bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Autophagy Negatively Regulates Cell Death by Controlling NPR1-Dependent Salicylic Acid Signaling during Senescence and the Innate Immune Response inArabidopsis
Authors: Yoshimoto Kohki , Jikumaru Yusuke , Kamiya Yuji , Kusano Miyako , Consonni Chiara , Panstruga Ralph , Ohsumi Yoshinori , Shirasu Ken
Published: September 2009

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved intracellular process for vacuolar degradation of cytoplasmic components. In higher plants, autophagy defects result in early senescence and excessive immunity-related programmed cell death (PCD) irrespective of nutrient conditions; however, the mechanisms by which cells die in the absence of autophagy have been unclear. Here, we demonstrate a conserved requirement for salicylic acid (SA) signaling for these phenomena in autophagy-defective mutants (atg mutants). The atg mutant phenotypes of accelerated PCD in senescence and immunity are SA signaling dependent but do not require intact jasmonic acid or ethylene signaling pathways. Application of an SA agonist induces the senescence/cell death phenotype in SA-deficient atg mutants but not in atg npr1 plants, suggesting that the cell death phenotypes in the atg mutants are dependent on the SA signal transducer NONEXPRESSOR OF PATHOGENESIS-RELATED GENES1. We also show that autophagy is induced by the SA agonist. These findings imply that plant autophagy operates a novel negative feedback loop modulating SA signaling to negatively regulate senescence and immunity-related PCD.
Germ‐line mutation of the NRAS gene may be responsible for the development of juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia
Authors: De Filippi Paola , Zecca Marco , Lisini Daniela , Rosti Vittorio , Cagioni Claudia , Carlo‐Stella Carmelo , Radi Orietta , Veggiotti Pierangelo , Mastronuzzi Angela , Acquaviva Antonio , D’Ambrosio Alfonso , Locatelli Franco , Danesino Cesare
Published: September 2009

We report the case of a child with clinical and haematological features indicative of juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia (JMML). The patient showed dysmorphic features: high forehead, bilateral epicanthal folds, long eyebrows, low nasal bridge and slightly low‐set ears. A 38G>A (G13D) mutation in exon 1 of the NRAS gene was first demonstrated on peripheral blood cells, and then confirmed on granulocyte‐macrophage colony‐forming units. The same mutation was also found in buccal swab, hair bulbs, endothelial cells, skin fibroblasts. This case suggests for the first time that constitutional mutations of NRAS may be responsible for development of a myeloproliferative/myelodysplastic disorder in children.
Bone mass acquisition in female rhythmic gymnasts during puberty: no direct role for leptin
Authors: Maïmoun Laurent , Coste Olivier , Jaussent Audrey , Mariano‐Goulart Denis , Sultan Charles , Paris Françoise
Published: September 2009

Objectives  Although hypoleptinaemia has been reported in female peripubertal athletes, data are lacking on leptin and bone mass variations in puberty and the effects of leptin on bone mineralization during this period. This study therefore investigated the variations in leptin level and bone mineral density (BMD) in young elite female rhythmic gymnasts (FRG) according to pubertal stage. The effects of leptin, IGF‐1 and sex hormones on bone mineral acquisition were also evaluated.

Patients and measurements  Plasma leptin levels were analysed in 43 elite FRG (mean age: 13·3 ± 1·8 years range: 10·6–17·2, body mass index: 17·52 ± 1·85 kg/m², training status: 17·9‐23·8 h/week) according to their pubertal stage (Tanner I, n = 7; II, n = 10; III, n = 9; IV, n = 8; V, n = 9). IGF‐1, IGFBP‐3 and sex hormones were also evaluated. BMD was measured by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry at various bone sites.

Results  Plasma leptin increased throughout pubertal growth and the values measured in Tanner stages IV–V were significantly higher than in stages I–II. Gains in BMD were measured throughout puberty at all bone sites, particularly between Tanner stages II and IV. In simple correlation analysis, BMD at all bone sites was positively correlated with plasma leptin, age, bone age, BMI, oestrogen, testosterone, IGF‐1 and IGFBP‐3. However, multivariate analysis using a linear regression model by block (including bone age, anthropometric data and biological parameters) was then performed to determine the factors independently associated with each BMD site, and only bone age, fat‐free soft tissue and BMI remained independent predictors.

Conclusion  In FRG characterized by high training volume and low fat mass, plasma leptin levels increased throughout puberty and were partially related to body composition changes. Despite the simultaneous increases in plasma leptin and BMD during pubertal growth, it was not possible to differentiate the leptin impact on bone independently from anthropometric parameters.
Effects of omnivorous filter‐feeding fish and nutrient enrichment on the plankton community and water transparency of a tropical reservoir
Authors: MENEZES ROSEMBERG FERNANDES , ATTAYDE JOSÉ LUIZ , RIVERA VASCONCELOS FRANCISCO
Published: September 2009

1. The major aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that nutrient enrichment and the introduction of the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), an exotic omnivorous filter‐feeding fish, operate interdependently to regulate plankton communities and water transparency of a tropical reservoir in the semi‐arid northeastern Brazil.

2. A field experiment was performed for 5 weeks in 20 enclosures (9.8 m3) to which four treatments were randomly allocated: tilapia addition (F), nutrient addition (N), tilapia and nutrient addition (F + N) and a control treatment with no tilapia or nutrient addition (C). A two‐way repeated measures anova was undertaken to test for time, tilapia and nutrient effects and their interactions on water transparency, total phosphorus and total nitrogen concentrations, phytoplankton biovolume and zooplankton biomass.

3. Nutrient addition had no effect except on rotifer biomass, but there were significant fish effects on the biomass of total zooplankton, copepod nauplii, rotifers, cladocerans and calanoid copepods and on the biovolume of total phytoplankton, large algae (GALD ≥ 50 μm), Bacillariophyta and Zygnemaphyceae and on Secchi depth. In addition, we found significant interaction effects between tilapia and nutrients on Secchi depth and rotifers. Overall, tilapia decreased the biomass of most zooplankton taxa and large algae (diatoms) and decreased water transparency, while nutrient enrichment increased the biomass of rotifers, but only in the absence of tilapia.

4. In conclusion, the influence of fish on the reservoir plankton community and water transparency was significant and even greater than that of nutrient loading. This suggests that biomanipulation of filter‐feeding tilapias may be of importance for water quality management of eutrophic reservoirs in tropical semi‐arid regions.
Giving‐up densities and ideal pre‐emptive patch use in a predatory benthic stream fish
Authors: PETTY J. TODD , GROSSMAN GARY D.
Published: September 2009

1. We used observational and experimental field studies together with an individual‐based simulation model to demonstrate that behaviours of mottled sculpin (Cottus bairdi) were broadly consistent with the expectations of Giving‐Up Density theory and an Ideal Pre‐emptive Distribution habitat selection model.

2. Specifically we found that: (i) adult mottled sculpin established territories within patches characterised by significantly higher prey densities and prey renewal rates than patches occupied by juveniles or randomly selected patches; (ii) patches abandoned by adult sculpin possessed significantly lower prey densities than newly occupied patches, although this was not true for juveniles; (iii) the observed giving‐up density (GUD) for adult sculpin (i.e. average prey density in patches recently abandoned) increased linearly with increasing fish size up to the average prey density measured in randomly selected patches (i.e. 350 prey items per 0.1 m2) and decreased with increasing sculpin density and (iv) juveniles rapidly shifted their distribution towards the highest quality patches following removal of competitively dominant adult sculpin.

3. These results provide the first evidence of the applicability of GUD theory to a stream‐dwelling organism, and they elucidate the underlying factors influencing juvenile and adult sculpin habitat selection and movement behaviours. Furthermore, optimal patch use, ideal pre‐emptive habitat selection and juvenile ‘floating’ provide behavioural mechanisms linking environmental heterogeneity in the stream benthos to density‐dependent regulation of mottled sculpin populations in this system.
DIP/WISH‐deficient mice reveal Dia‐ and N‐WASP‐interacting protein as a regulator of cytoskeletal dynamics in embryonic fibroblasts
Authors: Fukumi‐Tominaga Tomoko , Mori Yoshiko , Matsuura Atsuko , Kaneko Keiko , Matsui Makoto , Ogata Masato , Tominaga Makoto
Published: September 2009

DIP/WISH binds to mammalian diaphanous and N‐WASP, and functions as a scaffold protein by binding to Nck protein (called SPIN90). In addition, DIP/WISH accelerates actin polymerization through integration with N‐WASP and is involved in cytoskeletal dynamics. We previously reported that DIP controls the activities of Rho GTPases in a Src‐dependent manner, and accordingly contributes to cell motility (Meng et al. 2004). Here, we made the mice lacking DIP/WISH and demonstrated that DIP/WISH is critical for cell motility and adhesion by using murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEF). Rho activity was higher in DIP/WISH‐deficient MEF cells even before platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF) or adhesion stimulation. Cell motility and adhesion were impaired in DIP/WISH‐deficient MEF cells, and the MEF cells moved little probably due to the deficiency of tail retractions although they had many small membrane ruffles. Consistent with high Rho activity, DIP/WISH‐deficient MEF cells exhibited many stress fibers due to clustering pre‐existing actin filament. Thus, DIP/WISH is a negative regulator of Rho and modulates cell adhesion by controlling the integration of adhesion molecules.
Do elevated atmospheric CO2and O3affect food quality and performance of folivorous insects on silver birch?
Authors: PELTONEN PETRI A. , VAPAAVUORI ELINA , HEINONEN JAAKKO , JULKUNEN‐TIITTO RIITTA , HOLOPAINEN JARMO K.
Published: September 2009

The individual and combined effects of elevated CO2and O3on the foliar chemistry of silver birch (Betula pendulaRoth) and on the performance of five potential birch‐defoliating insect herbivore species (two geometrid moths, one lymantrid moth and two weevils) were examined. Elevated CO2decreased the water concentration in both short‐ and long‐shoot leaves, but the effect of CO2on the concentration of nitrogen and individual phenolic compounds was mediated by O3treatment, tree genotype and leaf type. Elevated O3increased the total carbon concentration only in short‐shoot leaves. Bioassays showed that elevated CO2increased the food consumption rate of juvenileEpirrita autumnataandRheumaptera hastatalarvae fed with short‐ and long‐shoot leaves in spring and mid‐summer, respectively, but had no effect on the growth of larvae. The contribution of leaf quality variables to the observed CO2effects indicate that insect compensatory consumption may be related to leaf age. Elevated CO2increased the food preference of only two tested species:Phyllobius argentatus(CO2alone) andR. hastata(CO2combined with O3). The observed stimulus was dependent on tree genotype and the measured leaf quality variables explained only a portion of the stimulus. Elevated O3decreased the growth of flush‐feeding youngE. autumnatalarvae, irrespective of CO2concentration, apparently via reductions in general food quality. Therefore, the increasing tropospheric O3concentration could pose a health risk for juvenile early‐season birch folivores in future. In conclusion, the effects of elevated O3were found to be detrimental to the performance of early‐season insect herbivores in birch whereas elevated CO2had only minor effects on insect performance despite changes in food quality related foliar chemistry.
Lipoprotein lipase and endothelial lipase in human testis and in germ cell neoplasms
Authors: Nielsen J. E. , Lindegaard M. L. , Friis‐Hansen L. , Almstrup K. , Leffers H. , Nielsen L. B. , Rajpert‐De Meyts E.
Published: September 2009

The aim of this study was to investigate endothelial lipase (EL, LIPG) and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) mRNA and protein expression in normal human testis and testicular germ cell tumours (GCT). Both EL and LPL were expressed in normal seminiferous tubules and in the interstitial compartment. EL mRNA and protein were found in all germ cells as well as in Sertoli and Leydig cells. EL mRNA was abundant in pre‐invasive carcinoma in situ (CIS) cells and GCTs, and EL protein was present in the cytoplasm of these cells. LPL mRNA was also relatively abundant in germ cells, Sertoli cells, CIS cells and GCTs. The LPL protein, however, was restricted to the cell membranes of pachytene spermatocytes and spermatids in normal tubules, absent from CIS cells and scarcely represented in tumours. The distribution of LPL protein in non‐seminomas resembled the distribution of OCT3/4, a marker of embryonal carcinoma. The results suggest that both EL and LPL participate in the supply of nutrients and steroidogenesis in the testes, and that especially EL may be important for the supply of cholesterol for testosterone production in the Leydig cells. The partial cellular separation of the expression of the two lipases in normal testis suggests the existence of distinct biological roles, perhaps developmentally regulated, as indicated by the LPL expression in GCTs with embryonic features. A high expression of EL and abundance of lipid in tubules with CIS may have a diagnostic value.
Molecular characterization of staphyloferrin B biosynthesis in Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Cheung Johnson , Beasley Federico C. , Liu Suya , Lajoie Gilles A. , Heinrichs David E.
Published: September 2009

Siderophores are iron‐scavenging molecules produced by many microbes. In general, they are synthesized using either non‐ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) or NRPS‐independent siderophore (NIS) pathways. Staphylococcus aureus produces siderophores, of which the structures of staphyloferrin A and staphyloferrin B are known. Recently, the NIS biosynthetic pathway for staphyloferrin A was characterized. Here we show that, in S. aureus, the previously identified sbn (siderophore biosynthesis) locus encodes enzymes required for the synthesis of staphyloferrin B, an α‐hydroxycarboxylate siderophore comprised of l‐2,3‐diaminopropionic acid, citric acid, 1,2‐diaminoethane and α‐ketoglutaric acid. Staphyloferrin B NIS biosynthesis was recapitulated in vitro, using purified recombinant Sbn enzymes and the component substrates. In vitro synthesized staphyloferrin B readily promoted the growth of iron‐starved S. aureus, via the ABC transporter SirABC. The SbnCEF synthetases and a decarboxylase, SbnH, were necessary and sufficient to produce staphyloferrin B in reactions containing component substrates l‐2,3‐diaminopropionic acid, citric acid and α‐ketoglutaric acid. Since 1,2‐diaminoethane was not required, this component of the siderophore arises from the SbnH‐dependent decarboxylation of a 2,3‐diaminoproprionic acid‐containing intermediate. Liquid chromatography‐electrospray ionization‐mass spectrometry (LC‐ESI‐MS) analyses of a series of enzyme reactions identified mass ions corresponding to biosynthetic intermediates, allowing for the first proposed biosynthetic pathway for staphyloferrin B.
Cannibalism enhances biofilm development in Bacillus subtilis
Authors: López Daniel , Vlamakis Hera , Losick Richard , Kolter Roberto
Published: September 2009

Cannibalism is a mechanism to delay sporulation in Bacillus subtilis. Cannibal cells express the skf and sdp toxin systems to lyse a fraction of their sensitive siblings. The lysed cells release nutrients that serve to feed the community, effectively delaying spore formation. Here we provide evidence that the subpopulation of cells that differentiates into cannibals is the same subpopulation that produces the extracellular matrix that holds cells together in biofilms. Cannibalism and matrix formation are both triggered in response to the signalling molecule surfactin. Nutrients released by the cannibalized cells are preferentially used by matrix‐producing cells, as they are the only cells expressing resistance to the Skf and Sdp toxins. As a result this subpopulation increases in number and matrix production is enhanced when cannibalism toxins are produced. The cannibal/matrix‐producing subpopulation is also generated in response to antimicrobials produced by other microorganisms and may thus constitute a defense mechanism to protect B. subtilis from the action of antibiotics in natural settings.
Mining for robust transcriptional and metabolic responses to long‐term salt stress: a case study on the model legume Lotus japonicus
Authors: SANCHEZ DIEGO H. , SZYMANSKI JEDRZEJ , ERBAN ALEXANDER , UDVARDI MICHAEL K. , KOPKA JOACHIM
Published: September 2009

Translational genomics, the use of model species to generate knowledge about biological processes and the functions of genes, offers great promise to biotechnologists. Few studies have sought robust responses of model plants to environmental stresses, such as salinity, by altering the stress dosage or by repeating experiments in consecutive years and/or different seasons. We mined our published and unpublished data on legume salt acclimation for robust system features at the ionomic, transcriptomic and metabolomic levels. We analysed data from the model legume Lotus japonicus, obtained through six independent, long‐term, non‐lethal salt stress experiments which were carried out over two consecutive years. Best possible controlled greenhouse conditions were applied and two main questions asked: how reproducible are results obtained from physiologically meaningful salinity experiments, and what degree of bias may be expected if conclusions are drawn from less well‐repeated sampling? A surprisingly large fraction of the transcriptional and metabolic responses to salt stress were not reproducible between experiments. A core set of robust changes was found that was shared between experiments. Many of these robust responses were qualitatively and quantitatively conserved between different accessions of the same species, indicating that the robust responses may be a sound starting point for translational genomics.
Central nervous system effects of natural and synthetic glucocorticoids
Authors: Fietta Pierluigi , Fietta Pieranna , Delsante Giovanni
Published: September 2009

Natural glucocorticoids (NGC) physiologically modulate body homeostasis and coordinate adaptive responses to stress, involving almost all organs and tissues, including brain. Since their therapeutic availability, synthetic GC (SGC) have been successfully prescribed for a variety of diseases. Mounting evidence, however, demonstrated pleiotropic adverse effects (AE), including central nervous system (CNS) disturbances, which are often misdiagnosed or underestimated. The aim of the present study was therefore to review and discuss the CNS effects of both NGC and SGC. A detailed search was carried out of the available literature using the PubMed (US National Library of Medicine) database. Cortisolemia plays a crucial role in control of behavior, cognition, mood, and early life programming of stress reactivity. Hypercortisolemia or SGC treatments may induce behavioral, psychic and cognitive disturbances, due to functional and, over time, structural alterations in specific brain target areas. These AE are generally dose and time dependent (infrequent at prednisone‐equivalent doses <20 mg/day) and usually reversible. Pediatric patients are particularly susceptible. Behavioral changes, including feeding and sleeping modifications, are common. Psychic AE are unpredictable and heterogeneous, usually mild/moderate, severe in 5–10% of cases. Manic symptoms have been mostly associated with short SGC courses, and depressive disorder with long‐term treatments. Suicidality has been reported. Cognitive AE peculiarly affect declarative memory performance. Physiologic levels of NGC are essential for efficient brain functions. Otherwise, hypercortisolemia and SGC treatments may cause dose‐/time‐dependent neuropsychic AE and, over time, structural alterations in brain target areas. Clinicians should carefully monitor patients, especially children and/or when administering high doses SGC.
Oxidative mechanisms in schizophrenia and their relationship with illness subtype and symptom profile
Authors: Pazvantoglu Ozan , Selek Sahabettin , Okay I. Tuncer , Sengul Cem , Karabekiroglu Koray , Dilbaz Nesrin , Erel Özcan
Published: September 2009

Aim:  The aim of the present study was to investigate the differences in the antioxidant–oxidant balance (AO‐OB) between schizophrenic patients and healthy individuals and to explore the relationship of AO‐OB with illness subtypes and symptom profiles.

Methods:  After a 15‐day drug‐free period, schizophrenia patients (n = 50) in a clinical sample, and age‐ and sex‐matched healthy subjects (n = 49) were enrolled. Total antioxidant potentials (TAOP) and total peroxide levels (TPEROX) of all participants were measured and the oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated. The assessment included structured measurements, including the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS).

Results:  TAOP had a significant positive correlation with age at onset of schizophrenia (P = 0.013), a negative correlation with the PANSS negative subscale scores (P = 0.008), a negative correlation with the PANSS total scores (P < 0.001), and a significant negative correlation with BPRS scores (P = 0.001). OSI had a significant negative correlation with age at onset (P = 0.046) and a significant positive correlation with PANSS negative subscale (P = 0.015). A multiple regression model indicated a significant linear combination of age, gender, duration of illness, subtype of schizophrenia, and PANSS scores, in which only the subtype of schizophrenia made a statistically significant contribution to predicting mean OSI (F[5,35] = 2.44, P = 0.04).

Conclusion:  Several parameters in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, such as age of onset, level of negative symptoms, and subtype of illness, but not the presence of the illness itself, are associated with the level of oxidative stress.
Development of DSM‐V and ICD‐11: Tendencies and potential of new classifications in psychiatry at the current state of knowledge
Authors: Möller Hans‐Jürgen
Published: September 2009

A reason for the necessity to revise ICD‐10 and DSM‐IV is the increase of knowledge in the past 20 years, especially neurobiological knowledge. But is this increase of knowledge, for example in the field of neurogenetics, of such magnitude that a revision of the psychiatric classification is necessary and promises to be fruitful? The current plans for DSM‐V or ICD‐11, respectively, focus on different improvements. In this context also the introduction of a purely syndromatic/dimensional approach without including etiopathogenetic hypotheses, is discussed. A switch to such a dimensional approach, which was discussed among others in the DSM‐V task force Deconstructing Psychosis, would be the most radical development. It could avoid many theoretical pre‐assumptions about causal hypotheses, which are still associated with ICD‐10 and DSM‐IV. This would indeed increase the validity of psychiatric classification, but it would also reduce the information as compared to traditional diagnostic categories with all the current implications concerning etiopathogenesis, therapy and prognosis. Such a dimensional approach would also mean that the syndromes would have to be assessed in a standardized way for each person seeking help from the psychiatric service system or for each person undergoing psychiatric research. This would have to be a multi‐dimensional assessment covering all syndromes existing within different psychiatric disorders. Based on the different aspects that must be considered in this context, a careful revision seems more advisable than a radical change of classification.
Some observations on the strength and fatigue properties of samples extracted from cast iron water mains
Authors: BELMONTE H. M. S. , MULHERON M. J. , SMITH P. A.
Published: September 2009

The strength and fatigue properties of cast iron samples taken from water distribution mains have been investigated. Specimens were sourced from three sections of pipe which had experienced varying amounts of corrosion in service, enabling the variable of pipe condition to be incorporated within the study.

The strengths in four‐point flexure of small specimens from the pipes examined were described using Weibull statistics; different characteristic strengths and Weibull moduli were obtained, according to the pipe condition. A further set of samples from each pipe were subjected to flexural fatigue at a range of stress levels (different stress levels were chosen for each pipe based on the short‐term strength properties) and residual strength tests were carried out on the surviving samples from one stress level for each pipe. There is evidence of a fatigue effect for all sample sets. There were slight differences in the residual strength behaviour – the residual strength of the survivors was reduced in the samples from the section in best condition while the residual strength of the survivors from the other two pipe sections was relatively unaffected. These trends are discussed with reference to condition and fatigue stress level.

The results suggest that mechanical fatigue may be a factor in the failure of water distribution pipes. The results may have implications for large diameter trunk mains as well as the small diameter water distribution pipes tested here. To assess the effect in more detail, consideration needs to be given to scaling effects in fatigue and the likely levels of any fatigue stress seen in service.
Transferring Organizational Practices and the Dynamics of Hybridization: Japanese Retail Multinationals in China
Authors: Gamble Jos
Published: September 2009

abstract

Detailed case study research conducted at Japanese multinational retail firms in both their home country and their subsidiaries in China is undertaken to assess a range of prominent theoretical perspectives that have been used to account for the transfer of organizational practices. Approaches based upon culturalist, national business systems, industry sector, international division of labour, and agency perspectives are shown to be inadequate, individually, to account for the complex patterns of transfer, local adoption, and adaptation in these multinational companies. These findings highlight the value of conceptual bricolage and multi‐level analysis for developing explanations that can encompass and explicate complex patterns of hybridization. The paper also identifies important factors in the dynamics of hybridization that have been neglected or downplayed in much of the existing literature. These include the significance of context specific, firm level perceptions of sources of competitive advantage as a key motive encouraging transfer of parent company practices. Crucial factors constraining transfer are the practices and norms prevalent in local labour markets. Additionally, transfer by multinational companies to transitional economies with high levels of deinstitutionalization illustrates problematic dimensions for various theoretical perspectives, including influential neo‐institutionalist models.
Agri‐Food Governance and Expertise: The Production of International Food Standards
Authors: Lee Richard P.
Published: September 2009

This article examines a particular mode of agri‐food governance: international food standard setting. Sociological accounts of technical regulatory processes such as standard setting can help to illuminate the role of expertise in the governance of the agri‐food system. Firstly, the potential contribution of the concept of epistemic communities to the analysis of international food standard setting is discussed. Secondly, the article details the architecture of international trade regulation and the operational procedures of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (the Codex), the intergovernmental organisation in which international food standards are set. Thirdly, the role of scientific expertise to the standard setting process in the Codex is explored through a case‐study of the attempt to establish an international definition for dietary fibre. The article concludes by reflecting upon the importance of contestation over knowledge claims to the conduct of agri‐food governance.
The Effect of Trust on West Australian Farmers' Responses to Infectious Livestock Diseases
Authors: Palmer Sarah , Fozdar Farida , Sully Max
Published: September 2009

Abstract Globalisation has rendered the island nation of Australia more vulnerable to infectious livestock diseases, making bio‐security a key concern of government. Although farmers are at the front line of disease surveillance, little is known about this group's behaviour and motives. A study to investigate on‐farm bio‐security practices – and in particular how farmers decide whether to report unusual symptoms in their livestock – was conducted with sheep and cattle producers in Western Australia. This article reports on the findings of the qualitative phase of the study, which consisted of in‐depth interviews with 37 farmers. The study found that farmers make reporting and bio‐security decisions based on the perceived risk to their enterprise. Trust in others was found to be a key contributor to perceived risk. In support of Wynne (2006), this study found that scientific institutions linked to the government suffered from lack of trust and credibility. If farmers are hesitant to trust government sources, important animal health messages may go unheeded.
Teaching about Killing and Restraint in a Historical Context
Authors: Roberts Jennifer
Published: September 2009

Many kinds of killing have been considered permissible by some people in some times and places, ranging from human sacrifice to child exposure to stoning for adultery. Prominent among these has been the killing of both combatants and noncombatants in war. This article discusses the treatment of war and its avoidance in a comparative history course that I gave at the City College of New York in the spring of 2008 entitled Ancient and Modern Killing. We studied two ancient and two modern wars as case studies. Though we gave consideration to a variety of perspectives from the fields of anthropology and sociology, the bulk of our energy was devoted to the underlying psychology of warfare as we examined why people so often make the seemingly peculiar decision to sacrifice their lives and/or those of their children.
Teaching the Applied Ethics of War and Peace
Authors: Arnaldi John , Hudson James
Published: September 2009

This article describes a course that critically explored the ethics of war and peace within the historical context of the War in Iraq. Education has a central role in preparing students to deal with the challenges of organized violence and human security. Because academic and policy discourse about the ethics of war is often abstract and impersonal, it can fail to address vital human interests. This course was designed to provide compelling content that included first‐person, subjective perspectives on the costs of war in terms of human suffering. Undergraduate students enrolled in the course had limited knowledge of history and current events, so content had to provide reasonable historical context to enable meaningful discussion of ethical concepts.
Decision‐making in Parkinson’s disease patients with and without pathological gambling
Authors: Rossi M. , Gerschcovich E. R. , De Achaval D. , Perez‐Lloret S. , Cerquetti D. , Cammarota A. , Inés Nouzeilles M. , Fahrer R. , Merello M. , Leiguarda R.
Published: September 2009

Background and purpose:  Pathological gambling (PG) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a frequent impulse control disorder associated mainly with dopamine replacement therapy. As impairments in decision‐making were described independently in PG and PD, the objective of this study was to assess decision‐making processes in PD patients with and without PG.

Methods:  Seven PD patients with PG and 13 age, sex, education and disease severity matched PD patients without gambling behavior were enrolled in the study. All patients were assessed with a comprehensive neuropsychiatric and cognitive evaluation, including tasks used to assess decision‐making abilities under ambiguous or risky situations, like the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), the Game of Dice Task and the Investment Task.

Results:  Compared to PD patients without gambling behavior, those with PG obtained poorer scores in the IGT and in a rating scale of social behavior, but not in other decision‐making and cognitive tasks.

Conclusions:  Low performance in decision‐making under ambiguity and abnormal social behavior distinguished PD patients with PG from those without this disorder. Dopamine replacement therapy may induce dysfunction of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and amygdala‐ventral striatum system, thus increasing the risk for developing PG.
The Johnson Administration and the Recruitment of Allies in Vietnam, 1964–1968
Authors: COLMAN JONATHAN , WIDÉN J. J.
Published: September 2009

The Vietnam War has generated a vast literature but one which has often forgotten that the United States fought in Vietnam as part of a coalition. This article examines Washington's efforts under President Lyndon B. Johnson to recruit third country combat assistance. He and his colleagues sought military help less for practical reasons than for political ones as a way of legitimizing the war both domestically and abroad. However, no NATO countries were willing to participate, and some of the five troop‐contributing countries (Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand) were attracted probably more by American largesse than by idealism. In exploring the diplomacy of coalition‐building, this article has a contemporary resonance in the light of the military campaigns initiated by the White House since 2003.
Knowledge, attitude and performance study of secondary school teachers of Yazd city regarding skin cancer
Authors: Mazloomy Mahmoodabad SS , Noorbala MT , Rahaee Z , Mohammadi M
Published: September 2009

Background  The cancers are a major health problem and skin cancers are the most prevalent cancers. It is clear that teachers play an important role in the health education of students and their families.

Objective  This study was done to determine the knowledge, attitude and performance levels of teachers in Yazd city regarding skin cancer in order to plan programs for increasing their respective levels.

Methods  Samples of this cross sectional study selected randomly from the schools of Yazd. The data were collected by completion of questionnaire. anova, Kruskal‐Wallis, T‐test and Pearson Correlations statistical tests were used for analysis.

Results  Of the total, 170 were men and 270 were women with a mean age of 37.98 ± 6.28 years. The mean knowledge, attitude and performance score of the teachers respectively was 24.17 ± ‐5.27, 28.09 ± ‐5.79 and 6.34 ± ‐3.42. The knowledge levels were significantly related to the attitude (P = 0.05) and performance levels (P = 0.01). There was an inverse relation between age and performance levels (P = 0.01). The performance levels of women were better than men (P = 0.001). The field of study and education of the teachers was related to the knowledge (P = 0.001) and attitude levels (P = 0.02).

Conclusion  Skin cancers are the most common form of cancers in our state, but my teachers do not have appropriate knowledge and performance levels about this disease. It is therefore proposed that related information should be given to them during continuous and regular educational programs.
A qualitative study of pharmacists’ views on offering chlamydia screening to women requesting emergency hormonal contraception
Authors: Thomas G , Humphris G , Ozakinci G , O’Brien K , Roberts SA , Hopkins M , Brabin L
Published: September 2009

This was a qualitative study to understand why pharmacists, asked to offer free chlamydia postal screening to Emergency Hormonal Contraception clients, had not offered screening to all eligible women. Twenty‐six pharmacists completed exit interviews and 12 agreed to semi‐structured in‐depth interviews. Although pharmacists were keen to expand their services, they were reluctant to offer chlamydia screening to women who were married or in a long term relationship. To avoid offence they selected women based on age, education and ethnicity. The rationale for chlamydia screening in pharmacy‐based EHC schemes is compromised if pharmacists do not offer screening comprehensively.
Multifunctional roles of enolase in Alzheimer’s disease brain: beyond altered glucose metabolism
Authors: Butterfield D. Allan , Lange Miranda L. Bader
Published: September 2009

Enolase enzymes are abundantly expressed, cytosolic carbon‐oxygen lyases known for their role in glucose metabolism. Recently, enolase has been shown to possess a variety of different regulatory functions, beyond glycolysis and gluconeogenesis, associated with hypoxia, ischemia, and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD is an age‐associated neurodegenerative disorder characterized pathologically by elevated oxidative stress and subsequent damage to proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, appearance of neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques, and loss of synapse and neuronal cells. It is unclear if development of a hypometabolic environment is a consequence of or contributes to AD pathology, as there is not only a significant decline in brain glucose levels in AD, but also there is an increase in proteomics identified oxidatively modified glycolytic enzymes that are rendered inactive, including enolase. Previously, our laboratory identified α‐enolase as one the most frequently up‐regulated and oxidatively modified proteins in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI), early‐onset AD, and AD. However, the glycolytic conversion of 2‐phosphoglycerate to phosphoenolpyruvate catalyzed by enolase does not directly produce ATP or NADH; therefore it is surprising that, among all glycolytic enzymes, α‐enolase was one of only two glycolytic enzymes consistently up‐regulated from MCI to AD. These findings suggest enolase is involved with more than glucose metabolism in AD brain, but may possess other functions, normally necessary to preserve brain function. This review examines potential altered function(s) of brain enolase in MCI, early‐onset AD, and AD, alterations that may contribute to the biochemical, pathological, clinical characteristics, and progression of this dementing disorder.
Preparing the Health Services Research Workforce
Authors: Ricketts Thomas C.
Published: September 2009

Objective. To describe the ways in which investigators are trained for careers in health services research and estimate their number.

Data Sources/Study Setting. Sources describing health services research (HSR) training were consulted and published inventories of HSR training programs were reviewed and 124 training programs were contacted and interviewed to determine the numbers of students and the content of their HSR degree programs.

Study Design. Observational study.

Data Collection. HSR programs listed by AcademyHealth were surveyed and asked for details of enrollments; course content was captured from websites for the remaining programs.

Principal Findings. There are over 300 programs that train investigators in health services research in master's and doctoral programs. The number of graduates who become HSRs in any given year is unknown, but approximately 5,000 individuals graduate with skills that would allow them to function in or lead HSR projects and up to 200 fellows are annually trained as potential independent health services researchers.

Conclusions. The training pipeline for HSR appears to match demand because there are no apparent shortages of skilled workers in the field. There are many forces that are pressuring the field to adapt to technology demands and the increasing need for “translation” of results from research into practice.
Tanshinone IIA protects against sudden cardiac death induced by lethal arrhythmias via repression of microRNA‐1
Authors: Shan Hongli , Li Xuelian , Pan Zhenwei , Zhang Li , Cai Benzhi , Zhang Yong , Xu Chaoqian , Chu Wenfeng , Qiao Guofen , Li Baoxin , Lu Yanjie , Yang Baofeng
Published: September 2009

Background and purpose:  Tanshinone IIA is an active component of a traditional Chinese medicine based on Salvia miltiorrhiza, which reduces sudden cardiac death by suppressing ischaemic arrhythmias. However, the mechanisms underlying the anti‐arrhythmic effects remain unclear.

Experimental approach:  A model of myocardial infarction (MI) in rats by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery was used. Tanshinone IIA or quinidine was given daily, before (7 days) and after (3 months) MI; cardiac electrical activity was monitored by ECG recording. Whole‐cell patch‐clamp techniques were used to measure the inward rectifying K+ current (IK1) in rat isolated ventricular myocytes. Kir2.1 and serum response factor (SRF) levels were analysed by Western blot and microRNA‐1 (miR‐1) level was determined by real‐time RT‐PCR.

Key results:  Tanshinone IIA decreased the incidence of arrhythmias induced by acute cardiac ischaemia and mortality in rats 3 months after MI. Tanshinone IIA restored the diminished IK1 current density and Kir2.1 protein after MI in rat ventricular myocytes, while quinidine further inhibited IK1/Kir2.1. MiR‐1 was up‐regulated in MI, possibly due to the concomitant increase in SRF, a transcriptional activator of the miR‐1 gene, accounting for decreased Kir2.1. Treatment with tanshinone IIA prevented increased SRF and hence increased miR‐1 post‐MI, whereas quinidine did not.

Conclusions and implications:  Down‐regulation of miR‐1 and consequent recovery of Kir2.1 may account partially for the efficacy of tanshinone IIA in suppressing ischaemic arrhythmias and cardiac mortality. These finding support the proposal that miR‐1 could be a potential therapeutic target for the prevention of ischaemic arrhythmias.
Transnational Entrepreneurship: Determinants of Firm Type and Owner Attributions of Success
Authors: Sequeira Jennifer M. , Carr Jon C. , Rasheed Abdul A.
Published: September 2009

Building on a typology of transnational firm types, developed by Landolt, Autler, and Baires in 1999, we examine whether immigrant attitudes toward the host country and their degree of embeddedness in the home country can predict the specific type of transnational enterprise that an immigrant is likely to begin. We also investigate whether the determinants of success of transnational enterprises vary by firm type. Based on a sample of 1,202 transnational business owners drawn from the Comparative Immigrant Entrepreneurship Project database, our analyses indicate general support for our hypotheses. More specifically, we found that transnational entrepreneurs‘ positive perceptions of host country opportunities and greater embeddedness in home country activities helped predict the specific type of ventures they would undertake. Further, the degree of embeddedness in the home country may influence the determinants of success for these types of firms. Depending on firm type, owners attributed their primary success to either personal characteristics, social support, or to the quality of their products and services.
Nanoparticles can induce changes in the intracellular metabolism of lipids without compromising cellular viability
Authors: Przybytkowski Ewa , Behrendt Maik , Dubois David , Maysinger Dusica
Published: September 2009

There is growing concern about the safety of engineered nanoparticles, which are produced for various industrial applications. Quantum dots are colloidal semiconductor nanoparticles that have unique luminescence characteristics and the potential to become attractive tools for medical imaging. However, some of these particles can cause oxidative stress and induce cell death. The objective of this study was to explore quantum dot‐induced metabolic changes, which could occur without any apparent cellular damage. We provide evidence that both uncoated and ZnS‐coated quantum dots can induce the accumulation of lipids (increase in cytoplasmic lipid droplet formation) in two cell culture models: glial cells in primary mouse hypothalamic cultures and rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells. Glial cells treated with CdTe quantum dots accumulated newly synthesized lipids in a phosphoinositide 3‐kinase‐dependent manner, which was consistent with the growth factor‐dependent accumulation of lipids in PC12 cells treated with CdTe and CdSe/ZnS quantum dots. In PC12 cells, quantum dots, as well as the hypoxia mimetic CoCl2, induced the up‐regulation of hypoxia‐inducible transcription factor‐1α and the down‐regulation of the β‐oxidation of fatty acids, both of which could contribute to the accumulation of lipids. On the basis of our results, we propose a model illustrating how nanoparticles, such as quantum dots, could trigger the formation of intracellular lipid droplets, and we suggest that metabolic measurements, such as the determination of fat oxidation in tissues, which are known sites of nanoparticle accumulation, could provide useful measures of nanoparticle safety. Such assays would expand the current platform of tests for the determination of the biocompatibility of nanomaterials.
Characterization of Kiwifruit Xyloglucan
Authors: Li Xingjun , Sakurai Naoki , Nevins Donald J.
Published: September 2009

Structural characteristics of xyloglucan are constant in the pericarp cell walls of kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) throughout fruit enlargement and maturation. Most of the xyloglucan (XG) persists in the cell walls of ripe kiwifruit. XG from the pericarp tissues of 36‐h ethylene‐treated kiwifruit was extracted as hemicellulose II (HC‐II) with 4.28 M KOH containing 0.02% NaBH4, and purified using iodine precipitation and subsequent anion‐exchange chromatography. This purifying protocol increased XG purity from 50 mol% in HC‐II fraction to 62 mol% in the purified XG powder. The molar ratio of glucose: xylose: galactose: fucose in the purified XG was 10: 6.9: 2.1: 0.3. Gel permeation chromatography indicated that purified XG had an average molecular‐mass of 161 KDa, a value that exceeds the 95 KDa Mr determined for total polymeric sugars. Sugar linkage analysis confirmed the lack of fucose in the kiwifruit XG, but a small amount of arabinoxylan and low Mr glucomannan remained associated with this fraction.