bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the GOHAI and OHIP‐14 as measures of the oral health‐related quality of life of the elderly
Authors: Locker David , Matear David , Stephens Marlene , Lawrence Herenia , Payne Barbara
Published: September 2010

Abstract – Objectives: This paper compares the performance of the GOHAI and the OHIP‐14 as measures of the oral health‐related quality of life of the compromised elderly. Methods: Data were obtained from a cross‐sectional survey of 225 participants, most of whom lived in a large geriatric care centre. Results: The mean age of subjects was 83 years and the majority had one or more chronic medical conditions and physical disabilities. Their main oral problems were high rates of tooth loss and xerostomia. Additive and simple count methods were used to derive GOHAI and OHIP‐14 scores. Using the additive method, 8.4% had a

GOHAI score of zero and 30.3% an OHIP‐14 score of zero. Using the simple count method the percentage with a score of zero was 15.1% and 45.8%. Both measures discriminated between dentate subjects with and without one or more dentures, with and without a chewing problem and with and without dry mouth. Both also showed significant associations with self‐rated oral health and satisfaction with oral health status. Associations tended to be stronger between GOHAI scores and these variables. The measures were equally good at predicting overall psychological well‐being and life satisfaction. Although the GOHAI identified more oral functional and psychosocial impacts than the OHIP‐14, neither was markedly superior to the other when used as discriminatory measures. However, the high prevalence of subjects with zero scores may compromise the ability of the OHIP‐14 to detect within‐subject change.
Monitoring patient satisfaction with university dental services under two fee‐paying systems
Authors: Chu Chun Hung , Yeung Chak Yan Yvette Jasmine , Lo Edward Chin Man
Published: September 2010

Abstract – Aims: The aim of this survey was to study patients’ satisfaction with the dental service of a university in Hong Kong under a recently introduced item‐based fee‐paying system and reasons for non‐attendance at the clinic; and to compare results of the present survey with that of a similar survey of the same dental service under a time‐based fee‐paying system in 1996. Method: A modified Dental Satisfaction Questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of students (n=194) in their lecture rooms and they were asked to complete the questionnaire on the spot. The same questionnaire was sent to a random sample of staff and their spouses (n=207) by mail. Results: Dental Satisfaction Index (DSI) scores calculated from the returned questionnaires were 66 for students and 70 for staff and their spouses. Compared to the scores in 1996, there was no significant difference for that of the students (DSI=65 in 1996) but there was a significant improvement in that of the staff and their spouses (DSI=66 in 1996). Moreover, in the present survey, “busy/no time” and “no perceived dental problem” were the major reasons for non‐attendance, in contrast to “long waiting time for an appointment” in the 1996 survey, were the major reasons for non‐attendance. Conclusion: The recent attempts by the University Dental Clinic to shorten patient waiting time and the change in fee‐paying system might have improved the patients’ satisfaction with the service.
Effects of high ambient temperature and restricted feed intake on nitrogen utilization for milk production in lactating Holstein cows
Authors: KAMIYA Mitsuru , IWAMA Yuko , TANAKA Masahito , SHIOYA Shigeru
Published: September 2010

Three experiments were performed to examine the effects of high ambient temperature and feed restriction on nitrogen (N) utilization in lactating cows. Experiment 1 investigated N utilization in four cows fed ad libitum in a 2 × 2 crossover design under constant moderate (18°C) or high (28°C) ambient temperatures. The milk N secretion (P < 0.01) and protein concentration (P < 0.05) decreased under high ambient temperature. Experiment 2 investigated N utilization in four cows under constant moderate ambient temperature in a 2 × 2 crossover design with ad libitum or 70% ad libitum feed intake. The milk N secretion and protein concentration both decreased with feed restriction (P < 0.05). Experiment 3 investigated N utilization in four cows fed 70% ad libitum in a 2 × 2 crossover design under constant moderate or high ambient temperatures. The milk protein concentration decreased under high ambient temperature (P < 0.01). The milk N secretion tended to decrease under high ambient temperature (P < 0.10). Therefore, decreased N utilization for milk production at high ambient temperature is mainly caused by a reduced feed intake and the high ambient temperature itself.
Reduced intake of dietary lysine promotes accumulation of intramuscular fat in the Longissimus dorsi muscles of finishing gilts
Authors: KATSUMATA Masaya , KOBAYASHI Shu‐ichi , MATSUMOTO Mitsuhito , TSUNEISHI Eisaku , KAJI Yuji
Published: September 2010

The present study was conducted to elucidate the effect of dietary lysine levels on the intramuscular fat (IMF) content in the Longissimus dorsi (L. dorsi) muscles of finishing gilts. Eleven gilts in total from two litters of pigs aged 110 days were used. The average initial bodyweight of the pigs was 61.7 kg. Six pigs were assigned to the low lysine (LL) diet group (lysine content: 0.43 or 0.40%) and five pigs were assigned to the control group (lysine content: 0.65 or 0.68%). The diets were iso‐energetic and iso‐protein, and contained all essential amino acids (apart from lysine) in the recommended amounts. The pigs were fed these diets until their live weights reached 110 kg. Live weight gain and feed efficiency tended to be lower in the LL group (P = 0.118 andP = 0.052, respectively). Pigs from the LL group took 5 days longer to reach 110 kg (P < 0.01). The IMF content in the L. dorsi of the LL group was twice as high as that of the control group (6.7 vs 3.5%;P < 0.01). The percentage of oleic acid in the L. dorsi of the LL group tended to be higher than that of the control group (P = 0.052), whereas the percentage of linoleic acid and the total percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the L. dorsi were lower (P < 0.05) in the LL group. Free L‐carnitine content in the L. dorsi was lower (P < 0.05) in the LL group. The average abundance of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma mRNA in the L. dorsi of the LL group was threefold higher than that of the control group. The leptin mRNA abundance in the L. dorsi of the LL group was 3.3‐fold higher than that of the control group (P < 0.01). These results suggest that a higher activity of adipogenesis may have been involved in the promoted accumulation of IMF in the L. dorsi muscles of pigs, induced by a dietary LL level.
Oral administration of β‐alanine modifies carnosine concentrations in the muscles and brains of chickens
Authors: TOMONAGA Shozo , KAJI Yuji , TACHIBANA Tetsuya , DENBOW D. Michael , FURUSE Mitsuhiro
Published: September 2010

Carnosine, and its derivative anserine, are known to function as anti‐oxidants and putative neurotransmitters. They are especially rich in the breast muscle (Musculus pectoralis superficialis, MPS) of chickens. To clarify whether the concentrations of carnosine and anserine are altered by dietary management, the effect of oral administration of their constituent, β‐alanine (β‐Ala), was determined in the MPS and brains of chickens. Birds were orally administered β‐Ala (22 mmol/kg) twice a day for five consecutive days (from 2 to 6 days old). In the MPS, carnosine was increased by β‐Ala, whereas anserine and taurine were decreased. The concentrations of other free amino acids in the MPS were also modified by β‐Ala. In the brain, the oral administration of β‐Ala increased anserine and carnosine and decreased taurine, but caused no changes to other free amino acid concentrations. These results suggest that orally administered β‐Ala increases carnosine concentrations in both the MPS and brains of chickens. However, the effects of β‐Ala on other concentrations differ depending on the tissues.
Functional role of type VI collagen during early feather development of the chicken embryo in vitro
Authors: KOBAYASHI Ken , FUKUNAGA Shigeharu , TAKENOUCHI Kazuaki , KATO‐MORI Yuko , NAKAMURA Fumio
Published: September 2010

The regulatory function of type VI collagen during early feather development in embryonic chickens was investigated at the cellular and organ levels. Immunohistochemical studies of embryonic chicken skin showed that type VI collagen was distributed in spatial‐specific and temporal‐specific manners related to early feather development. To clarify the role of type VI collagen, we studied the feather development in intact, reconstituted and reconstituted gel skin cultures. When ethyl‐3,4‐dihydroxybenzoate (EDHB) was added to the medium of intact skin as an inhibitor of type VI collagen synthesis, the feather buds did not elongate and the number of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM)‐positive cells was reduced. However, the magnitudes of both suppressive effects of EDHB were reduced by the addition of liquid type VI collagen. Similar improvement was also observed in the reconstituted skin with liquid type VI collagen and in the reconstituted gel skin with solid type VI collagen at a low concentration. Moreover, type VI collagen promoted feather bud development in the absence of EDHB. However, a high concentration of solid type VI collagen in the reconstituted gel skin arrested the feather bud elongation, and antitype VI collagen antibodies caused feather buds to become longer and smaller in the reconstituted skin. At the cellular level, type VI collagen affected the proliferation, migration and NCAM expression of mesenchymal cells. These results suggest that type VI collagen regulates early feather development by controlling mesenchymal cell behavior.
Comparative digestion of cell wall components of alfalfa hay cubes between Sika deer (Cervus nippon) and cattle
Authors: ASANO Sanae , IKEDA Shoshichi , KASUYA Natuski , KUROKAWA Yuzo , KANDA Shuhei , ITABASHI Hisao
Published: September 2010

Four female Sika deer (mean bodyweight, 48 kg) and three male Holstein cattle (mean bodyweight, 209 kg) were offered alfalfa hay cubes at 2% (deer) and 2.5% (cattle) of bodyweight, respectively. The digestibility of the cell walls and cell wall components (rhamnose, arabinose, xylose, mannose, galactose and glucose) in alfalfa and its retention time of the alfalfa in the digestive tract and rumen parameters were determined. Cell walls and xylose were less digestible in the deer than in the cattle (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). The digestibility of galactose in the deer was as high as that in the cattle. The digestibility of the other sugars and total neutral sugars was numerically lower in the deer, but the differences were not significant. In the deer, mannose was most digestible, followed in order by galactose, arabinose, glucose, rhamnose and xylose; whereas, in the cattle, mannose was most digestible, followed in order by arabinose, glucose, galactose, rhamnose and xylose. The retention time in the digestive tract was shorter in the deer than in the cattle. In the deer, the number of ruminal protozoa was somewhat higher, and the concentrations of propionic acid and butyric acid were higher (P < 0.05) than in the cattle. These results indicate that Sika deer might utilize pectic polysaccharides as a carbon source in preference to glucose containing polysaccharides such as cellulose. The lower digestibility of all cell wall components except galactose in the Sika deer might be mainly due to its shorter retention time.
Predominant expression of growth hormone secretagogue receptor in the caudal lobe of chicken pituitary and parallel developmental increase in expression of pituitary GH and proventriculus ghrelin mRNA
Authors: YAMAMOTO Ichiro , YOSHIMURA Yukinori , TSUKADA Akira , KANSAKU Norio , TSUSHIMA Nobumichi , TANAKA Minoru
Published: September 2010

To examine the involvement of ghrelin in growth hormone (GH) synthesis in the chicken pituitary, the regional distribution of GH secretagogue receptor (GHS‐R)/ghrelin receptor was investigated. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (Q‐PCR) analysis revealed that the expression levels of GHS‐R and GH mRNA in the caudal lobe were about fourfold and sevenfold higher in the cephalic lobe of 7 day‐old chickens, respectively. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that GHS‐R immunoreactivity was more abundant in the caudal lobe than in the cephalic lobe, as was the case for GH immunoreactivity. By Q‐PCR, parallel increases were observed in the expression levels of ghrelin mRNA in the proventriculus and GH mRNA in the pituitary from embryonic day 17 to day 7 after hatching, whereas no significant change was found in the expression levels of GHS‐R mRNA in the pituitary during this period. These results suggest that proventriculus‐derived ghrelin may participate in pituitary GH synthesis by acting on its receptor during late embryonic development and the early post‐hatching period in chickens.
The development of angiotensin I‐converting enzyme inhibitor derived from chicken bone protein
Authors: CHENG Fu‐Yuan , LIU Yu‐Tse , WAN Tien‐Chun , LIN Liang‐Chuan , SAKATA Ryoichi
Published: September 2010

In order to produce angiotensin I‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor for application in functional food, chicken bones were gathered from a meat processing factory and then hydrolyzed with Alcalase, pepsin and trypsin for 12 h. The hydrolysates were lyophilized, stored at −80°C and tested experimentally every 2 h for pH value, peptide content, degree of hydrolysis (DH), electrophoresis and activity of ACE inhibitor. The hydrolysates of Alcalase had the highest peptide content and DH. The components of more than 66 kDa had disappeared in hydrolysates of Alcalase and trypsin after 2 h of hydrolysis. The hydrolysates of Alcalase were more active in inhibiting ACE, especially when hydrolyzed at 4 and 8 h, and also had low IC50 values of 1.960 and 0.945 mg/mL. According to the results of DH and electrophoresis, the higher activity of ACE inhibitor is assumed to be derived from the low molecular peptides in hydrolysates of Alcalase. Chicken leg bone has a high potential to be utilized to develop ACE inhibitory peptides as a potential ingredient of functional food intended to alleviate hypertension.
Comparison of behavior, physical condition and performance of laying hens in four molting methods
Authors: SHIMMURA Tsuyoshi , EGUCHI Yusuke , UETAKE Katsuji , TANAKA Toshio
Published: September 2010

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the welfare level of hens in four molting methods by comparing their behavior, physical condition and performance. In total, 96 White Leghorn layers (72 weeks of age) were used. The four molting methods consisted of 10 days of feeding and the first 3 days of water withdrawal WFW); 10 day feed withdrawal (WF) followed by ad libitum access to a layer diet from day 11, 28 days of restricted feeding (RF) and 28 days without withdrawing their feed (NW). The RF and NW hens were fed a low energy diet. The WFW and WF hens showed two clear phases of behavior during the 10‐day fasting period. Explorative and stereotyped behavior increased for WFW and WF hens just after their fast. Standing‐resting then increased for WFW and WF hens while lying‐resting decreased. In contrast, RF and NW hens did not show clear behavioral changes during the 28‐day molt period. The weight loss of the NW hens was more gradual compared with the other three methods. No significant differences were seen in any productive trait among the four methods during the postmolt period. In conclusion, the welfare level of RF and NW, especially NW, was higher compared with WFW and WF.
Hybrid Commodities, Gendered Aesthetics, and the Challenge of Cross‐Cultural Comparison: A Response to Moretti’s ‘The Novel: History and Theory’
Authors: Lam Ling Hon , Porter Dahlia
Published: September 2010

In his provocative article, Franco Moretti raises issues central to the criticism of the novel, and his insights generated a vibrant cross‐disciplinary conversation between the authors of this response. In this essay, we introduce several alternative approaches that redirect and extend Moretti’s argument. Instead of reifying the opposition between Chinese novels (as aesthetic objects) and English novels (as commodities), we see the chiasmus of aestheticization and commodification in both novel traditions. Further, the quantitative approach to the novel field and the focus on prose excludes hybrid forms produced and consumed by women readers. The opposition of extensive, desultory reading to aesthetic concentration, we propose, came into being in the critical enterprise contemporaneous with the ‘rise’ of the novel – an enterprise grounded in the gendered economy of popular reading.
Global Joyce
Authors: Freedman Ariela
Published: September 2010

James Joyce’s interest in accessing the globalthroughthe core of the local makes him a particularly suggestive example for writers interested in a cosmopolitan vernacular, particularly for those writing, as Joyce did, from the margins of Europe. Postcolonial studies have extended Joyce criticism through new readings of the global multiplicity of his work and through study of the translations that brought Joyce to new readerships, but have only recently begun to examine writers outside of Europe and North America who both followed and challenged Joyce’s example. This article discusses Joyce’s global influence in the accounts of critics and novelists, including Mulk Raj Anand, Salman Rushdie, Derek Walcott and Orhan Pamuk. Attention to Joyce as a postcolonial writer should serve to call attention to other international writers, rather than to overwrite them; the effect should be centripetal and should expand and dislocate our ideas of influence rather than situate them in a stable centre. Joyce’s global circulation, reception, imitation and adaptation comprises an odyssey of reading engaged both with the revisioning of the literary past and the future of literary studies.
Modernist Literature and the Everyday
Authors: Randall Bryony
Published: September 2010

This article begins by considering modernist literary criticism's engagement with the everyday. It surveys a wide range of critical works which have in some way addressed the everyday in modernist literature, including work on the city, transport, the cinema, technology, and advertising, and concludes this opening section with an invitation to consider in more depth the paradoxes of the term ‘everyay’. The next section observes the connection between the emergence of what we now call modernism in the late nineteenth century and early everyday life studies, namely in the work of Georg Simmel, Walter Benjamin and Siegfried Kracauer. The final section offers some further readings of the everyday in modernist literature, specifically in the work of Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, Dorothy Richardson, William Carlos Williams, Marianne Moore and Wallace Stevens. Observing that some recent work on modernism and the everyday has refocused attention on temporality and formal considerations, this section insists on the significance of attending to the everyday not only as content, where those things written about are identified as everyday, but also as a formal and temporal quality which informs the style and structure of modernist texts in their attempts to defamiliarise and make new the everyday in modernity.
Shakespeare’s Plays and Broadside Ballads
Authors: Chess Simone
Published: September 2010

As projects in the digital humanities make early modern broadside ballads more accessible to modern readers, these cheap print songs and poems are becoming an increasingly important tool for literary and cultural criticism. How might our attention to “low” texts, like ballads, change the way that we read and think about Shakespeare’s plays? First, Shakespeare’s references to ballads inAs You Like ItandA Winter’s Taleshow the author’s engagement with the growing sixteenth and seventeenth century ballad market. Second, ballad adaptations of Shakespeare plays like theThe Taming of the ShrewandTitus Andronicusshow the ways that ballad writers and sellers responded to and adapted the plays. In each of these cases, the street and the theater are closer than they might otherwise seem; Shakespeare’s plays respond to the growth of the Renaissance print market by making ballads a part of performance and script, while ballad street literature interprets theatrical plots through the genre of popular song.
Vasoactive Peptides, their Receptors and Drug Development
Authors: Kusserow Heike , Unger Thomas
Published: September 2010

Abstract:Vasoactive peptides with vasocontrictor properties play an important role in many physiological and pathological conditions. The peptides act via specific receptors, most of them belonging to the group of seven transmembrane G‐protein coupled receptors. These receptors have become important targets for drugs developed to inhibit vasoconstrictor actions. Alternatively, compounds which inhibit enzymes generating vasoactive peptides have also been demonstrated to represent valuable therapeutic tools. This review will first describe the properties and distribution of two very potent vasoconctrictors, angiotensin II and endothelin. It will further focus on their receptors and on new drugs, which act as antagonists for these receptors. In addition, the properties of indirectly acting drugs like angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors and – in analogy – endothelin‐converting enzyme inhibitors will be presented.
Preclinical Assessment of Gastrooesophageal Tolerance of the New Antiosteoporotic Drug Strontium Ranelate: An Endoscopic Study in Monkeys
Authors: Fisch Cecile , Attia Mahmoud , Dargent François , De Jouffrey Stéphane , Dupin‐Roger Isabelle , Claude Jean‐Roger
Published: September 2010

Abstract: This study was aimed at evaluating the digestive tolerance of the new antiosteoporotic drug, strontium ranelate, and to compare it to that of another strontium salt, strontium chloride (SrCl2). Strontium ranelate, SrCl2, or placebo were administered orally (capsules) to 3 groups of 2 male and 2 female cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) once a day for 7 days at a dose of 2 g/day, which is the recommended therapeutic dose in man. Endoscopic examination of the oesophagus, the stomach and the first part of the duodenum was performed on fasted animals approximately 3 hr after the first (Day 1) and last dosing (Day 7), and, on Day 8 and Day 14 in case of lesions on Day 7. Strontium ranelate did not induce any acute or subchronic toxic effect on the gastric mucosa, the oesophagus and the first part of the duodenum. On the contrary, acute and superficial damages were noted on all animals receiving SrCl2 such as haemorrhagic and erosive lesions (formation of an ulcer in one male and a marked congestive antritis in one female). These effects were reversible after cessation of treatment. The microscopic examination of biopsies sampled at the site of gastric lesions revealed moderate granulocyte infiltration, indicating a local irritating origin of the lesions. Strontium ranelate by oral route is safe for the gastric mucosa while SrCl2 induced superficial and reversible lesions.
Cocaine‐Induced Inhibition of ATP‐Sensitive K+Channels in Rat Ventricular Myocytes and in Heart‐Derived H9c2 Cells
Authors: Wu Sheng‐Nan , Chang Hang‐Dong , Sung Ruey J.
Published: September 2010

Abstract:Cocaine use may cause coronary artery spasm and acute myocardial ischaemia/infarction. However, its effects on ATP‐sensitive K+(KATP) channel, an ion channel responsible for ischaemic preconditioning, remain unknown. In isolated rat ventricular myocytes with whole‐cell experiments, cocaine can reverse action potential shortening and increased K+current caused by the openers of ATP‐sensitive K+(KATP) channels. In inside‐out patches, cocaine applied to intracellular surface suppressed KATP‐channel activity in a concentration‐dependent manner with an IC50value of 9.2 μM; however, it did not modify the single‐channel conductance of this channel. The change in the kinetic behaviour of KATPchannels caused by cocaine is primarily the result of an increase in mean closed time and a decrease in mean open time. Cocaine‐induced inhibition of KATPchannels is independent of change in intracellular ATP concentrations. In heart‐derived H9c2 cells, cocaine is also capable of suppressing KATP‐channel activity. The present study provides evidence that cocaine can produce a depressant action on KATPchannels in cardiac myocytes, and thus disturb ischaemic preconditioning in clinical settings.
Alternative Methods for Developmental Toxicity Testing
Authors: Piersma Aldert H.
Published: September 2010

Abstract: Alternatives to animal testing in developmental toxicology have been the subject of three decades of research. The aims of these investigations have been to reduce animal experimentation, to refine effect assessment and mechanistic studies, and to accelerate and simplify safety testing in an area of toxicology that uses relatively many animals. Many alternatives have been developed over the years with different compexities, using biologic material ranging from continuous cell lines to complete embryos. The validation of alternatives and their application in testing strategies is still in its infancy, although significant steps towards these aims are currently being made. The introduction of the genomics technology is a promising emerging area in developmental toxicity testing in vitro. Future application of alternatives in testing strategies for developmental toxicity may significantly gain from the inclusion of gene expression studies, given the unique programme of gene expression changes in embryonic and foetal development.
Proteomics: Recent Applications and New Technologies
Authors: Elrick Mollisa M. , Walgren Jennie L. , Mitchell Michael D. , Thompson David C.
Published: September 2010

Abstract: Interest in proteomics as a tool for drug development and a myriad of other applications continues to expand at a rapid rate. Proteomic analyses have recently been conducted on tissues, biofluids, subcellular components and enzymatic pathways as well as various disease and toxicological states, in both animal models and man. In addition, several recent studies have attempted to integrate proteomics data with genomics and/or metabonomics data in a systems biology approach. The translation of proteomic technology and bioinformatics tools to clinical samples, such as in the areas of disease and toxicity biomarkers, represents one of the major opportunities and challenges facing this field. An ongoing challenge in proteomics continues to be the analysis of the serum proteome due to the vast number and complexity of proteins estimated to be present in this biofluid. Aside from the removal of the most abundant proteins, a number of interesting approaches have recently been suggested that may help reduce the overall complexity of serum analysis. In keeping with the increasing interest in applications of proteomics, the tools available for proteomic analyses continue to improve and expand. For example, enhanced tools (such as software and labeling procedures) continue to be developed for the analysis of 2D gels and protein quantification. In addition, activity‐based probes are now being used to tag, enrich and isolate distinct sets of proteins based on enzymatic activity. One of the most active areas of development involves microarrays. Antibody‐based microarrays have recently been released as commercial products while numerous additional capture agents (e.g. aptamers) and many additional types of microarrays are being explored.
Perinatal Exposure to Oestradiol and Bisphenol A Alters the Prostate Epigenome and Increases Susceptibility to Carcinogenesis
Authors: Prins Gail S. , Tang Wan‐Yee , Belmonte Jessica , Ho Shuk‐Mei
Published: September 2010

Abstract:  An important and controversial health concern is whether low‐dose exposures to hormonally active environmental oestrogens such as bisphenol A can promote human diseases including prostate cancer. Our studies in rats have shown that pharmacological doses of oestradiol administered during the critical window of prostate development result in marked prostate pathology in adulthood that progress to neoplastic lesions with ageing. Our recent studies have also demonstrated that transient developmental exposure of rats to low, environmentally relevant doses of bisphenol A or oestradiol increases prostate gland susceptibility to adult‐onset precancerous lesions and hormonal carcinogenesis. These findings indicate that a wide range of oestrogenic exposures during development can predispose to prostatic neoplasia that suggests a potential developmental basis for this adult disease. To identify a molecular basis for oestrogen imprinting, we screened for DNA methylation changes over time in the exposed prostate glands. We found permanent alterations in DNA methylation patterns of multiple cell signalling genes suggesting an epigenetic mechanism of action. For phosphodiesterase type 4 variant 4 (PDE4D4), an enzyme responsible for intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate breakdown, a specific methylation cluster was identified in the 5′‐flanking CpG island that was gradually hypermethylated with ageing in normal prostates resulting in loss of gene expression. However, in prostates exposed to neonatal oestradiol or bisphenol A, this region became hypomethylated with ageing resulting in persistent and elevated PDE4D4 expression. In total, these findings indicate that low‐dose exposures to ubiquitous environmental oestrogens impact the prostate epigenome during development and in so doing, promote prostate disease with ageing.
Developmental Immunotoxicity of Atrazine in Rodents
Authors: Rowe Alexander M. , Brundage Kathleen M. , Barnett John B.
Published: September 2010

Abstract:  There is a substantial literature reporting that the developing immune system is more sensitive to toxic insult and that the measurable phenotype resulting from prenatal/neonatal exposure often differs from that seen in adult exposure models (reviewed in Holladay and Steven, and Smialowicz et al.). Atrazine is a common herbicidal contaminant of groundwater in agricultural areas in the USA. The potential immunotoxicity of atrazine has been extensively studied using adult‐exposure models; however, few studies have explored its immunotoxicity in a prenatal and/or lactational exposure model. Prenatal/lactational atrazine exposure affects the function of young adult rodent immune systems in both sex‐ and age‐dependant manners. In our studies, the humoural and cell‐mediated immune responses of offspring from atrazine‐exposed dams were assessed at two ages, 3 and 6 months of age to test the hypothesis that prenatal/lactational atrazine exposure would cause greater health complications as the mice aged. Male offspring showed a significant immunopotentiation at three moa that was not apparent at 6 months. Three‐month‐old female offspring showed no significant difference in immune response from controls. However, at 6 months, female litter mates showed a significant depression in their immune function. These results indicate a decreasing trend in immune capacity. Rooney et al. showed a significant depression of the immune function of young male rat exposure prenatally and lactationally to atrazine. These results demonstrate a sex‐ and age‐dependant effect of prenatal exposure to atrazine on the immune system of the adult offspring using two rodent strains.
Endocrine Disruptors and Abnormalities of Pubertal Development
Authors: Schoeters Greet , Den Hond Elly , Dhooge Willem , Van Larebeke Nik , Leijs Marike
Published: September 2010

Abstract:  Onset and development of puberty is regulated by the neuroendocrine system. Population‐based studies worldwide have observed secular trends towards earlier puberty development. These changes are apparently caused by environmental factors such as improved socio‐economic status, improved health care and nutrition. However, they may also partly result from endocrine‐disrupting chemicals in the environment. Epidemiological studies have investigated the relationship between pubertal development and exposure to endocrine‐disrupting chemicals (polychlorinated biphenyls, polybrominated biphenyls, 1,1,1‐trichloro‐2,2‐bis(p‐chlorophenyl)ethane, phthalate esters, furans and the pesticide endosulfan). Associations with both perinatal and postnatal exposure have been reported. Studies in experimental animals support some of these findings and point to differential endocrine regulatory mechanisms linked to pubertal development acting in the perinatal and the pre‐pubertal period. Pubertal development is naturally associated with growth and body composition. There is increasing evidence for a link between prenatal development and pubertal onset. In girls born small for gestational age (SGA), pubertal onset and age at menarche often are advanced, especially if there has been an extensive catch‐up growth during the first months of life. In utero growth retardation may have multiple causes including exposure to xenobiotic substances as was suggested for some endocrine‐disrupting chemicals. An abnormal perinatal environment of children born SGA may alter the endocrine status and the sensitivity of the receptors for endocrine and metabolic signalling that may have effects on maturation of brain and gonads. However, the causal pathways and the molecular mechanisms that may link the pubertal growth pattern of children born SGA, pubertal development and endocrine‐disrupting chemicals need further study.
Prenatal Exposures to Persistent and Non‐Persistent Organic Compounds and Effects on Immune System Development
Authors: Hertz‐Picciotto Irva , Park Hye‐Youn , Dostal Miroslav , Kocan Anton , Trnovec Tomas , Sram Radim
Published: September 2010

Abstract:  Immune system development, particularly in the prenatal period, has far‐reaching consequences for health during early childhood, as well as throughout life. Environmental disturbance of the complex balances of Th1 and Th2 response mechanisms can alter that normal development. Dysregulation of this process or an aberrant trajectory or timing of events can result in atopy, asthma, a compromised ability to ward off infection, or other auto‐immune disease. A wide range of chemical, physical and biological agents appear to be capable of disrupting immune development. This MiniReview briefly reviews developmental milestones of the immune system in the prenatal period and early life, and then presents examples of environmentally induced alterations in immune markers. The first example involves a birth cohort study linked to an extensive programme of air pollution monitoring; the analysis shows prenatal ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and fine particle (PM2.5) exposures to be associated with altered lymphocyte immunophenotypic distributions in cord blood and possible changes in cord serum immunoglobulin E levels. The second example is a study of prenatal‐polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) exposures and the foetal development of the thymus, the organ responsible for lymphocyte maturation. Mothers with higher serum concentrations of PCBs gave birth to neonates having smaller indices of thymus size. Finally, this report underscores the tight connection between development of the immune system and that of the central nervous system, and the plausibility that disruption of critical events in immune development may play a role in neurobehavioural disorders.
Consequences of Exposure to Carcinogens Beginning During Developmental Life
Authors: Soffritti Morando , Belpoggi Fiorella , Esposti Davide Degli , Falcioni Laura , Bua Luciano
Published: September 2010

Abstract:  The increased incidence of cancer over the last 50–60 years may be largely attributed to two factors: the ageing of the population and the diffusion of agents and situations presenting carcinogenic risks. Today, we have entered into a new era in which populations are ever‐increasingly exposed to diffuse carcinogenic risks, present not only in the occupational, but also in the general environment. We must now also consider an additional factor in the carcinogenic process, that is, the age in which exposure to carcinogenic risks begins. Apart from the paradigmatic cases of diethylstilboestrol and ionizing radiation, the available epidemiological data concerning the adult consequences of developmental exposure to carcinogens is very limited. However, important data have been provided by long‐term experimental carcinogenicity bioassays conducted using rodents. This paper reports a selection of studies conducted in the laboratories of the Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center of the European Ramazzini Foundation in which exposure to the chemical agents vinyl acetate monomer, ethyl alcohol and aspartame was started during developmental life and continued into adulthood. The results of these studies provide supporting evidence that lifespan exposure to carcinogenic agents beginning during developmental life produces an overall increase in the carcinogenic effects observed. Moreover, when comparing prenatal and postnatal exposure, the data demonstrate that the development of cancers may appear earlier in life.
Hypotensive and Vasorelaxant Effects of Citronellol, a Monoterpene Alcohol, in Rats
Authors: Bastos Joana F. A. , Moreira Ítalo J. A. , Ribeiro Thaís P. , Medeiros Isac A. , Antoniolli Angelo R. , De Sousa Damião P. , Santos Márcio R. V.
Published: September 2010

Abstract: Citronellol is an essential oil constituent from the medicinal plantsCymbopogon citratus,Cymbopogon winterianusandLippia albawhich are thought to possess antihypertensive properties. Citronellol‐induced cardiovascular effects were evaluated in this study. In rats, citronellol (1–20 mg/kg, i.v.) induced hypotension, which was not affected by pre‐treatment with atropine, hexamethonium,Nω‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester hydrochloride or indomethacin, and tachycardia, which was only attenuated by pre‐treatment with atropine and hexamethonium. These responses were less than those obtained for nifedipine, a reference drug. In intact rings of rat mesenteric artery pre‐contracted with 10 μM phenylephrine, citronellol induced relaxations (pD2 = 0.71 ± 0.11;Emax = 102 ± 5%; n = 6) that were not affected by endothelium removal, after tetraethylamonium in rings without endothelium pre‐contracted with KCl 80 mM. Citronellol strongly antagonized (maximal inhibition = 97 ± 4%; n = 6) the contractions induced by CaCl2(10−6to 3 × 10−3 M) and did not induce additional effects on the maximal response of nifedipine (10 μM). Finally, citronellol inhibited the contractions induced by 10 μM phenylephrine or 20 mM caffeine. The present results suggest that citronellol lowers blood pressure by a direct effect on the vascular smooth muscle leading to vasodilation.
INSECT INFESTATION OF STORED PRODUCTS
Authors: HAYHURST H.
Published: September 2010

A list of insects found infesting stored products is given, with details of the commodities upon which they have been found.

The author is indebted to H. Britten, Esq., F.R.E.S., for the identification of many insects and for much helpful advice and encouragement; also to the London, Midland and Scottish Railway Company for permission to publish this paper.
Statistical Aspects of the Independent Joint Action of Poisons, Particularly Insecticides
Authors: Plackett R. L. , Hewlett P. S.
Published: September 2010

Bliss's (1939) statistical treatment of the hypothesis of the independent joint action of poisons is extended and revised. The possibility of negative correlation in resistance is considered, and the bivariate normal correlation coefficient is used to measure correlation in resistance. There are interesting characteristics of the dosage‐mortality curve for a mixture of poisons the resistances to which are log‐normally distributed: these are described. The question of whether a mixture of poisons is more toxic if they act similarly or independently is discussed.
Experiments on the Spread of Rugose Mosaic and Leaf Roll in Potato Crops in 1946
Authors: Broadbent L. , Gregory P. H.
Published: September 2010

A series of experiments on the spread of potato rugose mosaic (virus Y), and leaf roll, which has been in progress on a uniform plan since 1943, was ended in 1946. Mean values for thirteen centres in England and Wales showed that in 1946 69% of the infections with virus Yand 48 % of those with leaf‐roll virus reached the tubers of Majestic potatoes by the beginning of August. There was usually little subsequent increase of rugose mosaic, but a late increase of leaf roll was associated with a relatively high initial spread. Three‐quarters of the virus Y and over half the leaf‐roll infections occurred within five plants distance of the source. There was no close correlation between the spread of either virus and the maximum number of Myzus persicae, either apterous forms on the plants or alate forms caught on adhesive traps, but centres with high trap catches in July and August showed pronounced late season spread of leaf roll. There were marked differences at different centres in the relative spread of the two viruses. The amount of spread and the gradients from source of infection of the two viruses are compared over the period 1943–6.
Studies in Plant Nutrition
Authors: Chesters C. G. C. , Street H. E.
Published: September 2010

The effect on growth and development of lettuce (May King Improved) resulting from the addition of organic supplements to a full inorganic culture solution has been investigated by means of sand cultures.

The addition of an aqueous extract of leaf mould resulted in enhanced growth on both a fresh and dry‐weight basis. Shoot and particularly leaf growth were most markedly stimulated so that a higher shoot/root ratio was obtained. The plants receiving leaf‐mould extract were also characterized by a slightly higher moisture content.

The addition of either yeast extract or hydrolysed casein did not result in any significant difference in growth as compared with plants receiving only inorganic nutrients.

The results are briefly discussed against the background of a review of the present status of our knowledge of the role of organic materials in the nutrition of higher green plants.
Cattle Grazing, Forest Loss, and Fuel Loading in a Dry Forest Ecosystem at Pu'u Wa'aWa'a Ranch, Hawai'i1
Authors: Blackmore Murray , Vitousek Peter M.
Published: September 2010

We used aerial photographs to measure long‐term loss of forest cover in dry to mesic forests at Pu'u Wa'aWa'a on the island of Hawai'i. The aerial extent of dense forest decreased 62 percent between 1954 and 1994, and the area covered by grassland increased by 237 percent. We then used field data and modeling to evaluate the consequences of removing cattle to the composition, biomass, and flammability of the grass community. Field studies of exclosures demonstrated that grazing reduced biomass of kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum) from 770 to 229 g/m2, and canopy height from 26.8 to 6.1 cm. Grazed kikuyu was unable to carry fast‐spreading or intense fires (maximum flame length 70 cm, covering 1.4 ha after one hour), while ungrazed kikuyu could carry catastrophic fires (flame lengths 3.0 m, covering >75 ha after one hour). In addition, removing cattle from drier areas allowed the spread of fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum), which created a higher risk of fire due to its architecture and low fuel moistures.
Do Forest Gaps Influence the Population Structure and Species Composition of Mangrove Stands in Northern Australia?1
Authors: Clarke Peter J. , Kerrigan Raelee A.
Published: September 2010

Gap‐phase regeneration of tropical mangroves was studied to test if there were significant environmental, structural, and floristic differences between canopy gaps and adjacent forests with intact canopies. Twenty‐five canopy gaps in the low to mid intertidal zone were sampled at two study areas in northern Australia. Canopy gaps at the more equatorial study area were larger and had a higher surrounding canopy. Soil analyses showed that sediment texture exerts strong control on conductivity, pH, organic matter, total P, total N and total S. Some soil factors differed between gaps and intact forest, and PAR was significantly higher in gaps. Despite this, propagule and young seedling abundances did not differ between gaps and adjacent forests due to the dominance of viviparous species. Enhanced recruitment of seedlings to the sapling stage was detected in many canopy gaps, although saplings were also present under mangrove forest canopies. Nevertheless, the overall floristic composition, species richness, and species rank abundance were similar between canopy gaps and forests with intact canopies. There appears to be little evidence for specialized gap colonists in tropical mangrove forest as distinct from other tropical forests. Instead, gap‐phase regeneration of mangroves appears to follow a simple “direct replacement” model in which a species population is replaced by members of the same species in forest gaps. The scope for gap‐dependent specialization in mangroves via seed dormancy and fast growth rates, common in rain forest pioneers, may be constrained by the intertidal environment in which mangroves occur.
The Relationship between Canopy Gaps and Topography in a Western Ecuadorian Rain Forest1
Authors: Gale Neil
Published: September 2010

The relationship between canopy gaps and topography was examined in 12 ha of wet rain forest in lowland western Ecuador. Canopy gap and topographical data were recorded on a 10‐ X 5‐m grid system. Each grid point was categorized as belonging to a low canopy gap (5 m height), a high canopy gap (5–10 m height), or the non‐gap forest (>10 m height). Slope position, altitude, slope, and surface rock all influenced proportional gap area. The gap relationship with slope position and slope angle varied with altitude. Proportional gap area was not related to drainage. Irrespective of altitude, the plateaus had the greatest proportion of low canopy gap followed by the valleys and upper slopes. The mid‐slopes and ridges had the lowest proportion of low canopy gap. The proportions of high canopy gap had an almost converse relationship. As altitude decreased, the proportion of low canopy gap increased in the valleys and on the plateaus, but decreased on the ridges and upper slopes. The relationship of slope to the two gap types also varied with altitude, although no clear trend was evident. The processes controlling the observed topographical relationship of gaps are complex, and among other factors, may be linked to the distribution of live and dead treefalls. Topographic differences in the incidence of canopy gaps can potentially influence local species' distributions.