopathy and amyloidosis. Affected dogs are more likely to be azotemic and have shorter survival times.

Animals: Two hundred and thirty‐four pet dogs (78 NS dogs, 156 NNGD dogs).

Methods: Multicenter retrospective case‐control study comparing time‐matched NS and NNGD dogs. NS was defined as the concurrent presence of hypoalbuminemia, hypercholesterolemia, proteinuria, and extravascular fluid accumulation. Signalment, clinicopathologic variables, histopathologic diagnoses, and survival time were compared between groups.

Results: Age, serum albumin, chloride, calcium, phosphate, creatinine, and cholesterol concentrations, and UPC differed significantly between NS and NNGD dogs. Both groups were equally likely to be azotemic at time of diagnosis, and NS was not associated with histologic diagnosis. Median survival was significantly shorter for NS (12.5 days) versus NNGD dogs (104.5 days). When subgrouped based on serum creatinine (< or ≥1.5 mg/dL), survival of NS versus NNGD dogs was only significantly different in nonazotemic dogs (51 versus 605 days, respectively).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Presence of NS is associated with poorer prognosis in dogs with nonazotemic glomerular disease. Preventing development of NS is warranted; however, specific interventions were not evaluated in this study.
Physiological and molecular characterization of genetic competence in Streptococcus sanguinis
Authors: Rodriguez A.M. , Callahan J.E. , Fawcett P. , Ge X. , Xu P. , Kitten T.
Published: January 2011

Streptococcus sanguinis is a major component of the oral flora and an important cause of infective endocarditis. Although S. sanguinis is naturally competent, genome sequencing has suggested significant differences in the S. sanguinis competence system relative to those of other streptococci. An S. sanguinis mutant possessing an in‐frame deletion in the comC gene, which encodes competence‐stimulating peptide (CSP), was created. Addition of synthetic CSP induced competence in this strain. Gene expression in this strain was monitored by microarray analysis at multiple time‐points from 2.5 to 30 min after CSP addition, and verified by quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction. Over 200 genes were identified whose expression was altered at least two‐fold in at least one time point, with the majority upregulated. The ‘late’ response was typical of that seen in previous studies. However, comparison of the ‘early’ response in S. sanguinis with that of other oral streptococci revealed unexpected differences with regard to the number of genes induced, the nature of those genes, and their putative upstream regulatory sequences. Streptococcus sanguinis possesses a comparatively limited early response, which may define a minimal streptococcal competence regulatory circuit.
Streptococcus mutans strains recovered from caries‐active or caries‐free individuals differ in sensitivity to host antimicrobial peptides
Authors: Phattarataratip E. , Olson B. , Broffitt B. , Qian F. , Brogden K.A. , Drake D.R. , Levy S.M. , Banas J.A.
Published: January 2011

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are among the repertoire of host innate immune defenses. In the oral cavity, several AMPs are present in saliva and have antimicrobial activities against oral bacteria, including Streptococcus mutans, a primary etiological agent of dental caries. In this study, we hypothesized that unique S. mutans strains, as determined by DNA fingerprinting from sixty 13‐year‐old subjects with or without experience of caries, would have different susceptibilities to α‐defensins‐1–3 (HNP‐1–3), β‐defensins‐2–3 (HBD‐2–3) and LL‐37. The salivary levels of these peptides in subjects were also measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays. We found that S. mutans strains from children with active caries showed greater resistance to salivary HNP‐1–2, HBD‐2–3 and LL‐37 at varying concentrations than those from caries‐free subjects. In addition, combinations of these peptides increased their antimicrobial activity against S. mutans either additively or synergistically. The salivary levels of these peptides were highly variable among subjects with no correlation to host caries experience. However, the levels of a number of these peptides in saliva appeared to be positively correlated within an individual. Our findings suggest that the relative ability of S. mutans to resist host salivary AMPs may be considered a potential virulence factor for this species such that S. mutans strains that are more resistant to these peptides may have an ecological advantage to preferentially colonize within dental plaque and increase the risk of dental caries.
Impact of deception detection errors on public's trust in the police
Authors: Hurst‐Wagner Melanie , Oswald Margit E.
Published: January 2011

Purpose. The present study explored the public's attitude towards errors in police officers’ detection of deception. Based on findings on trust in the police after responses to terrorist threats, we predicted a positive influence of a correct credibility assessment and of a risk‐averse response bias of police officers on public's trust.

Methods. A general population sample (N= 151) read a hypothetical scenario concerning a credibility judgment and indicated their trust in the officers making the judgment. Decision outcome was manipulated by varying the four outcomes of a signal‐detection task, namely, Hit, Miss, False Alarm, and Correct Rejection.

Results. In line with findings on trust in the police following responses to terrorist threats, people trusted police officers more if they judged the credibility of a suspect correctly. Moreover, officers who disbelieved the suspect's statement were trusted more than officers who believed, independently of outcome correctness. Furthermore, this effect was moderated by individual differences in error weighting.

Conclusions. In sum, these findings indicate that lie‐biased credibility judgments made by police officers are supported by the public and increase their trust in the police. In addition, the present findings suggest that an asymmetrical weighting of judgment errors is a relevant factor in explaining the development of and attitude towards lie bias.