bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Melatonin modulates TLR4‐mediated inflammatory genes through MyD88‐ and TRIF‐dependent signaling pathways in lipopolysaccharide‐stimulated RAW264.7 cells
Authors: Xia Mi‐Zhen , Liang Ying‐Li , Wang Hua , Chen Xi , Huang Yin‐Yin , Zhang Zhi‐Hui , Chen Yuan‐Hua , Zhang Chen , Zhao Mei , Xu De‐Xiang , Song Li‐Hua
Published: April 2012

Abstract:  Increasing evidence demonstrates that melatonin has an anti‐inflammatory effect. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms remain obscure. In this study, we investigated the effect of melatonin on toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4)‐mediated molecule myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88)‐dependent and TRIF‐dependent signaling pathways in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐stimulated macrophages. RAW264.7 cells were incubated with LPS (2.0 μg/mL) in the absence or presence of melatonin (10, 100, 1000 μm). As expected, melatonin inhibited TLR4‐mediated tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α), interleukin (IL)‐1β, IL‐6, IL‐8, and IL‐10 in LPS‐stimulated macrophages. In addition, melatonin significantly attenuated LPS‐induced upregulation of cyclooxygenase (COX)‐2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in macrophages. Further analysis showed that melatonin inhibited the expression of MyD88 in LPS‐stimulated macrophages. Although it had no effect on TLR4‐mediated phosphorylation of c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK), p38, and extracellular regulated protein kinase (ERK), melatonin significantly attenuated the activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB) in LPS‐stimulated macrophages. In addition, melatonin inhibited TLR4‐mediated Akt phosphorylation in LPS‐stimulated macrophages. Moreover, melatonin significantly attenuated the elevation of interferon (IFN)‐regulated factor‐3 (IRF3), which was involved in TLR4‐mediated TRIF‐dependent signaling pathway, in LPS‐stimulated macrophages. Correspondingly, melatonin significantly alleviated LPS‐induced IFN‐β in macrophages. In conclusion, melatonin modulates TLR4‐mediated inflammatory genes through MyD88‐dependent and TRIF‐dependent signaling pathways.
Traumatic dental injuries in primary school children of South India – a report from district‐wide oral health survey
Authors: Ankola Anil V. , Hebbal Mamata , Sharma Ratika , Nayak Sushma S.
Published: April 2012

Abstract –  Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of dental trauma among primary school children aged 6–11 years in Belgaum, India.Materials and methods: A sample of 13 200 children from primary schools of Belgaum district was examined for dental trauma. WHO classification of dental trauma was used.Results: Total number of children suffering from dental trauma was found to be 1946 (14.74%). A significant gender influence on the occurrence of dental trauma was observed, with more boys (17.26%) experiencing dental trauma than girls (12.29%). More than 3 mm overjet and incompetent lips were also significantly associated with dental trauma in children.Conclusion: The findings of this study show that dental trauma has a moderately high prevalence among Indian primary school children. Community, especially parents and school teachers, should be educated about prevention and early management of dental trauma in children.
The effect of wearing custom‐made mouthguards on the aeroacoustic properties of Japanese sibilant /s/
Authors: Nozaki Kazunori , Maeda Yoshinobu , Tamagawa Hiroo
Published: April 2012

Abstract –  Background/Aim: There have been many reports on the discomfort of speech when wearing oral appliances. Fricatives articulated in an oral cavity can be difficult to pronounce when oral appliances are worn, because the oral cavity is partially changed by their installation. Sibilant /s/, one fricative, is especially difficult to pronounce when wearing oral appliances. This study investigates the effect of the difference in the setting positions of the palatal margin of custom‐made mouthguards on the aeroacoustic characteristics of sibilant /s/.Materials and methods: Eighteen subjects (11 women and seven men) participated. The palatal margin of mouthguards was set at the gingival line for nine subjects and 4 mm from the line for another nine subjects. Acoustical analyses examined the difference of the palatal margins of the mouthguards on the autocorrelation coefficient, the zero crossing count, and the spectral peaks of sibilant /s/.Results: The results showed that the zero crossing count of the waveforms and the spectral peaks of sibilant /s/ were significantly broadened and shifted toward the low‐frequency range with the mouthguard whose palatal margin extended 4 mm from the gingival line than the mouthguard whose palatal margin was set at the gingival line.Conclusion: We believe that a more appropriate palatal mouthguard design for custom‐made mouthguards can be made by considering the aeroacoustical effects. Our study supported the mouthguard whose palatal margin was set at the gingival line by considering the influence on pronouncing sibilant /s/. We believe that a more appropriate palatal mouthguard design for custom‐made mouthguards can be made based on the balance of aeroacoustical effects and mechanical requirements.
Running‐induced anxiety is dependent on increases in hippocampal neurogenesis
Authors: Onksen J. L. , Briand L. A. , Galante R. J. , Pack A. I. , Blendy J. A.
Published: April 2012

Exercise, specifically voluntary wheel running, is a potent stimulator of hippocampal neurogenesis in adult mice. In addition, exercise induces behavioral changes in numerous measures of anxiety in rodents. However, the physiological underpinnings of these changes are poorly understood. To investigate the role of neurogenesis in exercise‐mediated anxiety, we examined the cellular and behavioral effects of voluntary wheel running in mice with a reduction in hippocampal neurogenesis, achieved through conditional deletion of ataxia telangiectasia‐mutated and rad‐3‐related protein (ATR), a cell cycle checkpoint kinase necessary for normal levels of neurogenesis. Following hippocampal microinjection of an adeno‐associated virus expressing Cre recombinase to delete ATR, mice were exposed to 4 weeks of voluntary wheel running and subsequently evaluated for anxiety‐like behavior. Wheel running resulted in increased cell proliferation and neurogenesis, as measured by bromodeoxyuridine and doublecortin, respectively. Wheel running also resulted in heightened anxiety in the novelty‐induced hypophagia, open field and light–dark box tests. However, both the neurogenic and anxiogenic effects of wheel running were attenuated following hippocampal ATR deletion, suggesting that increased neurogenesis is an important mediator of exercise‐induced anxiety.
Effect of different disinfectants on the microhardness and roughness of acrylic resins for ocular prosthesis
Authors: Moreno Amália , Goiato Marcelo C. , dos Santos Daniela M. , Haddad Marcela F. , Pesqueira Aldiéris A. , Bannwart Lisiane C.
Published: April 2012

Background:  Ocular prosthesis materials should have specific properties for their indication and durability; therefore, it is important to investigate their physical behaviour when affected by several disinfectants.

Objectives:  This study evaluated the influence of different disinfecting solutions on the microhardness and surface roughness of acrylic resins for ocular prosthesis.

Materials and Methods:  Fifty samples simulating ocular prostheses were fabricated with N1 resin and colourless resin and divided (n = 10) according to the disinfectant used: neutral soap, Opti‐free, Efferdent, 1% hypochlorite (HYC) and 4% chlorhexidine (CHX). Samples were stored in saline solution at 37°C and disinfected during 120 days. Both microhardness and roughness were investigated before, after 60 days and 120 days of disinfection and storage. Microhardness was measured using a microhardner and the roughness with a roughness device.

Results:  N1 resin showed lower microhardness when compared with colourless resin (p < 0.05). HYC and CHX groups exhibited the highest change of microhardness and roughness values (p < 0.05). An increase in roughness and reduction in microhardness of ocular acrylic resins were observed after both periods of disinfection and storage (p < 0.05).

Conclusion:  Both disinfection/storage periods affected the microhardness and roughness values of the samples.
I Grow Old: T. S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” andInventions of the March Hare100 Years On
Authors: Stayer Jayme
Published: April 2012

This essay describes the origin and significance of T. S. Eliot’s early notebook, first published in 1995 asInventions of the March Hare. Eliot’s first triumphs, including “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” and “Portrait of a Lady,” germinated in this workshop. The essay summarizes the place these early, published poems held in the criticism for 80 years, from 1915 through 1995. It then considers how the critical conversation about Eliot’s early development changes significantly with the publication of the notebook, when the unknown apprentice poems are restored alongside their more famous companions.
Regulating naïve and memory CD8 T cell homeostasis – a role for protein tyrosine phosphatases
Authors: Pike Kelly A. , Tremblay Michel L.
Published: April 2012

A complex network of signalling events coordinate the differentiation, activation and maintenance of T lymphocytes. Tyrosine phosphorylation and dephosphorylation by protein tyrosine kinases and protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) respectively, are critical for the activation and propagation of these signalling cascades. Intriguingly, the removal of tyrosyl phosphate moieties from phosphorylated proteins by phosphatases can contribute to both the positive and negative regulation of signalling events. The complex and diverse roles of individual PTP family members in immune cells is evident by the range of immune disorders caused by PTP deficiencies. Central to several such immune disorders is the disturbance of T cell homeostasis, as characterized by aberrant cell growth, survival and activation. The survival and homeostatic proliferation of naïve and memory CD8 T cells is primarily regulated by signalling events downstream of the T cell receptor complex and common γ chain cytokine receptors, events frequently targeted by PTP activity. We review the primary PTPs involved in CD8 T cell homeostasis, focusing on the signalling nodes that they target. In addition, because the mechanisms that co‐ordinate PTP activity are only partially understood, we discuss currently proposed models of regulation and highlight unanswered questions.
High Doses of Oseltamivir Phosphate Induce Acute Respiratory Arrest in Anaesthetized Rats
Authors: Kimura Satoko , Niwa Yuka , Iwajima Yui , Nagano Yuko , Yamamoto Shohei , Ohi Yoshiaki , Maeda Yasuhiro , Kurono Yukihisa , Ono Hideki , Haji Akira
Published: April 2012

It has been reported that one of the serious adverse events after the treatment of oseltamivir phosphate (OP) for influenza patients is sudden death resulting from cardiorespiratory arrest. To investigate the aetiology of such an adverse consequence, we examined effects of OP (expressed as free base) on blood pressure and ventilation in anaesthetized rats with vagotomy. Intravenous OP (30–200 mg/kg) caused dose‐dependent hypotension and bradycardia in spontaneously breathing animals. Concomitantly with changes in blood pressure, the tracheal airflow increased. The ventilatory rate hastened during the injection and then transiently slowed around 1 min. after the administration (transient hypopnea). Thereafter, it gradually returned to control. The hypopnea increased with increasing dose and ventilatory arrest occurred at 200 mg/kg. Intraduodenal OP (500–1000 mg/kg) provoked cardioventilatory arrest 72–218 min. after the injection. Oseltamivir carboxylate (100–200 mg/kg, i.v.), an active metabolite of OP, had no significant effect on ventilation and blood pressure. In artificially ventilated animals, intravenous OP caused slowing of the respiratory rate around 1 min. after the injection in a dose‐dependent manner. This effect of OP waned in 5 min. after the administration. The amplitude of phrenic nerve discharge was not changed at lower doses (30–100 mg/kg). The phrenic nerve stopped to discharge immediately after higher doses (150–200 mg/kg). We demonstrated that OP causes central suppression of the respiratory function in rats and suggest a relationship between the OP‐induced cardiorespiratory arrest and sudden death observed in influenza patients after taking OP.
Identification of Factors Affecting Tacrolimus Level and 5‐Year Clinical Outcome in Kidney Transplant Patients
Authors: Kim In‐Wha , Noh Hyejin , Ji Eunhee , Han Nayoung , Hong Su Hyun , Ha Jongwon , Burckart Gilbert J. , Oh Jung Mi
Published: April 2012

The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize the association of various clinical variables and CYP3A5 genotypes with the pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus and outcome over 1–5 years in kidney transplantation patients in Korea. A total of 129 recipients (aged 18–65 years) administered tacrolimus were genotyped for CYP3A5 (6986A>G in intron 3; rs776746). Clinical covariates and trough levels, doses and dose‐adjusted trough levels of tacrolimus, as well as complications during the 1–5 years after transplantation, were analysed. A linear mixed model was used to investigate potential factors affecting the trough levels, doses and dose‐adjusted levels of tacrolimus. We identified factors affecting chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) and tacrolimus‐related complications. After adjusting for sex, body‐weight and doses of corticosteroids and mycophenolate mofetil, we noted that CYP3A5 genotypes had the most profound effect on the dose and dose‐adjusted trough levels of tacrolimus 1–5 years after transplantation (p < 0.001). Trough levels of tacrolimus were associated with post‐transplantation hyperlipidaemia (p < 0.05), and estimated glomerular filtration rate was associated with CAN (p < 0.05). Therefore, the CYP3A5 genotype is a variable marker for tacrolimus dose requirement, and the trough level of tacrolimus should be controlled to minimize post‐transplant hyperlipidaemia to achieve optimum outcome.
Nursing students' views of sociocultural factors in clinical learning: A qualitative content analysis
Authors: DADGARAN Ideh , PARVIZY Soroor , PEYROVI Hamid
Published: April 2012

Aim:  The aim of this study is description of nursing students' views of sociocultural factors in clinical learning.

Methods:  A qualitative content analysis was conducted to describe nursing students' views of sociocultural factors in clinical learning. The participants consisted of 21 nursing students. Semi‐structured and interactive interviews were used to collect data. All the interviews were recorded and transcribed, and then, they were analyzed using Qualitative Content Analysis and Max Qualitative Data Analysis 2010.1

Results:  From the transcripts, a remarkable number of primary themes, main themes, and sub‐themes emerged. The main themes consisted of elements related to “society and culture”, “family”, “staff”, and “classmates”. The themes encompassed a spectrum of facilitators of and impediments to clinical learning.

Conclusion:  The findings showed that the administrators of nursing education should coordinate with faculty and staff by adopting interactive and participatory solutions, including the establishment of clinical learning teams and the transformation of hospitals into suitable sociocultural environments for education.
Standard Operating Procedures for Priapism
Authors: Burnett Arthur L. , Sharlip Ira D.
Published: April 2012

Aim

To provide standard operating procedures for the diagnosis and management of priapism.

Methods

Review of the literature.

Main Outcome Measures

Reduction of priapism and preservation of erectile function.

Results

Priapism is a persistent penile erection that continues hours beyond, or is unrelated to, sexual stimulation. Priapism requires prompt evaluation and usually requires emergency management. There are two types of priapism: (i) ischemic (veno-occlusive or low flow), which is found in 95% of cases, and (ii) nonischemic (arterial or high flow). Stuttering (intermittent) priapism is a recurrent form of ischemic priapism. To initiate appropriate management, the physician must determine whether the priapism is ischemic or nonischemic. Necessary diagnostic steps are an accurate history, physical examination, and cavernous blood gas analysis and/or color duplex ultrasonography of the corpora cavernosa. Management of ischemic priapism should achieve resolution as promptly as possible. Initial treatment is therapeutic aspiration with or without irrigation of the corpora. If this fails, intracavernous injection of sympathomimetic drugs is the next step. Surgical shunts should be performed if nonsurgical treatment has failed. The initial management of nonischemic priapism should be observation. Selective arterial embolization is recommended for the management of nonischemic priapism in patients who request treatment. The goal of management for a patient with recurrent (stuttering) priapism is prevention of future episodes.

Conclusion

Management of priapism has become increasingly successful as scientific understanding of the pathophysiology and molecular biology of priapism improves. The key to further success in the treatment of priapism is basic research of this uncommon but potentially devastating condition.
Yield and yield stability in mixtures of productive grassland species: Does species number or functional group composition matter?
Authors: Küchenmeister Frank , Küchenmeister Kai , Wrage Nicole , Kayser Manfred , Isselstein Johannes
Published: April 2012

In productive agricultural grasslands the relative importance of species identity, species richness and functional group composition for production and yield stability is not clear. We, therefore, tested diversity effects in mixtures of five productive species common in temperate agricultural grasslands in a greenhouse study: Trifolium repens (legume), Lolium perenne, Dactylis glomerata (grasses) and Plantago lanceolata, Taraxacum officinale agg. (forbs). Diversity levels were (i) monoculture; (ii) all possible three‐species mixtures; and (iii) five‐species mixture. Biomass production increased with greater species richness, an effect that was interpreted as a functional response to a higher proportion of legumes in the mixtures. Species identity and functional composition influenced yield and yield stability in different ways. Larger contents of the legume in mixtures increased yield but decreased yield stability while grasses showed the opposite effect in mixtures. The biomass production of forbs was mostly small in mixtures and yield stability decreased with increasing presence of forbs. In productive agricultural grassland, functional group composition, especially the presence of legumes and grasses, seems to be more important for productivity and yield stability than diversity.
Yield‐related QTLs and Their Applications in Rice Genetic ImprovementF
Authors: Bai Xufeng , Wu Bi , Xing Yongzhong
Published: April 2012

Grain yield is one of the most important indexes in rice breeding, which is governed by quantitative trait loci (QTLs). Different mapping populations have been used to explore the QTLs controlling yield related traits. Primary populations such as F2 and recombinant inbred line populations have been widely used to discover QTLs in rice genome‐wide, with hundreds of yield‐related QTLs detected. Advanced populations such as near isogenic lines (NILs) are efficient to further fine‐map and clone target QTLs. NILs for primarily identified QTLs have been proposed and confirmed to be the ideal population for map‐based cloning. To date, 20 QTLs directly affecting rice grain yield and its components have been cloned with NIL‐F2 populations, and 14 new grain yield QTLs have been validated in the NILs. The molecular mechanisms of a continuously increasing number of genes are being unveiled, which aids in the understanding of the formation of grain yield. Favorable alleles for rice breeding have been ‘mined’ from natural cultivars and wild rice by association analysis of known functional genes with target trait performance. Reasonable combination of favorable alleles has the potential to increase grain yield via use of functional marker assisted selection.

image

[ Yongzhong Xing (Corresponding author)]
Collimated jets from the first core
Authors: Price Daniel J. , Tricco Terrence S. , Bate Matthew R.
Published: April 2012

We have performed smoothed particle magnetohydrodynamics (SPMHD) simulations demonstrating the production of collimated jets during collapse of 1 M⊙ molecular cloud cores to form the ‘first hydrostatic core’ in low-mass star formation. Recently, a number of candidate first-core objects have been observed, including L1448 IRS2E, L1451-mm and Per-Bolo 58, although it is not yet clear that these are first hydrostatic cores. Recent observations of Per-Bolo 58 in particular appear to show collimated, bipolar outflows which are inconsistent with previous theoretical expectations. We show that low-mass first cores can indeed produce tightly collimated jets (opening angles ≲10°) with speeds of ∼2–7 km s−1, consistent with some of the observed candidates. We have also demonstrated, for the first time, that such phenomena can be successfully captured in SPMHD simulations.
Giving an account of oneself: The PBRF and the neoliberal university
Authors: Cupples Julie , Pawson Eric
Published: April 2012

The New Zealand Performance Based Research Fund (PBRF) has come into being in the last decade in the wider context of the neoliberalising and corporatising of the academy. It is far more than its outward form: that is, an innocent accounting of the research‐related activities of academics for the purposes of determining institutional funding levels. But neither is it only a process that seeks (to use Judith Butler's terms) to constrain, subordinate and discipline individual academics. Drawing on her book, Giving an Account of Oneself (2005), we suggest that the PBRF can also be used to enable and sustain through creating spaces to critique neoliberalising managerialism.
Blood Biomarkers in Stroke: Research and Clinical Practice
Authors: Whiteley William , Tian Yingfang , Jickling Glen C.
Published: April 2012

Blood biomarkers may have applications in stroke diagnosis, outcome prediction, or treatment. In this article, we provide a focused review on some of the methodological challenges and potential developments of biomarkers in stroke. We review the approaches to the development of a diagnostic blood marker: a candidate marker approach, marker panels, and –omics. Then we examined the role of blood markers to predict recurrent stroke and treatment response in stroke.
Caffeine‐stimulated fatty acid oxidation is blunted in CD36 null mice
Authors: Lally J. S. V. , Jain S. S. , Han X. X. , Snook L. A. , Glatz J. F. C. , Luiken J. J. F. P. , McFarlan J. , Holloway G. P. , Bonen A.
Published: April 2012

Aim:

The increase in skeletal muscle fatty acid metabolism during exercise has been associated with the release of calcium. We examined whether this increase in fatty acid oxidation was attributable to a calcium‐induced translocation of the fatty acid transporter CD36 to the sarcolemma, thereby providing an enhanced influx of fatty acids to increase their oxidation.

Methods:

Calcium release was triggered by caffeine (3 mm) to examine fatty acid oxidation in intact soleus muscles of WT and CD36‐KO mice, while fatty acid transport and mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation were examined in giant vesicles and isolated mitochondria, respectively, from caffeine‐perfused hindlimb muscles of WT and CD36‐KO mice. Western blotting was used to examine calcium‐induced signalling.

Results:

In WT, caffeine stimulated muscle palmitate oxidation (+136%), but this was blunted in CD36‐KO mice (−70%). Dantrolene inhibited (WT) or abolished (CD36‐KO) caffeine‐induced palmitate oxidation. In muscle, caffeine‐stimulated palmitate oxidation was not attributable to altered mitochondrial palmitate oxidation. Instead, in WT, caffeine increased palmitate transport (+55%) and the translocation of fatty acid transporters CD36, FABPpm, FATP1 and FATP4 (26–70%) to the sarcolemma. In CD36‐KO mice, caffeine‐stimulated FABPpm, and FATP1 and 4 translocations were normal, but palmitate transport was blunted (−70%), comparable to the reductions in muscle palmitate oxidation. Caffeine did not alter the calcium‐/calmodulin‐dependent protein kinase II phosphorylation but did increase the phosphorylation of AMPK and acetyl‐CoA carboxylase comparably in WT and CD36‐KO.

Conclusion:

These studies indicate that sarcolemmal CD36‐mediated fatty acid transport is a primary mediator of the calcium‐induced increase in muscle fatty acid oxidation.
Efficient coding and the neural representation of value
Authors: Louie Kenway , Glimcher Paul W.
Published: April 2012

To survive in a dynamic environment, an organism must be able to effectively learn, store, and recall the expected benefits and costs of potential actions. The nature of the valuation and decision processes is thus of fundamental interest to researchers at the intersection of psychology, neuroscience, and economics. Although normative theories of choice have outlined the theoretical structure of these valuations, recent experiments have begun to reveal how value is instantiated in the activity of neurons and neural circuits. Here, we review the various forms of value coding that have been observed in different brain systems and examine the implications of these value representations for both neural circuits and behavior. In particular, we focus on emerging evidence that value coding in a number of brain areas is context dependent, varying as a function of both the current choice set and previously experienced values. Similar contextual modulation occurs widely in the sensory system, and efficient coding principles derived in the sensory domain suggest a new framework for understanding the neural coding of value.
Effect of Protein and Starch Level in Practical Extruded Diets on Growth, Feed Utilization, Body Composition, and Hepatic Transaminases of Juvenile Grass Carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella
Authors: Chen Yong‐Jun , Tian Li‐Xia , Yang Hui‐Jun , Chen Peng‐Fei , Yuan Yuan , Liu Yong‐Jian , Liang Gui‐Ying
Published: April 2012

Six practical extruded diets were formulated to investigate the effect of graded levels of starch (17, 22, and 26%) associated with either 30 or 34% protein level on growth, feed utilization, body composition, and hepatic transaminases of juvenile grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella. Over an 8‐wk growth trial, survival rates (99–100%) were not significantly affected (P > 0.05) by dietary treatments. Independent of dietary starch level, weight gain (WG, %), specific growth rate (SGR, %/d), and feed efficiency ratio (FER) showed significant better response (P < 0.05) of fish fed 34% protein diet than those of fish fed 30% protein diet. Protein productive value (PPV) was only affected by dietary protein level, with higher values in the 34% protein level than their 30% counterparts. Irrespective of dietary protein level, lipid productive value (LPV), energy productive value (EPV), viscerosomatic index (VSI, %), intraperitoneal fat ratio (IPF, %), and whole body, liver, and muscle lipid level increased with increasing starch supply. At the same protein level, plasma triacylglycerol (TG), cholesterol (CHO), and low density lipoprotein‐cholesterol (LDL‐C) increased when dietary starch level increased from 17 to 26%. Neither dietary protein level nor starch level affected activities of hepatic alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) and aspartate transferase (ASAT). The overall results in this study suggested that the higher 34% protein was superior for juvenile grass carp and an increase in dietary starch level did not improve growth or protein utilization but enhanced whole‐body lipid deposition and liver, viscera and muscle lipid level. The diet containing 34% protein and 17% starch was optimal for practical production of juvenile grass carp.
Growth of Juvenile Green Sea Urchins, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, Fed Formulated Feeds with Varying Protein Levels Compared with a Macroalgal Diet and a Commercial Abalone Feed
Authors: Eddy Stephen D. , Brown Nicholas P. , Kling Ashley L. , Watts Stephen A. , Lawrence Addison
Published: April 2012

The effects of varying protein and carbohydrate levels in prepared diets on the somatic growth of juvenile green sea urchins, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, were examined. Ten diets were tested on 600 hatchery reared urchins (mean start weight = 0.11 g) for 6 mo with three replicate groups per diet. Nine of the diets were prepared specifically for urchins and varied in protein (16–40% protein) and carbohydrate (29–49% carbohydrate) levels. The other two diets consisted of a commercially available abalone diet and the kelp, Saccharina latissima. Weight measurements were carried out at 6‐wk intervals, and at the end of the study urchins were individually weighed and a subsample from each treatment was analyzed for gonad weight and color. End weights after 6 mo ranged from 2.56 g for urchins fed the abalone diet to 6.11 g for urchins fed one of the prepared diets. Most of the prepared feeds outperformed kelp, and significant differences in growth were detected between some of the diets. In general, diets with lower protein levels (16–22% protein) and higher carbohydrate levels (>40% carbohydrate) produced the fastest growth. However, further diet refinement and/or use of finishing diets may be necessary to optimize gonad quality.
Effects of Photoperiod on Embryos and Larvae of Tawny Puffer, Takifugu flavidus
Authors: Shi Yonghai , Zhang Genyu , Liu Jianzhong , Zhu Xiaodong
Published: April 2012

To determine the optimal condition of photoperiod for embryo development and larval culture of tawny puffer, Takifugu flavidus, the effects of photoperiod on egg hatching and the growth and survival of larvae from 3 to 23 d after hatching (dah) were assessed. The results show that photoperiodic responses varied with the developmental stage during the early development of tawny puffer. Photoperiod did not significantly affect the hatch rate, viability of 24 h post‐hatch larvae, and total mortality rate of tawny puffer embryos; however, it affected the incubation period, which significantly increased with increasing photoperiod from 6 to 24 h. The shortest incubation period was predicted to occur at 3.56 h day length from the quadratic relationship. However, photoperiod strongly affected the growth and survival of the tawny puffer larvae from 3 to 23 dah. Increasing the day length resulted in improvement of the larval growth and survival within the 0–12 h day length range; however, beyond the 12 h day length, a longer day length was not beneficial, and a 24 h continuous light had a negative effect on growth. From the quadratic relationships, the highest growth and survival rates were predicted to occur at 14.16 h and 17.74 h day length, respectively. Therefore, the optimal photoperiods for tawny puffer embryos and larvae were 3–6 and 12–18 h day length, respectively. The results of this study are useful in increasing the production of the species during incubation and larval culture.
Portuguese Translation and Validation of the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale
Authors: Hollist Cody S. , Falceto Olga G. , Ferreira Luciane M. , Miller Richard B. , Springer Paul R. , Fernandes Carmen L. C. , Nunes Nalu A.
Published: April 2012

The absence of a translated and validated instrument for measuring marital satisfaction in Brazil, the largest country in South America and fifth most populous country in the world, is a significant barrier for research and mental health service delivery. The purpose of this study was to translate and validate a marital satisfaction scale into Portuguese that would have both empirical credibility and cultural relevance in Brazil. A six‐step serial approach was used to simultaneously translate and culturally validate the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS). The translated instrument (RDAS‐P) demonstrated good psychometric properties during field testing.
Effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on proliferation and differentiation of human dental pulp cells in vitro
Authors: Wang P , Wei X , Zhou Y , Wang Y‐P , Yang K , Zhang F‐J , Jiang R
Published: April 2012

Background:  Human dental pulp cells (hDPCs) have the potency to proliferate and differentiate into odontoblasts and play an important role in dentine formation and reparation. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effects of ginsenoside Rg1 on the proliferation and differentiation of hDPCs.

Methods:  hDPCs were incubated with different concentrations of ginsenoside Rg1 (0.1, 0.5, 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 μmol/L). The effects of ginsenoside Rg1 on the proliferative ability of hDPCs were evaluated by a fibroblast colony forming test, MTT assay and flow cytometry for cell cycle. The control group, osteogenic induction group, ginsenoside Rg1 (5 μmol/L) group and combination group were designed, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and FQ‐PCR for gene expressions of dentine sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) and dentine matrix protein 1 (DMP1) were performed to evaluate the differentiation of hDPCs.

Results:  The proliferative ability of hDPCs in ginsenoside Rg1 was significantly enhanced (p < 0.05), especially in the ginsenoside Rg1 (5 μmol/L) group. ALP activity and gene expressions of DSPP and DMP1 were increased in the induction group, ginsenoside Rg1 group, and their combination group compared with the control group (p < 0.05).

Conclusions:  The results indicate that ginsenoside Rg1 promotes the proliferation and differentiation of hDPCs.
Improvements in skeletal muscle strength and cardiac function induced by resveratrol during exercise training contribute to enhanced exercise performance in rats
Authors: Dolinsky Vernon W. , Jones Kelvin E. , Sidhu Robinder S. , Haykowsky Mark , Czubryt Michael P. , Gordon Tessa , Dyck Jason R. B.
Published: April 2012

Key points

Resveratrol, an antioxidant found in red wine, has beneficial effects on cardiac and skeletal muscle function, similar to the effects of endurance exercise training.

Combining resveratrol supplementation with exercise training augments the beneficial effects of exercise alone.

We show that endurance capacity is enhanced in rats whose diet includes resveratrol during a 12 week endurance‐training programme.

Increased endurance was associated with increases in skeletal muscle force, cardiac function, and oxidative metabolism.

Our results establish that resveratrol is an effective ergogenic aid that enhances exercise performance over exercise alone.
Cerebellar modulation of human associative plasticity
Authors: Hamada Masashi , Strigaro Gionata , Murase Nagako , Sadnicka Anna , Galea Joseph M. , Edwards Mark J. , Rothwell John C.
Published: April 2012

Key point 

Increases in the strength of synaptic connections in the motor cortex (long term potentiation) can be induced in humans by repetitively pairing peripheral nerve stimuli and motor cortex transcranial magnetic stimuli given 21–25 ms apart – paired associative stimulation (PAS).

This ‘associative plasticity’ effect has been assumed to relate to synchronicity between sensory input and motor output, with a similar mechanism proposed to underlie effects at all interstimulus intervals.

Here we show that modulation of cerebellar activity using transcranial direct current stimulation can abolish associative plasticity in the motor cortex, but only for sensory/motor stimuli paired at 25 ms, not at 21.5 ms.

The results indicate that human associative plasticity can be affected by cerebellar activity and that at least two different mechanisms are involved in the effects previously reported in studies using PAS at different inter‐stimulus intervals.
Nanoscale imaging of the bone cell network with synchrotron X‐ray tomography: optimization of acquisition setup
Authors: Pacureanu Alexandra , Langer Max , Boller Elodie , Tafforeau Paul , Peyrin Françoise
Published: April 2012

Purpose:

The fundamental role of the osteocyte cell network in regulating the bone remodeling has become evident in the last years. This has raised the necessity to explore this complex three‐dimensional interconnected structure, but the existing investigation methods cannot provide an adequate assessment. The authors propose to use parallel beam synchrotron radiation computed tomography at the nanoscale to image in three dimensions the osteocyte lacunocanalicular network. To this aim, the authors study the feasibility of this technique and present an optimized imaging protocol suited for the bone cell network. Moreover, they demonstrate the multifaceted information provided by this method.

Methods:

The high brilliance of synchrotron radiation combined with state of art detectors permits reaching nanoscale spatial resolution. With a nominal pixel size of 280 nm, the parallel beam computed tomography setup at the ID19 experimental station of the ESRF is capable of imaging the bone lacunocanalicular network, considering that the reported diameter of canaliculi is in the range 300–600 nm. However, the actual resolution is limited by the detector and by the radiation dose causing sample damage during the scan. The authors sought to overcome these limitations by optimizing the imaging setup and the acquisition parameters in order to minimize the necessary radiation dose to create the images and to improve the spatial resolution of the detector.

Results:

The authors achieved imaging of the osteocyte cell network in human bone. Due to the optimization of the imaging setup and acquisition parameters, they obtained simultaneously a radiation dose reduction and an increase of the signal to noise ratio in the images. This permitted the authors to generate the first three‐dimensional images of the lacunocanalicular network in an area covering several osteons, the fundamental functional units in the bone cortex. The method enables assessment of both architectural parameters of the microporosity and of mineralization degree in the bone matrix. The authors found that the cell network is dense and connected inside osteonal tissue. Conversely, the cell lacunae are sparse, unorganized, and disconnected in interstitial tissue.

Conclusions:

The authors show that synchrotron radiation computed tomography is a feasible technique to assess the lacunocanalicular network in three dimensions. This is possible due to an optimal imaging setup in which the detector plays an important role. The authors could establish two valid setups, based on two different insertion devices. These results give access to new information on the bone cell network architecture, covering a number of cells two orders of magnitude greater than existing techniques. This enables biomedical studies on series of samples, paving the way to better understanding of bone fragility and to new treatments for bone diseases.
Handbook of Treatment Planning in Radiation Oncology.
Authors: Shi Chengyu
Published: April 2012

Handbook of Treatment Planning in Radiation Oncology. G. Videtic and A. Vassil. demosMEDICAL, NY, 2010. Paperback, 260 pp. Price: $75.00. ISBN: 9781933864525.
Stability of Extemporaneously Prepared 0.5-Percent Caspofungin Eye Drops: a Potential Cost-Savings Exercise
Authors: Neoh Chin Fen , Jacob Jovan , Leung Lok , Li Jian , Stathopoulos Angela , Stewart Kay , Kong David C. M.
Published: April 2012

While the successful use of topical caspofungin for patients has been reported, topical caspofungin is not commercially available and its stability is unknown, limiting its usefulness in treating fungal keratitis. Caspofungin (0.5%) eye drops were aseptically prepared, and the concentrations were measured using a validated high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The preparations remained stable for 28 days under refrigerated condition but not at 25.0°C. Our study supports the cost-saving use of caspofungin eye drops in the clinical setting.
Use of Carbapenems against Clinical, Nontyphoid Salmonella Isolates: Results from
In Vitro
and
In Vivo
Animal Studies
Authors: Tang Hung-Jen , Chen Chi-Chung , Zhang Chun-Cheng , Cheng Kuo Chen , Chiang Shyh-Ren , Chiu Yu-Hsin , Ku Yee Huang , Ko Wen-Chien , Chuang Yin-Ching
Published: April 2012

The emergence of multidrug-resistant
Salmonella
isolates has created the need for new therapeutic agents. We evaluated the intracellular activity of four carbapenem compounds against clinical nontyphoid
Salmonella
(NTS) isolates
in vitro
and
ex vivo
. Subsequently, the efficacy of carbapenem treatment against selected
Salmonella
isolates
in vivo
was assessed using a murine peritonitis model. The MIC
50
and MIC
90
for doripenem, ertapenem, imipenem, and meropenem against 126 NTS isolates were found to be 0.062 and 0.062, 0.015 and 0.015, 0.5 and 1, and 0.031 and 0.031 μg/ml, respectively. The intracellular killing effect of ertapenem was sustained for 24 h and was superior to that of imipenem, meropenem, and doripenem; its effect was comparable to that of ceftriaxone. Ertapenem demonstrated an excellent pharmacokinetic profile with a percent time above the MIC of 75.5% and an area under the concentration-time curve/MIC ratio of 20,733. When peritoneal exudate cells were examined directly
ex vivo
from mice with
Salmonella
-induced peritonitis, cells from mice treated with ertapenem and ceftriaxone had intracellular and extracellular bacterial counts reduced 10
2
- to 10
4
-fold and exhibited killing effects similar to each other. The survival rates of mice inoculated with 1 × 10
5
and 10
6
CFU of a ceftriaxone-susceptible
Salmonella
isolate that were subsequently treated with ertapenem or ceftriaxone were 100% and 90%, respectively. When mice were inoculated with 5 × 10
4
and 10
5
CFU of a ceftriaxone-resistant and ciprofloxacin-resistant
Salmonella
isolate, mice treated with ertapenem had a higher survival rate than mice treated with ceftriaxone (70% versus 0% and 50% versus 0%, respectively;
P
< 0.001). Our results suggest that ertapenem is at least as effective as ceftriaxone in treating murine
Salmonella
infections and show that further clinical investigations on the potential use of ertapenem in treatment of human
Salmonella
infections are warranted.
Pharmacokinetic Comparison of Two Piperaquine-Containing Artemisinin Combination Therapies in Papua New Guinean Children with Uncomplicated Malaria
Authors: Salman Sam , Page-Sharp Madhu , Batty Kevin T. , Kose Kaye , Griffin Susan , Siba Peter M. , Ilett Kenneth F. , Mueller Ivo , Davis Timothy M. E.
Published: April 2012

Pharmacokinetic differences between piperaquine (PQ) base and PQ tetraphosphate were investigated in 34 Papua New Guinean children aged 5 to 10 years treated for uncomplicated malaria with artemisinin-PQ (ART-PQ) base or dihydroartemisinin-PQ (DHA-PQ) tetraphosphate. Twelve children received ART-PQ base (two daily doses of 3 mg of ART and 18 mg of PQ base as granules/kg of body weight) as recommended by the manufacturer, with regular clinical assessment and blood sampling over 56 days. PQ concentrations in plasma samples collected from 22 children of similar ages with malaria in a previously published pharmacokinetic study of DHA-PQ tetraphosphate (three daily doses of 2.5 mg of ART and 20 mg of PQ tetraphosphate as tablets/kg of body weight) were available for comparison. The disposition of ART was also assessed in the 12 children who received ART-PQ base. Plasma PQ was assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection, and ART was assayed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Multicompartment pharmacokinetic models for PQ and ART were developed using a population-based approach. ART-PQ base was well tolerated, and initial fever abatement and parasite clearance were prompt. There were no differences between the two treatments in the values for the PQ area under the concentration-time curve from time zero to infinity (AUC
0–∞
), with medians of 49,451 (
n
= 12) and 44,556 (
n
= 22) μg · h/liter for ART-PQ base and DHA-PQ tetraphosphate, respectively. Recurrent parasitemia was associated with lower PQ exposure. Using a two-compartment ART model, the median AUC
0–∞
was 1,652 μg · h/liter. There was evidence of autoinduction of ART metabolism (relative bioavailability for the second dose, 0.27). These and previously published data suggest that a 3-day ART-PQ base regimen should be further evaluated, in line with World Health Organization recommendations for all artemisinin combination therapies.
Effect of Coadministration of Moxifloxacin and Rifampin on Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a Murine Aerosol Infection Model
Authors: Balasubramanian V. , Solapure S. , Gaonkar S. , Mahesh Kumar K. N. , Shandil R. K. , Deshpande Abhijeet , Kumar Naveen , Vishwas K. G. , Panduga Vijender , Reddy Jitendar , Ganguly Samit , Louie A. , Drusano G. L.
Published: April 2012

Coadministration of moxifloxacin and rifampin was evaluated in a murine model of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
pulmonary infection to determine whether the finding of antagonism documented in a hollow-fiber infection model could be recapitulated
in vivo
. Colony counts were followed in a no-treatment control group, groups administered moxifloxacin or rifampin monotherapy, and a group administered a combination of the two agents. Following 18 days of once-daily oral administration to mice infected with
M. tuberculosis
, there was a reduction in the plasma exposure to rifampin that decreased further when rifampin was coadministered with moxifloxacin. Pharmacodynamic analysis demonstrated a mild antagonistic interaction between moxifloxacin and rifampin with respect to cell kill in the mouse model for tuberculosis (TB). No emergence of resistance was noted over 28 days of therapy, even with monotherapy. This was true even though one of the agents in the combination (moxifloxacin) induces error-prone replication. The previously noted antagonism with respect to cell kill shown in the hollow-fiber infection model was recapitulated in the murine TB lung model, although to a lesser extent.