bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Family caregiver perspectives on social relations of elderly residents with dementia in small‐scale versus traditional long‐term care settings in the Netherlands and Belgium
Authors: de Rooij Alida HPM , Luijkx Katrien G , Spruytte Nele , Emmerink Peggy MJ , Schols Jos MGA , Declercq Anja G
Published: August 2012

Aims and objectives.  To provide insight into family caregiver perspectives on social relations within the ‘caregiving triangle’ between family caregiver, professional caregiver and elderly resident with dementia. Results were compared between traditional versus small‐scale long‐term care settings in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Background.  Residential dementia care is shifting towards a more holistic and person‐centred approach. Until now, little is known about family caregiver perspectives.

Design.  A quasi‐experimental longitudinal design.

Methods.  This study was part of a larger research project focusing on the quality of life of residents with dementia in traditional and small‐scale settings (n = 179). This study focused on family caregivers related to these residents (n = 64). They filled in a questionnaire containing 25 items (baseline and after 12 months) related to their perspectives on the interaction within the ‘caregiving triangle’. Analyses were performed using mixed models and logistic regression.

Results.  Compared to traditional settings, family caregivers of relatives with dementia living in small‐scale settings had more contact with the professional caregivers, were more satisfied with this contact and felt that staff paid more attention to their feelings as family members. They also reported that staff showed better listening skills towards the residents. Furthermore, compared to those in Belgium, family caregivers in the Netherlands perceived staff to be less hurried and more accepting of help from family and felt that staff more often takes the resident seriously.

Conclusion.  In the move towards more person‐centred care for residents with dementia, this study finds preliminary evidence for the importance of integrating the family perspective.

Relevance to clinical practice.  Gaining more insight into the perspectives of family caregivers on the social relations within the ‘caregiving triangle’ may provide knowledge about the importance of the social system surrounding elderly residents with dementia and can provide pointers for future research.
Implementation of an inpatient smoking cessation programme in a Veterans Affairs facility
Authors: Vick Lowryanne , Duffy Sonia A , Ewing Lee A , Rugen Kathryn , Zak Connie
Published: August 2012

Aims and objectives.  To test the transportability and implementation of the Tobacco Tactics intervention using the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance framework, for inpatient units at the Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Background.  Smoking rates are high among veterans. While the Department of Veterans Affairs has standardised outpatient cessation clinics, inpatient cessation services, known to be efficacious, are only sporadically provided.

Design.  This was a phase 4, pre and postimplementation study of the Tobacco Tactics intervention.

Methods.  A unique convenience sample of inpatient veteran smokers was recruited both before (n = 54) and after (n = 50) implementation of the Tobacco Tactics programme. Participants completed baseline and 30‐day follow‐up surveys along with urine cotinine test kits. In addition, staff completed anonymous surveys during the preintervention period (n = 158) and two months after (n = 81) the Tobacco Tactics training. Bivariate analyses compared preintervention vs. postintervention patient and staff characteristics using Chi‐square, Fisher’s Exact or Student’s t‐test. p‐values <0·05 were considered significant.

Results.  Patient‐reported receipt of services and satisfaction was 10% higher in the postintervention compared to the preintervention group. Quit rates were 3% higher in the postintervention than in the preintervention group. The mean number of cigarettes smoked per day increased from 13 to 15 in the preintervention group, while the mean number of cigarettes smoked per day decreased from 14 to 9 in the postintervention group. Staff’s confidence in their ability to provide cessation services improved greatly posttraining (p = 0·0017) as did self‐reported delivery of cessation services (p = 0·0154).

Conclusions.  With as little as one‐hour training for nurses, the Tobacco Tactics intervention has the potential to be widely disseminated in the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Relevance to clinical practice.  The implementation of inpatient smoking interventions has the potential to improve quit rates and decrease morbidity and mortality in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Fine‐scale genetic population structure in a mobile marine mammal: inshore bottlenose dolphins in Moreton Bay, Australia
Authors: Ansmann Ina C. , Parra Guido J. , Lanyon Janet M. , Seddon Jennifer M.
Published: August 2012

Highly mobile marine species in areas with no obvious geographic barriers are expected to show low levels of genetic differentiation. However, small‐scale variation in habitat may lead to resource polymorphisms and drive local differentiation by adaptive divergence. Using nuclear microsatellite genotyping at 20 loci, and mitochondrial control region sequencing, we investigated fine‐scale population structuring of inshore bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) inhabiting a range of habitats in and around Moreton Bay, Australia. Bayesian structure analysis identified two genetic clusters within Moreton Bay, with evidence of admixture between them (FST = 0.05, P = 0.001). There was only weak isolation by distance but one cluster of dolphins was more likely to be found in shallow southern areas and the other in the deeper waters of the central northern bay. In further analysis removing admixed individuals, southern dolphins appeared genetically restricted with lower levels of variation (AR = 3.252, π = 0.003) and high mean relatedness (r = 0.239) between individuals. In contrast, northern dolphins were more diverse (AR = 4.850, π = 0.009) and were mixing with a group of dolphins outside the bay (microsatellite‐based STRUCTURE analysis), which appears to have historically been distinct from the bay dolphins (mtDNA ΦST = 0.272, P < 0.001). This study demonstrates the ability of genetic techniques to expose fine‐scale patterns of population structure and explore their origins and mechanisms. A complex variety of inter‐related factors including local habitat variation, differential resource use, social behaviour and learning, and anthropogenic disturbances are likely to have played a role in driving fine‐scale population structure among bottlenose dolphins in Moreton Bay.
Patterns of fungal communities among and within decaying logs, revealed by 454 sequencing
Authors: Kubartová A. , Ottosson E. , Dahlberg A. , Stenlid J.
Published: August 2012

Owing to previous methodological limitations, knowledge about the fine‐scale distribution of fungal mycelia in decaying logs is limited. We investigated fungal communities in decaying Norway spruce logs at various spatial scales at two environmentally different locations in Sweden. On the basis of 454 pyrosequencing of the ITS2 region of rDNA, 1914 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were detected in 353 samples. The communities differed significantly among logs, but the physical distance between logs was not found to have a significant effect on whether fungal communities had any resemblance to each other. Within a log, samples that were closer together generally had communities that showed more resemblance to each other than those that were further apart. OTUs characteristic for particular positions on the logs could be identified. In general, these OTUs did not overlap with the most abundant OTUs, and their ecological role was often unknown. Only a few OTUs were detected in the majority of logs, whereas numerous OTUs were rare and present in only one or a few logs. Wood‐decaying Basidiomycetes were often represented by higher sequence reads in individual logs than Ascomycete OTUs, suggesting that Basidiomycete mycelia spread out more rapidly when established. OTU richness tended to increase with the decay stage of the sample; however, the known wood decayers were most abundant in less‐decomposed samples. The fungi identified in the logs represented different ecological strategies. Our findings differ from previously published sporocarp studies, indicating that the highly abundant fruiting species may respond to environment in different ways than the rest of the fungal community.
Overexpression of the Aspergillus nidulans histone 4 acetyltransferase EsaA increases activation of secondary metabolite production
Authors: Soukup Alexandra A. , Chiang Yi‐Ming , Bok Jin Woo , Reyes‐Dominguez Yazmid , Oakley Berl R. , Wang Clay C. C. , Strauss Joseph , Keller Nancy P.
Published: August 2012

Regulation of secondary metabolite (SM) gene clusters in Aspergillus nidulans has been shown to occur through cluster‐specific transcription factors or through global regulators of chromatin structure such as histone methyltransferases, histone deacetylases, or the putative methyltransferase LaeA. A multicopy suppressor screen for genes capable of returning SM production to the SM deficient ΔlaeA mutant resulted in identification of the essential histone acetyltransferase EsaA, able to complement an esa1 deletion in Saccharomyces cereviseae. Here we report that EsaA plays a novel role in SM cluster activation through histone 4 lysine 12 (H4K12) acetylation in four examined SM gene clusters (sterigmatocystin, penicillin, terrequinone and orsellinic acid), in contrast to no increase in H4K12 acetylation of the housekeeping tubA promoter. This augmented SM cluster acetylation requires LaeA for full effect and correlates with both increased transcript levels and metabolite production relative to wild type. H4K12 levels may thus represent a unique indicator of relative production potential, notably of SMs.
The auxiliary protein complex SaePQ activates the phosphatase activity of sensor kinase SaeS in the SaeRS two‐component system of Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Jeong Do‐Won , Cho Hoonsik , Jones Marcus B. , Shatzkes Kenneth , Sun Fei , Ji Quanjiang , Liu Qian , Peterson Scott N. , He Chuan , Bae Taeok
Published: August 2012

In bacterial two‐component regulatory systems (TCSs), dephosphorylation of phosphorylated response regulators is essential for resetting the activated systems to the pre‐activation state. However, in the SaeRS TCS, a major virulence TCS of Staphylococcus aureus, the mechanism for dephosphorylation of the response regulator SaeR has not been identified. Here we report that two auxiliary proteins from the sae operon, SaeP and SaeQ, form a protein complex with the sensor kinase SaeS and activate the sensor kinase's phosphatase activity. Efficient activation of the phosphatase activity required the presence of both SaeP and SaeQ. When SaeP and SaeQ were ectopically expressed, the expression of coagulase, a sae target with low affinity for phosphorylated SaeR, was greatly reduced, while the expression of alpha‐haemolysin, a sae target with high affinity for phosphorylated SaeR, was not, demonstrating a differential effect of SaePQ on sae target gene expression. When expression of SaePQ was abolished, most sae target genes were induced at an elevated level. Since the expression of SaeP and SaeQ is induced by the SaeRS TCS, these results suggest that the SaeRS TCS returns to the pre‐activation state by a negative feedback mechanism.
The biofilm formation defect of a Bacillus subtilis flotillin‐defective mutant involves the protease FtsH
Authors: Yepes Ana , Schneider Johannes , Mielich Benjamin , Koch Gudrun , García‐Betancur Juan‐Carlos , Ramamurthi Kumaran S. , Vlamakis Hera , López Daniel
Published: August 2012

Biofilm formation in Bacillus subtilis requires the differentiation of a subpopulation of cells responsible for the production of the extracellular matrix that structures the biofilm. Differentiation of matrix‐producing cells depends, among other factors, on the FloT and YqfA proteins. These proteins are present exclusively in functional membrane microdomains of B. subtilis and are homologous to the eukaryotic lipid raft‐specific flotillin proteins. In the absence of FloT and YqfA, diverse proteins normally localized to the membrane microdomains of B. subtilis are not functional. Here we show that the absence of FloT and YqfA reduces the level of the septal‐localized protease FtsH. The flotillin homologues FloT and YqfA are occasionally present at the midcell in exponentially growing cells and the absence of FloT and YqfA negatively affects FtsH concentration. Biochemical experiments indicate a direct interaction between FloT/YqfA and FtsH. Moreover, FtsH is essential for the differentiation of matrix producers and hence, biofilm formation. This molecular trigger of biofilm formation may therefore be used as a target for the design of new biofilm inhibitors. Accordingly, we show that the small protein SpoVM, known to bind to and inhibit FtsH activity, inhibits biofilm formation in B. subtilis and other distantly related bacteria.
Measured and modelled leaf and stand‐scale productivity across a soil moisture gradient and a severe drought
Authors: WRIGHT J. K. , WILLIAMS M. , STARR G. , MCGEE J. , MITCHELL R. J.
Published: August 2012

Environmental controls on carbon dynamics operate at a range of interacting scales from the leaf to landscape. The key questions of this study addressed the influence of water and nitrogen (N) availability on Pinus palustris (Mill.) physiology and primary productivity across leaf and canopy scales, linking the soil‐plant‐atmosphere (SPA) model to leaf and stand‐scale flux and leaf trait/canopy data. We present previously unreported ecophysiological parameters (e.g. Vcmax and Jmax) for P. palustris and the first modelled estimates of its annual gross primary productivity (GPP) across xeric and mesic sites and under extreme drought. Annual mesic site P. palustris GPP was ∼23% greater than at the xeric site. However, at the leaf level, xeric trees had higher net photosynthetic rates, and water and light use efficiency. At the canopy scale, GPP was limited by light interception (canopy level), but co‐limited by nitrogen and water at the leaf level. Contrary to expectations, the impacts of an intense growing season drought were greater at the mesic site. Modelling indicated a 10% greater decrease in mesic GPP compared with the xeric site. Xeric P. palustris trees exhibited drought‐tolerant behaviour that contrasted with mesic trees' drought‐avoidance behaviour.
Ovarian Steroid Regulation of Endometrial Phospholipase A2 Isoforms in Horses
Authors: Ababneh MM , Troedsson MHT
Published: August 2012

Contents

Real‐time PCR was used to investigate the role of progesterone (P4) and oestradiol (E2) in regulation of endometrial cytosolic, secretory and calcium‐independent phospholipase A2 (PLA2G4A, PLA2G2A and PLA2G6, respectively) gene expression. Ovariectomized mares underwent 6 days of E2 pre‐treatment followed by 14 days of P4 supplementation. At the start of P4 treatment (Day 1), mares were assigned in a 2 × 2 factorial design to receive either E2 or vehicle starting on Day 11 and endometrial biopsy collection on either Day 14 when P4 concentrations remained high (>4 ng/ml) or Day 16 when P4 concentrations had declined (0.5–2 ng/ml). Additional biopsies were collected from ovariectomized mares on Day 8, which served as control. Blood samples were collected for P4 determination. PLA2G4A expression was higher (p < 0.05) on Day 14 compared with Day 8. In contrast, PLA2G2A did not change significantly (p < 0.12). PLA2G4A and PLA2G2A gene expression increased (p < 0.05), as P4 concentration dropped, on Day 16. In contrast, PLA2G6 gene expression did not show differences between days. Treatment with oestradiol did not increase PLA2 isoforms expression when compared to treatment with the vehicle. PLA2G4A and PLA2G2A were positively correlated with each other and negatively correlated with P4 concentrations. In conclusion, P4 withdrawal upregulated PLA2G4A and PLA2G2A gene expression, and this was not affected by E2. PLA2G4A and PLA2G2A but not PLA2G6 gene expression may be involved in controlling prostaglandin F2 alpha synthesis and luteolysis.
Enhanced recovery after surgery versus conventional care in colonic and rectal surgery
Authors: Keane Celia , Savage Stephanie , McFarlane Kim , Seigne Richard , Robertson Greg , Eglinton Tim
Published: August 2012

Introduction

Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) programmes have been shown to improve outcomes after colonic surgery. However, there is less evidence supporting ERAS in rectal surgery. The aim of this study was to compare outcomes of conventional perioperative care with those of an ERAS pathway including both colonic and rectal surgery patients.

Methods

Outcomes of patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery at Christchurch Hospital within the ERAS pathway were compared with patients receiving conventional perioperative care over a 2‐year period. A retrospective analysis was conducted, including primary and total length of stay (LOS), readmission, complication and mortality rate.

Results

A total of 240 patients undergoing colorectal surgery were included; 160 patients received conventional perioperative care and 80 patients were managed within the ERAS pathway. Primary and total LOS were shorter in the ERAS group (6 versus 7 days, P = 0.0004, 7 versus 10 days, P = 0.0003, respectively). Re‐admission and complication rates were not significantly different between the groups. There was one death (in the conventional care group) within 30 days. Patients undergoing rectal surgery within the ERAS pathway did not show any difference in primary LOS, readmission or complication rate although median total LOS was significantly reduced (7 versus 10 days, P = 0.0457).

Conclusion

Patients undergoing elective colorectal surgery managed within the ERAS pathway had shorter hospital stays without increased morbidity or mortality. Differences were less pronounced in the rectal surgery subgroup and further research is needed to investigate the use of ERAS pathways for patients undergoing elective rectal surgery.
Evaluating the cost‐effectiveness of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding versus standard medical management in obese patients with type 2 diabetes in the UK
Authors: Pollock R. F. , Muduma G. , Valentine W. J.
Published: August 2012

Aim

To evaluate the cost‐effectiveness of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) versus standard medical management (SMM) in obese patients with type 2 diabetes from a UK healthcare payer perspective.

Methods

A validated computer model of diabetes was used to project outcomes reported from a randomized clinical trial of LAGB versus SMM in obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Two‐year follow‐up data from the trial were projected over a 40‐year time horizon and cost‐effectiveness was assessed from the perspective of the National Health Service. Future costs and clinical outcomes were discounted at 3.5% annually and all costs were reported in 2010 pounds sterling. A series of sensitivity analyses were performed.

Results

LAGB was associated with benefits in HbA1c, systolic blood pressure, body mass index and serum lipid concentrations, which led to significant increases in discounted life expectancy (an increase of 0.64 years) and quality‐adjusted life expectancy (an increase of 0.92 quality‐adjusted life years, QALYs) and reduced incidence of diabetes complications relative to SMM. Treatment costs in the LAGB arm increased by 4552 Great British Pounds (GBP), but this was partially offset by cost savings resulting from a reduction in the incidence of all modelled diabetes complications. The incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio of GBP 3602 per QALY in the base case fell well below commonly quoted willingness‐to‐pay thresholds in the UK setting.

Conclusions

On the basis of data from a recent randomized controlled trial, LAGB is likely to be considered cost‐effective from the healthcare payer perspective when compared with SMM of obesity in patients with type 2 diabetes in the UK setting.
Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of aggressive prostate cancer detection
Authors: Morote Juan , Ropero Jordi , Planas Jacques , Bastarós Juan M. , Delgado Gueisy , Placer José , Celma Anna , de Torres Inés M. , Carles Joan , Reventós Jaume , Doll Andreas
Published: August 2012

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Metabolic syndrome can identify patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is increasing worldwide and is associated with increased age, obesity and hypogonadism. The association between metabolic syndrome and prostate cancer development has not been studied comprehensively, and published studies report divergent results.

This study indicates that tumours detected in men with metabolic syndrome are more aggressive than those detected in men without this condition.

Objective

To further examine the association between metabolic syndrome (MS), prostate cancer (PC) detection risk and tumour aggressiveness.

Patients and Methods

From 2006 to 2010, 2408 men not receiving 5α‐reductase inhibitors were scheduled for prostatic biopsy due to PSA above 4 ng/mL and/or abnormal digital rectal examination.

MS was evaluated according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults, Adult Treatment Panel III definition.

Tumour aggressiveness was evaluated through biopsy Gleason score, clinical stage and risk of biochemical recurrence after primary treatment.

Results

The rates of PC detection were 34.5% and 36.4% respectively in men with and without MS, P = 0.185. High grade PC rates (Gleason score 8–10) were 35.9% and 23.9% respectively, P < 0.001. The advanced disease rates (cT3–4 N0–1 M0–1) were 17% and 12.7% respectively, P = 0.841.

The high risk PC rates (cT2c–4 or Gleason score 8–10 or PSA > 20) were 38.5% and 33.0% respectively, P = 0.581.

Multivariate analysis confirmed that MS was not associated with the risk of PC detection but it was associated with an increased risk of high grade tumours (odds ratio 1.75, 95% CI 1.26–2.41), P < 0.001.

Conclusion

MS seems not be associated with an increased risk of PC detection but it is associated with an increased risk of more aggressive tumours.
Looking Back at Zoffany
Authors: Cole Georgina
Published: August 2012

Johan Zoffany RA: Society Observed, New Haven: Yale Center for British Art, 27 October 2011–12 February 2012; London: Royal Academy of Arts, 10 March–10 June 2012

Johan Zoffany RA: Society Observed edited by Martin Postle, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2011, 320 pp., 225 col. and 5 b. & w. illus., £40.00 hdbk
Art Meets Commerce
Authors: Faulkner Katherine
Published: August 2012

The Manchester Art Treasures Exhibition: Entrepreneurs, Connoisseurs and the Public by Elizabeth A. Pergam, Farnham and Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2011, 396 pp., 12 col. and 53 b. & w. illus., £70.00
Resuscitating Gérôme?
Authors: Kaina Philippa
Published: August 2012

Reconsidering Gérôme edited by Scott Allan and Mary Morton, Los Angeles, CA: Getty Publications, 2010, 168 pp., 8 col. and 27 b. & w. illus., £18.99

The Spectacular Art of Jean‐Léon Gérôme (1824–1904) edited by Laurence de Cars, Dominique de Font‐Réaulx and Édouard Papet, Paris: Skira, 2010, 384 pp., 101 col. and 130 b. & w. illus., £50.00

The Spectacular Art of Jean‐Léon Gérôme (1824–1904), Los Angeles, CA: The J. Paul Getty Museum, 15 June–12 September 2010; Paris: Musée d'Orsay, 19 October 2010–23 January 2011; Madrid: Museo Thyssen‐Bornemisza, 1 March–22 May 2011
Trash Talking: Yoruba Art beyond Beauty
Authors: Cowcher Kate
Published: August 2012

Vigilant Things: On Thieves, Yoruba Anti‐Aesthetics, and the Strange Fates of Ordinary Objects in Nigeria by David T. Doris, Seattle, WA and London: University of Washington Press, 2011, 400.pp, 77 col. and 10 b. & w. illus., £40.00
Intercultural Conflict and Mediation: An Intergroup Perspective
Authors: Rubenfeld Sara , Clément Richard
Published: August 2012

This study investigates the role of components of intercultural competence in the use of intercultural mediation behaviors. Through the use of the Revised Intercultural Mediation Measure, an instrument revised by the authors, 291 Anglophone and 161 Francophone participants in Canada were asked to indicate their likelihood of employing various mediation strategies to reduce a conflict between two linguistic groups. The results demonstrated that involvement as an intercultural mediator is likely to be initiated by individuals who are members of the same linguistic group as the perpetrator. By virtue of their xenophilic representations of the victimized group, these individuals take on the role of mediator to reduce tension. In contrast, participants from both linguistic groups were unlikely to become involved as a mediator when witnessing members of the in‐group being victimized. Furthermore, path analyses revealed that the use of mediation strategies when the in‐group was being discriminated against was, at most, limited to endorsing fewer avoidant mediation strategies. The findings are interpreted within the context of research on intergroup relations and discrimination.
Postmitotic neurons develop a p21‐dependent senescence‐like phenotype driven by a DNA damage response
Authors: Jurk Diana , Wang Chunfang , Miwa Satomi , Maddick Mandy , Korolchuk Viktor , Tsolou Avgi , Gonos Efstathios S. , Thrasivoulou Christopher , Jill Saffrey M. , Cameron Kerry , von Zglinicki Thomas
Published: August 2012

In senescent cells, a DNA damage response drives not only irreversible loss of replicative capacity but also production and secretion of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and bioactive peptides including pro‐inflammatory cytokines. This makes senescent cells a potential cause of tissue functional decline in aging. To our knowledge, we show here for the first time evidence suggesting that DNA damage induces a senescence‐like state in mature postmitotic neurons in vivo. About 40–80% of Purkinje neurons and 20–40% of cortical, hippocampal and peripheral neurons in the myenteric plexus from old C57Bl/6 mice showed severe DNA damage, activated p38MAPkinase, high ROS production and oxidative damage, interleukin IL‐6 production, heterochromatinization and senescence‐associated β‐galactosidase activity. Frequencies of these senescence‐like neurons increased with age. Short‐term caloric restriction tended to decrease frequencies of positive cells. The phenotype was aggravated in brains of late‐generation TERC−/− mice with dysfunctional telomeres. It was fully rescued by loss of p21(CDKN1A) function in late‐generation TERC−/−CDKN1A−/− mice, indicating p21 as the necessary signal transducer between DNA damage response and senescence‐like phenotype in neurons, as in senescing fibroblasts and other proliferation‐competent cells. We conclude that a senescence‐like phenotype is possibly not restricted to proliferation‐competent cells. Rather, dysfunctional telomeres and/or accumulated DNA damage can induce a DNA damage response leading to a phenotype in postmitotic neurons that resembles cell senescence in multiple features. Senescence‐like neurons might be a source of oxidative and inflammatory stress and a contributor to brain aging.
Working Memory and Short‐Term Memory Abilities in Accomplished Multilinguals
Authors: BIEDROŃ ADRIANA , SZCZEPANIAK ANNA
Published: August 2012

The role of short‐term memory and working memory in accomplished multilinguals was investigated. Twenty‐eight accomplished multilinguals were compared to 36 mainstream philology students. The following instruments were used in the study: three memory subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale (Digit Span, Digit‐Symbol Coding, and Arithmetic, which constitute a memory and resistance to distraction index); two short‐term memory tests of the Modern Language Aptitude Test (Part I [Number Learning] and Part V [Paired Associates]); and the verbal Intelligence Quotient (IQ), the nonverbal IQ, the general IQ, and a working memory test, the Polish Reading Span (PRSPAN). The results of the accomplished multilinguals were compared to the results of 1st‐year English philology students (mainstream). The analysis revealed that short‐term memory and working memory abilities in the accomplished multilinguals were higher than in the mainstream philology students. Results might contribute to the understanding of the controversial role of working memory and short‐term memory abilities in accomplished multilinguals. A suggestion that the two components of working memory (the phonological loop and the central executive) are significant factors in determining the outcome of learning a foreign language is discussed.
Assessing Strategic Cultural Competency: Holistic Approaches to Student Learning Through Media
Authors: HAMMER JUDITH , SWAFFAR JANET
Published: August 2012

The current study investigated the impact of a German television program on changes in 4th‐semester German students’ reflections on cultural perceptions over the course of 1 semester. Sixty‐nine students at the University of Texas at Austin watched 4 episodes of the popular German television programLindenstrasse. After viewing, students were asked to reflect in written response papers on cultural features and patterns of behavior and on cultural differences and similarities. The study results suggest that students’ perceptions of another culture can become more sophisticated when being exposed to authentic filmic material and asked to reflect in writing about observed plot features and cultural manifestations. The key to these results is a strategy for assessing not just students’ recall of cultural content, but also their strategic competencies in negotiating cultural difference. Changes in students’ cognitive styles were tracked by a scale that rewards students’ strategic ability to manage details of cultural knowledge and sociolinguistic content, including the following categories: (a) rhetorical organization; (b) content; (c) comparative point of view; and (d) interpretive substance. The article provides a model for the assessment of cultural competency (MACC), which can be adapted to assess students’ engagement with the culture represented in various materials.
Party Brands and Partisanship: Theory with Evidence from a Survey Experiment in Argentina
Authors: Lupu Noam
Published: August 2012

Scholars disagree about the nature of party attachments, viewing partisanship as either a social identity or a rational maximization of expected utility. Empirically, much of this debate centers on the degree of partisan stability: findings of partisan fluctuations are taken as evidence against the social‐identity perspective. But drawing such conclusions assumes that the objects of identity—parties—are fixed. If we instead allow party brands to change over time, then partisan instability is consistent with a social‐identity conception of partisanship. To demonstrate this, I develop a branding model of partisanship in which voters learn about party brands by observing party behavior over time and base their psychological attachment to a party on these brands. The model suggests that convergence by rival parties, making their brands less distinguishable, should weaken party attachments. I test this implication using a survey experiment in Argentina and find evidence consistent with the model.
Assessment of Ventricular Electrophysiological Characteristics at Periinfarct Zone of Postmyocardial Infarction in Rabbits following Stellate Ganglion Block
Authors: GU YONGWEI , WANG LONG , WANG XI , TANG YANHONG , CAO FENG , FANG YONGYOU
Published: August 2012

Assessment of Ventricular Electrophysiological Characteristics. Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of ventricular electrophysiology following stellate ganglion block (SGB) at periinfarct zone in rabbits with myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods and Results:
Sixty‐four rabbits were randomly assigned to 2 groups: MI (n = 32), ligation of the anterior descending coronary and sham operation (SO) (n = 32), without coronary ligation. Both MI and SO groups were divided into 4 subgroups according to right or left SGB and corresponding control (n = 8, each). After 8 weeks, 90% of monophasic action potential duration (MAPD90) of epicardium, midmyocardium and endocardium, transmural dispersion of repolarization (TDR), effective refractory period (ERP), and ventricular fibrillation threshold (VFT) were measured at the infarct border zone (MI group) and corresponding zone (SO group) following SGB. For SGB, 0.5 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine was used. Compared with the corresponding control group, in both the MI and SO groups, left SGB (LSGB) prolonged the MAPD90 of the 3 layers, reduced TDR, and increased ERP and VFT (P < 0.05). However, right SGB (RSGB) shortened MAPD90, increased TDR, and reduced ERP and VFT (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:
The results of this study demonstrate that LSGB can increase the electrophysiological stability of ventricular myocardium. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 23, pp. S24‐S28, November 2012)
Model of Functional Performance in Obese Elderly People With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Authors: Ade‐Oshifogun Jochebed Bosede
Published: August 2012

Purpose: To test a theoretically and empirically supported model of the relationships among percent truncal fat (truncal obesity); disease severity (carbon monoxide diffusing capacity [DLCO]); symptoms (dyspnea); functional capacity (6‐min walk test distance); and functional performance (functional performance index) of elderly people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Design and Method: A model of functional performance was proposed using a multidimensional framework as expounded by Leidy, and incorporating Wilson and Cleary's model for the relationship between symptoms and functional status. Path analysis was used to examine the relationships among variables. The researchers used a descriptive, cross‐sectional design. Subjects were phone screened and completed electrocardiography, physical examination, spirometry testing, and a 4‐min walk test as part of initial screening. Enrolled subjects completed a whole‐body dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry scan to measure truncal obesity, 6‐min walk test, upper body functional performance test, and questionnaires. Subjects were grouped into normal weight, overweight, or obese according to body mass index.

Results: The sample consisted of 76 people 55 years of age and older with mild to severe COPD. Percent truncal fat (truncal obesity) did not affect functional performance directly, but did affect it indirectly through dyspnea. The 6‐min walk test distance, dyspnea, and DLCO accounted for 29% of the variability in functional performance.

Conclusions: We believe that the effectiveness of pulmonary rehabilitation will be enhanced when nurses consider weight loss as a controllable factor for overweight and obese clients. The increasing prevalence of obesity in this population may dictate collaboration between dieticians and pulmonary rehabilitation nurses for effective rehabilitation programs.

Clinical Relevance: These findings suggest that percent truncal fat (truncal obesity) may be an indirect factor in the performance of daily activities of people with COPD. We anticipate that clinicians will use knowledge derived from this study to develop interventions to reduce or minimize truncal fat (truncal obesity) and its effects on people with COPD.

Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 2012; 00:0, 1–10. ©2012 Sigma Theta Tau International.
Ultrastructural and molecular confirmation of the trichodysplasia spinulosa‐associated polyomavirus in biopsies of patients with trichodysplasia spinulosa
Authors: Elaba Zendee , Hughey Lauren , Isayeva Tatyana , Weeks Beth , Solovan Caius , Solovastru Laura , Andea Aleodor
Published: August 2012

Trichodysplasia spinulosa (TS) is a rare and only recently characterized cutaneous disease occurring in immunocompromised patients. The disease is characterized by spiny follicular papules on clinical examination and by the presence of viral inclusions at ultrastructural examination. In the last year, this virus has been identified as a new member of the polyomavirus family and designated as TS‐associated polyomavirus (TSPyV). We report two organ transplant patients with this disease in which we were able to identify the TSPyV at ultrastructural and molecular level from formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded biopsies of lesional skin. Similar to prior described cases, the patients presented with follicular papules which were concentrated on the central face and associated with alopecia. Histopathology of both cases showed dilated follicular infundibula plugged with cornified eosinophilic cells containing large trichohyaline granules. Transmission electron microscopy on paraffin‐embedded tissue in case 1 showed 28‐nm intracellular viral particles morphologically consistent with polyoma virus. For both cases the presence of TSPyV was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction with virus‐specific primers followed by identification by direct sequencing. These two cases show the presence of the newly described TSPyV in TS further establishing its association with this distinctive disease.
Nowcasting the Mood of the Nation
Authors: Lansdall-Welfare Thomas , Lampos Vasileios , Cristianini Nello
Published: August 2012

Vast data-streams from social networks like Twitter and Facebook contain a people's opinions, fears and dreams. Thomas Lansdall-Welfare, Vasileios Lampos and Nello Cristianini exploit a whole new tool for social scientists.
Comparative mode of action of novel hybrid peptide CS‐1a and its rearranged amphipathic analogue CS‐2a
Authors: Joshi Seema , Bisht Gopal S. , Rawat Diwan S. , Maiti Souvik , Pasha Santosh
Published: August 2012

Cell selective, naturally occurring, host defence cationic peptides present a good template for the design of novel peptides with the aim of achieving a short length with improved antimicrobial potency and selectivity. A novel, short peptide CS‐1a (14 residues) was derived using a sequence hybridization approach on sarcotoxin I (39 residues) and cecropin B (35 residues). The sequence of CS‐1a was rearranged to enhance amphipathicity with the help of a Schiffer–Edmundson diagram to obtain CS‐2a. Both peptides showed good antibacterial activity in the concentration range 4–16 μg·mL−1 against susceptible as well as drug‐resistant bacterial strains, including the clinically relevant pathogens Acenatobacter sp. and methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The major thrust of these peptides is their nonhaemolytic activity against human red blood cells up to a high concentration of 512 μg·mL−1. Compared to CS‐1a, amphipathic peptide CS‐2a showed a more pronounced α‐helical conformation, along with a better membrane insertion depth in bacterial mimic 1,2‐dipalmitoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphocholine/1,2‐dipalmitoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phospho‐(1′‐rac‐glycerol) small unilamellar vesicles. With equivalent lipid‐binding affinity, the two peptides assumed different pathways of membrane disruption, as demonstrated by calcein leakage and the results of transmission electron microscopy on model bacterial mimic large unilamellar vesicles. Extending the work from model membranes to intact Escherichia coli cells, differences in membrane perturbation were visible in microscopic images of peptide‐treated E. coli. The present study describes two novel short peptides with potent activity, cell selectivity and divergent modes of action that will aid in the future design of peptides with better therapeutic potential.
Results of unilateral adrenalectomy in subclinical Cushing's syndrome due to adrenocorticotropic hormone‐independent macronodular adrenal hyperplasia
Authors: Nozaki Tetsuo , Iida Yasuhiro , Morii Akihiro , Fujiuchi Yasuyoshi , Suzuki Hikaru , Okazawa Mitsuyo , Iwata Minoru , Fuse Hideki
Published: August 2012

Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH)‐independent bilateral adrenocortical macronodular adrenocortical hyperplasia (AIMAH) is a rare cause of Cushing's syndrome (CS). Traditionally, bilateral adrenalectomy with subsequent lifetime steroid replacement has been considered to be the treatment of choice. In the present study, we evaluated the long‐term results of unilateral adrenalectomy in subclinical CS (SCS) due to AIMAH, with regard to the main laboratory and clinical abnormalities. Two patients with confirmed SCS due to AIMAH underwent unilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy to reduce the cortisol‐secreting tissue. These procedures were successfully conducted in both cases without open conversion, and no surgery‐related morbidity occurred. In both cases, the size of the remaining adrenal gland appeared quite stable, and neither of the patients showed a Cushingoid appearance. Unilateral adrenalectomy achieved satisfactory and prolonged control of cortisol secretion, and also reduced the risk of metabolic disorders and cardiovascular disease after surgery. It can be a safe and effective treatment for SCS due to AIMAH, while maintaining the patient's quality of life.
INTEGRAL and Swift/XRT observations of IGR J18179−1621
Authors: Li J. , Zhang S. , Torres D. F. , Papitto A. , Chen Y. P. , Wang J. M.
Published: August 2012

IGR J18179−1621 is a hard X-ray binary transient discovered recently by INTEGRAL. Here we report on detailed timing and spectral analysis of IGR J18179−1621 in X-rays based on available INTEGRAL and Swift data. From the INTEGRAL analysis, IGR J18179−1621 is detected with a significance of 21.6σ in the 18–40 keV band by ISGRI and 15.3σ in the 3–25 keV band by JEM-X, between 2012 February 29 and 2012 March 1. We analyse two quasi-simultaneous Swift ToO observations. A clear 11.82-s pulsation is detected above the white noise at a confidence level larger than 99.99 per cent. The pulse fraction is estimated as 22 ± 8 per cent at 0.2–10 keV. No sign of pulsation is detected by INTEGRAL/ISGRI in the 18–40 keV band. With Swift and INTEGRAL spectra combined in soft and hard X-rays, IGR J18179−1621 could be fitted by an absorbed power law with a high-energy cut-off plus a Gaussian absorption line centred at 21.5 keV. An additional absorption intrinsic to the source is found, while the absorption line is evidence for a most probable origin from cyclotron resonant scattering and suggests a magnetic field in the emitting region of ∼2.4 × 1012 G.
Estimating the population density of the Asian tapir (Tapirus indicus) in a selectively logged forest in Peninsular Malaysia
Authors: RAYAN D. Mark , MOHAMAD Shariff Wan , DORWARD Leejiah , AZIZ Sheema Abdul , CLEMENTS Gopalasamy Reuben , CHRISTOPHER Wong Chai Thiam , TRAEHOLT Carl , MAGINTAN David
Published: August 2012

The endangered Asian tapir (Tapirus indicus) is threatened by large‐scale habitat loss, forest fragmentation and increased hunting pressure. Conservation planning for this species, however, is hampered by a severe paucity of information on its ecology and population status. We present the first Asian tapir population density estimate from a camera trapping study targeting tigers in a selectively logged forest within Peninsular Malaysia using a spatially explicit capture–recapture maximum likelihood based framework. With a trap effort of 2496 nights, 17 individuals were identified corresponding to a density (standard error) estimate of 9.49 (2.55) adult tapirs/100 km2. Although our results include several caveats, we believe that our density estimate still serves as an important baseline to facilitate the monitoring of tapir population trends in Peninsular Malaysia. Our study also highlights the potential of extracting vital ecological and population information for other cryptic individually identifiable animals from tiger‐centric studies, especially with the use of a spatially explicit capture–recapture maximum likelihood based framework.
Identification of Predictors ofSalmonellaShedding in Adult Horses Presented for Acute Colic
Authors: Dallap Schaer B.L. , Aceto H. , Caruso M.A. , Brace M.A.
Published: August 2012

Background

Colic has been associated with shedding ofSalmonella. Horses with salmonellosis typically develop diarrhea, fever, and leukopenia. Overlooking additional predictors may result in failure to detect shedding horses and increase environmental contamination.

Objectives

Evaluate associations between signalment and clinicopathologic data during early hospitalization andSalmonellashedding in horses treated for acute colic.

Animals

Horses with acute colic admitted to a referral hospital. A total of 59 horses sheddingSalmonellacompared to 108Salmonella‐negative horses.

Methods

Retrospective case‐control study evaluating patient andSalmonellaculture data. Associations between variables andSalmonellashedding were identified using logistic regression. Two multivariable models were developed pertaining to (1) information available within 24 hours of admission and (2) clinical findings that developed later during hospitalization.

Results

Variables retained for multivariable model 1 indicated that Warmbloods and Arabians had increased odds for sheddingSalmonella, as did horses requiring surgery (OR, 2.52; 95% CI, 1.10–5.75) or having more severe gastrointestinal disease (OR, 2.59; 95% CI, 1.08–6.20). Retained variables for model 2 demonstrated that horses that were treated surgically (OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 0.70–3.62), developed fever >103°F (OR, 2.70; 95% CI, 0.92–7.87), had abnormal leukocyte count (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 0.61–3.09), or became inappetent and lethargic (OR, 16.69; 95% CI, 4.08–68.24) had increased odds for sheddingSalmonella.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

In horses with acute colic that present without signs of diarrhea, fever, or leukopenia, additional predictors associated with sheddingSalmonellacould be used to more promptly identify horses likely to shed organisms.
SGLT2 inhibitors: a promising new therapeutic option for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Misra Monika
Published: August 2012

Background

Hyperglycemia is an important pathogenic component in the development of microvascular and macrovascular complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Inhibition of renal tubular glucose reabsorption that leads to glycosuria has been proposed as a new mechanism to attain normoglycemia and thus prevent and diminish these complications. Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) has a key role in reabsorption of glucose in kidney. Competitive inhibitors of SGLT2 have been discovered and a few of them have also been advanced in clinical trials for the treatment of diabetes.

Objective

To discuss the therapeutic potential of SGLT2 inhibitors currently in clinical development.

Key findings

A number of preclinical and clinical studies of SGLT2 inhibitors have demonstrated a good safety profile and beneficial effects in lowering plasma glucose levels, diminishing glucotoxicity, improving glycemic control and reducing weight in diabetes. Of all the SGLT2 inhibitors, dapagliflozin is a relatively advanced compound with regards to clinical development.

SGLT2 inhibitors are emerging as a promising therapeutic option for the treatment of diabetes. Their unique mechanism of action offers them the potential to be used in combination with other oral anti-diabetic drugs as well as with insulin.