bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plasma stearoyl‐CoA desaturase indices: Association with lifestyle, diet, and body composition
Authors: Vinknes Kathrine J. , Elshorbagy Amany K. , Nurk Eha , Drevon Christian A. , Gjesdal Clara G. , Tell Grethe S. , Nygård Ottar , Vollset Stein E. , Refsum Helga
Published: April 2013

Objective:

Stearoyl‐coenzyme A desaturase‐1 (SCD1) is a key enzyme in fatty acid and energy metabolism. Increased hepatic SCD1 activity is associated with obesity and obesity‐related diseases. We examined the relations of two plasma SCD activity indices (16:1n‐7/16:0, 18:1n‐9/18:0) with body composition, and the association of lifestyle and dietary variables with the plasma SCD indices.

Design and Methods:

This population‐based, cross‐sectional study of 2021 elderly (71–74 y) men and women from the Hordaland Health Study in Western Norway was conducted using a validated food frequency questionnaire, body composition measurements by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry and determination of the plasma fatty acid profile.

Results:

In multivariate regression analyses, plasma SCD indices were positively associated with BMI and body fat (P < 0.001 for both). From the 2.5th to 97.5th percentiles of plasma SCD‐16 and SCD‐18 indices, fat mass differed by about 8 kg and 5 kg, respectively. Intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids were negatively associated with SCD‐16 (partial r = −0.30) and SCD‐18 (partial r = −0.24) (P < 0.001 for both). Alcohol intake was positively associated with SCD‐16 (partial r = 0.26) and SCD‐18 (partial r = 0.16) (P < 0.001 for both), whereas coffee consumption and physical activity were inversely associated with SCD‐16 (P = 0.026 and P = 0.006, respectively) and SCD‐18 (P = 0.001 and P = 0.022, respectively).

Conclusions:

In this elderly population, plasma markers of SCD1 activity are associated with increased adiposity. Furthermore, modifiable dietary habits and lifestyle are associated with plasma SCD indices. These results suggest that SCD1 activity may be a promising target for weight control.
Influence of body mass index on the choice of therapy for depression and follow‐up care
Authors: Boudreau Denise M. , Arterburn David , Bogart Andy , Haneuse Sebastien , Theis Mary Kay , Westbrook Emily , Simon Greg
Published: April 2013

Objective:Overweight and obese patients commonly suffer from depression and choice of depression therapy may alter weight. We conducted a cohort study to investigate whether obesity is associated with treatment choices for depression; and whether obesity is associated with appropriate duration of depression treatment and receipt of follow‐up visits.

Design and Methods:Adults with a diagnosis of depression between January 1, 2006 and March 31, 2010 who had 1+ new episodes of an antidepressant medication and/or psychotherapy were eligible. Medication use, encounters, diagnoses, height, and weight were collected from health plan databases. We modeled receipt of the different therapies (medication and psychotherapy) by BMI and BMI trajectory during the 9‐months prior to initiation of therapy using logistic regression models that accommodated correlation within provider and adjusted for covariates. We modeled BMI via a restricted cubic spline. Fluoxetine was the reference treatment option in the medication models.

Results:Lower BMI was associated with greater use of mirtazapine, and a declining BMI prior to treatment was associated with greater odds of initiating mirtazapine and paroxetine. Higher BMI was associated with greater odds of initiating bupropion even after adjustment for smoking status. Obese patients were less likely to receive psychotherapy and less likely to receive appropriate duration (180‐days) of depression treatment compared to normal weight subjects.

Conclusions:Our study provides evidence that BMI is considered when choosing therapy but associations were weak. Our results should prompt discussion about recommending and choosing depression treatment plans that optimize depression care and weight management concurrently. Differences in care and follow‐up by BMI warrant additional research.
Nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase mRNA expression is related to human obesity
Authors: Heiker John T. , Kern Matthias , Kosacka Joanna , Flehmig Gesine , Stumvoll Michael , Shang Edward , Lohmann Tobias , Dreßler Miriam , Kovacs Peter , Blüher Matthias , Klöting Nora
Published: April 2013

Objective:

A spontaneous deletion in the nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase (Nnt) gene eliminating exons 7‐11 in C57BL/6J (B6J) mice is associated with reduced glucose‐stimulated insulin secretion in vitro, impaired glucose tolerance, higher epigonadal fat mass, and altered susceptibility to diet induced obesity of male B6J mice was proposed. A potential implication for NNT in human adipose tissue distribution has not been investigated so far.

Design and Methods:

Therefore, NNT mRNA expression in paired human samples of visceral (vis) and subcutaneous (sc) adipose tissue from 221 subjects with a wide range of body mass index (BMI), insulin sensitivity, and glucose tolerance was analyzed.

Results:

NNT mRNA expression is significantly higher in visceral fat of obese patients and correlates with body weight, BMI, % body fat, visceral and sc fat area, waist and hip circumference, and fasting plasma insulin (FPI). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed visceral NNT expression as age and gender independent predictor of BMI, waist circumference, visceral fat area, and % body fat, but not FPI and 2 h OGTT glucose.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, a functional relevance of NNT in the development of human obesity and visceral fat distribution was suggested here.
Reliable change in depression during behavioral weight loss treatment among women with major depression
Authors: Busch Andrew M. , Whited Matthew C. , Appelhans Bradley M. , Schneider Kristin L. , Waring Molly E. , DeBiasse Michele A. , Oleski Jessica L. , Crawford Sybil L. , Pagoto Sherry L.
Published: April 2013

Objective: Although behavioral weight loss interventions generally have been shown to improve depressive symptoms, little is known as to whether some people with major depressive disorder experience worsening of depression during a weight loss intervention.

Design and Methods: Rates and predictors of change in depression symptoms among 148 obese women with major depressive disorder who participated in a trial comparing depression treatment plus behavioral weight loss treatment (Behavioral Activation; BA) to behavioral weight loss treatment alone (Lifestyle Intervention; LI) were examined. A statistically reliable change in depression was calculated as ≥9 points on the Beck Depression Inventory in this sample.

Results: At 6 months, 73% of participants in BA and 54% of participants in LI showed reliable improvement in depression symptoms and 1.5% of participants in BA and 1.3% of participants in LI showed reliable worsening in depression symptoms. Rates of reliable change were similar at 12 months. Participants who experienced reliable improvement in depression lost significantly more weight than those who did not in both conditions. In the LI condition, baseline psychiatric variables and change in physical activity during treatment were also related to reliable improvement in depression.

Conclusion: No evidence for an iatrogenic effect of behavioral weight loss treatment on depressive symptoms among obese women with major depressive disorder was detected; rather, behavioral weight loss treatment appears to be associated with significant concurrent improvement in depression. Even greater rates of reliable improvement were observed when depression treatment was added to weight loss treatment.
Evaluating the impact of point‐ of‐care decision support tools in improving diagnosis of obese children in primary care
Authors: Ayash Christine R. , Simon Steven R. , Marshall Richard , Kasper Jill , Chomitz Virginia , Hacker Karen , Kleinman Ken P. , Taveras Elsie M.
Published: April 2013

Objective:

The purpose of this quasi‐experimental study was to examine the effect of a computerized point‐of‐care alert with clinical decision support on the rates of diagnosis of childhood obesity in a multisite group practice in Massachusetts; Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) which implemented an alert, relative to a separate group practice, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates (HVMA), that did not.

Design and Methods:

Height and weight data from 19,466 children of 2‐18 years with 34,908 well‐child care visits in CHA and 123,446 children with 282,271 visits in HVMA between 2006 and 2008 were collected. The alert and decision support tool was activated for CHA patients with an age‐ and sex‐specific body mass index of ≥95th percentile. The main outcome measure was documentation of an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision [ICD‐9] code for obesity before and after implementation of the alert at CHA in 2007.

Results:

Among obese children, the adjusted rate of an ICD‐9 diagnosis of obesity increased from 2006‐2007 to 2008 significantly more at CHA than at HVMA (P < 0.001 for time‐by‐provider group interaction). In 2006‐2007, the rate of ICD‐9 diagnosis of obesity was significantly lower at CHA than at HVMA (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.52‐0.62); but by 2008 was significantly higher at CHA than HVMA (adjusted OR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.14‐1.38).

Conclusion:

A point‐of‐care alert was effective in improving obesity diagnosis in a multisite group practice, relative to a separate group practice that did not adopt an alert. Clinical decision support tools could help improve obesity diagnosis in pediatric primary care.
Body adiposity index assess body fat with high accuracy in nondialyzed chronic kidney disease patients
Authors: Silva Maria Inês B. , Vale Barbara S. , Lemos Carla C.S. , Torres Marcia R.S.G. , Bregman Rachel
Published: April 2013

Objective:

High body fat (BF) is an alarming condition that also affects nondialyzed chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Distinct methods are used to evaluate BF; however, in CKD population it remains unclear which one is more reliable showing high accuracy. Dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA), used as reference method to estimate adiposity, is expensive and time consuming to be applied in clinical settings. Recently, a new body adiposity index (BAI), that estimates BF from easily accessible measures, was validated in the general population. The aim of this study was to evaluate which simple and practical method, routinely used to estimate BF, shows the highest accuracy compared with DXA, in nondialyzed CKD patients.

Design and Methods:

In this cross‐sectional study BF was estimated by DXA, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), anthropometry (ANTHRO), and BAI. Serum leptin levels were determined.

Results:

Studied patients (n = 134) were 55% males, 54% overweight/obese, and 64.9 ± 12.5 years old, with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) = 29.0 ± 12.7 ml/min. The correlation coefficient was higher between DXA vs. ANTHRO (r = 0.76) and BAI (r = 0.61) than with BIA (r = 0.57), after adjusting for gender, age, and eGFR (P < 0.0001). Therefore, the Lin's concordance correlation coefficient and Bland–Altman plots were performed to measure the accuracy (C_b) between DXA with both ANTHRO and BAI. A higher accuracy (C_b = 0.82) and lower mean difference (−3.4%) was observed for BAI than for ANTHRO (C_b = 0.61; −8.4%). Leptin levels correlated (P < 0.0001) with DXA (r = 0.56) and BAI (r = 0.59).

Conclusions:

These findings suggest that BAI estimates BF with high accuracy in nondialyzed CKD patients and may be helpful in the treatment of this population with increased BF.
SAXS investigation of structure–property relationship of polypropylene/montmorillonite composites during load cycling
Authors: Zeinolebadi Ahmad , Stribeck Norbert , Vuluga Zina , Schloen Christoph , Botta Stephan , Sari Morteza Ganjaee
Published: April 2013

Polypropylene (PP) can hardly be reinforced by the layered silicate montmorillonite (MMT), but the material fatigue appears somewhat reduced. The probable reason is amplified competitive nucleation of the PP by MMT component. Utilizing small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) from synchrotron, we investigate the nanostructure evolution of the PP in straining experiments from neat PP and compatibilized composite materials. The compatibilizer is a styrene–ethylene/butylene–styrene copolymer (SEBS). Oriented injection‐molded test bars are studied.

The discrete SAXS probes variations of sizes and distances among those crystalline domains that are not placed at random. Crystallite dimensions and distances are documented for modeling purposes. The nanoscopic strain is computed from the distance variation and compared with the macroscopic strain. Differences between macroscopic and nanoscopic strain are observed. They require postulating regions with statistical placement of crystallites (poorly arranged region, PAR) in addition to the SAXS‐probed well‐arranged semi‐crystalline entities (WAE). The extensibility of WAEs must be different from that of the PARs. In neat PP, the observed WAEs are well developed and stronger than the PARs. In the composites, the WAEs are made from thin and less extended crystalline domains. They are weaker than the PARs that appear reinforced. Thus, enclosing each MMT layer a PAR is formed, and the WAEs generated farther away remain imperfect. Consequently, in the composites, the narrow crystalline domains from the WAEs do not break into even smaller pieces, and the fatigue of the composites is lower than that of the neat PP. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Gene expression profiling of serrated polyps identifies annexin A10 as a marker of a sessile serrated adenoma/polyp
Authors: Gonzalo David Hernandez , Lai Keith K , Shadrach Bonnie , Goldblum John R , Bennett Ana E , Downs‐Kelly Erinn , Liu Xiuli , Henricks Walter , Patil Deepa T , Carver Paula , Na Jie , Gopalan Banu , Rybicki Lisa , Pai Rish K
Published: April 2013

Sessile serrated adenomas/polyps (SSA/Ps) are precursors of colon cancer, particularly those that exhibit microsatellite instability. Distinguishing SSA/Ps from the related, but innocuous, microvesicular hyperplastic polyp (MVHP) can be challenging. In this study seven gastrointestinal pathologists reviewed 109 serrated polyps and identified 60 polyps with histological consensus. Microarray analysis was performed on six distal consensus MVHPs < 9 mm, six proximal consensus SSA/Ps > 9 mm, and six normal colon biopsies (three proximal, three distal). Comparative gene expression analysis confirmed the close relationship between SSA/Ps and MVHPs as there was overlapping expression of many genes. However, the gene expression profile in SSA/Ps had stronger and more numerous associations with cancer‐related genes compared with MVHPs. Three genes (TFF2, FABP6, and ANXA10) were identified as candidates whose expression can differentiate SSA/Ps from MVHPs, and the differences in expression were confirmed by quantitative RT‐PCR. As ANXA10 showed the most promise in differentiating these polyps, the expression of ANXA10 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in consensus SSA/Ps (n = 26), MVHPs (n = 21), and normal colon (n = 9). Immunohistochemical expression of ANXA10 was not identified in separate samples of normal colon or in the normal colonic epithelium adjacent to the serrated polyps. Consistent with the microarray and quantitative RT‐PCR experiments, immunohistochemical expression of ANXA10 was markedly increased in SSA/Ps compared to MVHPs (p < 0.0001). An ANXA10 score ≥ 3 has a sensitivity of 73% and a specificity of 95% in the diagnosis of an SSA/P. In conclusion, we show that SSA/Ps and MVHPs have significant overlap in gene expression, but also important differences, particularly in cancer‐related pathways. Expression of ANXA10 may be a potential marker of the serrated pathway to colon cancer. Copyright © 2013 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fabrication, electrical and optical properties of silver, indium tin oxide (ITO), and indium zinc oxide (IZO) nanostructure arrays
Authors: Khosroabadi Akram A. , Gangopadhyay Palash , Duong Binh , Thomas Jayan , Sigdel Ajaya K. , Berry Joseph J. , Gennett Thomas , Peyghambarian N. , Norwood Robert A.
Published: April 2013

In thin film devices such as light‐emitting diodes, photovoltaic cells and field‐effect transistors, the processes of charge injection, charge transport, charge recombination, separation and collection are critical to performance. Most of these processes are relevant to nanoscale metal and metal oxide electrode–organic material interfacial phenomena. In this report we present a unique method for creating tailored one‐dimensional nanostructured silver, tin and/or zinc substituted indium oxide electrode structures over large areas. The method allows production of high aspect ratio nanoscale structures with feature sizes below 100 nm and a large range of dimensional tunability. We observed that both the electronic and optical properties of these electrodes are closely correlated to the nanostructure dimensions and can be easily tuned by control of the feature size. Surface area enhancement accurately describes the conductivity studies, while nanostructure dependent optical properties highlight the quasi‐plasmonic nature of the electrodes. Optimization of the nanostructured electrode transparency and conductivity for specific opto‐electronic systems is expected to provide improvement in device performance.
Electronic, dielectric, and optical properties of the B phase of niobium pentoxide and tantalum pentoxide by first‐principles calculations
Authors: Pérez‐Walton Santiago , Valencia‐Balvín Camilo , Dalpian Gustavo M. , Osorio‐Guillén Jorge M.
Published: April 2013

We report a theoretical study of the electronic structure and optical properties of the B phase of niobium pentoxide (B‐Nb2O5) and tantalum pentoxide (B‐Ta2O5) by means of first‐principle calculations. We have used density functional theory along with the revised Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof (PBEsol) exchange‐correlation functional and the Heyd–Scuseria–Ernzerhof (HSE06) hybrid functional. It has been found that these compounds are indirect wide‐gap semiconductors, the calculated gaps for B‐Nb2O5 (B‐Ta2O5) are and  eV. We have also calculated the frequency‐dependent and static dielectric tensor, the refraction index and the transmittance. The calculated average static dielectric constants of B‐Nb2O5 (B‐Ta2O5) are 33.7 (30.9), in good agreement with the available experimental data.
Effects of chemical pretreatments on the hydrogen isotope composition of 2:1 clay minerals
Authors: VanDeVelde Justin H. , Bowen Gabriel J.
Published: April 2013

RATIONALE

Clays are a commonly occurring authigenic mineral within soils, and the hydrogen isotope ratios of their structural hydroxyl groups can serve as a useful environmental proxy. Chemical and physical treatments are necessary to eliminate contaminating materials from clays, but they have the potential to alter their isotopic composition.

METHODS

Several pure, commonly occurring 2:1 clay mineralogies were treated with typical chemical procedures for the removal of carbonates, organic matter, and amorphous hydroxides. Samples were heated under vacuum to remove the adsorbed and interlayer water that occurs universally in natural clays. The samples were then analyzed for hydrogen content and isotope ratios through thermal conversion elemental analyzer/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (TC‐EA/IRMS).

RESULTS

No effects on hydrogen composition were found for most of the analyzed mineralogies. Smectite samples showed significant alteration following treatments for carbonate and organic matter. In addition, the smectites showed variable levels of hydrogen exchange with isotopically labeled H2O.

CONCLUSIONS

Smectites show significant and highly variable alteration following common chemical treatments, and analysis for paleoclimate reconstruction is problematic. A minor amount of H isotope exchange is likely at temperatures sufficient to remove adsorbed water, and efforts must be made to minimize and quantify this exchange during analyses of clay samples. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sustainable Development and Nature: The Social and The Material
Authors: Redclift Michael , Woodgate Graham
Published: April 2013

In this paper we argue that one way of viewing the relationship between sustainable development and nature is to explore the extent to which human‐made capital can be substituted for nature (‘natural capital’). It is suggested that this substitution/replacement exposes societies to different risks and uncertainties. Our point of departure is to distinguish sociologically between different ‘natures’, which reflect different levels of human/natural capital substitution and degrees of hybridity: First Nature, Second Nature, Third Nature and Fourth Nature. This approach to sustainable development – through investigating the co‐existence of human‐made and natural capital, and the effects of this process on risk and uncertainty – is used to explain the vicissitudes of much of the ‘sustainable development’ debate. Focusing on sustainable consumption and ecological modernization, the paper also suggests that regulation theory might help to explain how different environmental policy options are chosen, and the limitations of these options. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
The role of external knowledge sources and organizational design in the process of opportunity exploitation
Authors: Foss Nicolai J. , Lyngsie Jacob , Zahra Shaker A.
Published: April 2013

Research highlights the role of external knowledge sources in the recognition of strategic opportunities but is less forthcoming with respect to the role of such sources during the process of exploiting or realizing opportunities. We build on the knowledge‐based view to propose that realizing opportunities often involves significant interactions with external knowledge sources. Organizational design can facilitate a firm's interactions with these sources, while achieving coordination among organizational members engaged in opportunity exploitation. Our analysis of a double‐respondent survey involving 536 Danish firms shows that the use of external knowledge sources is positively associated with opportunity exploitation, but the strength of this association is significantly influenced by organizational designs that enable the firm to access external knowledge during the process of exploiting opportunities. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Development of Genetic Counseling Services in Taiwan
Authors: Chien Shu , Su Pen‐Hua , Chen Suh‐Jen
Published: April 2013

Taiwan is an emerging industrial country in subtropical Asia with a population of 23 million. There were around 200,000 newborns in 2011. Delayed first marriage, low birth rate, and rapid aging are major demographic issues. Genetic counseling services were established following the rapid introduction of genetic technology and enactment of relevant laws and regulations. Ultrasound was first used in 1968 to examine pregnant women. The first amniotic fluid laboratory was founded in 1981 to identify chromosomal abnormalities. In 1984, the Genetic Health Act was legislated for prevention and control of genetic disorders, and the metabolic disorder screen project was launched. National Health Insurance with overall coverage of prenatal examinations was established in 1995. A master‐level genetic counseling program was launched in 2003 and by 2011 has graduated eighty students. Two professional societies have been formed to certify genetic counselors, and 66 professionals have been certified. In summary, genetic counseling services in Taiwan are continuously improving.
The Being and Becoming of African Diaspora Art
Authors: FRANCIS JACQUELINE
Published: April 2013

By and large, “African diaspora art” is a generic label, presently applied with the purpose of broadly situating modern and contemporary artwork by people of African descent in discussions of African art, most often in connection with “traditional” West African ritual sculpture, installation, and performance. I focus on the work that this term has done or has been summoned to do in the US since the late twentieth century. This essay considers several artistic projects and critical and institutional missions linked to African diaspora art and culture: (1) a 1960s essay by art historian Robert Farris Thompson that organizes nineteenth-century material culture under this heading, (2) the black body as icon of the African diaspora in in the work of US artist David Hammons from the 1970s, and (3) the founding of the Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) in San Francisco in 2002. We are in the process of institutionalizing African diaspora art, situating it as a cultural consciousness that supersedes other identifications and narratives of association. We value and celebrate this epistemological construct, and, in doing so, reveal that it is also a social formation driven by doubts about racial and national belonging and the desire for a transformative signification and new, organizing logics of being.

Cultural identity … is a matter of “becoming” as well as of “being.”

Stuart Hall1

By and large, “African diaspora art” is a generic label, often summoned to broadly situate modern and contemporary artwork by people of African descent and to connect it to “traditional” West African ritual sculpture, installation, and performance.2 It is a valued and celebrated epistemological construct; it is also a social formation driven by doubts about racial and national belonging and the desire for a transformative signification and organizing logics of difference. We are in the process of institutionalizing African diaspora art, situating it as a cultural consciousness that is meant to supersede other powerful identifications and narratives of political association.
Art across Frontiers: Cross-cultural Encounters in America. Introduction
Authors: LEWTHWAITE STEPHANIE
Published: April 2013

This short introduction provides a brief overview of the special issue, by addressing the main historiographical and theoretical concerns that unite the individual contributions and by placing the essays in comparative, inter-American and interdisciplinary perspective. What do comparative analyses tell us about patterns of cross-cultural exchange in the visual arts? More specifically, what do these analyses tell us about the role of ethnic agency and audience, and the complex relationship between artistic practice and the “mainstream,” the local and the global?
Reworking the Spanish Colonial Paradigm: Mestizaje and Spirituality in Contemporary New Mexican Art
Authors: LEWTHWAITE STEPHANIE
Published: April 2013

During the early 1900s, Anglo-Americans in search of an indigenous modernism found inspiration in the Hispano and Native American arts of New Mexico. The elevation of Spanish colonial-style art through associations such as the Anglo-led Spanish Colonial Arts Society (SCAS, 1925) placed Hispano aesthetic production within the realm of tradition, as the product of geographic and cultural isolation rather than innovation. The revival of the SCAS in 1952 and Spanish Market in 1965 helped perpetuate the view of Hispanos either as “traditional” artists who replicate an “authentic” Spanish colonial style, or as “outsider” artists who defy categorization. Thus the Spanish colonial paradigm has endorsed a purist vision of Hispano art and identity that obscures the intercultural encounters shaping contemporary Hispano visual culture. This essay investigates a series of contemporary Hispano artists who challenge the Spanish colonial paradigm as it developed under Anglo patronage, principally through the realm of spiritually based artwork. I explore the satirical art of contemporarysanteroLuis Tapia; the colonial, baroque, indigenous and pop culture iconographies of painter Ray Martín Abeyta; and the “mixed-tech media” of Marion Martínez's circuit-boardretablos. These artists blend Spanish colonial art with pre-Columbian mythology and pop culture, tradition with technology, and local with global imaginaries. In doing so, they present more empowering and expansive visions of Hispano art and identity – as declarations of cultural ownership and adaptation and as oppositional mestizo formations tied historically to wider Latino, Latin American and transnational worlds.
Biased attention to threat in paediatric anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, specific phobia, separation anxiety disorder) as a function of ‘distress’versus‘fear’ diagnostic categorization
Authors: Waters A. M. , Bradley B. P. , Mogg K.
Published: April 2013

Background

Structural models of emotional disorders propose that anxiety disorders can be classified into fear and distress disorders. Sources of evidence for this distinction come from genetic, self-report and neurophysiological data from adults. The present study examined whether this distinction relates to cognitive processes, indexed by attention bias towards threat, which is thought to cause and maintain anxiety disorders.

Method

Diagnostic and attention bias data were analysed from 435 children between 5 and 13 years of age; 158 had principal fear disorder (specific phobia, social phobia or separation anxiety disorder), 75 had principal distress disorder (generalized anxiety disorder, GAD) and 202 had no psychiatric disorder. Anxious children were a clinic-based treatment-seeking sample. Attention bias was assessed on a visual-probe task with angry, neutral and happy faces.

Results

Compared to healthy controls, children with principal distress disorder (GAD) showed a significant bias towards threat relative to neutral faces whereas children with principal fear disorder showed an attention bias away from threat relative to neutral faces. Overall, children displayed an attention bias towards happy faces, irrespective of diagnostic group.

Conclusions

Our findings support the distinction between fear and distress disorders, and extend empirically derived structural models of emotional disorders to threat processing in childhood, when many anxiety disorders begin and predict lifetime impairment.
Neuropsychological Deficits Associated with Destruction of the Right Nigrostriatal Pathway
Authors: Sáez-Zea Carmen , Escamilla-Sevilla Francisco , Martínez-Simón Josefina , Arnedo Marisa , Mínguez-Castellanos Adolfo
Published: April 2013

Hemiparkinsonism secondary to a vascular mesencephalic lesion is infrequent; these patients offer an exceptional opportunity to study neuropsychological alterations attributable to unilateral dopaminergic denervation, shedding light on the pathophysiology of cognitive disorders in early-stage idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). From the investigation of our case, we conclude that destruction of the right nigrostriatal pathway is accompanied by deficits in executive functioning and verbal/visual memory similar to those observed in many patients with early-stage idiopathic PD. The more complex neuropsychological dysfunction developed by other PD patients must therefore be related to the additional involvement of other brain structures. (JINS, 2013, 19, 1–6)
Trends in the Use of Perfumes and Incense in the Near East after the Muslim Conquests
Authors: ZOHAR AMAR , LEV EFRAIM
Published: April 2013

Perfumes have been known as utilizable but exclusive products since antiquity. Use of aromatic substances was first mentioned in archaic sources of the ancient world. The origin of such fragrant substances was mainly vegetable and animal. Throughout history, the use of subtle perfumes increased and some of the exotic materials became expensive and valuable commodities. They were the source of wealth for cultures and rulers. The contribution of the Arabs to the distribution of new crops, knowledge, industrial techniques and substances is a well-known phenomenon. In our article we intend to focus on the new perfumes that were distributed throughout the world thanks to the Arab conquests and the knowledge of their other uses, mainly medicinal, that was handed down along with the products themselves. About 20 common perfumes are known to have been used in the medieval world, though half of them were not mentioned in earlier sources.

These phenomena will be dealt with and presented in a profile we built up for four perfumes: agarwood, camphor, musk and ambergris. The theoretical and practical uses of these perfumes that are presented in detail (based on various sources including traders’ documents, medical literature and practical Genizah fragments, dealing mainly with medicine) will serve as case studies for the understanding of new trends in the uses of perfumes after the Muslim conquest. Arab perfumes can be divided into three groups, according to their level of importance:

A. New perfumes, mainly from the vast region named “India”; most of which (such as camphor, ambergris and sandalwood and a compound made out of them known as nadd and ghāliya) were not known in the Middle East and the Mediterranean region until the Muslim conquests.

B. Perfumes that kept their popularity including: a variety of cinnamon, costus, spikenard, frankincense, saffron and rose.

C. Perfumes that lost their worth like balsam and myrrh.

It seems that camphor was the best and most cherished perfume that substituted balsam. Like balsam, the importance of myrrh that was imported from Arabia and East Africa also declined and it seems that its substitute was musk. Transformations in perfume fashion were in fact only part of a wider revolution of the Arabic material culture which the Middle East, the Mediterranean region and even many European countries experienced due to the Arab conquests.
Blattes de Byzancein India: Mollusk Opercula and the History of Perfumery
Authors: McHUGH JAMES
Published: April 2013

Aromatics derived from animals have played a very important role in the history of perfumery. The most well-known of these materials are musk from the preputial glands of the musk deer, ambergris produced in the stomach of the sperm whale, and civet from the anal glands of the civet cat. Two other notable materials are castoreum from the beaver, and hyraceum from the solidified urine of the African hyrax. The material that I will call ‘sweet hoof’ in this article, also calledblattes de Byzanceandunguis odoratus, is another fragrant material derived from an animal, consisting of the opercula of certain marine snails. With its marine origins ‘sweet hoof’ is intrinsically linked to the ocean and to trade, and it has also long been of importance all the way from the Mediterranean to China and Japan. Indeed, it is probably the most ancient animal derived aromatic to have an extensive global use, being mentioned in ancient Babylonian incense recipes. Yet, quite probably owing to its very low profile in more commonly studied genres of Sanskrit texts, the South Asian chapter of the history of ‘sweet hoof’ has yet to be written.
Scented Trails: Amber as Aromatic in Medieval China
Authors: SO JENNY F.
Published: April 2013

Amber has been known since antiquity in Europe, made into pendants, and used for perfume containers in large quantities since the first millenniumbce. It is a naturally occurring fossilized tree (a certain kind of northern pine) resin, composed primarily of carbon-hydrogen-oxygen (C10H16O). It is rather soft (Mohs hardness 2.0–2.5), hence easy to carve, and possesses a resinous luster when polished. Its colours range from transparent to translucent deep orange-red to brown and sometimes a more opaque yellow. Solid amber has no smell, but when powdered it gives off an agreeable aroma. When warmed or burned it has a characteristic pinewood fragrance. It softens at about 150°C and, if heated above 200°C, it will break down to give an “oil of amber” and a black residue. In hisHistoria naturalis(XXXVII), Pliny the Elder considers its scent when heated to be the most reliable proof of real amber.
Effects of Mixed Dietary Supplements on Total Plasma Homocysteine Concentrations (tHcy): A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
Authors: Gariballa Salah E. , Forster Sarah J. , Powers Hilary J.
Published: April 2013

Background: Although a number of studies have reported raised total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations in free-living older people, there are no data on homocysteine response to a mixed nutrient supplement in older patients. A raised plasma homocysteine concentration in older patients is partly a reflection of their co-morbidity, including impaired renal function, and there is uncertainty about the extent to which dietary interventions can improve plasma tHcy. Aim: To determine the plasma tHcy response to dietary supplements during acute illness. Methods: Two-hundred and thirty-six hospitalized, acutely ill older patients, who were part of a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial, were assigned to receive a daily oral nutritional supplement drink containing 1.3 mg of vitamin B2, 1.4 mg of vitamin B6, 1.5 μg of B12, 200 μg of folic acid, or a placebo, for 6 weeks. Outcome measures were plasma tHcy concentration at baseline, 6 weeks, and 6 months. Results: The mean plasma tHcy concentration fell among patients given the supplements (mean difference 4.1 µmol/L [95 % C.I, 0.14 to 8.03), p = 0.043], but tHcy concentration increased between 6 weeks and 6 months, after patients stopped taking the supplements [mean difference -2.0 µmol/L (95 % C.I, -03.9 to -0.18), p = 0.033]. About 46 % of patients in the placebo group and 55 % of patients in the supplement group had hyperhomocysteinemia (>14 µmol/L) at baseline compared with 45 % and 29 % at the end of the treatment period. Conclusions: A mixed nutrient supplement containing physiological amounts of B vitamins significantly reduced plasma tHcy concentrations in older patients recovering from acute illness.
Hepatoprotective and Immunological Functions of Nigella sativa Seed Oil against Hypervitaminosis A in Adult Male Rats
Authors: Al-Suhaimi Ebtesam A.
Published: April 2013

Purpose: The toxic effects of excess vitamin A (VA) intake deserve increased attention. Nigella sativa (NS) seed possesses physiological and pharmacological actions and protects against toxic agents. This work investigated the availability of NS seed oil as a protective agent against the effects of hypervitaminosis A (HVA) on liver function and immunity. Methods: Fifty adult albino rats were used and divided into five groups: (G1) control; (G2) experimental HVA rats administered extreme doses (10,000 IU/kg body weight) of VA oil orally, daily for 6 weeks; (G3) rats treated with NS seed oil (800 mg/kg) orally, daily for 6 weeks; (G4) HVA rats simultaneously treated with NS seed oil at the same doses and periods; and (G5) HVA recovery group. Liver function, immunoglobulin (IgG and IgM) levels, and lysosome activity were measured in serum. Results: HVA rats revealed marked elevations in alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities. This is the first study to demonstrate that NS seed oil possesses significant hepatoprotective activity against HVA. NS seed oil was a potent inducer of IgG and IgM in rat serum either alone or with high doses of VA. Conclusions: These findings may be considered the initial steps of the physiological and humoral immune responses for NS seed oil against HVA, but further studies examining longer periods are needed prior to recommending the use of NS seed oil as an alternative medicine for hepatic and immune diseases.
Basic Concepts in Population Modeling, Simulation, and Model‐Based Drug Development—Part 2: Introduction to Pharmacokinetic Modeling Methods
Authors: Mould DR , Upton RN
Published: April 2013

Population pharmacokinetic models are used to describe the time course of drug exposure in patients and to investigate sources of variability in patient exposure. They can be used to simulate alternative dose regimens, allowing for informed assessment of dose regimens before study conduct. This paper is the second in a three‐part series, providing an introduction into methods for developing and evaluating population pharmacokinetic models. Example model files are available in the Supplementary Data online.

CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology (2013) 2, e38; doi:10.1038/psp.2013.14; advance online publication 17 April 2013
Photoionization of optically trapped ultracold atoms with a high-power light-emitting diode
Authors: Götz Simone , Höltkemeier Bastian , Amthor Thomas , Weidemüller Matthias
Published: April 2013

Photoionization of laser-cooled atoms using short pulses of a high-power light-emitting diode (LED) is demonstrated. Light pulses as short as 30 ns have been realized with the simple LED driver circuit. We measure the ionization cross section of 85Rb atoms in the first excited state, and show how this technique can be used for calibrating efficiencies of ion detector assemblies.
Dynamics of indirect excitons in a coupled quantum-well pair
Authors: Cruz H.
Published: April 2013

We numerically integrated in space and time the effective-mass Schrödinger equation for a two dimensional electron-hole system in two coupled quantum wells. Considering a time-dependent Hartree potential, we derive the nonlinear dynamical evolution of the carrier wave functions. Charge dynamically trapped in both wells is found to produce a reaction field that modifies the system dynamics. We show the possibility of having an electrostatic trap for indirect excitons in the absence of an external electric field.
Single-molecule imaging at high hydrostatic pressure
Authors: Vass Hugh , Lucas Black S. , Flors Cristina , Lloyd Diarmuid , Bruce Ward F. , Allen Rosalind J.
Published: April 2013

Direct microscopic fluorescence imaging of single molecules can provide a wealth of mechanistic information, but up to now, it has not been possible under high pressure conditions, due to limitations in microscope pressure cell design. We describe a pressure cell window design that makes it possible to image directly single molecules at high hydrostatic pressure. We demonstrate our design by imaging single molecules of Alexa Fluor 647 dye bound to DNA, at 120 and 210 bar, and following their fluorescence photodynamics. We further show that the failure pressure of this type of pressure cell window can be in excess of 1 kbar.
Changes in blood parameters and electroencephalogram of cattle as affected by different stunning and slaughter methods in cattle
Authors: Zulkifli I. , Goh Y. M. , Norbaiyah B. , Sazili A. Q. , Lotfi M. , Soleimani A. F. , Small A. H.
Published: April 2013

The present study aimed to provide a comparative analysis of the effects of penetrative stunning, non-penetrative stunning and post-slaughter stunning on biochemical parameters and electroencephalogram (EEG) associated with stress in heifers and steers. Ten animals were assigned to each of the following four treatment groups: (1) animals were subjected to conventional halal slaughter (a clean incision through the structures on the ventral neck at the approximate level of vertebrae C2–C3 – the trachea, oesophagus, carotid arteries and jugular veins) and post-cut penetrating mechanical stun within 10–20 s of the halal cut (U); (2) high-power non-penetrating mechanical stunning using a mushroom-headed humane killer, followed by conventional halal slaughter (HPNP); (3) low-power non-penetrating mechanical percussive stunning using a mushroom-headed humane killer, followed by conventional halal slaughter (LPNP); and (4) penetrative stunning using a captive-bolt pistol humane killer, followed by conventional halal slaughter (P). For each animal, blood samples and electroencephalogram recordings were taken before stunning, post-stunning (if applicable) and post-slaughter, and plasma concentrations of cortisol, adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), adrenaline, noradrenaline and β-endorphin were determined. Irrespective of the stunning method, except for percentage change in plasma concentrations of noradrenaline, the values of blood parameters attained before and after stunning were not significantly different. The plasma noradrenaline concentration of the HPNP animals was significantly elevated following stunning. Following slaughter, the percentage change of plasma ACTH concentration in the P animals was significantly elevated. Neither stunning method nor sampling time had a significant effect on plasma β-endorphin concentration. On the basis of the EEG results, penetrative stunning seemed to be better in maximising the possibility of post-stunning insensibility, whereas U animals appeared to demonstrate an evident increase in EEG activity which is consistent with the presence of post-slaughter noxious stimuli associated with tissue cut and injury. The U animals had consistently higher, if not the highest, RMS values than did other stunned animals. This indicates a degree of EEG changes associated with stress and pain. On the basis of EEG data, our results suggested that penetrative stunning would be the most reliable method of ensuring insensibility and minimising pain. However, at slaughter, the P animals showed a dramatic elevation in the percentage change of circulating ACTH, suggesting physiological stress response. On a cautionary note, the results are not unequivocal, and it may be that the range of analyses available to researchers at this point of time are not sufficiently specific to allow definitive conclusions to be drawn.
ATP-gated ion channels mediate adaptation to elevated sound levels
Authors: Housley Gary D. , Morton-Jones Rachel , Vlajkovic Srdjan M. , Telang Ravindra S. , Paramananthasivam Vinthiya , Tadros Sherif F. , Wong Ann Chi Yan , Froud Kristina E. , Cederholm Jennie M. E. , Sivakumaran Yogeesan , Snguanwongchai Peerawuth , Khakh Baljit S. , Cockayne Debra A. , Thorne Peter R. , Ryan Allen F.
Published: April 2013

The sense of hearing is remarkable for its auditory dynamic range, which spans more than 10
12
in acoustic intensity. The mechanisms that enable the cochlea to transduce high sound levels without damage are of key interest, particularly with regard to the broad impact of industrial, military, and recreational auditory overstimulation on hearing disability. We show that ATP-gated ion channels assembled from P2X
2
receptor subunits in the cochlea are necessary for the development of temporary threshold shift (TTS), evident in auditory brainstem response recordings as sound levels rise. In mice null for the
P2RX2
gene (encoding the P2X
2
receptor subunit), sustained 85-dB noise failed to elicit the TTS that wild-type (WT) mice developed. ATP released from the tissues of the cochlear partition with elevation of sound levels likely activates the broadly distributed P2X
2
receptors on epithelial cells lining the endolymphatic compartment. This purinergic signaling is supported by significantly greater noise-induced suppression of distortion product otoacoustic emissions derived from outer hair cell transduction and decreased suprathreshold auditory brainstem response input/output gain in WT mice compared with
P2RX2-
null mice. At higher sound levels (≥95 dB), additional processes dominated TTS, and
P2RX2-
null mice were more vulnerable than WT mice to permanent hearing loss due to hair cell synapse disruption.
P2RX2-
null mice lacked ATP-gated conductance across the cochlear partition, including loss of ATP-gated inward current in hair cells. These data indicate that a significant component of TTS represents P2X
2
receptor-dependent purinergic hearing adaptation that underpins the upper physiological range of hearing.