bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Literacy, Numeracy and Non-Verbal Reasoning Skills of South Australian Young Offenders
Authors: Putniņš; Aldis L.
Published: March 2013

This study attempts to quantify the basic literacy and numeracy skill levels of detained young offenders in Australia. Subjects were 561 youths in secure care in South Australia. Comparative data were available for 136 local high school students. Compared with student peers, the young offenders performed poorly on measures of reading, spelling, mental arithmetic, analogue time telling and non-verbal reasoning. Among the sub-groups, male Aboriginal offenders had the highest proportion of low achievers. This could be a factor in their overrepresentation in the criminal justice system. Their results suggest that environmental variables play a significant role in their underachievement. Reasons for the young offenders' poorer performance are explored and the possible protective role of basic skills against criminogenic risks is considered. It is concluded that the broad range of offender needs should be met by a broad variety of programs, including remedial education.
Market, Choice and Public Good in School Education
Authors: Caldwell Brian J.
Published: March 2013

The view that the 1990s have seen a sharp shift to a market approach in Australian school education is challenged. In reality, governments have moved within a relatively narrow range in public policy over the last quarter of the 20th century. A framework for the first decade of the 21st century to achieve a better balance of enduring values such as liberty (choice), equality (equity), fraternity (access), efficiency (resources) and economic growth (adequacy) will require a new settlement on the concept of ‘public good’. The notion of a ‘third way’, or even a ‘fourth way’, is canvassed, with New Labour in England providing the marker for what may unfold.
Designing Generations: Hybridising Entertainment, Advertising and Education
Authors: Kenway Jane , Fitzclarence Lindsay
Published: March 2013

The article considers some distinctive features of contemporary childhood, adulthood and inter-generational relations and explores their implications for student/teacher/parent relations in commodified education and schooling at the end of the 20th century. It focuses on the role of and relationships between consumer culture, media culture and education culture in the construction of generational differences, and what these mean for the nature and purposes of contemporary education. Generations and inter-generational relations articulate in very complex ways with consumer, media and contemporary school cultures. This poses dilemmas for teachers and students in current school settings, and these dilemmas should be understood and resolved, if schools are to connect properly to the young people of today and tomorrow.
Personal Space of Male War Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Authors: Bogovic Anamarija , Mihanovic Mate , Jokic-Begic Natasa , Svagelj Ana
Published: March 2013

In this study, the authors examined the preferred interpersonal distances of individuals with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Study participants were 151 male war veterans, of whom 83 were suffering from PTSD and 68 were not suffering from PTSD symptoms (control group). Personal space was assessed using a stop-distance technique, where male and female research assistants approached the participants from four directions. Participants with PTSD preferred significantly larger interpersonal distances than did the control group. Participants in both groups maintained larger interpersonal distances when approached by a man than by a woman. The PTSD participants preferred the greatest interpersonal distance when approached from behind, whereas the control group preferred the greatest distance when approached frontally. The authors found these results to be consistent with the self-protective function of personal space.
The Undocumented (Im)Migrant Educational Pipeline
Authors: Covarrubias Alejandro , Lara Argelia
Published: March 2013

Recently, we have witnessed three trends impacting educational experiences for undocumented Mexican students: (a) a dramatic increase of Mexican-origin people, (b) organized and openly supported anti-immigrant policies with a racial dimension, and (c) increased participation by politicized migrants in national public discussions on immigration. Still, there is little research on the educational outcomes of undocumented migrants. Through critical race theory (CRT), this study offers a quantitative intersectional approach that disaggregates the specific influence of gender, race, and citizenship on educational attainment. Our findings challenge traditional homogenizing narratives of the Chicana/o educational pipeline, calling for an intersectional examination of the nuanced educational experiences of people of Mexican origin (POMO).
Smart Growth and State Territoriality
Authors: Dierwechter Yonn
Published: March 2013

This paper draws on neo-Weberian traditions of social theory to consider smart growth as a territorial programme of the multiscaled state. Responding to recent efforts by scholars within interdisciplinary urban studies to re-engage with neo-Weberian concepts around urban growth and institutional politics, the discussion interprets the implementation of the smart growth doctrine in US metropolitan areas—for example Seattle-Tacoma, the city-region specifically explored here—as the ‘intercurrence’ of various state-ordering arrangements. A conceptual focus on intercurrence, a term derived directly from the work of Orren and Skowronek forges stronger links between planning studies and state theory and thus offers a new way to map political geographies of smart growth.
Sustainability and Neoliberal Urban Development: The Environment, Crime and the Remaking of Austin’s Downtown
Authors: Tretter Eliot
Published: March 2013

This paper explores the development of the smart growth programme in Austin, Texas. Drawing on growth machine theory, it documents the conflict in Austin in the 1980s and 1990s between pro-growth and anti-growth machine coalitions over urban sprawl. Around that time, the business community also began to focus on the redevelopment of city’s downtown and the need to address the problems of crime and homelessness. By the mid 1990s, the need to ‘clean up the streets’ was increasingly coupled with arguments about being ‘green’. It is argued that the development of the particular urban sustainability compromise that emerged in Austin, which has become a core part of the city’s competitiveness, was an institutional innovation made possible by struggles between the business community and local environmental activists. The institutional compromise, however, was achieved only by a spatial compromise that shifted the costs of growth from natural ecological onto the city’s homeless population.
Clinical psychology training in South Africa: A call to action
Authors: Pillay Anthony L , Ahmed Rashid , Bawa Umesh
Published: March 2013

With the profession of clinical psychology and its formal training programmes less than 40 years old in South Africa, it is important that efforts are made to critically examine its challenges and the extent to which it is meeting the prevailing mental health needs. The profession has gone through a chequered history in South Africa and needs to look at how it realigns its goals and practices, to be in tune with the imperatives of democracy, and to ensure that mental health benefits accrue to all of the country’s people, rather than a minority. To this end, the authors examine training issues, such as recruitment, curricula, and future directions. We assert that a clinical psychology that draws from current resources and foregrounds a primary health-care orientation can start to address some of the challenges facing training in South Africa.
A community (dis)service: Reflections of a community service clinical psychologist
Authors: Swarts Brigitte
Published: March 2013

In improving access to quality health care, the National Department of Health has made community service mandatory in South Africa for newly graduated health professionals. Largely informed by the shortage of health care professionals within the public health sector, the community service initiative can also be located within the larger global impetus of integrating mental health into primary health care. This article attempts to answer the question as to whether the author’s particular community service placement, located in the Overberg District Municipality, improved the access to quality mental health care services. The challenges inherent in this placement site are numerous. These include, but are not limited to, patients’ inability to access the service due to financial constraints and the lack of public transport, the burdensome work environment of generalised nursing personnel and their lack of training in mental health care, the absence of mental health specialists and a multidisciplinary health team, the provision of mental health care being embedded within the biomedical model, and a lack of institutional support. As the article will argue, these weaknesses are largely reflective of the poorly integrated health system operative within the Overberg District Municipality. The author aims to provide recommendations as to how these can be addressed so as to ensure that the strategic thrust, as envisioned by the National Department of Health with the introduction of the community service initiative, comes to fruition in that individuals can access quality health care services within their respective communities at the primary level of care.
Testing a Dual-Process Theory of Supportive Communication Outcomes: How Multiple Factors Influence Outcomes in Support Situations
Authors: Holmstrom Amanda J. , Bodie Graham D. , Burleson Brant R. , McCullough Jennifer D. , Rack Jessica J. , Hanasono Lisa K. , Rosier Jennifer G.
Published: March 2013

To test a recently proposed dual-process theory of supportive communication outcomes, participants ( N = 328) assumed they had experienced a mildly or moderately problematic situation. They then evaluated supportive messages varying in person centeredness, purportedly provided by either an acquaintance or a friend. Participants’ perceived support availability (PSA) was also assessed. As predicted, the recipient factor (PSA) individually and in conjunction with the contextual factor (problem severity) moderated the effect of the message factor (message person centeredness) on helpfulness evaluations. Modest support was observed for the hypothesis that the source factor (friend vs. acquaintance) influences evaluations when messages are processed less extensively. Implications for the dual-process theory of supportive communication outcomes are discussed.
Reconstructing copyright from ‘copy-centric’ to ‘dissemination-centric’ in the digital age
Authors: Lu Bingbin
Published: March 2013

Copy or reproduction plays a fundamental and central role in copyright. In the digital world, copying, especially temporary copying and private copying, has challenged the core concept of ‘copy’ in the copyright system. This paper will reflect on whether the basic and central role of reproduction in the copyright system is solid enough, and explore a copyright system focusing on something other than the reproduction right. It proposes a broad and open-ended concept of dissemination right that refers to a group of exclusive rights relating to the information dissemination enjoyed by the copyright holders. This broad and open-ended concept of a dissemination right should replace the reproduction right as the centre of copyright. Under such an approach, the key provision is that mere reproduction, absent dissemination to the public, should not be considered as a violation of copyright. Such a proposal can accommodate the challenges brought by the digital technologies, and is also consistent with the main theories underlying the intellectual property system.
Substance Use and Delinquency
Authors: Helfrich Christine M. , McWey Lenore M.
Published: March 2013

Although there has been a decline in teen pregnancy in recent decades, reports have provided evidence that the decline is reversing. Adolescents involved in the child welfare system (CWS) are vulnerable to engage in high-risk behaviors including sexual behaviors, substance use, and delinquency. The literature on sexual risk behaviors in adolescents in the CWS has emphasized that such behaviors are associated with unplanned pregnancies; however, few studies have explored the co-occurrence of other risk behaviors and sexual behaviors. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which substance use and delinquent acts predict teen pregnancy of youths involved with the CWS. The sample consisted of 291 female adolescents in the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being study. Results indicated females who engage in substance use or delinquency at baseline were more likely to have been pregnant 36 months later than those who did not engage in such behaviors.
Bone remodelling around uncemented metallic and ceramic acetabular components
Authors: Ghosh Rajesh , Mukherjee Kaushik , Gupta Sanjay
Published: March 2013

Stress shielding–induced bone resorption around cementless acetabular components has been indicated as a potential failure mechanism that may threaten long-term fixation. Using a bone remodelling algorithm in combination with three-dimensional finite element models of intact and implanted pelvises and musculoskeletal loading during normal walking, the objectives of the study were to investigate the deviations in load transfer due to implantation and bone adaptation around cementless metallic and ceramic acetabular components. Variations in implant–bone interfacial condition affected strain shielding and bone remodelling; strain shielding was higher for the bonded condition as compared to the debonded condition. For bonded interfacial condition, severe bone resorption, 20%–50% bone density reduction, was observed within the acetabulum. Considering debonded implant–bone interface, bone density increase of 50%–60% was observed around the supero-posterior part of acetabulum, whereas bone density reductions were low (2%–15%) in other locations. The implant–bone interface appeared less likely to fail, post-operatively and after bone remodelling. Moreover, the implant–bone micromotion was found to be low, less than 100 µm. Strain shielding and bone remodelling were almost similar for the metallic and ceramic components. Based on the results of this study, the ceramic acetabular component appeared to be a viable alternative to metal.
Does microcalcification increase the risk of rupture?
Authors: Cilla Myriam , Monterde David , Peña Estefanía , Martínez Miguel Á
Published: March 2013

Rupture of atherosclerotic plaque, which is related to maximal stress conditions in the plaque among others, is a major cause of mortality. More careful examination of stress distributions in atherosclerotic plaques reports that it could be due to local stress behaviors at critical sites caused by cap thinning, inflammation, macroscopic heterogeneity, and recently, the presence of microcalcifications. However, the role of microcalcifications is not yet fully understood, and most finite element models of blood vessels with atheroma plaque ignore the heterogeneity of the plaque constituents at the microscale. The goal of this work is to investigate the effect of microcalcifications on the stress field of an atheroma plaque vessel section. This is achieved by performing a parametric finite element study, assuming a plane strain hypothesis, of a coronary artery section with eccentric atheroma plaque and one microcalcification incorporated. The geometrical parameters used to define and design the idealized coronary plaque anatomy and the microcalcification were the fibrous cap thickness and the microcalcification ratio, angle and eccentricity. We could conclude that microcalcifications should be considered in the modeling of this kind of problems since they cause a significant alteration of the vulnerable risk by increasing the maximum maximal principal stress up to 32%, although this increase of stress is not uniform (12% on average). The obtained results show that the fibrous cap thickness, the microcalcification ratio and the microcalcification eccentricity, in combination with the microcalcification angle, appear to be the key morphological parameters that play a determinant role in the maximal principal stress and accordingly in the rupture risk of the plaque.
Economics of climate change adaptation at the local scale under conditions of uncertainty and resource constraints: the case of Durban, South Africa
Authors: Cartwright Anton , Blignaut James , De Wit Martin , Goldberg Karen , Mander Myles , O’Donoghue Sean , Roberts Debra
Published: March 2013

This paper describes the design and application of a benefit-cost model to the city of Durban’s (South Africa) climate change adaptation options. The approach addresses the inability to compile an accurate damage-cost function for economic prioritizations at the local level. It proposes that uncertainty over climate impacts and the efficacy of adaptation responses, in conjunction with the lack of economic data, high levels of economic informality and inequality make it difficult to link adaptation efforts to positive GDP impact in Durban. Instead, the research based its calculations of “benefits” on the number of people impacted and the extent of the welfare benefits imparted by the respective adaptation efforts. It also took into account the uncertainty over future events, capacity constraints, priorities of decision makers and the risk of maladaptation. The results were reported as benefit-cost ratios for 16 clusters of interventions (many of which were primarily the responsibility of one municipal department or agency) in each of four future scenarios (defined by minor or major climate change and weak or strong socio-institutional capacity). The paper presents and discusses the benefit-cost ratios and total benefits for each of the intervention clusters in each of the future scenarios. It emphasizes how these are influenced by choices of time frames. It also highlights how the most efficient interventions across all futures and time frames tend to be socio-institutional – for instance the creation of a cross-sectoral disaster management forum, sea level rise preparedness and early warning system, and creating climate change adaptation capacity within the water services unit. Ecosystem-based adaptation measures had moderate benefit-cost ratios, probably because in Durban the land that needs to be purchased for this is relatively expensive. Infrastructure-based clusters generally had the lowest benefit-cost ratios.
Stretching the Moral Gray Zone
Authors: Vincent Lynne C. , Emich Kyle J. , Goncalo Jack A.
Published: March 2013

We propose that positive affect promotes dishonest behavior by providing the cognitive flexibility necessary to reframe and to rationalize dishonest acts. This hypothesis was tested in two studies. The results of Study 1 showed that individuals experiencing positive affect morally disengage to a greater extent than do individuals experiencing neutral affect. Study 2 built on this finding by demonstrating that the ability to morally disengage can lead individuals who experience positive affect to behave dishonestly. Specifically, the results of Study 2 showed that people experiencing positive affect are more likely to steal than individuals experiencing neutral affect, particularly when self-awareness is low. Furthermore, moral disengagement fully mediated this effect. Taken together, the results suggest that positive affect paves the way for the commission of dishonest acts by altering how individuals evaluate the moral implications of their own behavior.
Estimation of Fluoride Intake From Milk-Based Infant Formulas and Baby Foods
Authors: Noh Hie Jin , Sohn Woosung , Kim Baek Il , Kwon Ho Keun , Choi Choong Ho , Kim Hae-Young
Published: March 2013

The aim of this study was to examine the amount of fluoride ingested from infant formula and baby food in infants aged up to 6 months in South Korea. The fluoride content of 20 commercially available formulas and 8 baby food samples from 4 different brands was measured using a modified microdiffusion method and fluoride ion selective electrode. The amount of fluoride (F) ingested by infants was estimated assuming that the samples were reconstituted with water containing 0, 0.5, 0.8, and 1.0 ppm F. When the reconstituted formulas and baby foods contained 0.8 ppm F water, the infants were estimated to ingest fluoride in the range of 0.018 to 0.298 mg/kg/day. The findings of this study suggest that there is a need for clear guidelines for fluoride consumption by infants that should be followed by manufacturers and parents.
Revaluing donor and recipient bodies in the globalised blood economy: Transitions in public policy on blood safety in the United Kingdom
Authors: Busby Helen , Kent Julie , Farrell Anne-Maree
Published: March 2013

The clinical use of blood has a long history, but its apparent stability belies the complexity of contemporary practices in this field. In this article, we explore how the production, supply and deployment of blood products are socially mediated, drawing on theoretical perspectives from recent work on ‘tissue economies’. We highlight the ways in which safety threats in the form of infections that might be transmitted through blood and plasma impact on this tissue economy and how these have led to a revaluation of donor bodies and restructuring of blood economies. Specifically, we consider these themes in relation to the management of recent threats to blood safety in the United Kingdom. We show that the tension between securing the supply of blood and its products and ensuring its safety may give rise to ethical concerns and reshape relations between donor and recipient bodies.
Association of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and fatty acid binding protein 2 (FABP2) genes polymorphism with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Northern India
Authors: Raza Syed Tasleem , Fatima Jalees , Ahmed Faisal , Abbas Shania , Zaidi Zeashan Haider , Singh Seema , Mahdi Farzana
Published: March 2013

Background:

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is growing in an epidemic manner across the world with an expected doubling of the incidence to millions of affected individuals in the last decades. At present, adequate data are not available regarding the ACE and FABP2 polymorphisms and their susceptibility with T2DM cases in the North Indian population. Thus we conceived the need for further study of ACE (I/D) and FABP2 (Ala54Thr) genes polymorphism and its susceptibility to T2DM in the North Indian population.

Materials and methods:

In this study, a total of 300 subjects (including 190 T2DM cases and 110 controls) participated. ACE and FABP2 gene polymorphisms in the cases and controls were evaluated by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism.

Results:

The frequencies of ACE I/I, I/D and D/D genotypes in T2DM cases and controls were 28.73%, 55.17%, 16.09% and 13.63%, 57.95%, 28.40%, respectively. The frequencies of FABP2 Ala54Ala, Ala54Thr and Thr54Thr in T2DM cases were 18.39%, 66.66%, 14.94% and 22.72%, 61.36%, 15.90% in controls, respectively. ACE I/I genotype was significantly more frequent in cases as compared to controls ( p = 0.003, χ2 = 9.13).

Conclusion:

It appears that the ACE I/I genotype frequency was significantly higher in the T2DM cases as compared to the controls.
Pomalidomide and its clinical potential for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma: an update for the hematologist
Authors: McCurdy Arleigh R. , Lacy Martha Q.
Published: March 2013

Multiple myeloma is a common plasma cell neoplasm that is incurable with conventional therapy. The treatment paradigm of multiple myeloma is not standardized and is evolving. The advent of novel drugs, including the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib and the immunomodulatory agents, has resulted in increased median survival. Unfortunately, all patients eventually relapse and require further therapy. Pomalidomide is the newest immunomodulatory drug, created by chemical modification of thalidomide with the intention of increasing therapeutic activity while limiting toxicity. Its mechanism of action is incompletely understood but involves anti-angiogenic effects, immunomodulation, an effect on the myeloma tumor microenvironment, and the protein cereblon. It is more potent than thalidomide and lenalidomide. In phase II studies, it has shown significant activity in patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma, including patients who are heavily pretreated, have disease refractory to lenalidomide and bortezomib, and those with high-risk cytogenetic or molecular markers. It is generally well tolerated, with adverse effects including fatigue, neutropenia, neuropathy, and thromboembolic disease. Pomalidomide is a promising new agent in the expanding arsenal of antimyeloma drugs. In this review, we discuss the clinical experience to date with pomalidomide in multiple myeloma.
Digital sorting of complex tissues for cell type-specific gene expression profiles
Authors: Zhong Yi , Wan Ying-Wooi , Pang Kaifang , Chow Lionel ML , Liu Zhandong
Published: March 2013

Background

Cellular heterogeneity is present in almost all gene expression profiles. However, transcriptome analysis of tissue specimens often ignores the cellular heterogeneity present in these samples. Standard deconvolution algorithms require prior knowledge of the cell type frequencies within a tissue or their in vitro expression profiles. Furthermore, these algorithms tend to report biased estimations.

Results

Here, we describe a Digital Sorting Algorithm (DSA) for extracting cell-type specific gene expression profiles from mixed tissue samples that is unbiased and does not require prior knowledge of cell type frequencies.

Conclusions

The results suggest that DSA is a specific and sensitivity algorithm in gene expression profile deconvolution and will be useful in studying individual cell types of complex tissues.
BRCA1 and ERCC1mRNA levels are associated with lymph node metastasis in Chinese patients with colorectal cancer
Authors: Yuanming Lu , Lineng Zhang , Baorong Song , Junjie Peng , Sanjun Cai
Published: March 2013

Background

Although both excision repair cross-complementing group 1 (ERCC1) and breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1) can be effective biomarkers for chemosensitivity in primary malignant tumors, their applicability to metastases is poorly understood. Here, ERCC1 and BRCA1, which are linked to lymph node metastasis (LNM) in colorectal cancer (CRC), were evaluated in primary CRC samples from Chinese patients with LNM (LNM CRC) or without LNM (non-LNM CRC). mRNA levels of ERCC1 and BRCA1 in CRC samples, and their relationships to primary CRC and LNM, were also examined.

Methods

Differences in BRCA1 and ERCC1 gene expression between primary CRC with or without LNM were assessed in CRC samples from 120 Chinese patients, using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Relationships between ERCC1 and BRCA1 expression and clinicopathological parameters and prognoses were also examined.

Results

ERCC1 and BRCA1 were significantly down-regulated in LNM CRC compared with non-LNM CRC. Down-expression of ERCC1 and BRCA1 was significantly associated with LNM (P < 0.001), advanced TNM stage (P < 0.001), and decreased 5-year overall survival rate (P < 0.001). Univariate and multivariate analyses showed ERCC1 and BRCA1 expression as independent predictors of recurrence and survival in CRC patients (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

ERCC1 and BRCA1 mRNA expression levels correlate inversely to CRC metastasis. ERCC1 and BRCA1 might serve as biomarkers for LNM and as prognostic indicators for CRC; their down-expressions are predictors of poor outcome in CRC patients.
Influence of model complexity and problem formulation on the forces in the knee calculated using optimization methods
Authors: Hu Chih-Chung , Lu Tung-Wu , Chen Sheng-Chang
Published: March 2013

Background

Predictions of the forces transmitted by the redundant force-bearing structures in the knee are often performed using optimization methods considering only moment equipollence as a result of simplified knee modeling without ligament contributions. The current study aimed to investigate the influence of model complexity (with or without ligaments), problem formulation (moment equipollence with or without force equipollence) and optimization criteria on the prediction of the forces transmitted by the force-bearing structures in the knee.

Methods

Ten healthy young male adults walked in a gait laboratory while their kinematic and ground reaction forces were measured simultaneously. A validated 3D musculoskeletal model of the locomotor system with a knee model that included muscles, ligaments and articular surfaces was used to calculate the joint resultant forces and moments, and subsequently the forces transmitted in the considered force-bearing structures via optimization methods. Three problem formulations with eight optimization criteria were evaluated.

Results

Among the three problem formulations, simultaneous consideration of moment and force equipollence for the knee model with ligaments and articular contacts predicted contact forces (first peak: 3.3-3.5 BW; second peak: 3.2-4.2 BW; swing: 0.3 BW) that were closest to previously reported theoretical values (2.0-4.0 BW) and in vivo data telemetered from older adults with total knee replacements (about 2.8 BW during stance; 0.5 BW during swing). Simultaneous consideration of moment and force equipollence also predicted more physiological ligament forces (< 1.0 BW), which appeared to be independent of the objective functions used. Without considering force equipollence, the calculated contact forces varied from 1.0 to 4.5 BW and were as large as 2.5 BW during swing phase; the calculated ACL forces ranged from 1 BW to 3.7 BW, and those of the PCL from 3 BW to 7 BW.

Conclusions

Model complexity and problem formulation affect the prediction of the forces transmitted by the force-bearing structures at the knee during normal level walking. Inclusion of the ligaments in a knee model enables the simultaneous consideration of equations of force and moment equipollence, which is required for accurately estimating the contact and ligament forces, and is more critical than the adopted optimization criteria.
Antioxidant properties of Pelargonium graveolens L’Her essential oil on the reproductive damage induced by deltamethrin in mice as compared to alpha-tocopherol
Authors: Ben Slima Ahlem , Ali Manel Ben , Barkallah Mohamed , Traore Al Ibrahim , Boudawara Tahia , Allouche Noureddine , Gdoura Radhouane
Published: March 2013

Background

Exposure to the pyrethroid pesticide deltamethrin has been demonstrated to exert a wide range of effects on non-targeted organisms. The beneficial effects of geranuim essential oil (EO) as an antioxidant has been assessed in deltamethrin (DL) orally administered mice by studying whether the reprotoxicity caused by deltamethrin can be effectively combated with the geranium oil and the effects were compared to vitamin E, as the standard reference drug.

Result

Sixty male albino mice were divided into six equal groups: a control group, a group of mice was given deltamethrin (5 mg/kg b.w.), two groups were administered deltamethrin after having given geranium essential oil (67 mg/kg b.w.) or vitamin E (Vit E) (100 mg/kg b.w.), and two groups received only EO of geranium or Vit E. When compared to control, a dose of deltamethrin 5 mg/kg/day causes a decrease in the epididymal sperm count motility and viability and an increase in the number of abnormal morphology in spermatozoa. DL-exposed mice showed a significant increase of lipid peroxidation (LPP) in the testis compared to control animals.

Conclusion

Essential oil of geranium prevented testicular oxidative damage explored by reduced LPP and improved total sperm motility, viability and morphology in mice spermatozoa. Our study showed a positive influence of geranium essential oil in the animal male reproductive system similar than that of Vit E.
The potential role of microfilaments in host cells for infection with infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus infection
Authors: Jia Kun-tong , Liu Zhao-yu , Guo Chang-jun , Xia Qiong , Mi Shu , Li Xiao-Dong , Weng Shao-ping , He Jian-guo
Published: March 2013

Background

Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) belongs to the genus Megalocytivirus from the family Iridoviridae. Megalocytivirus causes severe economic losses to tropical freshwater and marine culture industry in Asian countries and is devastating to the mandarin fish farm industry in China particularly.

Methods

We investigated the involvement of microfilaments in the early and late stages of ISKNV infection in MFF-1 cells by selectively perturbing their architecture using well-characterized inhibitors of actin dynamics. The effect of disruption of actin cytoskeleton on ISKNV infection was evaluated by indirect immunofluorescence analysis or real-time quantitative PCR.

Results

The depolymerization of the actin filaments with cytochalasin D, cytochalasin B, or latrunculin A reduced ISKNV infection. Furthermore, depolymerization of filamentous actin by inhibitors did not inhibit binding of the virus but affected virus internalization in the early stages of infection. In addition, the depolymerization of actin filaments reduced total ISKNV production in the late stages of ISKNV.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that ISKNV required an intact actin network during infection. The findings will help us to better understand how iridoviruses exploit the cytoskeleton to facilitate their infection and subsequent disease.
Activation of Src, Fyn and Yes non-receptor tyrosine kinases in keratinocytes expressing human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 E7 oncoprotein
Authors: Szalmás Anita , Gyöngyösi Eszter , Ferenczi Annamária , László Brigitta , Karosi Tamás , Csomor Péter , Gergely Lajos , Veress György , Kónya József
Published: March 2013

Background

The Src family tyrosine kinases (SFK) are cellular regulatory proteins that influence cell adhesion, proliferation, invasion and survival during tumor development. Elevated activity of Src was associated with increased cell proliferation and invasivity in human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated malignancies; therefore, transduced human foreskin keratinocytes (HFK) were used to investigate whether SFK activation is a downstream effect of papillomaviral oncoproteins. Activation of ubiquitously expressed SFKs, namely Src, Yes and Fyn, was investigated in both proliferating and differentiating keratinocytes.

Results

In proliferating keratinocytes, Src, Yes and Fyn mRNA levels were not affected by HPV 16 E6 or E7 oncoproteins, while at the protein level as detected by western blot, the presence of both E6 and E7 resulted in substantial increase in Src and Yes expression, but did not alter the high constitutive level of Fyn. Phospo-kinase array revealed that all ubiquitously expressed SFKs are activated by phosphorylation in the presence of HPV 16 E7 oncoprotein. Keratinocyte differentiation led to increased Yes mRNA and protein levels in all transduced cell lines, while it did not influence the Src transcription but resulted in elevated Src protein level in HPV16 E7 expressing lines.

Conclusions

This study revealed that HPV 16 oncoproteins upregulate Src family kinases Src and Yes via posttranscriptional mechanisms. A further effect of HPV 16 E7 oncoprotein is to enhance the activating phosphorylation of SFKs expressed in keratinocytes.
Two cases of a rare association: double aortic arch with tetralogy of Fallot
Authors: Li Zhi-qiang , Liu Ai-jun , Li Gang , Liu Yang , Zhu Yao-bin , Liu Ying-long
Published: March 2013

Two cases of asymptomatic double aortic arch with tetralogy of Fallot are reported. One presented with a non-dominant left arch and left-sided descending thoracic aorta and the other with a non-dominant left arch, a right-sided descending thoracic aorta and a patent ductus arteriosus. One-stage operation was performed and both patients were discharged free of symptoms and signs related to the double aortic arch and tetralogy of Fallot after the operation. A preoperative recognition of DAA is important, especially in echocardiographic investigation.
Role of maspin in cancer
Authors: Berardi Rossana , Morgese Francesca , Onofri Azzurra , Mazzanti Paola , Pistelli Mirco , Ballatore Zelmira , Savini Agnese , De Lisa Mariagrazia , Caramanti Miriam , Rinaldi Silvia , Pagliaretta Silvia , Santoni Matteo , Pierantoni Chiara , Cascinu Stefano
Published: March 2013

Maspin (mammary serine protease inhibitor), is a member of the serine protease inhibitor/non‐inhibitor superfamily. Its expression is down‐regulated in breast, prostate, gastric and melanoma cancers but over‐expressed in pancreatic, gallbladder, colorectal, and thyroid cancers suggesting that maspin may play different activities in different cell types. However, maspin expression seems to be correlated with better prognosis in prostate, bladder, lung, gastric, colorectal, head and neck, thyroid and melanoma cancer. In breast and ovarian cancer maspin significance is associated with its subcellular localization: nucleus maspin expression correlates with a good prognosis, whilst in pancreatic cancer it predicts a poor prognosis. Since tumor metastasis requires the detachment and invasion of tumor cells through the basement membrane and stroma, a selectively increased adhesion by the presence of maspin may contribute to the inhibition of tumor metastasis. Furthermore the different position of maspin inside the cell or its epigenetic modifications may explain the different behavior of the expression of maspin between tumors. The expression of maspin might be useful as a prognostic and possibly predictive factor for patients with particular types of cancer and data can guide physicians in selecting therapy. Its expression in circulating tumor cells especially in breast cancer, could be also useful in clinical practice along with other factors, such as age, comorbidities, blood examinations in order to select the best therapy to be carried out. Focusing on the malignancies in which maspin showed a positive prognostic value, therapeutic approaches studied so far aimed to re‐activate a dormant tumor suppressor gene by designed transcription factors, to hit the system that inhibits the expression of maspin, to identify natural substances that can determine the activation and the expression of maspin or possible “molecules binds” to introduce maspin in cancer cell and gene therapy capable of up‐regulating the maspin in an attempt to reduce primarily the risk of metastasis.

Further studies in these directions are necessary to better define the therapeutic implication of maspin.
Study of the pharmacokinetic changes of Tramadol in diabetic rats
Authors: Lavasani Hoda , Sheikholeslami Behjat , Ardakani Yalda H , Abdollahi Mohammad , Hakemi Lida , Rouini Mohammad-Reza
Published: March 2013

Background

Besides the pathological states, diabetes mellitus may also alter the hepatic biotransformation of pharmaceutical agents. It is advantageous to understand the effect of diabetes on the pharmacokinetic of drugs. The objective of this study was to define the pharmacokinetic changes of tramadol and its main metabolites after in vivo intraperitoneal administration and ex vivo perfused liver study in diabetic rat model.

Tramadol (10 mg/kg) was administered to rats (diabetic and control groups of six) intraperitoneally and blood samples were collected at different time points up to 300 min. In a parallel study, isolated liver perfusion was done (in diabetic and control rats) by Krebs-Henseleit buffer (containing 500 ng/ml tramadol). Perfusate samples were collected at 10 min intervals up to 180 min. Concentration of tramadol and its metabolites were determined by HPLC.

Results

Tramadol reached higher concentrations after i.p. injection in diabetics (Cmax of 1607.5 ± 335.9 ng/ml) compared with control group (Cmax of 561.6 ± 111.4). M1 plasma concentrations were also higher in diabetic rats compared with control group. M2 showed also higher concentrations in diabetic rats. Comparing the concentration levels of M1 in diabetic and control perfused livers, showed that in contrast to intact animals, the metabolic ratios of M1 and M5 (M/T) were significantly higher in diabetic perfused liver compared to those of control group.

Conclusions

The pharmacokinetic of tramadol and its three metabolites are influenced by diabetes. As far as M1 is produced by Cyp2D6, its higher concentration in diabetic rats could be a result of induction in Cyp2D6 activity, while higher concentrations of tramadol can be explained by lower volume of distribution.
Uni-axial Cracking of ITO to Form Row and Column Electrodes for Roll to Roll Production of Flexible Displays and Electronics
Authors: West John Lawton , Cakmak Miko , Huang Tsang-Min , Lee Da-Wei
Published: March 2013

Uniformly uni-axially aligned electrodes are formed by uniaxially cracking an indium tin oxide, ITO, film vacuum deposited on a polyester substrate. The cracks are produced by bending the film around a small radius of curvature, producing narrow, parallel cracks in the ITO separated by 5-10 μm. The cracks are enhanced by etching or uniaxial stretching. Heating and stretching is the most effective, producing a crack width of about 0.05 μm and a differential conductivity (measured parallel and perpendicular to the cracks) several orders of magnitude or greater. A passive matrix bistable cholesteric display is fabricated using top and bottom substrates with perpendicularly aligned electrodes. The addressed lines on each substrate are defined by the contact electrode, which contacts multiple cracked ITO lines. Because of the small dimension of the cracks (much less than the thickness of the active layer) they are not visible in the display. The separation between the contact electrodes must be great than 20 μm in order to include at least one crack and electrically isolate each individual line. The resulting display demonstrates how controlled cracking of ITO can replace photolithographic etching of ITO or printing of conducting polymers to produce the line electrodes required for flexible, passive matrix displays and related electronic applications. Un-axially cracking can be easily integrated into a roll-to-roll manufacturing process.
Ensino de bem-estar e dor animal em cursos de medicina veterinária no Brasil
Authors: Borges T.D. , Sans E.C.O. , Braga J.S. , Machado M.F. , Molento C.F.M.
Published: March 2013

Currículos de medicina veterinária devem disponibilizar ferramentas para que os futuros profissionais atendam a demanda da sociedade, que inclui preocupações diretas com os animais. O objetivo deste trabalho foi traçar um perfil do panorama geral do ensino da medicina veterinária em relação a questões de bem-estar e dor animal. O método utilizado foi análise de documentos disponíveis online e coleta de dados via aplicação de questionários para coordenadores de curso de medicina veterinária. A descrição do curso, sua grade curricular e ementário foram estudados. Observou-se que 46% das 94 instituições estudadas apresentavam a disciplina de bem-estar animal e 26% ofereciam a disciplina de etologia. Houve evidência de que há uma pronta relação com a esfera física do bem-estar animal, sendo que as outras duas esferas, comportamental e psicológica, não recebem atenção similar ao longo dos cursos. Na avaliação do ementário, o termo "bem-estar animal" é empregado com caráter difuso e o termo "dor" encontra-se presente em 54% dos cursos estudados, relacionado principalmente a disciplinas de patologia, fisiologia, farmacologia e anestesiologia. Conclui-se que o ensino brasileiro de medicina veterinária enfatiza a esfera física do bem-estar animal, sendo importante o enriquecimento em relação às esferas comportamental e psicológica e ao ensino da dor.
Species-specific nested PCR as a diagnostic tool for Brucella ovis infection in rams
Authors: Costa L.F. , Nozaki C.N. , Lira N.S.C. , Antunes J.M.A.P. , Xavier M.N. , Costa E.A. , Paixão T.A. , Santos R.L. , Megid J.
Published: March 2013

The aim of the present study was to evaluate a species-specific nested PCR based on a previously described species-specific PCR for detection of B. ovis in semen and urine samples of experimentally infected rams. The performance of the species-specific nested PCR was compared with the results of a genus-specific PCR. Fourteen rams were experimentally infected with the Brucella ovis REO 198 strain and samples of semen and urine were collected every week up to 180 days post infection. Out of 83 semen samples collected, 42 (50.6%) were positive for the species-specific nested PCR, and 23 (27.7%) were positive for the genus-specific PCR. Out of 75 urine samples, 49 (65.3%) were positive for the species-specific nested PCR, whereas 11 (14.6%) were genus-specific PCR positive. Species-specific nested PCR was significantly more sensitive (P<0.001) than the genus-specific PCR in semen and urine from experimentally infected rams. In conclusion, the species-specific nested PCR developed in this study may be used as a diagnostic tool for the detection of B. ovis in semen and urine samples from suspected rams.
An anatomopathological study of hepatic coccidiosis (Calyptospora sp.) in the Acará-pixuna, Aequidens plagiozonatus Kullander, 1984 from the Brazilian state of Pará
Authors: Videira M. , Velasco M. , Tortelly R. , Menezes R.C. , São Clemente S.C. , Matos E.
Published: March 2013

The present study focuses on the anatomopathological alterations provoked by parasitism by Calyptospora sp. in 40 specimens of Aequidens plagiozonatus collected in Pará, Brazil. Examinations of the fresh material by compression of the hepatopancreas and histological sections showed immature forms and oocysts characteristic of the genus Calyptospora, in addition to a large quantity of melanomacrophagic centers spread throughout the organ. No significant inflammation of the hepatic tissue was observed. The melanomacrophagic centers and the compression of the hepatocytes are part of the response of the host to the parasite. This study represents the first record of parasitism by Calyptospora in A. plagiozonatus.
Detecção de locos de características quantitativas nos cromossomos 1, 2, 3, 12, 14, 15 e X de suínos: características de desempenho
Authors: Paixão D.M. , Braccini Neto J. , Paiva S.R. , Carneiro P.L.S. , Pinto A.P.G. , Sousa K.R.S. , Nascimento C. Souza do , Verardo L.L. , Hidalgo A.M. , Lopes P.S. , Guimarães S.E.F.
Published: March 2013

Mapeou-se quantitative trait loci (QTL) associados a características de desempenho nos cromossomos 1, 2, 3, 12, 14, 15 e X de suínos pertencentes a uma população F2, formada a partir do cruzamento entre dois machos da raça naturalizada brasileira Piau e 18 fêmeas comerciais (Landrace x Large White x Pietrain). O mapa genético de ligação da população foi construído após a genotipagem dos animais para 35 marcadores microssatélites. As estimativas do conteúdo de informação polimórfica indicaram que os marcadores microssatélites foram adequados para as análises de QTL. Os dados foram analisados pelo mapeamento por intervalo usando-se o programa GridQTL. Encontraram-se seis QTL, sendo que o QTL genômico para idade ao abate atingiu a significância de 5% de probabilidade. As informações dos QTL detectados neste estudo são úteis para identificar genes que podem ser usados em conjunto com os métodos convencionais de seleção, aumentar a acurácia deles e prover uma compreensão dos fenótipos produtivos de suínos.