bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Australian Consumers’ Discernment of Different Sources of ‘Healthy Eating’ Messages
Authors: Jones Sandra C. , Tapsell Linda , Andrews Kelly L. , Williams Peter , Gregory Parri
Published: July 2009

This research investigates Australian consumers’ understanding of healthy eating campaigns. A CATI survey was administered to 834 adults across Australia. Participants were asked about their own understanding of the term ‘healthy eating’, the credibility of different advertisers, who they believed should be responsible for healthy eating campaigns and who they trusted to do so. Results indicate that the majority of participants have a basic understanding of ‘healthy eating’. Non-government organisations were viewed as being the most credible and best placed to develop and run healthy eating campaigns; and participants believed there is a need for monitoring healthy eating campaigns for truthfulness and accuracy. Given the significance of overweight and obesity levels in Australia, a collaborative approach between the health industry, the commercial food industry and the media and advertising sectors is required in the development and delivery of improved healthy eating messages to encourage better (sustained) food choices and as a result, improved nutritional status of the community.
Outcome of inpatient opiate detoxification treatment in immigrants as compared to native Germans
Authors: Specka M. , Buchholz A. , Kuhlmann T. , Haasen C. , Scherbaum N.
Published: July 2009

Background

Immigration is a factor with effects on the course of substance abuse and treatment response, however there is little consistent data regarding outcome of inpatient opiate detoxification treatment in immigrants as compared to native patients.

Methods

Patient history and the success of current detoxification treatment were systematically documented in a multicenter study in Germany which included 10 psychiatric hospitals with specialized detoxification wards.

Results

Out of 893 patients, 240 (27%) had a migration history. We further analyzed the three main groups (German, n = 653; Turkish, n = 58; Russian origin, n = 103). There were significant differences between groups regarding sociodemographic data, drug history, treatment experience and success of current treatment. However, considering the younger age of patients with Russian origin, analysis of younger patients (< 31 years) detected only minor group differences. In multiple logistic regressions age and center showed statistically significant associations with all outcome variables (early dropout, achievement of drug-free urine screen, regular completion of detoxification treatment, and referral to further treatment), while (Russian) origin was associated only with premature termination of treatment.

Conclusion

Young men were the main problem group regardless of origin. Significant center effects raise doubts regarding results from monocenter research.
Electric dipole reorientation in the interaction of botulinum neurotoxins with neuronal membranes
Authors: Fogolari Federico , Tosatto Silvio C.E. , Muraro Lucia , Montecucco Cesare
Published: July 2009

Botulinum neurotoxins are highly potent toxins capable of rapid and specific interaction with the presynaptic membrane. We have hypothesised that: (1) these neurotoxins possess an electric dipole with the positive pole on receptor binding domain Hc‐C and that (2) on approaching the negatively charged presynaptic membrane, they reorient themselves and hit the membrane surface with Hc‐C; this electrostatic effect would contribute efficient binding. Electrostatic calculations confirm these hypotheses and strongly indicate that electrostatics effects can play an important role in the unique presynaptic membrane binding properties of these neurotoxins and generally on the interaction of other plasma membrane protein ligands.
The GroEL/GroES cis cavity as a passive anti‐aggregation device
Authors: Horwich Arthur L. , Apetri Adrian C. , Fenton Wayne A.
Published: July 2009

The GroEL/GroES chaperonin folding chamber is an encapsulated space of ∼65 Å diameter with a hydrophilic wall, inside of which many cellular proteins reach the native state. The question of whether the cavity wall actively directs folding reactions or is playing a passive role has been open. We review past and recent observations and conclude that the chamber functions as a passive “Anfinsen cage” that prevents folding monomers from multimolecular aggregation.
Effect of body mass index on clinical manifestations in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Tamimi Waleed , Siddiqui Imran A. , Tamim Hani , AlEisa Nada , Adham Maysoon
Published: July 2009

Objective

To determine whether there is a correlation between body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure or clinical features such as hirsutism in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Method

In this cross‐sectional study, 62 women with PCOS were allocated to one of 3 groups according to a BMI range defining normal weight, overweight, or obesity. Blood pressure, waist‐to‐hip ratio, Ferriman and Gallwey hirsutism score, and presence of acne were recorded for each participant and the means were compared among groups.

Results

The overall mean age was 35.85 ± 5.03 years; BMI, 31.91 ± 6.40; systolic and diastolic blood pressure, 113.02 ± 16.10 mm Hg and 71.79 ± 10.04 mm Hg; waist‐to‐hip ratio, 0.82 ± 0.07; and hirsutism score, 3.63 ± 4.35. Acne was present in 24 participants. Of these, 8 (33.3%) were overweight and 13 (54.2%) obese. When groups were compared, a progressive and significant increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressure was observed from the normal weight to the obese group.

Conclusion

We observed a significant and progressive correlation between BMI and both blood pressure and clinical features in women with PCOS.
Thermal antinociception after dexmedetomidine administration in cats: A comparison between intramuscular and oral transmucosal administration
Authors: Slingsby Louisa S. , Taylor Polly M. , Monroe Taylor
Published: July 2009

Dexmedetomidine 40 μg/kg was administered either intramuscularly (IM) or oral transmucosally (OTM) to 12 cats in a randomised cross-over study. Thermal nociceptive thresholds and visual analogue scale (VAS) sedation scores were obtained before and at regular intervals up to 24 h after test drug administration.

The summary measures of overall mean threshold, overall mean VAS sedation plus onset, offset and duration of analgesia were investigated using a univariate general linear model. There were no significant differences between treatment groups. Data are presented as mean±standard deviation: delta T mean increase over time (IM 6°C±3°C, OTM 6°C±2°C); overall mean VAS (IM 43±9 OTM 39±1); onset (IM 35±32 and OTM 30±40 min); offset (IM 96±56 and OTM 138±135 min); duration (IM 61±47 OTM 99±124 min). Dexmedetomidine is well absorbed through the oral mucosa in cats since OTM and IM administration of dexmedetomidine 40 μg/kg produced similar overall sedative and antinociceptive effects.
Bilateral laparoscopic subtotal perinephric pseudocyst resection in a cat
Authors: Mouat Emily E. , Mayhew Philipp D. , Weh Jennifer L. , Chapman Peter S.
Published: July 2009

A 17-year-old castrated male domestic shorthair cat was diagnosed with bilateral perinephric pseudocysts (PNPs). Bilateral subtotal resection of the PNPs was performed via a laparoscopic approach. There was no regrowth or reformation of the PNPs after the procedure and the cat's serum concentration of creatinine remained stable for 6 months after surgery. Laparoscopic bilateral subtotal resection of PNPs appears to have been an effective treatment option in this cat with the advantages of being minimally invasive and requiring only a brief hospital stay.
Low-Grade Alimentary Lymphoma: Clinicopathological Findings and Response to Treatment in 17 Cases
Authors: Lingard Amy E. , Briscoe Katherine , Beatty Julia A. , Moore Antony S. , Crowley Ann M. , Krockenberger Mark , Churcher Richard K. , Canfield Paul J. , Barrs Vanessa R.
Published: July 2009

Low-grade alimentary lymphoma (LGAL) was diagnosed by histological and immunohistochemical evaluation of full-thickness biopsies from multiple regions of the gastrointestinal tract collected during exploratory laparotomy in 17 cats. The most common clinical signs were weight loss ( n=17) and vomiting and/or diarrhoea ( n=15). Clinical signs were chronic in 11 cases. Abdominal palpation was abnormal in 12 cats, including diffuse intestinal thickening ( n=8), an abdominal mass due to mesenteric lymph node enlargement ( n=5) and a focal mural intestinal mass ( n=1). The most common ultrasonographic finding was normal or increased intestinal wall thickness with preservation of layering. Ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspirates of mesenteric lymph nodes ( n=9) were incorrectly identified as benign lymphoid hyperplasia in eight cats, in which the histological diagnosis from biopsies was lymphoma. There was neoplastic infiltration of more than one anatomic region of the gastrointestinal tract in 16/17 cats. The jejunum (15/15 cats) and ileum (13/14 cats), followed by the duodenum (10/12 cats), were the most frequently affected sites. Twelve cats were treated with oral prednisolone and high-dose pulse chlorambucil, two with a modified Madison–Wisconsin multiagent protocol and three with a combination of both protocols. Thirteen of the 17 cats (76%) had complete clinical remission with a median remission time of 18.9 months. Cats that achieved complete remission had significantly longer median survival times (19.3 months) than cats that did not achieve complete remission ( n=4) (4.1 months; P=0.019). The prognosis for cats with LGAL treated with oral prednisolone in combination with high-dose pulse chlorambucil is good to excellent.
Evaluation of the performance of normal elderly in a limb praxis protocol: Influence of age, gender, and education
Authors: RODRIGUES CAVALCANTE KARLA , CARAMELLI PAULO
Published: July 2009

Limb praxis can be influenced by age, gender, and education. The present study investigated the influence of these variables on gesture production by healthy elderly subjects. We evaluated 96 individuals divided into two age groups (60–74 and 75–88 years). Each group contained 48 men and 48 women and was subdivided into four groups according to education: illiterates and 1–3, 4–7, and 8 or more years of education. Individuals were requested to carry out tasks on verbal command and imitation. There were no differences between the performance of men and women, while older individuals performed worse than their younger counterparts. Regarding educational level, three major groups emerged: illiterates, individuals with 1–7 years of education, and those with 8 or more years of education. In conclusion, age and education significantly influenced the performance of individuals in limb praxis tests. (JINS, 2009, 15, 618–622.)
Modulation of medial temporal lobe activity in epilepsy patients with hippocampal sclerosis during verbal working memory
Authors: CAMPO PABLO , MAESTÚ FERNANDO , GARCÍA-MORALES IRENE , GIL-NAGEL ANTONIO , STRANGE BRYAN , MORALES MANUEL , ORTIZ TOMÁS
Published: July 2009

It has been traditionally assumed that medial temporal lobe (MTL) is not required for working memory (WM). However, animal lesion and electrophysiological studies and human neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies have provided increasing evidences of a critical involvement of MTL in WM. Based on previous findings, the central aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of the MTL to verbal WM encoding. Here, we used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to compare the patterns of MTL activation of 9 epilepsy patients suffering from left hippocampal sclerosis with those of 10 healthy matched controls while they performed a verbal WM task. MEG recordings allow detailed tracking of the time course of MTL activation. We observed impaired WM performance associated with changes in the dynamics of MTL activity in epilepsy patients. Specifically, whereas patients showed decreased activity in damaged MTL, activity in the contralateral MTL was enhanced, an effect that became significant in the 600- to 700-ms interval after stimulus presentation. These findings strongly support the crucial contribution of MTL to verbal WM encoding and provide compelling evidence for the proposal that MTL contributes to both episodic memory and WM. Whether this pattern is signaling reorganization or a normal use of a damaged structure is discussed. (JINS, 2009, 15, 536–546.)
Perception of strong-meter and weak-meter rhythms in children with spina bifida meningomyelocele
Authors: HOPYAN TALAR , SCHELLENBERG E. GLENN , DENNIS MAUREEN
Published: July 2009

Neurodevelopmental disorders such as spina bifida meningomyelocele (SBM) are often associated with dysrhythmic movement. We studied rhythm discrimination in 21 children with SBM and in 21 age-matched controls, with the research question being whether both groups showed a strong-meter advantage whereby rhythm discrimination is better for rhythms with a strong-meter, in which onsets of longer intervals occurred on the beat, than those with a weak-meter, in which onsets of longer intervals occurred off the beat. Compared to controls, the SBM group was less able to discriminate strong-meter rhythms, although they performed comparably in discriminating weak-meter rhythms. The attenuated strong-meter advantage in children with SBM shows that their rhythm deficits occur at the level of both perception and action, and may represent a central processing disruption of the brain mechanisms for rhythm. (JINS, 2009,15, 521–528.)
Photon-Assisted Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy and Ultrafast Imaging
Authors: Howie Archie
Published: July 2009

A variety of ways is described in which photons can be used not only for ultrafast electron microscopy but also to enormously widen the energy range of spatially-resolved electron spectroscopy. Periodic chains of femtosecond laser pulses are a particularly important and accurately timed source for single-shot imaging and diffraction as well as for several forms of pump-probe microscopy at even higher spatial resolution and sub-picosecond timing. Many exciting new fields are opened up for study by these developments. Ultrafast, single shot diffraction with intense pulses of X-rays supplemented by phase retrieval techniques may eventually offer a challenging alternative and purely photon-based route to dynamic imaging at high spatial resolution.
The Evolution of Ultrafast Electron Microscope Instrumentation
Authors: Reed B.W. , Armstrong M.R. , Browning N.D. , Campbell G.H. , Evans J.E. , LaGrange T. , Masiel D.J.
Published: July 2009

Extrapolating from a brief survey of the literature, we outline a vision for the future development of time-resolved electron probe instruments that could offer levels of performance and flexibility that push the limits of physical possibility. This includes a discussion of the electron beam parameters (brightness and emittance) that limit performance, the identification of a dimensionless invariant figure of merit for pulsed electron guns (the number of electrons per lateral coherence area, per pulse), and calculations of how this figure of merit determines the trade-off of spatial against temporal resolution for different imaging modes. Modern photonics' ability to control its fundamental particles at the quantum level, while enjoying extreme flexibility and a very large variety of operating modes, is held up as an example and a goal. We argue that this goal may be approached by combining ideas already in the literature, suggesting the need for large-scale collaborative development of next-generation time-resolved instruments.
Ultracold Electron Source for Single-Shot, Ultrafast Electron Diffraction
Authors: van der Geer S.B. , de Loos M.J. , Vredenbregt E.J.D. , Luiten O.J.
Published: July 2009

Ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) enables studies of structural dynamics at atomic length and timescales, i.e., 0.1 nm and 0.1 ps, in single-shot mode. At present UED experiments are based on femtosecond laser photoemission from solid state cathodes. These photoemission sources perform excellently, but are not sufficiently bright for single-shot studies of, for example, biomolecular samples. We propose a new type of electron source, based on near-threshold photoionization of a laser-cooled and trapped atomic gas. The electron temperature of these sources can be as low as 10 K, implying an increase in brightness by orders of magnitude. We investigate a setup consisting of an ultracold electron source and standard radio-frequency acceleration techniques by GPT tracking simulations. The simulations use realistic fields and include all pairwise Coulomb interactions. We show that in this setup 120 keV, 0.1 pC electron bunches can be produced with a longitudinal emittance sufficiently small for enabling sub-100 fs bunch lengths at 1% relative energy spread. A transverse root-mean-square normalized emittance of εx = 10 nm is obtained, significantly better than from photoemission sources. Correlations in transverse phase-space indicate that the transverse emittance can be improved even further, enabling single-shot studies of biomolecular samples.
Symposium on Ultrafast Electron Microscopy and Ultrafast Science
Authors: Taheri Mitra L. , Browning Nigel D. , Lewellen John
Published: July 2009

Dynamic characterization techniques have been utilized in the fields of biology, chemistry, physics, and materials science for many years. Techniques range from neutron scattering to X-ray diffraction. Two of the fields experiencing much development recently have been electron-based techniques. Namely, ultrafast electron diffraction (UED) and ultrafast electron microscopy (UEM) have been advancing rapidly, but unfortunately, in parallel. We are approaching an era where the convergence of these two techniques could open up a wide range of scientific and technological opportunities and advancements.
Zinc Mapping and Density Imaging of Rabbit Pancreas Endocrine Tissue Sections Using Nuclear Microscopy
Authors: Ynsa M.D. , Ren M.Q. , Rajendran R. , Sidhapuriwala J.N. , van Kan J.A. , Bhatia M. , Watt F.
Published: July 2009

Nuclear microscopy is a suite of techniques based on a focused beam of MeV protons. These techniques have the unique ability to image density and structural variations in relatively thick tissue sections, map trace elements at the cellular level to the microgram per gram (dry weight) level, and extract quantitative information on these elements. The trace elemental studies can be carried out on unstained freeze-dried tissue sections, thereby minimizing any problems of contamination or redistribution of elements during conventional staining and fixing procedures. The pancreas is a gland with different specialized cells and a complex hormonal activity where trace elements play an important role. For example, zinc has an active role in insulin production, and calcium ions participate in the stimulation and secretion process of insulin. Using nuclear microscopy with a spatial resolution of 1 μm, we have located, using zinc mapping, the islets of Langerhans in freeze-dried normal rabbit tissue sections. The islets of Langerhans contain β-cells responsible for insulin production. Subsequent quantitative analyses have indicated elevations in most elements within the islets of Langerhans, and significantly so for the concentrations of Zn [3,300 compared to 90 μg/g (dry weight)] and Ca [1,100 compared to 390 μg/g (dry weight)].
Nuclear Microscopy: A Novel Technique for Quantitative Imaging of Gadolinium Distribution within Tissue Sections
Authors: Rajendran Reshmi , Ronald John A. , Ye Tao , Minqin Ren , Chen John W. , Weissleder Ralph , Rutt Brian K. , Halliwell Barry , Watt Frank
Published: July 2009

All clinically-approved and many novel gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agents used to enhance signal intensity in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are optically silent. To verify MRI results, a “gold standard” that can map and quantify Gd down to the parts per million (ppm) levels is required. Nuclear microscopy is a relatively new technique that has this capability and is composed of a combination of three ion beam techniques: scanning transmission ion microscopy, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, and particle induced X-ray emission used in conjunction with a high energy proton microprobe. In this proof-of-concept study, we show that in diseased aortic vessel walls obtained at 2 and 4 h after intravenous injection of the myeloperoxidase-senstitive MRI agent, bis-5-hydroxytryptamide-diethylenetriamine-pentaacetate gadolinium, there was a time-dependant Gd clearance (2 h = 18.86 ppm, 4 h = 8.65 ppm). As expected, the control animal, injected with the clinically-approved conventional agent diethylenetriamine-pentaacetate gadolinium and sacrificed 1 week after injection, revealed no significant residual Gd in the tissue. Similar to known in vivo Gd pharmacokinetics, we found that Gd concentration dropped by a factor of 2 in vessel wall tissue in 1.64 h. Further high-resolution studies revealed that Gd was relatively uniformly distributed, consistent with random agent diffusion. We conclude that nuclear microscopy is potentially very useful for validation studies involving Gd-based magnetic resonance contrast agents.
Executive Leadership and Fiscal Discipline: Explaining Political Entrepreneurship in Cases of Japan
Authors: FUJIMURA NAOFUMI
Published: July 2009

This article discusses the effects of executive leadership on fiscal policies and performance. I propose that executive leadership, as a political entrepreneur who provides collective goods for organization, has incentives to maintain fiscal discipline so that he or she can stay in office by developing his or her party's reputation and leading party legislators to electoral success. This article argues that executive leadership with stronger public support is more likely to restrain fiscal expenditure and maintain fiscal discipline. I demonstrate this argument by showing that the prime minister who receives higher public support is more likely to restrain fiscal expenditure in Japan.
Optimization of the composition of crop collections for ex situ conservation
Authors: van Treuren R. , Engels J. M. M. , Hoekstra R. , van Hintum Th. J. L.
Published: July 2009

Many crop genetic resources collections have been established without a clearly defined conservation goal or mandate, which has resulted in collections of considerable size, unbalanced composition and high levels of duplication. Attempts to improve the composition of collections are hampered by the fact that conceptual views to optimize collection composition are very rare. An optimization strategy is proposed herein, which largely builds on the concepts of core collection and core selection. The proposed strategy relies on hierarchically structuring the crop gene pool and assigning a relative importance to each of its different components. Comparison of the resulting optimized distribution of the number of accessions with the actual distribution allows identification of under- and over-representation within a collection. Application of this strategy is illustrated by an example using potato. The proposed optimization strategy is applicable not only to individual genebanks, but also to consortia of cooperating genebanks, which makes it relevant for ongoing activities within projects that aim at sharing responsibilities among institutions on the basis of rational conservation, such as a European genebank integrated system and the global cacao genetic resources network CacaoNet.
Biodiversity of date palms ( Phoenix dactylifera L.) in Sudan: chemical, morphological and DNA polymorphisms of selected cultivars
Authors: Elshibli Sakina , Korpelainen Helena
Published: July 2009

Date palm fruits of 15 cultivars were collected at harvest (Tamr stage) from the Nori Horticultural Orchard in the Northern State of Sudan for morphological and chemical characterization. Morphological and DNA polymorphisms of the mother trees were also investigated. Significant (P < 0.001) differentiation of cultivars in relation to tree height, and number and length of pinnae and spines was observed. Fruit weight, flesh weight and fruit and seed sizes expressed a wide range of diversity among cultivars. Significant differences were also observed among cultivars for all tested sugars (P < 0.001). Titratable acidity was found to be a characteristic feature of almost every cultivar. The results of DNA genotyping indicated high genetic diversity among cultivars with Nei's genetic distances ranging from 0.693 to 3.496, and expected and observed heterozygosity equalling 0.837 and 0.950, respectively. This study highlights the diversity of date palms in Sudan, as represented by apparent morphological characters, chemical composition of fruits as well as DNA polymorphism. The employment of different techniques for data analyses gave conclusive ideas on some interrelationships among a large set of characters; the knowledge of such relationships can be utilized for screening date palm cultivars for possible descriptors.
Epigenetic reprogramming during wound healing: loss of polycomb‐mediated silencing may enable upregulation of repair genes
Authors: Shaw Tanya , Martin Paul
Published: July 2009

Tissue repair is a complex process that requires wound‐edge cells to proliferate and migrate, which in turn necessitates induction of a large repair transcriptome. Epigenetic modifications have emerged as crucial regulators of gene expression. Here, we ask whether epigenetic reprogramming might contribute to the concerted induction of repair genes by wound‐edge cells. Polycomb group proteins (PcGs) co‐operatively silence genes by laying down repressive marks such as histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3), which can be removed by specific demethylases. We show that PcGs Eed, Ezh2 and Suz12 are significantly downregulated during murine skin repair, whereas the newly described demethylases Jmjd3 and Utx are markedly upregulated. Correspondingly, we find a striking reduction of repressive H3K27me3 in the wound epidermis. Quantitative chromatin immunoprecipitation studies have revealed that there is less Eed bound to the regulatory regions of two paradigm wound‐induced genes, Myc and Egfr, suggesting that loss of polycomb‐mediated silencing might contribute to the induction of repair genes.
Inhibition of prostate cancer cell growth by second-site androgen receptor antagonists
Authors: Joseph James D. , Wittmann Bryan M. , Dwyer Mary A. , Cui Huaxia , Dye Delita A. , McDonnell Donald P. , Norris John D.
Published: July 2009

The impact of ligand binding on nuclear receptor (NR) structure and the ability of target cells to distinguish between different receptor-ligand complexes are key determinants of the pharmacological activity of NR ligands. However, until relatively recently, these mechanistic insights have not been used in a prospective manner to develop screens for NR modulators with specific therapeutic activities. Driven by the need for unique androgen receptor (AR) antagonists that retain activity in hormone-refractory prostate cancer, we developed and applied a conformation-based screen to identify AR antagonists that were mechanistically distinct from existing drugs of this class. Two molecules were identified by using this approach, D36 and D80, which interact with AR in a unique manner and allosterically inhibit AR agonist activity. Unlike the clinically important antiandrogens, casodex and hydroxyflutamide, both D36 and D80 block androgen action in cellular models of hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Mechanistically, these compounds further distinguish themselves from classical AR antagonists in that they do not promote AR nuclear translocation and quantitatively inhibit the association of AR with DNA even under conditions of overexpression. Although the therapeutic potential of these antiandrogens is apparent, it is the demonstration that it is possible, to modulate the interaction of cofactors with agonist-activated AR, using second-site modulators, that has the greatest potential with respect to the therapeutic exploitation of AR and other NRs.
Type I interferon (IFN)-dependent activation of Mnk1 and its role in the generation of growth inhibitory responses
Authors: Joshi Sonali , Kaur Surinder , Redig Amanda J. , Goldsborough Katy , David Kevin , Ueda Takeshi , Watanabe-Fukunaga Rie , Baker Darren P. , Fish Eleanor N. , Fukunaga Rikiro , Platanias Leonidas C.
Published: July 2009

We provide evidence for the existence of an IFN-regulated cellular pathway involving the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-integrating kinase (Mnk) 1. Our data demonstrate that type I (α, β) IFNs induce phosphorylation/activation of Mnk1, which, in turn, regulates phosphorylation of the eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) on Ser-209. Such Mnk activation depends on upstream engagement of Jak1, and requires downstream activation of the Mek/Erk MAPK pathway. In studies using double Mnk1−/−Mnk2−/− knockout mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), we found that engagement of Mnk kinases is essential for mRNA translation of theIsg15andIsg54genes, suggesting an important role for this pathway in mRNA translation of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). Importantly, our data demonstrate that pharmacological inhibition of Mnk kinases or siRNA-mediated knockdown of Mnk1 and Mnk2 results in partial reversal of the suppressive effects of IFNα on normal and leukemic hematopoietic progenitors, establishing a key role for this pathway in the generation of the growth inhibitory effects of type I IFNs. Together, our findings establish that the Mnk/eIF4E kinase pathway is activated in an IFN-inducible manner and plays important roles in mRNA translation for ISGs and generation of IFN-inducible anti-proliferative responses.
Reception of Slit requires only the chondroitin–sulphate-modified extracellular domain of Syndecan at the target cell surface
Authors: Chanana Bhavna , Steigemann Patrick , Jäckle Herbert , Vorbrüggen Gerd
Published: July 2009

Syndecan (Sdc) is a conserved transmembrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) bearing additional chondroitin sulfate (CS) modifications on its extracellular domain. In vertebrates, this extracellular domain of Sdc is shed and acts as a soluble effector of cellular communication events, and its cytoplasmic domain participates in intracellular signaling needed to maintain epithelial integrity. In
Drosophila
, Sdc has been shown to be necessary for Slit signaling-dependent axon and myotube guidance during CNS development and muscle pattern formation. We report that Sdc acts in a cell-autonomous manner in Slit-receiving cells and that its membrane-anchored extracellular domain is sufficient to mediate Slit signaling. Sdc activity can be replaced by the human homolog
hsdc2
. However, the HSPG Dally-like protein (Dlp), which lacks CS modifications at its extracellular domain, can only partially substitute for Sdc function, and its activity is not restricted to the Slit target cells. Our results suggest that Sdc and Dlp act in a cooperative but nonredundant fashion in axon and myotube guidance. We propose that Dlp, which lacks CS modifications, participates in the transfer of Slit from its site of expression to the target cells, where CS-modified Sdc concentrates and presents the ligand.
Control of cell membrane tension by myosin-I
Authors: Nambiar Rajalakshmi , McConnell Russell E. , Tyska Matthew J.
Published: July 2009

All cell functions that involve membrane deformation or a change in cell shape (e.g., endocytosis, exocytosis, cell motility, and cytokinesis) are regulated by membrane tension. While molecular contacts between the plasma membrane and the underlying actin cytoskeleton are known to make significant contributions to membrane tension, little is known about the molecules that mediate these interactions. We used an optical trap to directly probe the molecular determinants of membrane tension in isolated organelles and in living cells. Here, we show that class I myosins, a family of membrane-binding, actin-based motor proteins, mediate membrane/cytoskeleton adhesion and thus, make major contributions to membrane tension. These studies show that class I myosins directly control the mechanical properties of the cell membrane; they also position these motor proteins as master regulators of cellular events involving membrane deformation.
The Promise of Online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Training for Rural and Remote Mental Health Professionals
Authors: Bennett-Levy James , Perry Helen
Published: July 2009

Objective: The aim of this paper is to indicate how online cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) training for rural and remote health professionals can enhance access to evidence-based treatments in rural communities and address psychotherapy training shortfalls for rural practitioners treating Australians with high prevalence psychological disorders.

Conclusions: Issues of cost, distance and disruption to services have meant that, until now, it has been very difficult to provide really effective training in evidence-based therapies (in the main, CBT) for Australian rural and remote health professionals. The recent development of online CBT training provides new opportunities. Online training, supplemented by regular supervision, can fulfil many of the functions of face-to-face training at significantly reduced cost. While face-to-face residential workshops will still be necessary to embed new skills, we estimate that online training can reduce the face-to-face time required by at least 50%.
Enhancing the Knowledge and Skills of Advisory and Extension Agents in Mental Health Issues of Farmers
Authors: Hossain Delwar , Gorman Don , Eley Rob
Published: July 2009

Objectives: The aim of this study was to increase knowledge and skills of Advisory and Extension Agents (AEAs) in recognizing the symptoms of mental disorders, providing initial help, and offering the referral pathway for appropriate professional help.

Method: Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training was provided to AEAs and knowledge and skills pre-training were compared to 6-months post-training.

Results: The MHFA training improved the AEAs’ ability to recognize a mental disorder, it increased their confidence level in providing help to someone with a mental health problem, it decreased social distances and positively changed their beliefs about treatment.

Conclusion: MHFA training is effective in enhancing the mental health knowledge and skills of AEAs. The agents, who are a main line of contact of farmers, are able to recognize mental disorders of people and help them appropriately. They are more willing to work with stigmatized people and know who to refer people to for help.
Informing and Implementing Policy to Advance Mental Health and Wellbeing Through Action Research in a Rural Remote Community Mental Health Setting
Authors: Petrie Eileen , Schultz Timothy , Pearson Alan
Published: July 2009

Objectives: The aim of this study was to work collaboratively with a rural Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) to examine the issue of workplace stress and address issues specified by the group.

Method: A five stage action research method following the Susman and Evered Model of Change was implemented for this research with four distinct cycles completed.

Results: A cyclic process of action research established that organizational policies, clinical skills and educational levels of staff were inadequate. Two overarching themes drove the research cycles: staff safety and inadequate education of nursing staff to assess and appropriately manage consumers with mental health issues.

Conclusions: This study found that unsafe environmental conditions in the health workplace and limited staff knowledge contributed to workplace stress. Staff identified as vital strategies to manage aggressive or potentially aggressive incidents effectively and ensure staff and client safety. Managers, policy makers and government officials need awareness of the threats to healthy workforces. Tools to guide practice and staff education were implemented to address the identified problems.
Incorporating Sociocultural Beliefs in Mental Health Services in Kwaio, Solomon Islands
Authors: MacLaren David , Asugeni James , Asugeni Rowena , Kekeubata Esau
Published: July 2009

Objective: The aim of this paper is to describe the newly established mental health services at Atoifi Adventist Hospital, Solomon Islands, the sociocultural context in which it operates, and illustrate how the service is engaging with the Kwaio community to understand and incorporate local sociocultural beliefs into prevention, treatment and recovery journeys.

Method: Five remote hamlets in East Kwaio, Malaita Province were visited in early 2008. Interviews were undertaken with 20 people with a history of buru spirit possession and 30 of their family members.

Results: Buru is a category of wild and malevolent spirits that possess people in East Kwaio and induce antisocial and unexpected behaviour. Signs of buru possession include mutism, suicidal ideas, delusion, aggression and social isolation. Traditional healers practice indigenous treatments with 50% of people receiving treatments described as cured, 30% temporary cured and 20% no effect from treatment.

Conclusions: The new mental health service at Atoifi is taking steps to incorporate sociocultural beliefs, including of people possessed by buru, into routine practice. This provides a greater potential to support prevention, treatment and recovery journeys to advance the community's social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.
Dua Sakit (Double Sick): Trauma and the Settlement Experiences of West Papuan Refugees Living in North Queensland
Authors: Rees Susan , Silove Derrick , Kareth Moses
Published: July 2009

There is mounting evidence of systematic abuses, including torture, rape and extrajudicial killings directed against independence activists as well as the civilian population in Indonesian occupied West Papua. Refugees from West Papua have sought safety in neighbouring Australia, experiencing hazardous journeys during their flight. We report early observations from a mental health study among West Papuan refugees living in North Queensland, Australia. The project includes qualitative methods aimed at gathering histories of trauma and human rights violations as well as standard mental health assessments and indices of acculturation and resettlement stresses. We consider the emerging data from the vantage point of the Adaptation and Development After Persecution and Trauma model that identifies five psychosocial domains that require repair following exposure to gross human rights violations and refugee trauma. The model emphasizes the inter-relatedness of key challenges, the compounding of adversity, and the bivalent effects of complex experiences, with both positive and negative elements shaping the adaptive trajectory of displaced persons. Refugee groups have their own approaches to conceptualizing the complexity of their problems, with the term dua sakit representing the expression used by West Papuans to identify the multiple challenges they face. The study highlights the importance of assessing each refugee group within its unique social and cultural context, taking into account such diverse factors as geographical location, employment, and ongoing conflict in the homeland in designing appropriate interventions.
Poetry – Recovery and Beyond
Authors: Clark Trevor
Published: July 2009

Objective: The aim of this paper is to illustrate through poetry that self-directed recovery from mental illness is possible, and that through vigilance and a supportive network of family and mental health workers, life beyond recovery can be full and rewarding for any consumer.

Conclusions: Through positive choice, a consumer can break the cycle of admission and realize self-empowerment, which can lead to a full and complete life.
Exploring New Kinds of Relationships Using Generative Music-Making Software
Authors: Dillon Steve , Jones Anita
Published: July 2009

This project focuses upon the use of jam2jam, a generative computer system, to increase access to improvization experiences for children and to facilitate new kinds of relationships with artists. The network jamming system uses visual and audio cultural materials to enable communities to be expressive with artistic materials that they value as a community. As the system is part of a network, performances can be shared between communities at great distances and recordings of performances can be uploaded to a digital social network (http://www.jam2jam.com/) and shared both locally and with the wider community. This paper examines a preliminary project where artwork made by Indigenous mental health clients in Far North Queensland was digitized and given to a group of 8–12-year-old urban Indigenous children to ‘improvize’ with and make music/video clips using the jam2jam instrument. It seeks to generate a discussion and identify applications within creative arts-led community health settings to facilitate new kinds of relationships with self, peers, local community, culture and artists through collaborative improvization.
Creative Recovery: Art for Mental Health's Sake
Authors: Dyer Geraldine , Hunter Ernest
Published: July 2009

Objective: This paper describes the background to, implementation of and evaluation challenges associated with an innovative, arts-based, wellbeing and mental health recovery project in a remote Indigenous setting.

Results: Creative Recovery is a community-based arts initiative for Indigenous people with mental health problems. It has been rolled out as a pilot project in a remote Cape York community and is aimed at promoting wellbeing and recovery. The theoretical basis for the initiative is modelled on ideas of the role that social capital plays in improving mental health. This involves both the beneficial impact community participation and the social cohesion it creates can have, not only on an individual's mental health, but also on the social and emotional wellbeing of the communities they are part of. Such initiatives have already been adopted as an integral part of mental health promotion in countries such as the UK, and in other Australian states such as Victoria and Western Australia. The following paper will locate Creative Recovery in the current field of mental health promotion theory and Indigenous social and emotional wellbeing, and will discuss some of the evidence for and challenges inherent in adopting such initiatives.
Pride and Performance: Evaluation Challenges of a Multimedia and Information Technologies Project in Remote Aboriginal Australia
Authors: Hunter Ernest , Travers Helen , Pelham Steven , Gibson Julie , Hermawan Grace , Austin Corey
Published: July 2009

Objectives: This paper explores an approach to an evaluation challenge: to demonstrate the impact of an initiative drawing on innovative use of information/multimedia technology and performance to address perceived social needs within a disadvantaged, remote Indigenous Australian community.

Results: The approach is described and preliminary data are presented supporting the importance of local production and participation.
Art Therapy: Promoting Wellbeing in Rural and Remote Communities
Authors: Sweeney Susan
Published: July 2009

Art therapy encompasses both preventative and curative activities and aims to improve ways of engaging those who might be reticent in seeking more traditional forms of psychological support offered through ‘talking therapies’. The Longreach base of the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Queensland provides mental health support to people living in rural and remote locations in central western Queensland and has been complemented since 2006 by the addition of a full-time art therapist. This paper provides an overview of art therapy and a description of this innovative approach to addressing mental health needs in a rural and remote setting.
Applied Theatre: Performing the Future
Authors: Baldwin Andrea
Published: July 2009

Objective: This paper provides an introduction to applied theatre and performance as a body of practice that may enhance the wellbeing of Indigenous communities. Applied theatre forms are conceptualized along a continuum from ‘performance-oriented’ to ‘participant-oriented’. Participant reflections are reported from a pilot workshop in Papua New Guinea, as a contribution to the evolution of theory and practice of applied theatre for health promotion in Indigenous communities.

Methods: Twelve Papua New Guinean nationals engaged in health promotion participated in the workshop. Participants were invited to reflect on the potential application of the theatre forms for their own health promotion practice. The workshop was qualitatively evaluated through a focus group at the conclusion of the workshop.

Results: Participants identified specific theatre forms which they could use in their own health promotion practice. Several participants articulated a view that participant-oriented forms were more likely to influence health-related behaviour than performance-oriented forms, in their cultural context.

Conclusions: The theatre-for-development literature does not yet clearly articulate how specific theatre forms may be more or less efficacious in terms of influencing health-related behaviour across cultural contexts. More extensive research into this question will yield significant benefits in terms of focusing practice culturally.
Out of a Digital Chrysalis: NIHNMF (Pronounced nymph–The National Indigenous Health and New Media Forum)
Authors: Cattoni Jan , Gamble Lucinda , Gibson Julie , Hunter Ernest , Jones Anita , Mitchell Sarah , Pelham Steven , Smith Rakana , Travers Helen ,   The HITnet team
Published: July 2009

In conjunction with the Creating Futures conference, the inaugural meeting of the National Indigenous Health and New Media Forum (NIHNMF – pronounced as ‘nymph’) was held at the Tanks Gallery in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. This paper describes the background to this innovative meeting of media minds. It also explores an emerging vision for addressing Indigenous health disparities through digital inclusion to overcome the ‘digital divide’ between mainstream and Indigenous Australians that constrains the delivery of appropriate health promotion to this health priority population.
Undertaking a Fellowship in Indigenous Mental Health
Authors: Wand Anne Pamela Frances
Published: July 2009

Objective: The aim of this paper is to report the experiences of the author during her Advanced Training Fellowship year in Indigenous mental health and consultation-liaison psychiatry through the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatry. The description will include a discussion of how such a Fellowship may complement the key learning objectives of advanced training in psychiatry.

Conclusions: A Fellowship in Indigenous mental health can offer a variety of experiences for the psychiatry trainee, including clinical work, research and teaching. The planning and collaboration with Aboriginal health organizations, key clinicians and Ethics committees provides a unique opportunity to learn invaluable communication and consultancy skills.