bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predicted metabolic drug clearance with increasing adult age
Authors: Polasek Thomas M. , Patel Farhaan , Jensen Berit P. , Sorich Michael J. , Wiese Michael D. , Doogue Matthew P.
Published: August 2012

Aim

To determine the effect of increasing adult age on predicted metabolic drug clearance.

Method

Predicted metabolic drug clearances (CLPT) were determined using in vitro‐in vivo extrapolation coupled with physiological‐based pharmacokinetic modelling and simulation (IVIVE‐PBPK) in Simcyp®. Simulations were conducted using CYP‐selective ‘probe’ drugs with subjects in 5 year age groups (20–25 to 90–95 years). CLPT values were compared with human pharmacokinetic data stratified according to age (young = 20–40 years and elderly = 65–85 years) and gender. Age‐related changes in the physiological parameters used for IVIVE of CLPT were described.

Results

Predicted metabolic drug clearances decreased with increasing adult age to approximately 65–70 years: caffeine from 1.5 to 1.0 ml min−1 kg−1 (a 33% decrease), S‐warfarin from 0.100 to 0.064 ml min−1 kg−1 (36%), S‐mephenytoin from 4.1 to 2.5 ml min−1 kg−1 (39%), desipramine from 10.6 to 7.3 ml min−1 kg−1 (31%) and midazolam from 5.4 to 3.9 ml min−1 kg−1 (27%). Except for S‐mephenytoin, predictions were within 3.5‐fold of clearances from clinical studies when stratified by age and gender. A trend towards higher CLPT was observed in females, but this was only statistically significant in larger virtual trials. Physiological parameters that determine CLPT decreased with increasing adult age: mean microsomal protein g–1 of liver, liver weight, hepatic blood flow and human serum albumin concentration.

Conclusion

Decreased metabolic clearance in the elderly was predicted by Simcyp® and was generally consistent with limited clinical data for four out of five drugs studied and the broader literature for drugs metabolized by CYP enzymes. IVIVE‐PBPK may be increasingly useful in predicting metabolic drug clearance in the elderly.
Characterization of the interaction between astrocytes and encephalitogenic lymphocytes during the development of experimental autoimmune encephalitomyelitis (EAE) in mice
Authors: Yang J F , Tao H Q , Liu Y M , Zhan X X , Liu Y , Wang X Y , Wang J H , Mu L L , Yang L L , Gao Z M , Kong Q F , Wang G Y , Han J H , Sun B , Li H L
Published: August 2012

The nature of pathogenic mechanisms associated with the development of multiple sclerosis (MS) have long been debated. However, limited research was conducted to define the interplay between infiltrating lymphocytes and resident cells of the central nervous system (CNS). Data presented in this report describe a novel role for astrocyte-mediated alterations to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)35–55-specific lymphocyte responses, elicited during the development of experimental autoimmune encephalitomyelitis (EAE). In-vitro studies demonstrated that astrocytes inhibited the proliferation and interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-17 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β secretion levels of MOG35–55-specific lymphocytes, an effect that could be ameliorated by astrocyte IL-27 neutralization. However, when astrocytes were pretreated with IFN-γ, they could promote the proliferation and secretion levels of MOG35–55-specific lymphocytes, coinciding with apparent expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-II on astrocytes themselves. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) demonstrated that production of IL-27 in the spinal cord was at its highest during the initial phases. Conversely, production of IFN-γ in the spinal cord was highest during the peak phase. Quantitative analysis of MHC-II expression in the spinal cord showed that there was a positive correlation between MHC-II expression and IFN-γ production. In addition, astrocyte MHC-II expression levels correlated positively with IFN-γ production in the spinal cord. These findings suggested that astrocytes might function as both inhibitors and promoters of EAE. Astrocytes prevented MOG35–55-specific lymphocyte function by secreting IL-27 during the initial phases of EAE. Then, in the presence of higher IFN-γ levels in the spinal cord, astrocytes were converted into antigen-presenting cells. This conversion might promote the progression of pathological damage and result in a peak of EAE severity.
Reduced expression of galectin-1 and galectin-9 by leucocytes in asthma patients
Authors: Sanchez-Cuellar S , de la Fuente H , Cruz-Adalia A , Lamana A , Cibrian D , Giron R M , Vara A , Sanchez-Madrid F , Ancochea J
Published: August 2012

Accumulating evidence shows that galectins play roles in the initiation and resolution phases of inflammatory responses by promoting anti- or proinflammatory effects. This study investigated the presence of three members of the galectin family (galectin-1, -3 and -9) in induced sputum samples of asthma patients, as well as their possible implication in the immunopathogenesis of human asthma. Levels of interleukin (IL)-5, IL-13, and galectins were determined in leucocytes isolated from induced sputum samples by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. High levels of IL-5 and IL-13 mRNA were detected in sputum cells from asthma patients. In parallel, immunoregulatory proteins galectin-1 and galectin-9 showed a reduced expression on macrophages from sputum samples compared with cells from healthy donors. In-vitro immunoassays showed that galectin-1 and galectin-9, but not galectin-3, are able to induce the production of IL-10 by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy donors. These findings indicate that macrophages from sputum samples of asthma patients express low levels of galectin-1 and galectin-9, favouring the exacerbated immune response observed in this disease.
Epitope recognition patterns of thyroglobulin antibody in sera from patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis on different thyroid functional status
Authors: Liu M , Zhao L , Gao Y , Huang Y , Lu G , Guo X
Published: August 2012

Thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) is a diagnostic serological marker of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). The pathogenesis of HT progression from euthyroidism to hypothyroidism is still not clear. Epitope recognition patterns of TgAb have been shown to be different in individuals who are euthyroid or who have clinical disease. The aim of our study was to investigate the role of thyroglobulin (Tg) epitope specificities in HT progression. Sera from 107 patients with newly diagnosed HT were collected and divided into three groups: patients with hypothyroidism (H, n = 39), subclinical hypothyroidism (sH, n = 31) and euthyroidism (Eu, n = 37). A panel of Tg murine monoclonal antibodies (mAb: PB2, 5E6, 1D4, 5F9, Tg6) and a hircine pAb (N15) were employed as the probe antibodies to define the antigenic determinants recognized by HT sera on competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Eight of 39 sera samples in H and seven of 31 in sH inhibited PB2 binding, respectively, whereas none did in Eu. The ratio of sera samples, inhibiting PB2 binding in Eu, was significantly lower than that in H (P = 0·011) and in sH (P = 0·008). For N15, five of 39 sera samples in H, six of 31 in sH and 15 of 37 in Eu inhibited its binding, respectively. The ratio of sera samples, inhibiting N15 binding in Eu, was significantly higher than that in H (P = 0·013). Our study demonstrated that HT patients in different thyroid functional status exhibited different Tg epitope recognition patterns. Epitope patterns of TgAb might be used as a prediction marker of HT progression.
Schistosoma mansonitetraspanning orphan receptor (SmTOR): a new vaccine candidate against schistosomiasis
Authors: Lochmatter C , Schneider C L , Ingram K , Keiser J , Schifferli J A
Published: August 2012

One approach to fight against schistosomiasis is to develop an efficient vaccine. Schistosoma mansoni tetraspanning orphan receptor (SmTOR) might be a vaccine candidate, as it is a tegument membrane protein expressed most highly in cercariae. In this study we characterized the recombinant first extracellular domain of SmTOR (rSmTORed1) as having the expected property to bind C2 of complement similarly to a smaller peptide of the same domain, and to produce specific and high-titre antibodies in BALB/c mice immunized using complete Freund's adjuvant/incomplete Freund's adjuvant (CFA/IFA). Immunization was protective against parasite infection, as demonstrated by a significant decrease in worm burden in immunized BALB/c mice versus the control groups over two independent trials [64 and 45% reduction for mean adult worm burden in immunized versus phosphate-bufferd saline (PBS) injected mice]. Interestingly, infection by itself did not lead to the generation of anti-rSmTORed1 antibodies, corresponding to the low frequency of specific anti-rSmTORed1 antibodies detected in the sera of patients infected with S. mansoni (2/20; 10%). These data suggest that, as opposed to the natural infection during which SmTOR induces antibodies only rarely, immunization with its smaller first extracellular domain might be more efficient.
Phenotypic plasticity and evolutionary demographic responses to climate change: taking theory out to the field
Authors: Chevin Luis‐Miguel , Collins Sinéad , Lefèvre François
Published: August 2012

Rapid climate change both imposes strong selective pressures on natural populations – potentially reducing their growth rate and causing genetic evolution – and affects the physiology and development of individual organisms. Understanding and predicting the fates of populations under global change, including extinctions and geographical range shifts, requires analysing the interplay of these processes, which has long been a grey area in evolutionary biology.

We review recent theory on the interaction of phenotypic plasticity, genetic evolution and demography in environments that change in time or space. We then discuss the main limitations of the models and the difficulties in testing theoretical predictions in the wild, notably regarding changes in phenotypic selection, the evolution of (co)variances of reaction norm parameters, and transient dynamics.

We use two landmark examples of physiological responses to climate change –trees facing drier climate and extreme temperatures, and marine phytoplankton under rising CO2 – to highlight relatively neglected questions and indicate the theoretical and empirical challenges that they raise. These examples illustrate notably that age‐specific patterns of plasticity and selection on the one hand, and changes in community interactions and functioning on the other hand, need to be further investigated theoretically and empirically for a better understanding of evolutionary demographic responses to climate change in the wild.
Quality of raw and smoked fillets from clinically healthy Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., following an outbreak of pancreas disease (PD)
Authors: Taksdal T , Wiik‐Nielsen J , Birkeland S , Dalgaard P , Mørkøre T
Published: August 2012

Pancreas disease (PD) is a viral disease of farmed salmonid fish, which causes huge economic losses. Pathological changes in skeletal muscle, pancreas and heart are hallmarks of PD. Stakeholders in the fish‐smoking industry have claimed that fillets from PD‐affected Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., are of poor quality. We therefore examined harvest‐ready, clinically healthy Atlantic salmon from a population of fish previously affected by PD. Histopathological changes in skeletal muscle tissues ranged from minor to severe. Fillet quality measurements showed that fish with severe skeletal muscle changes provided a paler raw fillet and a yellowish and harder cold‐smoked fillet than normal. PD had no significant effect on fillet gaping, bacteriological quality or off‐odour development during storage. An unexpected finding was a significant subendocardial fibrosis in 23% of the PD‐affected fish. The latter may indicate susceptibility to stress‐related heart failure.
SolTrack: an automatic video processing software for in situ interface tracking
Authors: GRIESSER S. , PIERER R. , REID M. , DIPPENAAR R.
Published: August 2012

High‐Resolution in situ observation of solidification experiments has become a powerful technique to improve the fundamental understanding of solidification processes of metals and alloys. In the present study, high‐temperature laser‐scanning confocal microscopy (HTLSCM) was utilized to observe and capture in situ solidification and phase transformations of alloys for subsequent post processing and analysis. Until now, this analysis has been very time consuming as frame‐by‐frame manual evaluation of propagating interfaces was used to determine the interface velocities. SolTrack has been developed using the commercial software package MATLAB and is designed to automatically detect, locate and track propagating interfaces during solidification and phase transformations as well as to calculate interfacial velocities. Different solidification phenomena have been recorded to demonstrate a wider spectrum of applications of this software. A validation, through comparison with manual evaluation, is included where the accuracy is shown to be very high.
The EAGR box structure: a motif involved in mycoplasma motility
Authors: Calisto Bárbara M. , Broto Alícia , Martinelli Luca , Querol Enrique , Piñol Jaume , Fita Ignacio
Published: August 2012

Mycoplasma genitalium is an emerging human pathogen with the smallest genome found among self‐replicating organisms. M. genitalium presents a complex cytoskeleton with a differentiated protrusion known as the terminal organelle. This polar structure plays a central role in functions essential for the virulence of the microorganism, such as motility and cell‐host adhesion. A well‐conserved Enriched in Aromatic and Glycine Residues motif, the EAGR box, is present in many of the proteins found in the terminal organelle. We determined the crystal structure of the globular domain from M. genitalium MG200 that contains an EAGR box. This structural information is the first at near atomic resolution for the components of the terminal organelle. The structure revealed a dimer stabilized by a compact hydrophobic core that extends throughout the dimer interface. Monomers present a new fold that contains an accurate intra‐subunit symmetry relating two conspicuous hairpins. Some features, such as the domain plasticity and the presence and organization of the intra‐ and inter‐subunit symmetry axes, support a role for the EAGR box in protein–protein interactions. Genetic, biochemical and microcinematography analyses of MG200 variants lacking the EAGR box containing domain confirm the relevant and specific association of this domain with cell motility.
A complex network of small non‐coding RNAs regulate motility in Escherichia coli
Authors: De Lay Nicholas , Gottesman Susan
Published: August 2012

Small Hfq‐dependent non‐coding regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) that alter mRNA stability and expression by pairing with target mRNAs have increasingly been shown to be important in influencing the behaviour of bacteria. In Escherichia coli, flhD and flhC, which encode the master regulator of flagellar synthesis, are co‐transcribed from a promoter that is regulated by multiple transcription factors that respond to different environmental cues. Here, we show that the 5′ untranslated region (5′ UTR) of the flhDC mRNA also serves as a hub to integrate additional environmental cues into the decision to make flagella. Four sRNAs, ArcZ, OmrA, OmrB and OxyS, negatively regulated and one sRNA, McaS, positively regulated motility and flhDC expression by base‐pairing with the 5′ UTR of this mRNA. Another sRNA, MicA, positively regulated motility independent of regulation of flhDC. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the regulation of motility by the ArcB/A two component system is in part due to its regulation of ArcZ. flhDC is the first mRNA that has been shown to be both positively and negatively regulated by direct pairing to sRNAs. Moreover, both positive regulation by McaS and negative regulation by ArcZ require the same binding site in the flhDC mRNA.
Genetical Analysis of All Danish Patients Diagnosed with Chronic Granulomatous Disease
Authors: Jakobsen M. A. , Katzenstein T. L. , Valerius N. H. , Roos D. , Fisker N. , Mogensen T. H. , Jensen P. Ø. , Barington T.
Published: August 2012

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a rare inherited disorder of the innate immune system caused by a defect in NADPH oxidase, leaving the granulocytes unable to kill invading microorganisms. CGD is caused by mutation in one of the five components gp91phox, p22phox, p47phox, p67phox and p40phox, encoded by the X‐linked CYBB gene and the autosomal CYBA, NCF1, NCF2 and NCF4 genes respectively. We have collected samples from all Danish patients with known CGD followed in the clinic or newly diagnosed during a 5‐year period, a cohort of 27 patients, and characterized them genetically. The cohort includes 10 male patients with X‐linked CGD and one female with extremely lyonized expression of a defective CYBB allele. Six patients had mutation in CYBA. Seven of 10 patients with a defect in NCF1 were homozygous for the common GT deletion, one was compound heterozygous for the GT deletion and a splice‐site mutation, and two patients were homozygous for a nonsense mutation in exon 7. Three novel mutations were detected, a deletion of exon 6 in CYBA, a duplication of exon 8–13 in CYBB and a splice site mutation in intron 7 of NCF1.
MICA*066, a novel major histocompatibility complex class I‐related chain A allele found by high‐resolution HLA‐matching tests for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Gao S. ‐Q. , Wang X. ‐T. , Xu Y. ‐P. , Deng Z. ‐H.
Published: August 2012

MICA*066, a novel MICA allele identified in HLA/MICA typing of a unrelated donor hematopoietic stem cell transplantation donor–patient pair.
Isolation and Characterization of Chitinase from Tomato Infected by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici
Authors: do Amaral Daniel Oliveira Jordão , de Almeida Clébia Maria Alves , Correia Maria Tereza dos Santos , de Menezes Lima Vera Lúcia , da Silva Márcia Vanusa
Published: August 2012

Chitinases are important component of plant defence in response to attack by pathogens. To identify specific chitinase, we constructed a cDNA library using total RNA from a genotype‐resistant tomato inoculated with conidia of isolates race 2 of Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici (Fol). One chitinase (SolChi) clone was isolated and sequence analysis shows that the cDNA clone SolChi encodes an acidic isoform of class III chitinase. Southern blotting indicated that SolChi was present only once in the tomato genome. Real‐time quantitative RT‐PCR assay show that the expression of this gene is induced upon infection with Fol, and the accumulation of transcripts for this R protein was rapid in the resistant genotype during the first 24 h. A putative role for chitinase in tomato is defence against fungal pathogens.
Genotypic differences to crown rot caused by Fusarium pseudograminearum in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)
Authors: Liu Yaxi , Zheng You‐Liang , Wei Yuming , Zhou Meixue , Liu Chunji
Published: August 2012

With 2 figures and 3 tables

Crown rot (CR), caused predominantly by Fusarium pseudograminearum, is a serious cereal disease for semi‐arid regions worldwide. Growing resistant cultivars has long been recognized as an essential component in effectively managing this disease, and successful breeding requires quality sources of resistance. This paper reports the first germplasm screening to identify CR resistance sources in barley. A total of 1047 genotypes, selected to represent different geographical origins and plant types, were assessed. Several genotypes with high levels of resistance were identified. As expected, those with the best resistance were predominantly landraces or wild barley accessions. Surprisingly, genotypes with the best CR resistance with known origins were mainly derived from East Asia where CR is not a major cereal disease. Further, the majority of the genotypes with the best CR resistance are slow growing, although such genotypes accounted for only a small proportion of all those assessed in this study. Possible explanations for these intriguing phenomena are discussed.
Management of sigmoid volvulus: is early surgery justifiable?
Authors: Yassaie Omid , Thompson‐Fawcett Mark , Rossaak Jeremy
Published: August 2012

Introduction

Sigmoid volvulus typically occurs in older patients who have multiple co‐morbidities. Therefore, often, a conservative approach to management is chosen. However, there is little data on long‐term outcomes of this approach in Australasia. The aim of this study was to review the recurrence and mortality outcomes of patients admitted to Dunedin Hospital with sigmoid volvulus.

Methods

All cases of sigmoid volvulus admitted to the Department of General Surgery at Dunedin Hospital from January 1989 to January 2009 were identified using a prospective database, the Otago Clinical Audit. Mortality data was accessed from the National Births and Deaths Registry.

Results

Fifty‐seven patients, median age of 68, were included in the study with 84 admissions for sigmoid volvulus. A total of 39 of the 57 patients ultimately had surgery, 26 on the index admission. Thirty‐one patients (61%) treated conservatively at index admission had a recurrence at a median of 31 days. Forty‐two per cent of the patients treated conservatively a second time suffered a further recurrence at a median of 144 days. There was no recurrence in patients who had surgery. There was no in‐hospital mortality reported in either group. There was one anastomotic leak in the surgical group. Minor complications included ileus, respiratory infections, urinary tract infection and a hernia.

Conclusion

Early elective operation for cases of sigmoid volvulus is encouraged in patients without prohibitive co‐morbidities as this study shows a high recurrence rate in conservatively managed patients and a low morbidity and mortality in surgically managed patients.
Microbial cell budgets of anArctic glacier surface quantified using flow cytometry
Authors: Irvine‐Fynn T. D. L. , Edwards A. , Newton S. , Langford H. , Rassner S. M. , Telling J. , Anesio A. M. , Hodson A. J.
Published: August 2012

Uncertainty surrounds estimates of microbial cell and organic detritus fluxes from glacier surfaces. Here, we present the first enumeration of biological particles draining from a supraglacial catchment, onMidtreLovénbreen (Svalbard) over 36 days. A stream cell flux of 1.08 × 107 cells m−2 h−1was found, with strong inverse, non‐linear associations between water discharge and biological particle concentrations. Over the study period, a significant decrease in cell‐like particles exhibiting 530 nm autofluorescence was noted. The observed total fluvial export of ∼ 7.5 × 1014cells equates to 15.1–72.7 gC, and a large proportion of these cells were small (< 0.5 μm in diameter). Differences between the observed fluvial export and inputs from ice‐melt and aeolian deposition were marked: results indicate an apparent storage rate of 8.83 × 107 cells m−2 h−1. Analysis of surface ice cores revealed cell concentrations comparable to previous studies (6 × 104 cells ml−1) but, critically, showed no variation with depth in the uppermost 1 m. The physical retention and growth of particulates at glacier surfaces has two implications: to contribute to ice mass thinning through feedbacks altering surface albedo, and to potentially seed recently deglaciated terrain with cells, genes and labile organic matter. This highlights the merit of further study into glacier surface hydraulics and biological processes.
Online people tagging: Social (mobile) network(ing) services and work‐based learning
Authors: Cook John , Pachler Norbert
Published: August 2012

Social and mobile technologies offer users unprecedented opportunities for communicating, interacting, sharing, meaning‐making, content and context generation. And, these affordances are in constant flux driven by a powerful interplay between technological innovation and emerging cultural practices. Significantly, also, they are starting to transcend the everyday lifeworlds of users and permeate the workplace and its practices. However, given the emergent nature of this area, the literature on the use of social and mobile technologies in workplace practices is still small. Indeed, social media are increasingly being accessed via mobile devices. Our main focus, therefore, here is on the question of what, if any, potential there is for the use of social media in informal, professional, work‐based learning. The paper provides a critical overview of key issues from the literature on work‐based learning, face‐to‐face and technology‐supported, as well as social (mobile) networking services, with particular attention being paid to people tagging. It then introduces an initial typology of informal workplace learning in order to provide a frame for understanding social (mobile) network(ing) services in work‐based learning. Finally, a case study (taken from the literature) of People Tagging tool use in digital social networks in the European Commission‐funded MATURE project is used to illustrate aspects of our typology.

Practitioner Notes

What is already known about this topic

The importance of social networks and associated technologies in everyday life and commerce.

Some conceptualisations of learning through and at work exist, but they tend to be based on the empirical study of professionals and graduate employees.

The concept of tagging in relation to digital resources is well established.

What this paper adds

A consideration of the use of social networks in learning in informal and work‐based context.

An exploration of some of the affordances of social media for work‐located learning.

A widening of the concept of tagging to the classification of knowledge embodied in users and their social networks.

A typology of factors in social network(ing) services and work‐based learning.

An analysis of a case study of people tagging in relation to the typology of factors.

Implications for practice

A conceptualisation of aspects of technology‐enhanced and enabled learning through and at work.

An understanding of the potential of social media for work‐located learning.

A realisation of some of the potential of the use of social media in informal, professional work‐based learning.
Mobile practices in everyday life: Popular digital technologies and schooling revisited
Authors: Merchant Guy
Published: August 2012

Mobile phones have rapidly been absorbed into the fabric of our day‐to‐day lives. They are now a key consumer item, a symbol of social capital and they connect their users to a mobile web with multiple applications. As ownership and access to smartphones has spread into the teenage years, their place in institutions of formal education has been marked by contention. The dominant view that mobiles have no place in the classroom has recently been contested by educators, such as Parry, who suggest that mobile learning, and the literacies involved, should play an important role in education. This paper argues for a more nuanced view of mobile technology, one that focuses on everyday social practices as a way of understanding the relationship between mobiles and learning. Using practice theory as a starting point, I suggest a way of mapping everyday mobile practices on to educational activity to illustrate potential areas for innovation and evaluation. I conclude by returning to the debate about mobiles in education, noting that familiar arguments about popular digital technology and schooling are once again being rehearsed. If ways of accessing, sharing and building knowledge are changing then a more principled consideration of how educational institutions relate to these changes is needed.

Practitioner Notes

What is already known about this topic

There is growing interest in the use of mobiles in educational settings.

Practitioners are beginning to look at the advantages and disadvantages of mobile learning.

Increased ownership of smartphones and other mobile devices amongst the youth population is well documented.

What this paper adds

Social practice theory offers a useful perspective for looking at the use of mobiles in different contexts.

Comparisons and contrasts between the uses of mobile technology in everyday life and in school settings can help in evaluating its potential.

A consideration of ownership and access, and how this may reproduce social inequalities, are important to innovations in technology and education.

Implications for practice and/or policy

There is a need to move beyond debates about prohibiting or encouraging the use of mobiles to look at more specific examples of their advantages (and disadvantages).

Policy and implementation should be informed by a finer‐grained analysis of mobile practices in everyday and educational settings.

Mobile devices are highly desirable consumer items. Schools and other educational establishments have a responsibility to adopt a critical approach to ownership and use.
Blake, Sally et al ed (2012) Child development and the use of technologyInformation Science (Hershey PA & Eurospan, London) isbn978‐1‐61350‐317‐1 371 pp £130http://www.igi‐global.com/book/child‐development‐use‐technology/52999
Authors: Betts Lucy R
Published: August 2012

This text integrates the theoretical aspects of child development with clear examples of technology use. The theme of application that runs throughout means that it will be of use to both practitioners and researchers interested in how technology can facilitate child development, whilst recognising the importance of social context. If the content seems likely to be relevant to your work, you would value having a copy on loan for a while.

Lucy Betts
Glazer, Francine S ed (2012) Blended learningStylus (Sterling VA, & Eurospan, London) isbn978‐1‐57922‐324‐3 138 pp £20.50http://stylus.styluspub.com/Books/BookDetail.aspx?productID=187883
Authors: Oddone Cristina
Published: August 2012

This book aims at teachers who are interested in learning how to implement blended learning in their classes and therefore gain insights into the variables involved and the benefits it may bring to learning. It briefly introduces the topic and then describes practical experiences whose findings may be useful for addressing the challenges of blended learning. If the content of this book is likely to be relevant to you, I advise that you will probably find only parts of interest or use.

Cristina Oddone
Kolb, Liz (2011) Cell phones in the classroomISTE & Eurospan (London) isbn978‐156484299‐2 208 pp £28.50http://www.iste.org/Store/Product.aspx?ID=2108
Authors: Sharma Ramesh
Published: August 2012

A great resource and useful practical book for teachers and administrators, this offers practical guidelines, hints and tips on using cellphones in classrooms integrating Web 2.0 applications. Indeed, if its content is likely to be relevant to your work, I recommend you borrow a copy for a time.

Ramesh Sharma
Schrum, Lynne ed (2010) Considerations on technology and teachersISTE & Eurospan (London) isbn978‐1‐56484‐273‐2 237 pp £28.50http://www.iste.org/store/product.aspx?ID=2113&utm_source=Digital%2BCatalog&utm_medium=Digital%2BCatalog&utm_campaign=SS12%2BDigital%2BCatalog%2BNew%2BBooks%0D
Authors: Oddone Cristina
Published: August 2012

Schrum's Considerations on technology and teachers discusses the topic of it integration in education and provides an accurate analysis of the many implications for teachers. It informs readers on ways to use it successfully, and describes current trends and pedagogies to increase achievement and motivation in embedding it in teaching. Therefore, this is a fundamental resource for teachers, teacher educators and researchers interested in investigating all the aspects of it‐integrated education. In fact, if the content is likely to be relevant to you, I recommend you buy a copy for your use.

Cristina Oddone
Childhood bullying and becoming a young father in a national cohort of Finnish boys
Authors: LEHTI VENLA , KLOMEK ANAT BRUNSTEIN , TAMMINEN TUULA , MOILANEN IRMA , KUMPULAINEN KIRSTI , PIHA JORMA , ALMQVIST FREDRIK , SOURANDER ANDRE
Published: August 2012

Lehti, V., Brunstein Klomek, A., Tamminen, T., Moilanen, I., Kumpulainen, K., Piha, J., Almqvist. F. & Sourander, A. (2012). Childhood bullying and becoming a young father in a national cohort of Finnish boys. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 53, 461–466.

Childhood bullying is known to be associated with various adverse psychosocial outcomes in later life. No studies exist on its association with becoming a young father. The study is based on a national cohort, which included 2,946 Finnish boys at baseline in 1989. Information on bullying was collected from children, their parents and their teachers. Follow‐up data on becoming a father under the age of 22 were collected from a nationwide register. The follow‐up sample included 2,721 boys. Bullying other children frequently was significantly associated with becoming a young father independently of being victimized, childhood psychiatric symptoms and parental educational level. Being a victim of bullying was not associated with becoming a young father when adjusted for possible confounders. When the co‐occurrence of bullying and victimization was studied, it was found that being a bully‐victim, but not a pure bully or a pure victim, is significantly associated with becoming a young father. This study adds to other studies, which have shown that the risk profile and relational patterns of bully‐victims differ from those of other children, and it emphasizes the importance of including peer relationships when studying young fathers.
SPIRITUALITY FOR NATURALISTS
Authors: Stone Jerome A.
Published: August 2012

AbstractThe views of eleven writers who develop a naturalized spirituality, from Baruch Spinoza and George Santayana to Sam Harris, André Comte‐Sponville, Ursula Goodenough, and Sharon Welch and others are presented. Then the writer's own theory is developed. This is a pluralistic notion ofsacredness, an adjective referring to unmanipulable events of overriding importance. The difficulties in using traditional religious words, such asGodandspiritualare addressed.
THE FAILURE OF FINANCIAL MACROECONOMICS AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT
Authors: CHATELAIN JEAN‐BERNARD , RALF KIRSTEN
Published: August 2012

The bargaining power of international banks is currently still very high as compared with what it was at the time of the Bretton Woods conference. As a consequence, systemic financial crises are likely to remain recurrent phenomena with large effects on macroeconomic aggregates. Mainstream macroeconomic models dealing with financial frictions failed to explain at least eight stylized facts of the ongoing crisis. We therefore suggest two complementary assumptions: (i) a systemic bankruptcy risk stable equilibrium may be feasible, and (ii) inefficient financial markets rarely ensure that the price of an asset is equal to its ‘fundamental long‐term value’.
Royal paternalism and the moral economy in the reign ofEdwardII: the response to theGreatFamine
Authors: Sharp Buchanan
Published: August 2012

This article contains the first systematic discussion ofEdwardII's response to the famine of 1315–17, the most severe of the middle ages. While there had been earlier famines, that of 1315–17 produced the earliest surviving evidence of official attempts at remedial actions. Those included the enforcement of traditional regulatory measures such as the assizes of ale and weights and measures, and efforts to regulate brewing by preventing the use of wheat and limiting the amount of barley used. In addition, the government acted to encourage the import of grain and imposed prohibitions on export that were explicitly justified by scarcity and high prices. English bishops were urged to encourage those who were hoarding grain to hold only enough for themselves and their families and sell the rest. While it is unclear whether government actions had much effect, it is difficult to imagine under fourteenth‐century conditions that any government had the means or measures to respond effectively to famine. Nonetheless, some of the measures taken byEdwardII's government, especially export prohibition and attempts to persuade or compel those with supplies of grain to sell it, had a long future ahead of them.
The effect of early deprivation on executive attention in middle childhood
Authors: Loman Michelle M. , Johnson Anna E. , Westerlund Alissa , Pollak Seth D. , Nelson Charles A. , Gunnar Megan R.
Published: August 2012

Background:  Children reared in deprived environments, such as institutions for the care of orphaned or abandoned children, are at increased risk for attention and behavior regulation difficulties. This study examined the neurobehavioral correlates of executive attention in post institutionalized (PI) children.

Methods:  The performance and event‐related potentials (ERPs) of 10‐ and 11‐year‐old internationally adopted PI children on two executive attention tasks, Go/No‐go and Flanker, were compared with two groups: children internationally adopted early from foster care (PF) and nonadopted children (NA).

Results:  Behavioral measures suggested problems with sustained attention, with PIs performing more poorly on Go trials and not on No‐go trials of the Go/No‐go and made more errors on both congruent and incongruent trials on the Flanker. ERPs suggested differences in inhibitory control and error monitoring, as PIs had smaller N2 amplitude on Go/No‐go and smaller error‐related negativity on Flanker.

Conclusions:  This pattern of results raises questions regarding the nature of attention difficulties for PI children. The behavioral errors are not specific to executive attention and instead likely reflect difficulties in overall sustained attention. The ERP results are consistent with neural activity related to deficits in inhibitory control (N2) and error monitoring (error‐related negativity). Questions emerge regarding the similarity of attention regulatory difficulties in PIs to those experienced by non‐PI children with ADHD.
The resilience and functional role of moss in boreal and arctic ecosystems
Authors: Turetsky M. R. , Bond‐Lamberty B. , Euskirchen E. , Talbot J. , Frolking S. , McGuire A. D. , Tuittila E‐S.
Published: August 2012

Mosses in northern ecosystems are ubiquitous components of plant communities, and strongly influence nutrient, carbon and water cycling. We use literature review, synthesis and model simulations to explore the role of mosses in ecological stability and resilience. Moss community responses to disturbance showed all possible responses (increases, decreases, no change) within most disturbance categories. Simulations from two process‐based models suggest that northern ecosystems would need to experience extreme perturbation before mosses were eliminated. But simulations with two other models suggest that loss of moss will reduce soil carbon accumulation primarily by influencing decomposition rates and soil nitrogen availability. It seems clear that mosses need to be incorporated into models as one or more plant functional types, but more empirical work is needed to determine how to best aggregate species. We highlight several issues that have not been adequately explored in moss communities, such as functional redundancy and singularity, relationships between response and effect traits, and parameter vs conceptual uncertainty in models. Mosses play an important role in several ecosystem processes that play out over centuries – permafrost formation and thaw, peat accumulation, development of microtopography – and there is a need for studies that increase our understanding of slow, long‐term dynamical processes.

Contents

Summary
49

I.
Mosses in the northern, high‐latitude region
50

II.
The role of moss in ecological resilience
51

III.
Response of moss to disturbance
54

IV.
Future research needs
60

V.
Conclusions
62

Acknowledgements
62

References
62
Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy and fetal death at different gestational lengths: a population study of 2 121 371 pregnancies
Authors: Ahmad AS , Samuelsen SO
Published: August 2012

Please cite this paper as: Ahmad A, Samuelsen S. Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy and fetal death at different gestational lengths: a population study of 2 121 371 pregnancies. BJOG 2012;119:1521–1528.

Objective  To compare the proportion of offspring that was stillborn in pregnancies with pre‐eclampsia, gestational hypertension or chronic hypertension with those in normotensive pregnancies.

Design  Register‐based observational study.

Setting  The Medical Birth Registry of Norway.

Population  All singleton births after 20 completed weeks of gestation in Norway from 1967 to 2006 (n = 2 121 371).

Methods  The proportion of stillborn offspring was estimated in normotensive pregnancies, and in pregnancies with pre‐eclampsia, gestational and chronic hypertension at different gestational lengths. In addition, changes in the proportions of stillborn offspring by maternal hypertensive disorder from 1967–1986 to 1987–2006 were estimated.

Main outcome measures  Fetal death.

Results  The prevalence of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy was 4.7%. In total, 17 933 fetal deaths occurred and 9.2% of these were in hypertensive pregnancies. In normotensive pregnancies, 0.8% (16 290/2 022 400) experienced fetal death. This was true for 1.9% (1170/62 261) of the pregnancies with pre‐eclampsia, 1.2% (390/32 068) with gestational hypertension and 1.8% (83/4642) with chronic hypertension. There was a 44% overall reduction in fetal death rate from 1967–1986 to 1987–2006. The largest decline was in women with pre‐eclampsia (80% reduction). In women with gestational hypertension and chronic hypertension, the overall reductions in fetal death rates were 49% and 57%, respectively, comparable with the 41% decline in normotensive pregnancies.

Conclusions  In our nationwide study during 1967–2006, the risk of fetal death among women with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy has been greatly reduced, especially among pre‐eclamptic women at term. The risk of fetal death among women with gestational or chronic hypertension has also decreased, but in a different manner.
Health information seeking in the information society
Authors: Mukherjee Abir , Bawden David
Published: August 2012

This article is the second student contribution to the Dissertations into Practice feature. It reports on a study that investigated the everyday health information‐seeking practices of a small group of the ‘general public’ and the implications for information‐seeking theory and health information provision. The first student article, about the implementation of radio frequency identification (RFID) in a hospital library, was very different, and the two articles illustrate the broad spectrum of possible subjects for the Dissertations into Practice feature. This study was conducted in summer 2011 by Abir Mukherjee for his MSc dissertation in the Library and Information Sciences programme at City University London. Further information and copies of the full dissertation may be obtained from Abir Mukherjee or David Bawden.

AM
Downregulation of FGL2/prothrombinase delays HCCLM6 xenograft tumour growth and decreases tumour angiogenesis
Authors: Liu Yanling , Xu Li , Zeng Qili , Wang Jingli , Wang Ming , Xi Dong , Wang Xiaojing , Yang Daofeng , Luo Xiaoping , Ning Qin
Published: August 2012

Background

Fibrinogen‐like protein 2 (FGL2), which directly generates thrombin from prothrombin without activation of the conventional coagulation cascade, was shown to be overexpressed in various human malignant tumours.

Aims

Herein, we aimed to investigate its expression pattern, biological function and mechanism of action in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

FGL2 expression and colocalization with fibrin was examined in 15 HCC tissues. FGL2 downregulation was performed by targeting microRNA in a HCCLM6 cell line in which FGL2 was highly expressed in xenografts of nude mice. The effects of FGL2 knockdown on tumour growth and angiogenesis were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Cytometric bead arrays were employed to identify FGL2‐regulated signalling pathways.

Results

FGL2 was overexpressed in HCC tissues and colocalized with fibrin deposition. Knockdown of FGL2 expression in HCCLM6 cells (hFGL2low HCCLM6) resulted in delayed xenografts tumour growth within an observation period of 42 days and decreased vascularization, which was accompanied by decreased phosphorylation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) and c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK). In vitro hFGL2low HCCLM6 cells exhibited decreased proliferation without significant induction of apoptosis. Overexpression of FGL2 in HCCLM6 cells or addition of recombinant hFGL2 protein induced phosphorylation of p38‐MAPK and ERK1/2 involving protease‐activated receptors (PARs).activation.

Conclusions

FGL2 contributes to HCC tumour growth and angiogenesis in a thrombin‐dependent manner, and downregulation of its expression might be of therapeutic significance in HCC.
Role of H2O in the formation of garnet coronas during near‐isobaric cooling of mafic granulites: the Tasiusarsuaq terrane, southern West Greenland
Authors: DZIGGEL A. , DIENER J. F. A. , STOLTZ N. B. , KOLB J.
Published: August 2012

The Mesoarchaean Tasiusarsuaq terrane of southern West Greenland consists of Tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite gneisses and, locally, polymetamorphic mafic and ultramafic rocks. The terrane experienced medium‐pressure granulite facies conditions during M1A in the Neoarchean, resulting in the development of two‐pyroxene melanosome assemblages in mafic granulites containing garnet‐bearing leucosome. Reworking of these rocks during retrogression introduced garnet to the melanosome in the form of overgrowths, coronas and grain necklaces that separate the mafic minerals from plagioclase. NCFMASHTO pseudosection modelling constrains the peak metamorphism during M1A to ∼850 °C and 7.5 kbar at fluid‐saturated conditions. Following M1A, the rocks retained their M1A H2O content and became fluid‐undersaturated as they underwent near‐isobaric cooling to ∼700 °C and 6.5–7 kbar, prior to reworking during M1B. These low H2O contents allowed for the formation of garnet overgrowths and coronas during M1B. The stability of garnet is greatly increased to lower pressure and temperature in fluid‐absent, fluid‐undersaturated mafic rocks, indicating that fluid and melt loss during initial granulite facies metamorphism is essential for the introduction of garnet, and the formation of garnet coronas, during retrogression. The occurrence of garnet coronas is consistent with, but not unique to, near‐isobaric cooling paths.
Field Training for Rural Public Health Nurses
Authors: Allen Jane C.
Published: August 2012

With the expansion of public health nursing beyond cities into rural areas, leaders in nursing education early on recognized the need for additional training to prepare nurses for the rural experience. To this end, nursing faculty at Teachers College, Columbia University developed a pilot program designed to prepare nurses for work in rural areas. These leaders recognized the unique conditions confronting the rural public health nurse in her daily work, including distances to be covered, isolation, and the dearth of facilities for health work. The pilot program discussed in this reprint, published in The Public Health Nurse in 1925, describes the genesis of this project, and the collaborative relationship that was developed with Dutchess County, a rural county about 2 hours north of New York City, to provide practical experiences for students. The project included a series of lectures on rural health issues and rural nursing, as well as field work that included school nursing, and nursing care of special populations such as tuberculosis and maternal and child health, as well as experiences in population‐based nursing akin to what we think of as community development today.