bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fluoride content in toothpastes commercialized for children in Chile and discussion on professional recommendations of use
Authors: GIACAMAN RODRIGO A. , CARRERA CAROLA A. , MUÑOZ‐SANDOVAL CECILIA , FERNANDEZ CONSTANZA , CURY JAIME A.
Published: February 2012

International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 2013; 23: 77–83

Background.  In Chile, no information is available regarding the soluble fluoride (F) content in the toothpastes commercialized for children and the country’s guidelines recommend the use of F in toothpastes in an age‐dependent concentration. No global consensus has been reached on this subject.

Aim.  To determine the soluble F concentration in dentifrices for children sold in Chile and to discuss Chilean guidelines and professional recommendations of use.

Design.  Three samples of twelve different dentifrices were purchased from drugstores. Toothpastes were analysed in duplicate using an ion‐specific electrode. The concentrations of total F (TF) and total soluble F (TSF) were determined (μg F/g).

Results.  Measured TF was consistent with that declared by the manufacturer in eight products. Two dentifrices showed lower TF and two higher F concentrations than declared. A toothpaste, marketed as low‐F (450 ppm), showed F concentration threefold higher. Most dentifrices exhibited TSF concentrations similar to the TF content, except one sample that displayed considerably lower TSF than TF. Recommendations on F toothpastes use in children widely vary from country to country.

Conclusions.  Most dentifrices for children match F content in the labelling, but recommendations are not supported by the best evidence available on the benefit/risk of F toothpastes use.
Novel insights in the role of peripheral corticotropin‐releasing factor and mast cells in stress‐induced visceral hypersensitivity
Authors: Larauche M.
Published: February 2012

Visceral hypersensitivity is one of the hallmarks in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) pathophysiology. Stress is well known to affect visceral sensitivity in humans and rodents, an effect which is associated in part with alterations of intestinal epithelial permeability in rodents. Although the pathophysiology of visceral hypersensitivity is still unclear, two key factors have been identified as playing a major role in its modulation, namely peripheral corticotropin‐releasing factor (CRF) and mast cells. In a recent study in Neurogastroenterology and Motility, van den Wijngaard et al. demonstrate that the mast‐cell dependent visceral hypersensitivity observed in maternally separated rats after an acute exposure to a psychological stress can be prevented but not reversed by the peripherally restricted CRF receptor antagonist, α‐helical CRF9–41. They further show that the preventive effect of the CRF receptor antagonist is linked to a stabilization of mast cells and maintenance of the epithelial barrier at the colonic level. These data suggest that post stress mast cell activation and subsequent visceral hypersensitivity are not targeted by peripheral CRF receptor antagonists. These novel insights in the role of peripheral CRF in the modulation of stress‐induced visceral hypersensitivity add to our growing understanding of the mechanisms that may lie at the origin of visceral pain disturbances following stress and will contribute to enhance the development of drugs that may have potential therapeutic benefits for IBS patients.
Acupuncture compared with oral antihistamine for type I hypersensitivity itch and skin response in adults with atopic dermatitis – a patient‐ and examiner‐blinded, randomized, placebo‐controlled, crossover trial
Authors: Pfab F. , Kirchner M.‐T. , Huss‐Marp J. , Schuster T. , Schalock P. C. , Fuqin J. , Athanasiadis G. I. , Behrendt H. , Ring J. , Darsow U. , Napadow V.
Published: February 2012

Background

Itch is the major symptom of atopic dermatitis (AD). Acupuncture has been shown to exhibit a significant effect on experimental itch in AD. Our study evaluated acupuncture and antihistamine itch therapy (cetirizine) on type I hypersensitivity itch and skin reaction in AD using a patient and examiner‐blinded, randomized, placebo‐controlled, crossover trial.

Methods

Allergen‐induced itch was evaluated in 20 patients with AD after several interventions in separate sessions: preventive (preceding) and abortive (concurrent) verum acupuncture (VAp and VAa), cetirizine (10 mg, VC), corresponding placebo interventions (preventive, PAp, and abortive, PAa, placebo acupuncture; placebo cetirizine pill, PC) and a no‐intervention control (NI). Itch was induced on the forearm and temperature modulated over 20 min, using our validated model. Outcome parameters included itch intensity, wheal and flare size and the D2 attention test.

Results

Mean itch intensity (SE: 0.31 each) was significantly lower following VAa (31.9) compared with all other groups (PAa: 36.5; VC: 36.8; VAp: 37.6; PC: 39.8; PAp: 39.9; NI: 45.7; P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between VAp and VC (P > 0.1), although both therapies were significantly superior to their respective placebo interventions (P < 0.05). Flare size following VAp was significantly smaller (P = 0.034) than that following PAp. D2 attention test score was significantly lower following VC compared with all other groups (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Both VA and cetirizine significantly reduced type I hypersensitivity itch in patients with AD, compared with both placebo and NI. Timing of acupuncture application was important, as VAa had the most significant effect on itch, potentially because of counter‐irritation and/or distraction. Itch reduction following cetirizine coincided with reduced attention.
α‐6 Integrin Expression in Bovine Spermatogonial Cells Purified by Discontinuous Percoll Density Gradient
Authors: de Barros FRO , Worst RA , Saurin GCP , Mendes CM , Assumpção MEOA , Visintin JA
Published: February 2012

Contents

The study of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) provides a model to better understand adult stem cell biology. Besides the biomedical potential to perform studies of infertility in many species, SSCs hold a promising application at animal transgenesis. Because stem cells are thought to be associated with basement membranes, expression of α‐6 integrin has been investigated as a marker of type A spermatogonial cells, which are considered SSCs because of their undifferentiated status and self‐renewal ability. In this manner, the aim of this study was to isolate type A SSCs from adult bulls by a two‐step enzymatic procedure followed by a discontinuous Percoll density gradient purification and verify the expression of α‐6 integrin by flow cytometry and real‐time RT‐PCR before and after Percoll purification. Spermatogonial cells were successfully obtained using the two‐step enzymatic digestion. An average of 1 × 105 viable cells per gram of testis was isolated. However, the discontinuous Percoll did not purify isolated cells regarding α‐6 integrin expression. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated no differences in the α‐6 integrin expression between cell samples before and after Percoll purification (p = 0.5636). The same was observed in the real‐time PCR analysis (p > 0.05). In addition to α‐6 integrin, the expression of GFRa‐1 and PGP9.5, known bovine SSCs markers, was detected in all samples studied. Considering that Percoll can reduce cell viability, it is possible to conclude that Percoll density gradient is not suitable to purify bovine SSC, according to α‐6 integrin expression.
Regulation of transglutaminase‐mediated hepatic cell death in alcoholic steatohepatitis and non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis
Authors: Kojima Soichi , Kuo Ting‐Fang , Tatsukawa Hideki
Published: February 2012

Background and Aim:  Transglutaminase 2 (TG2), catalyzing crosslinking between lysine and glutamine residues, is involved in many liver diseases. We previously reported that TG2, induced in the nucleus of ethanol‐ or free fatty acids (FFAs)‐treated hepatic cells, crosslinks and inactivates a transcription factor Sp1, leading to reduced expression of c‐Met and thereby caspase independent hepatic apoptosis in culture systems, animal models, and both alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH) and non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients. FFAs increase endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, NFkB activation and nuclear TG2 (nTG2) through pancreatic ER kinase (PERK)‐dependent pathway, whereas ethanol induces nTG2 via retinoid signaling. However, the molecular mechanism by which ethanol/FFAs induce nuclear localization of TG2 has been unclear.

Method:  A similar nTG2‐mediated cell death is induced in acyclic retinoid (ACR)‐treated hepatocellular carcinoma. Using cultured cells, we investigated how to control this novel apoptotic pathway by regulating nuclear localization of TG2.

Results:  TG2 is composed of N‐terminal b‐sandwich, catalytic core, b‐barrel 1, and C‐terminal b‐barrel 2 domains. In a previous work, we identified a 14 amino acid nuclear localization signal (NLS) within the b‐barrel 1 domain and a putative leucine‐rich nuclear export signal (NES) at position 657 to 664 (LHMGLHKL) near the C‐terminus in the b‐barrel 2 domain, and found that ACR downregulated exportin‐1 levels, thereby accumulation of TG2 in the nucleus. Here, we found that both ethanol and FFAs provoked generation of truncated short form of TG2 (TG2‐S) defects in the putative NES at least in part through alternative splicing, thereby causing accumulation of TG2‐S in the nucleus.

Conclusion:  The generation of TG2‐S in ethanol or FFAs‐treated hepatic cells is a novel therapeutic target for prevention of hepatic cell death associated with ASH/NASH.
Epidemiology, risk factors, and the promotion of pancreatic cancer: Role of the stellate cell
Authors: Pandol Stephen , Gukovskaya Anna , Edderkoui Mouad , Dawson David , Eibl Guido , Lugea Aurelia
Published: February 2012

There are approximately 277 000 new cases of pancreatic cancer and 266 000 deaths from pancreatic cancer annually, indicating a mortality rate of 96% of the cases diagnosed. Because of the ineffectiveness of therapies, a major emphasis needs to be placed on prevention. This paper reviews the epidemiology and risk factors for pancreatic cancer, and uses this information to propose plausible research directions for determining the biological mechanisms mediating the effects of risk factors on the promotion of pancreatic cancer, with a focus on the pancreatic stellate cell.
Pathophysiology guided treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis
Authors: Nguyen Tuyet A T , Sanyal Arun J
Published: February 2012

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a spectrum that ranges from benign steatosis to steatohepatitis. It has become the most common cause of chronic liver disease, and yet there continues to be a lack of effective therapeutic options. This article reviews current concepts underlying the pathophysiological basis of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis from development of insulin resistance to the establishment of fibrosis. Then using a physiology‐based approach, specific targeted therapeutics are reviewed along with their drawbacks. The evidence behind current therapies is based predominantly on small trials and, thus, no recommendations can be made until larger randomized trials are conducted.
Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells improve liver function and ascites in decompensated liver cirrhosis patients
Authors: Zhang Zheng , Lin Hu , Shi Ming , Xu Ruonan , Fu Junliang , Lv Jiyun , Chen Liming , Lv Sa , Li Yuanyuan , Yu Shuangjie , Geng Hua , Jin Lei , Lau George K K , Wang Fu‐Sheng
Published: February 2012

Decompensated liver cirrhosis (LC), a life‐threatening complication of chronic liver disease, is one of the major indications for liver transplantation. Recently, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transfusion has been shown to lead to the regression of liver fibrosis in mice and humans. This study examined the safety and efficacy of umbilical cord‐derived MSC (UC‐MSC) in patients with decompensated LC. A total of 45 chronic hepatitis B patients with decompensated LC, including 30 patients receiving UC‐MSC transfusion, and 15 patients receiving saline as the control, were recruited; clinical parameters were detected during a 1‐year follow‐up period. No significant side‐effects and complications were observed in either group. There was a significant reduction in the volume of ascites in patients treated with UC‐MSC transfusion compared with controls (P < 0.05). UC‐MSC therapy also significantly improved liver function, as indicated by the increase of serum albumin levels, decrease in total serum bilirubin levels, and decrease in the sodium model for end‐stage liver disease scores. UC‐MSC transfusion is clinically safe and could improve liver function and reduce ascites in patients with decompensated LC. UC‐MSC transfusion, therefore, might present a novel therapeutic approach for patients with decompensated LC.
Seed germination of Pilosocereus arrabidae (Cactaceae) from a semiarid region of south‐east Brazil
Authors: MARTINS LUIZA SÃO THIAGO , PEREIRA TANIA SAMPAIO , CARVALHO AMANDA SILVA DA ROSA , BARROS CLAUDIA FRANCA , DE ANDRADE ANTONIO CARLOS SILVA
Published: February 2012

We evaluated the effect of temperature regimes (six constant and four alternating temperatures), light qualities (five red : far red ratios) and water potentials (ΨW; seven NaCl and polyethylene glycol 6000 [PEG] solutions) on the percentage and germination rate, as well as the post‐seminal development morphology, that allow Pilosocereus arrabidae seeds to germinate in a hot semiarid climate on the south‐eastern Brazilian coast. The results showed that seeds germinated similarly between constant and alternating temperatures, with an optimal germination at 25/20°C and 20°C. Pilosocereus arrabidae seeds were photoblastic positive and the final germination percentage was inhibited at low red : far red ratios. Maximum germination was obtained in distilled water (0 MPa) and decreases of ΨW in the solutions reduced the germination, which was lower in NaCl than in iso‐osmotic PEG solutions. Germination inhibition appears to be osmotic because the recovery response was high when non‐germinated seeds from both iso‐osmotic solutions were transferred to water. Seeds of P. arrabidae are small and germination is phaneroepigeal. Despite the slow growth typically seen in seedlings and adults of Cactaceae, germination in this species depends on the ability of the seeds to appropriately sense and react to environmental cues that correlate with times and places under low‐risk growth conditions.
Impact of age on recurrence and severity of left colonic diverticulitis
Authors: Lopez‐Borao J. , Kreisler E. , Millan M. , Trenti L. , Jaurrieta E. , Rodriguez‐Moranta F. , Miguel B. , Biondo S.
Published: February 2012

Aim  There has been controversy about the presentation and treatment of acute colonic diverticulitis (AD) in young patients. The aim of this observational study was to evaluate the virulence and natural history of AD in three different age groups of patients.

Method  The study was performed on 686 patients with the diagnosis of a first episode of AD admitted between January 1998 and December 2008. Patients were classified into three groups: age 45 years or younger (group 1), 45–70 years of age (group 2) and 70 years or more (group 3). The variables studied were gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists status, associated comorbidity, type of treatment, length of hospital stay and recurrence of AD.

Results  Group 1 included 99 (14.4%) patients, group 2 339 (49.4%) and group 3 248 (36.2%). Of these, 144 patients needed emergency operation at the first admission, 25 underwent elective surgery after the first episode of AD and 10 died after medical treatment; 507 patients were followed for recurrence. In all, 104 (20.5%) patients had a recurrence of AD that required hospitalization. Fifty (9.9%) presented with one episode of severe recurrence, without any difference between the groups (P = 0.533). There were no differences in the analysis of cumulative recurrence (Kaplan–Maier) between the three groups.

Conclusion  AD does not present a more aggressive clinical course in younger patients and it can be safely managed using the same strategy as in middle aged and older patients.
11β‐Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1: relevance of its modulation in the pathophysiology of obesity, the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Pereira C. D. , Azevedo I. , Monteiro R. , Martins M. J.
Published: February 2012

Recent evidence strongly argues for a pathogenic role of glucocorticoids and 11β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β‐HSD1) in obesity and the metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) that includes insulin resistance (IR), dyslipidaemia, hypertension and visceral obesity. This has been partially prompted not only by the striking clinical resemblances between the metabolic syndrome and Cushing's syndrome (a state characterized by hypercortisolism that associates with metabolic syndrome components) but also from monogenic rodent models for the metabolic syndrome (e.g. the leptin‐deficient ob/ob mouse or the leptin‐resistant Zucker rat) that display overall increased secretion of glucocorticoids. However, systemic circulating glucocorticoids are not elevated in obese patients and/or patients with metabolic syndrome. The study of the role of 11β‐HSD system shed light on this conundrum, showing that local glucocorticoids are finely regulated in a tissue‐specific manner at the pre‐receptor level. The system comprises two microsomal enzymes that either activate cortisone to cortisol (11β‐HSD1) or inactivate cortisol to cortisone (11β‐HSD2). Transgenic rodent models, knockout (KO) for HSD11B1 or with HSD11B1 or HSD11B2 overexpression, specifically targeted to the liver or adipose tissue, have been developed and helped unravel the currently undisputable role of the enzymes in metabolic syndrome pathophysiology, in each of its isolated components and in their prevention. In the transgenic HSD11B1 overexpressing models, different features of the metabolic syndrome and obesity are replicated. HSD11B1 gene deficiency or HSD11B2 gene overexpression associates with improvements in the metabolic profile. In face of these demonstrations, research efforts are now being turned both into the inhibition of 11β‐HSD1 as a possible pharmacological target and into the role of dietary habits on the establishment or the prevention of the metabolic syndrome, obesity and T2DM through 11β‐HSD1 modulation. We intend to review and discuss 11β‐HSD1 and obesity, the metabolic syndrome and T2DM and to highlight the potential of its inhibition for therapeutic or prophylactic approaches in those metabolic diseases.
Maladaptive Variants of Conscientiousness and Agreeableness
Authors: Samuel Douglas B. , Gore Whitney L.
Published: February 2012

Although reasonably strong support has been obtained for the Five‐Factor Model's (FFM) ability to account for the existing personality disorder (PD) constructs, the support for obsessive‐compulsive PD (OCPD) and dependent PD (DPD) has been relatively less consistent. Specifically, the expected correlation between OCPD and the FFM trait of Conscientiousness has varied in magnitude across studies while DPD has, at times, also evinced rather weak relationships with FFM Agreeableness. We determined that these inconsistencies were due primarily to the reliance on FFM measures that lack adequate fidelity to assess the maladaptive aspects of high Conscientiousness and Agreeableness. When alternative measures were utilized, the correlations were generally large and in line with expectations. We conclude that OCPD and DPD can be fruitfully conceptualized within the FFM but encourage the use of measures that provide a comprehensive assessment of both the adaptive and maladaptive aspects of the FFM traits.
Five‐Factor Model Personality Disorder Prototypes: A Review of Their Development, Validity, and Comparison to Alternative Approaches
Authors: Miller Joshua D.
Published: February 2012

In this article, the development of Five‐Factor Model (FFM) personality disorder (PD) prototypes for the assessment of DSM‐IV PDs are reviewed, as well as subsequent procedures for scoring individuals’ FFM data with regard to these PD prototypes, including similarity scores and simple additive counts that are based on a quantitative prototype matching methodology. Both techniques, which result in very strongly correlated scores, demonstrate convergent and discriminant validity, and provide clinically useful information with regard to various forms of functioning. The techniques described here for use with FFM data are quite different from the prototype matching methods used elsewhere.
It's Only Temporary: Time Frame and the Dynamics of Creative Project Teams
Authors: Bakker René M. , Boroş Smaranda , Kenis Patrick , Oerlemans Leon A.G.
Published: February 2012

The success of many knowledge‐intensive industries depends on creative projects that lie at the heart of their logic of production. The temporality of such projects, however, is an issue that is insufficiently understood. To address this, we study the perceived time frame of teams that work on creative projects and its effects on project dynamics. An experiment with 267 managers assigned to creative project teams with varying time frames demonstrates that, compared to creative project teams with a relatively longer time frame, project teams with a shorter time frame focus more on the immediate present, are less immersed in their task and utilize a more heuristic mode of information processing. Furthermore, we find that time frame moderates the negative effect of team conflict on team cohesion. These results are consistent with our theory that the temporary nature of creative projects shapes different time frames among project participants, and that it is this time frame that is an important predictor of task and team processes.
Institutionalizing Representative Democracy in the European Union: The Case of the European Parliament
Authors: RITTBERGER BERTHOLD
Published: February 2012

Representative democracy has been accorded constitutional status with the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty. The European Parliament (EP) and the history of its empowerment embody this constitutional principle and its gradual institutionalization. To shed light on the EP's empowerment and the institutionalization of the principle of representative democracy in the EU, this article adopts a ‘domain of application’ approach. Instead of presenting rival theoretical approaches competing for explanatory superiority, the article shows that a more comprehensive picture of the EP's empowerment can be obtained by distinguishing between three types of institutional choice and associated explanations. Institutional creation, institutional change and institutional use are introduced as different types of institutional choice, and it is argued that each type gives primacy to particular explanatory mechanisms and dynamics to analyze the EP's empowerment.
Eurolegalism and Democracy
Authors: KELEMEN R. DANIEL
Published: February 2012

European integration is encouraging the judicialization of politics and the spread of a distinctive, juridified mode of governance we can refer to as ‘Eurolegalism’. The central argument of this article is that judicialization and the rise of Eurolegalism are not undermining democracy in Europe, as some critics would suggest, but are changing its character. These trends will change the types of policies that European democracies can effectively pursue and the processes through which they can pursue them.
Validity and reliability of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children‐2 Checklist for children with and without motor impairments
Authors: SCHOEMAKER MARINA M , NIEMEIJER ANUSCHKA S , FLAPPER BOUDIEN C T , SMITS‐ENGELSMAN BOUWIEN C M
Published: February 2012

Aim  The aim of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability of the Movement Assessment Battery for Children‐2 Checklist (MABC‐2).

Method  Teachers completed the Checklist for 383 children (age range 5–8y; mean age 6y 9mo; 190 males; 193 females) and the parents of 130 of these children completed the Developmental Disorder Coordination Questionnaire 2007 (DCDQ’07). All children were assessed with the MABC‐2 Test. The internal consistency of the 30 items of the Checklist was determined to measure reliability. Construct validity was investigated using factor analysis and discriminative validity was assessed by comparing the scores of children with and without movement difficulties. Concurrent validity was measured by calculating correlations between the Checklist, Test, and the DCDQ’07. Incremental validity was assessed to determine whether the Checklist was a better predictor of motor impairment than the DCDQ’07. Sensitivity and specificity were investigated using the MABC‐2 Test as reference standard (cut‐off 15th centile).

Results  The Checklist items measure the same construct. Six factors were obtained after factor analysis. This implies that a broad range of functional activities can be assessed with the Checklist, which renders the Checklist useful for assessing criterion B of the diagnostic criteria for DCD. The mean Checklist scores for children with and without motor impairments significantly differed (p<0.001). The scores for the Checklist/Test and DCDQ’07 were significantly correlated (rS=−0.38 and p<0.001, and rS=−0.36 and p<0.001, respectively). The Checklist better predicted motor impairment than the DCDQ’07. Overall, the sensitivity was low (41%) and the specificity was acceptable (88%).

Interpretation  The Checklist meets standards for validity and reliability.
The spontaneous resolution of heavy menstrual bleeding in the perimenopausal years
Authors: Shapley M , Blagojevic M , Jordan KP , Croft PR
Published: February 2012

Please cite this paper as: Shapley M, Blagojevic M, Jordan K, Croft P. The spontaneous resolution of heavy menstrual bleeding in the perimenopausal years. BJOG 2012;119:545–553.

Objective  To obtain estimates of the rate of spontaneous resolution of heavy menstrual bleeding and to explore any association with specific menstrual symptoms.

Design  Two‐year prospective cohort study.

Setting  Seven general practices, with 67 100 registered patients.

Population  All women aged 40–54 years on the practices age–sex registers.

Methods  Baseline postal questionnaire, with follow‐up questionnaires sent to naturally menstruating respondents at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months.

Main outcome measures  Rate of spontaneous resolution of heavy menstrual bleeding in naturally menstruating women.

Results  A total of 7121 baseline questionnaires were sent out, with an initial response rate of 63%. We recruited 2051 naturally menstruating women for the prospective cohort study. The spontaneous rate of resolution of heavy menstrual bleeding varied from 8.1% (95% CI 5.3–12%) in women aged 45–49 years, who had resolution without recurrence for 24 months, to 35% (95% CI 30–41%) in women aged 50–54 years, who had resolution without recurrence for 6 months. Rates were lower in those who reported interference with life from heavy menstrual bleeding. There was a strong association between the spontaneous resolution of heavy menstrual bleeding and skipped periods in women aged over 45 years. The association with ‘cycle too variable to say’ was significant, but weaker.

Conclusion  There is a high prevalence, incidence and significant spontaneous rate of resolution of heavy menstrual bleeding in naturally menstruating women during the perimenopausal years. The rates have potential use for individual women, clinical decisions, devising and implementing interventions and planning the care of populations.
Hot topics in epigenetic mechanisms of aging: 2011
Authors: Berdasco María , Esteller Manel
Published: February 2012

Aging is a complex process that results in compromised biological functions of the organism and increased susceptibility to disease and death. Although the molecular basis of aging is currently being investigated in many experimental contexts, there is no consensus theory to fully explain the aging process. Epigenetic factors, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, and microRNA expression, may play central roles in controlling changes in gene expression and genomic instability during aging. In this Hot Topic review, we first examine the mechanisms by which these epigenetic factors contribute to aging in diverse eukaryotic species including experimental models of yeasts, worms, and mammals. In a second section, we will emphasize in the mammalian epigenetic alterations and how they may affect human longevity by altering stem cell function and/or somatic cell decline. The field of aging epigenetics is ripe with potential, but is still in its infancy, as new layers of complexity are emerging in the epigenetic network. As an example, we are only beginning to understand the relevance of non‐coding genome to organism aging or the existence of an epigenetic memory with transgenerational inheritance. Addressing these topics will be fundamental for exploiting epigenetics phenomena as markers of aging‐related diseases or as therapeutic targets.
A Ca2+‐dependent chloride current and Ca2+ influx via Cav1.2 ion channels play major roles in P2Y receptor‐mediated pulmonary vasoconstriction
Authors: Mitchell Callum , Syed Nawazish‐i‐Husain , Gurney Alison M , Kennedy Charles
Published: February 2012

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE ATP, UTP and UDP act at smooth muscle P2X and P2Y receptors to constrict rat intrapulmonary arteries, but the underlying signalling pathways are poorly understood. Here, we determined the roles of the Ca2+‐dependent chloride ion current (ICl,Ca), Cav1.2 ion channels and Ca2+ influx.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Isometric tension was recorded from endothelium‐denuded rat intrapulmonary artery rings (i.d. 200–500 µm) mounted on a wire myograph.

KEY RESULTS The ICl,Ca blockers, niflumic acid and 4,4′‐diisothiocyanatostilbene‐2,2′‐disulfonic acid and the Cav1.2 channel blocker, nifedipine, reduced peak amplitude of contractions evoked by UTP and UDP by ∼45–50% and in a non‐additive manner. Ca2+‐free buffer inhibited responses by ∼70%. Niflumic acid and nifedipine similarly depressed contractions to ATP, but Ca2+‐free buffer almost abolished the response. After peaking, contractions to UTP and UDP decayed slowly by 50–70% to a sustained plateau, which was rapidly inhibited by niflumic acid and nifedipine. Contractions to ATP, however, reversed rapidly and fully. Tannic acid contracted tissues per se and potentiated nucleotide‐evoked contractions.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS I
Cl,Ca and Ca2+ influx via Cav1.2 ion channels contribute substantially and equally to contractions of rat intrapulmonary arteries evoked by UTP and UDP, via P2Y receptors. ATP also activates these mechanisms via P2Y receptors, but the greater dependence on extracellular Ca2+ most likely reflects additional influx through the P2X1 receptor pore. The lack of a sustained response to ATP is probably due to it acting at P2 receptor subtypes that desensitize rapidly. Thus multiple signalling mechanisms contribute to pulmonary artery vasoconstriction mediated by P2 receptors.
Non‐Career Teachers in the Design Studio: Economics, Pedagogy and Teacher Development
Authors: Smith Korydon , Smith Carl
Published: February 2012

As the economic pressure to teach more students with fewer (and less costly) instructors has increased in higher education, the utilisation of non‐career teachers has become more prevalent. Design education has not escaped this phenomenon; non‐career teachers, such as graduate and undergraduate students or design practitioners, have become commonplace in design education, including the design studio. The studio, however, is a unique teaching and learning environment in higher education. It poses distinct socio‐academic challenges for both students and teachers. The utilisation of non‐career teachers in studios raises a number of ethical and pedagogical questions. Teacher development is one serious concern. Here, the authors articulate the major challenges confronted by non‐career studio teachers, especially student teaching assistants, and strategies for their development.
Creativity in Artistic Education: Introducing Artists into Primary Schools
Authors: De Backer Free , Lombaerts Koen , De Mette Tom , Buffel Tine , Elias Willem
Published: February 2012

Despite a more prominent role of arts education in the school curriculum, artistic creativity does not occur to a great extent in primary school practice. More opportunities for teachers to strengthen their know‐how in the field of artistic creativity can therefore be considered important. Arts education projects focus on pupils' development of creativity by means of introducing artists with their divergent working methods into primary schools. Beside fostering pupils' creative openness and skills, arts education organisations aim to transfer artistic enthusiasm to teachers in each project. Collaboration with artists can encourage teachers' artistic creative work. New working methods, techniques or ways of experimenting are more likely to be adopted in daily teaching practice when the project duration consists of several years. However, most projects are short‐lived and the means for a long‐term project policy are limited. Consequently, results in the area of sustainable outcomes concerning artistic creative work with teachers are limited. To create a long‐term view, the availability of financial resources is an important condition in order to realise a mentality change towards artistic creativity in education. Finally, continuing debate with several participants about making artistic creative work sustainable remains necessary.
Contemporary Art and Art in Education: The New, Emancipation and Truth
Authors: Atkinson Dennis
Published: February 2012

This article assembles some ideas on equality and learning in relation to the notions of truth and emancipation. It considers learning as a political act, as defined by Jacques Rancière and Alain Badiou, rather than, for example, an incremental process of psychological or sociological development. Practical exemplifications will be taken from contexts of art practices and art in education, but the general argument is directed at learning and equality across all human endeavours. The article discusses the idea of the truth of learning as something which ruptures existing frameworks of practice and knowledge and ponders the kind of pedagogies we require to inform effective pedagogic action. To this end it proposes what might be termed pedagogies against the state, or pedagogies of the event, in order to respond to acts of learning that involve leaps of becoming into a new or reconfigured world.
How Drawing is Taught in Chinese Infant Schools
Authors: Jolley Richard , Zhang Zhi
Published: February 2012

The benefits of drawing for children are wide‐ranging but are likely to be mediated by the art curriculum and other governmental guidance to teachers relevant to drawing/art. Furthermore, such statutory regulations vary between cultures, and therefore curricula represent an important influence on the cultural differences found in children's drawings. Previous articles on the teaching of drawing in Chinese schools have commented upon the emphasis placed on children copying from adult drawing models. However, a new art curriculum was implemented in Chinese infant schools (3–6‐year‐olds) in 2002, still in operation today, which instead places an emphasis on the children's enjoyment of drawing through making creative and expressive pictures from their imagination. This article describes the key objectives stated in the Chinese art curricula for infant schools. We also present an interview with a Chinese infant school teacher in which she provided in detail how the curriculum is typically applied to the teaching of drawing. The interview also provided some background context to why the curriculum was changed and to its delivery. The article comments on the pedagogical practices adopted, and comparisons are made with Western art education and, in particular, to the teaching of drawing/art in England for the same age group. Finally, we consider what implications the Chinese approach has for the ‘non‐interventionist’ approach to young children's drawing/art that is frequently found in Western art education.
Recent Themes in the Environmental History of the British Empire
Authors: Beattie James
Published: February 2012

Accessing and controlling environments underpinned British imperialism. Imperialism gave Britain control over millions of hectares of cropland and access to countless other resources. In the search for efficient ways of using natural resources, British imperialism shifted flora, fauna and commodities around the world. Ecological disruption and radical environmental changes never before experienced in history resulted. Imperialism also contributed to the production of many modern attitudes and disciplines through which we now understand nature. Given the fundamental importance of the use and role of natural resources in British imperialism, this article presents an overview of its environmental historiography, examining issues of agency, scale and exchange.
Silences Kept: The Absence of Gender and Sexuality in Black Press Historiography
Authors: Gallon Kim
Published: February 2012

Approaches to scholarship on the early 20th century black press has marginalized gender and sexuality in the historiography of black newspapers. Historians of black newspapers published between 1910 and 1945, the peak of black newspapers’ popularity, emphasize the political role of the black press. This image has continued to predominate in African American historiography. Scholars have made very little effort to integrate an analysis of gender and sexuality into the work on black newspapers. Consequently, the persistent focus on the political role of the black press has narrowed the definition of “political” in African American historiography and grossly overlooked the value of understanding the black press through its coverage of gender and sexuality.
Reading Newspapers: Cultural Histories of the Popular Press in Modern Britain
Authors: Bingham Adrian
Published: February 2012

Popular newspapers have not, in general, featured prominently in histories of modern Britain. In recent years, however, a number of scholars, many inspired by the ‘cultural turn’ and the increased scholarly focus on language, meaning and identity, have reassessed the value of the popular press as a historical source. Newspapers provide one of the most effective ways of exploring the representations and narratives that circulated throughout British society. The ‘spectacular heterogeneity’ of their contents, moreover, ensures that newspapers are a potentially rich source of information on a wide range of subjects. This growing interest in the popular press as a historical source has been dramatically reinforced in the last decade by the digitisation of a vast number of newspapers and periodicals from the seventeenth to the 21st centuries. Millions of pages of content, rapidly searchable by keyword, are now available, at least for those fortunate enough to have individual or institutional subscriptions. The revolution in the accessibility and usability of newspaper archives has transformed scholars’ enthusiasm for them. This article assesses how these developments have affected the writing of modern British history, and suggests likely future directions for the field.
CRYPTIC AND PSEUDO‐CRYPTIC DIVERSITY IN DIATOMS—WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF PSEUDO‐NITZSCHIA HASLEANA SP. NOV. AND P. FRYXELLIANA SP. NOV.1
Authors: Lundholm Nina , Bates Stephen S. , Baugh Keri A. , Bill Brian D. , Connell Laurie B. , Léger Claude , Trainer Vera L.
Published: February 2012

A high degree of pseudo‐cryptic diversity was reported in the well‐studied diatom genus Pseudo‐nitzschia. Studies off the coast of Washington State revealed the presence of hitherto undescribed diversity of Pseudo‐nitzschia. Forty‐one clonal strains, representing six different taxa of the P. pseudodelicatissima complex, were studied morphologically using LM and EM, and genetically using genes from three different cellular compartments: the nucleus (D1–D3 of the LSU of rDNA and internal transcribed spacers [ITSs] of rDNA), the mitochondria (cytochrome c oxidase 1), and the plastids (LSU of RUBISCO). Strains in culture at the same time were used in mating studies to study reproductive isolation of species, and selected strains were examined for the production of the neurotoxin domoic acid (DA). Two new species, P. hasleana sp. nov. and P. fryxelliana sp. nov., are described based on morphological and molecular data. In all phylogenetic analyses, P. hasleana appeared as sister taxa to a clade comprising P. calliantha and P. mannii, whereas the position of P. fryxelliana was more uncertain. In the phylogenies of ITS, P. fryxelliana appeared to be most closely related to P. cf. turgidula. Morphologically, P. hasleana differed from most other species of the complex because of a lower density of fibulae, whereas P. fryxelliana had fewer sectors in the poroids and a higher poroid density than most of the other species. P. hasleana did not produce detectable levels of DA; P. fryxelliana was unfortunately not tested. In P. cuspidata, production of DA in offspring cultures varied from higher than the parent cultures to undetectable.
Prioritizing Culture Change in Nursing Homes: Perspectives of Residents, Staff, and Family Members
Authors: White Heidi K. , Corazzini Kirsten , Twersky Jack , Buhr Gwendolen , McConnell Eleanor , Weiner Madeline , Colón‐Emeric Cathleen S.
Published: February 2012

Objectives

To explore the perspectives and priorities of nursing home residents, family members, and frontline nursing staff concerning a broad range of items representing common targets of culture change initiatives.

Design

Qualitative study.

Setting

A Veterans Affairs Community Living Center and two community nursing homes in North Carolina.

Participants

Residents (n = 21), family members (n = 21), and direct‐care nursing staff (n = 21) were recruited, with equal numbers in each group from each site.

Measurements

Participants rated the importance of 62 items from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Artifacts of Culture Change instrument. Participants sorted cards reflecting each culture change artifact in two phases, identifying and ranking those of more and less importance to them to derive one distribution of preferences for each respondent. Q‐sort analysis identified groups of respondents who prioritized similar items; qualitative analysis sought themes or explanations for the responses.

Results

Wide variation in respondent preferences was observed. Some respondents viewed several items that others valued highly as unimportant or undesirable. Some items were not high priorities for any respondents. Four groups of respondents with similar preferences were identified: practical and independence‐focused respondents, who prioritized ease of use of the physical environment; staff‐focused respondents, who prioritized nursing staff retention and development; consistency and choice‐focused respondents, who prioritized stable nurse staff‐resident relationships and resident choice; and activity and community‐focused respondents, who prioritized community gathering spaces and activities.

Conclusion

Resident, family, and staff priorities for culture change vary, and diverse priorities of stakeholders should be considered to inform culture change efforts on a local and national level.
FRAX or Fiction: Determining Optimal Screening Strategies for Treatment of Osteoporosis in Residents in Long‐Term Care Facilities
Authors: Greenspan Susan L. , Perera Subashan , Nace David , Zukowski Kimberly S. , Ferchak Mary A. , Lee Carroll J. , Nayak Smita , Resnick Neil M.
Published: February 2012

Objectives

To examine screening strategies for osteoporosis and fractures for treatment of long‐term care residents.

Design

Cross‐sectional analysis to examine screening strategies for treatment.

Setting

Assisted living and skilled care facilities.

Participants

Two hundred two frail women aged 65 and older (mean 85), excluding those receiving bisphosphonates.

Measurements

Clinical fractures of the hip or spine (Clin Fx); Clin Fx or bone mineral density (BMD); Clin Fx, BMD, or vertebral fractures (VF) assessed according to dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry‐based vertebral fracture assessments; fracture risk algorithm using femoral neck BMD (FRAX‐FN); fracture risk algorithm using body mass index (FRAX‐BMI); or Clin Fx or heel ultrasound (heel US).

Results

Treatment eligibility ranged from 17% (Clin Fx) to 98% (FRAX‐BMI). VFs were found in 47%, 74% of which were silent. Criteria with Clin Fx, BMD, or VF identified 73% of study participants for treatment. FRAX‐FN suggested treatment in 81% but would have missed approximately 10% of individuals with silent VFs. Clin Fx or heel US suggested that 39% of participants were eligible for treatment.

Conclusion

Long‐term care residents eligible for osteoporosis treatment ranged from fewer than 20% to roughly all residents depending on screening criteria. VFs are common and identify a subset of residents missed by conventional BMD scans or FRAX‐FN. A reasonable clinical approach could consider treatment for those with Clin Fx of the hip or spine, radiological evidence of a VF, or osteoporosis according to BMD classification. Prospective studies are needed to determine optimal screening strategies for treatment in this cohort.
Association Between Prestroke Disability and Inpatient Mortality and Length of Acute Hospital Stay After Acute Stroke
Authors: Kwok Chun S. , Clark Allan , Ford Gary A. , Durairaj Ramesh , Dixit Anand K. , Davis John , Sharma Anil K. , Potter John F. , Myint Phyo K.
Published: February 2012

Objectives

To examine the prognostic value of prestroke disability in predicting inpatient mortality and length of hospital stay (LOS) independent of age, sex, and stroke type and severity.

Design

Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected stroke registers.

Setting

United Kingdom.

Participants

Fourteen thousand four hundred thirty‐seven individuals (52.9% female, mean age 75.4 ± 12.1) with stroke (82% ischemic) admitted to three university hospitals.

Measurements

Data were examined from three hospital registers: Aintree (2005–2010), Newcastle (2000–2005), and Norwich (1997–2010). Risk of inpatient death and prolonged hospital stay according to prestroke disability using the modified Rankin Score (mRs) were assessed using logistic regression adjusting for age, sex, and stroke subtype (ischemic vs hemorrhagic) and severity.

Results

Inpatient death was 20.8%. In fully adjusted models, higher prestroke mRs was associated with significantly greater risk of mortality (for mRs = 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 vs mRs = 0: odds ratio (OR)=1.28, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.09–1.50; OR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.29–1.75; OR = 1.85, 95% CI = 1.60–2.13; OR = 2.56, 95% CI = 2.15–3.04; and OR = 4.48, 95% CI = 3.47–5.80, respectively). The relationship appeared to be linear, and each point increase in mRs equated to being approximately 5 years older. Although age and stroke type appear to be strong independent predictors of LOS, premorbid mRs also predicted longer LOS regardless of discharge status. The predictability of the model using these parameters was very good (receiver operating characteristic: 0.82 for death and 0.65–0.70 for LOS).

Conclusion

Prestroke disability predicts inpatient death and LOS, independent of age, sex, and stroke type and severity. Whether this is related to mental or physical disability should be examined in future prospective studies.