bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Milk‐derived or recombinant transforming growth factor‐beta has effects on immunological outcomes: a review of evidence from animal experimental studies
Authors: Oddy W. H. , McMahon R. J.
Published: April 2011

Cite this as: W. H. Oddy and R. J. McMahon, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2011 (41) 783–793.

Identified factors from milk have been shown to improve health outcomes. One specific factor, transforming growth factor‐Beta (TGF)‐β, has been identified previously as having the potential to impact on immunological outcomes in the newborn offspring. The primary objective of this review was to examine the published studies that have considered TGF‐β in association with immunological outcomes of experimental models. We hypothesized that oral administration of TGF‐β (through human milk, cow's milk, infant formula) or recombinant TGF‐β delivered via gavage, may down‐regulate immune activation in newborn offspring. Animal experimental studies were identified through MEDLINE, CAB Abstracts, Biological Abstracts and Scopus. Selection criteria included well‐described animal populations, sample and study design, source of TGF‐β, age and immunological outcomes measured and effect size. The findings were summarized temporally in tabular format, giving an overall measure of effect based on the literature available since 1994. Animal experimental studies (n=13) were included in the review to determine an association between maternal TGF‐β and immunological outcomes. Overall 92% of these studies (12/13) showed a positive association with TGF‐β1 or TGF‐β2, demonstrating protection against immunologically related outcomes in early life in an animal model. TGF‐β is important in developing and maintaining appropriate immune responses in the offspring. TGF‐β delivered orally to neonatal animals provides protection against adverse immunological outcomes, corroborating and supporting findings from human studies. Animal studies provide important clues to the pathogenesis and therapeutics of immune activation and allergy in early childhood. TGF‐βs are important growth factors involved in maintaining homeostasis in the intestine, regulating inflammation and allergy development and promoting oral tolerance in infants. Thus, taken as a whole, these and our other findings suggest that this cytokine in milk may influence the development of immunological outcomes in offspring.
The content of the work of clinical nurse specialists described by use of daily activity diaries
Authors: Oddsdóttir Elín Jakobína , Sveinsdóttir Herdís
Published: April 2011

Aim. Evaluate the usefulness of the role of clinical nurse specialists and the content of their work by mapping their activities.

Background. The clinical work of advanced practice nursing differs in different countries, and a clear picture is lacking on what exactly advanced practice nurses do.

Design. Prospective exploratory study.

Method. The setting of the study was the largest hospital in Iceland where over half of the country’s active nursing workforce are employed, including the only clinical nurse specialists. Of 19 clinical nurse specialists working at the hospital, 15 participated. Data were collected over seven days with a structured activity diary that lists 65 activities, classified into six roles and three domains. In 17 instances, the ‘role activities’ and ‘domain activities’ overlap and form 17 categories of practice. The clinical nurse specialists coded their activities at 15‐minutes interval and could code up to four activities simultaneously. Daily, the clinical nurse specialists evaluated their clinical nurse specialist background.

Results. The roles that occupied the greatest proportion of the clinical nurse specialists’ time were education, expert practice and ‘other’ activities, while the smallest proportions were in counselling, research and practice development. The domain they worked in most was the institutional domain, followed by the client/family domain and the clinical outcome management domain. All of the clinical nurse specialists reported working on two activities simultaneously, 11 of them on three activities and six on four activities. They self‐assessed their background as clinical nurse specialists as being very useful.

Conclusion. The activity diary is a useful tool for assessing the content of practice. Clinical nurse specialists spend too much time on activities related to the institution. Nurse managers are advised to provide clinical nurse specialists with ample time to develop the direct practice role in the client/family domain.

Relevance to clinical practice. The development of advanced nursing practice requires that clinical nurse specialists take an active and visible part in direct patient care.
Life events and emergency department visits in response to crisis in individuals with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Lunsky Y. , Elserafi J.
Published: April 2011

Background  Stressful life events have been linked to psychopathology in the general population, but few studies have considered the relationship between life events and psychopathology for people with intellectual disabilities (ID), and the link between particular life events and hospital use.

Methods  Informants provided data on 746 adults with ID who had experienced at least one ‘crisis’. Informants completed a checklist of recent life events from the Psychiatric Assessment for Adults with Developmental Disabilities Checklist (PAS ADD checklist) and also indicated whether the crisis resulted in a visit to the hospital emergency department.

Results  Individuals experiencing life events in the past year were more likely to visit the emergency department in response to crisis than those who did not experience any life events. Individuals experiencing a move of house or residence, serious problem with family, friend or caregiver, problems with police or other authority, unemployed for more than 1 month, recent trauma/abuse, or a drug or alcohol problem were more likely to visit the emergency department.

Conclusions  Six specific life events were found to be associated with use of emergency departments in response to crisis. We suggest intervention efforts be targeted towards people who experience life events, particularly these events, as they may be a risk factor for hospital visits.
Modelling rotations: can crop sequences explain arable weed seedbank abundance?
Authors: BOHAN D A , POWERS S J , CHAMPION G , HAUGHTON A J , HAWES C , SQUIRE G , CUSSANS J , MERTENS S K
Published: April 2011

Bohan DA, Powers SJ, Champion G, Haughton AJ, Hawes C, Squire G, Cussans J & Mertens SK (2011). Modelling rotations: can crop sequences explain arable weed seedbank abundance? Weed Research51, 422–432.

We investigated the effects of crop sequences on monocotyledon, dicotyledon and total weed seedbank abundance. Using seedbank data sampled from the conventionally cropped part of the GB farm‐scale evaluations of genetically modified, herbicide‐tolerant (GMHT) crops, we asked whether it is possible to identify crop sequence effects, to identify their duration and to simplify crop sequences into crop management classes with similar effects on weed seedbanks. This work showed that it is possible to detect historical effects of past crops, sown in sequence, on weed seedbanks for up to 3 years and that crop sequences may be simplified to crop management classes describing the season of sowing, crop type and weed target for herbicide application. Model estimates for the seedbanks were validated against an independent, follow‐up seedbank data set. The analysis provided abundance estimates that ranged over 3 and 1.7 orders of magnitude for the monocotyledon and dicotyledon weed seedbanks for different crop sequences. This work yields a methodology for estimating seedbank abundance in current crop sequences, potentially allowing sequences to be identified that better reconcile the competing needs for weed control to maintain crop productivity and the demand for increased farmland biodiversity.
Asymptomatic high Epstein–Barr viral load carriage in pediatric renal transplant recipients
Authors: Tanaka Eriko , Sato Tetsuya , Ishihara Masayuki , Tsutsumi Yasushi , Hisano Masataka , Chikamoto Hiroko , Akioka Yuko , Dohno Sumitaka , Maeda Akihiko , Hattori Motoshi , Wakiguchi Hiroshi , Fujieda Mikiya
Published: April 2011

Tanaka E, Sato T, Ishihara M, Tsutsumi Y, Hisano M, Chikamoto H, Akioka Y, Dohno S, Maeda A, Hattori M, Wakiguchi H, Fujieda M. Asymptomatic high Epstein‐Barr viral load carriage in pediatric renal transplant recipients. Pediatr Transplantation 2011: 15: 306–313. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Abstract:  High viral load carriage of EBV is one of the risks for PTLD in transplant recipients. We reviewed retrospectively in pediatric renal transplant recipients with EBV seronegative. EBV loads in peripheral blood and EBV‐CTLs were measured every 1–3 months in 13 patients after grafting. Immunosuppressants were reduced when the patients were considered to have persistent high EBV loads (>1000 copies/μgDNA for over six months). All showed primary EBV infection: six with asymptomatic persistent high EBV loads (group A) and seven with neither EBV‐associated symptoms nor persistent high EBV loads (group B). No patient developed PTLD in either group. Chronic rejection occurred in one patient in group A after immunosuppressants’ reduction. There was no difference in renal dysfunction rates between the two groups. The maximum and increase rates in EBV loads were significantly higher in group A. The CTLs’ percentage was significantly lower in group A when EBV loads first rose above 100 copies/μg DNA. This study suggests the possibility that EBV loads and CTLs’ monitoring may be useful for avoidance of PTLD, as patients with asymptomatic persistent high EBV loads had higher EBV loads and lower percentages of CTLs.
Inhibition of ganglioside GD1a synthesis suppresses the differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells into osteoblasts
Authors: Yang Hyo Jung , Jung Kyu Yong , Kwak Dong Hoon , Lee So‐Hyun , Ryu Jae‐Sung , Kim Ji‐Su , Chang Kyu‐Tae , Lee Jeong Woong , Choo Young‐Kug
Published: April 2011

In this study, we investigated the regulatory role of ganglioside GD1a in the differentiation of osteoblasts from human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) by using lentivirus‐containing short hairpin (sh)RNA to knockdown ST3 β‐galactoside α‐2, 3‐sialyltransferase 2 (ST3Gal II) mRNA expression. After hMSCs were infected for 72 h with the lentivirus constructed with ST3Gal II shRNAs, the puromycin‐resistant cells were selected and subcultured to produce hMSCs with ST3Gal II mRNA knockdown. The hMSCs established from human dental papilla abundantly expressed CD44 and CD105, but not CD45 and CD117. Osteoblasts that differentiated from normal hMSCs showed a significant increase in alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and ganglioside GD1a expression level compared with those in hMSCs. Lentiviral infection of hMSCs successfully induced a marked inhibition of ST3Gal II mRNA expression and caused a significant decrease in ALP activity and ganglioside GD1a expression. During osteoblastic differentiation, the increased ALP activity remarkably reduced by suppression of ganglioside GD1a expression by ST3Gal II shRNA. Ganglioside GD1a and ALP were mainly expressed in the cell body of hMSCs and osteoblasts with colocalization. The phosphorylation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinases (ERK) 1/2 mitogen‐activated protein (MAP) kinase and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was significantly reduced in the osteoblasts that had differentiated from the hMSCs with ST3Gal II mRNA knockdown. These results suggest that ganglioside GD1a plays an important role in the regulation of osteoblastic differentiation of hMSCs through the activation of ERK 1/2 MAP kinase and EGFR.
Dendrite remodeling in development and disease
Authors: Emoto Kazuo
Published: April 2011

One of the most important features of neuronal function is the capacity to dynamically adapt in response to changes in the environment and neuronal activity. Among cellular elements that show this kind of plasticity are dendrites, the components that receive and process neuronal inputs. Dendrite remodeling occurs during normal development of the nervous system as well as in response to injury or diseases in the adult. In either case, selective stabilization and/or elimination of dendritic branches is likely important to shape dendritic arbors. Here I review examples of the phenomena and consider potential cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie dendrite remodeling and how they might relate in development and disease.
Nodal signal is required for morphogenetic movements of epiblast layer in the pre‐streak chick blastoderm
Authors: Yanagawa Nariaki , Sakabe Masahide , Sakata Hirokazu , Yamagishi Toshiyuki , Nakajima Yuji
Published: April 2011

During axis formation in amniotes, posterior and lateral epiblast cells in the area pellucida undergo a counter‐rotating movement along the midline to form primitive streak (Polonaise movements). Using chick blastoderms, we investigated the signaling involved in this cellular movement in epithelial‐epiblast. In cultured posterior blastoderm explants from stage X to XI embryos, either Lefty1 or Cerberus‐S inhibited initial migration of the explants on chamber slides. In vivo analysis showed that inhibition of Nodal signaling by Lefty1 affected the movement of DiI‐marked epiblast cells prior to the formation of primitive streak. In Lefty1‐treated embryos without a primitive streak, Brachyury expression showed a patchy distribution. However, SU5402 did not affect the movement of DiI‐marked epiblast cells. Multi‐cellular rosette, which is thought to be involved in epithelial morphogenesis, was found predominantly in the posterior half of the epiblast, and Lefty1 inhibited the formation of rosettes. Three‐dimensional reconstruction showed two types of rosette, one with a protruding cell, the other with a ventral hollow. Our results suggest that Nodal signaling may have a pivotal role in the morphogenetic movements of epithelial epiblast including Polonaise movements and formation of multi‐cellular rosette.
Analysis of proteomic changes induced upon cellular differentiation of the human intestinal cell line Caco‐2
Authors: Buhrke Thorsten , Lengler Imme , Lampen Alfonso
Published: April 2011

The human intestinal cell line Caco‐2 is a well‐established model system to study cellular differentiation of human enterocytes of intestinal origin, because these cells have the capability to differentiate spontaneously into polarized cells with morphological and biochemical features of small intestinal enterocytes. Therefore, the cells are widely used as an in vitro model for the human intestinal barrier. In this study, a proteomic approach was used to identify the molecular marker of intestinal cellular differentiation. The proteome of proliferating Caco‐2 cells was compared with that of fully differentiated cells. Two‐dimensional gel analysis yielded 53 proteins that were differently regulated during the differentiation process. Pathway analysis conducted with those 34 proteins that were identified by matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization‐time of flight (MALDI‐TOF) analysis revealed subsets of proteins with common molecular and cellular function. It was shown that proteins involved in xenobiotic and drug metabolism as well as in lipid metabolism were upregulated upon cellular differentiation. In parallel, proteins associated with proliferation, cell growth and cancer were downregulated, reflecting the loss of the tumorigenic phenotype of the cells. Thus, the proteomic approach in combination with a literature‐based pathway analysis yielded valuable information about the differentiation process of Caco‐2 cells on the molecular level that contributes to the understanding of the development of colon cancer or inflammatory diseases such as ulcerative colitis – diseases associated with an imbalanced differentiation process of intestinal cells.
Concordance and interaction of guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor (RhoGDI) with RhoA in oogenesis and early development of the sea urchin
Authors: Zazueta‐Novoa Vanesa , Martínez‐Cadena Guadalupe , Wessel Gary M. , Zazueta‐Sandoval Roberto , Castellano Laura , García‐Soto Jesús
Published: April 2011

Rho GTPases are Ras‐related GTPases that regulate a variety of cellular processes. In the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, RhoA in the oocyte associates with the membrane of the cortical granules and directs their movement from the cytoplasm to the cell cortex during maturation to an egg. RhoA also plays an important role regulating the Na+‐H+ exchanger activity, which determines the internal pH of the cell during the first minutes of embryogenesis. We investigated how this activity may be regulated by a guanine‐nucleotide dissociation inhibitor (RhoGDI). The sequence of this RhoA regulatory protein was identified in the genome on the basis of its similarity to other RhoGDI species, especially for key segments in the formation of the isoprenyl‐binding pocket and in interactions with the Rho GTPase. We examined the expression and the subcellular localization of RhoGDI during oogenesis and in different developmental stages. We found that RhoGDI mRNA levels were high in eggs and during cleavage divisions until blastula, when it disappeared, only to reappear in gastrula stage. RhoGDI localization overlaps the presence of RhoA during oogenesis and in embryonic development, reinforcing the regulatory premise of the interaction. By use of recombinant protein interactions in vitro, we also find that these two proteins selectively interact. These results support the hypothesis of a functional relationship in vivo and now enable mechanistic insight for the cellular and organelle rearrangements that occur during oogenesis and embryonic development.
Acceptance of repeat transrectal ultrasonography guided prostate biopsies with local anaesthesia
Authors: Hossack Tania , Woo Henry H.
Published: April 2011

OBJECTIVE

• To measure patient discomfort associated with transrectal ultrasonography guided prostate biopsy (TRUSPB) performed with periprostatic local anaesthetic (LA) infiltration and to document agreement to possible repeat biopsy, as a recent audit showed that 86% of Australian urologists performed prostate biopsies using sedation or general anaesthesia (GA), which implies many urologists think patients are unwilling to tolerate the procedure under LA block and/or may refuse a repeat procedure.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

• This was a prospective cohort study following all men undergoing TRUSPB in 2008.

• Immediately after the procedure the men were asked to complete a visual analogue pain score.

• They were then asked whether, if it was necessary to have a repeat biopsy, they would agree to LA again or request GA/sedation.

RESULTS

• In all, 476 men participated in the study with a mean age of 64 years.

• Of these, 464 men (97.5%) tolerated the procedure well and would, if required, agree to repeat biopsy with LA.

• Only 12 men (2.5%) indicated they would request GA/sedation if a repeat biopsy was necessary.

CONCLUSION

• The vast majority of men accepted having prostate biopsy with LA infiltration and therefore this should be the first method offered.

• It may be possible to screen for men who would not tolerate biopsy under LA.

• Resource saving by performing most biopsies under LA can be estimated to be >A$10 million annually.
e‐Learning in universities: Supporting help‐seeking processes by instructional prompts
Authors: Schworm Silke , Gruber Hans
Published: April 2011

University students are more responsible than school students for their own learning. The role of self‐regulated learning increases in virtual e‐learning course environments. Academic help‐seeking is an important strategy of self‐regulated learning, but many students fail to use this strategy appropriately. A lack of information and a perceived threat of help‐seeking may cause this effect. Among others, giving prompts is an instructional means to support students to adequately apply academic help‐seeking . A study is presented in which the effect of giving prompts on the quantity and quality of academic help‐seeking was experimentally investigated in a blended university learning course of educational science. Compared with students who received no prompts, students with prompts about the relevance of active help‐seeking had better learning outcomes, participated more actively in online learning activities, more explicitly referred to learning contents in the forums and took more initiative in starting discussions. The perceived threat of help‐seeking could not be reduced, however.
Retracted: Learning in troubleshooting of automotive braking system: A project‐based teamwork approach
Authors: Liang Janus S.
Published: April 2011

The following article from British Journal of Educational Technology, ‘Learning in troubleshooting of automotive braking system: A project‐based teamwork approach’, by Janus S. Liang, first published online in Wiley OnlineLibrary (http://www.wileyonlinelibrary.com) on 15 April 2011, has been retracted by agreement between the author, the journal Editor, Nick Rushby, and Blackwell Publishing Ltd. The retraction has been agreed due to the inclusion of significant passages of unattributed material from other authors.

Reference

Liang, Janus S. (2012). Learning in troubleshooting of automotive braking system: A project‐based teamwork approach, British Journal of Educational Technology, 43, 2, 331–352. doi: 10.1111/j.1467‐8535.2011.01182.x
Identification of children at risk of dyslexia: the validity of teacher judgements using ‘Phonic Phases’
Authors: Snowling Margaret J. , Duff Fiona , Petrou Alex , Schiffeldrin Josie , Bailey Alison M.
Published: April 2011

We report an investigation of the validity of teachers' ratings of children's progress in ‘phonics’ as a screener for dyslexia. Seventy‐three 6‐year‐olds from a whole school population were identified as ‘at risk’ of dyslexia according to teacher judgements of slow progression through phonic phases. Six months later, children's attainments in literacy and phonological skills were compared with those of their typically developing peers matched on age and gender. Teacher assessments of risk were related to individual differences in performance on a standardised test of reading ability. Teacher assessments overestimated ‘risk of dyslexia’, defined as below‐average reading performance. However, teacher judgements, supplemented by tests of phoneme awareness and rapid naming, allowed a sensitive and specific identification of children who subsequently experienced reading difficulties. These findings show teachers can identify risk of dyslexia; the accuracy of this process can be improved by administering two tests of phonological skills.
‘It Is But an Olde Wytche Gonne’: Prosecution and Execution for Witchcraft in Exeter, 1558–1610
Authors: STOYLE MARK
Published: April 2011

Following the passage of legislation making witchcraft a capital crime during the mid‐sixteenth century, magistrates across England found themselves under increasing pressure to investigate the activities of supposed ‘witches’. The present article explores how the Justices of the Peace of one urban community – the city of Exeter – reacted to those pressures. The article shows that, in the immediate aftermath of the passage of the Elizabethan statute of 1563, the Exeter magistrates were still prepared to punish those who had been accused of witchcraft in the ‘traditional’ way – by simply banishing them from the city. Attitudes soon became harsher, however, and by 1581, at the very latest, the first execution of a convicted witch at the city gallows can be shown to have occurred. At least one further execution was to follow, in 1610, but – although these cases reveal that the hanging of supposed witches in the south‐west began at least a century earlier than was previously thought – the evidence suggests that the Exeter JPs were generally more keen to restrain than to encourage the popular enthusiasm for witch‐hunting.
Mobilizing Russian Horsepower in 1812
Authors: LIEVEN DOMINIC
Published: April 2011

Horses were of vital importance in Napoleonic‐era warfare. For Napoleon the huge loss of horses in the 1812 campaign was even more important than the loss of men. Shortage of horses undermined his hopes of victory in 1813. The mobilization and utilization of Russia's horsepower is a crucial but little‐studied aspect of these years. The largest single source of horses for the Russian cavalry in 1813–14 consisted of animals substituted for conscripts in the recruit levies. The first use of this policy occurred in the winter of 1812–13 in the provinces of Volhynia and Podolia and is the subject of this article. Its success led to the policy being adopted across the empire. As well as providing key insights into a crucial aspect of Russia's war effort, this article also illustrates the strengths and weaknesses of Russian provincial administration in these years.
An Illiberal Descent: Natural and National History in the Work of Charles Kingsley
Authors: CONLIN JONATHAN
Published: April 2011

The Victorian novelist, historian and cleric Charles Kingsley (1819–75) was a polymath who took a close interest in natural history. A friend and correspondent of T. H. Huxley and many other leading British and American biologists, Kingsley applied concepts familiar from evolutionary biology in his historical novels and lectures. Rather than being a straightforward case of dressing literary works in language made fashionable and exciting by the boom of post‐Darwinian speculation on evolution, Kingsley sought to construct a Natural Theology for the Victorian age, one in which natural and national history merged completely. This encouraged him to present the history of Britain as the history of a divinely favoured Teutonic race, one with a mission to subdue the world. Less favoured races were doomed to assimilation into this race or to complete annihilation. Such racialist thinking was, this essay suggests, not unusual in Victorian historical writing. Accounts of Victorian historiography structured around the professionalization of a new discipline of history may have caused us to overlook ‘amateurs’ such as Kingsley, despite the fact that their historical works remained popular well into the twentieth century.
‘Ferry off the Mersey’: The Business and the Impact of Decolonization in Liverpool
Authors: WHITE NICHOLAS J.
Published: April 2011

Liverpool remained the UK's second port into the late 1960s, and, at the same time, its overseas trade remained highly skewed towards the empire–Commonwealth. By the 1980s, however, Merseyside had become almost a byword for British economic decay. Through focusing upon Liverpool's leading shipping group – the Blue Funnel/Elder Dempster complex, representing the premiere UK lines to eastern Asia and western Africa – this article provides a testing ground for recent debates on economics and the end of empire. It confirms that in line with other UK imperial business leaders, Liverpool shipowners were disaffected with the process of decolonization. Yet, whereas the historiographical consensus has pointed to a limited impact of imperial dissolution on the British economy as a whole, the diversification strategies pursued by these disgruntled Liverpudlian ‘gentlemanly’ businessmen unwittingly contributed to the port city's late twentieth‐century downturn.
Veno‐Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation as a Bridge to and Support for Pulmonary Thromboendarterectomy in Misdiagnosed Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Faggian Giuseppe , Onorati Francesco , Chiominto Bartolomeo , Gottin Leonardo , Dan Maurizio , Ribichini Flavio , Menon Tiziano , Santini Francesco , Mazzucco Alessandro
Published: April 2011

Diagnostic delay in patients suffering massive pulmonary embolism (PE) on chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) has inevitably fatal consequences. Indications to pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) are limited by severe comorbid conditions, some of which, as neurologic disease, absolutely contraindicate these procedures. We reported the clinical course of a severely diseased patient with a history of meningitis, psychosis and epilepsy, experiencing acute massive pulmonary embolism complicated by acute respiratory failure, successfully treated by ECMO and PTE. A 51‐year‐old woman with massive PE complicating a misdiagnosed CTEPH needed mechanical ventilation because of acute respiratory insufficiency. Thoracic computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrated PE, and brain CT showed multiple cerebral and cerebellar ischemic lesions. Veno‐venous ECMO assistance was instituted despite CT imaging. She recovered from acute respiratory insufficiency by means of veno‐venous ECMO. Weaning from ECMO was however impossible until surgical exploration demonstrated an underlying chronic CTEPH, which was successfully addressed by PTE, switching the ECMO system to a standard cardiopulmonary bypass. Postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged home in healthy condition. Despite the fact that the cost‐effective ratio should always be considered in advanced life support, expanding the commonly accepted selection criteria for expensive procedures might be advisable in selected acute life‐threatening cases, in view of the possibility to unexpectedly save lives.
Harmful effects of transfusion of older stored red blood cells: iron and inflammation
Authors: Hod Eldad A. , Spitalnik Steven L.
Published: April 2011

Retrospective studies suggest that the transfusion of older, stored red blood cells (RBCs) may be associated with increases in mortality, serious infections, multiorgan failure, thrombosis, and hospital length of stay. Our research is based on the overarching hypothesis that the adverse effects associated with transfusion of older, stored RBCs result from the acute delivery of hemoglobin iron to the monocyte‐macrophage system. To test this “iron hypothesis,” we are recruiting healthy human volunteers to donate double, leukoreduced, RBC units. We then transfuse them with one autologous fresh unit (i.e., after 3‐7 days of storage) and one older, stored unit (i.e., at 40‐42 days of storage). The primary study outcome will compare laboratory iron measures and proinflammatory cytokines after transfusion of fresh or older, stored RBCs. Similar studies using allogeneic RBC transfusions will be performed in chronically transfused patients with either sickle cell disease or β‐thalassemia. Although prospective, randomized studies will ultimately determine the existence of adverse effects from transfusing older, stored RBCs, our goal is to determine the mechanism(s) for this potential effect.
Storage lesion: role of red blood cell breakdown
Authors: Kim‐Shapiro Daniel B. , Lee Janet , Gladwin Mark T.
Published: April 2011

As stored blood ages intraerythrocytic energy sources are depleted resulting in reduced structural integrity of the membrane. Thus, stored red blood cells (RBCs) become less deformable and more fragile as they age. This fragility leads to release of cell‐free hemoglobin (Hb) and formation of microparticles, submicron Hb‐containing vesicles. Upon transfusion, it is likely that additional hemolysis and microparticle formation occurs due to breakdown of fragile RBCs. Release of cell‐free Hb and microparticles leads to increased consumption of nitric oxide (NO), an important signaling molecule that modulates blood flow, and may promote inflammation. Stored blood may also be deficient in recently discovered blood NO synthase activity. We hypothesize that these factors play a potential role in the blood storage lesion.
Commodity Registers
Authors: Agha Asif
Published: April 2011

Commodities mediate roles and relationships through discourses that formulate them as social indexicals. Discourses that typify commodities make indexical stereotypes widely known through their own dissemination, thereby linking commodities to registers of conduct. Phenomenally diverse objects (durable goods, forms of speech) readily come under commodity formulations, and many objects acquire distinct formulations in distinct phases of their social existence. The case of lifestyle formulations is discussed in some detail. Yet all commodity formulations and their fragments (products, services, discourses about them) are recontextualized and transformed through the activities of those acquainted with them. Many commodity formulations come to be treated as common culture. Others function as emblems of group differentiation, or of forms of individuality prized in liberal society. Commodities are thus cultural forms through which images of diverse social phenomena (persons, groups, ideals) become manifest in perceivable activities through which culture is transformed in social history. [commodities, registers, social relations, lifestyle, cultural change]
Culture and Interdiscursivity in Korean Fricative Voice Gestures
Authors: Harkness Nicholas
Published: April 2011

This paper explores the cultural significance of a type of audible gesture in Korean speech that I call the Fricative Voice Gesture (FVG). I distinguish between two forms of this gesture: the reactive FVG, which serves as a self‐standing utterance that signals personally felt intensity, and the prosodic FVG, which can be superimposed upon an utterance as a form of intensification. Based on an ethnographically informed analysis of interviews, Christian sermons, and advertisements for soju, a Korean spirit, in South Korea, I view the interdiscursive link between reactive and prosodic FVGs in terms of the ongoing cultural revalorization of the sound shape. I focus in particular on the shift from harsher to softer FVGs—and their omission altogether—according to different, but related, paradigms of social differentiation such as class, gender, and age. [voice, gesture, prosody, intensification, korean, South Korea]
Soft tissue dimensions in flapless immediate implants with and without immediate loading: an experimental study in the beagle dog
Authors: Blanco Juan , Carral Cristina , Liñares Antonio , Pérez Javier , Muñoz Fernando
Published: April 2011

Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the peri‐implant soft tissue dimensions in flapless immediate implants with and without immediate loading.

Material and methods: This study was carried out on six beagle dogs. Four implants were placed (two per side) immediately after tooth extraction (third and fourth premolars). Flapless immediate implant placement was performed in one hemimandible (control). The same procedure was performed in the contralateral side and immediate prosthesis was connected (test). After 3 months of healing, the dogs were sacrificed.

Results: None of the implants and prosthesis were lost. Barrier epithelium in the loaded group was 2.51 mm at the buccal and 2.34 mm at the lingual aspect. In the no loaded group, the results were similar, 2.54 and 2.2 mm at the buccal and lingual side, respectively. Connective tissue in the loaded group was 1.38 mm at the buccal and 0.65 mm at the lingual aspect, and in the no loaded group 1.48 mm at the buccal and 0.53 mm at the lingual side. Biological width dimensions were 3.9 mm at the buccal and 2.95 mm at the lingual aspect for the loaded group, and 4.01 and 2.64 mm at the buccal and lingual aspect for the no loaded group.

Conclusions: The results of the present study suggested that soft tissues dimensions around immediate implants with immediate loading were similar to immediate implants without loading.

To cite this article: Blanco J, Carral C, Liñares, A, Pérez J, Muñoz F. Soft tissue dimensions in flapless immediate implants with and without immediate loading: an experimental study in the beagle dog. Clin. Oral Impl. Res. 23, 2012; 70–75. doi: 10.1111/j.1600‐0501.2011.02183.x
Influence of topography and hydrophilicity on initial oral biofilm formation on microstructured titanium surfaces in vitro
Authors: Almaguer‐Flores A. , Olivares‐Navarrete R. , Wieland M. , Ximénez‐Fyvie L. A. , Schwartz Z. , Boyan B. D.
Published: April 2011

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyse the influence of the microtopography and hydrophilicity of titanium (Ti) substrates on initial oral biofilm formation.

Materials and methods: Nine bacterial species belonging to the normal oral microbiota, including: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Actinomyces israelii, Campylobacter rectus, Eikenella corrodens, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Parvimonas micra, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, and Streptococcus sanguinis were tested on Ti surfaces: pretreatment (PT [Ra<0.2 μm]), acid‐etched (A [Ra<0.8 μm]), A modified to be hydrophilic (modA), sand‐blasted/acid‐etched (SLA [Ra=4 μm]), and hydrophilic SLA (modSLA). Disks were incubated for 24 h in anaerobic conditions using a normal culture medium (CM) or human saliva (HS). The total counts of bacteria and the proportion of each bacterial species were analysed by checkerboard DNA–DNA hybridization.

Results: Higher counts of bacteria were observed on all surfaces incubated with CM compared with the samples incubated with HS. PT, SLA, and modSLA exhibited higher numbers of attached bacteria in CM, whereas SLA and modSLA had a significant increase in bacterial adhesion in HS. The proportion of the species in the initial biofilms was also influenced by the surface properties and the media used: SLA and modSLA increased the proportion of species like A. actinomycetemcomitans and S. sanguinis in both media, while the adhesion of A. israelii and P. gingivalis on the same surfaces was affected in the presence of saliva.

Conclusions: The initial biofilm formation and composition were affected by the microtopography and hydrophilicity of the surface and by the media used.

To cite this article: Almaguer‐Flores A, Olivares Navarrete R, Wieland M, Ximénez‐Fyvie LA, Schwartz Z, Boyan BD. Influence of topography and hydrophilicity on initial oral biofilm formation on microstructured titanium surfaces in vitro. Clin. Oral Impl. Res. 23, 2012; 301–307. doi: 10.1111/j.1600‐0501.2011.02184.x
Nematodes surfing the waves: long‐distance dispersal of soil‐borne microfauna via sea swept rhizomes
Authors: de la Peña Eduardo , Vandegehuchte Martijn L. , Bonte Dries , Moens Maurice
Published: April 2011

Dispersal mechanisms of soil‐borne microfauna have hitherto received little attention. Understanding dispersal mechanisms of these species is important to unravel their basic life history traits, biogeography, exchange of individuals between populations, and local adaptation. Soil‐borne nematodes and root‐feeding nematodes in particular occupy a key position in soil‐food webs and can be determinants for plant growth and vegetation structure and succession. However, their dispersal abilities have been scarcely addressed, predominantly focusing on species of agricultural importance. Still, root‐feeding nematodes are usually considered as being extremely limited and bound to the rhizosphere of plants. We investigated a mechanism for long distance dispersal of root‐feeding nematodes associated to two widespread coastal dune grasses. The nematodes are known to be crucial for the functioning of these grasses. We experimentally tested the hypothesis that root‐feeding nematodes are able to move across long distances inside rhizome fragments that are dispersed by seawater. We also tested the survival capacities of the host plants in seawater. Our study demonstrates that root‐feeding nematodes and plants are able to survive immersion in seawater, providing a mechanism for long distance dispersal of root feeding nematodes together with their host plant. Drifting rhizome fragments enable the exchange of plant material and animals between dune systems. These results provide new insights to understand the ecology of dune vegetation, the interaction with soil‐borne organisms and more importantly, re‐set the scale of spatial dynamics of a group of organisms considered extremely constrained in its dispersal capacities.
Influence of shearing on oxidative stress and some physiological parameters in ewes
Authors: PICCIONE Giuseppe , FAZIO Francesco , CASELLA Stefania , PENNISI Pietro , CAOLA Giovanni
Published: April 2011

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of shearing on physiological and oxidative stress parameters in ewes. Twenty Comisana ewes were used and divided into two groups. Ten ewes were left unshorn as a control group (Group A) and 10 ewes were shorn (Group B). All measurements were taken before and after shearing, and repeated 8 h after shearing and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 and 15 days after shearing. Reactive oxygen species (dROMs), antioxidant barrier (oxy‐adsorbent), thiol antioxidant barrier (SHp) and packed cell volume (PCV) were assessed in blood samples collected by means of jugular venipuncture. Rectal temperature (RT), respiratory rate (RR) and heart rate (HR) were also measured. Two‐way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by Bonferroni's test, was used for the assessment of significant effects due to shearing and time. The statistical analysis showed significant increases (P < 0.01) of dROMs, oxy‐adsorbent, SHp, and a significant decrease (P < 0.01) of RT and RR associated with time and shearing. Our results indicate that shearing causes a change in the ewe's homeostatic balance that leads to oxidative stress.
Ex vivo amplification of human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in an alginate three‐dimensional culture system
Authors: YUAN Y. , TSE K.‐T. , SIN F. W.‐Y. , XUE B. , FAN H.‐H. , XIE Y. , XIE Y.
Published: April 2011

Introduction:  One of the key factors critical for a successful human cord blood transplantation in treating patients with hematopoietic disorders is the number of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells derived from human cord blood. Here, we report an alginate three‐dimensional (3D) culture system for the expansion of CD34+ cells in cord blood mononuclear cells (CBMCs).

Methods:  Cord blood mononuclear cells were isolated from human cord blood and encapsulated in 3D alginate beads. The cells were grown with different concentrations of cytokines. At day 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12, respectively, the percentage of CD34+ cells was quantified by flow cytometry. Colony‐forming cell assay was performed to determine the potential of hematopoietic reconstruction of the amplified cells under the 3D culture system.

Results:  After culturing for 12 days, the CBMCs encapsulated in the 3D alginate beads were amplified 5.89 ± 0.72 fold, CD34+ cells increased from 2.60 ± 0.52% to 13.27 ± 2.65%, and the colony‐forming assay showed that the colony‐forming unit‐granulocyte/granulocyte‐macrophage (CFU‐G/GM) increased from 363.34 ± 34.47/105 cells to 3423.33 ± 645.14/105 cells (P < 0.001). In comparison, the conventional two‐dimensional (2D) culture system showed that the CBMCs, CD34+ cells and the CFU‐G/GM were 0.68 ± 0.16 fold, 0.45 ± 0.17%, and 532.92 ± 82.97/105 cells, respectively.

Conclusion:  This study demonstrates a new and efficient method to amplify the CD34+ human cord blood hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells in a 3D alginate culture system ex vivo for extended periods while retaining the hematopoietic reconstruction capacity.
Pharmacy student perceptions of public health service roles and responsibilities
Authors: Wilbur Kerry
Published: April 2011

Background

There is increasing emphasis on pharmacists' assuming responsibility for public health promotion and delivery with formal expansion of public health activities in their practice. A number of pharmacy school accreditation bodies now incorporate public health competencies within expected professional training outcomes. The objective of this study was to characterize pharmacy student perceptions towards pharmacist public health services roles and responsibilities.

Methods

All undergraduate students at the College of Pharmacy at Qatar University were surveyed 1 week following a student-led breast cancer awareness event. A questionnaire was devised from a literature review and comprised of 10 questions assessing pharmacy student motivations, perceptions and anticipated comfort with various pharmacist-conducted public health activities.

Results

Ninety-four per cent of students responded, most having participated in the breast cancer awareness event. They generally felt pharmacist participation in such health promotions would enhance the profession's profile among patients (75.1%) and colleagues (89.6%), but recognized that other health professionals may be unfamiliar with certain pharmacist activities in this regard. Students considered knowledge of disease aetiology and diagnosis necessary for pharmacists (97.9%), as well as the obligation to offer non-pharmacological patient counselling (73.8%). Many (61.7%) anticipated comfort in communicating potentially culturally sensitive health matters both to patients in their own practice site or as a spokesperson to the general public.

Conclusion

Undergraduate pharmacy students in our College of Pharmacy expressed favourable attitudes towards public health roles of pharmacists. Early enthusiasm for participation in public health activities is valuable for building communication skills, promoting leadership and potentially influencing practising pharmacists.
Industrial Melanism in British Peppered Moths Has a Singular and Recent Mutational Origin
Authors: van’t Hof Arjen E. , Edmonds Nicola , Dalíková Martina , Marec František , Saccheri Ilik J.
Published: April 2011

The locus responsible for the dark form of the peppered moth is identified.
Accessing genitourinary medicine clinics: does it matter where you live?
Authors: Stuart Beth , Hinde Andrew
Published: April 2011

Objectives

To determine whether genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics in England are located conveniently for potential users and to assess whether there are any regional variations in accessibility.

Methods

A surface model was created in ArcGIS to estimate driving times to the nearest GUM clinic and to identify the proportion of the population living more than 30 minutes drive from their nearest clinic.

Results

Overall, 3.0% of the population live further than 30 minutes from their nearest clinic. However, this average figure disguises considerable regional variation. While access in London and the South East was excellent, with less than 1% of the population living more than 30 minutes from the nearest clinic, in the South West and the East of England, these percentages rose to 7.7% and 9.2%, respectively.

Conclusions

In some regions of England it is important to consider the physical barriers to clinic access, as inability or unwillingness to undertake a long journey to a GUM clinic may increase the workload in other clinical settings.
Implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in mainland China
Authors: Lv Jun , Su Meng , Hong Zhiheng , Zhang Ting , Huang Xuemei , Wang Bo , Li Liming
Published: April 2011

As per China's ratification of theWHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control(FCTC), it should have implemented effective packaging and labelling measures prior to 9 January 2009 and enacted a comprehensive ban on all tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship prior to 9 January 2011. In addition, universal protection against secondhand tobacco smoke should have been implemented before 9 January 2011 by ensuring that all indoor workplaces, all indoor public places, all public transportation and possibly other (outdoor or quasi-outdoor) public places are free of secondhand smoke. The authors conducted a review of various sources of information to determine the current status of FCTC implementation in mainland China. Even though China has made considerable efforts to implement the FCTC, there is still a significant gap between the current state of affairs in China and the requirements of the FCTC. The Chinese tobacco monopoly under which commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry are jeopardising tobacco control efforts is thought to be the most crucial obstacle to the effective implementation of the FCTC across the country.