bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Principles of Human Rights Adjudication
Authors: Gearty Conor
Published: April 2012

The Human Rights Act 1998 was one of the first pieces of legislation passed by New Labour. Some ministers believe that it is the greatest thing that they have done, whereas others view it as a dangerous mistake. This volume explains what the Act is about and where it fits into Britain's constitutional tradition, and explores whether or not it has achieved its goals. Since the act was passed, a large body of case law has built up around it. The Act has enjoyed its fair share of controversies and has produced its own range of disappointments. It has become part and parcel of law courses in all universities, and has attracted the attention of practitioners from all areas of practice. It is now part of Britain's constitutional furniture, of interest and relevance not only to lawyers but also to political scientists, contemporary historians, and the general public. This book takes a fresh look at the place of the Human Rights Act in Britain's constitutional order. It locates the measure in its political and historical context and analyses the case law from the perspective not only of principle but also of practical experience. It examines the effect of the Act, and provides the tools to make informed predictions on the likely outcome of cases.
The Impossible Demand: Human Rights and Representative Democracy
Authors: Gearty Conor
Published: April 2012

This chapter justifies the claim that it is possible to identify three principles that underpin the Human Rights Act. It examines the legal conception of human rights, the paradox of human rights law, the British constitutional tradition and the challenge of the Human Rights Act, and human rights and judicial power. It discusses the content of the rights set out in the Act, and looks at the way in which the measure goes about protecting those rights. It also explores how the European Convention and the Act are interpreted, with the former having to survive in a philosophical climate that has been hostile to absolute or natural rights, and the latter having to be delivered out of a local constitutional and legal culture that has also been antagonistic to such entitlements.
Hand movements and musical performance
Authors: Jerde Thomas E. , Santello Marco , Flanders Martha , Soechting John F.
Published: April 2012

This chapter discusses movement kinematics in musical performance. Hand movements, like all movements, are subject to biomechanical and neural constraints. The design of musical instruments and the structure of musical compositions, as human inventions, undoubtedly conform to these constraints. This chapter discusses the influence of these constraints by extrapolating from observations on hand movements in musical performance. It also examines the extent of co-articulation in highly practiced behaviours such as typing, piano playing and finger spelling in American Sign Language.
Fingering and bowing in violinists: a motor control approach
Authors: Wiesendanger Mario , Baader Andreas , Kazennikov Oleg
Published: April 2012

Playing the violin requires exceptional skills in bowing and fingering and execution implies an exquisite temporal and ordinal precision of finger and bow movements, together with a fine-grained force control. This chapter assesses the timing of inter-limb coordination during playing of a simple tune on the violin. It examines bow-fingering synchronization and investigates the forces that control tonal intensity as well as quick changes in intensity for accentuations of the melody. It concludes with the suggestion that even relatively simple musical sequences can reveal interesting principles of motor control, especially about inter-limb coordination and the kinetics of bowing.
Epidemiology, phenomenology, and therapy of musician's cramp
Authors: Jabusch Hans-Christian , Altenmüller Eckart
Published: April 2012

Focal dystonia in musicians, also known as musician's cramp, is a task-specific movement disorder which presents itself as a painless muscular incoordination or loss of voluntary motor control of extensively trained movements while a musician is playing the instrument. This chapter addresses the phenomenology and epidemiology of musician's dystonia based on the data from affected musicians. It also outlines treatment strategies and results based on a retrospective inquiry and self-evaluation of affected musicians treated with currently available therapies.
Music performance anxiety
Authors: Kesselring Jürg
Published: April 2012

This chapter discusses music performance anxiety (MPA). MPA may be defined as a state of arousal and anxiety occurring before or while a person is performing non-anonymously in front of an audience producing a valuable or evaluated task touching on his/her self-esteem. Among the symptoms are palpitation, intestinal problems, tremor, difficulty concentrating, dry mouth, wet hands, difficulty with intonation, unreliable memory, increased sweating, and irregular breathing. The chapter also discusses its causes, prevalence, and treatment strategies. Cognitive-behavioural strategies are used by many musicians to cope with MPA: positive thought, visualization and distraction, muscle relaxation, deep breathing, proper nutrition and exercise.
Law as a Moral Idea
Authors: Simmonds Nigel
Published: April 2012

The nature of law is best understood as the expression of a moral idea: the idea of freedom as independence from the power of another. The moral value of law is not contingent upon circumstance, but inherent in its character as law. In making these claims, the book seeks to move jurisprudence closer to an older tradition of philosophical reflection upon law, exemplified by Hobbes and Kant. Most contemporary legal theorists view the understanding of existing institutions as quite distinct from any enterprise of moral reflection. But the relationship between institutions and moral ideas can be much more intimate than this approach would suggest. Some institutions can be understood only as imperfect attempts to realise moral or political ideas, and some ideas can be understood only by reference to their expression in institutions.
Normativity, Legality and Judgment
Authors: Simmonds N.E.
Published: April 2012

In the justification of judicial decisions, the legal status of rules is critical. The justice or wisdom of a rule will not, on its own, justify a judicial decision if the rule in question is not itself a law, and if its application is not required by law. H.L.A. Hart acknowledges that an adequate theory of law must be capable of rendering intelligible the invocation of law as a justification for judicial decisions. But Hart’s own theory fails this test, for two reasons. Firstly, the basic rule of recognition may, according to Hart, be accepted by officials for purely non-moral reasons of self-interest, but Hart fails to see that a rule supported only by such reasons cannot be invoked as a justification for a judicial decision. Secondly, derivability of a rule from the rule of recognition does not, in itself, guarantee that the rule so derived has the status of law: this would be so only if the rule of recognition was the basic rule of a body of laws. But a governing system of rules may fail to constitute a body of laws for reasons made clear by Lon Fuller. Legal positivists such as MacCormick and Raz have proposed amendments to Hart (with the ideas of “underpinning reasons” and of law’s “claims”) in order to overcome the first problem, but their amendments fail to address the second problem, which they wholly overlook. Only an acceptance of law’s status as an intrinsically moral idea can overcome that problem.
Inhibition of return
Authors: Lupiáñez Juan
Published: April 2012

This chapter examines the concept of inhibition of return (IOR) and its possible role in disengaging attention. It analyses the effects and the mechanism responsible for IOT and suggests that these can be considered as the result of the inhibition of attention returning to a previously attended or cued location. It contends that the cueing effect that is measured by IOR will depend on the cue-target stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) as well as on the task to be performed with the target.
The attentional blink: temporal constraints on consciousness
Authors: Shapiro Kimron L. , Raymond Jane E.
Published: April 2012

This chapter examines how the temporal limits of selective attention work to constrain consciousness. It suggests that the attentional blink (AB) effect and the paradigm used to measure it have proved highly useful for examining the processes that give rise to conscious perception. The AB paradigm has shown that the transfer of sensory information to consciousness can be time-consuming and can trigger a set of neural events that probably aid the selection of task relevant information for consciousness.
Vigilant attention
Authors: Robertson Ian H. , O'Connell Redmond
Published: April 2012

This chapter examines vigilant attention, an attention system of the brain that has evolved with certain limitations. One reason why the vigilant attention system may have evolved imperfectly is because there are survival advantages associated with periodic disengagement from the current focus of attention. This type of attention is extremely sensitive to disorders and damage to the brain and can be a major source of difficulty in everyday life in conditions such as traumatic brain injury and attention and deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Behavioural adaptation to redundant frequency distributions in time
Authors: Wagener Annika , Hoffmann Joachim
Published: April 2012

This chapter examines to what extent repeated temporal relations between stimuli automatically lead to preferential treatment of those stimuli that have frequently been experienced at some given point in time. It reviews the main findings of the foreperiod paradigm and suggests that the observed target-specific effects of temporal validity are based on associations between the critical points in time at which targets appear and the task-relevant features of the targets that are frequently experienced at these points in time, such as target identity and required response.
Neuroanatomical substrates of foreperiod effects
Authors: Vallesi Antonino
Published: April 2012

This chapter discusses the behavioural effects of implicit temporal preparation and the hypothetical cognitive processes underlying foreperiod effects. It describes recent studies of the neuroanatomical substrates of temporal preparation and evaluates their impact on cognitive theories. The findings of the studies reviewed support the view that temporal preparation is a multi-componential cognitive capacity, consisting of supervisory processes on the one hand, and more automatic factors on the other.
Enhancing behavioural performance by visual temporal orienting
Authors: Correa Ángel
Published: April 2012

This chapter focuses on studies of visual temporal orienting, in which expectations are induced by cues providing explicit and predictive information about the temporal onset of a task-relevant stimulus. It describes the behavioural consequences of temporal orienting through a variety of tasks demanding specific aspects of cognitive processing and suggests that it facilitates the processing of task-relevant stimulus representations flexibly, through a broad spectrum of cognitive processes. The chapter provides evidence about the interrelations between attentional preparation and different types of temporal information.
Temporal prediction during duration perception
Authors: Pouthas Viviane , Pfeuty Micha
Published: April 2012

This chapter examines the role of contingent negative variation (CNV) on temporal prediction during duration perception. It discusses the issue of explicit and implicit timing and proposes the hypothesis that there is a progressive build-up of a time reference hat, a sort of trace conditioning takes place either during the encoding phase of matching-to-sample comparison or during the reproduction of tasks. It also suggests that the resolution of the CNV over left and medial frontal areas would be triggered by the offset of the trace or by the expected end of the target.
Neural substrates of temporal attentional orienting
Authors: Coull Jennifer T.
Published: April 2012

This chapter examines the neuronal bases of temporal attentional orienting. It discusses endogenous temporal orienting with predictive pre-cues and the neurophysiological mechanisms and the neuroanatomical substrates of endogenous temporal orienting. It also analyses exogenous temporal orienting by predictable stimulus motion and the behavioural indices and the neurophysiological mechanisms of exogenous temporal expectation. It concludes that temporal orienting of attention depends upon temporal expectancies that have been established either with endogenous pre-cues or exogenous patterns of rhythmic stimulus presentation.
The TobaccoBLADE-ON-PETIOLE2Gene Mediates Differentiation of the Corolla Abscission Zone by Controlling Longitudinal Cell Expansion
Authors: Wu Xiao-Min , Yu Yi , Han Li-Bo , Li Chun-Li , Wang Hai-Yun , Zhong Nai-Qin , Yao Yuan , Xia Gui-Xian
Published: April 2012

The BLADE-ON-PETIOLE (BOP) genes of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) have been shown to play an essential role in floral abscission by specializing the abscission zone (AZ) anatomy. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie differentiation of the AZ are largely unknown. In this study, we identified a tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) homolog of BOP (designated NtBOP2) and characterized its cellular function. In tobacco plants, the NtBOP2 gene is predominantly expressed at the base of the corolla in an ethylene-independent manner. Both antisense suppression of NtBOP genes and overexpression of NtBOP2 in tobacco plants caused a failure in corolla shedding. Histological analysis revealed that the differentiation of the corolla AZ was blocked in the transgenic flowers. This blockage was due to uncontrolled cell elongation at the region corresponding to wild-type AZ. The role of NtBOP2 in regulating cell elongation was further demonstrated in Bright Yellow 2 single cells: perturbation of NtBOP2 function by a dominant negative strategy led to the formation of abnormally elongated cells. Subcellular localization analysis showed that NtBOP2-green fluorescent protein fusion proteins were targeted to both the nucleus and cytoplasm. Yeast two-hybrid, firefly luciferase complementation imaging, and in vitro pull-down assays demonstrated that NtBOP2 proteins interacted with TGA transcription factors. Taken together, these results indicated that NtBOP2 mediated the differentiation of AZ architecture by controlling longitudinal cell growth. Furthermore, NtBOP2 may achieve this outcome through interaction with the TGA transcription factors and via an ethylene-independent signaling pathway.
Intra‐annual variation of the spatiotemporal distribution and abundance of Talitridae and Oniscidea (Crustacea, Peracarida) at Bizerte Lagoon (northern Tunisia)
Authors: Jelassi Raja , Khemaissia Hajer , Nasri‐Ammar Karima
Published: April 2012

During 1 year from spring 2007 to winter 2008, we conducted four seasonal samplings along a transect in the supralittoral zone of Bizerte Lagoon at Menzel Jmil (Tunisia) to study the intra‐annual variation of Peracarida diversity, Talitridae and Oniscidea. For each season, one transect was studied and quadrates were placed successively from the shoreline to the road backing the shore. Talitridae and Oniscidea were the most abundant taxa in our samples reaching highest densities in summer, when fourteen species were found. The minimum and maximum values of species richness of Talitridae were observed in winter (four species) and summer (eight species), respectively, while for Oniscidea, species richness ranged from one species in winter and five species in spring. Both Talitridae and Oniscidea exhibited intra‐annual variation in their spatial distribution; in that, they moved away from the shoreline in winter and were found near the waterline in the other seasons. ANOVA test shows a high significant correlation between both Talitridae with Suaeda maritima and Oniscidea with the plants S. maritima,Salicornia arabica and Obione portulacoides.
Increased autophagic activity in senescent human dental pulp cells
Authors: Li L. , Zhu Y.‐Q. , Jiang L. , Peng W.
Published: April 2012

Li L, Zhu Y‐Q, Jiang L, Peng W. Increased autophagic activity in senescent human dental pulp cells. International Endodontic Journal.

Aim  To establish whether autophagy is involved in dental pulp cell (DPC) senescence, so as to better understand the mechanism of the ageing process within the dental pulp.

Methodology  Human DPCs obtained from intact molars and premolars were cultured and serially passaged. Senescence‐β‐galactosidase (SA‐β‐gal) staining was performed to assess DPC senescence, which is considered to be the senescence of cells in culture after a series of passages. Autophagic activity was analysed by Western blot for major autophagic proteins and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for autophagic vacuoles in both young and senescent cells. Statistical analyses were performed using the Student’s t‐test.

Results  Senescence‐β‐galactosidase staining was higher in senescent DPC than in young cells (P = 0.011). Western blot revealed senescent DPCs had greater expression of autophagic proteins (microtubule‐associated protein light chain 3 and Beclin 1) than young cells (P = 0.04, P = 0.001). Transmission electron microscopy revealed more autophagic vacuoles in senescent DPCs compared to young cells (P = 0.029).

Conclusions  Expression of autophagic proteins (microtubule‐associated protein light chain 3 and Beclin 1) increased in senescent DPCs compare to young cells. More autophagic vacuoles were observed in senescent DPCs by TEM. Collectively, these data imply that autophagic activity increased in senescent DPCs.
Hypoxic stress triggers a programmed cell death pathway to induce vascular cavity formation in Pisum sativum roots
Authors: Sarkar Purbasha , Gladish Daniel K.
Published: April 2012

Flooding at warm temperatures induces hypoxic stress in Pisum sativum seedling roots. In response, some undifferentiated cells in the primary root vascular cylinder start degenerating and form a longitudinal vascular cavity. Changes in cellular morphology and cell wall ultrastructure detected previously in the late stages of cavity formation suggest possible involvement of programmed cell death (PCD). In this study, cytological events occurring in the early stages of cavity formation were investigated. Systematic DNA fragmentation, a feature of many PCD pathways, was detected in the cavity‐forming roots after 3 h of flooding in situ by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐mediated dUTP nick end‐labeling assay and in isolated total DNA by gel electrophoresis. High molecular weight DNA fragments of about 20–30 kb were detected by pulse‐field gel electrophoresis, but no low‐molecular weight internucleosomal DNA fragments were detected by conventional gel electrophoresis. Release of mitochondrial cytochrome c protein into the cytosol, an integral part of mitochondria‐dependent PCD pathways, was detected in the cavity‐forming roots within 2 h of flooding by fluorescence microscopy of immunolabeled cytochrome c in situ and in isolated mitochondrial and cytosolic protein fractions by western blotting. DNA fragmentation and cytochrome c release remained confined to the undifferentiated cells in center of the root vascular cylinders, even after 24 h of flooding, while outer vascular cylinder cells and cortical cells maintained cellular integrity and normal activity. These findings confirm that hypoxia‐induced vascular cavity formation in P. sativum roots involves PCD, and provides a chronological model of cytological events involved in this rare and understudied PCD system.
Increase in overall mortality risk in patients with type 2 diabetes receiving glipizide, glyburide or glimepiride monotherapy versus metformin: a retrospective analysis
Authors: Pantalone K. M. , Kattan M. W. , Yu C. , Wells B. J. , Arrigain S. , Jain A. , Atreja A. , Zimmerman R. S.
Published: April 2012

Aims: It remains uncertain if differences in mortality risk exist among the sulfonylureas, especially in patients with documented coronary artery disease (CAD). The purpose of this study was to assess the overall mortality risk of the individual sulfonylureas versus metformin in a large cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using an academic health centre enterprise‐wide electronic health record (EHR) system to identify 23 915 patients with type 2 diabetes who initiated monotherapy with metformin (N = 12774), glipizide (N = 4325), glyburide (N = 4279) or glimepiride (N = 2537), ≥18 years of age, with and without a history of CAD, and not on insulin or a non‐insulin injectable at baseline. The patients were followed for mortality by documentation in the EHR and Social Security Death Index. Multivariable Cox models with propensity analysis were used to compare cohorts.

Results: An increase in overall mortality risk was observed in the entire cohort with glipizide (HR 1.64; 95% CI 1.39–1.94), glyburide (HR 1.59; 95% CI 1.35–1.88), and glimepiride (HR 1.68; 95% CI 1.37–2.06) versus metformin; however, in those patients with documented CAD, a statistically significant increase in overall mortality risk was only found with glipizide (HR 1.41; 95% CI 1.07–1.87) and glyburide (HR 1.38; 95% CI 1.04–1.83) versus metformin.

Conclusions: Glipizide, glyburide and glimepiride are associated with an increased risk of overall mortality versus metformin. Our results suggest that if a sulfonylurea is required to obtain glycaemic control, glimepiride may be the preferred sulfonylurea in those with underlying CAD.
Reflectance confocal microscopy accurately discriminates between benign and malignant melanocytic lesions exhibiting a ‘dermoscopic island’
Authors: Debarbieux S. , Depaepe L. , Poulalhon N. , Balme B. , Dalle S. , Thomas L.
Published: April 2012

Background  The ‘dermoscopic island’ is a term that was recently proposed to design an area of a pigmented lesion with a uniform dermoscopic pattern different from the remainder of the lesion. The positive predictive value of this sign for the diagnosis of melanoma is about 50%.

Objective  The purpose of our study was to see if reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) permitted to accurately distinguish between nevi and melanoma in such lesions.

Methods  Five lesions of five consecutive unselected patients, with a dermoscopic island but no feasible clear cut diagnosis on the basis of dermoscopy alone were examined by RCM before excision for histopathological evaluation.

Results  Two lesions corresponded to nevi, and three lesions were early melanomas arising on a benign naevus in one case, and on a dysplastic naevus in two cases. In all five cases, RCM permitted to make the correct diagnosis, with a very good correlation with conventional histopathology.

Conclusion  Reflectance confocal microscopy appears as a promising tool not only to enhance the early diagnosis of melanoma but also to avoid unnecessary excisions of lesions with a dermoscopic island.
The Sun Exposure and Behaviour Inventory (SEBI): validation of an instrument to assess sun exposure and sun protective practices
Authors: Jennings L. , Karia P.S. , Jambusaria‐Pahlajani A. , Whalen F.M. , Schmults C.D.
Published: April 2012

Background Skin cancer is the most common cancer worldwide. Sun exposure is the most important risk factor for its development. The amount of exposure required to cause skin cancer has not been quantified, and the impact of sun protective practices is unknown.

Objectives To develop a brief self‐administered questionnaire to estimate past and current sun exposure, sun protective practices, and assess the questionnaire’s reliability and validity.

Methods The study had three stages: (1) questionnaire formulation, (2) internal reliability and construct validity testing and questionnaire refinement, (3) test–retest and further internal reliability testing. The finalSunExposure andBehaviourInventory (SEBI) is composed of 15 questions assessing three domains; current sun behaviour, current sun exposure and prior sun exposure.

Results A total of 251 subjects completed Stage 2 testing and 57 completed Stage 3. Final Cronbach’s α‐scores ranged from 0.71 to 0.84 andk‐scores demonstrated excellent to fair/good agreement, indicating acceptable internal consistency and test–retest reliability. Construct validity was evidenced by significantly higher prior sun exposure scores and lower current sun behaviour scores in subjects with a history of non‐melanoma skin cancer.

Limitations Self‐reported questionnaires, though efficient and low cost, may be subject to recall error and bias. Further work remains to determine if the SEBI maintains its reliability and validity in different populations.

Conclusion TheSEBIis a brief self‐administered questionnaire, which appears to be reliable and valid. It may provide useful measures of past and present sun exposure and current sun behaviour, which may be useful in studies of skin cancer incidence and risk modification.
Adolescence and Parental History of Alcoholism: Insights from the SleepEEG
Authors: Tarokh Leila , Van Reen Eliza , Acebo Christine , LeBourgeois Monique , Seifer Ronald , Fallone Gahan , Carskadon Mary A.
Published: April 2012

Background

Disrupted sleep is a common complaint of individuals with alcohol use disorder and in abstinent alcoholics. Furthermore, among recovering alcoholics, poor sleep predicts relapse to drinking. Whether disrupted sleep in these populations results from prolonged alcohol use or precedes the onset of drinking is not known. The aim of this study was to examine the sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) in alcohol‐naïve, parental history positive (PH+), and negative (PH−) boys and girls.

Methods

All‐night sleepEEGrecordings in 2 longitudinal cohorts (child and teen) followed at 1.5 to 3 year intervals were analyzed. The child and teen participants were 9/10 and 15/16 years old at the initial assessment, respectively. Parental history status was classified by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM‐IV) criteria applied to structured interviews (DIS‐IV) resulting in 14PH− and 10PH+ children and 14PH− and 10PH+ teens. Sleep data were visually scored in 30‐second epochs using standard criteria. Power spectra were calculated forEEGderivationsC3/A2,C4/A1,O2/A1,O1/A2 for nonrapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

Results

We found no difference betweenPH+ andPH− individuals in either cohort for any visually scored sleep stage variable. Spectral power declined in both cohorts across assessments forNREMandREMsleep in all derivations and across frequencies independent of parental history status. With regard to parental history,NREMsleepEEGpower was lower for the delta band inPH+ teens at both assessments for the central derivations. Furthermore, power in the sigma band for the right occipital derivation in bothNREMandREMsleep was lower inPH+ children only at the initial assessment.

Conclusions

We found no gross signs of sleep disruption as a function of parental history. Modest differences in spectralEEGpower betweenPH+ andPH− children and teens indicate that a marker of parental alcohol history may be detectable in teens at risk for problem drinking.
Alcohol Consumption Among Pregnant Women in a Swedish Sample and Its Effects on the Newborn Outcomes
Authors: Comasco Erika , Hallberg Gunilla , Helander Anders , Oreland Lars , Sundelin‐Wahlsten Viveka
Published: April 2012

Background

Little is known about the effects of low levels of maternal alcohol intake on the neuropsychological development of the child. This study is part of an ongoing investigation on maternal drinking and presents data on demographic variables, maternal alcohol use, and birth outcomes from that study.

Methods

The sample comprised 2,264 women from a Swedish antenatal clinic. Retrospective self‐report data were collected on alcohol consumption before and during pregnancy, using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), and on nicotine use. Specific alcohol biomarkers for excessive drinking, carbohydrate‐deficient transferrin (CDT) in serum and phosphatidylethanol (PEth) in whole blood, were determined during mid‐pregnancy in a subsample of the women. Data on labor and early characteristics of the child were also assessed.

Results

Before pregnancy, 89% of the women regularly consumed alcohol and 49% reported occasional or frequent binge drinking. Nicotine was used by 15% before and by 5% during pregnancy. During pregnancy, 12% continued using alcohol and 5% also admitted binge drinking. However, all alcohol biomarker values were below the reporting limits (CDT ≤ 1.7% disialotransferrin; total PEth < 0.1 μmol/L). Self‐reported drinking during pregnancy was associated with a higher AUDIT score before pregnancy, nicotine use at the time of the first prenatal visit, older age, and previous legal abortions.

Conclusions

The AUDIT questionnaire and 2 specific alcohol biomarkers were used in routine maternity care to collect information about drinking during pregnancy and thereby to identify children at risk for alcohol‐related complications. While the AUDIT results suggested that a significant number of women continued using alcohol during pregnancy, implying a risk for fetal disorders, the biomarkers showed negative test values thus indicating only modest drinking levels.
Acute Ethanol Administration and Reinforcer Magnitude Reduction Both Reduce Responding and Increase Response Latency in a Go/No‐Go Task
Authors: Moschak Travis M. , Mitchell Suzanne H.
Published: April 2012

Background

Ethanol (EtOH) administration decreases behavioral inhibition in human subjects, assessed using cued Go/No‐Go tasks, in which an unreliable cue suggests whether participants will be required to respond or not when a signal occurs. Few studies have examined EtOH's effects on behavioral inhibition in animals, and those that have done so have used Go/No‐Go tasks in which no warning cue was provided.

Methods

Two cohorts of male Long‐Evans rats were trained and tested on 2 different Go/No‐Go procedures with differing ratios of Go to No‐Go trials (25 to 75 and 50 to 50). Using a within‐subjects design, each rat was administered 0.0, 0.63, 0.95, and 1.27 g/kg of EtOH (i.p.) on 3 separate occasions according to an incomplete Latin square. An additional experiment examined the effects of reducing the amount of sucrose given for correct responses to either the Go or the No‐Go signal in the absence of EtOH administration.

Results

Acute intraperitoneal EtOH administration dose‐dependently decreased responding during the No‐Go signal (false alarms), the Go signal (hits), and responding prior to the occurrence of either signal (precue response rate). These effects were more pronounced in rats with the 50 to 50 ratio. Reducing the amount of sucrose presented generally led to a decrease in responding, although this effect was also moderated by the Go to No‐Go ratio employed and the contingency relationship (reduced sucrose for correct Go trial responding or for correct No‐Go trial response withholding).

Conclusions

Acute EtOH administration does not decrease behavioral inhibition in rats in this task. Rather EtOH appears to dose‐dependently decrease behavior in general, possibly by reducing the efficacy of the sucrose reinforcer, as both EtOH administration and sucrose reduction for Go trials yielded similar patterns of behavioral responding in this task in rats.
Oxidative Stress Modulates KLF6Full and Its Splice Variants
Authors: Urtasun Raquel , Cubero Francisco Javier , Nieto Natalia
Published: April 2012

Background

Induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a central mechanism in alcohol hepatotoxicity. Krüppel‐like factor 6 (KLF6), a transcription factor and a tumor‐suppressor gene, is an early‐responsive gene to injury; however, the effect of ROS and alcohol on KLF6 induction is unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the contribution of 2 sources of ROS, cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1), NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1), and alcohol on the modulation of KLF6Full expression, splicing to KLF6_V1 and KLF6_V2, and the effect on TNFα, a downstream target.

Methods and Results

Endogenous ROS production in CYP2E1‐expressing HepG2 cells induced mRNA and protein expression of KLF6Full and its splice variants compared to control cells. Incubation with pro‐oxidants such as arachidonic acid (AA), β‐naphtoflavone, and H2O2 further enhanced KLF6Full and its splice variants. The AA effects on KLF6Full and its splice forms were blocked by vitamin E—which prevents lipid peroxidation—and by diallylsulfide—a CYP2E1 inhibitor. Menadione and paraquat, 2 pro‐oxidants metabolized via NQO1, induced KLF6Full mRNA in a thiol‐dependent manner. Antioxidants and an NQO1 inhibitor suppressed the menadione‐dependent increase in KLF6Full and its splice variants mRNA. Furthermore, primary hepatocytes and livers from chronic alcohol‐fed rats, with elevated lipid peroxidation, H2O2 and CYP2E1 but with low GSH, showed a ~2‐fold increase in KLF6Full mRNA compared to controls. Inhibition of p38 phosphorylation further up‐regulated the CYP2E1 and the AA effects on KLF6Full mRNA, whereas inhibition JNK and ERK1/2 phosphorylation decreased both. KLF6_V1 but not KLF6Full ablation markedly increased TNFα levels in macrophages; thus, TNFα emerges as a downstream target of KLF6_V1.

Conclusions

The novel effect of ROS on modulating KLF6Full expression and its splice variants could play a relevant role in liver injury and in TNFα regulation.
The Effect of Shock Wave Therapy on Patellar Ligament Desmitis after Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy
Authors: Gallagher Alissa , Cross Alan R. , Sepulveda Gustavo
Published: April 2012

Objective

To determine if shock wave therapy (SWT) after tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO) has a beneficial effect on patellar ligament inflammation assessed by thickening of the ligament and ligament fiber disruption.

Study Design

Prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial.

Animals

Dogs (n = 30).

Materials and Methods

Dogs that had TPLO (July 1, 2009 to June 1, 2010) were enrolled. The affected stifle was examined by radiographs and ultrasonography preoperatively and 4, 6, and 8 weeks after TPLO. At 4 and 6 weeks, dogs in the treatment group were briefly anesthetized and treated with SWT. Patellar ligament thickness on a lateral radiographic projection was measured at 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 of the distance from origin to insertion. Ultrasound images were evaluated for patellar ligament disruption and periligament edema.

Results

There was significant difference in thickness (P = .0264) only at the distal point; therefore, only this point was used to measure difference between the control and treatment groups. A significant difference between groups was reached at 6 and 8 weeks (P = .0059 and P = .0095, respectively) postoperatively. No significant ultrasonographic differences were found.

Conclusion

Based on these results, SWT decreases the radiographic signs of patellar ligament desmitis.
Histomorphometric Analysis and Regional Variations of Full Thickness Skin Grafts in Dogs
Authors: Bhandal Jitender , Langohr Ingeborg M. , Degner Daniel A. , Xie Yan , Stanley Bryden J. , Walshaw Richard
Published: April 2012

Objective

To (1) compare thickness of the epidermis and dermis of anatomically different donor sites in dogs, and (2) evaluate hair follicle damage during full thickness skin grafts (FTSG) preparation from anatomically different donor sites. Another objective was to compare the extent of agreement between gross and histologic quality of graft preparation.

Study Design

Ex vivo study.

Animals

Healthy Beagle dogs (n = 12).

Methods

Skin samples were harvested from fresh cadavers free of gross dermatopathology and FTSG prepared. Regional, epidermal and dermal thickness, and hair follicle density in intact skin and FTSG specimens from different regions were determined by histomorphometric analysis. Hair follicle density in intact skin and FTSG specimens, and skin thickness measurements were compared among regions.

Results

Mean epidermis and dermis thickness of the dorsal lumbar and lateral neck regions were significantly greater when compared with other sites. Total hair follicle (superficial and deep dermis) densities were significantly less in prepared FTSG versus intact skin specimens. The dorsal lumbar region had the highest hair follicle density.

Conclusions

Thickness of the epidermis and dermis is dependent on body region. Hair follicle density in the FTSG specimens was decreased compared with intact skin specimens, which may affect hair regrowth in FTSG.
Positive Effects of Converting a Food and Bioprocessing Analysis Course to an Inquiry‐Guided Approach
Authors: Harris Gabriel K. , Cvitkusic Sanja , Draut Amanda S. , Hathorn Chelani S. , Stephens Amanda M. , Constanza Karen E. , Leonardelli Michael J. , Watkins Ruth H. , Dean Lisa O. , Hentz Nathaniel G.
Published: April 2012

Abstract:  Food science laboratory courses are traditionally taught as a series of preplanned laboratories with known endpoints. In contrast, inquiry‐guided (IG) laboratories allow students to ask questions, think through problems, design experiments, then adapt and learn in response to unexpected results. This study examined the effects of converting the course, “Analytical Techniques in Food and Bioprocessing Sciences” from a traditional approach (2008 to 2010 data) to an IG approach (2011 data) by assigning teams of 2–3 students a food and a set of 5 analyses to conduct over the course of the semester. Students were required to choose and justify the use of specific methods for each analysis, as well as to develop a supply list and a budget for the semester‐long project. During the semester, students were required to post and discuss their weekly progress with the instructor, teaching assistants, and the rest of the class using an online discussion forum. At the end of the semester, students were required to present the results of their analysis in both oral and written formats. Overall course grades were significantly higher (P≤ 0.05) using IG in 2011 compared to 2010 and 2009, but not to 2008 grades. Numerical course evaluations for the instructor, overall course, and lab, as well as written course evaluations all significantly (P≤ 0.05) improved. This suggests that an IG approach may measurably improve student performance in terms of course grades and the ability to complete semester long projects. It may also increase student satisfaction with the course, as measured by numerical and written end of semester surveys.
Turnover Intention Among Hospital‐Based Registered Nurses in the Eastern Caribbean
Authors: Lansiquot Beverley Anne , Tullai‐McGuinness Susan , Madigan Elizabeth
Published: April 2012

Purpose: Vacancy rates for nurses in the English‐speaking Caribbean are estimated at 30% with turnover typically associated with migration. The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of hospital‐based registered nurses (RNs) in the sub‐region, their practice environment and turnover intention in two and five years, respectively, and to determine the relationships among practice environment characteristics and turnover intention.

Design: A descriptive correlational design was used with self‐reported questionnaires from a convenience sample of 301 RNs working in hospitals in four English speaking Eastern Caribbean countries. Single‐item visual analog scales (VAS) were used to measure turnover intention in 2 years and 5 years. The Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES‐NWI) measured the characteristics in the practice environment.

Findings: The mean age of the nurses was 32.5 (SD= 6.75) years. Most nurses (58.8%) were single and 91.4% had relatives living abroad. Nurses scored three PES‐NWI subscales < 2.5, indicating a less positive practice environment: resource adequacy, nurse participation in hospital affairs, and nurse managers’ ability, leadership, and support. The subscale for collegial nurse‐physician relations received the best rating (mean = 2.61, SD= .62). For 2‐year intention to leave, the mean rating on the 100‐mm VAS was 63.2, while that for the 5‐year intention to leave was 65.6. No significant correlations were found among four of the five PES‐NWI subscales and turnover intention in 2 and 5 years.

Conclusions: The practice environment, while generally unfavorable, is not associated with the nurses’ intention to leave their jobs. These findings support the current policy position that calls for managing turnover among nurses. Nursing and health system administrators should assess, plan, and implement workforce policies to slow the outflow of nurses.

Clinical Relevance: Initiatives to improve the work environment and the delivery of high‐quality care are important to RNs in the Eastern Caribbean. Managing the negative impact of continuous outflow of nurses through turnover requires long‐term coordinated policy and human resource development and management initiatives to sustain the supply of RNs in the subregion.
Deposition of Preferred‐Orientation ZnO Films on the Lead‐Free Ceramic Substrates and its Effects on the Properties of Surface Acoustic Wave Devices
Authors: Chan I‐Hao , Chang Jen‐Chuan , Sun Chieh‐Tze , Houng Mau‐Phon , Chu Sheng‐Yuan
Published: April 2012

A study of the structure based on the ZnO layers and NKN‐SrTiO3 (NKN‐ST) ceramic substrates with different sputtering conditions to deposit ZnO films is presented. Poly‐crystal ZnO films with c‐axis (002) orientation have been successfully grown on the NKN‐ST ceramic substrates by RF magnetron sputtering technique. The deposited films were characterized as a function of oxygen‐argon gas flow ratio, RF power, sputtering pressure, and depositing time. The ZnO films with strong (002) orientation are obtained under a base pressure of 20 mTorr, containing 40% oxygen and 60% argon at RF power of 60 W. Crystalline structures and surface roughness characteristics of the films were investigated by using XRD analysis, SEM, and AFM measurements. It shows that the preferred oriented ZnO film is beneficial for improving the electromechanical coupling coefficient (k2) of Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) device. The velocity, k2, and temperature coefficient of frequency of the ZnO/IDT/NKN‐ST SAW device properties are 3120 m/s, 4.20%, and −320, respectively.
Influence of Oxygen Partial Pressure on Synthetic Coal Slag Infiltration into Porous Al2O3 Refractory
Authors: Kaneko Tetsuya K. , Zhu Jingxi , Thomas Hugh , Bennett James P. , Sridhar Seetharaman
Published: April 2012

The infiltration characteristics of synthetic coal slag into Al2s3 refractory material with a temperature gradient induced along the slag's penetration direction were investigated with respect to time and oxygen partial pressure of the experimental atmosphere. Synthetic slag, which is representative of an average of the ash contents from United States coal feedstock, was melted in either an oxidizing air atmosphere or a reducing CO/CO2 gas mixture with a ratio of 1.8. The experiments were conducted with a hot‐face temperature of 1450°C, and the slags were deposited onto refractory samples in the same atmospheres as they were originally melted. A comparison between the infiltrations in the CO/CO2 and air atmospheres revealed that differences in oxygen partial pressure changed the mode in which the slag interacted with the refractory. While infiltrations in CO/CO2 atmosphere demonstrated elevated Al2O3 concentrations in the slag owing to refractory dissolution, infiltrations in air atmosphere showed enrichment of SiO2 and Al2O3 in the slag because iron‐oxide from the slag incorporated into the corundum refractory. For both cases, the reactions led to increases in viscosity, but the effect was more profound in the air atmosphere, where penetrations were found to be shallower. The oxygen partial pressure's influence on the slag's composition, primarily with iron‐oxide species, and on viscosity played a pivotal role in governing the effective penetration into the refractory.
Surgical‐pathologic risk factors of pelvic lymph node metastasis in stage Ib1‐IIb cervical cancer
Authors: LI DONGLIN , CAI JING , KUANG YAN , CAO JIN , WANG ZEHUA
Published: April 2012

Objective. To study the distribution characteristics and risk factors of cervical cancer lymph node metastasis (LNM). Design. Retrospective study. Setting. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Affiliated Hospital to Zunyi Medical College. Population. 404 women diagnosed with cervical cancer FIGO stage Ib1‐IIa who underwent primary radical surgery and 104 women with Ib2‐IIb tumors treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) before surgery. Methods. Clinicopathological data were collected and analyzed. Main outcome measures. Incidence of infiltration, metastasis and pelvic LNM. Results. In women without NACT, the incidence of infiltration, metastasis and LNM was 7.2, 17.6 and 15.8%, respectively. Metastasis and LNM were significantly associated with advanced FIGO stage and poorer histological grade. The incidence of multiple metastatic lymph nodes (MLNs), bilateral LNM, skip LNM, LNM in primary group and LNM in secondary group was 6.2, 3.0, 6.2%, 11.4 and 4.5%, respectively. Of the 111 MLNs, 13 (11.7%) were common iliac lymph nodes. In the NACT group, infiltration, metastasis and LNM were observed in 10 (9.6%), 24 (23.1%) and 21 (20.1%) of 104 women, respectively. Metastasis and LNM were significantly correlated with moderate cell differentiation. Conclusion. High LNM risk is expected in tumors of IIa stage or higher and in moderately differentiated tumors. Skip metastasis and common iliac LNM are relatively common and therefore should not be neglected. Our results suggest that standardized and complete pelvic lymph node dissection under surgery is an important measure to ensure a therapeutic effect.
Early trauma and familial risk in the development of the extended psychosis phenotype in adolescence
Authors: Wigman J. T. W. , van Winkel R. , Ormel J. , Verhulst F. C. , van Os J. , Vollebergh W. A. M.
Published: April 2012

Wigman JTW, van Winkel R, Ormel J, Verhulst FC, van Os J, Vollebergh WAM. Early trauma and familial risk in the development of the extended psychosis phenotype in adolescence.

Objective:  Both genetic and environmental factors are thought to play a role in the development of psychotic outcomes; however, their respective contributions over time, including possible developmental interactions, remain largely unknown.

Method:  The contribution of parental general and psychotic psychopathology as proxies of genetic risk to the development of subthreshold psychosis and its hypothesized interaction with childhood trauma were studied in a general population sample of 2230 adolescents, followed from age 10–16 years. Outcome measures were: i) level of psychotic experiences at age 16 years and ii) persistence of such experiences over the total follow‐up period.

Results:  General parental psychopathology was associated with CAPE score (OR = 1.08; P < 0.043 for highest quintile) and suggestively predicted psychosis persistence (OR, 1.16; P < 0.072). Psychotic parental psychopathology was suggestively associated with CAPE score (OR, 2.25; P < 0.063 for highest quintile), predicted membership of the Persistent group (OR, 3.72; P < 0.039) and suggestively predicted membership of the Decreasing group (OR 2.04; P < 0.051). Childhood trauma was associated with CAPE score and with all developmental trajectories of subclinical psychosis. No evidence was found for an interaction between trauma and parental psychopathology.

Conclusion:  The development and persistence of subthreshold psychotic symptoms may be conditional on non‐interacting proxy genetic and environmental influences.