bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A study of L‐band scintillations and total electron content at an equatorial station, Lagos, Nigeria
Authors: Adewale A. O. , Oyeyemi E. O. , Adeloye A. B. , Mitchell C. N. , Rose J. A. R. , Cilliers P. J.
Published: February 2012

In this paper we present the first results from measurements of scintillation and total electron content (TEC) from an equatorial station, Lagos (Latitude 6.5°N, Longitude 3.4°E, magnetic latitude 3.03°S), Nigeria, using a Novatel GSV4004B GPS ionospheric scintillation and TEC monitor. Details are presented for data collected between February 2010 and August 2010. The results show that the presence of some large scale depletions of TEC or plasma bubbles may be noted during the evening hours and that TEC depletions correspond to increased rate of change of TEC (ROT). This confirms that plasma bubbles are associated with large scale irregularities. It is also established that enhanced amplitude scintillation (S4) corresponds quite well with TEC depletions and increases in ROT. The diurnal and seasonal percentage occurrence for different levels of scintillation activity has peaks in the equinox months (March and April) at 23:00 LT.
Evidence linking Arctic amplification to extreme weather in mid‐latitudes
Authors: Francis Jennifer A. , Vavrus Stephen J.
Published: February 2012

Arctic amplification (AA) – the observed enhanced warming in high northern latitudes relative to the northern hemisphere – is evident in lower‐tropospheric temperatures and in 1000‐to‐500 hPa thicknesses. Daily fields of 500 hPa heights from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction Reanalysis are analyzed over N. America and the N. Atlantic to assess changes in north‐south (Rossby) wave characteristics associated with AA and the relaxation of poleward thickness gradients. Two effects are identified that each contribute to a slower eastward progression of Rossby waves in the upper‐level flow: 1) weakened zonal winds, and 2) increased wave amplitude. These effects are particularly evident in autumn and winter consistent with sea‐ice loss, but are also apparent in summer, possibly related to earlier snow melt on high‐latitude land. Slower progression of upper‐level waves would cause associated weather patterns in mid‐latitudes to be more persistent, which may lead to an increased probability of extreme weather events that result from prolonged conditions, such as drought, flooding, cold spells, and heat waves.
Tumour eradication and induction of memory against murine mesothelioma by combined immunotherapy
Authors: Kissick Haydn T , Ireland Demelza J , Krishnan Shruti , Madondo Mutsa , Beilharz Manfred W
Published: February 2012

Numerous immunotherapy treatments for cancer are undergoing clinical trials or are already approved for use. One particular area of interest is targeting mechanisms of immune tolerance. Using a murine model of mesothelioma, we investigated the roles of regulatory T‐cells, intratumoural transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β and the negative regulator molecule cytotoxic T lymphocyte‐associated antigen‐4 (CTLA‐4) in immune tolerance to tumours. It was found that treatments targeting a single negative regulator molecule mechanism were not as effective against tumours as targeting multiple mechanisms simultaneously. Most importantly, it was found that a combined triple treatment of anti‐CD25 monoclonal antibody (mAb), anti‐CTLA‐4 mAb and TGF‐β soluble receptor resulted in long‐term clearance of tumours and memory against tumour rechallenge. These data suggest that clinical application of immunotherapies against tumours may be improved by simultaneously targeting multiple mechanisms of immune suppression.
Pyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidinones and Thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidinones: Precursors for Pyridyl- and Thiazolyliminopropadienones, R - N=C=C=C=O
Authors: Andersen Heidi Gade , Wentrup Curt
Published: February 2012

2-Pyridyliminopropadienone 6 is formed together with 2-aminopyridine on flash vacuum thermolysis (FVT) of 2-pyridylamino-pyridopyrimidinone 16a and observed by Ar matrix IR spectroscopy, but the two products recombine on warming to room temperature to regenerate the starting material. FVT of the picolinylamino-pyridopyrimidinones 16b and 16c generated mixtures of pyridyliminopropadienone 6 and picolinyliminopropadienones 19b and 19c, respectively. These reactions can be understood in terms of fragmentation of the open-chain bis(2-pyridylamino)methyleneketene intermediates 20 or the thermal interconversion of pyridopyrimidinones 16 and mesoionic pyridopyrimidinium olates 21. 2-Thiazoyliminopropadienone 28 was obtained in an analogous manner by FVT of the 2-(methylthio)thiazolopyrimidinone 24. However, the corresponding dihydro derivative 31 yielded cyanoketene 36 as the major product.
Theoretical Design Study on Photophysical Properties of Light-emitting Pyrido[3,4-b]pyrazine-based Oligomers
Authors: Wang Yanling , Peng Qiang , He Ping , Li Zaifang , Liang Ying , Li Benlin
Published: February 2012

The electronic structures, charge injection and transport, and absorption and emission properties of four series of dimethylpyrido[3,4-b]pyrazine-based oligomers (5-(5,5-dimethyl-5H-dibenzo[b,d]silol-3-yl)-2,3-dimethylpyrido[3,4-b]pyrazine)n (SPP)n, (5-(dibenzo[b,d]thiophen-3-yl)-2,3-dimethylpyrido[3,4-b]pyrazine)n (TPP)n, (5-(9,9-dimethyl-9H-fluoren-2-yl)-2,3-dimethylpyrido[3,4-b]pyrazine)n (FPP)n, (2-(2,3-dimethylpyrido[3,4-b]pyrazin-5-yl)-9-methyl-9H-carbazole)n (PPC)n were investigated by the density functional theory approach. The ground-state geometries of (SPP)n, (TPP)n, (FPP)n and (PPC)n (n = 1–4) were optimized at the B3LYP/6–31G(d) level. The energies of the HOMO, LUMO and HOMO–LUMO energy gaps of (SPP)n, (TPP)n, (FPP)n and (PPC)n (n = 1–4) were obtained by a linear extrapolation method. Further, calculations of ionization potential, electronic affinity and reorganization energy were used to evaluate charge injection and transport abilities. For (SPP)n, (TPP)n, (FPP)n and (PPC)n (n = 1–4), the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculation results revealed that the absorption peaks can be characterized as π–π* transitions and are coupled with the location of electron density distribution change in different repeat units. All the primary theoretical investigations are intended to establish structure–property relationships, which can provide guidance in designing and preparing novel efficient organic light-emitting materials with a high performance.
Factors associated with unprotected anal intercourse and age among men who have sex with men who are gay bar customers in Osaka, Japan
Authors: Koerner Jane , Shiono Satoshi , Ichikawa Seiichi , Kaneko Noriyo , Tsuji Hiroyuki , Machi Toshio , Goto Daisuke , Onitsuka Tetsuro
Published: February 2012

Background
HIV infections among men who have sex with men (MSM) are increasing in Japan. Method: An anonymous self-administered questionnaire among clients of a gay bar in Osaka was used to analyse the relationship between age and unprotected anal sex (UAI). Results: The highest rate of UAI was reported among those aged ≥45 (73.3%), followed by the ≤24 (60.7%), 25–34 (56.3%) and 35–44 (54.0%) age groups (P = 0.01). In multivariate analysis, UAI was related to sex with six or more sexual partners among those aged ≤24 (adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 4.88; confidence interval (CI), 1.21–19.74), bisexual identity (AOR, 2.47; CI, 1.06–5.76) and drug use (AOR, 0.49; CI, 0.26–0.93 for no drug use) in the 25–34 age group, and no lifetime HIV testing in the 35–44 age group (AOR, 2.57; CI, 1.40–4.74). Condom purchasing and condom carrying were protective of UAI in 25–34, 35–44 and ≥45 age groups. Conclusion: Programs promoting condom use are needed for younger and older MSM.
Calcium-based plasticity model explains sensitivity of synaptic changes to spike pattern, rate, and dendritic location
Authors: Graupner Michael , Brunel Nicolas
Published: February 2012

Multiple stimulation protocols have been found to be effective in changing synaptic efficacy by inducing long-term potentiation or depression. In many of those protocols, increases in postsynaptic calcium concentration have been shown to play a crucial role. However, it is still unclear whether and how the dynamics of the postsynaptic calcium alone determine the outcome of synaptic plasticity. Here, we propose a calcium-based model of a synapse in which potentiation and depression are activated above calcium thresholds. We show that this model gives rise to a large diversity of spike timing-dependent plasticity curves, most of which have been observed experimentally in different systems. It accounts quantitatively for plasticity outcomes evoked by protocols involving patterns with variable spike timing and firing rate in hippocampus and neocortex. Furthermore, it allows us to predict that differences in plasticity outcomes in different studies are due to differences in parameters defining the calcium dynamics. The model provides a mechanistic understanding of how various stimulation protocols provoke specific synaptic changes through the dynamics of calcium concentration and thresholds implementing in simplified fashion protein signaling cascades, leading to long-term potentiation and long-term depression. The combination of biophysical realism and analytical tractability makes it the ideal candidate to study plasticity at the synapse, neuron, and network levels.
Factors that affect action possibility judgements: Recent experience with the action and the current body state
Authors: Chandrasekharan Sanjay , Binsted Gordon , Ayres Fabio , Higgins Laura , Welsh Timothy N.
Published: February 2012

It has been suggested that action possibility judgements are formed through a covert simulation of the to-be-executed action. We sought to determine whether the motor system (via a common coding mechanism) influences this simulation, by investigating whether action possibility judgements are influenced by experience with the movement task (Experiments 1 and 2) and current body states (Experiment 3). The judgement task in each experiment involved judging whether it was possible for a person's hand to accurately move between two targets at presented speeds. In Experiment 1, participants completed the action judgements before and after executing the movement they were required to judge. Results were that judged movement times after execution were closer to the actual execution time than those prior to execution. The results of Experiment 2 suggest that the effects of execution on judgements were not due to motor activation or perceptual task experience—alternative explanations of the execution-mediated judgement effects. Experiment 3 examined how judged movement times were influenced by participants wearing weights. Results revealed that wearing weights increased judged movement times. These results suggest that the simulation underlying the judgement process is connected to the motor system, and that simulations are dynamically generated, taking into account recent experience and current body state.
Modeling of Dough Mixing Profile Under Thermal and Nonthermal Constraint for Evaluation of Breadmaking Quality of Hard Spring Wheat Flour
Authors: Ohm Jae‐Bom , Simsek Senay , Mergoum Mohamed
Published: February 2012

This research was initiated to investigate associations between flour breadmaking traits and mixing and empirical dough rheological properties under thermal stress. Thirty hard spring wheat flour samples were analyzed by a Mixolab standard procedure. Mixolab profiles were divided into six different stages, and torque measurements of individual stages were modeled by nonlinear curve fitting using a compound of two solution searching procedures, multidimensional unconstrained nonlinear minimization and genetic algorithm. Mixing patterns followed exponential equations. Dough torque patterns under heat constraint, specifically dough thermal weakening and pasting profiles, were described by a sigmoid logistic equation as a function of time. Dough stability during heating appeared important for bread loaf volume increase from significant correlations between bread loaf volume and parameters generated from models of a dough thermal weakening stage. Multivariate continuum regression was employed to calibrate prediction models of baking traits using Mixolab parameters. Coefficients of determination estimated from prediction models and cross‐validation were greater than 0.98 for bake water absorption, mixing time, and bread loaf volume, indicating that the Mixolab parameters have a potential to enhance evaluation of flour breadmaking quality.
Transmission Biology of Raspberry latent virus, the First Aphid-Borne Reovirus
Authors: Quito-Avila Diego F. , Lightle Danielle , Lee Jana , Martin Robert R.
Published: February 2012

Raspberry latent virus (RpLV) is a newly characterized reovirus found in commercial raspberry fields in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). Thus far, all members of the plant reoviruses are transmitted in a replicative, persistent manner by several species of leafhoppers or planthoppers. After several failed attempts to transmit RpLV using leafhoppers, the large raspberry aphid, commonly found in the PNW, was tested as a vector of the virus. The virus was transmitted to new, healthy raspberry plants when inoculated with groups of at least 50 viruliferous aphids, suggesting that aphids are vectors of RpLV, albeit inefficient ones. Using absolute and relative quantification methods, it was shown that the virus titer in aphids continued to increase after the acquisition period even when aphids were serially transferred onto fresh, healthy plants on a daily basis. Transmission experiments determined that RpLV has a 6-day latent period in the aphid before it becomes transmissible; however, it was not transmitted transovarially to the next generation. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a plant reovirus transmitted by an aphid. Phylogenetic analyses showed that RpLV is related most closely to but distinct from Rice ragged stunt virus (RRSV), the type member of the genus Oryzavirus. Moreover, the conserved nucleotide termini of the genomic segments of RpLV did not match those of RRSV or other plant reoviruses, allowing us to suggest that RpLV is probably the type member of a new genus in the Reoviridae comprising aphid-transmitted reoviruses.
Infection and pathogenesis of Huaiyangshan virus (a novel tick-borne bunyavirus) in laboratory rodents
Authors: Chen Xiao-Ping , Cong Mei-Li , Li Ming-Hui , Kang Yan-Jun , Feng Yan-Meng , Plyusnin Alexander , Xu Jianguo , Zhang Yong-Zhen
Published: February 2012

A novel tick-borne bunyavirus (Huaiyangshan virus, HYSV), which causes haemorrhagic fever-like disease, has recently been reported in China. So far no animal experiments have been performed to study its pathogenesis. Towards developing an animal model for HYSV fever, newborn and adult mice and rats and golden hamsters were inoculated intracerebrally or intraperitoneally with HYSV. Newborn rats and newborn mice, especially Kunming (KM) mice, appeared highly susceptible. Remarkably, the KM mice that died of the HYSV infection developed large necrotic areas in the liver, while no obvious pathological changes were observed within the other organs. PCR and immunohistochemical analyses of the post-mortem material detected both HYSV antigen and RNA in almost all organs, indicating a systemic infection. Our data demonstrate that HYSV can cause a lethal infection of both newborn mice and newborn rats with apparent pathological damage of the liver. This animal model may help to understand the pathogenesis of the HYSV infection in humans.
The splicing regulator Rbfox2 is required for both cerebellar development and mature motor function
Authors: Gehman Lauren T. , Meera Pratap , Stoilov Peter , Shiue Lily , O'Brien Janelle E. , Meisler Miriam H. , Ares Manuel , Otis Thomas S. , Black Douglas L.
Published: February 2012

The Rbfox proteins (Rbfox1, Rbfox2, and Rbfox3) regulate the alternative splicing of many important neuronal transcripts and have been implicated in a variety of neurological disorders. However, their roles in brain development and function are not well understood, in part due to redundancy in their activities. Here we show that, unlike Rbfox1 deletion, the CNS-specific deletion of Rbfox2 disrupts cerebellar development. Genome-wide analysis of Rbfox2−/− brain RNA identifies numerous splicing changes altering proteins important both for brain development and mature neuronal function. To separate developmental defects from alterations in the physiology of mature cells, Rbfox1 and Rbfox2 were deleted from mature Purkinje cells, resulting in highly irregular firing. Notably, the Scn8a mRNA encoding the Nav1.6 sodium channel, a key mediator of Purkinje cell pacemaking, is improperly spliced in RbFox2 and Rbfox1 mutant brains, leading to highly reduced protein expression. Thus, Rbfox2 protein controls a post-transcriptional program required for proper brain development. Rbfox2 is subsequently required with Rbfox1 to maintain mature neuronal physiology, specifically Purkinje cell pacemaking, through their shared control of sodium channel transcript splicing.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: an independent risk factor for peptic ulcer bleeding: a nationwide population‐based study
Authors: Huang K.‐W. , Luo J.‐C. , Leu H.‐B. , Lin H.‐C. , Lee F.‐Y. , Chan W.‐L. , Lin S.‐J. , Chen J.‐W. , Chang F.‐Y.
Published: February 2012

Background

Peptic ulcer bleeding remains a major healthcare problem despite decreasing prevalence of peptic ulcer disease. The role of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the risk of peptic ulcer bleeding has not yet been established.

Aim

To determine if COPD patients have a higher risk of peptic ulcer bleeding than the general population and to identify the risk factors of peptic ulcer bleeding in COPD patients.

Methods

From Taiwan's National Health Insurance research database, 62 876 patients, including 32 682 COPD and 30 194 age‐gender‐matched non‐COPD controls, were recruited. Cox proportional hazard regression was performed to evaluate independent risk factors for ulcer bleeding in all patients and to identify risk factors in COPD patients.

Results

During the 8‐year follow‐up, COPD patients had a significant higher rate of peptic ulcer bleeding than the control group (P < 0.001, by log‐rank test). By Cox proportional hazard regression analysis, COPD [hazard ratio (HR) 1.93, 95% CI 1.73–2.17] was an independent risk factor after adjusting for age, gender, underlying comorbidities and ulcerogenic medication. Age > 65 years, male, comorbidities of hypertension, diabetes, heart failure, history of peptic ulcer disease, and chronic renal disease and use of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs were risk factors of ulcer bleeding in COPD patients.

Conclusion

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have a higher risk of peptic ulcer bleeding after adjustments for possible confounding factors like underlying comorbidities and ulcerogenic medication.
Development and validation of a novel tool to estimate peri‐operative blood loss*
Authors: Stahl D. L. , Groeben H. , Kroepfl D. , Gautam S. , Eikermann M.
Published: February 2012

Surgical blood loss predicts peri‐operative outcomes. We have developed and validated Blood Loss Scores to estimate peri‐operative blood loss during major abdominal surgery. Surgical blood loss and changes in haemoglobin concentration were recorded intra‐ and postoperatively for 48 h in 100 patients undergoing radical prostatectomy. Data from the first group (n = 50) were used to derive the Blood Loss Scores which were validated against the data from a second group (n = 50) at three time points (immediately postoperative and 24‐ and 48‐h later). The score, taking into account suction fluid volume and haemoglobin concentration, explained more of the variance in the measured blood loss than the experts’ assessment (77% vs 54%, p = 0.05) or the change in haemoglobin concentration (77% vs 11%, p < 0.0001). Addition of the change in haemoglobin concentration improved the estimate for the 24‐ and 48‐h postoperative Blood Loss Scores to explain 78% and 80% of the variance of measured blood loss.
Pathogenesis of severe asthma
Authors: Poon A. H. , Eidelman D. H. , Martin J. G. , Laprise C. , Hamid Q.
Published: February 2012

Patients with severe asthma have asthma symptoms which are difficult to control, require high dosages of medication, and continue to experience persistent symptoms, asthma exacerbations or airflow obstruction. Epidemiological and clinical evidences point to the fact that severe asthma is not a single phenotype. Cluster analyses have identified subclasses of severe asthma using parameters such as patient characteristics, and cytokine profiles have also been useful in classifying moderate and severe asthma. The IL‐4/IL‐13 signalling pathway accounts for the symptoms experienced by a subset of severe asthmatics with allergen‐associated symptoms and high serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels, and these patients are generally responsive to anti‐IgE treatment. The IL‐5/IL‐33 signalling pathway is likely to play a key role in the disease pathogenesis of those who are resistant to high doses of inhaled corticosteroid but responsive to systemic corticosteroids and anti‐IL5 therapy. The IL‐17 signalling pathway is thought to contribute to ‘neutrophilic asthma’. Although traditionally viewed as players in the defence mechanism against viral and intracellular bacterial infection, mounting evidence supports a role for Th1 cytokines such as IL‐18 and IFN‐γ in severe asthma pathogenesis. Furthermore, these cytokine signalling pathways interact to contribute to the spectrum of clinical pathological outcomes in severe asthma. To date, glucocorticoids are the most effective anti‐asthma drugs available, yet severe asthma patients are typically resistant to the effects of glucocorticoids. Glucocorticoid receptor dysfunction and histone deacetylase activity reduction are likely to contribute to glucocorticoid resistance in severe asthma patients. This review discusses recent development in different cytokine signalling pathways, their interactions and steroid resistance, in the context of severe asthma pathogenesis.
The Care Dependency Scale for measuring basic human needs: an international comparison
Authors: Dijkstra Ate , Yönt Gülendam Hakverdioğlu , Korhan Esra Akin , Muszalik Marta , Kędziora‐Kornatowska Kornelia , Suzuki Mizue
Published: February 2012

dijkstra a., yönt g.h., korhan e.a., muszalik m, kędziora‐kornatowska k. & suzuki m. (2012) The Care Dependency Scale for measuring basic human needs: an international comparison. Journal of Advanced Nursing68(10), 2341–2348.

Aim.  To report a study conducted to compare the utility of the Care Dependency Scale across four countries.

Background.  The Care Dependency Scale provides a framework for assessing the needs of institutionalized patients for nursing care. Henderson’s components of nursing care have been used to specify the variable aspects of the concept of care dependency and to develop the Care Dependency Scale items.

Design.  The study used a cross‐cultural survey design.

Method.  Patients were recruited from four different countries: Japan, The Netherlands, Poland and Turkey. In each of the participating countries, basic human needs were assessed by nurses using a translated version of the original Dutch Care Dependency Scale. Psychometric properties in terms of reliability and validity of the Care Dependency Scale have been assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, Guttman’s Lambda‐2, inter‐item correlation and principal components analysis. Data were collected in 2008 and 2009.

Results.  High internal consistency values were demonstrated. Principal component analysis confirmed the one‐factor model reported in earlier studies.

Conclusion.  Outcomes confirm Henderson’s idea that human needs are fundamental appearing in every patient‐nurse relationship, independent of the patient’s age, the type of care setting and/or cultural background. The psychometric characteristics of the Care Dependency Scale make this instrument very useful for comparative research across countries.
Why did I become a nurse? Personality traits and reasons for entering nursing
Authors: Eley Diann , Eley Rob , Bertello Marisa , Rogers‐Clark Cath
Published: February 2012

eley d., eley r., bertello m. & rogers‐clark c. (2012) Why did I become a nurse? Personality traits and reasons for entering nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing68(7), 1546–1555.

Aims.  This article is a report of a mixed method study of the association between personality traits of nurses and their reasons for entering nursing.

Background.  The worldwide nursing shortage prompts research into better understanding of why individuals enter nursing and may assist in exploring ways to increase their recruitment and long term retention.

Design.  A mixed method sequential explanatory design employed semi‐structured interviews and a validated personality inventory measuring temperament and character traits.

Methods.  Registered Nurses (n = 12) and nursing students (n = 11) working and studying in a regional area of Queensland Australia were purposively sampled for the interviews in 2010 from their participation in the survey in 2009 investigating their personality traits. Qualitative data collection stopped at saturation. A thematic content analysis of the qualitative data using the framework approach was interpreted alongside their personality trait profiles.

Results.  Two dominant themes were identified from the participant interviews about reasons for entering nursing; ‘opportunity for caring’ and ‘my vocation in life’. These themes were congruent with key temperament and character traits measured in the participants. All nurses and students were very high in traits that exude empathy and altruistic ideals regardless of other characteristics which included highly pragmatic and self‐serving principles.

Conclusions.  Qualitative and quantitative findings suggest that a caring nature is a principal quality of the nursing personality. Recruitment and retention strategies whilst promoting multiple benefits for the profession should not forget that the prime impetus for entering nursing is the opportunity to care for others.
Perceived work ability and turnover intentions: a prospective study among Belgian healthcare workers
Authors: Derycke Hanne , Clays Els , Vlerick Peter , D’Hoore William , Hasselhorn Hans Martin , Braeckman Lutgart
Published: February 2012

derycke h., clays e., vlerick p., d’hoore w., hasselhorn h. m. & braeckman l. (2012) Perceived work ability and turnover intentions: a prospective study among Belgian healthcare workers. Journal of Advanced Nursing68(7), 1556–1566.

Aim.  To report a study exploring prospective relations between nurses’ perceived work ability and three forms of turnover intentions, respectively, intent to leave the ward, organization and profession.

Background.  Turnover of nursing staff is a major challenge for healthcare settings and for healthcare in general, urging the need to improve retention.

Design.  Survey.

Methods.  Based on the longitudinal data of the Belgian sample from the European Nurses’ Early Exit study, a total of 1531 healthcare workers who remained in their job, completed in 2003 and 1 year later a self‐administered questionnaire including the Work Ability Index to assess work ability. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed adjusting for possible confounding variables.

Results.  In a population with low intent to leave at baseline prospective analyses showed that a poor work ability at baseline increased the risk of high intent to leave the ward and high intent to leave the organization, 1 year later. A substantial deterioration in work ability was a risk factor for developing high turnover intentions 1 year later. Social support had no effect on the relation between work ability and all three types of intent to leave but the relation between work ability and intent to leave the ward was borderline significantly moderated by good interpersonal relations.

Conclusions.  Poor work ability was a risk factor for developing turnover intentions. Maintaining good work ability and improving poor work ability becomes increasingly important to retain nurses.
The relationships of social support, uncertainty, self‐efficacy, and commitment to prenatal psychosocial adaptation
Authors: Hui Choi W.H. , Lee G.L. , Chan Celia H.Y. , Cheung Ray Y.H. , Lee Irene L.Y. , Chan Cecilia L.W.
Published: February 2012

Aims.  To report a study of the relations of prenatal psychosocial adaptation, social support, demographic and obstetric characteristics, uncertainty, information‐seeking behaviour, motherhood normalization, self‐efficacy, and commitment to pregnancy.

Background.  Prenatal psychosocial assessment is recommended to identify psychosocial risk factors early to prevent psychiatric morbidities of mothers and children. However, knowledge on psychosocial adaptation and its explanatory variables is inconclusive.

Design. This study was non‐experimental, with a cross‐sectional, correlational, prospective design.

Methods.  The study investigated Hong Kong Chinese women during late pregnancy. Convenience sampling methods were used, with 550 women recruited from the low‐risk clinics of three public hospitals. Data was collected between January–April 2007. A self‐reported questionnaire was used, consisting of a number of measurements derived from an integrated framework of the Life Transition Theory and Theory of Uncertainty in Illness. Explanatory variables of psychosocial adaptation were identified using a structural equation modelling programme.

Results.  The four explanatory variables of the psychosocial adaptation were social support, uncertainty, self‐efficacy, and commitment to pregnancy. In the established model, which had good fit indices, greater psychosocial adaptation was associated with higher social support, higher self‐efficacy, higher commitment to pregnancy, and lower uncertainty.

Conclusion.  The findings give clinicians and midwives guidance in the aspects to focus on when providing psychosocial assessment in routine prenatal screening. Since there are insufficient reliable screening tools to assist that assessment, midwives should receive adequate training, and effective screening instruments have to be identified. The explanatory role of uncertainty found in this study should encourage inquiries into the relationship between uncertainty and psychosocial adaptation in pregnancy.
The performance advantage of a high resting metabolic rate in juvenile salmon is habitat dependent
Authors: Reid Donald , Armstrong John D. , Metcalfe Neil B.
Published: February 2012

1. Basal levels of metabolism vary significantly among individuals in many taxa, but the effects of this on fitness are generally unknown. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) in juvenile salmon and trout is positively related to dominance status and ability to obtain a feeding territory, but it is not clear how this translates into performance in natural conditions.

2. The relationships between RMR, dominance, territoriality and growth rates of yearling Atlantic salmon Salmo salar were examined in relation to predictability in food supply and habitat complexity, using replicate sections of a large‐scale controlled semi‐natural stream.

3. Estimated RMR was a strong predictor of dominance, and under conditions of a predictable food supply in a structurally simple habitat, high estimated RMR fish obtained the best feeding territories and grew faster.

4. When the spatial distribution of food was made less predictable, dominant (high estimated RMR) fish were still able to occupy the most profitable feeding locations by periodically moving location to track the changes in food availability, but RMR was no longer a predictor of growth rate. Moreover, when a less predictable food supply was combined with a visually more complex (and realistic) habitat, fish were unable to track changes in food availability, grew more slowly and exhibited greater site fidelity, and there were no relationships between estimated RMR and quality of occupied territory or growth rate.

5. The relative benefit of RMR is thus context dependent, depending on both habitat complexity and the predictability of the food supply. Higher habitat complexity and lower food predictability decrease the performance advantages associated with a high RMR.
Transcript levels, alternative splicing and proteolytic cleavage of TFIIIA control 5S rRNA accumulation during Arabidopsis thaliana development
Authors: Layat Elodie , Cotterell Sylviane , Vaillant Isabelle , Yukawa Yasushi , Tutois Sylvie , Tourmente Sylvette
Published: February 2012

Ribosome biogenesis is critical for eukaryotic cells and requires coordinated synthesis of the protein and rRNA moieties of the ribosome, which are therefore highly regulated. 5S ribosomal RNA, an essential component of the large ribosomal subunit, is transcribed by RNA polymerase III and specifically requires transcription factor IIIA (TFIIIA). To obtain insight into the regulation of 5S rRNA transcription, we have investigated the expression of 5S rRNA and the exon‐skipped (ES) and exon‐including (EI) TFIIIA transcripts, two transcript isoforms that result from alternative splicing of the TFIIIA gene, and TFIIIA protein amounts with respect to requirements for 5S rRNA during development. We show that 5S rRNA quantities are regulated through distinct but complementary mechanisms operating through transcriptional and post‐transcriptional control of TFIIIA transcripts as well as at the post‐translational level through proteolytic cleavage of the TFIIIA protein. During the reproductive phase, high expression of the TFIIIA gene together with low proteolytic cleavage contributes to accumulation of functional, full‐length TFIIIA protein, and results in 5S rRNA accumulation in the seed. In contrast, just after germination, the levels of TFIIIA‐encoding transcripts are low and stable. Full‐length TFIIIA protein is undetectable, and the level of 5S rRNA stored in the embryo progressively decreases. After day 4, in correlation with the reorganization of 5S rDNA chromatin to a mature state, full‐length TFIIIA protein with transcriptional activity accumulates and permits de novo transcription of 5S rRNA.
The Ehlers–Danlos syndrome, a disorder with many faces
Authors: De Paepe A , Malfait F
Published: February 2012

The Ehlers–Danlos syndromes (EDSs) comprise a heterogeneous group of diseases, characterized by fragility of the soft connective tissues and widespread manifestations in skin, ligaments, joints, blood vessels and internal organs. The clinical spectrum varies from mild skin and joint hyperlaxity to severe physical disability and life‐threatening vascular complications. The current Villefranche classification recognizes six subtypes, most of which are linked to mutations in genes encoding fibrillar collagens or enzymes involved in post‐translational modification of these proteins. Mutations in type V and type III collagen cause classic or vascular EDS respectively, while mutations involving the processing of type I collagen are involved in the kyphoscoliosis, arthrochalasis and dermatosparaxis type of EDS. Establishing the correct EDS subtype has important implications for genetic counseling and management and is supported by specific biochemical and molecular investigations. Over the last years, several new EDS variants have been characterized which call for a refinement of the Villefranche classification. Moreover, the study of these diseases has brought new insights into the molecular pathogenesis of EDS by implicating genetic defects in the biosynthesis of other extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules, such as proteoglycans and tenascin‐X, or genetic defects in molecules involved in intracellular trafficking, secretion and assembly of ECM proteins.
Association between obesity and asthma in Japanese preschool children
Authors: Okabe Yoshie , Adachi Yuichi , Itazawa Toshiko , Yoshida Koichi , Ohya Yukihiro , Odajima Hiroshi , Akasawa Akira , Miyawaki Toshio
Published: February 2012

To cite this article: Okabe Y, Adachi Y, Itazawa T, Yoshida K, Ohya Y, Odajima H, Akasawa A, Miyawaki T. Association between obesity and asthma in Japanese preschool children. Pediatric Allergy Immunology 2012: 23: 550–555.

Obesity may increase the risk of subsequent asthma. We have previously reported that there is a clear association between obesity and asthma in Japanese school‐aged children.

To evaluate whether a similar association exists in younger children, a nationwide cross‐sectional questionnaire‐based survey was performed focusing on children aged 4–5 yr. A child who had experienced wheezing during the past 12 months and had ever been diagnosed with asthma by a physician was defined as having current asthma. Overweight and underweight were defined as BMI ≥90th percentile and ≤10th percentile, respectively, according to the reference values for Japanese children from 1978 to 1981.

After excluding 2547 children because of incomplete data, 34,699 children were analyzed. Current asthma was significantly more prevalent in overweight children compared with underweight and normal weight children (13.2% for overweight vs. 10.5% for underweight and 11.1% for normal weight; both p < 0.001). Even after adjusting for other variables, such as gender, other coexisting allergic diseases, and parental history of asthma, there was an association between overweight and current asthma (adjusted odds ratio: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.10–1.38, p < 0.001).

Even in preschool children, obesity is already associated with asthma, and there was no gender effect on this association. Physicians should consider the impact of obesity when managing asthma in younger children.
Study of understanding the internalized stigma of schizophrenia in psychiatric nurses in Japan
Authors: Hanzawa Setsuko , Nosaki Akiko , Yatabe Kayomi , Nagai Yuko , Tanaka Goro , Nakane Hideyuki , Nakane Yoshibumi
Published: February 2012

Aim:  ‘Internalized stigma’ is a construct that reflects the degree to which a person accepts beliefs endorsed by society about mental illness. Among people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, internalized stigma has been found to moderate the associations between insight and social function, hope, and self‐esteem. Among families of patients with schizophrenia, internalized stigma may not only hinder help‐seeking but also result in the families attempting to provide care themselves, without assistance from mental health services. Little is known about internalized stigma among service providers, especially psychiatric nurses in Japan. Therefore, we investigated the correlation between internalized stigma and ‘beliefs about the most appropriate form of hospitalization’ among psychiatric nurses.

Methods:  The subjects were 215 psychiatric nurses employed in psychiatric hospitals who completed the personal stigma scale, perceived stigma scales, and Difficulty of Community Living Scale (DCLS) with respect to a chronic schizophrenia case vignette.

Results:  Internalized stigma was positively correlated with greater ‘beliefs about the most appropriate form of hospitalization’ among psychiatric nurses. We also showed that stronger ‘beliefs about the social disadvantages of schizophrenia patients in the community’ was positively correlated with stronger ‘beliefs about the most appropriate form of hospitalization’.

Conclusion:  The present findings suggest that the psychiatric nurses employed at Japanese psychiatric hospitals have a pessimistic view of the community living of people with schizophrenia and their families. And these psychiatric nurses' beliefs were related to their understanding of the deeply dependent relationship between patients and families, and was related to the Confucian ideal.
Influence of warfarin and low‐dose aspirin on the outcomes of geriatric patients with traumatic intracranial hemorrhage resulting from ground‐level fall
Authors: Inamasu Joji , Nakatsukasa Masashi , Miyatake Satoru , Hirose Yuichi
Published: February 2012

Aim:  Ground‐level fall is the most common cause of traumatic intracranial hemorrhage (TICH) in the elderly, and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in that population. A retrospective study was carried out to evaluate whether the use of warfarin/low‐dose aspirin (LDA) is predictive of unfavorable outcomes in geriatric patients who sustain a fall‐induced TICH.

Methods:  Charts of 76 geriatric patients (≥65 years‐of‐age) with fall‐induced TICH were reviewed. The number of patients taking warfarin and LDA was 12 and 21, respectively, whereas the other 43 took neither medication (non‐user group). The frequency of patients with unfavorable outcomes (Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 1–3) at discharge was calculated. Furthermore, variables predictive of unfavorable outcomes were identified by logistic regression analysis.

Results:  The frequency of patients with unfavorable outcomes was 75% in the warfarin group, 33% in the LDA group and 27% in the non‐user group, respectively. The risk of having unfavorable outcomes was significantly higher in the warfarin group compared with the LDA group (P = 0.03) and non‐user group (P < 0.01). Logistic regression analysis showed that variables predictive of unfavorable outcomes were: age, initial Glasgow Coma Scale score ≤ 13 and presence of midline shift ≥ 5 mm.

Conclusion:  The use of warfarin, but not of LDA, might be associated with unfavorable outcomes in elderly with fall‐induced TICH. The risk of TICH should be communicated properly to elderly taking warfarin. The information might be important not only to trauma surgeons who take care of injured elderly, but also to geriatric physicians who prescribe warfarin/LDA to them. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2012; ••: ••–••.
Ablation of serum response factor in dopaminergic neurons exacerbates susceptibility towards MPTP‐induced oxidative stress
Authors: Rieker Claus , Schober Andreas , Bilbao Ainhoa , Schütz Günther , Parkitna Jan Rodriguez
Published: February 2012

The high susceptibility of dopaminergic (DA) neurons to cellular stress is regarded as a primary cause of Parkinson’s disease. Here we investigate the role of the serum response factor (SRF), an important regulator of anti‐apoptotic responses, for the survival of DA neurons in mice. We show that loss of SRF in DA neurons does not affect their viability and does not influence dopamine‐dependent behaviors. However, ablation of SRF causes exacerbated sensitivity to 1‐methyl 4‐phenyl 1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), leading to significantly greater loss of DA neurons in the substantia nigra, compared with DA neurons located in the ventral tegmental area. In addition, loss of SRF decreases levels of the anti‐apoptotic proteins brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and Bcl‐2, a plausible underlying cause of increased sensitivity to oxidative stress. These observations support the notion that dysfunction of the SRF‐activating mitogen‐associated kinase pathway may be part of Parkinson’s disease etiology.
Cognitive deficits in a mouse model of pre‐manifest Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Magen Iddo , Fleming Sheila M. , Zhu Chunni , Garcia Eddie C. , Cardiff Katherine M. , Dinh Diana , De La Rosa Krystal , Sanchez Maria , Torres Eileen Ruth , Masliah Eliezer , David Jentsch J. , Chesselet Marie‐Françoise
Published: February 2012

Early cognitive deficits are increasingly recognized in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), and represent an unmet need for the treatment of PD. These early deficits have been difficult to model in mice, and their mechanisms are poorly understood. α‐Synuclein is linked to both familial and sporadic forms of PD, and is believed to accumulate in brains of patients with PD before cell loss. Mice expressing human wild‐type α‐synuclein under the Thy1 promoter (Thy1‐aSyn mice) exhibit broad overexpression of α‐synuclein throughout the brain and dynamic alterations in dopamine release several months before striatal dopamine loss. We now show that these mice exhibit deficits in cholinergic systems involved in cognition, and cognitive deficits in domains affected in early PD. Together with an increase in extracellular dopamine and a decrease in cortical acetylcholine at 4–6 months of age, Thy1‐aSyn mice made fewer spontaneous alternations in the Y‐maze and showed deficits in tests of novel object recognition (NOR), object–place recognition, and operant reversal learning, as compared with age‐matched wild‐type littermates. These data indicate that cognitive impairments that resemble early PD manifestations are reproduced by α‐synuclein overexpression in a murine genetic model of PD. With high power to detect drug effects, these anomalies provide a novel platform for testing improved treatments for these pervasive cognitive deficits.
Phylogenomics of T4 cyanophages: lateral gene transfer in the ‘core’ and origins of host genes
Authors: Ignacio‐Espinoza J. Cesar , Sullivan Matthew B.
Published: February 2012

The last two decades have revealed that phages (viruses that infect bacteria) are abundant and play fundamental roles in the Earth System, with the T4‐like myoviruses (herein T4‐like phages) emerging as a dominant ‘signal’ in wild populations. Here we examine 27 T4‐like phage genomes, with a focus on 17 that infect ocean picocyanobacteria (cyanophages), to evaluate lateral gene transfer (LGT) in this group. First, we establish a reference tree by evaluating concatenated core gene supertrees and whole genome gene content trees. Next, we evaluate what fraction of these ‘core genes’ shared by all 17 cyanophages appear prone to LGT. Most (47 out of 57 core genes) were vertically transferred as inferred from tree tests and genomic synteny. Of those 10 core genes that failed the tree tests, the bulk (8 of 10) remain syntenic in the genomes with only a few (3 of the 10) having identifiable signatures of mobile elements. Notably, only one of these 10 is shared not only by the 17 cyanophages, but also by all 27 T4‐like phages (thymidylate synthase); its evolutionary history suggests cyanophages may be the origin of these genes to Prochlorococcus. Next, we examined intragenic recombination among the core genes and found that it did occur, even among these core genes, but that the rate was significantly higher between closely related phages, perhaps reducing any detectable LGT signal and leading to taxon cohesion. Finally, among 18 auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs, a.k.a. ‘host’ genes), we found that half originated from their immediate hosts, in some cases multiple times (e.g. psbA, psbD, pstS), while the remaining have less clear evolutionary origins ranging from cyanobacteria (4 genes) or microbes (5 genes), with particular diversity among viral TalC and Hsp20 sequences. Together, these findings highlight the patterns and limits of vertical evolution, as well as the ecological and evolutionary roles of LGT in shaping T4‐like phage genomes.
Diagnosis of Borrelia‐associated uveitis in two horses
Authors: Priest Heather L. , Irby Nita L. , Schlafer Donald H. , Divers Thomas J. , Wagner Bettina , Glaser Amy L. , Chang Yung‐Fu , Smith Mary C.
Published: February 2012

Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiologic agent of Lyme disease is a tick born spirochetal infection. Clinical signs of Lyme borreliosis are uncommon in horses, but when present they are often vague and nonspecific. In horses, Lyme borreliosis has been implicated in musculoskeletal, neurological, reproductive, and ocular disorders, including uveitis, but definitive diagnosis can be challenging as the causative agent is rarely isolated and serologic tests can be unreliable and do not confirm active disease. Here, we report two cases of equine uveitis associated with B. burgdorferi based on the identification of spirochetes within ocular fluids and confirmed with PCR testing. The two cases illustrate some of the challenges encountered in the recognition and diagnosis of equine Lyme borreliosis. Although only one of many possible causes of equine uveitis, Lyme disease should be considered a differential diagnosis, especially in endemic areas. Given the possibility for false negative results of serum tests during uveitis associated with B. burgdorferi and the failure of such tests to confirm active infection, a combination of cytologic assessment, antibody, and/or PCR testing of ocular fluids may be worthwhile if the clinical suspicion for Lyme uveitis is high.