bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Semi-analytical models of hydroelastic sloshing impact in tanks of liquefied natural gas vessels
Authors: Ten I. , Malenica Š. , Korobkin A.
Published: June 2011

The present paper deals with the methods for the evaluation of the hydroelastic interactions that appear during the violent sloshing impacts inside the tanks of liquefied natural gas carriers. The complexity of both the fluid flow and the structural behaviour (containment system and ship structure) does not allow for a fully consistent direct approach according to the present state of the art. Several simplifications are thus necessary in order to isolate the most dominant physical aspects and to treat them properly. In this paper, choice was made of semi-analytical modelling for the hydrodynamic part and finite-element modelling for the structural part. Depending on the impact type, different hydrodynamic models are proposed, and the basic principles of hydroelastic coupling are clearly described and validated with respect to the accuracy and convergence of the numerical results.
A comparative analysis of neural taste processing in animals
Authors: Sanchez Gabriela de Brito , Giurfa Martin
Published: June 2011

Understanding taste processing in the nervous system is a fundamental challenge of modern neuroscience. Recent research on the neural bases of taste coding in invertebrates and vertebrates allows discussion of whether labelled-line or across-fibre pattern encoding applies to taste perception. While the former posits that each gustatory receptor responds to one stimulus or a very limited range of stimuli and sends a direct ‘line’ to the central nervous system to communicate taste information, the latter postulates that each gustatory receptor responds to a wider range of stimuli so that the entire population of taste-responsive neurons participates in the taste code. Tastes are represented in the brain of the fruitfly and of the rat by spatial patterns of neural activity containing both distinct and overlapping regions, which are in accord with both labelled-line and across-fibre pattern processing of taste, respectively. In both animal models, taste representations seem to relate to the hedonic value of the tastant (e.g. palatable versus non-palatable). Thus, although the labelled-line hypothesis can account for peripheral taste processing, central processing remains either unknown or differs from a pure labelled-line coding. The essential task for a neuroscience of taste is, therefore, to determine the connectivity of taste-processing circuits in central nervous systems. Such connectivity may determine coding strategies that differ significantly from both the labelled-line and the across-fibre pattern models.
Mapping behavioural evolution onto brain evolution: the strategic roles of conserved organization in individuals and species
Authors: Finlay Barbara L. , Hinz Flora , Darlington Richard B.
Published: June 2011

The pattern of individual variation in brain component structure in pigs, minks and laboratory mice is very similar to variation across species in the same components, at a reduced scale. This conserved pattern of allometric scaling resembles robotic architectures designed to be robust to changes in computing power and task demands, and may reflect the mechanism by which both growing and evolving brains defend basic sensory, motor and homeostatic functions at multiple scales. Conserved scaling rules also have implications for species-specific sensory and social communication systems, motor competencies and cognitive abilities. The role of relative changes in neuron number in the central nervous system in producing species-specific behaviour is thus highly constrained, while changes in the sensory and motor periphery, and in motivational and attentional systems increase in probability as the principal loci producing important changes in functional neuroanatomy between species. By their nature, these loci require renewed attention to development and life history in the initial organization and production of species-specific behavioural abilities.
The levels of analysis revisited
Authors: MacDougall-Shackleton Scott A.
Published: June 2011

The term
levels of analysis
has been used in several ways: to distinguish between ultimate and proximate levels, to categorize different kinds of research questions and to differentiate levels of reductionism. Because questions regarding ultimate function and proximate mechanisms are logically distinct, I suggest that distinguishing between these two levels is the best use of the term. Integrating across levels in research has potential risks, but many benefits. Consideration at one level can help generate novel hypotheses at the other, define categories of behaviour and set criteria that must be addressed. Taking an adaptationist stance thus strengthens research on proximate mechanisms. Similarly, it is critical for researchers studying adaptation and function to have detailed knowledge of proximate mechanisms that may constrain or modulate evolutionary processes. Despite the benefits of integrating across ultimate and proximate levels, failure to clearly identify levels of analysis, and whether or not hypotheses are exclusive alternatives, can create false debates. Such non-alternative hypotheses may occur between or within levels, and are not limited to integrative approaches. In this review, I survey different uses of the term
levels of analysis
and the benefits of integration, and highlight examples of false debate within and between levels. The best integrative biology reciprocally uses ultimate and proximate hypotheses to generate a more complete understanding of behaviour.
Evo-devo, deep homology and FoxP2: implications for the evolution of speech and language
Authors: Scharff Constance , Petri Jana
Published: June 2011

The evolution of novel morphological features, such as feathers, involves the modification of developmental processes regulated by gene networks. The fact that genetic novelty operates within developmental constraints is the central tenet of the ‘evo-devo’ conceptual framework. It is supported by findings that certain molecular regulatory pathways act in a similar manner in the development of morphological adaptations, which are not directly related by common ancestry but evolved convergently. ThePax6gene, important for vision in molluscs, insects and vertebrates, andHoxgenes, important for tetrapod limbs and fish fins, exemplify this ‘deep homology’. Recently, ‘evo-devo’ has expanded to the molecular analysis of behavioural traits, including social behaviour, learning and memory. Here, we apply this approach to the evolution of human language. Human speech is a form of auditory-guided, learned vocal motor behaviour that also evolved in certain species of birds, bats and ocean mammals. Genes relevant for language, including the transcription factorFOXP2, have been identified. We review evidence that FoxP2 and its regulatory gene network shapes neural plasticity in cortico-basal ganglia circuits underlying the sensory-guided motor learning in animal models. The emerging picture can help us understand how complex cognitive traits can ‘descend with modification’.
Evo-devo and accounting for Darwin's endless forms
Authors: Brakefield Paul M.
Published: June 2011

Evo-devo has led to dramatic advances in our understanding of how the processes of development can contribute to explaining patterns of evolutionary diversification that underlie the endless forms of animal life on the Earth. This is increasingly the case not only for the origins of evolutionary novelties that permit new functions and open up new adaptive zones, but also for the processes of evolutionary tinkering that occur within the subsequent radiations of related species. Evo-devo has time and again yielded spectacular examples of Darwin's notions of common ancestry and of descent with modification. It has also shown that the evolution of endless forms is more about the evolution of the regulatory machinery of ancient genes than the origin and elaboration of new genes. Evolvability, especially with respect to the capacity of a developmental system to evolve and to generate the variation in form for natural selection to screen, has become a pivotal focus of evo-devo. As a consequence, a balancing of the concept of endless forms in morphospace with a greater awareness of the potential for developmental constraints and bias is becoming more general. The prospect of parallel horizons opening up for the evolution of behaviour is exciting; in particular, does Sean Carroll's phrase referring to old genes learning new tricks in the evolution of endless forms apply equally as well to patterns of diversity and disparity in behavioural trait-space?
Comparison of anti‐diabetic drug prescribing in children and adolescents in seven European countries
Authors: Neubert Antje , Hsia Yingfen , de Jong‐van den Berg Lolkje T. W. , Janhsen Katrin , Glaeske Gerd , Furu Kari , Kieler Helle , Nørgaard Mette , Clavenna Antonio , Wong Ian C. K.
Published: June 2011

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT

• The incidence of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes is rising among children and adolescents.

• Data on the prevalence of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are limited.

• Routine clinical databases can be used to study the prevalence and epidemiology of treatment, depending on the completeness of data capture and their representativeness of the whole population.

WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS

• The prevalence of insulin prescribing appears to vary among countries, being highest in Sweden (3.5 per 1000 population) and lowest in Italy (1.1 per 1000 population).

• The prevalence of oral anti‐diabetic prescribing ranges from 0.08 per 1000 population in Sweden and Germany to 0.21 per 1000 population in the UK; however, the total number of patients receiving oral anti‐diabetics is low.

• It is possible to use the same study protocol across clinical databases in Europe to study the prevalence of type 1 diabetes in children.

• Routine clinical databases can identify the prevalence of type 1 diabetes prescribing and could be used to study the secular changes in disease prevalence in children.

AIMS The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of diabetes in children across seven European countries, when using prescribing of anti‐diabetics as a proxy for diabetes. A secondary aim was to assess the potential for collaboration between countries using different databases in diabetes research.

METHODS Data were obtained from population‐based clinical databases in seven European countries. The study population comprised children aged 0–18 years. Prescriptions were categorized using the Anatomic Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification. The one‐year user prevalence in 2008 was calculated for each country and stratified by age and sex.

RESULTS We studied a total of 5.8 million children and adolescents. The prevalence of insulin prescribing varied between 1.1 and 3.5 per 1000 population, being highest in Sweden and lowest in Italy. In all countries, novel insulin analogues were the most commonly used insulins. The prevalence of oral anti‐diabetic prescribing ranged from 0.08 per 1000 individuals in Sweden and Germany to 0.21 per 1000 population in the UK. Overall, the absolute number of oral anti‐diabetic users was very low.

CONCLUSION This study shows that there is a varying frequency of type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents across Europe. We also demonstrated that it is possible to obtain similar information from different clinical databases within Europe, which would allow continuous monitoring of type 1 diabetes. Owing to the lack of indications in most of the databases, this approach is less suitable for type 2 diabetes.
Aggressive behaviour in at‐risk children: contribution of subjective well‐being and family cohesion
Authors: Hamama Liat , Arazi Yael
Published: June 2011

We examined the contributors to aggressive behaviour in 111 at‐risk Israeli children aged 9–13 years who attended day centres over several years to prevent removal from their homes. This non‐normative transition to a day centre represents a difficult period of change for these children, which often manifests in aggressive behaviours, at least in the short term. To elucidate predictors of aggressive behaviour, we investigated a familial variable (family cohesion) and a personal variable (subjective well‐being [SWB]) that were previously shown to correlate with various aspects of children's aggression. Children's self‐reports underscored the importance of SWB for their aggressive behaviour. SWB's cognitive component – life satisfaction – correlated significantly with all four measures of aggressive behaviour (physical violence, verbal violence, anger and hostility). SWB's emotional component – negative affect – correlated significantly with all but verbal violence. Interestingly, SWB was found to mediate the hostility dimension of aggression (as well as family cohesion). Other significant findings revealed that family cohesion correlated positively with SWB (life satisfaction and positive affect) and correlated negatively with aggression (physical violence, verbal violence, anger and hostility). Various explanations were discussed alongside implications for day care staff's individual and family interventions.
Molecular evidence for Pleistocene refugia at the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: ZHAN XIANGJIANG , ZHENG YIFANG , WEI FUWEN , BRUFORD MICHAEL W. , JIA CHENXI
Published: June 2011

The role of the Quaternary ice ages in forming the contemporary genetic structure of populations has been well studied in a number of global regions. However, due to the different nature of glaciations and complex topography, their role in shaping eastern Eurasian genetic diversity, particular in areas surrounding the Tibetan Plateau have remained largely unstudied. We aimed to address this question by examining the genetic structure of an alpine forest‐associated taxon, the blood pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus) to infer its phylogeographic history. We detected three phylogenetic lineages and four current population groups. By comparing molecular and palaeovegetation data, we found that major glaciations during the Pleistocene have had a major impact upon the current genetic diversity of this species. Coalescent simulations indicate that the populations retreated to different refugia during some glacial periods in the Pleistocene, but persisted through the last glacial maximum (LGM). The most significant recent population expansion was found to have occurred before the LGM, during which palaeoclimatic data indicate that the climate was both warmer and wetter than today. In contrast, during the LGM populations may have adopted an altitudinal shift strategy in order to track changes in alpine glaciers, exemplifying a general response for montane species in the region where alpine glaciations were not large enough to cause qualitative changes in vegetation. Although analysis based on a plumage related gene showed that divergent selection may have contributed to current patterns of intra‐specific diversity, demographic isolation is inferred to have played a more dominant role.
Colonization of the Tibetan Plateau by the homoploid hybrid pine Pinus densata
Authors: WANG BAOSHENG , MAO JIAN‐FENG , GAO JIE , ZHAO WEI , WANG XIAO‐RU
Published: June 2011

Pinus densata is an intriguingly successful homoploid hybrid species that occupies vast areas of the southeastern Tibetan Plateau in which neither of its parental species are present, but the colonization processes involved are poorly understood. To shed light on how this species colonized and became established on the plateau, we surveyed paternally inherited chloroplast (cp) and maternally inherited mitochondrial (mt) DNA variation within and among 54 populations of P. densata and its putative parental species throughout their respective ranges. Strong spatial genetic structure of both cp and mtDNA were detected in P. densata populations. Mitotypes specific to P. densata were likely generated by complex recombination events. A putative ancestral hybrid zone in the northeastern periphery of P. densata was identified, and we propose that the species then colonized the plateau by migrating westwards. Along the colonization route, consecutive bottlenecks and surfing of rare alleles caused a significant reduction in genetic diversity and strong population differentiation. The direction and intensity of introgression from parental species varied among geographic regions. In western parts of its range, the species seems to have been isolated from seed and pollen flow from its parent species for a long time. The observed spatial distribution of genetic diversity in P. densata also appears to reflect the persistence of this species on the plateau during the last glaciation. Our results indicate that both ancient and contemporary population dynamics have contributed to the spatial distribution of genetic diversity in P. densata, which accordingly reflects its evolutionary history.
Accelerating yield potential in soybean: potential targets for biotechnological improvement
Authors: AINSWORTH ELIZABETH A. , YENDREK CRAIG R. , SKONECZKA JEFFREY A. , LONG STEPHEN P.
Published: June 2011

Soybean (Glycine max Merr.) is the world's most widely grown legume and provides an important source of protein and oil. Global soybean production and yield per hectare increased steadily over the past century with improved agronomy and development of cultivars suited to a wide range of latitudes. In order to meet the needs of a growing world population without unsustainable expansion of the land area devoted to this crop, yield must increase at a faster rate than at present. Here, the historical basis for the yield gains realized in the past 90 years are examined together with potential metabolic targets for achieving further improvements in yield potential. These targets include improving photosynthetic efficiency, optimizing delivery and utilization of carbon, more efficient nitrogen fixation and altering flower initiation and abortion. Optimization of investment in photosynthetic enzymes, bypassing photorespiratory metabolism, engineering the electron transport chain and engineering a faster recovery from the photoprotected state are different strategies to improve photosynthesis in soybean. These potential improvements in photosynthetic carbon gain will need to be matched by increased carbon and nitrogen transport to developing soybean pods and seeds in order to maximize the benefit. Better understanding of control of carbon and nitrogen transport along with improved knowledge of the regulation of flower initiation and abortion will be needed to optimize sink capacity in soybean. Although few single targets are likely to deliver a quantum leap in yields, biotechnological advances in molecular breeding techniques that allow for alteration of the soybean genome and transcriptome promise significant yield gains.
Sulphur dioxide evokes a large scale reprogramming of the grape berry transcriptome associated with oxidative signalling and biotic defence responses
Authors: GIRAUD ESTELLE , IVANOVA ANETA , GORDON COLIN S. , WHELAN JAMES , CONSIDINE MICHAEL J.
Published: June 2011

The grape and wine industries are heavily reliant on sulphite preservatives. However, the view that sulphites act directly on bacterial and fungal pathogens may be simplistic. Mechanisms of sulphur‐enhanced defences are largely unknown; many sulphur‐rich compounds enhance plant defences and sulphite can also have oxidative consequences via production of H2O2 or sulphitolysis. To investigate the effects of sulphur dioxide (SO2) on fresh table grapes (Vitis vinifera L. ‘Crimson Seedless’), transcriptome analysis was carried out on berries treated with SO2 under commercial conditions for 21 d. We found a broad perturbation of metabolic processes, consistent with a large‐scale stress response. Transcripts encoding putative sulphur‐metabolizing enzymes indicated that sulphite was directed towards chelation and conjugation, and away from oxidation to sulphate. The results indicated that redox poise was altered dramatically by SO2 treatment, evidenced by alterations in plastid and mitochondrial alternative electron transfer pathways, up‐regulation of fermentation transcripts and numerous glutathione S‐transferases, along with a down‐regulation of components involved in redox homeostasis. Features of biotic stress were up‐regulated, notably signalling via auxin, ethylene and jasmonates. Taken together, this inventory of transcriptional responses is consistent with a long‐term cellular response to oxidative stress, similar to the effects of reactive oxygen species.
Intron splicing suppresses RNA silencing in Arabidopsis
Authors: Christie Michael , Croft Larry J. , Carroll Bernard J.
Published: June 2011

Silencing of introduced transgenes constitutes a major bottleneck in the production of transgenic crops. Commonly, these transgenes contain no introns, a feature shared with transposons, which are also prime targets for gene silencing. Given that introns are very common in endogenous genes but are often lacking in transgenes and transposons, we hypothesised that introns may suppress gene silencing. To investigate this, we conducted a genome‐wide analysis of small RNA densities in exons from intronless versus intron‐containing genes in Arabidopsis thaliana. We found that small RNA libraries are strongly enriched for exon sequences derived from intronless genes. Small RNA densities in exons of intronless genes were comparable to exons of transposable elements. To test these findings in vivo we used a transgenic reporter system to determine whether introns are able to suppress gene silencing in Arabidopsis. Introducing an intron into a transgene reduced silencing by more than fourfold. Compared with intronless transcripts, the spliced transcripts were less effective substrates for RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase 6‐mediated gene silencing. This intron suppression of transgene silencing requires efficient intron splicing and is dependent on ABH1, the Arabidopsis orthologue of human cap‐binding protein 80.
The MADS box gene, FOREVER YOUNG FLOWER, acts as a repressor controlling floral organ senescence and abscission in Arabidopsis
Authors: Chen Ming‐Kun , Hsu Wei‐Han , Lee Pei‐Fang , Thiruvengadam Muthu , Chen Hong‐Ie , Yang Chang‐Hsien
Published: June 2011

The ectopic expression of a MADS box gene FOREVER YOUNG FLOWER (FYF) caused a significant delay of senescence and a deficiency of abscission in flowers of transgenic Arabidopsis. The defect in floral abscission was found to be due to a deficiency in the timing of cell separation of the abscission zone cells. Down‐regulation of INFLORESCENCE DEFICIENT IN ABSCISSION (IDA) may contribute to the delay of the floral abscission in 35S:FYF flowers. FYF was found to be highly expressed in young flowers prior to pollination and was significantly decreased after pollination, a pattern that correlated with its function. Ethylene insensitivity in senescence/abscission and the down‐regulation of ETHYLENE RESPONSE DNA‐BINDING FACTOR 1 (EDF1) and EDF2, downstream genes in the ethylene response, in 35S:FYF Arabidopsis suggested a role for FYF in regulating senescence/abscission by suppressing the ethylene response. This role was further supported by the fact that 35S:FYF enhanced the delay of flower senescence/abscission in ethylene response 1 (etr1), ethylene‐insensitive 2 (ein2) and constitutive triple response 1 (ctr1) mutants, which have defects in upstream genes of the ethylene signaling pathway. The presence of a repressor domain in the C‐terminus of FYF and the enhancement of the delay of senescence/abscission in FYF+SRDX (containing a suppression motif) transgenic plants suggested that FYF acts as a repressor. Indeed, in FYF‐DR+VP16 transgenic dominant‐negative mutant plants, in which FYF was converted to a potent activator by fusion to a VP16‐AD motif, the senescence/abscission of the flower organs was significantly promoted, and the expression of BOP2, IDA and EDF1/2 was up‐regulated. Our data suggest a role for FYF in controlling floral senescence/abscission by repressing ethylene responses and regulating the expression of BOP2 and IDA in Arabidopsis.
Nitric oxide accumulation in Arabidopsis is independent of NOA1 in the presence of sucrose
Authors: Van Ree Kalie , Gehl Bernadette , Wassim Chehab E. , Tsai Yu‐Chang , Braam Janet
Published: June 2011

Nitric oxide signals diverse responses in animals and plants. Whereas nitric oxide synthesis mechanisms in animals are well understood, how nitric oxide is synthesized and regulated in plants remains controversial. NOA1 is a circularly permuted GTPase that is important for chloroplast function and is implicated in nitric oxide synthesis. However, the reported consequences of a null mutation in NOA1 are inconsistent. Whereas some studies indicate that the noa1 mutant has severe reductions in nitric oxide accumulation, others report that nitric oxide levels are indistinguishable between noa1 and the wild type. Here, we identify a correlation between the reported ability of noa1 to accumulate nitric oxide with growth on sucrose‐supplemented media. We report that noa1 accumulates both basal and salicylic acid‐induced nitric oxide only when grown on media containing sucrose. In contrast, nitric oxide accumulation in wild type is largely insensitive to sucrose supplementation. When grown in the absence of sucrose, noa1 has low fumarate, pale green leaves, slow growth and reduced chlorophyll content. These phenotypes are consistent with a defect in chloroplast‐derived photosynthate production and are largely rescued by sucrose supplementation. We conclude that NOA1 has a primary role in chloroplast function and that its effects on the accumulation of nitric oxide are likely to be indirect.
The cure model: an improved way to describe seed germination?
Authors: ONOFRI A , MESGARAN M B , TEI F , COUSENS R D
Published: June 2011

Onofri A, Mesgaran MB, Tei F & Cousens RD (2011). The cure model: an improved way to describe seed germination? Weed Research51, 516–524.

Traditional methods of data analysis (anova and linear/non‐linear regression) may often not be appropriate for datasets resulting from seed germination/emergence assays. One major problem is that they take the form of ‘time to event’ data with censoring, i.e. the event is only known to have occurred within an interval of time. Parametric survival models have, therefore, been proposed as appropriate alternatives. These, in turn, have the disadvantage that they assume that all the seeds will germinate at some future time, conflicting with the fact that a proportion of ungerminated viable seeds is frequently observed at the end of an experiment. The ‘cure’ model, which we present here, has been used in cancer research as an extension to parametric survival models, to account for a final fraction of individuals that is cured from the disease under study and will not die because of that cause. We show that the ‘cure’ model holds the potential to be used successfully in germination assays, as an extension to non‐linear regression and conventional accelerated failure time (AFT) models, with several logical improvements in terms of distributional assumptions and censoring. By way of selected examples, it is shown that the ‘cure’ model can separate the effect of factors/covariates on germination capacity (final germination percentage) from that on germination velocity (germination rate) and uniformity (synchrony of germination), which may represent an advantage from a biological point of view.
Litter effects on seedling establishment interact with seed position and earthworm activity
Authors: Donath T. W. , Eckstein R. L.
Published: June 2011

Seedling establishment is influenced by litter cover and by seed predators, but little is known about interactions between these two factors. We tested their effects on emergence of five typical grassland species in a microcosm experiment. We manipulated the amounts of grass litter, seed sowing position and earthworm activity to determine whether: (i) the protective effect of litter against seed predation depends on cover amount and seed sowing position, i.e., on top or beneath litter; (ii) seed transport by earthworms changes the effect of seed sowing position on seedling emergence; and (iii) seeds transported into deeper soil layers by earthworms are still germinable. Litter cover and presence of earthworms lowered seedling emergence. The impact of seed position increased with seed size. Emergence of large‐seeded species was reduced when sown on the surface. Additionally, we found an important seed position × earthworm interaction related to seed size. Emergence of large‐seeded species sown on top of the litter was up to three times higher when earthworms were present than without earthworms. Earthworms also significantly altered the depth distribution of seeds in the soil and across treatments: on average 6% of seeds germinated after burial. In contrast to the seed position effect, we found no size effect on mobility and germinability of seeds after burial in the soil. Nevertheless, the fate of different‐sized seeds may differ. While burial will remove large seeds from the regeneration pool, it may enhance seed bank build up in small‐seeded species. Consequently, changes in the amount of litter cover and the invertebrate community play a significant role in plant community composition.
Pedometer walking plus motivational interviewing program for Thai schizophrenic patients with obesity or overweight: A 12‐week, randomized, controlled trial
Authors: Methapatara Waritnan , Srisurapanont Manit
Published: June 2011

Aim:  The aim of this study was to design and examine a program called the ‘pedometer walking plus motivational interviewing (PWMI) program’ in schizophrenic patients who are obese or overweight.

Methods:  This was a 12‐week, randomized, parallel, open‐label, controlled trial in mildly ill schizophrenic patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 23.0 kg/m2 or more. Each participant in the intervention or control group was given a leaflet entitled ‘What is a healthy lifestyle?’ The 1‐week, PWMI program consisted of five 1‐h sessions of individual motivational interviewing, group education, goal‐setting, and practising of pedometer walking. The pedometers were given to the intervention group only. Weight, height, BMI and waist circumference were assessed at baseline, week 4, week 8, and week 12. The primary outcome of this trial was the changed bodyweight at week 4, week 8, and week 12.

Results:  Of 64 participants, 32 each were randomly allocated to intervention and control groups. All participants completed the study. Only the means of changed bodyweight at week 12 were significantly different between groups (P = 0.03). At this week, the bodyweight of the intervention group decreased significantly more than that of the control group with a mean difference of 2.21 kg (95% confidence interval of 4.12–0.29).

Conclusion:  Increased physical activity by pedometer walking plus individual motivational interviewing may be an effective program for the reduction of bodyweight and BMI in Thai schizophrenic patients who are obese or overweight. Its efficacy may be comparable to other cognitive/behavioral programs. Further studies in larger sample sizes are warranted.
Prevalence and severity of voice and swallowing difficulties in mitochondrial disease
Authors: Read Jennifer L. , Whittaker Roger G. , Miller Nick , Clark Sue , Taylor Robert , McFarland Robert , Turnbull Douglass
Published: June 2011

Background: Mutations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cause a broad spectrum of clinical phenotypes. Anecdotal evidence suggests that voice and swallow problems are a common feature of these diseases.

Aims: To characterize accurately the prevalence and severity of voice and swallow problems in a large cohort of patients with mitochondrial disease.

Methods & Procedures: Patients with proven mitochondrial disease were sent validated questionnaires to assess both voice and swallow function. The presence of voice and swallow symptoms was correlated with other clinical features of mitochondrial disease in affected patients.

Outcomes & Results: From the original 177 patients contacted, 98 swallowing status questionnaires and 96 Voice Handicap Index questionnaires were returned, response rates of 55% and 54%, respectively. Swallow: 48% of patients reported more difficulties with swallowing than control participants. Patients with single mtDNA deletions were most likely to report problems (65.2%), with patients with an m.8344A>G point mutation least likely (33.3%). All genotypes had a mean severity score in excess of the normal range, the highest mean score being found in the single large‐scale mtDNA deletion group (10.12), the lowest in the m.3243A>G group (5.56) Voice; 48% of patients reported some difficulty with voice. Patients with single large‐scale deletions showed the highest prevalence (65.2%), patients with the m.3243A>G mutation the lowest (33%). The most severe voice difficulties were reported by patients with an m.8344A>G point mutation. Patients with an m.3243A>G point mutation had the mildest and lowest incidence of voice problems. All genotypes scored outside of the normal range expected on the VHI overall (≥11.5 in control trials). Patients with an m.8344A>G point mutation reported a significantly higher degree of physical voice handicap than m.3243A>G patients (13.13 versus 4.40, p = 0.02). In patients with either single or multiple mtDNA deletions the likely pathophysiological mechanism is of proximal muscle weakness, whereas in patients with the m.8344A>G mutation cerebellar ataxia is the likely cause.

Conclusions & Implications: Dysphagia and dysarthria have been identified as symptoms in previous research, however the prevalence and pathophysiology of these symptoms have not been explored. This paper indicates that voice and swallow problems are a common, though predominantly mild feature of mitochondrial disease and that there is a core group of pathophysiological symptoms linked to the presence of voice and swallowing problems. This paper recommends early referral to speech and language therapists to identify emerging dysphonia and dysphagia and to provide appropriate intervention.
Pluralistic business ethics: the significance and justification of moral free space in integrative social contracts theory
Authors: Dempsey James
Published: June 2011

Integrative social contracts theory (ISCT) has been an influential theory in normative business ethics for well over a decade, drawing attention both as an object of criticism and as a source of inspiration. In this paper I argue that, despite this attention, the fact that it is a genuinely pluralistic theory, in the tradition of pluralistic theories of political philosophy, is often overlooked. It is in the notion of moral free space that this pluralism is most clearly expressed. This oversight is unfortunate for two reasons. Firstly, it prevents the potential of ISCT, as a normative theory of business ethics, from being appreciated fully; secondly, it leads us to ignore resources that could help tackle its most problematic flaws. In this second respect, I show how some of these flaws could be addressed by paying closer attention to the similarities between ISCT and John Rawls' theory ofPolitical Liberalism.
The missing subject found in the subject who does the thinking: Kierkegaard, the ethical and the subjectivity of the critical theorists
Authors: Woźniak Anna
Published: June 2011

The project of critical management theory is based on a view of a theorist who intervenes in the activity of managers and employees aiming at their emancipation. It involves an image of subjectivity governed by structural determinants that render the subject incapable of freeing himself without a scholar's involvement. In the discussion that follows, I seek to explain how this image has been developed and how it paved the way to ethical–methodological necessity, which obliges the theorist to intervene in the realities of the objects of their study. I contrast this with a view of subjectivity provided by Søren Kierkegaard. I explain how he theorizes its relationship with the ethical and the limitations in generating knowledge claims about the morality of the other.
Vilification and Values
Authors: Nelson Thomas E. , Gwiasda Gregory , Lyons Joseph
Published: June 2011

Social values are an important foundation of political attitudes, yet political controversies often embody conflicts between values, placing the citizen in an awkward position of having to prioritize competing values. One strategy is to consider the groups that are symbolically associated with the competing values. Groups held in high esteem will enhance associated values; groups held in disregard will diminish associated values. Persuasive communicators exploit this process by assailing groups that have been publicly associated with certain issue positions or values as “extreme” or “radical.” Even if the group represents a consensus value like equal opportunity, the extremist label suggests the group's agenda embodies an excessive and uncompromising imposition of this value. This article reports on four experiments that investigated how the extremist label can undermine support for a group's position. We further examine how reputation affects judgments of value priorities.
Neuroculture, active ageing and the ‘older brain’: problems, promises and prospects
Authors: Williams Simon J. , Higgs Paul , Katz Stephen
Published: June 2011

This article explores the characteristics of a newly emergent ‘neuroculture’ and its relationship to cultures of ageing; in particular, the social meanings associated with ‘active ageing’ and ‘cognitive health’ and the discourses and sciences around memory and the ‘ageing brain’. The argument proposes a critical perspective on this relationship by looking at the shifting boundaries between standards of normality and abnormality, values of health and illness, practices of therapy and enhancement, and the lines demarcating Third Age (healthy, active and agentic) and Fourth Age (dependency, loss and decline) periods of ageing. Conclusions offer further reflections on the complex questions that arise regarding expectations, hopes and ethics in relation to the promises and perils of a neurocultural future.
ADARs: allies or enemies? The importance of A‐to‐I RNA editing in human disease: from cancer to HIV‐1
Authors: Gallo Angela , Locatelli Franco
Published: June 2011

Adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADARs) are enzymes that convert adenosine (A) to inosine (I) in nuclear‐encoded RNAs and viral RNAs. The activity of ADARs has been demonstrated to be essential in mammals and serves to fine‐tune different proteins and modulate many molecular pathways. Recent findings have shown that ADAR activity is altered in many pathological tissues. Moreover, it has been shown that modulation of RNA editing is important for cell proliferation and migration, and has a protective effect on ischaemic insults. This review summarises available recent knowledge on A‐to‐I RNA editing and ADAR enzymes, with particular attention given to the emerging role played by these enzymes in cancer, some infectious diseases and immune‐mediated disorders.
The evolution of endothermy in Cenozoic mammals: a plesiomorphic‐apomorphic continuum
Authors: Lovegrove Barry Gordon
Published: June 2011

The evolution of endothermy in birds and mammals was one of the most important events in the evolution of the vertebrates. Past tests of hypotheses on the evolution of endothermy in mammals have relied largely on analyses of the relationship between basal and maximum metabolic rate, and artificial selection experiments. I argue that components of existing hypotheses, as well as new hypotheses, can be tested using an alternative macrophysiological modeling approach by examining the development of endothermy during the Cenozoic. Recent mammals display a 10°C range in body temperature which is sufficiently large to identify the selective forces that have driven the development of endothermy from a plesiomorphic (ancestral) Cretaceous or Jurassic condition. A model is presented (the Plesiomorphic‐Apomorphic Endothermy Model, PAE Model) which proposes that heterothermy, i.e. bouts of normothermy (constant body temperature) interspersed with adaptive heterothermy (e.g. daily torpor and/or hibernation), was the ancestral condition from which apomorphic (derived), rigid homeothermy evolved. All terrestrial mammal lineages are examined for existing data to test the model, as well as for missing data that could be used to test the model.

With the exception of Scandentia and Dermoptera, about which little is known, all mammalian orders that include small‐sized mammals (<500 g), have species which are heterothermic and display characteristics of endothermy which fall somewhere along a plesiomorphic‐apomorphic continuum. Orders which do not have heterothermic representatives (Cetartiodactyla, Perissodactyla, Pholidota, and Lagomorpha) are comprised of medium‐ to large‐sized mammals that have either lost the capacity for heterothermy, or in which heterothermy has yet to be measured. Mammalian heterothermy seems to be plesiomorphic and probably evolved once in the mammalian lineage. Several categories of endothermy are identified (protoendothermy, plesioendothermy, apoendothermy, basoendothermy, mesoendothermy, supraendothermy, and reversed mesoendothermy) to describe the evolution of endothermy during the Cenozoic. The PAE Model should facilitate the testing of hypotheses using a range of macrophysiological methods (e.g. the comparative method and the reconstruction of ancestral states).
Enhancing survival of photoreceptor cells in vivo using the synthetic progestin Norgestrel
Authors: Doonan Francesca , O’Driscoll Carolyn , Kenna Paul , Cotter Thomas G.
Published: June 2011

J. Neurochem. (2011) 118, 915–927.

Retinal degenerations such as Retinitis Pigmentosa remain difficult to treat given the diverse array of genes responsible for their aetiology. Rather than concentrate on specific genes, our focus is on identifying therapeutic avenues for the treatment of retinal disease that target general survival mechanisms or pathways. Norgestrel is a synthetic progestin commonly used in hormonal contraception. Here, we report a novel anti‐apoptotic role for Norgestrel in diseased mouse retinas in vivo. Dosing with Norgestrel protects photoreceptor cells from undergoing apoptosis in two distinct models of retinal degeneration; the light damage model and the Pde6brd10 model. Photoreceptor rescue was assessed by analysis of cell number, structural integrity and function. Improvements in cell survival of up to 70% were achieved in both disease models, indicating that apoptosis had been halted or at least delayed. A speculative mechanism of action for Norgestrel involves activation of survival pathways in the retina. Indeed, Norgestrel increases the expression of basic fibroblast growth factor which is known to both promote cell survival and inhibit apoptosis. In summary, our results demonstrate significant protection of photoreceptor cells which may be attributed to Norgestrel mediated activation of endogenous survival pathways within the retina.
Subsecond regulation of striatal dopamine release by pre‐synaptic KATP channels
Authors: Patel Jyoti C. , Witkovsky Paul , Coetzee William A. , Rice Margaret E.
Published: June 2011

J. Neurochem. (2011) 118, 721–736.

ATP‐sensitive K+ (KATP) channels are composed of pore‐forming subunits, typically Kir6.2 in neurons, and regulatory sulfonylurea receptor subunits. In dorsal striatum, activity‐dependent H2O2 produced from glutamate receptor activation inhibits dopamine release via KATP channels. Sources of modulatory H2O2 include striatal medium spiny neurons, but not dopaminergic axons. Using fast‐scan cyclic voltammetry in guinea‐pig striatal slices and immunohistochemistry, we determined the time window for H2O2/KATP‐channel‐mediated inhibition and assessed whether modulatory KATP channels are on dopaminergic axons. Comparison of paired‐pulse suppression of dopamine release in the absence and presence of glibenclamide, a KATP‐channel blocker, or mercaptosuccinate, a glutathione peroxidase inhibitor that enhances endogenous H2O2 levels, revealed a time window for inhibition of 500–1000 ms after stimulation. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated localization of Kir6.2 KATP‐channel subunits on dopaminergic axons. Consistent with the presence of functional KATP channels on dopaminergic axons, KATP‐channel openers, diazoxide and cromakalim, suppressed single‐pulse evoked dopamine release. Although cholinergic interneurons that tonically regulate dopamine release also express KATP channels, diazoxide did not induce the enhanced frequency responsiveness of dopamine release seen with nicotinic‐receptor blockade. Together, these studies reveal subsecond regulation of striatal dopamine release by endogenous H2O2 acting at KATP channels on dopaminergic axons, including a role in paired‐pulse suppression.
“All the Money in the World …” Patient Perspectives Regarding the Influence of Financial Incentives
Authors: Reisinger Heather Schacht , Brackett Rachel Horner , Buzza Colin D. , Páez Monica B. Williams , Gourley Ryan , Vander Weg Mark W. , Christensen Alan J. , Kaboli Peter J.
Published: June 2011

Objective. To analyze patient perspectives of the use of financial incentives in a hypertension intervention.

Study Setting. Twelve Veterans Affairs primary care clinics over a 9‐month period.

Study Design. Qualitative semistructured interviews conducted with 54 hypertensive veterans participating in an intervention to promote guideline‐consistent therapy. Intervention components included an intervention letter requesting patients talk with their providers, an offer of U.S.$20 to bring in the letter to their provider, and a health educator phone call.

Data Collection Methods. Semistructured interviews were conducted. Transcripts were coded for thematic content. The financial incentive theme was then subcoded for more detailed analysis.

Principle Findings. Most participants (n=48; 88.9 percent) stated the incentive had (or would have) no effect on their decision to initiate a discussion with their provider. Some participants articulated reservations about the effectiveness and/or appropriateness of financial incentives in health care decisions; however, a few expressed the opinion that there may be some potential benefits to the use of financial incentives if they encourage patients to be active in their health care.

Conclusion. The findings of this study raise questions about the appropriateness and unintended consequences of employing patient‐directed financial incentives in health care settings.
Limiting Iron Supplementation for Anemia in Dialysis Patients—The Basis for Japan’s Conservative Guidelines
Authors: Yamamoto Hiroyasu , Tsubakihara Yoshiharu
Published: June 2011

Both the Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI) Guidelines and the European Best Practice Guidelines (EBPG) support the use of substantial doses of iron supplementation when iron overload cannot be confirmed. However, excessive iron reduces iron utilization and is involved in the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species, which induce cell injury; the risk of subtle toxicity from iron excess exists. Unnecessary iron supplementation also accelerates hepcidin (HP) production. HP, via its effect on ferroportin 1 (FP‐1), keeps intracellular iron from being carried even if the iron storage is adequate; it also decreases iron absorption from the intestine. The Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy Guidelines propose that a minimal amount of iron should be given to chronic kidney disease patients with anemia and only in cases of evident iron deficiency. Japanese clinicians believe that the risk/benefit ratio for iron supplementation is higher than that accepted in Western countries. When erythropoiesis‐stimulating agent hyporesponsiveness exists, we should consider conditions other than iron deficiency and treat these conditions to improve iron utilization.